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BP Tries New Tactics for Mitigating Disaster; State Department Warns Americans to Stay Away From Thailand; Immigration Controversy: Should Non-Citizen Students be Deported?
Aired May 15, 2010 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, when will BP come through with a fix? There is word of another one under way right now in the Gulf of Mexico. We are live.
The Thai government says soldiers may shoot to kill civilian protesters and the military is following orders. We're live in Thailand where tonight the death toll is rising.
Imagine being months away from a college degree when all of a sudden the government tries to deport you, all because your parents brought you here illegally, no fault of your own. Now what?
And a magazine that made its name on sex making history again and in the process, promising a fuller experience for readers.
Good evening, everyone.
Tonight in the Gulf of Mexico, the latest attempt to reduce that flow of oil may already be under way at this hour. BP hopes to start siphoning oil away from the gusher tonight using a mile-long tube to transfer the oil to a ship. The strategy is designed to minimize the oil leak. It is still too soon to predict when the leak might be completely -- or it might be completely sealed. Let's turn now to CNN's David Mattingly. He joins us from New Orleans.
David, anything new on the efforts to insert that tube into the leak now?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Only that tonight is the night that BP thinks they are finally going to get this right. They said that last night, where they encountered a problem, they had to bring that device all the way back up to the surface to make some adjustments. They put it back down and are now attempting to do what they have not been able to do since that rig sank.
Now, what they're going to do is put that tube inside that leaking pipe and it's supposed to seal up. They hope to collect most of the oil that's coming out of there and trap it, send it up to a containment vessel on the surface.
So far, they have not been able to do that. They failed in the attempt to put a containment dome over it. That cost them more than a week. And now this one is the one that they are going for. They have something set aside just in case this doesn't work. But they are trying to make this insertion tube the solution to the problem that they've had now for weeks.
LEMON: They tell you, David, what is set aside or are they keeping that to themselves?
MATTINGLY: What they set aside is actually a smaller containment dome. We've talked about this quite a lot. It is called the top hat. It's a smaller version of that large containment dome that they tried over a week ago. Now, the smaller containment dome is plan "b" just in case this insertion tube does not work. That dome would go over the leaking pipe and siphon the oil off the same way that this insertion tube is supposed to be like.
LEMON: David, what about these dispersants we've been hearing so much about. We have seen them on the surface. Now, they are going to try to put them deeper into the water?
MATTINGLY: They are putting them deeper into the water. That's what they are doing tonight. They are using these dispersants at the source, a mile down from the surface, at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
This is the first time this is ever been done. It has never been tested. This is something they are breaking new ground here. And the U.S. government is going to be watching this very closely to see if there is any sort of environmental damage to measure it as best as they can. But at this point they feel like that is their best solution to keeping the spill from being the catastrophe on the shorelines that everyone had hoped to try to avoid.
LEMON: Yes. All right. David Mattingly in New Orleans. Thank you very much for that, David.
You know, all along the Gulf coast, you hear a common refrain -- just stop the leak and clean up the mess. But there is another discussion going on as well all the way to Washington with serious questions like who is to blame and who is going to pay for all of this? And the anger and frustration are growing tonight. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: It is almost comical. The blowout preventer should come in and pinch off this pipe, cut it and seal the well. And there's a couple of things. There are some dead man switches as well. We found out the batteries didn't work. I mean, the blowout preventer was only down there since February. In three months, the batteries went dead. Therefore, when you lost all power to it, the batteries should have kicked in. That did not work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a cascade of failures and technical and human and regulatory errors.
REAR ADM. MARY LANDRY, U.S. COAST GUARD: The rate of oil flow is an ongoing topic of discussion and analysis. And whether the flow is one, five, ten, or 15,000 barrels per day --
EXEC. DIR. MOBILE BAYKEEPER: We're challenged and stymied by, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it, and no, it's not 5,000 gallons -- no, it is 5,000 gallons. It is not 70,000 barrels. It is not 70 -- it is actually -- it is not 70,000 barrels. So lots of confusion. Very little information and a whole lot of frustration, frankly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of us down here want the finger-pointing to stop. Take care of it. We'll figure out who is to blame later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going to have to go draconian, Don. The president is going to have to appoint and take charge of these things. He may have to seize their assets and charge them $1 billion a day until that thing gets closed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You can see the frustration is growing.
