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Poland in Mourning; Leaders Arrive for Nuke Security Summit; Confederate History Flap; Hillary Clinton Arrives in Poland for Memorial; Georgia School Officials Accused of Cheating on Standardized Tests; 2 Teen Deaths Bring Attention to Gas Tank Shed Dangers; Boy Wins Essay Contest, Blows Up Texas Stadium

Aired April 11, 2010 - 18:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: As we go on the air tonight, global leaders are descending on Washington to talk nuclear weapons. In a bold statement, Mr. Obama vows to rid the world of the weapons. Is it a promise he can fulfill?

A CNN exclusive. Children out playing, blown up, killed without warning. Tonight, we investigate what sounds like America's version of hidden land mines and what needs to be done to keep more people from dying.

A high ranking Republican takes a Confederate History Month proclamation to a whole new level, saying it doesn't amount to diddly. Who said it, what did it mean, and why Democrats felt compelled to respond.

Plus this --

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A rumbling end of an era for one of the country's most beloved football stadiums brought down by the hands of an 11-year-old boy. We'll tell you about that.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

People across Poland today observed two minutes of silence to honor their late president and first lady, and nearly 100 other Polish dignitaries who died yesterday in a plane crash in Russia. The body of President Lech Kaczynski is now back in Warsaw.

And CNN's Phil Black is among the throngs of mourners outside the presidential palace.

Phil, an extraordinary outpouring of emotions today.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, Don. It has just gone midnight here in Warsaw. And I want to show you, as the camera pans, you'll see that there is still a significant crowd of people in this area surrounding the presidential palace. People are still coming here. They're still laying candles, flowers, still grieving.

It has been a long emotional day. The crowd started gathering here early this morning, and they built to around 100 or so. There was a moment of silence at midday.

And then in the afternoon, a plane arrived at Warsaw airport carrying the body of Poland's late president. It was greeted with a simple but emotional prayer service at that time, greeted by members of the government, members of his family, and then it proceeded to be driven through the streets of Warsaw where more people lined the streets to see it, to grieve, here to the presidential palace, where it was greeted by a largely silent crowd.

People wept openly as the hearse entered the gates of the palace. Behind me, some threw flowers. It is, as I say, was an emotional day. There will be more of those to come here in Poland, Don.

LEMON: So, you're hearing from the people you said, Phil, that it was mostly silent. Are there any funeral arrangements announced so far beyond what you're hearing now?

BLACK: We're waiting to hear precisely what the details of the funeral will be. It's assumed at this stage that the president's wife, who was also killed in that accident, would also be part of any funeral arrangement, any state funeral for the late president. Her body as yet has not been returned from Russia. We're told that the remains of everyone else on that flight would be taken to Moscow first before being transported back to Poland. That's the first stage.

So, until a clearer timetable emerges of just when the remains of the other victims of this accident are returned here, that's when we'll start to get a clearer idea of just when the business of final farewells and funerals for these people can proceed -- Don.

LEMON: Phil Black outside the presidential palace in Warsaw -- Phil, thank you very much.

In Washington, we're awaiting the arrival of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Polish embassy. She's due there in just a few minutes to sign the condolence book and then make a few remarks. And we'll bring that to you live when she arrives, right here on CNN.

Representatives from Poland and 45 other nations are arriving in Washington right now, getting ready for President Obama's nuclear security summit. It is being called the biggest gathering hosted by a U.S. president since the U.N. was founded in 1945. It begins tomorrow.

So, let's talk about all of this with CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

Good evening, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don.

Well, I talked to White House officials -- they're calling this unprecedented in scale and scope, this big nuclear security summit. It's starting officially tomorrow at the convention center, not far from here at the White House.

But what President Obama is doing today, he's meeting with world leaders who are going to be participating in these talks one on one. Some key allies, including India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and South Africa.

And one of the points the president made today, as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, both of them, is that the big threat now is not nuclear war. It's actually nuclear terrorism. This is not the era of the Cold War, where it was states or countries that had nuclear weapons that were the major threat. But it's rather the idea, the potential that terrorists, al Qaeda, criminal gangs could get their hands on nuclear materials, loose nukes, and create havoc throughout the world.

This is what President Obama said when he was with the South African leader -- South Africa, of course, giving up its own nuclear program. Here is how he put the threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The central focus of this nuclear summit is the fact that the single biggest threat to U.S. security -- both short term, medium term, and long term -- would be the possibility of a terrorist organization obtaining a nuclear weapon. This is something that would change the security landscape of this country and around the world for years to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Don, why the summit now? The goal of this summit essentially, President Obama is saying that he wants to secure these vulnerable nuclear materials, these loose nukes, throughout the world within four years. That is the goal of this summit.

