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Summer Supreme Court Battle?; Iraq Village Massacre; Jobs and Elections
Aired April 03, 2010 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This hour, a developing story which involves the Supreme Court -- a possible retirement giving a young president another chance to put his stamp on the nation's highest court.
On this anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, we learn some unlikely men and women are carrying the torch for civil rights these days, you may not know their faces, but you've heard their powerful voices.
And a CNN live exclusive. You've seen her walking the red carpet with R&B sensation Usher. But tonight, she is talking to me about why she's stepping into the spotlight and life after their very public divorce.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
We are tracking a developing story out of Washington at this hour. President Barack Obama may soon have another seat to fill in America's highest court. And that could set up a fierce political battle maybe even before the midterm elections.
Eighty-nine-year-old Justice John Paul Stevens is dropping hints left and right that he will retire. He tells "The New York Times" this, "There are still pros and cons to be considered. The president and the Senate need plenty of time to fill a vacancy."
No one knows the high court better than our senior -- CNN senior legal analyst and that is Jeffrey Toobin. And he joins us now.
Jeffrey recently interviewed Justice Stevens for "The New Yorker" magazine.
So, Jeffrey, what are you hearing? Is this imminent? Is this true?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST (via telephone): Well, Justice Stevens, as with his interview with Adam Liptak of "The New York Times," he was somewhat noncommittal about the resignation. But reading between the lines, I think it is very likely that he will retire before his 90th birthday on April 20th and President Obama will have a second vacancy in short order.
LEMON: So, you think he's going to do it -- retire this year?
TOOBIN: I do think he will. LEMON: This year or next?
TOOBIN: This year. I mean, this month, not just this year.
LEMON: Just this month? OK, that's very interesting.
So, listen, Justice Stevens has hired, you know, only one law clerk. What's the significance of that if any in this?
TOOBIN: Well, Supreme Court justices always hire their law clerks a year in advance. So, this group that was hired in September would have been to start next summer. And he only hired one as opposed to four. And retired justices are entitled to one law clerk.
Justice Stevens is, according to people who know him well, very much a creature of habit, he always hires the same number of law clerks, always hires them at the same time. So, the fact that he didn't hire four was seen as very significant and also the fact that he's given interviews to me and others, which is also very out of character for him, suggests that this is part of a leave-taking operation.
LEMON: I don't think it will change the balance of the court here, but, you know, it does give the president a chance, as we said at the beginning of the show, to sort of put another person in who he wants to be in there. So, what is -- what is Justice Stevens' -- what has his role been on the court likely to be filled by the next person?
TOOBIN: Well, he is one of four relative liberals on the court -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, the new justice, along with Justice Stevens. He will likely be replaced by someone similar in politics because at this point, even though Justice Stevens was appointed by Gerald Ford way back in 1975, he has become very much part of the liberal wing of the court, which is sympathetic to Obama's politics.
But, you know, Justice Byron White who's served on the court for many years like to say, when you change one justice, you don't just change just one justice, you change the whole court. And if there is a new vitality, a new group of liberal justices, Sotomayor, this next justice, that gives the liberals a certain momentum, especially since Obama is near the beginning of his presidency, may well get re- elected, may be president for to the next seven years -- that could really give the liberals a shot in the arm when they have lost a lot of important cases recently, most notably the Citizens United case about the First Amendment right of corporations.
LEMON: Our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin saying he expects this to happen, you said sometime this month. Jeffrey --
TOOBIN: I think so. Yes.
LEMON: Thank you. We really appreciate it.
TOOBIN: See you, Don. LEMON: Thank you. We're going to go now to Iraq. And the message written in blood for militants south of Baghdad -- gunmen wearing uniforms of the Iraqi military stormed homes in a Sunni village south of Baghdad. Twenty-five people were killed. The victims were found handcuffed. Many were shot in the head.
Earlier, I spoke with CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom about how the massacre has reminded many of the dark days in the past.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This type of horrifying attack is very reminiscent of what was going on sectarian tensions in this country were at their highest during the insurgency 2006, 2007, 2008. In those years, you saw these types of attacks where gunmen would dress up in military uniforms or security officials, and go into villages or compounds and kill people. They would kill Sunnis. They would kill Shiites. It happened with greater frequency.
It hasn't happened in a while and is particularly worrisome now at a time when Iraq is trying to show that it's more stable, that the violence is down, and especially at a time when they're trying to form a new government and trying to make sure that the handover goes as smoothly as possible -- Don.
LEMON: So, listen, you know, we are hearing that possibly, and especially from the military there, from U.S. and military authorities, that al Qaeda may be responsible. What are you hearing about that?
