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American Killed in Uganda Bombings; Sealing the BP Well; Haiti Marks Grim Anniversary; Helping Vets with PTSD; American Killed in Uganda Bombings; Yankee Stadium Voice Silenced
Aired July 11, 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: This hour on CNN, all you need to know for your week ahead, including a possible end in sight, maybe by midweek, to the crisis on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. At least the capping of that well.
The FBI's most wanted teenager, the one who began committing crimes at 12, the one with a cult Facebook following, captured in an action movie-like takedown. A stolen boat, a stolen plane and, of course, a shoot-out. CNN's Anderson Cooper is here live tonight, keeping them honest, returning to Haiti this week, six months later. What will he uncover?
And dear friends, drop by to remember the man known as "The Voice of God" at Yankee Stadium.
But first, we begin tonight with breaking news that is out of Uganda. An American is believed to be among those killed in twin bombings today in the capital of Kampala. That's according to the U.S. Embassy. CNN has confirmed that at least six other U.S. citizens have been injured. Multiple sources report the death toll is in the dozens. The twin explosions rocked a restaurant and a rugby club. Crowds have gathered at both places to watch today's final of the soccer cup World Cup Soccer match. Hardline Islamist rebels are suspected by police, but so far there's no claim of responsibility tonight.
The six Americans injured in the blast are part of a group that was in Uganda from the Christ Community United Methodist Church in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Reverend Kathleen Kind joins us now from Selinsgrove by phone.
Listen, all the members of your church are accounted for but you do have some members who are injured. And according to your Web site, you said you are praying for those six team members.
REV. KATHLEEN KIND, CHRIST COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Exactly. All of our members are accounted for. All of their families have been contacted. And the church is now together praying here in the church and in their homes for all of our members.
LEMON: So, Reverend, what types of stories are these members telling you or relaying to you?
KIND: What we're hearing is that the U.S. State Department is on the ground and providing advocacy on behalf of our persons, but we're also hearing is that our persons, well, they are injured. Are certainly trusting that God is with them and that we've got folks who are very strong, and they know they are surrounded with prayer and are encouraging us to continue to pray.
LEMON: What kind of injuries?
KIND: We're hearing some bodily wounds, some broken bones, some other flesh wounds. Some temporary blindness potentially, some hearing issues. Those are the types of wounds that we're hearing.
LEMON: Why were members of your team there, reverend?
KIND: I'm sorry?
LEMON: Why were members of your team there?
KIND: They are serving on a mission team providing some mission work to a local congregation for some local families. And are there to really be reaching out and serving others.
LEMON: So listen. They were there during the time. Are they telling stories about what happened about hearing the blast, about experiencing it?
KIND: One of our young men had reported that he remembers blacking out at that time, but he didn't have any further information.
LEMON: So, Reverend, thank you. We thank you for joining us tonight. We know that that is a sad time for the members of your particular church. And we'll check back with you to see how they're doing.
Again, that's Reverend Kathleen Kind. She is with the Christ Community United Methodist Church in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. This is breaking news here on CNN.
As we reported at the top of the hour, the latest information is that there were twin bombings in the capital city of Uganda and Kampala, and there are multiple injuries and multiple deaths. At least six Americans have been injured and one killed in this -- in these twin bombings. An Islamism group has claimed responsibility but investigators say they don't know for sure who is responsible for this.
Again, this is all unfolding at this hour. People who were watching the World Cup Soccer finals and they were caught up in these twin bombings. We'll get more information on this and we'll bring it to you throughout the hour here on CNN.
In the meantime, we're going to go to the Gulf of Mexico. It is day 83 of the gulf oil disaster. Right now a complicated mechanical ballet is under way a mile beneath the surface of the Gulf. BP is carefully inching a new cap closer to its gushing well. If everything goes right, it could be in place as early as Wednesday.
CNN's Ines Ferre joins us now live from Gulfport, Mississippi with the very latest on this.
A lot of your information coming out this weekend, Ines.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of new information. They took out the containment cap, the old containment cap and they are going to be putting a new containment cap on that well. And they are expecting this process to be completed within three to six days, so as early as Wednesday.
In the meantime, oil is flowing freely, but they are capturing 8,000 to 9,000 barrels of oil a day with a vessel. They also have some 48 skimmers at the well site and they have a new vessel which BP said today was going to be going online tonight. With this new vessel, they are hoping to collect more oil than they ever have before.
