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A Soldier's Story; Gulf Oil Spill Crisis; Shahzad Emails Talk of Fighting Back for Muslim World; Jump in Drug-Resistant Staph Infections
Aired May 17, 2010 - 09:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Becoming a soldier, far more difficult than getting past physicals and boot camp. As CNN's Jason Carroll reports in his latest installment of "A Soldier's Story" as Jason follows new Army recruit Latricia Rose (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Latricia Rose's last day at home before leaving to join the Army. Just about everything is done: paperwork, check.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's take a look at what you have here.
CARROLL: Final meeting with recruiter, check.
LATRICIA ROSE, SOLDIER: Smile.
CARROLL: Telling her 2-year-old daughter, Ianna, she's leaving, not quite.
ROSE: I think she kind of knows I'm leaving. I said I was going to tell her today that I'm leaving, but she -- she -- I think she kind of knows.
CARROLL: Latricia and her husband Brandon have been struggling to tell their daughter for weeks in a way a 2-year-old can understand. They think Ianna maybe catching on.
ROSE: She just cries if I walk out of the room or anything. I think she just can just probably sense something.
Hey, Ianna.
CARROLL: For now Latricia and her husband make the most of their last day with their daughter, taking her to her favorite spot, Chuck E Cheese, though it is clear it's the games she likes, not the mascot. By midday, still no talk.
ROSE: I did say to her, like, two days ago, you know, mommy's going to be leaving, but she ignored me and we went on with our day like nothing was wrong.
CARROLL: Meanwhile, Brandon senses how challenging it's going to be to be both father and mother. BRANDON ROSE, HUSBAND: I'm trying to do the best I can. You know, she's going to be asking for her mother. I have to tell her that mom's gone. It's just dad for now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready? One, two, three, say cheese.
CARROLL: Today, the entire family can be together so they mark the occasion with a portrait.
And one last dinner with a "Come Home Soon" cake complements of the restaurant staff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the least we can do. We're really proud of you.
ROSE: Oh, baby.
CARROLL: Finally, time for bed and the talk. It is hard to find the words.
ROSE: Help me. Because I don't know what to say. Ianna, Mommy is leaving tomorrow, OK? OK?
IANNA: OK.
ROSE: But I'll be back in a little while, OK? You're the best.
CARROLL: By 4:00 the next morning, she's on her way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready to roll? Ready as you're going to be, huh?
CARROLL: But first, one last hug.
ROSE: Bye, baby.
CARROLL: And one final good-bye. Latricia is on the road to becoming a soldier.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And CNN's Jason Carol joining me live from New York. Jason, I imagine, those words, "I'll be backing a little while" were tough for her to utter.
CARROLL: Extremely. You know, this was an extremely tough moment for Latricia and her family. We are grateful to them for allowing us to witness it and work at something that a lot of families are dealing with every single day as they join the military and embark on that experience.
BALDWIN: Just one soldier's story of so many amazing stories. They let our cameras in there. Our Jason Carroll. Amazing. Thank you.
Come on down. They say the water's fine, despite the gulf oil spill, the Gulf Coast says they are ready and open for business. And incumbents and establishment, look out. Three key primaries show you may be in danger.
And a program that's helped gang members go straight gets thrown a curveball by the economy. All of that ahead. But first, let's take a look at our top stories, including, there are new questions today about Iran's nuclear program and whether it will avoid new sanctions from the United Nations.
Earlier today, Tehran announced that it will send most of its low enriched uranium to Turkey. That would seem to ease some international concerns, right? Well, then Iran immediately stir some new concerns. It announced it will enrich some of its uranium to 20 percent. That is the level needed for nuclear weapons.
And that volcanic ash from Iceland didn't want to go away, does it? Still affecting air travel for Europe. About 1,000 flights were expected to be cancelled today. And restrictions are in place in Northern Ireland and even smaller airports on the Scottish island. Amsterdam's airport just re-opened we're told just a little while ago.
Meantime, two huge airports - London, you have Heathrow, Gatwick, they are also up and running, at least at our last check.
We are also following this developing story out of Afghanistan where a commercial airliner has crashed. We know 44 people were on board that flight when it disappeared this morning in a mountainous area north of the capital. Still no word yet on any survivors. NATO aircraft has joined the search but bad weather is hampering those efforts.
Gushing unchecked for nearly a month. Now BP says they are making some progress. I think the word they said was a step, positive step forward today in capping that massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Let's take a look at what we know. The company says this four inch, mile long pipe is working as planned and it's pumping all that crude oil way up above, at 5,000 feet of above to that tanker ship.