JAMJOOM: Well, Iraqi officials are telling us that this attack does bear the hallmarks of an al Qaeda-style attack. It looks like al Qaeda's fingerprints are all over it. But it's too early to tell. And typically, when al Qaeda is behind something like that, there is a claim of responsibility. There's been no claim of responsibility so far.
But officials are really worried that this could be al Qaeda. They are going to be monitoring the Web sites. They are going to be trying to find out who's behind this. And they did arrest about 25 suspects, but we learned a short while ago that most of them had been let go because of lack of evidence -- Don.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Mohammed Jamjoom joining us earlier.
Shifting to the war in Afghanistan now. The U.S. may have to worry about a new supporter for the Taliban in Iran. A Pentagon official tells CNN, new military intelligence suggests Iran is plotting to smuggle weapons into Afghanistan for militants in the next few weeks. It is apparently part of an effort by Tehran to interfere with coalition operations.
The official says the source came from an Iranian informant whose past tips have been verified. And another U.S. official though says that the amount of weapons isn't amount to cause much trouble.
It is slim, it is sleek, and oh, so cool -- that's the latest gadget. Apple's iPad hit the shelves today, and the legions of fans were ready. They're in the long lines. And bad weather at some cities weren't enough to stop Apple fans from snapping up one of the tablet computers. Devoted fans say the iPad has the potential to change the industry. Critics, well, they aren't sure, saying the jury is still out on its impact. But their doubts didn't stop the iPad from its big opening day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First impressions, I don't know. I think it's a game-changer. That's what it looks like, at least.
REPORTER: How does it feel working on it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's completely intuitive for anyone who's worked the iPod or the iPod Touch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a light weight portable computer. You know, it's really simple to use. I'll use it for school and work and stuff.
REPORTER: You answer my next question. What's the first thing you're going to be using this iPad today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, when I get home, and sync it up with my amps, on my Mac, and just go straight hour and work and just play around, reading books, add PowerPoint for school on Monday. So, I'm going to go straight and do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. Well, I was there with him, so look at this, everyone, who's excited about it. The lines were, yes, very long this morning. And it basically looks like everyone said, compared here like a blown up iPhone, right? Can you get that in there, Wes? There we go.
So, it's just a big version of the iPhone, but it's kind of a hybrid between the iPhone and a PC or a Mac book or what have you so you could carry it around. But again, you know exactly what it is, it's like a note pad just as you would carry around, except you have a computerized version and you can get online, you can do email or what have you.
So, anyway, some say it's a game-changer. As we said, but, we shall see jury still out.
Listen, if you want to know more about the iPad, don't take my word for it, go to CNN.com for more information, including 12 things you need to know about this new device and exactly what it is.
The U.S. economy adds tens of thousands of much-needed jobs. But we'll tell you who's still left out in the cold and what President Barack Obama is saying about it.
Plus, we'll have this as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BAISDEN, RADIO HOST: The term has always been used, you know, be the example that you want to see in other people. And I wanted to be an example by showing and not telling --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Radio host Michael Baisden on a cross-country mission to help America's black youth and really youth all over. And in the process, he may be positioning himself as a civil rights leader for a new era. Who are the African-American civil rights leaders today? We're going in-depth to find out.
Plus, we want you to weigh in, Twitter, Facebook, iReport. That's where you go.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Why don't we check some numbers on the economy right now and what they mean to you?
The U.S. unemployment rate remains at 9.7 percent. But the Labor Department says the economy added more than 162,000 jobs in March, suggesting it may -- maybe turning the corner.
But not everyone is getting the benefit. The African-American unemployment rate rose to 16.5 percent, from 15.8 percent. And the Hispanic unemployment rate rose to 12.6 percent from 12.4 percent.
President Obama admits that Americans are still going through hard times, but he says, there are clear signs of progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Just one year ago, we were losing an average of more than 700,000 jobs each month. But the tough measures that we took -- measures that were necessary even though sometimes they were unpopular -- have broken this slide and are helping us to climb out of this recession. We've now added an average of more than 50,000 jobs each month over the first quarter of this year. And this month's increase of 162,000 jobs was the best news we've seen on the job front in more than two years.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, those job numbers could have a big impact on this year's congressional election. Just how big? I talked it over with CNN's Candy Crowley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: So, Candy, you and I, and I guess everyone around the world, has been talking about health care, but the jobs numbers just recently came out -- 162,000 jobs added. So, which one is it for the president? And I guess maybe it can be both at the same time, but which one really may sort of define him politically -- jobs or health care?