What we expect for these world leaders to do at the end of two days is to sign a document, a communique, they're calling it, recognizing that nuclear terrorism is a very serious threat, endorsing President Obama's plan, and also pledging that they're going to do everything in their power to secure those nuclear materials, Don.

LEMON: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House -- Suzanne, thank you very much.

And those visitors might catch a glimpse of some protestors, folks who've been at it since Ronald Reagan took office, back when the nuclear threat was all about the Soviet Union. Even though the Cold War is over, their protest isn't. That's straight ahead.

Plus, a family feud coming full circle some 40 years later. Could it be the end of a political dynasty in Harlem?

And danger is lurking where no one really expected it. For a couple of teens, awareness came much too late.

Also, we want you to be part of our conversation. Log on and send us your comments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Leaders from more than 40 countries are arriving in Washington right now for President Obama's nuclear security summit. Last week, the president signed a treaty with Russia to trim the stockpiles of both countries.

Remember when the nuclear threat was about the Soviet Union? Well, times -- they have changed for sure. But at least one thing from the Cold War hasn't. Not since 1981 anyway.

And CNN's Sandra Endo met protestors who started demonstrating nearly 30 years ago and they're still going strong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, nuclear weapon protestors are usually camped out right in front of the White House, behind the trees there. But because world leaders are in town, security has been tight, and they have blocked off this entire park. But still, protestors haven't broken their 24 hours, seven-day-a-week protest right here.

JAY MCGINLEY, PROTESTER: This is the most crucial time in human history.

ENDO (voice-over): Their message: rid the world of nuclear weapons.

MCGINLEY: Their major purpose is to enable rogue states to gain power over the superpowers, and having these things around is nothing but a major security threat to the United States.

ENDO (on camera): Do you feel like your message is coming across? These are pretty powerful pictures.

MCGINLEY: Well, the answer is yes. Most people just mosey on by and don't even notice. But people of all ages that are really alive, they come, and they see this, and they get it. And it really awakens them.

ENDO: This is the pack you bring every day to sit here for nine hours.

MCGINLEY: Yes. People are almost allowed to starve doing this kind of work but not quite. There are enough good souls around that, you know, whether it's high school or middle school students throwing a dollar in a jar, not asked. Gandhi said of himself -- he said, I consider myself a soldier. We're soldiers, and soldiers just do this sort of stuff.

ENDO: This tent and display will be here even as the president takes up the issue they've been protesting for nearly 30 years, and it's a pinnacle time in their fight. But they say they're not going anywhere until they see results -- Don.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Thank you very much for that, Sandra.

So, let's talk about the summit with Jim Walsh. He is an international security analyst and a researcher at MIT. That means he's really smart.

So, Jim, let's talk about the protestors' message first. They're saying, "Oh, we really don't need this right now." So, are nuclear weapons a necessity in this day and age?

JIM WALSH, MASS. INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: Well, I would -- that's a tough one to answer, Don. I personally don't think that nuclear weapons are worth the trouble. You know, Henry Kissinger and several former officials have argued that, in a post-Cold War era, nuclear weapons may actually be more dangerous, more of a threat themselves than the threat they were meant to solve back in the Cold War.

During the Cold War, we had nuclear weapons, the Soviet Union had nuclear weapons, and there was a standoff. But in the post-Cold War era, you worry that the nuclear materials or even the weapons themselves might fall into the hands of terrorists. And if they do, those terrorists are not going to be deterred. There's no number of nuclear weapons that's going to stop a terrorist from attacking us, and that's why the president has convened this summit for tomorrow.

LEMON: Yes, both the president and the secretary of state making that point today. He did it, you know, at his meeting, and then she did it on the Sunday talk shows.

Here's what I want to ask you, though. The president said he vows to rid the world of dangerous nuclear weapons. That's a pretty bold statement. Is that possible? Can he do that?

WALSH: Well, there's a lot of debate about whether it's possible. I want to hasten to add that he said that he didn't expect that to happen in his lifetime, but what he's trying to do is put a down payment down on that, to move us in that direction. And then part of that is the treaty with Russia that we saw earlier this week, the Nuclear Posture Review that was revealed this week. And then, also, this summit.

And the summit's focus is not on nuclear weapons but on the nuclear materials -- the highly-enriched uranium, the plutonium that might leak out and get into the hands of terrorists.