But, Don, the eventual fix to all of this will be the completion of the relief well and officials are hoping that this relief well will be intercepting the ruptured well as early as July, Don.
LEMON: OK. In the meantime, the president's oil spill commission members will be seeing the disaster firsthand this week. And they'll be hearing directly from those who are affected.
FERRE: Yes, they will. They've got this oil spill commission which is meeting in New Orleans on Monday and Tuesday. Former senator Bob Graham, also the former head of the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, William Riley. They are co-chairing that oil spill commission, and they'll be hearing from victims. They'll also be hearing from state officials. And they'll be talking about also oversight -- government oversight and regulation and the challenges with being able to keep up with the developing technology of deepwater drilling.
And one of the interesting things is that Riley was the head of EPA during the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. And one of the things that he's already said is that he feels that the cleaning technology that they have for this oil spill is very primitive. So you can bet that they'll also be talking about the cleanup efforts and the technology being used.
LEMON: Ines Ferre in Gulfport, Mississippi, thank you very much for that.
As oil continues to flow, the $20 billion fund to help victims has yet to be tapped. The man in charge of giving out the money spoke to Candy Crowley today on CNN's "State of the Union."
Kenneth Feinberg says he plans to have the independent compensation program running by the first week of August.
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CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": You found that people are not as, you know, let's all line up and get some money. KENNETH FEINBERG, GULF VICTIMS COMPENSATION FUND: Oh, no. One of the big challenges is convincing people to file a claim. "Mr. Feinberg, I only get paid in cash. I'm afraid to file a claim. Are you going to be sending all of my information that I provide you to the IRS? I mean, I don't -- I'm not sure about what are your intentions?"
No, no, no. This is not easy to convince people that some new program will help them. It takes some work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And Feinberg also told our Candy Crowley the program will give victims up to six months of emergency funding without requiring they sign some sort of waiver promising they won't sue BP.
BP reportedly is trying to unload $12 billion worth of assets, including its big stake in Alaska's Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields. That's according to "The Sunday Times" of London. The newspaper says BP is talking with the Houston-Based Apache Corporation. Apache tells CNN it has no comment on any potential sale talks. A sale would be a way for BP to raise money to help pay for the gulf oil spill.
A notorious teenage bandit stole cars, boats and airplanes to elude police for years. Today the manhunt ended with a daring capture straight out of a movie. And it happened far away from where he committed most of his crimes.
Six months have passed since an earthquake shook the coast of Haiti. But millions are still without homes, jobs and any aid. Now it could be decades before the country may rise from the rubble. CNN's Anderson Cooper joins me live from Port-Au-Prince just moments away.
And don't just sit there. We want you to be part of the show, part of our conversation. Send me a message on Twitter and Facebook and join us on foursquare as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: When the clock strikes midnight, Haiti marks a grim anniversary. Six months ago, one of the worst earthquakes Haiti has ever seen tore through the Caribbean in Iowa nation. The January 12th quake killed nearly 250,000 people, trapped thousand of others in the rubble and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.
Even though billions of dollars in aid was pledges from around the world to help Haiti recover, an estimated 1.5 million Haitians are still living in tent cities. Businesses are struggling to survive, and it's estimated it could take 20 years to clear the rubble.
CNN's Anderson Cooper has returned to Haiti and joins us now live from Port-Au-Prince.
Anderson, you were in Haiti for the aftermath of the earthquake. How does the situation compare now? ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's startling how little seems to have changed here. I mean, these tent cities are still everywhere. You said more than 500,000 people who are still living in them. There's more than 1300 of them in the city of Port- Au-Prince.
The one behind me, if you were familiar with our coverage six months ago, which sprung up overnight, I mean, it is still exactly as it was. If anything, the structures have become a little more permanent as people have basically settled in for the long haul in these makeshift encampments.
But it's incredibly depressing. There's a lack of organization here. There's a lack of leadership by the Haitian government. A lack of unity among aid groups. A lack of coordination among aid groups. This rubble, which you talk about, I mean, the idea that it might take 20 years, that's kind of a worst case scenario. They've got to come up with some more creative solutions. But at this point, there's no large scale effort with heavy machinery that is funded by international aid groups to get this rubble out of here.
Right now they're paying people $5 a day basically to break it up with pick axes, shovels, put it into dump trucks. They take out about 300 dump trucks worth of rubble a day. But this rubble is everywhere. And until you get rid of the rubble, you can't have people moving back into the neighborhoods, back into the areas where they were living previously.
