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Tea Party Vs. NAACP; Vatican Rewrites Abuse Rules

Aired July 15, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

(VIDEOTAPE IN PROGRESS)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR:--if she decides to make a bid for the Republican nomination.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is if Bristol and Levi stay together.

(on camera): Supposedly this all came as a surprise to the mother of the bride. The Palin family issuing a statement saying "As parents we obviously want what is best for our children but Bristol is ultimately in charge of determining what is best for her and her beautiful son. Bristol believes in redemption and forgiveness to a degree that most of us struggle to put in practice in our daily lives." Coming from one of America's best know politicians, some might call that a lukewarm endorsement.

Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Time now to check your top stories here on CNN.

The number of Americans filing for first time jobless claims last week dropped to the lowest level in nearly two years but the number of people filing continuous claims, that went up.

In Arizona, a judge could rule later today on a challenge to that state's controversial new immigration law. The lawsuit is being brought by Phoenix police officer David Zalgado. He is asking a federal judge to stop the law from taking effect later this month, until it's proven to be constitutional.

A new twist in the murky case of an Iranian nuclear scientist who claims he was kidnapped by the CIA. The "Washington Post" is now reporting that Sharam Amiri (ph) was paid more than $5 million by the intelligence agency to provide information on Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. says he was a willing defector. Well, Amiri left Washington abruptly yesterday arriving in Tehran to a hero's welcome.

Another day, another setback in the gulf oil disaster. Here is the very latest news on day 87 of the crisis as we look at live at this oil gushing out of that ruptured pipe. Equipment that BP was using to help stop the oil gushing into the water, well, from that ruptured well, well that equipment is leaking now and that forced an immediate stop to the crucial testing that had gotten under way.

The government's point man on this crisis, Admiral Thad Allen, concedes that the experts wrestled with a decision and they cited with a cautious approach on this one, and just a short time ago, BP announced that it is working around the problem and hopes to resume testing sometime this afternoon.

So let's get the very latest on this developing story - again, look at all that oil just keeps gushing out minute by minute as we talk about this, as we go about our daily lives and as we go to David Mattingly down in New Orleans. David, there was a setback but you said there is a little bit of hope on the horizon right now?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a setback, Don, and it cost them several hours overnight when the choke line began leaking. Everything seemed to start so well when they closed that first valve, shut off the oil that was coming out of the top of that new cap. But that's when they discovered the leak in the choke line.

So what they did over night, they removed it. They replaced it, and now they're in the process of getting everything back together. They're checking the seals. They are getting their ROVs back in place to essentially start this process over again, to get that cap closed so they can start the pressure tests on this well.

So, again, BP back on track after replacing that leaking choke line. What they're going to do now is the same procedure they had before. They're going to slowly close all of those valves. They thought they would be able to get started on that this morning. Once they close all those valves, they're going to start watching the pressure. Every six hours doing a pressure check to see if the pressure comes up sufficiently.

If they get high pressure after they close this cap, then that tells them that this well is in good shape and it's not going to leak and that cap should be able to work. But if they don't get high pressure, if the pressure doesn't build up high enough, then that tells them that there's a leak down below, that causes a complication and that cap is not going to be there for them when they need it.

This is going to be valuable if it does work as sort of making this well hurricane proof. They're going to be able to cap it and disconnect all those lines that are now going up to the surface to ships that are now capturing a lot of that oil. They would have to move out in the case of a hurricane. So it's important to get this cap to work and get this well shut down while they continue that relief well.

LEMON: We've been looking at this cap, talking so much about it, what about the one thing that they were sure that was going to fix this, and that's those relief wells. What about the progress on that?

MATTINGLY: The first relief well, they say, is exactly where they hoped it would be right now. They've been doing a lot of tests to make sure it's in the right position, going to intercept the leaking well just right where it needs to be. It is 30 feet away right now, and they say they are very optimistic, are sounding very optimistic.

They are saying it is exactly where it needs to be right now. That next 30 feet, of course, is going to be the toughest. They're not going to attempt to drill into the leaking well until they've managed to complete their testing on this cap. And also they're going to learn a lot if this cap works about the pressure inside the well. If they can build it up, that's going to make it easier for them to pump the cement in there and seal this well off.