If we can play defense here and lock this material down, shrink it, reduce the weapons, reduce the material, and lock it down, then it will be impossible for a terrorist to be able to engage in nuclear terrorism. But we are some distance from that, and that's why we have this summit. And, by the way, there's a parallel summit of experts and non-governmental groups that are meeting from that same set of countries tomorrow in parallel with the governmental summit.

LEMON: So, you think there's a pretty great risk of nuclear weapons getting in the hands of terrorist terrorists. A quick answer -- yes or no?

WALSH: I would say yes. But remember, even -- even if it happens once in a million times, it would be completely devastating. So, the consequences are so large you cannot afford even the smallest risk.

LEMON: Perfect. Thank you very much because we have got to get a move on to other things. And you did it perfectly.

WALSH: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Hey, Jim Walsh, always a pleasure to have you. You have a nice rest of your Sunday evening. And thanks for coming in, OK?

WALSH: You too.

LEMON: The governor of Virginia's comments on CNN about Confederate History Month ignite a firestorm -- but he has at least one supporter among his ranks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": There's a sort of feeling that it's insensitive, but you clearly don't agree.

GOV. HALEY BARBOUR (R), MISSISSIPPI: To me, it's the sort of feeling that it's a nit. That it is not significant, that it's not a -- it's trying to make a big deal of something that doesn't amount to diddly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, did you hear that? He says it doesn't amount to diddly. He's now in the middle of this debate. What else did he say? You're going to hear it right here on CNN.

And blowing through the sky and ending up everywhere, including cars. No matter the color, it's yellow. And, at the end of the day, it's just terrible and disgusting, and you can't breathe, and you sound like me, like someone is holding a -- their finger over your nose. Pollen, the spring staple in the south, is nearing record levels already this year. We'll tell you what's going on and if you're going to get any relief soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's check your top stories for you right now.

In West Virginia, efforts are underway to ventilate the coal mine where an explosion killed 29 miners last Monday. The explosion destroyed the mine's ventilation system, hampering efforts to remove the bodies of 22 miners. Officials estimate it will be two days before all the bodies are recovered. President Obama has urged a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion.

President Obama today honored the memory of the victims of Nazi genocide during World War II. Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. The president says the Holocaust calls on all people to renew their commitment to prevent genocide and, quote, "to confront anti-Semitism and prejudices in all its forms."

Mississippi's governor is weighing in over the dust-up over Confederate History Month. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell got in hot water when he designated April as Confederate History Month without any mention of slavery. He later apologized.

On CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour called the controversy overblown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Virginia governor -- new Virginia governor, Bob McDonnell, designated April as Confederate Month, something that his two Democratic predecessors had refrained from doing. This caused quite a stir, particularly because the governor did not even mention slavery in this proclamation. Was that a mistake?

BARBOUR: Well, I don't think so. My state legislature has made a legislatively inactive holiday, Confederate Memorial Day. They've done it for years under Republican governors and Democratic governors. And for seven years as governor, I have issued a proclamation because of what the legislature has done. My Democratic predecessors did so as well.

I don't know what you would say about slavery, but anybody that thinks that you have to explain to people that slavery is a bad thing, I think it goes without saying.

CROWLEY: There's a sort of feeling that it's sensitive. But you clearly don't agree.

BARBOUR: To me, it's the sort of feeling that it's a nit. That it is not significant. That's it's not a -- it's trying to make a big deal out of something that doesn't amount to diddly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Doesn't amount to diddly.

Confederate History Month is going on in a number of states. And in our next hour, you're going to hear from a whole panel of Civil War re-enactors to hear what they say about the controversy. It is a conversation yesterday that got all of you talking, viewers and people in social media alike. I'm getting hundreds of e-mails.

Let's move on now and talk about the weather and talk about an issue that is an issue for a whole lot of people -- including me.

Jacqui Jeras -- and it's one of the worst years for it. So, it is news.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it absolutely is. It's that yellow haze that pretty much is seeing out there, and that's pollen. Our iReporters have been sending us in some great pictures. Look at that.

LEMON: Just looking at it.

JERAS: Coming right off the pine trees. Yes, pine is really bad right now. Oak is really bad. And, you know, this isn't just a southern thing. This is much of the United States that's dealing with it.

Yes, you know, you try and wash your car, why bother? Because, what, a couple hours later, it's right back on there.

LEMON: Yes.

JERAS: What does your car look like, Don?

