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People Use YouTube to Make Money; Susan Burton is a "CNN Hero" of the Year Nominee; Waters Keep Rising in Upper Midwest; Bishop Eddie Long to Address Sex Charges; Protest against Christian Concert at Fort Bragg

Aired September 25, 2010 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Right now on CNN, once again, the first time we'll hear from embattled Bishop Eddie long gets pushed back. We're just now learning the terms of media access for tomorrow's church service outside of Atlanta. Not what was originally promised. Our Martin Savidge is here to explain to us.

A concert organized by one of America's favorite ministers raising questions and protests. Some are calling it a Christian recruiting tools saying, it shouldn't be hailed in the military post. We are live.

A mother and wife claimed that TSA terrorized her, invaded her privacy and held her against her will. And no one will tell her why. We go looking for answers this hour.

Hello everyone, I'm Don Lemon, thanks for joining us. But we start for breaking news, a day of disastrous flooding in the upper Midwest where the flood waters have already forced 1,000 people from their homes. The rain has stopped but the water is still surging.

There it is right there. This is the scene out of north, just in Northville Minnesota. And that is the Cannon River canal and the water is still climbing higher and higher as we speak. One of the rivers there is supposed to crest during our hour's right here.

CNN IReporter Tim Krause is tracking the floods for us from Wisconsin, he joins me now by Skype from his front porch literally just a few feet from the slowing Wisconsin River. Tell us what you're seeing.

TIM KRAUSE, CNN IREPORTER: We're seeing a Wisconsin River, that's the highest it's ever been since 1938. The water levels are about three feet from the back door of our house. We are hoping that river has crested at this point, although we have at least a couple of watchful hours to make sure that everything holds.

LEMON: And so Tim, this is your front porch. Is your home in any danger right now?

KRAUSE: Our understanding is that our home was here the last time the river flooded in 1938, and so we're keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that it's safe. There are about a half dozen homes in this neighborhood that have already flooded. Downstream in Wisconsin Rapids, there are probably a similar number of homes that are flooded and there are a number of evacuations that are currently going on.

LEMON: So, listen, we're seeing a little building there, it looks like some sort of house or maybe a play or swing set or whatever. What is that we're seeing in the background right behind you?

KRAUSE: What you're seeing is a small stone pump house, that's about the same ages our home is, so, it's about 78 years old. The water on Thursday of this week wasn't even at that level. At this point it's risen about halfway up that structure. So we're looking at about four or five feet of water with another four or five feet of the shelter above the surface of the river.

LEMON: So Tim, have you gone to downtown? And if you have, what have you seen there?

KRAUSE: We have been downtown a couple of times. We actually live between two dams, there's about four miles river in between dam in Byron and one in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Rapids dam has at least 15 gates attached to it. It appears that most, if not all of them are open. There is some minor flooding. The bridge that connects the east and west portions of the town next to the paper mill has been closed because there are some concerns about the structural integrity of the bridge and they want to make sure that everybody stays safe.

LEMON: All right. Tim Krause, one of our IReporters and he's joining us from his porch in Byron, Wisconsin. You can see the floodwaters right there. Thank you, Tim.

We turn now to our meteorologist right here in the CNN, hurricane headquarters, Schneider, Bonnie. Listen, this is major. What should you do in this situation and talk to us about what's happening on the ground there, how long is this going to go on?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Don, the threat continues and that's why we have so many watches and warnings posted across the Midwest. The main thing to do to prepare for a flood is to have your emergency supply kit ready and have your family disaster plan in place. Now, if it catches you off guard and by surprise, you want to get everything, all your belongings, and especially electrical appliances up to the highest floor in your home. Do not wait in the basement to kind of watch and see what happens, because it's very dangerous to walk through flood waters, even in your own home. Aside from having all your supplies, getting to the top floor, if you're advised to turn off electrical outlets, any sort of facilities in your home, follow those instructions and most importantly, if you are advised to evacuate, do it, it is for your own health and safety. Here's what we're looking at across much of the Midwest, the flood threat continues.