LEMON: Hey, Anderson, and this is one of the things I know that you were very passionate about. And your question -- I heard you talk about what happens when the camera goes away? Is this sort of your worst fear as a journalist, especially someone -- and I'm sure you care about the people there. But what happens when the cameras go away. You still have these tent cities, you still have people who are not getting the aid they should be getting.
COOPER: Well, look, I mean, there's certainly been in the last six months here, there have been hundreds if not thousands of international aid workers, thousands of Haitian government personnel, people working to try to solve these problems.
But for whatever reason, I don't know if it's a lack of cameras being here, a lack of international focus or just other issues that have taken attention away from this. It is not getting done. This effort seems, in many places, and in many cases, to be stalled. The immediate humanitarian needs of most people have been met.
Medical needs, food needs, water needs in these parks in these makeshift camps. People are getting -- you know, they can get food there, they can get some medical attention. They can have their basic needs met. But actual long-term planning is just not happening. I mean, just like -- a one prime example is $5.2 or $5.3 billion has been pledged by countries around the world for the next two years here in Haiti.
For immediate, you know, short-term rebuilding, reconstruction. $5.3 billion. Only two percent of that money, which has been pledged, which has been promised by governments around the world including the United States, only two percent of that money has actually shown up.
So even if they had plans, even if they had organization and they didn't have problems on the ground, the money hasn't yet shown up to really enable them to get heavy machinery and do the things that need to be done here.
Anderson Cooper in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
Anderson, thank you. We'll be watching your reports all this week at 10:00 p.m. Eastern "AC 360," here on CNN. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is there. Ivan Watson will be joining Anderson as well.
Anderson, again, thank you very much.
Still ahead here on CNN --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We at the NAACP see this as a civil rights issue. This is not a drugs rights issue. This is a civil rights issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That comment is causing a major rift in the NAACP.
But, first, a ring of fire that can only be seen once every few years. We'll take you to a South Pacific island where this is happening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Time now to check your top stories. Powerful thunderstorms stranded motorists and knocked out power in Kansas City today. Heavy rains flooded part of the northbound I-35 and several other roads. Gusting winds also knocked down trees and power lines. Crews are trying to restore power to 18,000 homes and businesses at this hour.
Spain is the World Cup soccer champion. The Spaniards defeated the Netherlands, 1-0, by scoring with four minutes of extra time remaining. It's Spain's first World Cup title. The win also makes Spain the first team to be European champion and World Cup champion at the same time. They did some serious partying in Madrid as you can see right there.
And take a look at this. It is a total solar eclipse. And thousands of people who gathered on Chile's Easter Island got a picture perfect view. The rare eclipse crossed the South Pacific. It occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking its rays and casting a shadow.
The fugitive teen known as the "Barefoot Bandit" is behind bars in the Bahamas tonight. The 19-year-old was captured early this morning after a high-speed boat chase. Colton Harris Moore's life of crime began when he was just 12 years old. But eluding police over the past few years turned him into an outlaw, kind of a folk hero of sorts. His life on the run ended today in a barrage of bullets. And CNN's Susan Candiotti joins us from New York to tell us about that.
Susan, it was in the Bahamas. It sounded like the ending to a movie.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It surely did. And if you are wondering how they finally tracked him there, well, the FBI suspected that this young man was in the Bahamas since last week. That is when a plane was stolen in Indiana and that plane was believed to have been stolen by him. They tracked it because of a recording device on it. A tracking device on it. In the Bahamas. And that's what led them there. And the FBI put out an alert.
And then late last night, apparently this young man, according to police, tried to escape. And you are seeing pictures now of the boat that he allegedly used to make that getaway. The boat's owner shot it for us and he showed us bullet holes in the two engines where police shot it up to prevent a getaway from happening. Now here is the Bahamian police commissioner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLISON GREENSLADE, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: The suspect in Harbour Island. The suspect, in an effort to evade capture, engaged local police in a high-speed chase by boat in water leading -- in waters leading to Royal Key in the Eleuthera area. After a brief chase, the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: So after pleading guilty to some felonies a few years ago, this teenager then escaped from a group home and he criss-crossed the country really all the way from Canada and Washington state through North Dakota and Indiana as we mentioned before, even Idaho, allegedly stealing a plane or two and being involved and linked in, according to police, several break-ins and burglaries.
