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FDA Chief Talks about the Egg Recall and Gulf Seafood; Imam Addresses Ground Zero Mosque; Fighting Floods and Disease in Pakistan; Dean Criticizes White House; First Muslim College in U.S. to Begin Classes; Hall of Fame Honors 13-Year-Old

Aired August 22, 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 CNN exclusive. The head of the Food and Drug Administration tells me why the egg recall could expand and how safety rules could have prevented it.

Being Muslim in America goes far beyond a controversial mosque or Muslim community center. One sheikh tells me why he is starting a Muslim college. It is said to open on Tuesday.

And one of the most promising young pitchers to come along in years. Burned up the Little League, honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame this week, and she -- that's right, she has one heck of a knuckleball. You'll meet her.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

They're the staple of the American diet, but tonight they're an object of suspicion. Half a billion eggs are being taken off store shelves because of concerns about salmonella. They've been sold under more than a dozen brand names around the country. More than a thousand people have gotten sick. And some who battled salmonella says it made their lives miserable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD DANIELSON, ATE TAINTED EGGS: Everybody had diarrhea. That was kind of the first thing. And then headaches. And then throwing up. And then it was body aches. Couldn't even move.

KATHLEEN DANIELSON, ATE TAINTED EGGS: And when I did find out, I was angry, very angry. You know, I mean, a virus is one thing, but when it can be prevented, it's a different story. You know, when you watch your children go through, then it's horrible. It's horrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And tonight we receive statements from Hillandale Farms, one of the two companies involved in this huge recall. It reads in part, "We are devastated that our eggs have been implicated in making people sick. In cooperation with the FDA, we look forward to diligently examining every phase of our operation and effectively addressing any issues found." Wright County Egg has also issued a statement. It reads, "When issues have been raised about our farms, our management team has addressed them swiftly and effectively, working with outside experts to identify and establish corrective measures for our operations. We are approaching our work with the FDA in the same forthright manner."

And I spoke with FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg tonight. And she said the government is taking a close look at the nation's egg producers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MARGARET HAMBURG, FDA COMMISSIONER: In the food safety domain, there is no question that these farms that are involved in the recall were not operating with the standards of practice that we consider responsible. And it's very, very important that those practices be cleaned up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And CNN is following this investigation closely. This just in. Casey Wian is near one of the egg farms in Williams, Iowa tonight. He just landed and he is starting to dig on the story for CNN.

Casey, what are you learning?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, not a lot so far. We spoke with Peter Decoster, who is the chief operating officer of this company, Wright County Egg, briefly at his office. He was there on a Sunday afternoon in casual clothes. Not sure what kind of work he was doing. He declined to be interviewed by us to answer some of these questions that are lingering about the company's history and its business practices. He referred us to that company's statement that you just read.

We did speak to some locals that -- a local market in the area and asked them about the company. And a couple folks said that they were sort of disappointed in the way the egg business has turned out here. There were a lot of family farms in this area of Iowa back in the 1980s, and unemployment was high. And so, the local officials decided to attract some different types of businesses. And these mega egg operations came into town.

And some of the locals say that this area has lost its sort of feel. That these egg operations have brought in low-waged migrant workers and sort of outnumbered the local workers in the area. And that wages are low. Wages are down. They don't like the smell of the operations. If you've ever been in a large scale chicken operation, you know it doesn't smell too good. So the locals are complaining about that.

We also have to point out that there are a lot of defenders of Wright County Egg in the area because of the tax revenue they provide and the other benefit they provide to the area.

So that's what we've learned so far tonight. We'll have more details on "AMERICAN MORNING" tomorrow morning and then later on in the week.

LEMON: All right. Casey Wian, we look forward to your reporting. Thank you very much for joining us tonight.

I want to tell you coming up in just a few minutes, the rest of my interview with FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg. Her thoughts on the egg recall, the safety of seafood in the Gulf of Mexico and also other issues. Again, that's coming up in about 10 minutes right here on CNN.