LEMON: All right. David Mattingly, down in the gulf. Thank you very much.

And we go from the gulf, you see Capitol Hill right there. Because this hour on Capitol Hill, a Senate subcommittee looks at the use of oil dispersants in the gulf cleanup. Many environmentalists say the chemicals are potentially toxic and may be creating new dangers by breaking up the oil that's amassed on the water's surface.

Many experts say the dispersants well, it's helped create the underwater plumes of oil that are threatening sea life. Lawmakers will hear testimony from Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. We'll keep a close eye on those hearings for you.

So new rules from the Vatican to tell you about this morning. Rules about dealing with pedophilia and other abuses. They give the Pope authority to defrock a priest suspected of abuse without even having a trial. They make it a crime for a priest to download child pornography, and they declare the abuse of mentally-disabled people to be as bad as child abuse.

Let's talk now to CNN's Atika Shubert in Rome for the very latest on this. OK, Atika, why this? I mean, downloading porn, you know, child pornography for the average civilian, that's illegal already.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It seems obvious to many of the public, but basically these were practicing norms that weren't codified before, and at least not into church law, so the importance of this document is really just putting it in black and white, getting rid of the gray areas and saying this is binding church law.

Now, the other important thing is that this is really about streamlining Vatican bureaucracy. What's important to note is that this press briefing and this document was released by Monsignor Charles Scicluna. He is the chief prosecutor in the Vatican, and he very rarely gives press briefings. So he made it a point to really come out and say, this is binding.

The problem is, of course, it's an instrument for which for him to prosecute. But that doesn't mean that it's perfect. There is still a lot of reform that needs to be going on. And that's why many victims may not be happy with this. They say these are just minor tweaking and what really needs to happen is really some overhauling.

LEMON: So they don't believe that this is going to make any bit of difference. Is that what you're saying, Atika?

SHUBERT: No. In fact, one group in the United States put out a statement saying their reaction were three words, missed the boat. Basically, they don't feel this will have an impact. They feel like they've heard promises like this before and seen nothing.

But the fact is the Vatican is a huge bureaucracy that whose operations are largely secret and they've been operating this way for centuries. So any kind of changes will obviously take a lot of time. As Scicluna pointed out in the press briefing, this is basically a start. There's a lot more to do.

LEMON: In Rome, Atika Shubert. Thank you, Atika.

Back here in the United States, the gloves are off, and the claims of racism are flying back and forth between the NAACP and the tea party. The civil rights organization is calling on the grass roots political group to flush out the quote "racist elements in its ranks" but many tea party activists say there aren't, the biased ones. They aren't the biased ones.

Well, just listen to the Reverend C.L. Bryant earlier this year at a tea party rally. He used to be a charter president for the NAACP. Keep that in mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOICE OF REV. C.L. BRYANT, MEMBER OF THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT: I need to say this to you today. You politicians are building walls between the people. You're building walls of misunderstanding. You're building walls of hatred. You're building walls of racism. You're building walls of classcism, and in the words of Ronald Reagan when he spoke to Mikhail Gorbachev and the Berlin Wall, (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The Reverend C.L. Bryant, really got him going and he's joining us now live from Shreveport, Louisiana. Thank you so much for taking the time, sir.

Reverend, you had that tea party crowd really fired up. So what do you think about this new resolution from the NAACP?

BRYANT: Well, unfortunately, those types of statements are driven and they are echoes of the left at this point in time. The tea party has over the last few months and since its inception, always we've been about lower taxes, less government and more fiscal responsibility. That does in itself identify who we are, and it really has nothing to do with race. We have always repelled and discouraged anyone who have come to our rallies.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You just said that was a message that was coming from the left when you were talking about the NAACP's message. Now that was from the summer, that speech that you gave, and you said in the speech you brought up racism. You said the president was building walls of racism. You think that message - how can you say it's just coming from the left when you just said the same thing?

BRYANT: Right. There are walls that have been built of racism in this country since this administration has taken oath of office, and I say that to say this - this country is more divided now, racially, than any other time in modern history.

And one of the reasons for that, I feel and fear is because it is very convenient to play the race card when you have a black president. But if anyone voted for this president because of his color, then I would say to you, that was very foolish.