And eventually, as you heard, they caught up with him in the Bahamas - Don?
LEMON: And now the next talk, extradition, right?
CANDIOTTI: That's right. We don't know exactly when that will happen. But the FBI has confirmed that this is the young man from fingerprints that were taken from him. That's what the FBI is telling us. But first he does have to make a court appearance later this week in the Bahamas.
LEMON: Susan Candiotti, our national correspondent, New York, thank you very much.
Some Democrats are worried their unfinished business on Capitol Hill could cost them control of Congress come November. Even the president's top spokesman is weighing in on that. We'll preview the week in politics with Mark Preston.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Members of Congress get back to work tomorrow and they have a lot of big items on their to-do list -- Wall Street reform, the Kagan Supreme Court nomination, funding for Iraq and Afghanistan and the list goes on and on. And they are leaving town again in three weeks for another month of vacation. Let's bring in our senior political editor, Mr. Mark Preston, in Washington tonight.
Mark, the Democrats, they control the House and the Senate but they could be heading into November into the elections with a lot of unfinished business. Is that going to be a big problem?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Don, what Democrats will counter with is that they have passed health care reform. They are on the verge of getting Wall Street reform passed. They have passed the Recovery Act to try to turn around the economy. We've seen or we're on the verge of seeing President Obama's second Supreme Court nominee approved by the Senate.
So what Democrats will say, we've done a lot. And as they head into November, they'll see if voters are going to punish them or if voters are going to reward them for what President Obama has done over the past year and a half, and, you know, over the past two years. The fact is a lot of these policies, Don, have been very controversial.
LEMON: And Mark, we have seen the president out campaigning this week for Senator Harry Reid. But, you know, the question is what about the House. Is the GOP prying for a takeover? Before you answer that, I want you to listen to the president's spokesperson this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think people are going to have a choice to make in the fall. But I think there's no doubt there are enough seats in play that could cause Republicans to gain control. There's no doubt about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The Obama administration worried about losing the House?
PRESTON: Well, clearly they are. We heard that this morning. You know, I will tell you, when you talk to Democratic strategists and just tonight, Don, talking to them, what they are saying to me is that 25 seats right now they believe Republicans will pick up. The number they need, Don, to take over control of the House is probably around 42, 43 seats. That would be for Republicans to take over control of the House of Representatives.
LEMON: All right. So what is the impact then on President Obama if the GOP wins control of the House?
PRESTON: Well, policy-wise, Don, it could be disastrous. It would potentially mean that there would be a road block put up immediately in Congress and he would perhaps get nothing done, Don. But, you know something, he is -- you know, what they say in a presidency is that you need to get all your work done in the first two years because in the second two years you have to run for re-election and you'll probably not get much done.
LEMON: Well, I have to ask you this. People say -- you know, about Bill Clinton that it helped define his presidency in 1994. Could this be 1994? Could it actually help President Obama to have GOP control on Capitol Hill?
PRESTON: Sure. That was a huge black mark on the Clinton presidency when Republicans came back and they took over the House and Senate after so many years of Democratic control.
You know, there is an argument, you know, Democrats won't say this openly but there's an argument, Don, that if Republicans take back the House, it really does give President Obama a villain to point to as he heads into his own election in 2012. He needs a villain. He could point to House Republicans and say, look, they're not working with me; they're not trying to get things done. So, that is certainly a thought said by many people here in Washington, but not openly.
LEMON: Mark Preston, thank you, sir.
PRESTON: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Now a look at the stories that will be grabbing the headlines in the week ahead from the Pentagon to politics to Wall Street and, of course, Hollywood. But we start at the White House.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House. On Monday, the first lady will make her first trip to the Gulf region since the oil spill. She'll be in Florida while the president's Oil Spill Commission will be in New Orleans for its first public meetings. Then the president's in Michigan Thursday for a major energy speech.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon where the Defense Department is reacting strongly to criticism that its survey of the troops on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the ban on gays and lesbians openly serving in the military, that that survey is openly homophobic and biased. That's what the critics say. The Pentagon says no way, that the survey is fair and scientific. But the Pentagon is refusing to make public the 103 questions it has sent out to 400,000 service members around the world.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITCAL EDITOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser at the political desk in Washington. Congress comes back to town after a week off. Lawmakers have a lot on their plates with most of the action in the Senate. Among the unfinished business -- extending unemployment benefits, trying to pass the financial reform bill and voting on Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. Also this week, a temporary replacement could be named for the late Senator Robert Byrd who passed away two weeks ago. POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Financial reform will take center stage again this week as Congress returns from its recess. But there will be plenty of other action on Wall Street. A lot of earnings coming up. Google, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and also General Electric will all report their second quarter results this week. Investors, of course, looking for repeat of the strong earnings we saw in the first quarter of this year as the economy tries to recover from this deep recession. We'll track it all for you on CNNMoney.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer. Now all eyes are on Lindsay Lohan this week in her desperate scramble to avoid spending 90 days in prison. The question is, will she be successful? And Barbara Walter's dramatic first public appearance since her heart valve surgery. Is she really OK?
