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Top State Officials Head to Russia to Address Adoption Return Fallout; Massachusetts Clergyman Calls for Pope to Step Down; Red Tape Prevents Patient From Receiving Life-Saving Medical Treatment
Aired April 13, 2010 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: She shipped her adopted son back to Russia unaccompanied and unannounced. The Tennessee mother's decision is causing outrage in Moscow, and now Russia is threatening to stop U.S. adoptions. But the State Department says it will send top officials to Russia this week to urge them not to do that.
A lot of fallout from this story. Martin Savidge is in Shelbyville.
So Martin, the mother is not even talking to police at this point. Right?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right Kyra. I mean ever since this case erupted last week, everybody has wanted to talk to the adoptive American family here and that includes law enforcement and the family had indicated that they'd be willing to talk to law enforcement. They told as much to CNN in a phone call on Friday. There was supposed to be a meeting with the sheriff on Friday.
It didn't happen and it was moved to this week and then late yesterday afternoon the sheriff was told by the attorney representing the family that meeting is never going to happen. At least not voluntarily. Here's what the sheriff said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF RANDALL BOYCE, BEDFORD COUNTY, TENNESSEE: I guess we're kind of getting our hand forced here and that's the only thing I know to do at this point. They keep insinuating that they're going to come in and evidently not and I think from what I understood this afternoon they're not going to come in at all at any time unless we bring charges then they will produce her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVAGE: That's Sheriff Randall Boyce. You really have to feel for the sheriff. He's a sheriff in a small town and has got a small department in the middle of an international incident between Russia and the United States. He's got the State Department breathing down his neck and he's got the Russian government breathing down his neck. And he's got every international news media gathered in the middle of his town.
It's an emotional story about a little kid and everyone in the country is ringing his office telling him what to do and by the way, he's up for re-election in three weeks. In the meantime he's trying to sort through all of this. There are two avenues he's looking at. Was there in any case where the kid was abandoned? So far they don't think so.
Second, was there any abuse? For that they've asked for the Russians' help, on two fronts they would like medical records and they would like what's called a forensic interview. This is a specific interview in which the child is videotaped and asked to show and tell about certain things. The Russians say they will cooperate at this point. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: I will follow it along with you. Martin Savage, thanks so much.
Other top stories right now. The recovery effort at the upper big branch mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, is complete. Overnight crews removed the last nine bodies of the 29 coal miners who died last week in that massive underground blast. Right now, investigators will try to determine what sparked that tragedy.
Later this hour we will talk with one miner's widow who says she doesn't want her son to follow in her husband's fatal footsteps.
Crews searching for one person thought to be lost in a crash in a Navy training plane in North Georgia right now. Three other people in that plane died in the crash. Investigators are expected to arrive at the scene today. That plane took off from the naval air station in Pensacola, Florida, on what's believed to be a routine training mission.
New division within the ranks of Catholic clergymen with one outspoken pastor from Massachusetts taking an extreme position regarding the on-going priest sex abuse scandal. He's actually suggesting that the Pope should step aside. Father James Scahill in his own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FATHER JAMES SCAHILL, CALLING FOR POPE BENEDICT'S RESIGNATION: To not have myopic obedience from me like the myopic obedience of soldiers for Hitler. There is nothing more pro-life than the better protection of children from the exploitation of any kind by any one and yet this church has remained patently silent about this. The Pope should step down if he's not prepared to embrace the truth relative to this matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: No immediate reaction from the Vatican's press office on behalf of the Pope, though Father Scahill's bishop is calling the comments unfortunate.
We start with the nuclear summit going on in Washington. This morning, world leaders gathering to talk about threats, real and imagined. And here's what we know right now, 47 world leaders are there at the urging of President Obama to talk about the threat of nuclear terrorism, al Qaeda and dirty bombs.
Iran is also on the agenda, possible sanctions for its nuclear defiance and for the first time. China says it's onboard with possible punishment.
Ukraine has agreed to get rid of its enriched uranium stockpiles which can be used for nuclear weapons. It's unknown where the nuclear materials will end up, likely either Russia or the U.S..