LEMON: Well, how you can say that this country is more divided than ever? I mean, when you think about, you know, some of the reasons for the civil war. I mean, it was racism. The country was divided, I mean, actually divided along a line. That's what the Mason Dixon line is all about.

How can you say the country is more divided now? I mean, it's not for lack of a better word that black and white because there's progress in other ways. I'm sitting here on television. You're doing what you are doing. I don't know if we would be doing this at some other point in time.

BRYANT: When we take into consideration since 1965 when I received the right to vote, and where we sit now, as you very adeptly said here in 2010 and you and I we're both on television and we have the opportunities we have, but yet we're still talking about race in this country. There evidently is a place of division that exists in modern society.

LEMON: Are you saying we shouldn't be talking about it?

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: I'm sorry, say that again.

LEMON: Are you saying we shouldn't talk about race?

BRYANT: Of course, we must talk about race, but it must have a more intellectual tone because African-Americans in this country are now more diverse than we ever have been before.

LEMON: As I'm talking to you now, you're seeing the pictures of people, you know, with monkeys, Obama-care, with the thing, the bone through his nose and all of that, and you've been to these tea party rallies. Have you not seen any of these source of things, signs and elements?

BRYANT: Out of the thousands of people that attend tea party rallies, we are very hard-pressed to police any foolishness that you may see in those types of signs, and as I said earlier, we have discouraged and do denounce anyone who brings those types of signs to any of our rallies. LEMON: And I think that's what the NAACP - that's what the resolution is about, and Ben Jealous said he's not saying that the entire tea party or the tea party group that they are racist. He's saying that the tea party should denounce the racist elements. Do you agree or disagree with that?

BRYANT: We have denounced those elements, and we call upon the NAACP to denounce the murderous comments that were made by Panther members last week. If, in fact, we're going to play this particular game, then let's make it fair and balanced.

If, in fact, they call on us to denounce a certain element of the right, then they must, too, come to the table and denounce certain elements that are evidently on the left.

LEMON: Nice talking to you, Reverend C.L. Bryant in a civil conversation as we should be talking about all issues. Thank you, sir.

BRYANT: Thank you.

LEMON: An Iowa billboard that featured side by side images of President Barack Obama, we showed it to you yesterday here on CNN - it's comparing him to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin, while this billboard is no more. It has been papered over about a week after it went up. The North Iowa Tea Party, the local tea party group behind this billboard has not responded to request for comment but the Democratic National Committee is now using the billboard as a fund raising platform, calling the ad extreme and asking for donations. Stay tuned for this story.

A California girl abducted when she was just a year old is found alive, seven years later. We got a live report from Phoenix on how police tracked her down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You know, this is a story that got us talking at our show meeting earlier this morning. It's about a California girl. She was missing for nearly seven years and she was found in a different state with a different name. Here's what authorities are saying about the girl.

That she was abducted by three aunts when she was just a year old. Two of the aunts were arrested. The girl somehow wound up in Phoenix though, and that's where reporter Steve Kuzj of our affiliate KNXV, picks up the story. Steve, I'm sure its good news for the family, but wow, what a turn of events.

STEVE KUZJ, REPORTER KNXV: Well, this has just been incredible, Don. I mean, this girl, we're told her name is Amber Rose Nicklas, missing for the past seven years, was kidnapped before she was even a year old. The family doesn't know for the past seven years, whether this girl was alive or dead. And then this case breaks wide open. Boom, just yesterday, police raid this compound right here. It's actually a palm and tarot reader psychic shop in Phoenix. They're going off of a tip. Officers go inside, raid the home and what they find is a woman trying actually trying to hide Amber in a shower in one of the bathrooms under a pile of towels and clothes, different things like that, and this has been a huge, just a huge breakthrough for investigators who have been working on this for the past several years.

It was a combined effort with the Phoenix Department of Missing Persons, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office and even the FBI here. Now, as you had mentioned, they said that three of the aunts had kidnapped Amber back in 2003 at a "Chuckie Cheese" in Norwalk, California.

Now, one of the biggest questions people are asking today is, how did these people conceal Amber's identity and get away with this for so many years. Well, it turns out that they actually changed the girl's name, changed her birth date, and modified a ton of other documents and even kept her out of school.