It's big news breaking on "Showbiz Tonight." We're live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. We're still TV's most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on HLN.
LEMON: All right. Looks like a whole lot ahead this week.
And Azadeh Ansari from our international desk joins us to make us smarter about what's happening internationally. First to London. What's going on?
AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: To London. Well, former Bosnian leader Ejup Ganic is going to face his last day in court on Wednesday. And if he's accused of the war crimes against him, which are killing over 40 Serbian soldiers back in May of 1992, he could be extradited. So this is a case we're going to be watching closely as we move into next week.
LEMON: Big international story. Let's go from here -- why don't we go to Cairo because there's also a story there that you're going to be covering as well.
ANSARI: Absolutely. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and this is an effort, a continued effort to promote direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians. And so again, we're going to follow this closely and actually Netanyahu has come out and said that he's very optimistic that by 2012, you know, they could have a peace deal.
LEMON: I was just going to say we just saw the interview with our very own Larry King where he mentioned a lot of this stuff.
Thank you very much, Azadeh Ansari from out international desk.
You know, we've all seen the ads. Just a dollar a day can feed a child in need and a few more dollars can give them a good education. We have proof that children in Third World countries do see that money. The amazing story coming up.
But first this --
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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think our troops on the battlefield should have to keep notes just in case they need to apply for a claim.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The president there announces changes to ensure our men and women in uniform get the care they need once they're home. We're talking to a PTSD expert on what the move will mean for vets.
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LEMON: In tonight's "State of our Nation," tomorrow in Washington, the Department of Veterans Affairs will announce new guidelines for post-traumatic stress disorder. Rules and red tape often make it difficult for troops to get the treatment they need. For years, vets have had to document a specific event that could have triggered PTSD. Under the new rules, vets will only need to prove they were in a war zone and worked in a position where traumatic events could have happened.
I talked about the changes with Dr. Mark Goulston. He's a psychiatrist and a PTSD expert. I asked him if he thinks the new rules will help veterans get the help they need.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. MARK GOULSTON, PSYCHIATRIST: I certainly hope so. I got to tell you. I am so thrilled that if I as Tom Cruise, I would jump up and down on Oprah's sofa right now if this news comes through and if it passes, because I think it is very difficult for soldiers to get the treatment they need because one thing to keep in mind is men have trouble -- average men have trouble asking for help.
And soldiers have a lot more trouble asking for help. Then when you are questioned, when you are told prove that you need help, the humiliation is so huge and the embarrassment is so offensive that you can see why a lot of soldiers don't reach out to get help.
LEMON: Explain that. What do you mean -- what do you mean it's so huge, the stigma and the embarrassment.
GOULSTON: Well, most men have trouble asking for help.
LEMON: But you're not saying that the military makes it harder for people to come, are you?
GOULSTON: Well, I think it's a don't ask, don't tell, because once you start to ask for help for mental related problems, what happens is it's not as clear treating those as an infection or something you need surgery for. And also you don't know what is the proper treatment.
And so I think what happens is the military doesn't want you to reach out for help even though they say something opposite because it can be so involved and a lot of soldiers that want to reach out to admit that they need help, especially something that has to do with their psychological toughness and fitness. There's a real sense of humiliation if you have to reach out for them.
LEMON: And the horrors that these people see. I mean one can only imagine. You can't even imagine unless you've been there, doctor.
GOULSTON: It's horrible. I feel honored because one of my partners is Lieutenant General Marty Steele and he was the equivalent of the CLO for the Marines, and together we're working on a transition program.
And I fell in love with General Steele when I first met him because a lot of what he does is he talks to soldiers and listens to them and he drills down what's going on, son, what's going on, soldier? And what they'll do once he listens to that deeply is they'll say, I see things, I did bad things and when I close my eyes, I see them more clearly so, sir, I don't close my eyes very much.