We go to the Islamic community center now. The Islamic cleric who wants to build an Islamic community center and mosques near ground zero is speaking out about this controversy.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is on a goodwill tour of the Middle East sponsored by the U.S. State Department. He tells a newspaper in Bahrain that he welcomes a public debate over his proposed building near Ground Zero. Earlier today, groups for and against the project held competing rallies near the site. The imam's comments will be published tomorrow in Bahraini "Al Wasat" newspaper.

And CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom joins us now by phone from Abu Dhabi United Emirates to talk to us about that.

Mohammed, this proposed mosque has stirred up a lot of strong emotions. Why does the imam consider this a positive thing?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Don, Imam Abdul Rauf has told Bahrain's "Al Wasat" newspaper that he hopes the mosque and the Islamic center near New York's ground zero will actually help promote and achieve harmony and understanding among religions.

Now, the imam's remarks came while he is on a State Department- sponsored goodwill trip to the Middle East. And in the interview, Rauf not only praised the freedom that Muslims and others enjoy in the United States. He also added that, quote, "the U.S. Constitution protects our rights and what exists in the Declaration of Independence in the U.S. Constitution is much better than what is found in many Islamic countries."

Don?

LEMON: Where else is imam going on this State Department- sponsored trip, Mohammed?

JAMJOOM: Well, Don, he is scheduled to also stop up in Qatar in the United Arab Emirates. And this is not the first trip under this government program. He has done this on two other occasions. In 2007, he was sent to the UAE and to Qatar and to Morocco. And just earlier this year, he also went to Egypt.

This trip is just one of many similar programs in which the U.S. sends experts overseas for outreach purposes. And earlier this month, U.S. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley has said that the State Department has a long-term relationship with Rauf, and he pointed out that the imam brought a moderate perspective to foreign audiences on what it's like to be a practicing Muslim in the U.S.

So like you said, really more of a goodwill tour trying to show what it's like to be a Muslim in America -- Don.

LEMON: Mohammed Jamjoom in Abu Dhabi. Thank you, Mohammed.

And later on in the hour, a school hoping to become the first accredited Muslim college in the nation. We're talking with co- founder Shaykh Hamza Yusuf at 10:40 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Iran's president today unveiled a sophisticated new weapon in its military arsenal -- a pilotless bomber reportedly capable of flying long distances at high speed. The country's defense minister says the drone demonstrates that Iran is now able to manufacture all of its own military hardware and weapons. Security experts say revealing the drone is to discourage any possible air strike against a nuclear reactor that Iran is now loading with fuel.

Nearly three dozen miners in Chile trapped more than two weeks are still alive. But it could take months to rescue them.

A camera lowered into the mine brought back these first images of the miners who have been trapped since August 5th. Earlier today, a probe lowered into the collapsed mine came back out with a note attached. It said all 33 of the miners were alive in a shelter. Despite the good news, authorities say it could take at least two months to dig them out. Until then, food, water and medicine will have to be lowered to the miners through a small hole.

A CNN exclusive. The head of the Food and Drug Administration talks to CNN about the massive recall that has many steering clear of eggs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP

HAMBURG: I encourage people to eat eggs, but I do encourage people to pay attention to the recall information that's available and to take very seriously the precautions for how consumers can make their egg eating safer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Straight ahead here on CNN, I ask her, is the worst over and what's being done to keep them from happening again. I also ask her about the seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and whether it is safe to eat.

In Pakistan, more than a thousand dead, nearly a million more sickened following devastating floods, but aid money to help is slow to arrive. We are asking why.

And don't just sit there. We want you to be part of the show. Send us a message on Twitter or Facebook. Check out our blog, cnn.com/don. Or you can look for us on Foursquare. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMBURG: While it is the biggest recall in recent history, that's for sure, the good news is that, overall in the past decade, the number of problems and outbreaks associated with salmonella in eggs has actually been declining. And the FDA has just put in place new regulations. Unfortunately, not in time for this outbreak that I think will further increase the safety of eggs available to consumers in the market.

LEMON: So regulations, but not connected to this particular recall.

HAMBURG: Well, unfortunately, these just went into place a little bit after the cases started to appear from this particular outbreak. But it will make a difference going forward, and that's really important.

LEMON: I'm sure you wish they have come sooner. It may have taken care...