We heard a short time ago from the President on what he's hoping to accomplish at the summit. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joining us now.
Direct and to the point, he's worried about that threat of nukes getting in the hands of terrorists.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, he's trying to make that point by using very dramatic language. If you listen to what the President said obviously, he's making the case here. He's trying to build a case of momentum and urgency around this problem because he believes that there are some world leaders who just are not convinced that this is a priority, a global priority or priority within their own countries so the president has gathered these world leaders. The hope is after these two sessions, these meetings and this working lunch that they'll all have an agreement that they can sign on to, that acknowledges nuclear terrorism is a significant threat.
Here is how President Obama put it to that group of world leaders just moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Just the smallest amount of plutonium, about the size of an apple could kill and injure hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Terrorist networks such as al Qaeda have tried to acquire the material for a nuclear weapon and if they ever succeeded they would surely use it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And one of those groups he mentioned al Qaeda, they're also talking about criminal gangs and other kind of rogue organizations that perhaps could get their hands on the nuclear materials. What the President is saying is that his goal is within four years that these countries will come together and try to secure those vulnerable nuclear, loose nukes, if you will, around the world.
It is something that they hope that these world leaders, at least, will make a pledge later on today after those sessions are over to try to make sure that those materials are secure and that threat is minimized -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Suzanne, at a time when, you know, Americans are worried about the horrible economy, not having jobs, getting health care benefits, you name it. Why have the summit now and you know, how does the White House respond to that? How do you tell these folks, look, loose networks (ph) just as important. We've got to talk about it.
MALVEAUX: Certainly. That's a very good point because the White House, when you talk to White House officials and they will say, look, we are spending -- essentially they've spent about five days or so focusing on this issue, just a little under a week, to talk about this dramatic treaty between the United States and Russia pulling back their own nuclear arsenals, this whole new policy, nuclear policy dealing with attacking and retaliating in other countries and that is very significant and then this final portion here that this is the appropriate amount of time to talk about this threat.
They believe it is important enough and surely they will turn the corner and talk about jobs and the economy, but that the President can do more than one thing at once. This is something that they feel is a real priority.
PHILLIPS: Got it. Suzanne Malveaux, live from the White House. Thanks, Suzanne. Meantime, we want to hear from you. Same question. You know, you've got the rotten economy. You've got bitter health care battles, car recalls, bullying, think about all these problems that are out there. How worried are you about loose nukes? Go to my blog, CNN.com/Kyra and post your comments and I would like to read some of them on the air a little later on in the newscast.
Small step forward on extending unemployment benefit, but a Senate battle could leave more than a million people with nothing. Republicans have threatened to block the nearly $10 billion bill because they want to know how it will be paid for. A vote could come as early as Thursday, but without any Republican support it will be dead on arrival.
Around 200,000 people had their benefits run out last week while the Senate was on vacation. And another million could lose benefits if nothing gets done by the end of the month.
Now to a mystery in Mexico. The country's mired in a drug cartel war, murders, kidnappings, terror. We're talking about it a lot on this newscast and now a man who heads a task force to curb kidnappings is missing. Talk about irony. Someone actually might have kidnapped the anti-kidnapping boss.
Rafael Romo is our senior editor of Latin American affairs and he's following the story for us -- Rafael.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR EDITOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS: As you may imagine, a lot of concern right now in Mexico. Because it's been more than a week since Edgar Contreras Silva disappeared. He was initially reported missing by his own family. According to the Mexico City prosecutor's office, Silva is a supervisor in the anti-kidnapping division of the local prosecutor's office in Mexico City. So as you can imagine, his disappearance has led many to think that he's become a victim of kidnapping himself.
Authorities have opened an investigation into his possible disappearance, but they say they're not certain that he was a victim of an aggression according to a statement. In a surprising twist to this case, officials have now confirmed that Contreras was himself the target of an investigation for crimes he allegedly committed in his capacity as government employee.