Now the other question though is how much of this is actually helping? BP doesn't know how much of the spill is being mitigated by this siphon fix. And this positive step forward coming as Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano and BP's chairman will appear before Senate committee leader today accepting, essentially the response to what so many lawmakers have called a catastrophe.
Now, Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating office spoke with CNN's John Roberts this morning, with the company's update on this ruptured well head. It's what they're calling the quick fix, compared to perhaps a longer term solution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG SUTTLES, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, BP: This doesn't capture all of it. There is still some oil coming out. But what we hope to do over the next 24 hours is continue to raise the rate, increase the rate coming out of that insertion tube and capture more and more of this flow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: We got millions of gallons of crude oil are contaminating the gulf and thousands of feet of boom, you know, these long stretches of boom. They are in place, protecting the shoreline. No fishing zones. Yes, that's all true, but not exactly as you might imagine as it is on the Gulf Coast. CNN's Reynolds Wolf takes us there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I just want we have a couple specials today -
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): At Shaggy's Bar & Grill in (inaudible), Mississippi, you would never know there is a threat of oil looming in the gulf. Island music, drinks at the bar, families enjoying steamed crab claws. General manager Michael Dyson is even interviewing a potential hire.
MICHAEL DYSON, GENERAL MANAGER, SHAGGY'S: I think basically normal. Just reading the paper and hearing what's going on with the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and you know, it's much ado about nothing.
WOLF: It's not just oil booms offshore. Business is also booming.
DYSON: Our season doesn't officially start until about a week before Memorial Day. And we kind of got a head start with all the people coming down wanting to help with the disaster.
WOLF: The Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce says tourism is down.
KIMBERLY NASTASI, CEO, GULF COAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: It's kind of bittersweet. The tourists really have been affected. They've been canceling their trips. They are concerned about coming down here.
On the same hand. we have had some people come down that were maybe planning to come down maybe a little bit later, saying they want to experience it before something does happen.
WOLF: In Gulfport, no obvious signs of tourism. White sand beaches are deserted except for Jeff Rose and his family who traveled from Illinois to (inaudible).
(on camera): You have the whole beach to yourself.
JEFF ROSE, TOURIST: I know. It's nice.
WOLF: Have you ever been to a beach this empty this time of year?
ROSE: No. Especially on a beautiful day.
WOLF (voice-over): Tourists wouldn't have any problem finding a spot on the beach or on a jet ski.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything's been kind of slow, not much action. Not many people.
WOLF: 13 miles east, most visitors to Biloxi are here for the casinos. This one ironically named Boomtown. The Chamber of Commerce is trying hard to fight perceptions.
NASTASI: It's still the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast and we really want people to know that we're open for business and we need their support.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you need anything else right now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to get a half a dozen of oysters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
WOLF: The view from Shaggy's on the harbor is picturesque for now. But will it last?
DYSON: Running a restaurant, I always have a backup plan for everything. I got what if instances and I would hope that a company that was worth $65 billion would have a backup plan for the what if this disaster happens.
WOLF (on camera): The latest from the state of Mississippi is the water's fine for now. They have been testing the waters offshore and they've been not only testing vegetation on the barrier islands but they've also been using tissue samples of crabs they have been able to catch.
And so far, there have been no traces of oil along the coast or on this barrier islands. So for the time being, so far, so good.
Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Biloxi, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Well, the water may be fine, but what about the air over Europe? If you're booked on a flight overseas today, tomorrow, heads up, you could be facing delays. Why? Perhaps here we go again. Iceland's volcanic ash cloud once again disrupting travel in Europe.
CNN's Phil Black is in London and Phil, here we go again. It spews ash, it stops. It spews ash. This has to be so frustrating for travelers.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. Brooke, but on the good side, you may be able to hear behind me, the airport here in Heathrow, London is functioning again as the major airports across the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands which have been closed over the last 24 hours or so, at different times, because of that volcano ash cloud from Iceland once again.
So the good news is that the airports are open, but there is still a major backlog that needs to be worked through because of all the delays and cancellations. The airports started closing in the north. So the northern parts of the United Kingdom, Ireland late yesterday. By overnight, the big airports here in London, Heathrow and Gatwick were affected.
They have since reopened. They are working through that backlog and looking ahead, (inaudible) the weather is believed to be favorable as the wind should change and blow that volcanic ash cloud away from the United Kingdom in the next 24 hours, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Lesson learned. Check your flight before you leave for the airport. Phil Black for us in London. Phil, thank you.