HAMBURG: I sure do. I sure do. And it's a reminder about the importance of having serious oversight of food safety risks. These new -- these new regulations that have gone into place put specific standards on the industry in terms of how they produce, handle and disseminate eggs for consumers and that will put in place measures that will really further reduce risks from contamination such as we're seeing in this, you know, really quite large outbreak.

LEMON: Do we have enough food inspectors to keep our food supply safe? Is that a concern for the FDA?

HAMBURG: You know, it is really important that as a nation we continue to invest in food safety and to strengthen our food safety programs. And, you know, that has been a priority for the Obama administration since the very beginning and for me since I took on this role. We are working closely with Congress to try to get new food safety legislation in place that would give the FDA new authority and resources so that we can do our job better.

It is important to do inspections. It's also important to make sure that preventive measures are in place. That companies that produce and distribute food are following the best science-based practices to enhance food safety and to reduce risks. And so we're working very hard.

LEMON: Do you have the resources you need? You talked about resources. But do you have the money you need in order to get those resources?

HAMBURG: We need to continue to expand our program. There is no question about it. We have made some real progress. And we are very proud of those accomplishments. But we need to continue to expand. And we need to think not just about domestic suppliers of food. But also we live in a globalized world. And a lot more of our food is coming in from overseas. And that requires a new level of oversight inspection at the borders, inspections on site in those other countries and working with the companies that produce those foods and the importers who bring them in.

LEMON: Yes. That's a -- that is a very good point, Commissioner.

Let's talk a little bit about the investigation now. The man who leads the egg supplier Wright County Eggs has been in trouble before for unclean conditions at his egg facilities. His name is Jack Decoster. Have you seen any indications of negligence of any kind of wrongdoing? And what can the FDA do in terms of penalties if so?

HAMBURG: Well, of course, we are focused on the food safety issues. And I know that there have been a lot of other issues raised and violations and other domains including occupational safety and health issues, et cetera.

In the food safety domain, there is no question that these farms that are involved in the recall were not operating with the standards of practice that we consider responsible. And it's very, very important that those practices be cleaned up. And that we work with this company and with others to make sure that they have the preventive controls in place and the responsible measures in place that will enable the safest food supply possible.

LEMON: One more question on the egg recall, Commissioner.

HAMBURG: Sure.

LEMON: A salmonella victim is suing a restaurant in Wisconsin because she says it served her contaminated eggs. And is there any way to make sure that you're not getting contaminated eggs from restaurants, from food carts or any other places that cook and serve food with eggs -- using eggs?

HAMBURG: Well, the best guide is making sure that the eggs you eat are fully cooked. If the eggs are in baked goods, you can be pretty sure that they are adequately cooked. If the eggs are being served as eggs sunny side up or over easy, then I think you need to pay some attention and send them back. Soft-boiled eggs also can be a real concern.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And as you heard Dr. Hamburg say, she's not only eaten eggs but she's also eaten seafood from New Orleans. Up next, more of our exclusive interview. The head of the FDA talks about why consumers can feel confident that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe.

Plus, she is a girl but she throws like a pro. Meet the teen who's been honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: She is in charge of the safety of our nation's food supply whether it comes from land or water. FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg talks in depth about the testing done on seafood from the Gulf of Mexico where 200 million gallons of oil spilled.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMBURG: Well, I was down in New Orleans not too long ago and I enjoyed some barbecued shrimps and grits and it was really delicious. You know, we've been working very hard. As you know, this was an unprecedented crisis in terms of the volume of oil that leaked into the Gulf and we know the fragile ecosystems, you know, really a tragedy.

But we have been working very, very hard to oversee the issues around seafood safety, working with our colleagues at NOAA and the authorities in the Gulf states and have developed a protocol for reopening the waters to fishing that is very science based.

You know, we are systematically going through these protocols for reopening the waters. And the waters that have been reopened at the federal level and by states, I think one can have quite a lot of confidence that seafood being harvested are safe for people to eat and to enjoy.

LEMON: You have to have some concern though when it comes to seafood in the Gulf. Which is your biggest concern if you do have one? I would imagine that you do.

HAMBURG: Well, I think it's very, very important that we not become complacent. It's been encouraging. We've been doing a lot of testing as I said in a very systematic way. And the levels of oil residues and the dispersant also have been looked for, and the levels have been much, much lower than what would be an acceptable level. So, that's very encouraging.