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Jobs. The economy -- but it's larger than just jobs. But jobs -- the jobs figure is the most understandable figure of all of those.
If you're sitting at home, you pretty much get what the unemployment rate is, when they start talking about GDP and how many quarters this or that is happening, you think, well, what does mean? Is that good? Is that bad? So, the jobless figure is key and it's the most prominent one.
So -- and we have seen poll after poll that while people were concerned about health care, increasingly, they became concerned that the president was spending too much time on health care and what they wanted was for him to turn to the economy. And even more importantly, when we asked what is most likely to determine your vote in November, people have said the economy.
LEMON: The economy. And, you know, I always say, if you can't pay a mortgage, you can't pay the bills, you don't have a job, you know, that's really what you care about. I mean, health is important as well. But, you know, if you're healthy at the moment and you don't have a job, you know, nothing else really matters.
So, listen, "STATE OF THE UNION," what's coming up? What are we going to see?
CROWLEY: We have Larry Summers who's on the president's economic council of advisors. We're going to talk about jobs, we're going to talk about the state of the economy.
And, listen, this is an administration that you will see increasingly looking at this glass half-full, because they know that that unemployment figure we're talking about is going on over 9 percent in November. That's their forecast. So, what do they have to do? Because November is not -- it is, of course, at the core, 9.7 percent of the people are now unemployed. That's the substance of it.
The politics of it is, that's a hard sell going into the ballot box. So, what the president has to do and what his advisors have to do is convince people that things are turning around. They need to get people to feel better about things and they think if they can do that between now and, say, July when time kind of runs out for changing people's impressions, that they will at least mitigate some of the loss that they expect in the midterm, as every party that's in the White House expects.
LEMON: Perception and giving hope.
CROWLEY: Yes. LEMON: Now to a story that has legs, right? Let's talk about Michael Steele, RNC chair.
CROWLEY: Yes.
LEMON: How much trouble is he in?
CROWLEY: I -- listen, this was not a good week for Michael Steele, let's start with that. We had the, you know, sort of bondage nightclub that some young Republicans went to. He was not there. He was on a plane somewhere.
Nonetheless, the expense was charged to the RNC. Who's in charge of the RNC? Michael Steele. Not the first time he's been in trouble for a failure to oversee.
But generally, in these kinds of stories, if somebody wants someone forced out, it happens pretty quickly. And you have to understand that, like, who would force Michael Steele to leave the Republican National Committee? Who is that? Who's the head of the Republican Party? There isn't one.
LEMON: Right.
CROWLEY: Now, theoretically, the state party leaders and a couple of others who, about 168 people, who are the Republican National Committee, could have a meeting and get rid of him but it's really cumbersome.
And thirdly, you have an election coming up. Do you really want to get rid of your chairman, who by the way, has three pretty good wins under his belt? No. Too messy.
So, I think, I mean, I have -- if I were a guessing person, I say the odds are in Steele's favor to survive past the elections.
LEMON: It's going to be really interesting watching "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley.
Candy, thank you.
CROWLEY: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Make sure you join Candy Crowley tomorrow for "STATE OF THE UNION." That's at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 a.m. Pacific, right here on CNN.
We're following a developing story this hour from the Midwest. Children are searching for Easter eggs in a park make a horrible discovery.
But first, Martin Luther King, Jr. was the undisputed leader of the civil rights movement back in the 1960s. So, who is the movement's leader today? We're taking a close look at this question with a powerful panel of guests.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's check your headlines this hour, a new or deal for ESPN reporter Erin Andrews. Two years ago, she was secretly videotaped nude by a stalker. Now, there are death threats. Her lawyer says somebody has been sending e-mail messages to sportscaster Dan Patrick describing plans to murder Andrews. He says the FBI began investigating those threats Thursday and has already identified the suspect.
A spring break tragedy in Panama City Beach, Florida. Police say a 17-year-old Notre Dame football recruit died when he fell from a 15th floor hotel balcony yesterday. Witness told police Matt James apparently was drunk and belligerent and was leaning over the balcony when he fell. Another spring break student died in Panama City just last month. In that incident, a 19-year-old from Georgia also fell from a hotel balcony.
A gruesome discovery in Easter egg hunting in Des Moines -- two children found a body while searching for eggs. And authorities say there's no indication of foul play and they're not sure how long the body had been there. That is gruesome.
Well, this weekend marks 42 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. And the African-American community is in the midst of a subtle revolution. Where the civil rights era once generated explosive headlines, today, there's a quieter but potentially more significant movement, a new generation of black leaders are taking over. Their message: raise up today's youth to be responsible adults and tomorrow's leaders.