I want to take you to Thailand now to tell you about even more violence today in Bangkok. About 5,000 protesters are refusing this order to leave the heart of the city's commercial district. You see, the anti-government protesters have been setting up these burning tires, these roadblocks.
Look at this video here. Just sort of charred remains and pieces of the city. You see, opposition leaders - the opposition leader for the protesters called red shirts died today from a sniper wound from a few days ago. About three dozen people have been killed in clashes with government troops. Thailand, by the way, is a key ally with Washington and it's also southeast Asia's second largest economy.
And we are hearing from a suspected terrorist now in his own words. CNN has obtained two e-mails from Faisal Shahzad. He is the man charged with the failed car bombings, remember, from New York's Times Square. Well, Shahzad voiced his frustration with the state of the Muslim world and sought a way to, "fight back."
Here now, CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It's a window into his mind. A small dose of what may have put Faisal Shahzad on a path that led him from the American dream to an accused terrorist. Some context here. The two e-mails obtained by CNN were written by Shahzad in 2006 and just last year. In 2006, he had been in the U.S. about eight years, had earned an MBA and was working as a financial analyst in Connecticut.
In that e-mail, Shahzad refers to attacks on Muslims overseas and mentions that controversial cartoon depicting Muhammad published in Denmark. It sparked riots in Pakistan, Libya, even in the United States, quoting here - "it is with no doubt that we today Muslim followers of Islam are attacked and occupied by foreign infidel forces. The crusade has already started against Islam and Muslims with cartoons of our prophet - peace be upon him as Wardrums."
He goes on to say peaceful protest in his words "has achieved nothing." which appeared to flag a growing political frustration. "A fighter who gives his life to Allah can never disobey his commands. Friends with peaceful protest, can you tell me a way to save the oppressed? You would have to agree to the fact that there is a force out there that is fighting the west and is defeating them."
The FBI has been provided copies of these e-mails and has interviewed at least one person who received the e-mails to come up with a better profile of Faisal Shahzad.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Susan, thank you.
If you would like a possible preview of the upcoming midterm elections, you can find one as early as tomorrow in three separate Senate primaries. We will tell you about the main players.
MARCIANO: I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN severe weather center. We are looking at a number of things including the threat for severe weather again in the middle part of this week and the Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperatures at an all-time high. Weather, it's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Let's talk politics. Are you sick and tired of incumbent candidates? Well, there will be three test cases tomorrow that might give us some answers ahead of November's congressional elections.
Let me take you through some of the states, starting in Arkansas. You have Senator Blanche Lincoln facing a primary challenge from a more liberal candidate, Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter. Now, a third candidate could prevent either from winning the majority triggering a run-off next month.
To Kentucky, in a Republican primary for Senate. Tea party favorite Rand Paul is leading the polls there. And if you recognize his last name. You're right. He is the son of Texas congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul. Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson is Rand Paul's main rival and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell's pick.
And to Pennsylvania, Democratic primary there that we are watching, Senator Arlen Specter is being challenged by Congressman Joe Sestak and Specter's party switch last year is a main point of contention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (D), PENNSYLVANIA: For years I have tried to moderate the Republican Party and when the stimulus came up and President Obama asked me for my support and it looked like we were sliding into a 1929 depression, I sided with President Obama.
It wasn't my job to be saved. It was the jobs of thousands of Pennsylvanians and Americans. Look here, I had a clear shot at re- election. If I had stayed with the obstructionist Republican caucus, I would have been re-elected easily, especially in an out year when the party out of power is favored.
REP. JOE SESTAK (D), PENNSYLVANIA: It's a race where everybody knows Washington is broken. Everybody knows if you are going to send back to Washington, D.C., a career politician that actually would switch his party, as he said, "to keep his job" then we are not going to fix the mess that we got into by sending him back.
And so, yes, he's a poster child for what's gone wrong in Washington, D.C., a generation of politicians who think that they can take a position, not based upon conviction of core beliefs but about the electoral prospects. So it is time, people say, for different generation, a new generation, new ideas, new energy and someone would be willing to lose their job doing what's right for the people of Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Well, coming up a little later this hour, Josh Levs will taking a closer look at the races. He'll help walk us through and also take a look at the possible effect really on the national picture.