LEMON: I have to say -- and you know, it's going to sound -- it may sound a little odd, but I was watching, you know, Stephen Colbert. He said, you know, it doesn't reach the levels something -- it doesn't reach the levels where that you find disturbing. And he goes, ummm, that sounds appetizing. I mean, he kind of does have a point. You're not saying, hey, everything is great, the food is great, go and eat it. You're saying it doesn't reach a level of concern...

HAMBURG: Well, the levels are no higher than they were before the spill. And, you know, one measure of comfort with where things are at. We will not be complacent as I said. And we're going to have ongoing monitoring. And we have a protocol that requires that the oil be -- that the waters be free of oil that would pose a health risk.

We then develop a sampling plan with the states around the fish species that would be harvested from those waters. And then the fish that are sampled undergoes screening both with sensory screening and chemical screening before we say that those waters are safe for reopening.

So, where the waters have been reopened for commercial and recreational fishing, we do have a very high level of confidence in the safety of that seafood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Dr. Margaret Hamburg from the FDA.

More than a thousand dead, nearly a million sick. And millions more need food and shelter. But help just isn't coming fast enough after devastating floods in Pakistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: For three weeks, people in Pakistan have been trying to get away from floodwaters. Now nearly a million of them are battling sickness. The World Health Organization reports disaster victims are suffering from diarrhea, the skin disease scabies, malaria and respiratory infections. It's estimated about 1500 people have lost their lives and 20 million have been impacted by the floods caused by monsoon rains.

CNN'S Kyung Lah is live now for us in Sukkur, Pakistan.

Kyung?

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, there is a number of fronts that this country has to fight this flood from. There's still the immediate threat of the flood itself. People are still evacuating, and when they evacuate they end up in places like this. This is a refugee camp in Sukkur. This is a city that is swelling with places like this.

You can see that there are tents all the way back as far as our camera can show you. And this is a pretty well-established camp. They have shelter. Looks like they have some access to water. And they also have some sanitation here.

But the problem is that in many other refugee camps that we've been to, this is not the case. They're impromptu. They don't have these items. And the most important thing is they don't have access to clean water. So what's happening inside many of these refugee camps is that they're becoming key transmission for the spread of communicable illnesses. The World Health Organization saying there are some 200,000 people who have some sort of acute respiratory illness.

So when we hear about the second wave of Pakistan's disaster, this is what they're talking about. This is where the illness will spread, where it will become a medical crisis without more doctors, medicine, and some of that aid. The aid that has been coming in from around the world actually making it here on the ground -- Don.

LEMON: And of course, Kyung Lah, there will be long-term economic damage from these floods.

LAH: You're absolutely right. This is just right now. What you see is right now. When you look at what's happened to Pakistan's crops, to the livestock, to the jobs, a lot of these people left losing all of their possessions, all of their houses, all their jobs. And they ran here to these refugee camps trying to escape these floods. So, they don't have anything.

So the IMF is going to be meeting with the members of Pakistan's government in Washington on Monday to try to reassess that damage and talk about a long-term plan for Pakistan.

One of the things we keep hearing about again and again is how to keep security in this country relatively stable, because if you have so many people who are affected, the concern is how do you keep things stable in Pakistan.

LEMON: Kyung, you've covered stories from all over the world. Disasters from all over the world. How does this compare to what you have seen?

LAH: This is really very -- as far as the scope, it really does boggle the mind, because everywhere you go, you see the damage. You see the people who are affected. This is a poor country. But then you see the poorest of the poor being affected. So as a matter of scope, this is like really nothing like I've ever covered because there are so many, everywhere you see in this country.

LEMON: Kyung Lah in Sukkur, Pakistan, for us. Thank you, Kyung.

Police say three people are dead and three others wounded in a shootout in central Virginia. We'll have more on the shooting, coming up on CNN.

But first, a look at politics. With millions of Americans out of work, is now the right time for the Obama family to head off to Martha's Vineyard? We'll ask our senior political editor Mark Preston next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A top Democrat says President Obama's advisers need to get out of Washington once in a while. Let's head to the nation's capital right now though and bring in a man who is never out of touch with anything -- our senior political editor Mark Preston.