Blazing the trail are radio hosts, and one of them we profile is Michael Baisden.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): Michael Baisden is on the air.
BAISDEN: Welcome back to the "Michael Baisden Show."
LEMON: And spreading the word.
BAISDEN: This is how you change lives. Come on.
LEMON: He's not a preacher, but his secular sermons fill the airwaves all across America, leaving some to suggest black radio hosts are replacing the iconic civil rights leaders of the past.
(CHANTING)
LEMON: In 2007, instead of Washington or Selma, they marched on Jena, an obscure Louisiana town, until six African-American students were charged with beating a white student after nooses were hung in a schoolyard tree.
BAISDEN: This is my home away from home.
LEMON: Today, Baisden and his co-host George Wilborn have taken their "Power to the People" message on the road -- on a tour bus that will take them to 73 cities, encouraging adults, especially African- American men to get involved in young people's lives as mentors.
(on camera): This is your life, man -- for how long?
BAISDEN: For five months, until mid-June. We end the campaign in New York City.
LEMON (voice-over): But before the Big Apple finish, Baisden says he will match contributions to local mentoring programs with up to $350,000 of his own money.
BAISDEN: I didn't see it as giving away money. I saw it as investing in our kids. And the term has always been used, you know, be the example that you want to see in other people. And I wanted to be an example by showing and not telling.
Hugs only. Hugs only.
LEMON: At each stop, he is greeted like a rock star.
In Augusta, Georgia, so many people have showed up, there wasn't enough room. But local mentoring group Dad's in Action got in. For them, mentoring starts at home.
(on camera): Do you feel lucky and sort of privileged that you have -- you're here and you're able to be your own son's mentor?
TERRENCE PAYNE, "DAD'S IN ACTION": Yes, I'm very privileged. And I take this honor very highly to -- just to have a son or even have a child to just to be a part of his life, you know? And I take off from work and don't work as much just to be with my son.
I mean, it means more to me than -- just being with him every day. And anyone here in this town would know who knows me, I have been carrying him in one arm and doing my work with the other. I have -- my whole life is this young man here.
LEMON: That should be the message to all dads, don't you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Outstanding.
LEMON: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right, it's true.
BAISDEN: That's right, I said.
LEMON (voice-over): Inside the chapel, Baisden is preaching, firing up the crowd, hoping his passionate pitch resonates long after he gets back on the bus.
(on camera): So, it's not just your voice going all over the country. It's you.
BAISDEN: Yes. Sometimes, got to show up, right? You can't just let them hear you, they have to feel you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And now, a very special panel with a few more of those black radio hosts pushing Dr. King's message forward.
April Ryan is White House correspondent with American Urban Radio Networks. Bev Smith is a host of "The Bev Smith Show." And Warren Ballentine is the host of "The Warren Ballentine Show."
Good to see all of you.
So, Bev, I'll start with you. Listen, we talked with Michael Baisden, he's in the area. He's doing this mentoring push. But many of the urban radio hosts these days, including Warren, you, a lot of people, have initiatives where they're talking about self-empowerment -- self-empowerment.
BEV SMITH, HOST, "THE BEV SMITH SHOW": And are you asking me --
LEMON: Yes, Bev. Yes, you.
SMITH: Yes -- about self-empowerment?
LEMON: Yes, about self-empowerment and the message for radio hosts.
SMITH: I think that actually, where African-Americans are concerned in terms of media and radio, it's always been about self- empowerment. We have been the drayage (ph). And so, we're just following the tradition.
But we have an even greater tradition now and that is to raise up an army of young people who will be able to continue the legacy of Dr. King. And I'm not so sure that we have done a good job of including young people. That's why what Michael, my friend Michael Baisden, is doing is so important.
LEMON: Warren, let's talk to you about this. I think the power of urban radio was seen during the election of President Barack Obama. Your show and a number of other shows, I think there was a "New York Times" article that talked about how you -- how you guys introduced the president to the country and to an audience that he may not -- that may not have been familiar with him.
But you know, going off of what Bev said about the job here, doing a good job and what radio hosts are doing, what do you think your role is? Do you see yourself as a civil rights leader -- the new civil rights leader of sorts?
WARREN BALLENTINE, HOST, "THE WARREN BALLENTINE SHOW": Well, I would happily take that title, let me say that. But let me say this is -- I'm a lawyer by trade and in law, there's two types of laws. There's a de jure law and there's a de facto law. De jure is something that's specifically made for it. And de facto is by happenstance.