Heavy rains making it not so easy in the Big Easy. Check it out. Looking at New Orleans. The second day of heavy rain, flooded streets on both sides of the Mississippi River. Cars just stuck. Several streets had to be closed because of the high water. And Rob Marciano, that is not good for them. Any chance of the rains stopping?
MARCIANO: They got a little something coming to them right now but it's weakening. That's good news. Good morning again, Brooke. We got some storms that are hooked up again across parts of the southeast today. A bit of a break for folks who live in Oklahoma. That's the good news. I think today and tomorrow, you will see less in the way of storms. They kind of backtrack towards parts of west Texas and New Mexico.
Really east of the Mississippi is where you're going to see most of the action including the mid Atlantic. That's where we'll see some potentially flooding rains. And a pretty weak system across the west coast which brings rain from Seattle to San Francisco, almost all the way down to Los Angeles. So that energy will get into the plains as we head towards Wednesday.
And I think that will pop up some severe thunderstorms there in Oklahoma. Jacksonville all the way up to almost New York to Philly. Certainly, the rain shield beginning to weaken as it gets a little bit closer towards the northeast, you will get your rain tonight.
I wanted to touch on this. This map, NOAA, basically highlighting a lot of red here in the Atlantic Ocean. So with this, we're looking at temperatures in the sea - the ocean that are two and a half degrees above average as we are now heading into hurricane season. That is never good news, Brooke, especially if we see this El Nino begin to weaken, which I think is going to happen. This hurricane season with those warm temperatures will be active.
BALDWIN: Hurricane season starts June 1?
MARCIANO: June 1st, yes.
BALDWIN: There you go. Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: You bet.
BALDWIN: I'm sure you stayed up watching Miss USA, right?
MARCIANO: Of course.
BALDWIN: Not so much.
Newly crowned Miss USA breaking new ground, in more ways than one. We'll be right back in two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I want to get to this story just in from the Supreme Court. This is a huge decision that came down moments ago. Let me explain. It is 7-2 decision. The highest court ruled that the federal government can keep sex offenders behind bars indefinitely, even if they finish their sentences.
But here's the caveat. Only if they are considered a risk to the community if they are released. It is called civil commitment. It came out of a 2006 Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. The case was brought by four convicted sex offenders who had been kept for an additional two years. That coming down from the highest Supreme Court here in the U.S.
Meantime, checking some top stories.
BP says the latest attempt at stopping that oil flow - look at that. There's the video. Underwater from the gusher. It's working. But the company doesn't know exactly how much oil is being captured. This four-inch pipe kind of like a gigantic straw now is siphoning some of that oil from the broken wellhead way up to a ship on top of the water.
Two crew members from the space shuttle "Atlantis" out about space walking, outside of the International Space Station. What they are doing is installing an antenna on the station and they are hooking up a storage platform. But this is significant because if you didn't realize, this is the last flight of "Atlantis" as the space shuttle program comes to an end.
And the new Miss USA definitely breaking the mold. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miss USA 2010 is Michigan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: You heard it. Miss Michigan, but it's not just people from Michigan who are proud of 24-year-old Rima Fakih. You see, she was born in Lebanon and raised in New York. Fakih may be the first Arab-American to win the Miss USA crown. By the way, Miss Oklahoma, Morgan Elizabeth Woolard was the first runner-up.
We all have them. Cell phones, but the question is does your cell phone contribute to cancer? I know, we've all heard the debate, the different studies. But now, there is this new landmark study that offers some pretty significant insight into what your cell phone is really doing to your brain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Talk about making your skin crawl. There is a new study out today that says there has been a ten-fold jump in children hospitalized for cases of drug-resistant Staph infections better known as MRSA or the flesh-eating super bug.
So the "Journal of Pediatrics" found disease incidence increased from two cases per 1,000 in 1999 to 21 cases per 1,000 in 2008 from mostly occurring in hospitals. The new evidence suggests it is now showing up in other settings which gives doctors more reason to use antibiotics a little bit more judiciously.
And we have certainly have heard the talk, really on both sides here, about whether or not cell phones can really lead to cancer, but now a long awaited study on a link has been released.
Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us with those details. Elizabeth, what did the study find?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: All right. It's a little bit of a mush, Brooke, but I am going to try to make it clear for everyone. As you said, everybody was waiting for this huge study done in Europe and also in other parts of the world.
And here is what they found. That overall people who use cell phones a lot did not seem to be at higher risk for getting brain tumors. However, they did find that when you looked at one type of a brain tumor called the glioma that people who use cell phones a lot - and I mean a lot, these are really heavy duty cell phone users that they were at an increased risk of getting these gliomas. And they were at a 40 percent increased risk.