The neighbors we talked to in this area also - they know the people who lived in this home and who worked out of here and they said, they can't believe that this would happen in their own neighborhood. Police, of course, as you might suspect, very happy about this turnout because you know, as I'm sure you know most missing persons cases don't turn out this well, Don.

LEMON: They certainly don't. Steve Kuzj from KNXV, thank you.

Again, a very intriguing story there, and I'm sure we'll be following this one as well.

Let's move on now and talk about Philadelphia because rescue crews there saved several people stranded in and around high water yesterday. One man who wanted to get an up close look at a flooding creek, well, he got a little too close for comfort. Look at that, that's the rescue right there.

He became stuck by the foundation pillar of a railway bridge. A fire rescue member was dropped from the tracks above, as you can see, securing a harness around the man who was then pulled up to safety. The man said he was minutes from jumping into that churning water before his calls for help were heard.

Rob Marciano, you know, you talk about this all the time, when there's flooding, anything like that, don't get too close. You move away from that instead of going towards it, right?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, this time of year, it's so humid, Don, even just a pop-up afternoon thunderstorm, it comes down in a hurry. That's what happened yesterday in a number of spots across the U.S.. Here is the gateway arch there in St. Louis. It is just soupy, soupy fix there. KSDK, thanks for this shot.

Dew points, the way we measure true humidity, in the upper 70s and yesterday, in some cases, touching 80 degrees. So that gives you an idea of just how humid it is and with that humidity and with the sun strong as it is this time of the year, we've got extreme heat in the making again today. And heat advisories and heat warnings and heat watches have been posted for a lot of this area.

We are looking at showers and thunderstorms that will fire along this front at times today. Right now, it's relatively quiet. Where it's not raining, we're looking at the dry weather that will continue to build this heat. And even out west, across Southern California, the actual temperatures will be up and over 100 degrees. It won't be quite as humid as across the central plains but it's not going to be bone dry, either.

So excessive heat, of warnings and watches have been posted for parts of southern California. Daytime highs in SoCal will be 92. In Los Angeles, 114, in Phoenix 90 degrees expected in Dallas, And 88 degrees in New York, 95 in D.C. and some of that heat in D.C. will be building across into the northeastern tier of states as well.

So, another couple of days of this heat, Don and getting into August, we will be talking about more of this as well. Be careful, there will be pop-up thunderstorms this afternoon and some of those will have some heavy rain and potentially some flooding.

LEMON: And Rob, the Gateway Arch, beautiful. I used to live in St. Louis. Nice to look at but it's probably better to look at the way we're looking at it today, and that's by remote, than being in that heat. Thank you very much.

You know, where your fat is on your body, it could affect your memory, and we're talking about a new study about that in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's update you now on the top stories of the day.

It is day 87 of the gulf oil disaster. BP has replaced a leaking pipe and hopes to resume an important well test a little bit later on today. The integrity test is intended to determine the well's pressure to see if a new container cap can stop the oil flow.

A key Senate vote is expected today on Wall Street reform. It is the final procedural hurdle that will assure that the bill moves on to President Barack Obama for signing next week.

The Vatican is releasing a new rule book, making it easier to punish pedophile priests and other abusive clergy members. But it looks like the new rules will firm up existing practices not rewrite the Catholic church's entire approach.

Think about your body, and where your body fat is. Or the fat is on your body could affect your memory. We're talking about a new study just moments away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: All right. The FDA soon will decide the ultimate fate of the controversial diabetes drug, Avandia, that we've been reporting so much about. An advisory panel made its recommendation yesterday saying the drug should stay on the market but with tighter controls and stronger warnings.

Critics claim Avandia can cause heart trouble and other heart problems. FDA officials say they'll make the final decision as soon as possible.

The White House is reportedly imposing new rules on health insurance companies. That's according to the "New York Times." Health insurance providers will now be required to offer free coverage for preventive screenings and lab tests. The paper says the new rules will eliminate patient co-payments for such procedures as blood pressure tests, prenatal care and wellness visits for infants and children.