LEMON: Yes.
GOULSTON: And then what General Steele does is he forgives them. It's quite remarkable.
LEMON: What do you think? Do you think that the professional community, your professional community can do more to help as well?
GOULSTON: You know, absolutely. I gave a presentation in St. Louis that went poorly and it's because the soldiers there told me, you know, you haven't served and you are a psychiatrist and no offense, doc, we don't like psychiatrists because many of them are residents who are not going to treat us.
After I finished, many of them answer their cell phones. Some of them chew gum. And I promised them that I would one day get a forum which is right now to apologize for many of the people in my profession for treating them that way because they deserve better.
LEMON: Very big of you to --
GOULSTON: They've sacrificed for you and me.
LEMON: Very big of you to admit. And we thank you for coming on. And we hope that they get the help. We hope the president's program works and the number that we give out that people will reach out for help.
Thank you, Doctor Mark Goulston.
GOULSTON: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And our breaking news at the top of the show. Twin bombings in Uganda. Dozens of people killed. Six Americans injured. One American believed to be killed in that. People were gathering to watch the World Cup. Homeland security -- former adviser Fran Townsend is going to join us in just a little bit here on CNN. The information is coming in right now. But again, we're going to update our breaking news story just moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Now we want to update our breaking story. This one is out of Uganda. There are reports that dozens of people have been killed, including an American citizen in Uganda, in Kampala, the capital city there. At least six Americans have been injured in that blast. They were twin blasts as a matter of fact.
Among them, members of a church group from Pennsylvania. They were in the African country and they were on a mission there. According to the church website, the injured included, here are their names, Kris Sledge, Pam Kramer, Emily Kerstetter and Thomas Kramer.
Again, this information -- a lot of it, it is just coming in to CNN and we're updating you now. As a matter of act, someone who can help us with this story joins us now from Washington. CNN national security contributor and former homeland security adviser, Frances Townsend.
Fran, thanks for joining us. What do you know about this and about this group who is claiming responsibility, the group al-Shabaab.
FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Don, let's start with what we know about the facts on the ground. It's not clear if there were two or three bombs at two different locations. One was this open-airfield where folks were watching the World Cup. We've heard reports there is one American who was hurt in this attack. Maybe more. It looks like there may have been a group of American missionaries who were there.
There was also another bombing location at a restaurant which is reminiscent, of course, of the Bali bombings some years ago that al Qaeda had pulled off there. Again, you know, al Qaeda looks for and their affiliates look for these large gatherings of people where they are likely to get maximum of either casualties or injuries. And not surprising that they would have taken advantage of in Kampala of the World Cup gathering, which is when these things happen during the Spain-Netherlands game.
The other interesting thing. You know, al Qaeda-related groups often signal what their planned intentions are. And the Friday call to prayer where there was a Shabaab commander who called for attacks in Uganda and Burundi. And so one has to presume this is not an accident that we'd see this, not 48 hours later.
LEMON: And Fran, we should say because again the details, a lot of them, are just coming in. They are suspected -- al-Shabaab is suspected. They haven't claimed responsibility. But as you mentioned, they are suspected in this. So how will investigators determine if Americans were specifically targeted in these blasts? TOWNSEND: You know, it's going to be very, very difficult. I suspect they'll go back and look at where would the -- if there were Americans who were hurt or killed, where were they in the days leading up to this? Who were they deal with in the local area?
I don't -- I can see from the White House's statement that we've offered assistance to Uganda. What we want to do is get investigators from the FBI on the ground. They've done -- they there were in Africa after the East Africa embassy bombings. And they'll help conduct interviews and forensics in the investigation to see were there particular things about the way the bomb was put together from the fragments that were left that will lead -- point in the direction of a particular al Qaeda-related cell or bomb maker.
And who were they having contact with, the Americans in particular, prior to attending these gatherings where the bombings took place. But all those things are going to take some time for them to piece together and it can be very difficult.
LEMON: Is Uganda a known target for terror, Fran?
TOWNSEND: You know, not really, Don. I mean, I think of the cities in Africa where I associate, you know, sort of al Qaeda cells, Kampala is not one that would have come to mind. But you know, it's hard to say, though, because one, there are cells in and around Africa. And Somalia is a particular hot spot. So, you know, it's not that easy -- it's not that difficult to cross borders. And so, you know, this is a reminder we can't take any of that for granted.