LEMON: I washed my car the other day and -- I mean, a couple of hours it was worse than it was before. But it really -- I mean, it is interesting that people who don't suffer from allergies don't realize. I mean, it can be debilitating. Sometimes, I can't even go outside.

JERAS: Oh, yes. I mean, people get allergy shots, you know, take all kinds of medication, and it's like having, what -- I mean, you describe it. You had it. It's like a terrible, terrible cold really, right?

LEMON: Yes. I think last week -- last weekend and last week was the worst, like, I'm trying to sit here and do the news, it was really tough to concentrate when you have that vice grip on your head. Let's get to the maps, please.

(LAUGHTER)

JERAS: The good news is that it's starting to peak out a little bit, Don. This is tree pollen that you're really dealing with. And look at the extreme area, all this red across really the lower two-thirds of the lower 48.

So, we're expecting this to continue throughout the week, and we're probably going to see a higher pollen levels for maybe two, three weeks yet before it tapers off, and then you'll have to suffer with the weed and the grass. So, that's something you've got to deal with.

Here's a great Web site, by the way, if you want to know what the pollen level is in your town. This is AAAAI.com, that's four A's and an "I," and you just can select your region here. You can click on it and then you can touch which city -- so, for example, Atlanta. And then it will pull up the most recent levels. And there you can see very high concentration.

So, a lot of folks are suffering. And that's high pressure which is in place across the east. And even with a cold front that came through late last week, it really didn't help the situation.

It should get a little bit better out west. And that's where we have our big weather maker for today. We've got heavy showers and even some thunder showers here across California, San Francisco, up towards Sacramento. You get over towards I-80. We're looking at heavy snow in the upper elevations. We could have 12 to 18 inches by the end of the day tomorrow.

We're also going to be watching the burn areas. Late tonight, we think overnight, between midnight and 6:00, will be the greatest probability of that heavier rain moving into southern California. So, we'll be watching the station fire area. National Weather Service said they might have to issue a flash flood watch. We'll watch this as it continues to develop.

Very windy conditions, too, here -- wind gusts to 70 miles per hour. And this spreads across much -- much of the southwest here. And that storm system sticking with us through tomorrow. But it's going to kind of get stuck across the nation's midsection and move up and over. So, that's not going to wipe out the pollen across parts of the east, unfortunately. It's going to be sunny and lovely. You know, 70-plus degree temperatures, Don, but not great for the pollen sufferers.

LEMON: Yes, even on the social networking sites, people are talking about it. It's trending on Twitter.

JERAS: Yes.

LEMON: Yes. So, it's a big deal this year. Jacqui, thanks for taking us through that. We appreciate it.

JERAS: Sure.

LEMON: Let's talk about this, the economy, right? In this down economy, fewer fire departments have budgets for cutting-edge equipment. The owners of a sub sandwich chain saw that need and found a way to help. Their work is "Building Up America" and it's saving lives as well.

CNN's David Mattingly has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It came from out of nowhere. One second, Francisco Tuttle was feeling fine.

FRANCISCO TUTTLE, HEART ATTACK VICTIM: It was a typical day, typical morning, had a busy schedule that day. And --

MATTINGLY (on camera): This is where it happened?

TUTTLE: Right here, exactly.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): But in an instant, he was on the floor, the victim of a sudden heart attack. He would have died without a critical act of philanthropy.

CHRIS SORENSEN, FIREHOUSE SUBS FOUNDER: Believe me, everybody needs something. There's no department it doesn't need some kind of a gear.

MATTINGLY: Brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen are former firefighters who founded a national chain of sandwich shops called Firehouse Subs. Since 2005, they have donated more than $2 million worth of equipment to fire stations in 13 states. A lot of that money comes from selling pickle buckets emptied by their shops.

ROBIN SORENSEN, FIREHOUSE SUBS FOUNDER: We sell 5,000 to 10,000 pickle buckets a month, at $2 a piece.

MATTINGLY: That money helped pay for this device called the AutoPulse, donated to the Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Fire Department.

The precision nonstop compressions brought Francisco Tuttle back from the brink. And today, I'm bringing him to meet the guys who made it possible.

(on camera): I got somebody I'd like you to meet. This is Francisco Tuttle.

C. SORENSEN: Oh, my gosh. Francisco.

TUTTLE: What's up, brother?

MATTINGLY (voice-over): This is the first time the Sorensens had ever met someone saved by their acts of charity. Two ex-firemen finding new ways to come to the rescue.

David Mattingly, CNN, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Thank you, David.

Crossing the country with a group that wants to change the way Washington works. CNN climbs aboard the Tea Party Express.