Well, when you talk about civil right, de jure, I'll think of National Action Network, NAACP and other things. De facto is what I think about with myself and radio hosts.
Most of us who got into radio didn't go into radio to become civil rights leaders. But what happened was this -- we don't have an outlet. And because radio is the only outlet, especially when you have a situation like I have or Bev or Reverend Sharpton or Michael Baisden or Tom Joyner or Steve Harvey, where we actually get to talk, and it's not just all music, we can actually talk about our issues and develop a plan to make it happen.
When you talk about Jena and the White House -- perfect examples. You know, MSNBC or CNN, or no other network told us to march on Jena, it was black radio. And we came in droves. And we have a power and a position that is unique because we have more educated African- Americans than we've ever had at this time in the world and we have more people politically involved that we've ever had before.
And we not only have African-Americans that are tuning in, we have other races tuning in because they want to hear what we think about what's going on.
LEMON: And that's interesting because I was on, when I'm on your show, or Michael Baisden's show, or any of the other urban shows, you would think that it would be a certain demographic, but people call me from every different ethnicities saying, I heard you on the radio. Are you surprised that I listen to Warren or surprised that I listened to Michael Baisden?
Hey, April, I'm going to talk much more with you about this in the other side of the break. But I want to get you in here real quickly, because you have a unique perspective to be able to look at all of this playing out at the White House with the first African- American president. How do you see it playing out as far as a civil rights leader beyond the White House we're talking?
APRIL RYAN, AMERICAN URBAN RADIO NETWORK: Well, one thing, and I'm going to bring it back a little bit to the White House, with Bev, Warren, Michael, Tom, all the other talk show hosts, black talk show hosts, too, they bring up a consciousness. They have a platform.
And in past administration and in this administration, they are hearing the ground swell and they take that, and what is being done in black radio and also, what I do at the White House helps to shape policy, believe it or not.
BALLENTINE: It really does.
LEMON: All right. So, listen, guys, stick around. Warren, Bev and April, we're going to talk to you just after the break. We're going to talk a little bit more about Jena and what happens next, how you can use this platform and the way that you use this platform in order to help people, especially African-Americans.
Carrying on the torch of the civil rights movement, who's doing it? We're talking about it on the anniversary of Dr. King's death.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: (INAUDIBLE) Anniversary of Dr. King's death. Really, it is (INAUDIBLE)
We're talking about who is carrying the civil rights torch. Who are the new civil rights leaders?
Joining me now, April Ryan, Beth Smith, Warren Ballentine. They are back. Hey, you know, April - and I want to make this clear. This isn't something that Republican, Democrat, left or right -
APRIL RYAN, AMERICAN URBAN RADIO NETWORKS: Bipartisan.
LEMON: This goes beyond partisanship because even though, you know, I said that Urban Radio helped with getting President Obama elected in the sense that they introduced him to an audience who may not have been familiar with him but not everybody was on the same page. Not everybody was for him.
RYAN: Right, you had this up and coming senator from Illinois who everyone didn't know about but then you have the Clinton machine that everyone knew about. And people wanted to hear, you know, what one side had to say, there was an allegiance to the Clintons, and then but you have this race that linked you to Barack Obama and everybody was vying, all the black media outlets were vying for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Because what the main stream media didn't do was tell the story for us to hear what he was going to say or she was going to say about crack cocaine versus powdered cocaine disparities, about the situation in Jena, about many things that affect the black community.
LEMON: Yes, but I do have to say, we have been talking about that on CNN and we were very - we led the charge when it came to Jena as well at least getting that story out there. And just telling that story. So Bev, listen, is this new, though, because I know that black radio, Urban Radio has always had a lot of power, but it seems like there's a new activism, or am I just too young and I don't know -
(CROSSTALK)
BEV SMITH, HOST "THE BEV SMITH SHOW": I think you're too young, darling. I think you're too young to know about the talk show hosts, in those days they were disk jockeys and they played the music. But they also where the place where you can go to find out what was going on in the community. They also went out and gave dances and events in the community. But I do want to say that what we have to talk about when we talk about black radio is the difference between those of us in radio, Warren, Bev, those of us in radio, and Rush Limbaugh, (INAUDIBLE) whatever.
Because what we have is a deeper commitment. We have a commitment because we are all there is. And if you look at our periodicals that we're losing, if you look at the newspaper industry that is dying? Where can you go to get the truth? And fortunately we're blessed to be on the air. Now, you talk about Jena, but no one talks about Kimberly Elise, the girl that was taken out of Wal-Mart.