Now, the rain is working its way more southward of the original flood area which is some good news. But you could see heavy rains sweeping across Indiana, into Iowa, that will continue for the evening hours. We're also tracking some heavy rain to the south well to the south in parts of Texas, some powerful thunderstorms is popping up into south Texas right now. So, that's going to be tough for those of you that are driving. We have a powerful cold front right here working its way across the country. This will bring relief from the heat for places in the northeast and the mid-Atlantic. Don, temperatures in D.C., in Washington, climbed into the upper 90s yesterday shattering a record, I know it's fall, it will start to feel that way very soon when this front passes through.

LEMON: All right. Bonnie Schneider, thank you very much. We go now to another developing story, it's happening here in Georgia. Specifically in Lithonia, Georgia just outside of Atlanta. Tomorrow's church service at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church could be the most important of Bishop Eddie Long's ministry. He says, he will directly respond to allegations he had sexual relationships with young men in his congregation. He has -- denied all these charges.

I want to bring in our Martin Savidge now, because Martin has just gotten some new information. Martin have been -- you've been at the briefing for the press. We had thought that he would come out tomorrow and speak to his troops in front of the media and answers questions. The terms are changing in this situation.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, conditions in which the media is going to be allowed to have success is fluctuating. And actually, it has been changing all week long, we can get into that later though. But Art Franklin is the man who is the spokesperson for Bishop Long and he's also the intermediary with us as the media. And the way, it was supposed to work originally was there were two services, 8:00 and 11:00, and the media was to have success. We would -- CNN to pull the whole camera inside and then there was the church feed as well. We will see live what was happening, Bishop Long speaking to the congregation.

The new rules are different. What they say now is that halfway through the 8:00 service, the live feed will stop and our camera will have to leave. That is exactly the moment actually when Bishop Long would come in and begin speaking to the congregation about the allegations that have been made. The explanation that Art Franklin gives for this disruption is that the bishop wants to speak to the family, as he puts it, the congregation, delivering his message without interruption or interference coming from the media. That's why they're doing it this way. To make up for it, though, there has to be a news conference between those two services. Bishop Long will be at that news conference, his wife will be at that news conference and the attorneys, his attorneys will be at that news conference.

LEMON: All right. Why invite the media anyway? Why not just invite the media after the service? Why invite them to the service, cut them off halfway and then invite them back to a room?

SAVIDGE: You know, again, this seems to be a number of -- a plan that is evolving very, very quickly here. You know, earlier in the week we realized he was supposed to be on a radio program, Bishop Long was. That got canceled.

LEMON: Right. SAVIDGE: There was going to be a news conference, that got canceled. We thought we would have access to both services, that's been changed. So, is this a conflict perhaps of what our people are saying he should do, what his attorneys should do, and what he wants to do.

LEMON: OK. So listen, he said he was innocent. He says he's innocent of all these charges. But people are going to draw their own conclusions and based on the way they are responding, including saying they're going to appear somewhere and then not. People are going to make up their own conclusions in their own minds.

SAVIDGE: They will, they always will, no matter what he does in this particular case. I mean, that's one of the things that his pr people will say, no matter what he does, there will always be those who will counter how he does it. We will as reporters be allowed to witness as he speaks to the congregation, we just can't record it. So, I'll be taking a lot of notes.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: OK. So much for transparency in this case. Tell us about the fourth young man that's come forward.

SAVIDGE: Well, this Spencer LeGrande, this suit came out yesterday. He's 22 years of age, he is a member of the New Birth Church, but not the one here in Atlanta in fact in a satellite perish which is in Charlotte, North Carolina. He says in 2005 at age 17, he met Bishop Long. They began talking on the telephone. Shortly, thereafter, Bishop Long invited him go to on a trip to Africa and that's where the sexual relationship began. And from there on the story because very similar to the other three kids instead of come forward from young man who said that they were basically rude by his presence, by his religious leadership and by agreement about money that he was willing lavish.

LEMON: Martin Savidge will be covering this story for us and Martin is going to join us later on, he'll join us tomorrow as well. He'll be at those services, take a lot of notes. You know, you may want to bring a little keyboard as well that might help you out.

SAVIDGE: Thanks.

LEMON: Thank you, Martin.