And who's who of recording artists are lining up to help the people of the Gulf Cost. Lenny Kravitz is one of them and he's taking part in this weekend's Hangout Concert for the Coast. All profits are being donated to Gulf Coast relief. And he'll join me live right here on CNN tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, 3:00 Pacific. Make sure you tune in.
Some developing news now. A bomb threat involving a flight in Canada brings fighter jets out to intercept it. NORAD scrambled two Canadian F-18 Hornet jets from a military base to meet a plane and escort it to Vancouver International Airport. Canadian authorities say someone phoned in the bomb threat to this Cathay Pacific Airways flight that was coming in from Hong Kong. The passengers got off in Vancouver and crews towed the plane away for inspection. But onboard, it was all clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CPL. SHERRDEAN TURLEY, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: All necessary screening procedures were carried out and nothing of concern was identified. No one was injured during this incident and the investigation is continuing. The threat is being taken very seriously. I would just like to reassure the traveling public that there's no threat to them at this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: More chaos in Thailand. The violence is growing and political tensions are heating up. Is the country on the brink of a civil war?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't you tell the truth, Angela. That is -- that is what your center is for. You are an open borders advocate. You want amnesty for all of these people that broke the law. They came in here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, you call it amnesty. I call it an answer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Should children of illegal immigrants brought here at a young age be deported? We've got the debate you don't want to miss.
And don't just sit there. Be a part of our conversation tonight. Make sure you send us a message on Twitter or Facebook. You can even follow us on Twitter. Check out my blog at cnn.com/don. We want to hear from you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A warning to American travelers from the State Department today. Stay out of Bangkok because of scenes like this in the streets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(PEOPLE RUNNING AMIDST SOUND OF BOMBING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: At least eight more people were killed in the last 24 hours in clashes between troops and anti-government protesters, bringing the death toll to 25 over three days. Our Dan Rivers has been covering this in Bangkok since the violence started.
Dan, what is the very latest from there now?
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as I speak to you, Don, there is still huge plumes of black smoke drifting across the skyline. There are sporadic explosions and sounds of gunfire. I have been listening to them all night long from where I live right in the middle of the red protest zone. As you said, the death toll since Thursday has now risen to 25 with over 190 wounded.
And on some roads, it is just simply too dangerous to go out now. I mean, I describe them almost as like a sniper gallery. People are getting shot. We don't know by whom. But a lot of people getting shot, a lot of civilians getting shot, not necessarily even protesters.
LEMON: Well, Dan, tell us about these accusations by the Thai prime minister that some protesters are trying to start a civil war.
RIVERS: Yes. He addressed the nation yesterday on all Thai channels exactly saying that a small clique of the protesters were trying to foment a civil war basically. Pretty warring words when you hear that from the leader of a country. He said day by day the role of these arms terrorists, as he called them, is increasing.
We have heard loud explosions. What the prime minister says are M79 grenade launchers being used by this small group of arms terrorists, as he called them, trying to hit the Army positions.
We were actually in one street which is being designated a live fire street by the Army and heard one M79, at least we think, hitting behind the Army. They then swung around and tried to locate it and a gun battle broke out.
So, it's very volatile. You don't know if you are behind the Army necessarily that you're safe because it seems like the Red Shirts or the terrorists or whoever they are sort of outflanking them and coming round the back.
LEMON: Yes. I was reading some of the wire here and they were saying that there are streets where there were signs that said live firing, be careful.
Here's a question, Dan. As you know, a lot of Americans vacation in Thailand and there are concerns there about people who are vacationing or who might live there, who might be expats, whatever you want to call them. So, remind us who the sides are in this conflict and what they want.
RIVERS: Well, the Red Shirts really are loyal to the prime minister that was kicked out in a coup four years ago, Thaksin Shinawatra. That's how it all started. But it has grown since then.
And one of the things that struck me yesterday was how -- it appears that other people are coming out to applaud the Red Shirts in other areas of the city. We were out near a place called Victory Monument, where a small group of apparently Red Shirts were there sort of facing off down the street with burning tires.
But then a whole group of other people have come out and they applauded when those Red Shirts moved forward. So, you get a feeling that this is beginning to get a bit more support among the urban poor here. But it's really a divide between the haves and the have-nots, between the rural and urban poor and the middle and upper classes that have tended to rule Thailand for so many years.
LEMON: Dan Rivers, thank you very much for your reporting.
And still ahead here tonight on CNN, Sarah Palin's political agenda. She is calling on Americans to take actions and it concerns Arizona's new immigration law.