And, talk about coming full circle. Forty years ago, he was an up-and-coming politician who topped the incumbent congressman. Well, this year, Charlie Rangel could fall to the son of the man he beat in 1970. It's an interesting story. We're talking with Adam Clayton Powell IV -- coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We want you to get to Washington now. We told you about -- the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is going to pay her respects to the Polish president, the Polish first lady, and many of its leaders in government and military leaders who were killed on that plane crash when the pilot went down in dense fog. She is at the Polish embassy. It's believed that she is very near there.

And you can look now live at Warsaw, at the presidential palace. Our Phil Black was there earlier. You can see thousands and thousands of people gathered along the streets, some of them not even close to that palace, but they want to pay their respects.

Imagine if this had happened in the United States with the president and first lady, god forbid, and members of the military, members of the government all being lost in one fell swoop. It's really devastating for this nation.

We're looking at these live pictures on the right. You're looking at Warsaw, the presidential palace. On the left, the Polish embassy in Washington.

And the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is going to speak here. She's going to sign a condolence book. And we're going to carry that for you live. She's expected to arrive live with the Polish ambassador, Robert Kopeczki (ph), in just a few minutes. As soon as that happens, we'll bring it to you right here on CNN.

We're going to move on. Our producers are going to watch these pictures in the control room for me.

We're going to tell you about a political story that's really gaining momentum not only in New York City but around the world. Tomorrow, we're expecting a big announcement in New York. I should say around the country. Veteran Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel, who you've seen interviewed on CNN a number of times, he's getting a Democratic challenger, Adam Clayton Powell IV.

Is that name familiar to you? It certainly should. The New York primary promises to be eerily similar to 40 years ago when a young Rangel faced Powell's father, then the long-time Harlem congressman. Well, Rangel was a young up-and-comer, who unseated a lion and held the seat ever since then. Flash forward 40 years, now Rangel is a 79- year-old veteran trying to hold on it his seat.

Adam Clayton Powell IV, New York City assemblyman, joins us now from New York.

So good to see you on this day. Thank you for joining us.

ADAM CLAYTON POWELL IV, NEW YORK SENATE NOMINEE & NYC ASSEMBLYMAN: Great to be with you. Thank you.

LEMON: I do want to say, if the secretary of state does arrive at the Polish embassy, we'll have to break into our conversation and go there, OK?

POWELL: Mm-hmm.

LEMON: Are you ready to make it official and say you're going to announce tomorrow?

POWELL: I'm ready. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m., on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 116th Street. It's the lucky corner. We'll see if that happens.

LEMON: This isn't the first time that you will have gone up against him?

POWELL: No. I ran against the congressman in 1994. It was a campaign. Back then, I was very young, 31. I had just started in the city council. The congressman was in his prime, and I had very little resources to mount a challenge. With all that, he only had 56 percent. I came in second with 36 percent. There was a third candidate in the race.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: We're looking at you back in 1994. One of them, it looks like you had kind of an afro, and the other one, the hair is much longer. That was certainly a big mustache you had there.

POWELL: I can't make any predictions for this year, but one thing I think I can safely say, it will be closer than 20 points.

LEMON: Than it was then. Some people are saying there's a revenge factor because he ran against your father. Is there anything in it?

POWELL: Not at all. Not at all. I got that out of my chest in 1994, the revenge, the settling the score. I got that out of my chest.

The reality is that, if the congressman were not running, I'd still be just as enthusiastic about representing Harlem and northern Manhattan in the United States Congress.

I have been for the last 20 years in public service, in the New York City council in the 1990s, for the last ten years in the state assembly. It's only a natural progression from anyone in my shoes with that type of resume in public office. This is not to settle any score. This is not about anything.

The fact is the congressman has a legacy. 40 years will undoubtedly create that. I saw him today at a community meeting. We exchanged pleasantries. Nothing against him personally at all. He has a legacy. I'll be more than happy to honor the past. We have to move forward. Many people say we have to turn the page to a new leadership in northern Manhattan.

LEMON: Again, tomorrow morning. You said where?

POWELL: 10:00 a.m., corner of Lexington Avenue and 116th Street. It was nominated the lucky corner way back 100 years ago by Congressman Vito Mark Antonio. Actually, 20 years ago, my first run for public office, 1989, I announced on that corner. We'll see what happens this year.

But it's going to be exciting for sure. The election is September 14th. I encourage anyone to go to my website. We're working on it, www.PowellforCongress.com. Be involved and be active in this. This will shape the future of Harlem, the future of northern Manhattan and the city for many years to come.