This investigation started on March 19th and at this point all authorities are saying is that the case against Contreras has to do with possible irregularities regarding an investigation he was conducting. In any case, his disappearance is a cause for concern in a country where anywhere from 60 to 70 people are kidnapped each month.
And also, Kyra, whether he was a victim of kidnapping or whether he's missing or he's decided to flee because of this investigation, in either case, it can - we are talking about a possible connection to organized crime in Mexico and that's the real concern here in this case.
PHILLIPS: How many times have we talked about the power of that organized crime and even that good guys getting corrupted and getting involved with them because sometimes it's just easier to follow the bad guy. Well, we'll follow this for sure. Thanks so much, Rafael.
ROMO: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: A 28-year-old mother, she needed surgery to save her life, if red tape didn't kill her first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I offered it back to them and they said it's too late at this point. So I - I don't know where else to turn to and I'm out of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, a community heard that and said "we can't let this happen." Outrage is a powerful thing and so is pollen. It's such a problem right now that we're putting our senior medical correspondent on it.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Come look at this. Jack Lowe, one of our photojournalists went outside and gave his car a slapping with that - that black piece of felt. Did that give you an idea about just how bad the pollen is outside. They're discovering everything. We'll talk more about that and plus complete weather forecast, coming up in just a few minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, if you're shopping for an SUV, here's one not to buy. At least that's according to "Consumer" magazine, it warns this luxury vehicle could be putting you in danger. We've got the details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: And now a story about the power of outrage. The power you have to make things right. A dying mother, not even 30 years old, denied life saving surgery because of government red tape. Well, a community that said we can't let this happen. The outrageous beginning and a just ending from reporter Derek Hayward from Miami affiliate, WSVN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA SMITH: This is my neupogen that I have to take every day to kind of keep infections away.
DEREK HAYWARD, WSVN REPORTER (voice-over): Diana Smith needs a bone marrow transplant to survive cancer. Otherwise she will die.
(on camera): What's all this stuff over here?
CAMERON SMITH, SON: It's medicine for mommy because she needs stuff and she has no hair.
HAYWOOD (voice-over): The hair loss is due to chemotherapy and her body cannot take any more.
(on camera): Ouch.
DIANA SMITH: I'm used to it by now.
HAYWARD: First her insurance agreed to pay for her bone marrow transplant, but not for the operation to remove it from the donor. So Channel 7 viewers joined local businesses and raised three times as much as Diana needed. Then Jackson Memorial backed out because Medicaid decided to drop Diana. That's because she had accepted a social security payment to help her son.
DIANA SMITH: I just, I never asked to get any more than what I need.
TOM NEUNAN, FAMILY FRIEND: Medicaid had signed off on this and everything was set to go until April 1st of this year, last week. On April 1st, Diana was notified by Medicaid that they were canceling her coverage because her income now that her son is receiving social security disability is too high.
DIANA SMITH: I offered it back to them and they said it's too late at this point so I don't know where else to turn to and I'm out of time. I just want to thank everybody for their support once again. I am in a situation where I need the support that I'm - you know, I don't know where to go. I don't know who to turn to.
HAYWARD (on camera): But once again, you came through. This time not with cash, but with pressure, with angry phone calls. Enough pressure that we can tell you now the surgery is back on.
NEUNAN: A lot of people called a lot of different people in the last 24 hours since they found out about this. All the way from I got a call from a senator's office - and I'm sorry, a congressman's office in Washington and she said that they've been calling the governor down here in Florida and a lot of other people.
HAYWARD: Diana herself is too weak to talk now from medical tests at Jackson all day long, but -
Thank you, everybody, for saving my mommy who has now her hair is going to come back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Derek Hayward reporting there from WSVN and we're going to let you know how Diana's surgery goes.