And a college student who admits to being an illegal immigrant. Now her school is taking action that is stirring debate all over the country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. So here's a question. What happens when you are a student here but you're also an illegal immigrant?
That's a dilemma thousands of students face each year in this country, and Jessie Colotl is one of them -- Jessica Colotl was one of them. Her parents brought her here illegally 11 years ago. The senior at Kennesaw State in Georgia was just a year away from getting her degree. Then in late March, she got pulled over for a minor traffic violation. Officers found out she was illegal and soon the process to deport her started.
Well, Colotl spoke with CNN just yesterday. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA COLOTL, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: I'm just trying to get my education. I don't think that's fair because I was brought to the U.S. when I was 11 years old. I didn't have an option. For me right now there's no path of legalizing myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Colotl got a break. Immigration authorities deferred her deportation for a year so she can graduate. But then she has to go back to Mexico.
Her problem is not new in this country. Congress tried to address it nine years ago through the Dream Act. The Dream Act would give non-citizen students a shot at being legit if they followed certain requirements. But the Dream Act remains just a proposal.
And now people are asking -- why should these students be granted citizenship? Earlier, we heard both sides. For granting citizenship, Angela Kelley from the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, against Phil Kent with Americans for Immigration Control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: So then, what's your argument against it?
PHIL KENT, AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRATION CONTROL: Well, the unfairness, Don, is the fact that these are slots that should be given to American kids and American citizens. These are people that are gaming the system, sad to say. And it is against the 1996 Immigration Law to have an illegal immigrant who is known in post-secondary education.
LEMON: I want to get Angela's response. What do you say to him?
ANGELA KELLEY, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: Look, if there was an easy way to do this, surely that young woman's family would have done it. There are simply thousands of students like her who are as American as my two daughters that can't have a path forward. There is no way for them to get a student visa or for them to get any kind of permanent status unless Congress does act and takes responsibility for our broken immigration laws and gets these kids on the right side of the law.
LEMON: How many kids do you -- and students you believe are in Ms. Colotl's position, Angela?
KELLEY: You know, it's hard, right. By definition, these are folks who don't come forward and talk very much about their status, because they are living in the shadows, they are living in fear. But the estimates are especially poignant this time of year where so many kids are finishing high school and finishing college. And there's about 66,000 a year who are graduating in exactly this situation.
LEMON: Wow, that's a lot of students, 66,000.
KELLEY: Absolutely. And the Dream Act would give relief to those students who are already here who came as young students and will finish high school.
KENT: The Dream Act does not give them any rights. The Dream Act is amnesty. Why don't you tell the truth, Angela. That is what your center is for. You're an open borders advocate. You want amnesty for all of these people that broke the law. They came in here.
KELLEY: Well, you would call it amnesty. I call it an answer.
(CROSSTALK)
KENT: What we need to do is we need to uphold the law. You don't like that.
KELLEY: Hardly. I think exactly we do need to uphold the rule of law, but we need to have rules that make sense.
KENT: Well, amnesty is not the way to go.
KELLEY: Look, you call it amnesty. I call it an answer. I call it a solution. Rather than stick our heads in the sand and pretend that these folks are going to go away...
KENT: Leave them in college?
KELLEY: Look, using state resources to prosecute this kid, to deport this kid after we've already invested in her in going to school here.
KENT: That is the law.
KELLEY: That simply doesn't make sense.
LEMON: But here's the thing, Angela...
KELLEY: Look, we can -- we can throw more money at the problem or we can get real and make them pay their own way.
LEMON: All right. So here's the thing...
KELLEY: Make her get on the right side of the law.
LEMON: I see - I see both of your points...
KELLEY: That is exactly a solution that Americans will embrace.
LEMON: And so let me get in here. Let me jump in here. I see both of your points. When a citizen breaks the law for whatever reason, whether it's something as minor as a traffic violation to murder or what have you, very few times there are amnesty for citizens who are born here or who, you know, grew up here.
KENT: There are no amnesties.
LEMON: There is no amnesty with the law. So, people...
KELLEY: And should not be an amnesty.
LEMON: Here's the thing. So, people say, they why give people who broke the law amnesty. Obviously, we have to do something. We have to look at our laws. But why should you give amnesty for someone who broke the law?
KENT: Send them back to their home countries and have them processed like every one else that plays by the rules. We have foreign students, hundreds of thousands of them.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: That is so circuitous. I mean, how do you...