We had that story. We had people contacting legislators and we got her the moment she walked out of the jail. She disappeared. We were with Haiti with Dr. Ron Daniels.
RYAN: And we're still in Haiti.
SMITH: We're still in Haiti. We're there.
WARREN BALLENTINE, HOST "THE WARREN BALLENTINE SHOW": I went over there with Ron.
SMITH: I went, you know, Warren that I've been with Ron Daniels on the committee for a long time.
BALLENTINE: Yes.
SMITH: Let's take the story of AIDS. I took care of an AIDS patient. We worked with Phil Wilson. If we weren't around to tell the story, to bring the news, that's all of the story -
RYAN: And Bev, what about five years after Katrina? What about five years after Katrina?
SMITH: We're still telling the story.
(CROSSTALK)
BALLENTINE: Even when you look at the history of black radio and activism, Don. I'm probably the youngest person on this panel involved in the conversation, but when you look at Mayor Denkins in New York. He won that election because of the power of the Black Radio station there, WLIB. When you look at my home city in Chicago, Harold Washington won because of WVON in Chicago talk radio.
LEMON: Hey, listen. Warren, I got to go, I'm up against the break. Yes, I know that. And I understand what you were saying, Bev, but the power of the platform has increased since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. It appears radio hosts have a bigger voice. So are we on the right thing here? Do you agree Warren, I'll give you the last word. That radio hosts are leading the charge? And if so, who else might be out there, if anyone?
BALLENTINE: I do agree that we're leading the charge, but I also think you Don lemon, who I call America's newsmaker.
LEMON: You don't have to say that.
BALLENTINE: I'm not saying it just to (INAUDIBLE) from what my millions of listeners tell me. They look at you guys behind the seat, but the one thing that's disappointing is why isn't it one African- American who has an opinionated show on one of these major networks? Are we not talented enough to do this? That's the problem?
SMITH: That is the problem.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Well, here's the thing. At CNN, we don't do opinion, we put the story out there and we try to stay in the middle of the road.
SMITH: You put the story out there and we'll do the opinions.
BALLENTINE: Yes, that's right.
(CROSSTALK)
RYAN: What I was taught starting out in black radio, that's the facts, Jack, nothing but the facts.
SMITH: Well, if Warren is the youngest, I'm the oldest. And I'm not saying any age.
I'm thankful to god that I'm still here to talk about it. But what we have to do is we have to make an even stronger commitment and we must pressure those black entities, that are media entities so that they can get the message. If we can't go on a majority radio show or a majority television station, then we must make those entities that we're on responsible and we must tell the story.
Warren, you were talking about the people that are leading. You know, your former mayor Shirley Franklin, she's now involved in broadband.
LEMON: We have to wrap it up, guys.
SMITH: I wanted to talk about Lennox, Reverend Lennox in D.C., there are a lot of leaders out there.
LEMON: Hey, thank you guys so much.
(CROSSTALK)
RYAN: Thank you for having us.
LEMON: We appreciate you guys, coming on our show and giving your opinion.
BALLENTINE: Happy Easter, everybody.
LEMON: Happy Easter. We can't do it. People like me, Soledad, me, T.J., Tony, all of us, everyone here, we appreciate you and we appreciate you saying that.
SMITH: And we're glad you're there, too, Don. We're glad that you all are there. RYAN: Thank you, Don.
BALLENTINE: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Thank you very much.
It has been 42 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Tonight CNN talk to people who were there on that fateful day and others who are personally involved in the civil rights movement. They share their first hand stories of a tragedy that still resonates today, "Eyewitness to Murder, the King Assassination," comes your way at the top of the hour.
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LEMON: I want to check your headlines right now. A horrifying story out of Trenton, New Jersey, two adults and three juveniles face charges. They gang raped a seven-year-old girl. The story gets even more shocking as if it could. Police say the little girl's 15-year- old stepsister had sold the child for sex during a party at a crime- ridden apartment building.
The teen is also facing charges. The investigation is continuing. Trenton's mayor says he has met with the seven-year-old's family to offer help and make sure they can move out of the neighborhood for safety reasons.
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MAYOR DOUGLAS PALMER, TRENTON, NEW JERSEY: Good people came forward to try to get justice with this innocent seven-year-old angel who was brutally gang raped by a bunch of pedophile animals.
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LEMON: Another story, a 13-year-old Rochester, New York girl is back home with her family. Police arrested a California man who allegedly tried to kidnap her. Officers suspect John Betrus allegedly traveled from California to New York to meet the girl face to face after talking with her online. Police received a tip that Betrus was traveling on a west bound Amtrak train with the girl and took him into custody. CNN has tried to contact him, but is not have been able to reach him.