School bullies they have been in the news a lot lately. A girl who hanged herself allegedly because of bullies and similar stories this school year. Well, how about a solution? One school, we might have found - one school, actually, might have found one that others could use.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Rotten economy, bitter health care battles, car recalls, bullying, mine explosions. A lot of problems out there. So worried are you about loose nukes? Go to my blog, CNN.com/Kyra. Post your comments and I'll read some of them on the air just a little later in the newscast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Missed the runway? Hit the river? That's exactly what happened to a passenger jet in Indonesia. No one was killed but 78 people were injured. Weather may be to blame. A government spokesperson said the plane actually hit the runway but bounced off before landing in a shallow river. The plane is operated by a regional Indonesian airline that has a spotty safety record.
The body of Poland's first lady has come home. (INAUDIBLE) Kaczynski and her husband, President Lech Kaczynski were among 100 Poles killed in a plane crash Saturday in Russia. Military guard carry the casket across the tarmac this morning. Public viewing will be held at the presidential palace. The cause of that crash right now is being investigated.
So far so good with the census. 65 percent of households have sent it back and just four days to go before the mailing deadline. The Midwest leads the way in returning the census form on time. Government starts personal visits May 1st for those of you who didn't fill it out.
We all know the pollen's hideous right now, but is it causing you to have allergies? What do you need to know about detection and treatment? We've got it straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Who's getting the last laugh now? Twitter is no longer the only place you can catch Conan O'Brien. He has actually found a new home in late-night TV.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Spring is definitely nothing to sneeze at for the millions of allergy sufferers. Some rain will definitely be nice. Meteorologist Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, that pollen is everywhere, that is for sure and much of this country is suffering right now, but as you reach for that tissue, wash your car, maybe you're thinking is there something more serious going on here? Like do I have an allergy? Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with more advice.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: In the pollen we have been having here, I can't imagine not having an allergy. There's just so much of it.
PHILLIPS: I didn't have allergies until I moved to Atlanta.
COHEN: Right. Exactly. I came home from vacation and my car was covered in green.
PHILLIPS: Everything's green.
COHEN: Yes. All of a sudden I had a green car. It was amazing. So let's take a look at some of the pollen counts that are going on around the country. Now what I want to say first is anything over 120 is considered extremely high, all right? So look at Atlanta, 2,351 and again, anything over 120 is considered extremely high.
So Austin at around 1,500, Nashville at 240 and there are all sorts of other numbers and you can see that brown region. So we're talking a lot of pollen and so people who maybe never suffered allergies might be feeling it. Now Kyra, a lot of people ask "how do you know if it's allergies and not a cold."
It's actually relatively easy. First of all, allergies involve a certain level of itchiness, your eyes and your nose that you don't get with a cold. Also, a cold or a flu will end at a certain point. Allergies just seem to go on and on. It's not a five-day experience. It keeps going on until the pollen goes away basically.
PHILLIPS: As I mentioned, I didn't have allergies until I moved here. Is there a truth to that or am I just making that up?
COHEN: Oh, no. Absolutely. First of all, you can develop allergies as an adult. A lot of times you think of allergies as a kid thing, but you can develop them as an adult and it's not uncommon that we get them when we move to a new city like Kyra in Atlanta. Because maybe the places she lived in and have the same kind of trees that we have here. So after a season or two if it takes that long to kind of get sensitized, then you will sometimes develop allergies. So if you're one of these people who moves from job to job, you may find yourself as all of a sudden with allergies. PHILLIPS: The high levels of pollen, you mentioned how high it is here, here in Atlanta. What kind of impact does it have on kids?
COHEN: You know, it could have a serious impact on kids because kids are especially prone to asthma and kids often also get sinusitis and so that's the kind of things that parents need to look for. It's not that the allergies per se are so dangerous, it's that it can really aggravate your child's asthma.
So let's take a look at a couple of very specific things that you can do for both kids and adults and steps that we can take to try to make allergies better and I've tried these myself so I know that they work.
First of all, stay indoors because that air-conditioning will filter out a lot of that pollen and also wash your hair before going to bed. It's disgusting, probably how much pollen you have in your hair. You won't see it, but you know, the last thing you need is a mop of pollen right on top of you. Also keep your shoes at the door so you're not trekking it through the house and wash your pets.
See number two, the same reason so you don't have pollen machines running around your house.
PHILLIPS: Good advice. Has it been affecting you?