Other health news to tell you about - a new study reveals that a woman's body shape - are you listening - may play a role in memory loss. Research from Northwestern University shows that the more an older woman weighs, the worst her memory is. The study says the effect is even more pronounced in so-called pear-shaped women, those who carry excess weight around their hips. The study followed 8,000 women between the ages of 65 and 79. So now you know.

A nation at war, an economy in trouble and military veterans feeling the pinch. We'll show you a new effort this morning that helps veterans begin new lives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's take a look at the markets this hour because it's going to be a close watch on that. It's been very volatile. It is still down. Down 102 there, but still trading above 10,000 if there is any good news to all of this.

So, we want to see how stocks are reacting to those job numbers released earlier today. We told you earlier in the broadcast, 429,000 filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week. That is a big drop from the previous week and the lowest level since August of 2008.

CNNmoney.com's Poppy Harlow joins us now from New York City. As a matter of fact, she is in the CNN NEWSROOM there. We are seeing improvement, but the numbers are still stubbornly high.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: It's an awful read. The headline is, hey the number one down (ph). But this is a bad reading. 429,000 people lining up for first-time unemployment benefits last week.

Folks, to put this in perspective for you, this number every week has been over 400,000 for two years now, since July of 2008. Take a look at the harsh reality. Let's show you these numbers. 14.6 million Americans have been out of work. They are out of work now. Half of them, almost, have been out of work for more than six months. There is this is this continuing debate in Washington about extending unemployment benefits for people, very much split down party lines, but when you look at the maximum amount of help that people can get, it's 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, almost two years' worth of benefits. Once those max out, there is not a lifeline and no more unemployment benefits for them. At the end of this year, 1 million Americans will be in this situation, having exhausted the 99 weeks of benefits. We talked to some people right there in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every time I go on an interview, it's always the same old story. Don't call us, we'll call you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've had unemployment insurance to help me so far, and pretty much exhausted two extensions. My benefits ended like about a month ago. I've been living off my savings. That scares me a lot, you know, that I won't have anything in the next couple of months in my savings. That really has me worried.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Can you imagine being in that situation? Those are just some of the stories here on CNNmoney.com, "I've been out of work since...". You hear a lot more of those stories, but you have in Washington now the White House saying, and I want to show you these numbers now, saying, look, the stimulus spending has created or saved 3 million jobs since this program began. They're saying by the end of the year, promising that it will save or create, Don, 3.5 million jobs, but let's compare that to the 14.5 million Americans that still out of work. A lot of question marks. Where are the jobs, Don?

LEMON: How do you put your mind around it? I mean, just three- and-half - 3 million people out of work, or however many millions. Geez, amazing.

Poppy, turning the subject here, you're on Facebook, right?

HARLOW: I'm on Facebook, yes.

LEMON: You're on Facebook. Beware. You hear a lot of people saying, oh, I got in touch with an old friend from high school, an old boyfriend, an old flame. That's what the trouble is, Poppy Harlow. Stick around for this next story, because Facebook has become adultery's best friend. I kind of doubt that's what the founder had intended when they came up with this thing. We are talking about more about its growing role in divorce in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's check your top stories now here on CNN. Day 87 of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. BP placed the leaking pipe and hopes to resume an important well test today -- they replaced a leaking pipe today. The integrity test is intended to determine the well's pressure to see if a new container cap can stop the flow of oil, as you're seeing there live. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has unanimously approved new mandatory design standards for cribs, so parents listen up, or caregivers. Under those new rules, all drop-side cribs will be banned. Also mandated, better mattress support, sturdier hardware and better quality wood for crib construction. The new rules are expected to go into effect next year after a final vote by the federal commission.

A key Senate vote is expected today on Wall Street reform. It is a final procedural hurdle that will assure the bill moves onto President Barack Obama's desk for signing next week.

Beautiful beaches, tropical waters, just picture it. And Cold War politics. Picture that. The U.S. may soon lift its travel ban on Cuba, and that's stirring some strong debate on Capitol Hill.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We wanted to pull back the curtain on something that's been closed to outsiders for decades. It's life inside Cuba's notorious prisons. Just a short time ago, we heard from two political prisoners who among those just released from the Castro government. Here are the dissidents, describing they are ordeal from their new refuge, which is in Spain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIO CESAR GALVEZ, FORMER CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONER (via translator): The state of hygiene and health inside the prisons in Cuba isn't bad, it's awful. We lived alongside rats and cockroaches and scorpions. And to be frank, we lived with human feces everywhere, human excrement. This is not a lie.