LEMON: And I want to ask you. It seems like just within the last couple of weeks, since summer, you know, it seems like terrorism, we've been hearing a lot about terrorism lately. We have the people -- the suspected terrorists who were arrested in Europe. We had Eric Holder saying that he was going to prosecute some other suspected terrorists as well. What's going on in this war on terror?
TOWNSEND: Well, what I think we're seeing real examples of and you've mentioned some of them is al Qaeda is determined through its affiliates to launch these attacks not just in the United States, though that is obviously the U.S. government's highest priority and concern, but around the world. You mentioned recent arrests. There was one in Norway. And I think people were surprised that another country that we don't associate with al Qaeda or terrorism. We saw an arrest there. We have seen arrests in Europe and particularly in the UK which struggles with terrorism problems.
And so I think what you are seeing is al Qaeda remains so many years after the tragic attacks of 9/11 very determined and very resilient to reassert themselves like we saw in the Times Square attempt, like we saw in the Christmas Day attempt.
LEMON: That was Fran Townsend. I believe we lost connection with Fran. She's a CNN national security contributor and former homeland security advisor joining us just moments ago.
And again, we are following breaking news here on CNN. It's out of Uganda. There were twin blasts. And as you heard Fran, it could have been three blasts that went off as people there were watching the World Cup final. It injured dozens of people. Six Americans were injured and it is believed that one American was killed.
We'll update you on this broadcast throughout the evening, especially next week here on CNN. And if you want the very latest on this, make sure you tune in to "American Morning" tomorrow morning, 6:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
In the meantime, we're going to move on now. Can one small act of kindness last for decades and change lives in the process? Next, the inspirational story of one man who is paying it forward.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know those late night ads pleading for you to help a needy child in a remote country? HBO is going to give you the follow- up you rarely hear about. What happens to the child after the money is donated. The HBO documentary "Small Act" as in small act of kindness airs tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A woman named Hilde Back walked into my life. She totally changes it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I've not been sponsored by Hilde, I really do not believe I would have made it to Harvard. So I decided to start a foundation that would support bright children from poor families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Hilde Back is the woman who gave Chris Mburu, the man who just spoke, $15 a month to sponsor his education when he was a young boy in Kenya. That small act Jennifer Arnold couldn't ignore. She's a director, writer and producer of the documentary.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER ARNOLD, PRODUCER, HBO DOCUMENTARY "SMALL ACT": He couldn't afford to go to primary school because at that time, even primary school cost money in Kenya. So he was a top student but because he couldn't afford it he got kicked out. Because he was sponsored by this woman Hilde Back, he could stay in primary school. He did really well. He got to secondary school. He got a scholarship to stay in secondary school or high school if you are an American. Went to University of Nairobi, which is free in Kenya -- or was at his time, now it costs money.
And then he got to Harvard and he got a Fulbright to pay for that. And now, he's just doing all this work around the world. His classmates who were just as smart as he was, but they didn't get sponsored, they are still in the village and they are picking coffee. So, that one small donation really changed the course of his life.
LEMON: There are lots of success stories, probably not as big as his. But there are other people I'm sure that you can point to who have done well by giving -- by people giving a small amount of money.
ARNOLD: Yes. Well, I mean, you meet these kids. They are in little villages. They are in Kenya. They are in school. And you don't have any idea what their potential might be. But you meet someone like Chris who went all the way to Harvard. He's a United Nations lawyer. He's dedicated his life to investigating and to fighting genocide. His cousin who was also sponsored also went to Harvard. She's also working for the United Nations.
LEMON: Wow.
ARNOLD: So there's millions of kids out there with huge potential. They just need a way to go to school. That's really the thing that drew me.
LEMON: So, Jennifer, listen, this documentary airs tomorrow night. You mentioned your website there. It airs on HBO. I want to say I think it's amazing. People should watch it. It's been airing at film festivals elsewhere. And you mentioned your website, but I understand that you got some surprising responses. It led to a charity website where people can pick a small act to do on their own?
ARNOLD: Well, one thing that happened, we premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. We were just hoping people would like the film. But the audiences went way beyond that. They started handing cash and checks to Chris. They wanted to do their own small act. $90,000 was donated over the 10 days of the Sundance Film Festival. And HBO, which has been so supportive, decided that they wanted to continue that action and allow ways for people to do their own small acts.