COHEN: You know, not in the spring, but in the fall. I feel the ragweed and I've tried all those things and they all worked.
PHILLIPS: They all work. Thanks, Elizabeth.
COHEN: Thanks,
PHILLIPS: Toyota buckles up and bears down in the face of yet another public relations headache. We'll tell you why a consumers group is urging people to not buy this luxury SUV model.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Toyota takes another hit. Consumer reports is issuing a stern warning to car buyers not to buy the Lexus GX 460.
Stephanie Elam in New York to explain why. So, Steph, it's one problem after another for Toyota.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Seriously, Kyra. As far as "Consumer Reports" is concerned, this particular issue is a serious one. The magazine put a "don't buy" warning on the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV and it hasn't used that warning in nine years. So, it shows you how rare it is for them.
The problem is safety. "Consumer Reports" found the SUV has a high risk of rollovers. The electronic stability control failed to keep the vehicle in line during tests. As for Toyota, it's going to try to duplicate the tests, but in the meantime, the automaker says the 2010 GX 460 meets or exceeds all federal requirements, Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right. So, Toyota is already dealing with a PR nightmare because of January's recall -- I mean, 8 million vehicles. What does the latest wrinkle mean for the company?
ELAM: Well, the thing is if you compare this one to the January issue, this one is just a drop in the bucket. There are two key things that make this warning a little less problematic. For one thing, there are only 5,000 GX 406s on the road, and "Consumer Reports" says it doesn't know of any deaths or injuries related to this.
But, still, as you can see, if you take a look at the chart we put together here, this is Toyota trying to rebound from January's recall from where their stock was to where it is now. Toyota shares are down about 12 percent from January, and that's just before this recall was announced. Today, if you take a look at the stock it's off about 2 percent. So, this is not the same overall impact here.
Overall on the markets, the Dow is struggling to stay above 11,000, and right now it's not doing a very good job. It's not below that. The Dow is at 10,962, off 43 points right now. And the NASDAQ up eight at 2,449. We'll keep our eyes on the market and see if we can get above 11,000 again, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: That would be great. Thanks, Stephanie.
Her husband was one of the 29 who never came back from the mine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can still feel him here. It's -- it's just really hard. It's really hard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A wife's biggest fear comes true. Her heartbreaking story in just six minutes.
Plus, she's a former teacher accused of having sex with two students, but she's not going to trial.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking top stories.
Forty-seven world leaders getting down to business on nuclear security, and President Obama getting very serious with them. The president opened morning's summit session by stressing urgent action to keep nuclear materials out of terrorists' hands. The president's goal is to have all nukes secured within four years.
Former middle school teacher known for flashing a smile in her sex trial turns serious as a plea deal was announced. Stephanie Ragusa is accused of having sex with two of her students. Prosecutors in Tampa say they offered the deal with con -- after consulting, rather, with the victims' families. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RITA PETERS, ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY: They're the ones that are going into that courtroom. They're the ones that will have to testify. This is what they went through, so I take great weight in what the victims and their families want to see done in a case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Ragusa faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. She'll be sentenced in June.
Taliban militants are threatening to kill two kidnapped French journalists unless France releases some detainees. The journalists have been held for more than three months. There's been no comment from the French government about the proposed deal.
Life doesn't just go on after you've lost a loved one. Ask the spouses of the 29 West Virginia miners. Final bodies were recovered overnight. But Melissa Clark is still keeping her husband very close. CNN's Ines Ferre reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA CLARK, WIDOW OF MINER: They did a relief of names of the individuals who were -- who perished. And of course, my husband is the second name they called.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert Clark was one of the 29 coal miners killed in last week's West Virginia mine disaster.
CLARK: There he is with - he's a baby.
FERRE: A mine operator, Clark was savvy with machinery. But Melissa, like so many other miners' wives in the area, knew the job was dangerous.
CLARK: You always have a fear. As his wife, I mean, I would always worry like, I said earlier that it would be the last time I would see him. But he was doing what he liked doing.