LEMON: Mr. Powell, thank you for joining us. Viewers around the country, they're going to see a lot more of this. This is going to be historic, two icon families going up against each other.

Thank you, Adam Clayton Powell. Best of luck to you.

POWELL: Thank you.

LEMON: Listen up, before we get to this, can we go to the embassy in Washington, the Polish embassy?

I just want to tell our viewers we're awaiting the arrival of the secretary of state. She should arrive at any moment. She's going to pay her condolences to the Polish people. When she arrives, we're going to carry her talk live.

Again, on the right side of your screen, you're looking at the presidential palace in Warsaw, where thousands of Polish people have gathered really to pay their respects. They're in mourning as well to their president, the first lady, and many members of their government and military. We'll bring that to you live as soon as that happens. You're not going to miss it.

Standardized test scores, a little too high at some schools in Georgia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHLEEN MATHERS, GEORGIA GOVERNORS OFFICE OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: It's sort of like having a blizzard in Ft. Lauderdale in the middle of July. In theory, it could happen. It's just so incredibly unlikely that you really need a substantial explanation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: There are allegations of cheating, not by students, but by school officials.

And nearly 40 years of memories gone in about 40 seconds. You're going to meet the little boy who pushed a button to blow up Texas stadium.

Plus, our live news out of Washington. We'll bring that to you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're going live now to the Polish embassy in Washington, D.C., and you can see the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, there signing the condolence book. And in just a few minutes, she's going to make a remark. Alongside of her is the Polish ambassador, Robert Kopeczki (ph), and he is standing next to the secretary of state.

As we have been telling you here on CNN since yesterday, a tragic plane crash yesterday morning with members of the Polish government, including the president, the first lady, and military leaders, crashed near an airport in Russia. They were on their way to an anniversary of a really horrific event, a holocaust of sorts for the Polish people, when that plane crashed in dense, thick fog.

It has been said the pilot of that plane ignored orders not to land at the airport in thick fog. It was supposed to land at another airport and didn't do it. Clipped a fence, the plane went down, burst into flames, and everyone on board the plane died.

The other live pictures you're looking at to the right of the secretary of state coming to you from Warsaw, Poland. The presidential palace there where people have been gathering there since they got word of this incident. We saw our Phil Black there live just a short time ago at the top of this newscast, saying it was mostly silent. People were in tears and in grief. It's really too much for them to believe. Can you imagine, your president, your first lady, members of your government and your military all gone in one fell swoop?

So as the secretary of state makes her remarks, we're going to listen in here on CNN, and get to the secretary of state. The secretary of state, the introduction there being given by the Polish ambassador.

Do we want to stay, or do we want to move on and then get her?

OK, we're going to move on, and then when the secretary of state begins to speak, we'll bring it to you live here on CNN.

Let's talk now about education. CNN stepping into the classroom for a major focus on education this week. A lot of critics of federal education programs say there's too much focus on standardized tests.

Students in Georgia will have to endure those tests over the next few weeks. And there's going to be a whole lot of scrutiny because allegations here in Georgia, there are, of some schools that they fudged the numbers in the past. And I looked into the issue right here in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: (voice-over): Mikole Harden is worried.

(on camera): Are you the only parent who's concerned about the performance?

MIKOLE HARDEN, PARENT: No, by all means.

LEMON (voice-over): Someone may have changed the answers on the standardized tests at his daughter's school last year.

(on camera): But you have concerns?

HARDEN: Of course, I have concerns, like any other parent. I have concerns. I hope that there's no cheating. And if it is cheating, there needs to be a punishment for it. LEMON (voice-over): And he's not alone. The State of Georgia is investigating 10 percent of its elementary and middle schools, 191 of them, because of moderate to severe concern over test results in 2009.

(on camera): When the answer sheets, like these, were scored, the computer scanners could tell, when the bubbles were erased and the answers changed.

(voice-over): Kathleen Mathers heads the state audit.

MATHERS: It's not just that someone had changed a bunch of answers, it was that, when they changed answers, they got the answer right as a result of that change.

LEMON: Classes with an unusually high number of these changes were flagged.

MATHERS: It's sort of like having a blizzard in Ft. Lauderdale in the middle of July. In theory, it could happen. It's just so incredibly unlikely that you really need a substantial explanation.

LEMON: Usually, when we talk about cheating, the focus is on kids. In Georgia, the finger is being pointed at teachers and administrators.