At least 30 governors across the country have received letters warning them to resign. The group behind the letters, advocates abolishing the federal government. The FBI says there's no threat of violence in the letters. But they are investigating whether any laws were broken. No arrests have been made, at least two governors have increased security just as a precaution.
LEMON: The Obama administration recently announced plans to replace the no child left behind act in a new blueprint for school reform. There are all sorts of theories about what should be done to engage today's students. CNN's education contributor Steve Perry says it's time to think outside the box. In this edition of "Perry's Principles" he talks to musician Pharrell Williams.
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STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: The challenge here is to find out how to connect to this generation of young people. A and our objective is to ask Pharrell, a man who sold over 75 million records, how is it that he connects to her children, because what he embodies as far as "Perry's Principles" go, is we need to go outside of the box, outside of education, into all walks of life to find the solution to education's challenges.
PHARRELL WILLIAMS, MUSICIAN: Here's what I know, I know that I like I feel like the school system should be panicking that like the Wii system is much more fun for a kid to participate in and you can learn everything from - like we should think about that. Like, OK, you can tell with like the body fat is on your body by like playing Wii. And you want a kid to come in class, sit still, by the way, he has a phone and you don't even really know it.
PERRY: A phone that buzzes. He's got a Wii at home, an unmanned spacecraft above head.
WILLIAMS: Listen, all these things and I just feel like it needs to be a conducive environment. It needs to invite a child's imagination to just flourish and just do whatever. And you know what? Listen to what the kid has to say and we'll realize, wow, OK, this kid is probably going to do this.
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LEMON: All right. Thank you, Steve Perry.
She was married to Usher, a pop star and a role model for many. And even after a high profile divorce, Tameka Raymond is using her star power to help others with her foundation. She talks to CNN next in her first on camera interview since the divorce.
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LEMON: It's time now for a CNN live exclusive. Earlier, we discussed the next generation of great leaders, where they're coming from and who is helping them. Tameka Raymond is one person making a difference in the lives of young women. But she has faced her own set backs. She's the ex-wife of Usher and is speaking on camera for the first time since her divorce from the pop star.
So thank you so much - your foundation is called "Lost Ones."
TAMEKA RAYMOND, "LOST ONES": "Lost Ones" yes.
LEMON: Thank you for doing this. Your foundation is called "Lost Ones" and you were doing it before the divorce, but now you have stepped out in the spotlight, because before you say you were a mom, you were a wife and now you want to help others and you want to be more vocal about it? RAYMOND: Yes, I mean, I started "Lost Ones" about two years ago and it was a - it was a really challenging thing to put together because I had such big dreams, you know, for the foundation. We stepped out last year at about - I'd say December. We did out first retreat and it was really successful.
LEMON: Why did you do it? Why'd you start it?
RAYMOND: You know, I'm from the inner city. I'm from Oakland, California. Just seeing actually today's youth and looking at the girls. You know, I mentor girls between the ages of 12 and 18. And looking at today's, the climate of just the influences and the different, you know, images that are out there, I decided I wanted to kind of step it up and try and take a few under my wing.
LEMON: You know, and as - being in the spotlight as you are being who you are, there was lots of privilege of having as much money, as much exposure. Not everyone has that. So you said you came from the inner city. Did do you realize that in some ways?
RAYMOND: Yes.
LEMON: Was it difficult knowing like I have all of this but there are people back there that are suffering. It probably weighed on your marriage as well.
RAYMOND: I mean, possibly. But, no, I mean -- where I came from, I mean, Oakland, California, it's inner city, it's a very urban community. It definitely - when I was growing up I noticed that, you know, I had mentors in my family, you know, just my aunt and my mother and my sisters and things like that. But I look at so many girls who don't have the same opportunities.
LEMON: Yes. So listen, I talked about it must have been tough on your marriage, being in the spotlight, trying to start this foundation. I was watching "American Idol" the other night. You know, Usher and his new CD -
RAYMOND: I missed that, I was at the game.
LEMON: Raymond versus Raymond. Can we play a little bit of it and I'll talk to Tameka about it.
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RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL" HOST: Congratulations. "Raymond versus Raymond," your new album, is out today, which is awesome. I don't know if everybody totally understands what that means. What's the essence of "Raymond versus Raymond"?