Mark, I want you to listen to comments by former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, who was on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY" this morning. Candy asked Dean about the president's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, who recently dismissed liberal critics as, quote, "the professional left." Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": And it boils down to this poll. Do you think the left sits home or do you think the left goes out to the polls and what gets them there?

HOWARD DEAN, FORMER DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN: Well, I don't think the left -- what Gibbs was talking about with the so-called professional left. I don't know what he meant by that. I -- you know, I think he -- but that is a very small number of people. I think there is a large number -- I think that the people around the president have really misjudged what goes on elsewhere in the country other than Washington, D.C.

I don't think this is true with the president, but I do think his people, his political people got to go out and spend some time outside of Washington for a while.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And so, Mark, Howard Dean is really making a habit of criticizing his party's president. Should the president be concerned about his friends on the left?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: I think he is concerned about his -- by his friends on the left. We've seen that all year long. This professional left, the moveon.org, the Progressive Campaign Change Committee, even some of the more liberal unions. We've seen them go after incumbent Democrats including Blanche Lincoln down in Arkansas.

Look, President Obama, in order to really help stave off this big Republican wave that we're seeing build up right now that is going to knock a lot of Democrats out of -- out of office in November, Don, he's going to have to get this so-called professional lefties, this real liberals, to get to the polls. So he needs to energize them and we've seen that over the past couple of weeks. President Obama himself, Don, has been out on the campaign trail trying to energize the base.

LEMON: So, Mark, tomorrow morning when a lot of Americans trudge off to work -- many of them won't be trudging off to work -- some wish they had a job to go to. The president will be -- will wake up in the middle of a 10-day vacation on Martha's Vineyard. Is this the right place and the right time for the president to be vacationing and in Martha's Vineyard?

PRESTON: Well, Don, I think you and I both agree that, you know, it's OK for a president to go on vacation and get some R&R. You know, President Bush was criticized roundly when he would go out to his ranch in Crawford. But the fact is the president is always working, Don. He works 24/7.

In this case, though, with President Obama going up to Martha's Vineyard, which really is a playground, a sandbox for the rich and famous. You know, it probably -- he probably could have chosen a different location to do his vacation, perhaps maybe in the Gulf Coast, which we've talked a lot about, about the heartache they're feeling down there, whether it is with the Gulf seafood or whether it is with the tourism industry. And imagine the message that President Obama, Don, would have sent to the nation had he gone down to the Gulf Coast and spend 10 days down there on vacation.

LEMON: Mark Preston. Thank you very much for that, Mark.

PRESTON: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: Time now to check your top stories on CNN. Thirty-three trapped miners in Chile are still alive more than two weeks after their mine caved in. A camera lowered into the mine gave the first glimpse of the miners since they became trapped on August 5th. Earlier today, a probe sent down into the mine came back with a note attached that says all the miners were alive and in a shelter. Mining officials say digging a new tunnel to rescue the men could take months.

The U.S. military in Iraq suffered its first fatality today since the final U.S. combat brigade exited Iraq last week. The U.S. soldier was killed in southern Iraq in a rocket and mortar attack. Also in Iraq today, two mortar shells were fired into the green zone. There were no casualties. But elsewhere in Baghdad, bombs killed two civilians and wounded 23 others.

A dispute turned deadly in central Virginia. A man opened fire in a residential neighborhood of Louisa County late this afternoon, killing two men and wounding three other people. Police traded fire with the gunman who was then shot and killed. No officers were hit. The injured were rushed to the University of Virginia Medical Center for treatment.

New credit card rules kicked in today. They capped late fees at $25 except in extreme circumstances. Banks must review interest rate hikes every six months to see if they're still warranted. And they can no longer charge you a fee if you don't use your credit card. It's the final phase of legislation passed last year by Congress to curb rampant abuse of the credit card industry.

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella pulled a surprise today saying -- sorry, Lou Piniella pulled a surprise today saying it would be his last game with the team, when he said earlier he would retire at the end of the season. He is stepping down early to return home to Tampa to take care of his ailing 90-year-old mother. Before the game, he greeted Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, who is retiring at the end of the season. Cox had the better day, though. The Braves won 16-5.