KENT: I agree with Angela that we can -- we can agree on one thing. We can streamline the process, but we're not going to be granting amnesty to 15 million people.
KELLEY: Look, there is no process for this young woman. I'm sorry. Your viewers have to understand. There is no line for her to get into. There are no visas that would be available to her. The laws need to be changed. They need to updated...
KENT: We could streamline the process.
KELLEY: And they need to be sure that we...
KENT: You want amnesty and that is wrong.
KELLEY: You can toss around the word amnesty. But I am telling you, it would be an answer to be sure that we get kids like her on the right side of the law.
(CROSSTALK)
KELLEY: Look, an investment has been made in her. She is as American as you or I are.
KENT: Well, you can filibuster on this all day long, but the Kennesaw State University gave this girl in-state tuition, which is against Georgia Board of Regents policy. She lied on her application to college. You condone all of that. Then the college tries to help her when she is being deported. If I go to the airport, should I call Kennesaw State University if I don't bring my license so they can bail me out? This is totally unfair.
KELLEY: That University made a decision to invest in her.
KENT: Well, the president of that university ought to be fired.
LEMON: Let her make her point.
KELLEY: You know, there are only so many topics that we can cover in the short time we have. And I think what the American people want is a solution. They want to be sure that people get on the right side of the law, that they pay taxes. We made an investment in this kid. She came in here through no choice of here own...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let her make her point.
KELLEY: And we could deport her to a country that she hasn't been to or we can make sure that she gets on the right side of the law and becomes not a dishwasher but a doctor.
LEMON: If you have a solution to this, and just a quick line here and I know it takes more than that, what is your solution for people like Jessica?
KELLEY: My solution for people like Jessica is that Congress passes a bipartisan bill with tough requirements that takes young people like that, make sure that they finish school or that they serve in our military and at the end of the day that they become American citizens.
LEMON: OK, good. Phil?
KENT: That is incredible -- to award citizenship. At the very least, if you want to streamline the process and have something where you can help a girl like Jessica, at least grant her permanent residency, but I would not grant her citizenship.
KELLEY: Permanent residence is fine. That would be fine if that is the compromise you want to make. That would put her on a path. Look, everybody breaks a rule at some point or another. My kids break rule all the time.
KENT: So that's OK?
KELLEY: It's not OK. But the punishment has to fit the act. This kid came through no choice of her own. She was 11 years old.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: So thank you very much -- thank you very much for that Angela and Phil on this camera. You are very aggressive and you are very passionate about this. I appreciate you coming in. We're going to -- I promise our viewers we're going to continue these talks and it is a very good topic.
KELLEY: Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you.
KENT: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: All right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Interesting conversation there.
Also tonight, Sarah Palin weighing in on Arizona's new immigration law. We'll tell you what she is saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will burn in hell for the acts you have committed. I just hope that day is an agonizingly long way away and that you have to suffer as much as we all have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And those are harsh words for a man being sentenced for killing two young women from California.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is supporting Arizona's controversial new illegal immigration law. She appeared with Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today saying fears of racial profiling are unfounded and the White House needs to take action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER VICE PRES. CANDIDATE: It's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and say, we're all Arizonans now. And in clear unity we say, Mr. President, do your job, secure our border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The event also launched a website that the governor said was an effort to educate America about border security and discourage an economic boycott of the state.
If you are planning to travel to Europe, better check your itinerary. Remember that volcano in Iceland that shut down air travel overseas last month? Well, it could do it again to airports in the UK as early as tomorrow. German officials say that they may have to start closing airports starting Monday. Volcanic ash already has forced some closures this week from Spain to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.
A bittersweet trip home for the sole survivor of Wednesday's horrible plane crash in Libya. Nine-year-old Ruben van Assouw has been called the "miracle boy." He flew home to the Netherlands today with an aunt and uncle. The boy's parents and brother died in the crash which killed 103 people. Most of the passengers on the Holland- bound flight were Dutch tourists.
An emotional scene Friday in San Diego in a courtroom. The anguished parents of two murdered girls talked about their daughters as the teary-eyed killer looked on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENT KING, CHELSEA KING'S FATHER: I mean this quite literally. You can go straight to hell. And I pray every night that God shows you no mercy.