FERRE: But the Clarks agreed their 3-year-old son Stephen should follow a different path. They were saving up for college.
CLARK: He loved my son so much. He wanted so much to teach him things and to see him grow up. He wanted him to have the best. And that's one reason he worked where he did, because he wanted the best for my son.
FERRE: Her faith, friends and relatives are pulling her through now, as difficult as it is.
CLARK: Everything that I do, everywhere I look, I see him, and I can still feel him here. It's -- it's just really hard. It's really hard. Reporter: Ines Ferre, CNN, Beckley, West Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
PHILLIPS: All right. You're not so bad after all. The Vatican now says they've forgiven the Beatles? Really? Forgiven the Beatles for what? The Vatican criticized the group for so-called "satanic messages" in their music, their uninhibited lifestyles and don't forget that whole "we're bigger than Jesus" thing.
So, what does Ringo Starr think about it? He thinks the Vatican has more to worry about than The Beatles.
And a special -
(MUSIC PLAYING)
PHILLIPS: -- a special citation for The Drifter. The Pulitzer committee honoring Hank Williams, Sr. for his craftsmanship as a songwriter. Williams was a country legend who died in 1953 only at the age of 29. He penned such classics as "Your Cheating Heart," "I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry," and "Hey, Good Lookin'."
We're back in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Protect and serve. Two words police are sworn to uphold, but some officers take that oath more seriously than others. Like Redwood City, California's Brad Johnson. Not just a cop, but a homemaker -- for one down guy with bad luck.
Here's Rob Roth from CNN affiliate KTVU.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB ROTH, KTVU-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 48-year-old Martin McCall, today was moving in day. Moving into his new home in the Harbor Village mobile home park in Redwood City.
MARTIN MCCALL, FORMERLY HOMELESS: Very happy today. Very happy. I cried like a little baby. Tears were flowing when I walked into this house this morning all by myself.
ROTH: McCall says his life began to unravel about five years ago when he lost his job and his wife left him. He ended up homeless, sleeping in front of the traffic court building in downtown Redwood City and spending his days sitting here in courthouse square. That is where officer Brad Johnson would see him and talk with him.
BRAD JOHNSON, OFFICER, REDWOOD CITY POLICE: He was always very friendly, very respectful. He was never intoxicated. ROTH: Officer Johnson heard there was a maintenance job open at the mobile home park, so he told the manager about McCall. The job not only pays a salary, but it includes health benefits and a mobile home rent-free.
BILL KOONS, MOBILE HOME MANAGER: And I listened to his story, and I think he needs a second chance, and I think he's worth saving.
ROTH: As of tonight, McCall will have his own bed. No more doorways.
MCCALL: Blessed is what I feel. It's been a long, hard three years.
ROTH: This afternoon, Officer Johnson dropped by to see how McCall was making out.
JOHNSON: I'm actually proud of him. It's strange. You feel like it's one of your kids going to school for the first time. You kind of keep tabs on him and to see him come off the street.
MCCALL: It's awesome, it's wonderful. It doesn't suck to be me anymore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(LAUGHS)
PHILLIPS: That says it all. That was Rob Roth reporting. McCall says he hopes his story is proof that a person who lands in the street can sometimes get back up if someone is just willing to help.
Rob Marciano, scattered thunderstorms for parts of the Southeast, right?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, well, Northeast.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll watch it. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK. See you.
PHILLIPS: "Well, I had a show and then I had a different show and then I had a Twitter account." Conan O'Brien in his own words, but the late-night comedian has moved beyond his Twitter account, landing a new gig. CNN's Alina Cho looks at the changing landscape of the late-night wars.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra, you know, a lot of people thought Conan would be going to Fox. In fact, many thought it was a foregone conclusion.
But in a move that surprised nearly everyone, Conan is going to cable. The show will be on TBS, that's part of Turner Broadcasting. The same company, by the way, that owns CNN. The show will launch in November at 11:00 p.m.. It is still unnamed and will air four days a week, not five. Monday through Thursday.