Christian and Jewish colleges have been options for American students for years. But how about a Muslim college?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Muslims have been in the United States from the start. They were -- they were here at the founding of this country, and there's many books that have proven that fact. So, Islam is here. It's here to stay. And I think we need to make the best of the pluralism of our nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Coming up, we'll meet the man who founded a school that wants to be the first accredited Muslim college in the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Tuesday is the first day of class at Zaytuma College in Berkeley, California. Christian and Jewish colleges have long been a part of the American education system. But Zaytuna wants to become the very first accredited Muslim college in the U.S. And co-founder Shaykh Hamza Yusuf explains his vision for the school.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHAYKH HAMZA YUSUF, CO-FOUNDER, ZAYTUNA COLLEGE: We've set out to be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. We've started that process. It takes four to eight years. And hopefully, we'll become a full-fledged accredited college in the United States.

LEMON: What you have been hearing and the world has been hearing about this proposed Islamic center -- community center and mosque near Ground Zero and all of the uproar about Muslim Americans in the country, have you gotten any criticism over the college? Have you seen any protests? Do you have any concerns about that?

YUSUF: Well, I think the same people that are criticizing the Ground Zero or mosque or nearby, whatever it is, I mean, the same people that are vocal in the media are also criticizing us and other organizations. I think it's just par for the course right now. Islam is an acceptable target. To be prejudicial towards Islam is really politically correct still.

But I think that's going to change. And I think a lot of good Americans are waking up and realizing a lot of the jingoism here, the xenophobia. Muslims have been in the United States from the start. They were here at the founding of this country. And there's many books that have proven that fact. So, Islam is here. It's here to stay. And I think that we need to make the best of the pluralism of our nation.

LEMON: You're only offering two majors. What are those majors?

YUSUF: Right now, we're offering Islamic law and theology as a major and the Arabic language as a major. And we have a very, very good curriculum. It's been developed and worked on.

LEMON: How do you plan to expand your curriculum beyond these two majors? I'm sure that's part of what you like to...

YUSUF: Well, we hope, we hope. Yes. As time progresses, we hope that we get the type of support that's necessary. The type of endowments. It takes a lot of money to really create a full-fledged college. But every college in the United States started out very small generally with the rare exception of some of the major philanthropists that started colleges -- University of Chicago with Rockefeller money, Stanford with Stanford money.

So, we hope -- I think our community is realizing the importance of having our own academic institutions in the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Time now to check the stories you'll be hearing a lot about in the week ahead from the world of politics to Wall Street to showbiz. We start tonight in Washington. PRESTON: A relatively quiet week in Washington as President Obama continues his vacation on Martha's Vineyard and Congress remains in recess.

A big meeting will take place Tuesday as Shirley Sherrod, the disgraced and then vindicated former agriculture department employee, will meet with Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to discuss a job offer.

As for politics, all eyes are on Arizona where Senator John McCain faces a primary challenge from former Representative JD Hayworth, and in Florida with billionaire Jeff Greene and Representative Kendrick Meek battle for the Democratic Senate nomination, and State Attorney General Bill McCollum faces off against billionaire health care executive Rick Scott for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. It has been a rough ride for the stock market and Wall Street is certainly feeling the pressure. A lot ahead this week. Investors are going to get the latest reading on both new and existing home sales, a critical indication of whether or not the housing market is recovering.

And then ahead of Thursday, the government releases its weekly jobless claims report. You know, Wall Street is bracing for that number as those claims have been near or at half a million in recent weeks.

And finally on Friday, we will get the latest reading on GDP and see just how much the fragile U.S. economy is actually growing. That's all ahead. We'll track it all for you this week on CNNMoney.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" Brooke Anderson. On Monday, a big day for Michael Jackson's doctor in court as he faces his trial on charges that he had a hand in Jackson's death.

And on Tuesday, former "American Idol" winner Fantasia speaks out for the first time after being hospitalized for a medication overdose following claims that she had an affair with a married man.

"Showbiz Tonight" is live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern and still TV's most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m.