So if you go to -- it's called networkforgood.com/asmallact, it's in partnership with HBO. You can go to that site. You can search by zip code for any organization, your neighborhood that you might want to support. You can search by keyword. You can put in education, environment, Africa. We just want people to do their own small acts. And after the broadcast, which is tomorrow, if you go to the Facebook page for HBO documentaries, they are actually giving away gift cards.
So on HBO's dime, you can get a gift card for networkforgood. You can redeem it to any charity you want. You can donate it to the fund that's in the film. You can do your own small act and it will make a difference.
LEMON: Ah, I think I'm going to go there right after this to do that. Very interesting.
ARNOLD: Please do.
LEMON: You've got some big - you've got some big supporters. Some impressive fans here. Billionaires, including Bill Gates, George Soros, plus Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. How did they help you out?
ARNOLD: Well, Bill Gates saw the film at Sundance and what we heard was that he cried after the movie. And we don't know if he's helped out. There's been a lot of anonymous donations that have come into the fund. But we know that he enjoyed the film.
George Soros came and saw the film at Sundance. Ban Ki-moon just introduced the film. We had a screening in partnership with the United Nations. He is the secretary-general. And just yesterday, Harry Belafonte introduced the film. So we have been getting a lot of big fans. We're just waiting for Oprah to see it. That's the one that we want. So if no Oprah out there, get her to see the movie.
LEMON: All right. I'll call her up or send her a tweet.
ARNOLD: Please call her, call her for us.
LEMON: "One Small Act." And it's Jennifer Arnold. Thank you. Airs tomorrow night on HBO. Really appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: The voice of Yankee Stadium silenced after nearly six decades behind the mike. We're celebrating the life and career of Bob Sheppard next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: He was affectionately known as the "Voice of God" at Yankee Stadium.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankee Stadium.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Bob Sheppard's booming voice called out the New York Yankees' lineup over the stadium p.a. system for 57 years. That voice was silenced today. Sheppard, who was 99, died at his home in suburban New York. He began his career in 1951 and introduced all the Yankee heroes until working his last season in 2007 when his health weakened. Sheppard also was the announcer for the NFL New York Giants for 50 years.
I discussed Bob Sheppard's life and career tonight with two men who knew him very well. Baseball writer Marty Noble of mlb.com who joined me via Skype and Rick Cerrone, former PR Director for the Yankees who joined me by phone. I started with Rick Cerrone and asked him to describe his friend Bob Sheppard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF RICK CERRONE, FRIEND OF BOB SHEPPARD: Well, he was such a reverent man, a pious man. He was a distinguished gentleman. He spoke to you at dinner or meeting him somewhere the same way he announced the lineups. He ordered breakfast that way. It was simply the way he spoke. He didn't turn i
LEMON: Marty, when did you first hear Sheppard's voice and when did you first meet him?
MARTY NOBLE, BASEBALL WRITER, MLB.COM: I believe -- I know in 1955 I went to my first game at the stadium. And we walked up the ramps and you smelled the cigar smoke and the beer. You went a little further and you saw green grass that you'd never seen green grass that large because there was no color television. And then you heard Bob Sheppard. You heard Bob Sheppard say number 42, Tom Sturdivant. And that's who started the first game I ever saw. And to this day, I always thought 42 was the best number he ever said.
LEMON: Yes. What was he like as a person?
NOBLE: He was remarkably elegant. And that's the word that sticks with me. He had very little elegance left in the game. Bob and Jackie Robinson's widow. There are a few other places. But Bob was elegant. He was distinguished. Even before he had white hair he was distinguished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Bob Sheppard's funeral is scheduled for Thursday in his hometown of Baldwin, New York.
When we come back, how do you lure visitors to the oily Alabama coast and lift the spirit of those affected by the spill? Well, you call in the mayor of Margaritaville himself. Jimmy Buffett, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: For a few hours this afternoon, Gulf Shores, Alabama, was probably the biggest city on the Gulf Coast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MAN SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Everybody knows the lyrics of that song. None other than Mr. Parrothead himself, Jimmy Buffett. The concert was organized to drum up tourism for the battered Gulf town. Businesses have been badly hurt by the Gulf disaster which has kept the seasonal hoards away for the most part. Tickets were free to draw as many people there as possible. And it seemed to work for at least a little while today. Looked like Margaritaville. They needed it badly. Good for them.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Have a great week, everyone. Thanks for watching. Good night.