RICARDO GONZALEZ ALFONSO, FORMER CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONER (via translator): Our release is a smokescreen, but we accept the small step. We accept that smokescreen. Essentially Cuba has thrown out the bait, so the world will swallow it. So, let's take advantage of it. Let's grab that bait. Pull hard on the fishing line and bring the fisherman down in the water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Spain and the Roman Catholic Church helped to broker the release of 52 dissident. They were jailed in a 20-30 (ph) crackdown by the government.

For baby boomers, the thought is pretty jarring. Congress could soon lift the half-century old law that bans Americans from traveling to Cuba. Some lawmakers say it's time for the Cold War sanctions to go away, and Americans can see the benefits from it.

Let's go to CNN's foreign affairs correspondent. Jill Dougherty is at the State Department to explain why. Hello, Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: You just saw it there, releasing political prisoners, the promise by the government of Cuba is to release 52 of them. And, of course, skeptics of Cuba are very skeptical. They don't think that this is a really genuine step, but others are saying that things are changing in Cuba, albeit slowly, and that American policy should change, too.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DOUGHERTY (voice-over): Havana, Cuba, just 90 miles from American shores. Two and a half million tourists from around the world flocked to the island last year, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization. But not Americans. A U.S. travel ban makes Cuba a forbidden destination. Now, Congress is on the verge of ending that ban and the trade embargo it's part of in a new push backed by American business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do we have an embargo to Cuba? We have to ask ourselves, after 50 years of a failed policy.

DOUGHERTY: The U.S. imposed a trade embargo after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Last year, President Obama allowed Cuban Americans with family in Cuba to travel and send money there. Now a potential game changer. Cuba has informed the Catholic Church that it will free 52 political prisoners.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: We think that's a positive sign. It's something that is overdue but nevertheless, very welcome.

DOUGHERTY: Before the revolution, the United States, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, accounted for nearly 70 percent of Cuba's international trade. Now it's a fraction of that. A paltry $400 million. The embargo the chamber claims has boomeranged.

MYRON BRILLIANT, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: It's propped up a Castro regime. It hasn't achieved any of the objectives it sought to achieve. And by not having trade with Cuba, the rest of the world has said, look, America is an idiot. We're moving forward with Cuba.

DOUGHERTY: The chamber, citing a study by Texas A&M University, estimates that ending the embargo could mean more than a billion dollars to the U.S., plus create almost 6,000 new American jobs. It's just the opposite, claims an embargo supporter.

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: Sitting on the beaches of Varadero and having a Cuba Libre (ph), which is an oxymoron, is not going to liberate the people of Cuba. It hasn't for several million of European and Latin American and Canadian visitors. If anything, the regime has become more oppressive.

DOUGHERTY: But could more trade and American tourists on the streets of Havana help to advance democracy in Cuba? A coalition of trade and human rights group says yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're watching a lot of change in Cuba in terms of human rights, in terms of political prisoners, in terms of economic reforms. And I think that we're realizing that, you know, after 50 years of being on the sidelines, that it's time to be engaged. So there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to be part of that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOUGHERTY: So why the push for change? Well, Cuba policy always has been a red flag politically in the United States, especially in south Florida. But some opinion polling now is showing that there is a change, even among Cuban-Americans. More of them support engagement with Cuba.

And, also, Don, it's a question of the economy and jobs. The people who support lifting the ban say that it could mean more trade and more jobs, and they argue that's what United States needs.

LEMON: Jill Dougherty, thank you very much.

Gay marriage is now legal in Argentina. Senators there passed a same-sex marriage bill just earlier today. The bill had already been approved by the lower chamber of Congress. The move makes Argentina the first Latin-American nation to give same-sex couples the right to marry. Under the new law, gay couples will also be able to adopt children.