LEMON: Thank you, guys. That's happening domestically. Internationally, Azadeh Ansari is here.

Azadeh, we want to start tonight in China. Let's go to China, right?

AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: That's right, Don. So in China, we have more than a quarter million people that have been evacuated from these areas that have been hit heavily with torrential rains. And we can expect more rains to hit going into next week, and this is, again, coming out of Pakistan, we have China. So weather, weather, weather.

LEMON: Weather, weather, weather. All right. Let's check to see what's happening in Australia. We have been having -- the last couple of weeks we've been having an issue with this.

ANSARI: Right. So, this cliff-hanger election is still ongoing. No clear winner has emerged from Saturday's election. And the winning party needs 76 seats out of 150 in parliament. And if that doesn't happen, it could be the first hung election that we've seen in Australia since 1940.

LEMON: Very interesting. Hey, listen. I want to talk -- this one -- this one really puzzles me. We're talking about -- is this Chad, which is here, I'm having trouble getting there.

ANSARI: Chad, in Nigeria. It's a very disturbing story and what we have is a situation where it's been ongoing. We're running a three- part series on child witches. So religious leaders in certain areas will identify children as being possessed. And in this process of ridding them of their, you know, being Satan or whatever, they get a lot of money to do this, and the children are tortured and they're, you know, buried alive. I mean it's really horrific in terms of what you see being done to these kids. So, stay tuned and we'll show you what, you know.

LEMON: I'll tell you what. Next week, will you come stand next to me and then we'll get quick control of the...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You'll come stand next to me and we'll talk and we'll get the experts to do all the spinning and taking us around the world. Thank you, Azadeh Ansari. Have a great week.

A Little League pitching phenom with an arm that is the envy of opponents. She just got an incredible honor. Yes, that's right. This amazing player is a girl.

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LEMON: All right. You're going to like this next story just because I like it. No, you're really going to like it. Everyone likes this story.

Young baseball players from all over the world are in Pennsylvania this weekend for the start of the Little League World Series. That's right. The Little League World Series. The plant city Florida team didn't quite make it. But its star pitcher was honored this week at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, for her two perfect games. That's right -- her two perfect games.

Chelsea Baker has made a habit of beating all boys' teams with a mid- 60s fastball and a knuckleball that she learned from former Major Leaguer Joe Niekro. She joins us now from Tampa.

Hi, Chelsea. How you doing? Smile, relax, take a deep breath.

CHELSEA BAKER, 13-YEAR-OLD PITCHING PHENOM: Good.

LEMON: So I know you might feel a little nervous. You have no reason to be nervous. Look at you. You strike out all those boys. So don't be nervous to be on television.

OK. So, it's quite an honor. We read your resume. The little bit that we read here. Your jersey is now in the Hall of Fame. So, what was the experience like especially at 13 years old?

BAKER: It's just been a great experience to be a part of all of this. And I just feel really honored and blessed to be in stuff like this.

LEMON: You do? So, I hear -- you have to tell me if this is the truth. That when you strike out the boys, sometimes they cry.

BAKER: Yes. When I strike them out with the knuckleball, sometimes they'll throw their helmets and start crying. And so, it's really funny to watch.

LEMON: Do you laugh out loud in their face?

BAKER: Yes, sir.

LEMON: OK. All right.

BAKER: Inside.

LEMON: And inside. All right. You pitched four Little League seasons without a loss, so do you get much heckling from the boys when you're striking out, or their parents?

BAKER: The parents sometimes make comments to me, but I just don't listen to them.

LEMON: You just sort of stay focused and do your own thing, right?

Let's see. You also -- you hit over 600 this season. So which do you enjoy more? Do you enjoy more hitting or do you enjoy more pitching?

BAKER: I like pitching more than batting.

LEMON: Why?

BAKER: I just -- I just love pitching. And I've been pitching since I was 7 and I just love it.

LEMON: Did you ever -- did there ever come a time when you realized that you were special, that you had a gift? Or are you just kind of feeling it now? Do you even know that?

BAKER: I feel really special because not many people get to be a part of what I've been doing, and so it's just been an honor.

LEMON: Yes. A former Major Leaguer, Joe Niekro, who has since passed away, he helped you with your throwing and that knuckleball. So how did that come about?