KELLY KING, CHELSEA KING'S MOTHER: And you now have to spend the rest of your life an eternity in the worst and deepest parts of hell. Nothing, no one can save you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: John Robert Gardner III was found guilty of raping and murdering 14-year-old Amber Dubois and 17-year-old Chelsea King. He'll serve two consecutive life prison terms without parole. The case outraged many because Gardner was a convicted sex offender who had been let out of prison early.
Losing a limb could seem like the end of the world but for some overcoming tragedy reveals a new zest for life. That is exactly what happened to this week's CNN hero. And he is bringing others along for the ride.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA CUMMINGS, CNN HERO: When I learned to surf, it was amazing. You feel such a powerful connection with the Earth and the water.
I'm a veteran. I served in the Gulf War. I came back without injury.
In 2002, I was in a car accident and lost my leg.
When you come become disabled, you feel trapped. And when I felt that first breath freedom of riding that wave, I was like, this is so good, and it was so inspiring. I want to share that feeling that I had with others.
I'm Dana Cummings, and I started an organization to help people focus on their abilities, not their disabilities, through surfing. We work with people with disabilities. A lot are veterans. We just want you to feel the rehabilitative power of the ocean and surfing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got hurt on my way home in the Navy. I remember waking up in a V.A. hospital and not being able to move my legs.
CUMMINGS: It's just amazing, the recovery he's made, because he was told he would never walk again. Now he's surfing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I owe a lot to Dana and AMP Surf. And what it does physically for me and what it does emotionally, mentally, is priceless.
CUMMINGS: Come on. Here you go, Brian. Catch this wave, buddy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was a little nervous, but once we got started I wasn't scared anymore. It was really great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually got up on the first wave. Definitely coming back to do this again. It was awesome.
CUMMINGS: We always want to give our participants the power and the passion for life that we have. They're going to push themselves to the best of their ability, and if we can give them that self- confidence, that is a gift, and no one can ever take that away from them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, since 2003, Dana Cummings and his organization have taught over 300 disabled persons how to surf and that number is growing.
To nominate someone you think is changing the world, go to cnn.com/heroes.
A former TV chef under arrest in a murder-for-hire plot. That story is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Chef Juan-Carlos Cruz once hosted a show on the Food Network. Tonight, the former host of "Calorie Commando" is accused of trying to hire homeless people to carry out a murder. In addition to his TV show, Cruz wrote the "Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown Cookbook: A 5-Week Eating Strategy for Sustainable Weight Loss," which was published in 2007.
Earlier CNN's Alan Duke was able to give us some details and he told me Juan-Carlos Cruz is in jail unable to meet the $5 million bond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAN DUKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We'll see him in court on Monday, and it's Monday that we'll find out more about this. The police in Santa Monica are being very quiet. They are not telling us yet who the alleged victim is, whether it was a close relative or a close friend. We've been led to believe it was somebody that he knew well. And the people he tried to hire? Homeless people who frequent the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.
LEMON: That's what I'm going to ask you. That seems very odd. So, did he just go to the streets and hire some homeless people? Did he know these people possibly? You said they're being tight-lipped, but are these backs (ph) or at least is this information known at all now? DUKE: Well, there are a lot of people who are -- live on the street or thereabouts in Santa Monica, the Venice area. You have been there. You know how laid back it is. And they are just part of the fabric there.
But allegedly Cruz went to a couple of these and asked them to help him in a murder plot, to kill somebody. These people then -- these individuals, who have not been identified, then went to the police on the street and said, hey, this guy is trying to pay us cash to help him kill somebody.
LEMON: Yes.
DUKE: So then, the Santa Monica detectives went under cover, met him several times and then finally on Thursday afternoon at a dog park in West Los Angeles made the arrest.
LEMON: So, listen, I got to ask you this, Alan. When I heard the name, I was like, there was, you know, there was someone who had the same name -- Juan-Carlos Cruz, very frankly, at a television station I worked with. Different people. I've never heard of this guy. I've never seen him before. I watched the Food Network.
And you are saying, you know, back in 2004, 2005, 2006, I watched the food network. And I just don't remember him being a big player. So lately in his life, had he had some issues? Because I know people talk about it in that area. You know, people know especially if you are sort of pseudo-celebrity. What kind of issues had he been dealing with lately if any at all?
DUKE: You know, I had some of the same feelings that you just said, because you get a taste of celebrity and he was sort of a chef celebrity for a while on the Food Network. But they got dozens of them. Some of them rise to the top like Jamie Oliver. We hear about him all the time.