Much, much more on this story coming up at 7:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, including Ted Haggard who had his own sex scandal as a minister. Plus, we'll speak with several members of the New Birth congregation to find out how they are dealing with these allegations and what's to expect and what's going to happen tomorrow. We'll going to talk to them. Make sure you join us at 7:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Other news now to tell you about, an invasion of privacy or TSA agents just doing their jobs? A wife and mother fighting back after she says that screeners at the airport at the Philadelphia airport went way too far. A concert and a controversy, a Christian rock concert draws thousands of troops on a military base, but does it cross the line of separation of church and state?

And using YouTube to line your pockets, it is a concept that's spreading like wildfire, for people who are tired of the 9:00 to 5:00 job. That's a lot of folks.

And don't just sit there. Make sure you become part of the conversation. Send me a message on twitter and Facebook, check out my blog. CNN.com/Don and look for us on Foursquare. We want to hear from you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A concert being staged today at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina has drawn the attention of a watch dog group for the separation of church and state. The Rock the Fort event is billed as a Christian rally that's open to the general public. It is being put on by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which has staged similar events on other military bases. But critics say, the gathering blurs the line between the state, in this case the military, and religion.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence has been following this story and he has more from both sides of this debate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Christian concert is called Rock the Fort and it's living up to its name.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is bringing Christian rock bands to Ft. Bragg and some say crossing a line.

(BEGIN VIDE CLIP)

MIKEY WEINSTEIN, MILITARY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOUNDATION: The express purpose of this event is to evangelize, to spread the gospel to all those who are lost. Soldiers are being giving pieces of paper with seven blanks name on it to bring seven more people, so they will come to Christ.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Ft. Bragg advertised the concert on its website and Mikey Weinstein said, more than 100 soldiers there have complained of this group, military religious freedom, sending e-mails like, "please help us, MRFF, this is wrong."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a few minutes, I'm going to give you a chance to make a decision, it's your choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LAWRENCE: Rock the Fort has been to several other bases, including recruit trainee at Ft. Jackson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We play not only they become soldiers here in Boot Camp, but we will pray that they'll come into God's army in a sense of giving their life over to Jesus Christ.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Critics say that's a dangerous message to the military to bring right into basic training.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEINSTEIN: We're not supposed to be using to be using the U.S. Army to develop and gender and, you know, new soldiers for Christ.

COL. DAVID HILLIS, U.S. ARMY CHAPLAIN: Our goal is again, not to proselytize anyone, you know, from either their particular faith they're a part of, and our goal is not to coerce anyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Ft. Bragg's chaplain says, the event on his base is open to the public. No one has to come. Except the thousands of soldiers and their families who are excited to do so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLIS: Really, it's up to the individual, and people like any message or any faith can choose to accept or reject. We're offering an invitation, but that invitation is only voluntary and of the free choice of that particular individual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: The chaplain wrote to North Carolina churches on Ft. Bragg Letterhead, promoting the event. And Billy Graham's website states read upfront, "The Rock the Fort outreach is designed to channel new believers into your church." Americans united for separation of church and state wrote the secretary of the army urging him to stop militaries endorsement of the event. They argue proselytizing is prohibited. And the army is breaking the law by endorsing religion. The chaplain says the base is merely a host for anyone who wants to come.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera) The chaplain also told me that sharing the faith is part of the Christian tradition and he's not only obligated but happy to provide the same kind of support to other faiths on base if they wanted to put on a similar event. Critics say, when it comes to religion, all the army is supposed to do is officiate religious events and provide a place for soldiers to worship. And these concerts go way beyond that. Chris Lawrence, CNN, the Pentagon.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Chris. That concert at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina is called the Rock the Fort event, again being built as a Christian rally that's open to the general public. It is just getting under way. We'll going to have some video for you shortly here on CNN.

The Middle East peace process is down to the wire. A last-ditch effort to keep both sides from walking away from the table, just hours before construction moratorium is set to end soon.

Digging through personal receipts and personal checks in a woman's purse. This is what woman says happened to her in an airport in Philadelphia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Want to check our top stories right now on CNN. It is been a deadly weekend in Los Angeles. Two men were shot, one fatally, as they sat in a parked car late last night. Then early this morning, a fight broke out after a birthday party. Eight people were shot, one fatally and three people were stabbed. In addition, an 80-year-old man died in an apparent home invasion, and two men were shot to death in a Los Angeles park.