And they also, there seemed to be an increased risk for getting them here in the temporal lobe and I think that people have pointed out that guess what, this is where you hold your cell phone, right? It's right there. And so there is some concern about that. However, I will say that this finding was barely statistically significant and some people have cast doubt on whether it's real at all.
However, the finding was there. Now, we talked to the folks at the cell phone industry and here is what they had to say. They said "the interphone study, the authors stated that there were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma at the highest exposure levels," meaning exposure to cell phones. "But biases and errors prevent a causal connection." That's a fancy way of saying, yes, people did seem to have these gliomas more, when they talked on their cell phones a lot but you can't say that cell phones cause gliomas because more research needs to be done.
So, Brooke, I hope that clears it up. You can tell me if it didn't.
BALDWIN: Right. Perfectly. No, OK. So you answered my question, because you know, I would want to know what the cell phone industry would do and Elizabeth Cohen, I know I have seen you walked around CNN with that little thing coming out of your ear. That has to be one of the solutions, right?
COHEN: Right. Exactly. While the research is still out there, while it's still a bit of an open question and researchers tell me it is still an open question, whether there is a connection between cell phones and cancer, you can do something very simple and it's called using an ear piece.
Because the distances - the radiation is coming from here and this allows you to hold the phone at a distance. You can use your speaker phone, you could use a blue tooth, but the point is that you are greatly reducing the amount of radiation instead of having it go right to your head.
BALDWIN: Not to mention, you know, you can pay a little bit more attention and not be bumping into people as you walk.
COHEN: Or driving a car.
BALDWIN: Or driving a car.
COHEN: Right, exactly.
BALDWIN: All important.
All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
BALDWIN: There is this nonprofit called Homeboy Industries. It has rescued thousands upon thousands of gang members. It is considered really both an inspiration and also a success. So why is it in danger of disappearing? We are going inside the program and we'll get answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Well, it's not exactly a Fortune 500 company, but for a whole lot of people it is far more valuable that that. That is because it's really given them a job, hope, and an escape from the street gangs that ruled their lives. Today, the 20-year-old Homeboy Industries is now in danger of disappearing. We'll talk to the group's founder and a former gang member who has been laid off.
But first, a remarkable look inside.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a perfect storm of terribleness. I couldn't sleep with the prospect of what was coming down. It was unavoidable at this point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have done everything for me. I became a man here at Homeboy Industries.
REV. GRET BOYLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES: There isn't Plan B, C or D when it comes to a gang member wanting to redirect his or her life. We are it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): After more than two decades of employing, providing hope to ex-gang members, felons and recovering drug addicts, Homeboy Industries, the largest anti-gang program in the nation, handed pink slips to 300 employees.
RAY MORENO, LAID OFF EMPLOYEE/EX-GANG MEMBER: They opened their doors to me. And I hope they still stay open. We are subjected (ph) to helping over 12,000 gang members a year. Mind you, we're a nonprofit organization that helps people for free.
BOYLE: We have five businesses. Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy Home grown Merchandise, Homeboy Cafe, the solar panel training program, where enemies work side by side with each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you understand what I'm talking about?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put it on thick so we don't have to do a second coat.
BOYLE: I have been doing this 23 years. The first five were marked by pretty intense and pervasive demonizing of this population, and then demonizing me for helping them. If we were to invest in them rather than try to just incarcerate our way out of the problem, that's a sensible way to go.
Do I regret hiring anybody here? Not a single person.
JOCELYN ESPARZA, LAID OFF EMPLOYEE/EX-GANG MEMBER: I was only 14 years old when I got into Homeboy Industries. You know, I came off taking off my tattoos. And Father G hired me on spot. Game me a job. It felt good waking up in the morning. It gave me a responsibility that I never had.
MORENO: When I got out, I finally said to myself, I'm tired of going to prison. I'm tired of hearing my last name. They said here, we'll love you until you can love yourself.
ESPARAZA: People don't give second chances. Father G gave me a third chance. Now, it's going great. I'm not gang-related no more. I owe my time to Father G (ph). I'm not leaving him, you know? He didn't leave me when I needed him.
BOYLE: There's an idea has taken root in the world that there just might be lives that matter less than other lives. And that's in part why a place like this is hard to fund. Because we're not there yet.
ESPARAZA: I don't know how my kids will turn out. We want this place open for the new generation to come.