CNN obtained affidavits in the case of two administrators at an elementary school in DeKalb County, accused of tampering with tests in 2008. Former Principal James Berry admitted they went into an office and began to erase answer sheets and change answers. Dorothea Alexander, the assistant principal, says she read the answers to Berry. He needed for 26 students to pass for us to make AYP.

AYP is adequate yearly progress, an improvement standard set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Schools that repeatedly failed to meet AYP faced sanctions.

Berry was charged with public records fraud, paid a fine, and is on probation. Alexander was transferred and completed community service.

MATHERS: We have done some work with our monitors.

LEMON: Today, Mathers is working with the state school board to keep it from happening again.

MATHERS: As a former teacher, I would say we're better than that.

LEMON: Georgia students are now taking the 2010 CRTC tests under new guidelines. And watching over the whole process, state test monitors, aimed at making sure these tests can be trusted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Standardized testing is just one of the topics that's sure to come up next weekend in our special "Fixing America's Schools." It's a town hall meeting with parents and teachers from across the U.S., plus Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is going to join the discussion with us here on CNN.

If you have any questions for him or for me, make sure you tweet it to me. Send it through Facebook or MySpace or Twitter. It's @donlemonCNN. Look for "Fixing America's Schools" Saturday and Sunday. Saturday it's at 7:00 p.m. eastern, Sunday night 6:00 p.m. eastern, only here on CNN.

We're going to go back now to Washington to the Polish embassy and listen to the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: It is very difficult at times like this to find the words to say. They are all inadequate. But I have great confidence in the future of Poland. Those who were lost, as the ambassador said, were many of the leading figures and the strong stalwart supporters of the solidarity movement that led to Poland's return to freedom. They leave behind a great legacy and a legacy that will live forever.

So, Mr. Ambassador, we Americans stand with you now and forever, not only the many proud Polish Americans who grieve with you today, but every American who admires what Poland has built, admires what Poland stands for, admires the Polish people. And we say with great conviction that the United States and Poland have much work to do together to build that future that the people on that plane gave their lives for. Thank you.

LEMON: There is the secretary of state paying her condolences to the president of Poland, the first lady, military leaders, government leaders who all lost their lives in that plane crash near Smolensk, Russia, yesterday.

Now live pictures of the Polish palace of Warsaw, where tens of thousands of people have gathered. They're going to start a week long period of mourning beginning on Monday.

Again, that plane was carrying Lech Kaczynski, who's the president, who crashed on Saturday morning while trying to land at the airport in Smolensk, Russia. His wife, several top military officials also killed in that crash.

CNN will continue to cover this story and the mourning, the memorial services, all of it that goes on in Poland, we'll carry it for you here on CNN.

Before we go to break, I want you to take note of this. Imagine if this had happened here. Imagine, in one fell swoop, losing so many people so gear, the leaders of your country. Poland is dealing with that right now.

We're going to have more on CNN after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Parents, grandparents, anyone, if you have kids playing around your home, in the streets, whatever, if they are your kids, listen to this story, OK? It could help save a life.

In rural Mississippi, two teenagers are killed in a terrible explosion in a place that none of their friends thought might be dangerous. But their sudden and gruesome deaths at a natural gas well sheds light on a problem that is getting national attention.

CNN's national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, has this report from Carnes, Mississippi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Devon Byrd, 16, loved playing football. They called him Bird Man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was so quiet and shy.

CANDIOTTI: Bird was staying over at the home of 18-year-old Wade White in Carnes, Mississippi.

SHAWN DAVIS, FRIEND: He was a country boy. He had a big truck. He was really sweet.

CANDIOTTI: In the middle of the night, they went to a popular hangout near White's house, a natural gas well.

CONNOR JOHNSON, FRIEND: It's just a quiet, secluded place to get away from your parents. It's open. It's just like a place to get away and forget about your problems.

UNIDENTIFIED TEEN: We always thought the tanks were empty.

CANDIOTTI: The tanks had no signs warning of potential danger. That night last fall, police says something ignited fumes inside the tank and it blew up. Investigators found a lighter nearby, but don't know if it sparked the blast.

PHILLIP WHITE, PARENT OF WADE WHITE: The next thing I heard was just a tremendous explosion.

CANDIOTTI: White's parent rushed frantically to the scene.

PHILLIP WHITE: Flames going and I couldn't get around to get to them, you know.

WANDA WHITE, PARENT OF WADE WHITE: They wouldn't let me go down in there. and I wanted to get to my baby. I wanted to hug him. Even if he was dead or alive, I wanted to hug him.