But Cruz, we didn't hear much about. If you go to his website, a couple of his main websites are no longer online. And the one that he does have still online promoting his book "Calorie Countdown" is -- apparently not been updated for about a year. What he has been doing, we don't know, and so he was not at the top of his career.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was CNN's Alan Duke.
Straight ahead here, new depth within the pages of "Playboy" magazine. We'll tell you what's new.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You might realize you've been taking the produce section of your grocery store for granted when you watch this next story. It is about food and choices or to be accurate, no choices.
CNN's Samantha Hayes takes us through a neighborhood in Baltimore where processed and fast foods are all around but fresh, healthy food scarce.
SAMANTHA HAYES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, heart disease is the number one killer in Baltimore and has been for a long time. When you start to explore some of the city's lower income neighborhoods, you begin to understand why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAYES (voice over): Baltimore's brand new Food Policy Director Holly Freishtat shows us the problem.
HOLLY FREISHTAT, BALTIMORE FOOD POLICY DIRECTOR: We are sitting in the middle of a food desert. A food desert being an area where there are no supermarkets or access to healthy food.
HAYES: The options are scarce -- corner markets selling mostly processed food at high prices.
FREISHTAT: If you drove around this neighborhood, you see all fast food.
HAYES: Neighbors want to change that, and many came to this health fair at the local elementary school.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you don't drive, you are basically not able to eat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a grim reality of how we have to live out here.
HAYES (on camera): While grocery stores maybe scarce, there are farmers markets within walking distance of some of these so-called food desert neighborhoods. The problem is that some people on the food stamp program can't buy fresh fruits and vegetables here.
Right now, if you come to the farmers market, you got to have cash on hand. But in order to get low-income people to come and be able to use their food stamps, you need this particular machine, yes?
FREISHTAT: Truth to tell, they look and act like a debit card. A debit machine. An ATM machine.
HAYES (voice over): So, the first EBT machine scheduled to arrive next month is also expected to boost business for local vendors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, if they start eating more healthy stuff, they won't be so fat.
HAYES: Freishtat also wants to see more community gardens in the city and is working with local libraries where residents can pick up their groceries after ordering them online.
FREISHTAT: We can change the landscape for food.
HAYES: She is changing it in a way that just so happens to fall in line with initiatives the White House has been pushing. She says Baltimore can be an example.
(on camera): Let's say you and I are here a year from now, OK?
FREISHTAT: Yes.
HAYES: And we're walking through the Waverly Farmers Market. How do you want it to look different?
FREISHTAT: I would like to see everyone who wants to eat fruits and vegetables to be able to come here and to be able to buy the produce in the amount that they want and need to satisfy their food security of their households.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAYES: Bringing things like EBT machines to the farmers markets is a first step. Baltimore health officials say what may be more challenging in the long term is to change people's eating habits -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Samantha, for that.
You know, they stormed the beaches of the Pacific and left the battle-scarred fields of Europe, but this group of World War II veterans are embarking on one final military campaign.
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LEMON: If you pick up the new issue of "Playboy" hitting newsstands this weekend and you know who you are, right, you'll notice something different. It is opening up a whole new dimension for the magazine's fans. And as our Jeannie Moos explains, it leaves even less to the imagination.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Ready?
(voice over): Lo and behold, it is "Playboy"'s latest centerfold.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy cow!
MOOS: In 3-D.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the beautiful naked body in three dimensions, jumping out of the page into your arms.
MOOS: Maybe not into your arms, but still...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks very realistic like I could just touch her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like I'm in a strip club. She's right in front of you about to dance. MOOS: OK, guys, now you are getting creepy. Surrender the glasses. Actually, there are the flimsy glasses come with the issue. You assemble them yourself, all in hopes of seeing every dimension of model Hope Dworaczyk, Playmate of the Year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hef actually wanted to do this with the first issue of "Playboy."
MOOS: But it was too expensive way back then. Now CNN's fellow Time Warner company, HBO, is picking up part of the cost to advertise its series "True Blood."
(on camera): "Playboy"'s first-ever 3-D centerfold. What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have a copy of "Playgirl"?
MOOS (voice over): Sorry, no male centerfold for gay readers.
Unfortunately, putting the glasses on the camera won't make 3-D work on TV.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, objects appear larger than they should be.
MOOS: Actually, 3-D is a growing part of porn. "Hustler" is even planning an X-rated 3-D spoof of "Avatar," though "Saturday Night Live" has already featured Na'vi lovemaking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE "AVATAR" CHARACTER: Well, that is some crazy stuff. Where did you learn that stuff?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE "AVATAR" CHARACTER: College.