In less than an hour, a career fair for veterans from all over the country, and they won't have to leave their homes. One veteran is going to show us how it's done just on the other side of this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Okay, every year hundreds of thousands of people leave the U.S. military and enter the job market. So, next hour, they'll find a helping hand online next hour. It's called Milicruit.com. It will host a career fair for military veterans and their spouses. Some of the job seekers will even be interviewed by potential employers.

You know who behind this? One person is Barry Scott, one of the 10,000 veterans who has registered. He joins us from Mount Prospect, Illinois. Hey, thanks for joining us. What do think of this effort? What do you think of Milicruit?

BARRY SCOTT, MILICRUIT JOB SEEKER (via phone): They're a great organization. They've already helped me get a couple of interview, and this career fair is a real opportunity to meet some companies I haven't talked with yet.

LEMON: Yes, as I was asking you there during the break, it starts at 11:00 Eastern time and goes through tonight. So, it hasn't started.

They helped you before. So, are you going to get online? What happens? Do you get online and look at potential employees? Is it sort of real time? Are you chatting back and forth or do you put in your information in and someone contacts you?

SCOTT: Today during the live fair, it's real time, so any of the different companies that are registered for this are online, you can chat with the recruiters online. You can share your resume with them, ask questions back and forth, and so forth.

After the live portion goes off, after today, for another couple of weeks you can still be online sharing information back and forth and asking questions and doing follow-up and actually submitting applications for the different jobs.

LEMON: Listen, our veterans have trouble obviously getting help with PTSD and other things, unemployed. Obviously, the whole nation is but it affects our veterans, people who fought for our freedoms. Why do you think this so important to help our vets here?

SCOTT: Well, I think it allows an opportunity to let them demonstrate their capabilities and what they can bring to the table to some companies that may not normally put that particular type of individual into their organization. So, it opens up a dialogue opportunity for people that can really share what they learned and the skills they can bring to the table that are truly adaptable to many of the needs of today's corporations.

LEMON: Hey, what's your own particular story? How did you become unemployed?

SCOTT: The business unit I was running, a company called Aeon (ph) here in the Chicago area, was sold, and various positions, including mine, were eliminated as a result of that. So, I have been out since October of '08, about 21 months now.

I keep looking around. I have done about 420 applications, done about 80 first interviews, which is a great hit rate. And had about 30 second or third interviews but not yet landed. So, we're still working on it.

LEMON: Yes. So, when you see the jobless numbers and all that come out, it's just a number to you until you find some work, I'm sure.

SCOTT: You need to find it. And they're out there. You have to keep working at it. Some take longer than others.

LEMON: Good luck, Barry.

SCOTT: Thank you very much.

LEMON: Thank you. All right.

Heading home early, some U.S. troops prepare to leave Iraq sooner than they expected. We'll have details from Baghdad.

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LEMON: Preparing to go home early. Some U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, well, they get to leave sooner than they expected. One may even make it in time for the birth of his new baby. Wouldn't that be nice? CNN's Arwa Damon reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They've survived Iraq, and at midnight, they start their journey home. 105 men and women of the tenth mountain division.

(on camera): These troops have all been waiting for hours, and there's a few more to go before they get on the plane. It's hot out, but no one here is complaining. And that is because all of these soldiers are going home. In fact, they're going home early as part of the ongoing drawdown to reach that White House goal of having the troops in Iraq down to 50,000 by the end of August.

STAFF SGT. BRANDON CHILDS, U.S. ARMY: My wife. I called my wife and told her I was coming home. She's very happy. And we're ectastic that I'm getting home.

DAMON: You guys are having a baby?

CHILDS: Yes, we're having a baby, very first one. Very excited. I'm very excited to be a father.

DAMON: And you didn't know you would be home for the birth?

CHILDS: No, ma'am, I did not. I thought I was going to be here stuck in Iraq, but it turns out things are looking good and I'm coming home. I'm very happy.

DAMON (voice-over): They have been here since November. After years of American troops learning their tours would be extended, these soldiers had their 12-month tour cut short. The number of U.S. boots on the ground is decreasing by the day. And commanders say that not even Iraq's inability to form a government will stop them from meeting their deadline.

These soldiers leave behind an Iraq with an uncertain future. But for them, the job is done.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, you know, every day at this time, we salute a member of the U.S. military who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq or Afghanistan. We call it "Home and Away." We'll let you know how you can be a part of this project.