CANDIOTTI: The teens were killed instantly. But their violent deaths put a spotlight on a problem that no one had apparently noticed.

(on camera): Well, I see that the roads are completely open. There's no gate.

PHILLIP WHITE: Yes. No signs, no gates, nothing.

CANDIOTTI: That powerful explosion sent the tank flying, ended up here about 60 yards from where it originally stood. The two boys' bodies were found in this direction. And over in this direction, the tank that still remains and is still operating.

More than five months after that terrible accident, there are no warning signs on that tank at all, and nothing to prevent anyone from approaching it.

(voice-over): As Wade's dad showed us, plenty of other sites exist like this one, gate wide open. Same thing here. And nothing that says no smoking. And still another, no locks, no warnings.

And in Mississippi, officials say there's no state law requiring it.

(on camera): Are you angry?

PHILLIP WHITE: Certainly, I am angry. Very angry. Our lives are changed forever. Our lives will never be the same.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Both families are suing Delphi Oil, the company that owns the tanks, for failing to put up warning signs and fences.

PHILLIP WHITE: I firmly believe, if there had been fences, gates and signs, these children would not have been at that well site.

CANDIOTTI: The company spokesman would not discuss the accident, citing the lawsuits, but called the teens' death and tragedy, and said that Delphi complies with all existing rules.

Yet, state authorities say there are no rules.

Mississippi State Senator Billy Hudson plans to author a bill requiring fences, locks and signs.

STATE SEN. BILLY HUDSON, (R), MISSISSIPPI: We should have seen this coming. I didn't know these things gave off fumes.

CANDIOTTI: In fact, the Federal Chemical Safety Board says there are no uniform laws to secure oil and gas production sites. It says at least 40 people, mostly young, have been killed in tank explosions in the last 25 years.

JOHN BRESLAND, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD: And the key message to the industry is, let's do something about fencing and warning signs.

UNIDENTIFIED TEEN: To me, it's a mission.

CANDIOTTI: Devon and Wade's friends are helping the safety board spread the word. DAVIS: I really think that they need signs saying, warning, this is a dangerous place.

CANDIOTTI: The teens star in a Chemical Safety Board educational video called "No Place to Hang Out".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things like this will burn, explode, and they can kill you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Right there.

CANDIOTTI: At their high school, their pals are memorialized on a wall.

Devon and Wade's parents hope their loss will prompt change.

WANDA WHITE: I hope that we can get something done so parents, no other parents, will have to go through something as terrifying as this.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): On Tuesday, here in his Mississippi, the parents and friends of the two boys will appear at a town hall meeting to kick off a national campaign trying to make these kinds of sites safer and, in the meantime, warn people about the danger.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Carnes, Mississippi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Texas Stadium hasn't seen anything this explosive since Tony Dorset burst through the defensive line for a long T.D. run.

Good-bye, Texas Stadium, and well-done Casey Rogers. He's 11 years old. He blew up the place this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Texas Stadium, now you see it, now you don't. All right, now you don't. It started to go down. Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, take me back to my youth, "Too Tall" Jones, Hollywood Henderson. Can't help but think of those guys at their old home, Texas Stadium -- came down this morning -- as their old home came down this morning. The Dallas Cowboys, of course, have some fancy new digs now.

Last night, I talked to Casey Rogers. He's the 11-year-old boy who won an essay contest and a chance to hit the button and blow the place up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The big bag, are you nervous?

CASEY ROGERS, PUSH BUTTON TO BLOW UP STADIUM: Well, no, I'm not. Just a little bit.

LEMON: What do you mean, a little bit?

ROGERS: Well, I'm kind of nervous and kind of excited.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Have you been able to sleep?

ROGERS: Well, a little bit.

LEMON: Yes. What do your buds think of you?

ROGERS: Some of them are kind of -- a lot of them are happy for me, but some of them are kind of jealous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: He's a cute little tyke. Well done, Casey by the way.

Casey's winning essay was about his charity for the homeless.

Good job, Casey.

Parents are encouraged to monitor their kids' online activities. But Denise New may have gone a little too far, at least according her son. Because prosecutors in Arkansas have changed her with harassing her teenage son because she changed his Facebook password. She doesn't deny it. But, she says, her son's postings were over the top and she needed to step in.

DENISE NEW, MOTHER: It's crazy to me that we are even having this interview.

I'm going to fight it. If I have to go even higher up, I'm going to. I'm not going to let this rest. I think that it's a precedent -- it could be a precedented moment for parents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It's going to be very interesting if this case does go to court. And we'll keep you posted right here on CNN.