We also know Conan will remain in Los Angeles, and he will own the show, too. That ownership stake is believed to be a big reason why Conan made the jump to TBS, but Conan on cable? He joked about it in the statement he released saying, quote, "In three months I've gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters. And now I'm headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly."
Critics say, if you think about it, Conan on cable is a perfect fit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CARTER, MEDIA REPORTER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": I think he'll have a much more free and open style than he did. You know, at "The Tonight Show," he had to try to tailor it to a really mass audience, which he really wasn't getting. He was getting 2 million less than Leno had gotten.
So, here -- I think he can just say here's my core audience. I'm going to speak to them. I'm going to be as wild, crazy and creative as I can be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Speaking of Jay Leno's, his ratings, we've learned, are up 50 percent over what Conan was pulling, but his audience is also about ten years older than Conan's. And remember, it's the younger viewers that advertisers covet. The kind of viewers that generally flock to Comedy Central. And it's worth pointing out that Conan will go head- to-head at 11:00 p.m. with Jon Stewart.
Now, Conan really built up a following during that epic fight with NBC. There were protests, Web site. So, are any of the networks commenting? Probably not a surprise, no, they're not and neither are any of Conan's competitors. But remember, it did get really ugly toward the end.
So as a reminder, we thought it would be fun to pull clips of Conan attacking his former employer, NBC. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN, LATE NIGHT HOST: Just coming to work in the morning now has gotten really uncomfortable.
(SINGING) Morons, incompetent morons, these people are morons. La-dee-dee-dee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Conan ultimately got a 32 million dollar settlement from NBC, and he agreed to stay off the air until September. So, why is the new show launching in November?
Well, it's all about baseball. TBS carries the Major League Baseball playoffs in October, and they decided it just didn't make sense to launch Conan's show in September, preempt it for a month in October and then bring it back in November. There's also a feeling, Kyra, that the playoffs would be a great time to promote Conan's new show. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Alina. Thanks. So, what's comedian George Lopez got to say about this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE LOPEZ, HOST, "LOPEZ TONIGHT": I think you're here on a good night. I couldn't think of a better night --
CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: There's no bad nights on "The George Lopez Show."
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
LOPEZ: No. But the Conan coming to TBS.
ROCK: Conan's coming?
LOPEZ: Yes.
ROCK: Where are you going?
(LAUGHTER)
LOPEZ: I'm going -- I'm staying. I'm going midnight and he's coming at 11:00, and I'm going to midnight.
ROCK: Get the hell out of here!
(LAUGHTER)
ROCK: so you're going to move for the white man, huh?
(LAUGHTER)
LOPEZ: I am. I am. Hey --
ROCK: I hope he appreciates this.
LOPEZ: I think the white man does appreciate it very much.
ROCK: OK. You don't got to clean or park or nothing, right?
(LAUGHTER)
LOPEZ: No. And I get to go to work an hour later, and that's a Latino dream come true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER) PHILLIPS: George Lopez keeping it in the family. Tonight, he'll be on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" to discuss the news about Conan coming to TBS.
Well, you'll be either really mad at Hugh Hefner for this, or you'll want to send him a thank you card. Someone asked Hef if Kate Gosselin would ever be in "Playboy." His response? Not one, but two emphatic noes. He's even said that she's not a celebrity and doesn't know why she's on "Dancing with the Stars." It's not clear if she ever wanted to be in "Playboy" in the first place. Maybe Hef just thinks she's overexposed enough as it is.
Breaking down bullies. Young girls using violence as a crutch. One group now teaching them a new way, replacing aggression with self- esteem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: School is a terrible thing to waste. Coming up next hour, a new school that was supposed to be a model for modern students, but now it may never be used.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLLIPS: School bellies have been in the news a lot lately, but we'll talk about -- I guess -- that later.
Are we going President Obama here at the payoff with the blog? OK, you want to tell me what we're doing. All right, let's figure that out here.
All right. Let's talk about school bullies and how they have been in the news a rot lately. It's actually a piece we put together for you. A girl who hanged herself allegedly because of bullies. We were talking about Phoebe Prince and other stories for weeks.