But first, we want to tell you about private first class Andrew Martin Ward from Kirkland, Washington. He was killed when his unit was attacked by enemy forces in Rahmadi, Iraq in December of 2004. Andrew's brother wrote us and sent in these pictures. Walter Ward says his brother was truly a special individual. He loved his family, was highly intelligent and Andrew was adventurous. If he had something set in his mind, he would do it.

Walter tells us the last moments of Andrew's life are documented in a book. It's entitled "New Dawn: The Battle for Fallujah" by Richard Lowry. But Walter adds that all of our troops have a story to be heard. Major battle or not. We agree.

OK, this is where you come in right now. Bring your service member's stories to us. Go to CNN.com/homeandaway, type in your loved one's name in the upper-right search field, and pull up the profile and send us your thoughts and pictures and we'll keep the member of your hero, our heroes, alive.

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ARSENIO HALL, COMEDIAN: Here's the crazy thing. If you're getting a divorce from your wife, don't diss Jews because you're going to need a good lawyer. He's dissing Jews and blacks. He can't get a good lawyer, he can't get into B.E.T Awards no more. It's really going to be hard for Mel from -- I'm a stand-up comic. I mean, my world is watching news and then going out and trying to make some money.

So, between Sanchez and Lemon, I'm usually trying to get new jokes.

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LEMON: Ahh! Arsenio Hall giving Rick Sanchez and me just a little shout-out last night at the Espy Awards. The comedian is just one of many commenting on the Mel Gibson fallout. LeBron James and Tiger Woods. Very interesting to watch that.

Meanwhile, could Facebook mean trouble in paradise for married couples? It's being called a tool now for cheaters. And here's why. A new survey says Facebook is mentioned in 20 percent of divorce cases.

Steven James Dixon is an author and a founder of relationshipbeast.com. He's joining us live from New York.

James, thank you. Does this surprise you?

STEVEN JAMES DIXON, AUTHOR: Not at all. What happens with a lot of people that go onto social networking sites, they think it's an escape. They think once you get into social networks sites, because you're having a private chat with one person, that it's like a phone conversation. When in actuality, it's worse because it's a picture of you, it's a video, it's your words. You get to see different things about you.

So, what I advise people before they go and vet themselves out and search for old flames or even new people, is to make sure you understand that not only is your wife and husband may be watching, but also their friends and family, co-workers and things like that. So many eyes on social networking sites that you have to be careful. LEMON: Yes, and after all, it is called social media, right? It used to be if you have having trouble with your spouse or relationship, you'd watch TV or you'd go to the bar. Now it is just so easy. It is like minded people basically looking for the same thing.

DIXON: Absolutely. People look at it as almost an escape. You're escaping to a whole other world. And really, you are not escaping to a whole other world. It's just the Internet.

So we got to remember that everyone is watching. Recently, I saw some things on Facebook and Twitter where someone had posted something not knowing exactly how it posted, and some people that they didn't want to see it saw the post. This happens. What's funny about this too is that people do this all of the time.

LEMON: I've got to -- really quickly here because we have to move on to the top of the hour. 81 percent of divorce lawyers say they use evidence found on social networking sites. Liability to have those accounts?

DIXON: Right. Yes, a lot of divorce attorneys are going directly to that because, like I said earlier, there's video and pictures and your words, so it's hard to say it's not you or something is not what it looks to be. Definitely be careful on Facebook or Twitter or MySpace and all social networking sites.

LEMON: Steven James Dixon, good information. Be careful because once its online, it's out there forever, and you can't bring it back, and that's the end of your relationship. Thank you, sir, appreciate it.

DIXON: Thanks for having me.

LEMON: All righty.

Thanks for joining me here. I'm Don Lemon. Kyra is back soon. I'm not sure exactly when, but I'll tell you who is in right now.

C'mon. He's ready! Are you ready?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: No expectation of privacy online.

LEMON: And you shouldn't right?

HARRIS: None! None! Forget about it.

LEMON: Hey, Tony, it makes sense, though. Because like I said, if you're on Facebook, if you're online, that's what people are looking for.

HARRIS: Exactly.

LEMON: Have a great show, my friend.