MOOS: "Playboy" isn't exactly breaking new grounds. "Sports Illustrated" has done 3-D photo spreads twice already...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow!
MOOS: ...with their swimsuit edition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. But who cares about "Sports Illustrated"? This is "Playboy."
MOOS: And how do models feel about the idea that readers might be tempted to reach out and touch their 3-D image?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ooh, I don't even want to go there.
MOOS: Critics say "Playboy"'s circulation is dwindling.
(on camera): That this is a desperate gimmick.
(voice over): But "Playboy" sees things through rose-colored and turquoise glasses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a big day for men everywhere who want to see women in three dimensions.
MOOS: At least 3-D dispels the notion that nude models are one dimensional.
(on camera): What part looks most realistic to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those.
MOOS: Those are very 3-D. Those are 38-D.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those are 44-D.
MOOS (voice over): Jeanne Moos.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, if there was some movement.
MOOS: CNN.
(on camera): I'm doing the best I can, sir.
(voice over): New York.
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LEMON: That may be one of the more tantalizing uses of 3-D technology, but there is a lot more impressive stuff on the horizon. And if there is anybody who knows about that, it is Katie Linendoll. She is a tech wiz you may have seen on A&E's "We Mean Business" as the, what is it, the chick geek.
Can I call you chick? Or I'm going to call you chic geek. Is that it? A chic geek.
KATIE LINENDOLL, TECHNOLOGY HOST, A&E'S "WE MEAN BUSINESS": That works.
LEMON: On HSN, on the shopping network, "What I Hate About Me," and she is joining me now live from New York.
So, those are your glasses, right? Where are your 3-D glasses?
LINENDOLL: They are.
LEMON: I thought you had some 3-D glasses to show me. Where are they?
LINENDOLL: Wait for it.
LEMON: Oh, wait for it. OK.
Nice. Those are nice ones. Where did you get those?
LINENDOLL: Well, you know, a lot of people said they are big and clunky. And I was like, oh, my gosh, come on, you are being totally shallow. But now, I get it. They are embarrassing. They are big. They are clunky. This is not going to help me on date night, Don. It's not.
LEMON: Yes, but who cares when you're in the privacy of your own home, which is where most people look at "Playboy." The glasses really don't matter.
LINENDOLL: Right.
LEMON: This is one of the most low-tech uses for 3-D. And you have to have those big glasses. But you said it's not clunky. We had those, what in the 1970s, when they tried to do 3-D on television.
LINENDOLL: Yes.
LEMON: Why is "Playboy" doing this?
LINENDOLL: Exactly. Well, "Playboy" is actually just jumping on to the 3-D bandwagon here. 2010 is all about 3-D. And we're not just going to see it in "Playboy." We're seeing it everywhere. 3-D photography at the Olympics. Crail Le Choc (ph) has come out in 3-D. YouTube is 3-D enabled.
Obviously, the big one here is 3-D televisions that every big manufacturer is right on board. It is all about 3-D television you hear. That is the way it is going and that's the way the new format is going to be.
LEMON: I just got -- you know, I had a TV that wasn't HD. I had one that was HD-ready. So now it is HD and then it's going to be 3-D. I mean, I'll be able to do this and -- like touch someone's kids or something. Hey, stop doing that. I mean, what is it going to be next? Like are you going to beam like a TV show right into your living room?
LINENDOLL: I know it is exciting but the problem here is that there isn't a content out there available. And there's only two 3-D TVs out there on the market. They are upwards of about $3,000. And I just got to tell you, too. People think about 3-D and you think back you're out to the '70s. This technology has been around forever and you're typically using these old school red and blue glasses.
But what people don't realize is the new 3-D TVs are so incredibly immersive and the depth and the clarity are really unparallel. You feel like you are part of the experience.
And there are even warnings that a lot of 3-D TVs out there say. If you are pregnant, if you're elderly or if you have been drinking, don't watch because you could get sick. It is so incredibly intense.
But I got to tell you, Don, what is crazy is the glasses. We've shown you how big and clunky they are. But the other crazy part about them is they are 200 bucks a pop right now.
So if you have kids, if you have a family of four, you multiply that by 200, it really adds up. And then if you want to have the neighbors come over, just forget it. They are really expensive because they use this active shutter technology, which is a part of the new 3-D experience.