And then we've got other stories of kids being bullied throughout the school year. One middle school in Austin, Texas, might have a solution. Students can send e-mails and texts to adults at the school like teachers and bus drivers about any concern from abuse and alcohol to bullies. The senders can be anonymous, if they want. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA PARIS, PRINCIPAL: A way to speak honestly. There's no fear of retribution. There's no fear of students knowing that they've visited with us online.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A principal says that program has really taken a bite out of the bullies. Before it was set up, 75 percent of the bullies cited bullying a concern. A year later, that number actually went down to 25 percent. But bullies have feelings, too, and sometimes if you dig really deep down there, you can see a good person who is just having a tough time. That's what one group in Atlanta is doing, digging down to build up successful young women. CNN's Brooke Baldwin is has the story for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPODENT (voice-over): (AUDIO GAP) graduation. It's a day that almost didn't happen. She fell in with the wrong crowd and considered dropping out.
SHANEIKA LEWIS, FORMER BULLY: People were friends with me because they were scared of me. They were friends with me because they wanted to see something happen. I was somebody else's lab, and every time they see me they could easily know which buttons to push.
BALDWIN: Early in Shaneika's teen years, she became a bully. It started with words, tormenting her classmates verbally. When she got older, her aggression turned violent, forcing her father to intervene two years ago.
LEWIS: Being a bully really was degrading. I could see how those people feel, whoever I used to pick on, because when I had that feeling, it lowered me as a person. I felt less than human.
BALDWIN: Her life changed after her dad brought her here, to Ladies of Favor. It's a faith-based nonprofit mentoring program which helps young girls address issues like low self-esteem, bullying and self-respect.
GABRIELLE STARR, LADIES OF FAVOR FOUNDER: As a teenager, I went through an array of things. I dealt with low self-esteem. I dealt with trying to find myself and a lot of the issues that our young girls were facing, that was me.
BALDWIN: Shaneika sat with a mentor once a week where they would discuss self-confidence, character building and how to become a leader.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's lots of jealousy.
BALDWIN: Why do certain girls like Shaneika become bullies? Dr. Nadine Kaslow says it begins in a social setting when girls are trying to figure out who their friends are.
DR. NADINE KASLOW, EMORY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: There's lots of competition. There's lots of sort of struggling to express their own identity. Girls often feel helpless and powerless. Being aggressive is a way to try to assume power.
BALDWIN: Shaneika has faced her own struggles and now knows not to resort to violence to be popular.
LEWIS: If I wasn't in Ladies of Favor today, I can honestly say I don't know where I would be at right now. STARR: Shaneika is a very, very bright young lady. She's very smart, she's very articulate. But it was just something on the inside that was damaged, and she was trying to find a way out.
BALDWIN: Ladies of favor helped Shaneika address the issues she was facing. She would discover --
LEWIS: I'm a phenomenal woman.
BALDWIN: Now she fights with a new weapon: self-confidence, which has prepared her for an important day. Graduation.
Brooke Baldwin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, as you know, President Obama is hosting dozens of world leaders in Washington to talk about nuclear weapons. And we're talking about nukes, too, on our blog.
What we wanted to know from you, with the problems in the world how much do you worry about loose nukes? Here's what some of you wrote in and said.
This comes from Gail. "One good nuke in bad hands makes all those other issues you listed evaporate, literally."
Chico says, "Even though I'm affected by most of the issues listed, the nuke worry is the scariest."
And Kent says, "Loose nukes have been around for 40 years, and they've not caused any problems. It is great to talk about nukes, but the fact is the U.S. is trillions of dollars in debt, we are broke and noones doing nothing about it."
Jerry says, "Not too worried about loose nukes right now. At this time, trying to keep my house, which I'm probably going to lose. It is the most important thing to me."
Remember, we want to hear from you. Just log on to CNN.com/kyra and share your comments. Meanwhile, Tony Harris takes it from here.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, good to see you. Have a great day.
PHILLIPS: Good to see you, too, Tony. Thanks. See you tomorrow.