BOYLE: We're not suspending services because we've got all these people who say we're going to continue to offer them and hope that somebody will rescue us as they might a Warhol or the Hollywood sign or a puppy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These tears are of fear, sadness and also of happiness, of the life that I give because of you, and because of my family here. So I love all of you guys.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Well, that was a look inside Homeboy Industries. Joining me from Los Angeles, the group's founder, you just saw him in the piece, Reverend Greg Boyle, goes by Father Greg. I hope it's okay if I call you that. With him is Louis Perez, a former gang member who was laid off from Homeboy Industries last week. Gentlemen, good morning to you.
Father Greg, if I can just begin with you, I know that Homeboy Industries has really been the largest gang intervention program in the country. It's an institution in Los Angeles. Last week, you had to deliver some pretty tough news to 300 of your employees. Take me inside the meeting. I imagine there weren't very many dry eyes.
BOYLE: The word had sort of leaked and then the people there, the hommies said, we need to meet now. I was going to make an announcement the next day, but they wanted to meet there and talk about what Homeboy Industries has meant for them and how it provided hope and how they used to think hope was foreign. And a commitment to -- we'd work here whether you paid us or not. Those kinds of things.
But realistically, nobody can do that. You have to pay the rent and feed your kids. It was sort of a sobfest, actually. But more out of the fact that we're a family, you know. We're in this together.
BALDWIN: Louis, were you part of the sobfest? Were you in there? What's next for you?
LUIS PEREZ, EX-GANG MEMBER AND HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES EMPLOYEE : Well, you know, I have applied for unemployment. Yes, it was a sobfest. My life has completely changed. If it wasn't for Homeboy Industries and Father Greg, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I would be probably incarcerated, dead or lost on the streets. There are just so many other people at our office that are preparing to be released from prison. You know, Homeboy Industries is the only home they have to come to.
There was a lifer that came in just the other day, and he was saying that there was a good flood of people getting prepared to be released. And they were all speaking about coming to Homeboy's to get a job and start helping other people in the transition of changing their lives.
BALDWIN: Louis, would it be fair to say that Homeboy Industries saved your life?
PEREZ: Yes. That's exactly the right words right there. It saved my life. It gave me a life I never had before. It helped me dream and open my eyes to reality.
BALDWIN: And Father Greg, I read it was something like six months ago, you started the calls for financial help, but you got nowhere near that $5 million mark you need to continue operating. There was mention in the piece. You said, look, it's not like saving a Warhol or puppy or children. I mean, I guess gang members are a tough sell for potential donors.
BOYLE: Yes. But the truth is, people can connect this to public safety. Since '92, the gang-related homicides have been cut in half, and then in half again. Even law enforcement claims that Homeboy Industries has had a great deal to do with that.
So, whatever moves you. If it's not the human face, people who are a whole lot more than the worst things they have ever done and want to redirect their lives. Or keeping our streets safe. But there is no doubt in anybody's mind in Los Angeles that Homeboy Industries has changed the narrative, really. Somehow this is smart on crime. So, whatever motivates you to help us or give money certainly works for us.
BALDWIN: And the narrative continues to change. I imagine your concerns aren't just about the 300 Homeboy Industries who were employees laid off. The 12,000 gang or former gang members you help every year, but also the hope that you give to people who have yet to go walk through your doors. What kind of effect might it have on the community now that the doors are closed?
BOYLE: Yes, because we're the only game in town. There is no other place in Los Angeles County. So we're not just concrete help for those who walk through our doors. We announce the message of hope to those who aren't ready.
And there is something compelling about that. As long as you have something out there to which they can move -- and our place is not for those who need help, it's only for those who want it. It has devastating impact if we are unable to bring trainees in. Two hundred and seventy of the folks we laid off were trainees. Sixty were what we call senior staff who run the programs. Our businesses are open, vital and doing well. That's 117 people who are still employed.
BALDWIN: Well, perhaps your doors may be closed, perhaps not yet locked. Louis and Father Greg, thank you. Perhaps someone is watching and may give you a phone call to help out. I thank you both.
BOYLE: Thank you, Brooke.
PEREZ: Thank you very much.
BALDWIN: Voters go to the polls in three Senate primaries, but the ripple effect could be felt everywhere.
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BALDWIN: It could be a pretty big day in the world of politics. The final campaign day before some primary election races that could impact the entire political landscape.
Our Josh Levs is here to tell us all about it. Josh, good morning.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Brooke. We're going to give you a little bit of a primer here because some of the races, as Brooke was saying, could have big impacts, ripple effects very quickly.