A critical deadline on the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is looming. Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the U.N. General Assembly today that Israel must extend its freeze on settlement construction in the west bank to keep the negotiations alive. That freeze expires tomorrow. Mr. Abbas also met with Middle East Envoy George Mitchell today after talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday to try to save the peace effort.

Popular kids channel Nickelodeon went dark for three hours today, it's all part of the worldwide day of play. First Lady Michelle Obama actually went on the air to encourage children to turn off the TV, shut down the computer, put down the cell phone and go outside and play. Programming was halted from noon eastern until 3:00 this afternoon.

Lindsay Lohan out of jail after spending less than a day behind bars. A Los Angeles sheriff department says, the actress posted a $300,000 bail and was released late last night. Lohan was jailed yesterday morning after failing a court ordered drug test. She's due back in court on October 2nd for a hearing on revoking her probation.

How would you like strangers asking you about your diet pills, your personal checks and your receipts at the airport? One woman says, it happened to her in Philadelphia. Now the American Civil Liberties Union is suing on her behalf, saying security procedures are going way too far.

CNN's Kate Bolduan has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kathy Parker says her travel nightmare started with this wallet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY PARKER, FILED COMPLAINT AGAINST TSA: They went through compartments, you know, they kind of looked through like this. And in this compartment I keep a lot of receipts, so they were actually pulling out receipts and they're looking at them. They were opening them all the way up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And that is when Parker says, her trip through Philadelphia airport security went too far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER: It was very uncomfortable, it was embarrassing to have your personal things from inside your wallet, receipts just laid out in the open and people looking. It was just a horrific experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And that wasn't all. Parker was flying Charlotte, North Carolina on business in August when she says Transportation Security Administration agents and local law enforcement detained her for an hour, questioning her, searching her personal items, even calling her husband to say she was suspected of embezzlement after finding $8,000 in checks in her wallet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER: They told him that they detained me because they suspected it was a divorce situation, and that I was emptying out our bank accounts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Parker calls the incident humiliating, an invasion of privacy and is working with the ACLU to make sure it doesn't happen again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Kathy Parker was violated. The TSA went far beyond their mandate in looking into whether this was a divorce situation or an embezzlement situation. That's not related to assuring the safety of aviation. And what the TSA needs to understand is the airport is not a constitution free zone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Although TSA does not restrict passengers from carrying large sums of money, agents do alert local law enforcement if they suspect criminal activity. The TSA declined the comment on the Parker incident but in the statement said, quote, "TSA strives to treat all passengers with dignity and respect. We hold our employees to the highest professional and ethical standards, have a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior and act swiftly when proper protocols are not followed."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(on camera) You looking for an explanation?

PARKER: I just -- that may help. But what I'm really looking for is just to avoid this happening to me or anyone else. I don't think anybody should pay this price when they fly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Last year after a separate incident in St. Louis, the ACLU filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security saying that incident reflected a larger problem of unlawful searches at airports. Kathy Parker says, she plans to file a lawsuit as well. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

LEMON: Thank you, Kate. Making a buck in an unlikely place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA NUNES, YOUTUBE STAR: A line of people waiting for you to scrawl your name on a piece of plastic that you put music on, I mean, it's awesome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, you might watch it for kicks, but see how some people are using YouTube to make a profit and their dreams come true. Maybe you can too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In this economy, quitting your day job can be a dangerous proposition. But for some YouTube users, they're turning their page view popularity into a living and into making money on the online video site. YouTube has created a list of what you call unknown celebrities. People you probably have never heard of, from Korean chefs to quirky film makers to bands and singers. They have legions of followers online. And in the case of one recent college grad, she left her parent's place and is able to pay for a New York City apartment, all by herself. That's a lot of money. Her name is Julia Nunes, her YouTube page has garnered more than 37 million viewers and CNN photojournalist Emmanuel Tambakakis was there as she made one of her videos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

NUNES: There's been a lot of people that have gotten a lot of recognition on YouTube. I am Julia Nunes, I know that most of the things that have come to me, I am a ukulele player, success wise, like touring with Ben Folds and now Ben Kweller, I got because they found me on YouTube. I think the first one that got a lot of views like that was "Into the Sunshine" which was a guitar song. And one of the first ones that I did harmonies and multi tracking things on.