BAKER: When I was 7, he was my travel ball coach. And he was our batting pitcher. And he would always throw it to us. And I could never hit it. And so I would always beg him to teach it to me. And finally one day he just taught it to me.

LEMON: So, Chelsea, you're going to have to make a choice pretty soon. You'll have to choose whether or not to do softball or baseball and on and on. But I understand that you have your own plan about what you want to do and there is a goal that you're trying to reach. What is it?

BAKER: I want to play baseball for as long as I can. And I want to play high school baseball and then I also want to play on the USA girls' travel baseball team.

LEMON: And then you want to go to the Olympics and then you want to be a big baseball star. After that, you're going to come to Atlanta and play for the Braves. Is that right?

BAKER: Sure.

LEMON: Chelsea, you're a remarkable young lady, and I appreciate you joining us. I know that you're a little bit nervous, but you don't have to be nervous when you're striking all those guys. I think you're going to have a huge career. And do you promise not to forget about us and come back here on CNN and -- along the way when you're a big star?

BAKER: Yes, sir.

LEMON: Thank you, Chelsea Baker. It's good to meet you, OK? Best of luck.

BAKER: You, too. Thanks for having me.

LEMON: All right. You're welcome. She is a star. She is a star.

Dog, well, it might be man's best friend. But it turns out Fido might be an expensive friend. The Insurance Information Institute says aggressive dogs are taking a pretty big bite out of the owners' wallets.

And Betty White picking up another big award and proving once again that your career is never really over.

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LEMON: To some politicians and other folks, members of the media are considered, well, pests. Our Jeanne Moos has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): You may think we in the press are obnoxious pests. That's no excuse to rain a can of wasp and hornet spray at us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Roll on it, Al.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got it. I got it.

MOOS: The cameraman got it, all right. Next thing you know, the insecticide was being sprayed all over Web.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to go up there and get these firemen to hose me down.

MOOS: The WTIC cameraman did get first aid at a nearby fire station. The guy who was later arrested for doing the spraying outside a Connecticut courthouse were Sean Quayle (ph). The media were chasing Quayle and his wife because they were already charged with allegedly receiving stolen beer from none other than the man who went on a shooting rampage at that beer distributorship two weeks ago.

(on camera): Now normally when people want to get rid of us, they use the cover the lens and shove technique. The technique demonstrated by model Naomi Campbell on an ABC crew.

(voice over): Usually, the press is pelted with things like tear gas canisters.

Occasionally, someone throws water at a reporter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) camera.

MOOS: And uses the empty bottle to battle the press.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not appropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't give a (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MOOS: There was even a Florida grandmother...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't put that camera in my (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MOOS: ...who chased away the media wielding a hoe. And though camera crews are sometimes subjected to tear gas -- and protests -- we protest when hit by bug spray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Find out what it is before I have to go to the hospital.

MOOS: A pro-star in Gawker quibbled with the choice of insecticide. "I think you're supposed to use roach spray on Fox cameramen. Wasp and hornet spray is for CBS."

The sprayer was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment and third-degree assault. At least he followed instructions and shook the can.

And I guess I would rather be sprayed than hoed. We sure do bug people.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Time now for a little news you might have missed. It looks like aggressive dogs are taking a bigger bite out of their owners' budgets. The Insurance Information Institute crunched the numbers and found the average homeowner's insurance payout for a dog bite claim is up $24,000, up nearly 30 percent from 2003. The insurance journal reports this is because of increased medical costs and larger settlements, judgments and jury awards to dog bite victims. If you had to pay a dog bite claim, your insurance company will increase your premium if you keep the dog.

Actress Betty White seems to be able to do it all. Last night, she won her eighth Emmy. This time for her gig on "Saturday Night Live" in May. She won the award for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. The main primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast later this month. The 88-year-old White was asked to appear on "SNL" after a grassroots campaign on Facebook. And as "The New York Times" critic put it, "The only real disappointment of the night was when the clock struck 1:00 a.m. and the show had to end."

It's kind of like our viewers feel every Saturday and Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. here on CNN.

I'm Don Lemon. See you back here next week. Thanks for watching.