So, it's very expensive, big and clunky and it's really at the early adopter stage, early, early adopter stage. So, you know, we are still getting people to hop on to high definition. 3-D TV -- that is where manufacturers think it is going to be next.
LEMON: Yes. Thank you, Katie. She is cute. I like her.
Ahead, Canadian hockey fans take to the streets after a big win. Makes you wonder, what would have happened if they had lost?
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LEMON: There you go. You saw it. News you missed. Every weekend, we bring you interesting news items that you might have missed during the week.
So we start in Florida tonight where police are asking for the public's help in a possible hate crime. They're looking for the man seen on this surveillance video. He is suspected of fire bombing the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida in Jacksonville. No one was hurt in the blast. But there was minor damage to the building and shrapnel was found 100 yards away. If you know anything, call police.
At the United Nations this week, 14 countries including Libya were added to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Now get this -- 7 of these 14 new members are often listed among the world's most frequent human rights violators. So among the countries now responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world -- Libya, Angola, Thailand and Uganda.
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LEMON: OK. So, this is what it looks like when Montreal's hockey team wins. Shouldn't be a surprise if you know those Canadians, eh?
The Canadians knocked the defending Stanley Cup champion out of the playoff Wednesday night at Pittsburgh. So, back home in Montreal. Jubilant fans hit the streets. They were celebrating. This is a celebration. Police joined them though and by the time it was all over, 41 people had been arrested and two police officers sadly were injured in all of that.
Makes you wonder what would have happened if Montreal had lost, right. It probably would have been quiet in the streets. But what could happen if they go on to win the Stanley Cup, which they probably will?
Today is Armed Forces Day, a day to honor the military services. But for one group, every day is Armed Forces Day. It's called Honor Flight, and it flies veterans for free to see memorials in Washington D.C. On a recent trip, World War II vets were given the chance to remember those who didn't make it back with them.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to see -- good to see you. I'm glad to see you get to go finally.
JIM MCLAUGHLIN, CHAIRMAN, HONOR FLIGHT NETWORK: The program was started and it was named the Honor Flight. The idea being that it was to provide a flight of honor in honor of the World War II veterans. They are so humble and so appreciative of the slightest little thing and to suddenly give them an entire day. First of all, they are overwhelmed by the generosity of it. And then, they are more overwhelmed when they get to the memorial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a great trip, OK? Thank you for your service.
GISELA TITMAN, ARMY WAR CLERK: Thinking about coming has brought back the emotion and the memories.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to say good morning and welcome aboard. This is Honor Flight 184 to Washington, D.C.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, sirs. Welcome to Washington. Welcome to Washington, D.C.
CROWD: Whoo!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to Washington, sir. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a survivor.
SGT. WALTER VICTOR, U.S. ARMY: Very seldom you see something like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now is your memorial.
FRANK BALES, B-24 CO-PILOT: I didn't think it was this big. Of course, you see pictures but you don't imagine it being this big. It covers so much terrain. Look at all the people. Holy smokes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a very emotional journey in about five minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel very fortunate to be able to be here. So many that didn't make it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at those gold stars in that memorial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A good reminder that thousands and thousands didn't make it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty of those stars belonged to my division. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I miss a lot of my buddies. We went in the service together and they didn't make it back. And we miss them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today was perfect. It is more than we expected. A lot more than we expected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hear back from family members who say dad, my husband, my grandfather has never spoken of the war before. Now he's talking about it. A lot of them, thank God, are recording that on video cameras because when these men are gone, this history is gone.
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LEMON: We want to thank those guys for their service. We really appreciate it.
The death of a pioneer. Lena Horne was laid to rest yesterday. We pay tribute to the singer, the actress and the civil rights activist, next.
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LEMON: I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. See you back here tomorrow night, 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. Eastern. But first we say goodbye to an American treasure -- Lena Horne. We got word of her death minutes after our newscast last Sunday night. And here at CNN and around the world, our collective hearts broke. Horne's funeral was held on Friday in New York City. Among the mourners, Lauren Bacall, Chita Rivera, Cisely Tyson, Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price, and Congressman John Lewis.
One black World War II veteran at the funeral told reporters Lena Horne was our pin-up girl. For certain generation, Horne was best known for the movie and the song "Stormy Weather" and for being a civil rights fighter. To another generation, she was Glenda the Good Witch in the Broadway musical turned movie hit, "The Wiz." Lena Horne was 92 years old.