USHER, RECORDING ARTIST: "Raymond versus Raymond" is my dichotomy. You know, one side and the other side of me, you know. For the most part, the last two, three years of my life, I went through a lot of different experiences, (INAUDIBLE) personal. Also wanted to tell a few stories that I think would definitely captivate an audience. SEACREST: And I know a couple of songs -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So he said he wanted to "tell a few stories that definitely would captivate an audience." Do you feel he's talking about the marriage here? Does that hurt you, "Raymond Versus Raymond," that's usually what happens in divorce cases.
RAYMOND: I mean, you know, I think that he's probably talking about himself, you know. Himself versus himself. I think everyone kind of has, you know, two personalities, two sides to them. No, I mean - there are certain things that any great artist, I think that their music is going to hopefully be a reflection of their life, you know. You know, there's some things that I notice that are maybe similar. But the majority really isn't, you know.
LEMON: Listen, you're very honest, very transparent. I see you out and about, you'll talk to me, and you're very open. You know, you have been controversial in the media. Do you feel the criticism you've gotten is warranted? And how do you feel about that, about all the criticism? Because I said you were coming on and the blogs and twitter lit up.
RAYMOND: Yes, well, of course. You know, I think they've been a little harsh and unfair. But I -- you know, I guess it comes with, you know, the territory. So to speak. Yes.
LEMON: Is there some misperception? What do you think is wrong about you?
RAYMOND: What's wrong about me? Nothing.
LEMON: What's wrong about what they say about you, what's written about you?
RAYMOND: I don't know. You know, my focus is to help girls and help people. And I really - I mean, there's so many - I mean, if you know any, I can dispel them. You know.
LEMON: I was going to say, and what do you think is the best thing you've done, after that question. I would think probably -
RAYMOND: Probably a mom. Being a mom has to be my best - my biggest accomplishment. But this thing that I'm doing with the foundation is really exciting. You know, I took 32 girls in December. And these girls, a lot of them - some of them came from shelters. A lot of them had never been outside of the city limits. So that's my goal is to take more and more girls each time.
LEMON: I have to ask you this. How's your relationship with Usher now?
RAYMOND: We're friends. Always will be. Always will be.
LEMON: Always will be. RAYMOND: Absolutely.
LEMON: Thank you. You're doing great work. We wish you the best. Thank you for coming on and being so open and so transparent.
RAYMOND: No problem.
LEMON: So keep us updated. All right. I saw the little one in there with the basketball, very cute. He's running on the court with the players.
RAYMOND: Always.
LEMON: Thank you, Tameka. Good seeing you.
RAYMOND: Take care.
LEMON: We're going to move on and talk about some very serious news here. He was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for telling fortunes but was a sentence against this man really carried out? Really? We'll tell you what we have learned about this.
Also ahead, who would rip off a group of Catholic nuns? Wait till you hear what prosecutors have to say about this one.
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LEMON: Every weekend we bring you interesting news items that you might have missed. This one comes from China. That country's notoriously dangerous coal mines had three deadly accidents this week. The worst left more than 150 miners trapped deep underground when their mine suddenly flooded with cold, black water.
Well, today a group of rescuers entered the mine, including several divers, but they returned to the surface just a short time later saying conditions in the mine were "very difficult." The day before, tapping could be heard on a pipe indicating there were survivors. Since then, though, there's only been silence.
A lot of uncertainty over the fate of a Lebanese man on death row in Saudi Arabia. Ali Hussein Sabbat was supposed to be beheaded on Friday. His crime, fortune telling. Now it appears the execution did not take place. Saudi officials have offered no explanation. Sabbat appeared on a TV show that was back in his native Lebanon, in which he sometimes foretold the future.
For the program, which was carried on the Arab satellite channel, that attracted the Saudi religious police. Sabbat was arrested when he came to Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage in 2008. He was convicted of sorcery and sentenced to death. Sabbat's wife has been making appeals to Saudi King Abdullah to pardon her husband. We'll keep you informed on this one.
This is not something a good Catholic student would do. Massachusetts state police say a fund-raiser bilked trusting nuns out of $370,000. At first it seems Mike Halladay was the answer to the nuns' prayers. He allegedly told them he had found a benefactor who would donate $14 million to help expand their Catholic school in Worcester. The school embarked on a multi-million dollar expansion project. But apparently, it was all a scam. Police say Halladay spent thousands gambling and adult entertainment - money on gambling and adult entertainment. He's pleaded not guilty to larceny. Now, the school is getting sued by contractors who say they haven't been paid.
Well, the worst movie in the past decade? There are "a few" to choose from. At 10:00 we're going to talk to the screen writer who received this distinctive honor. The best part, he's happy about it. My humorous conversation with him tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Make sure you join us.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters. Thank you for joining us this hour. "Eyewitness to Murder: the King Assassination" begins right now.