Let's start with basically the four that a lot of eyes are on for tomorrow. You have Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Oregon and also Kentucky. I'm going to take you through these now and what it is we are focused on.
First of all, here in Pennsylvania, Senator Arlen Specter who, as you know, left the Republican party in 2009, avoiding a primary battle against conservative former representative Pat Toumey. Tomorrow, Specter faces his Democratic primary battle against Representative Joe Sestak, a retired Navy admiral. A lot of eyes on this race. We have been talking in this country about a wave of anti-incumbent feeling, how that plays out in Pennsylvania will be what a lot of people follow there.
Let's jump over to Arkansas. I want you to see this. This is a similar question here. Democratic senator Blanche Lincoln is trying to hold on to her seat, and she's locked in a battle against lieutenant governor Bill Halter, who you see here. Keep in mind that whoever wins this is likely to face a very tough race against a Republican in the fall.
That's true in Pennsylvania as well. This is stage one of a tough, tough fight.
Let's jump over to Kentucky now. We're going to look at a Republican race. This is a GOP battle that's brewing in Kentucky. Senator Jim Bunting, as we know, is retiring, so his seat is up for grabs. Secretary of state Trey Grayson up against Rand Paul, a last name you know. He's a doctor. He's also son of Ron Paul. And Rand Paul as the backing of the TEA Party movement. So, a lot of people looking at this to see the influence of the TEA Party, how it plays out in the races.
And one more, which is actually a lot less suspense. Over in Oregon, where Senator Ron Wyden up against against Loren Hooker. Know that he's the conservative Democrat who has the backing of the Oregon TEA Party, actually, even though he's a Democrat. Wyden is expected to win pretty well, so there is less suspense surrounding this. That said, Brooke, you never know until the votes are in. So, that's why these four races right there are the big ones a lot of political watchers have their eyes on for tomorrow. BALDWIN: A lot of people saying the votes will be telling, perhaps, come November. And Josh, lot of states and names. How can people follow the races from their area?
LEVS: Right, because that's just four states. We're going to jump over to the Web now. I want to show you on CNNpolitics.com. What we have for you is a breakdown of all the different races across the country. First of all, a timeline of everything that happens between here and November. I encourage you to check it out. And along with that is a map. You just go to your state, click on it. It tells you what's going on in your state, who's up against whom and what you need to know. All of that right there at CNNpolitics.com.
Brooke, back to you.
BALDWIN: Josh Levs, thank you, sir.
Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan can expect tough questions from Senate Republicans, but Republican Whip Jon Kyl says it is unlikely her confirmation will be blocked by a filibuster. Senate hearings are expected to start sometime this summer. The White House has asked for the release of 160,000 pages of documents from her four years in the Clinton White House.
Ted Turner on energy and the oil spill. As always, CNN's founder says exactly what's on his mind.
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BALDWIN: You know that guy. That is Lenny Kravitz. You know, this would have been a pretty good concert. That would have been a nice way to spend your Sunday evening. He was one of many musicians that stepped up to the mike last night in New Orleans for a Gulf Coast recovery concert. By the way, the proceeds go to the Gulf Relief Foundation which is helping all the fishermen and others who have been so hurt by that oil spill.
Meantime, what about that oil spill? BP says it is making progress slowing the oil leak in the Gulf, but the disaster is giving new life to the push for clean energy. CNNmoney.com's Poppy Harlow actually sat down with CNN's founder Ted Turner and got some surprising insights.
Poppy? All right, I know Mr. Turner has been called the Mouth of the South. My question is, did he give up to the nickname?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: He's a very candid interview. It's nice when you get straight talk from people about this. Ted Turner, just some background, folks. You know he founded our company, CNN. He's an avid environmentalist. He's been working and putting a lot of money behind wind and solar power. We talked about renewable energy and specifically what the Gulf oil spill means for that push. Take a listen.
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HARLOW (on camera): Talking about the ongoing oil spill spilling thousands of gallons into the Gulf of Mexico --
TED TURNER, FOUNDER, CNN: Millions.
HARLOW: Right now, could be millions. How does that make this debate even more immediate? They cannot plug the hole. It's been over 20 days. We're trying to send people to Mars, and we can't plug the hole.
TURNER: Sad. It's sad. I'm not a real religious person, but I'm somewhat religious. I'm just wondering if God's telling us he doesn't want us to drill offshore, because it is sure setting back offshore drilling.
And right before that we had the coal mine disaster in West Virginia where we lost 29 miners. And last week -- or two days ago, the Chinese lost 29 miners, too, in another mine disaster in China. Seems like there is one there every week.
Maybe the Lord's tired of having the mountains of West Virginia, the tops knocked off of them so they can get more coal. I think maybe we ought to just leave the coal in the ground and go with solar and wind power and geothermal where it's applicable.
HARLOW: Possibly God's work, in a way?
TURNER: Well, it could be. He's sending us a message.
HARLOW: Talk to us about -- you support nuclear energy.
TURNER: I -- I -- I like wind and solar better, but I would sure rather see a nuclear plant than I would a coal burning plant.
HARLOW: Why?
TURNER: It's cleaner. Even with coal, you know you're going to get killed. And with nuclear, you have a chance of getting killed.
(LAUGHTER)
TURNER: But at least you have a chance of not getting killed, either.
HARLOW: Most people don't say it that way. That's an interesting way to say it.
TURNER: That's the way I see it. Give me nuclear over coal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Very candid there, saying coal will kill you, Brooke, and nuclear just might. Interesting also to note that in our interview, Ted Turner said the U.S. has no energy policy, yet we are the biggest polluters and we need to lead on the issue. A lot more from him on that topic and more on CNN Money, Brooke.
BALDWIN: You said he was candid, Poppy Harlow. You delivered.
HARLOW: He was.
BALDWIN: Thank you.
Gentlemen, how about this job? You could say it's a day at the beach with some perks. A tanning butler is hired.
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BALDWIN: Some people can get pretty creative with the wedding ceremony. Check this out. One Japanese couple decided to combine their love of one another with a love -- yeah, that's a robot -- of robotics. They had the nuptials performed by a robot. The ceremony went off without a glitch. Get it? The robot actually wasn't on autopilot, though. Someone was just out of sight, entering all the commands into a computer. The bride works at the company that built the robot.
All right. To the story some of you have been waiting for. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it -- rubbing lotion on bathing beauties. Sorry, guys, the position has been filled. And you will have to settle for this from John Zarrella.
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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you hear hands on job, this one beats all. it is literally just that, hands on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you mind if I just apply a little bit here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
ZARRELLA: It is literally just that. Hands-on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. SPF 8 already. Here we go.
ZARRELLA: Zach Gilbert has what a lot of folks would say is the perfect job. He's a tanning butler. Yes, you heard me, a tanning butler at the Ritz-Carlton on south beach.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the world's only tanning butler here.
ZARRELLA: Where else but South Beach would you expect to find a guy in shorts walking around with a pouch filled with tanning products, spritzing, and rubbing lotion on the guests.
ZARRELLA (on-camera): So, you'd invite him back?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure, if my husband is OK with it. ZARRELLA: And you're outside, I mean, this is your office?
ZACH GILBERT, FILL-IN TANNING BUTLER: It is. It's a great setting and the complaints are minimal.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): So, what could possibly be the problem? Zach has another job at the hotel. He was just standing in while the Ritz looked for a new permanent butler. The last one got some modeling gig and took off. To fill the SPF void, the Ritz held a casting call.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we were guests, how would you approach us?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely I say that you are looking very beautiful today.
LORI LAQUATRA, TRAINING BUTLER JUDGE: We're looking for great personality. We're looking for someone who can interact with the guests.
ZARRELLA: And someone who just maybe knows what the acronym stands for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what exactly an SPF means?
ZARRELLA: Holding a handful of applicants showed up at the first audition, only one, Luz Gallego, had any experience.
LUZ GALLEGO, TRAINING BUTLER APPLICANT: I have done this kind of job before, but instead of using tanning cloths (ph), I have used mud.
ZARRELLA: Mud?
GALLEGO: On people. Yes.
ZARRELLA: Mud?
GALLEGO: Yes.
ZARRELLA: That would block out the sun, wouldn't it?
GALLEGO: People love it.
ZARRELLA: The judges settled on a college student from Miami. He'll make $20 an hour plus tips. And our boy, Zach --
GILBERT: Good afternoon, ladies. How are you today?
ZARRELLA: He went back to his old job of waiter at the restaurant. Why? I haven't a clue.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami Beach.
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BALDWIN: Tony Harris, sorry to break it to you but the job has been filled.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's been filled?
BALDWIN: Filled.
HARRIS: Dog-gone! All right.
BALDWIN: Next time.
HARRIS: Next time for me! Have a great day, Brooke.