I have no idea. Maybe over a million. I think over a million by now. I got like a really cool little following of like 1,000 people up until "Into the Sunshine" got featured which kicked me up to like 10,000. I'm somewhere in like 150,000 subscribers, growing steadily.

I don't like the term YouTube sensation, because it makes me feel like a laughing baby --

(LAUGHTER)

JULIA: -- a cat that fell down somewhere.

(LAUGHTER)

JULIA: This is my whole setup.

(SINGING)

JULIA: Now that I'm playing shows where everyone who is there bought a ticket specifically to see me, that's when it becomes real.

(SINGING)

JULIA: That's just a computer and a microphone.

(SINGING)

JULIA: Because it's easy to look at numbers on a screen and be like, yes, I'm doing great. Until there's like a girl that's nervous to meet you.

That is a guitar, my baby. Not only were my roommates frustrated with the boisterousness of any guitar, it is what I write half of my songs on. My neighbors would also get frustrated, so I switched my little plinky thing. It seemed to aggravate everyone less.

If you want an audience, then you can find your own audience, because I did.

(SINGING)

JULIA: Having people listen to what you have to say and the music you're making is probably one of the most gratifying things in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Really? Can you make money like that?

All right, so if you like to sing or write songs, how do you use YouTube to your advantage? Tonight, we'll hear how a band of brothers did it. It's called Boyce Avenue. Offline, the name isn't well known. But online, Boyce Avenue has such a following, the brothers were able to figure out where they were popular, and they ended up packing in crowds in places like the Philippines. They Manzano brothers join us now live from Tampa, Florida.

Hello, guys.

The oldest is Daniel, Fabbian and the youngest, as well as the lead singer, Alejandro.

Say hello.

ALEJANDRO MANZANO, BOYCE AVENUE BAND MEMBER & LEAD SINGER: OK. Right here.

So welcome Daniel.

DANIEL MANZANO, BOYCE AVENUE BAND MEMBER: Hey, how's it going?

LEMON: You were the attorney. You're the one that has the Harvard law degree. You decided to quit because Boyce Avenue was generating enough for all three of you to do it full time, right?

DANIEL MANZANO: Yes. It's been a great honor to get to do what we always wanted to do and what we love. We all had day jobs at the onset. and we've just been very lucky. It took off online. and now we tour and play for the fans and that's how we make our living.

LEMON: Daniel, Boyce Avenue is what's called a YouTube partner, basically advertises for you to place ads on your page. Is that the lucrative part, that's where you get your money?

DANIEL MANZANO: You know, for us -- the way we post videos, we want it to be very fan friendly. We're more about getting the music out to the people and the videos. We do have some advertisements on our videos and that's been a big help for us. But for us, the big thing is to show people our music, you know, where they can get it on iTunes and Amazon, and for us to get out and see the fans on tour and stuff like that.

LEMON: So just to clarify, just for me here, the way you make your money is for people to go on YouTube -- I mean to go to Amazon or iTunes, to pay for the music, the bulk of your money doesn't come from the advertising?

ALEJANDRO MANZANO: It comes from a few different streams but, for us, the bulk of the money comes from more conventional ways, like selling our music and touring and selling merch and that kind of stuff.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You have some impressive numbers, nearly 200 million views, more than 300,000 subscribers. What advice do you have to musicians who want to build a following on YouTube, who want to follow in your footsteps?

FABBIAN MANZANO, BOYCE AVENUE BAND MEMBER: I think the most important thing, like what we tried hard to do at the beginning, was to create your own identity and your own style. We had -- at the time that we started, there was a lot of webcam videos that were out, which was just the primitive camera on the top of your computer. We decided we wanted to have a style that was just our own, where we had multiple cameras and angles, and just the way Alejandro chose certain songs to do. We just chose to create our own identity. So I would suggest or recommend that people, if they have a style or want to try something, just do it. YouTube is pretty much my primary search engine. I use it like I use Google.

LEMON: Yes, if you build a bridge, they say, they will come.

FABBIAN MANZANO: True.

LEMON: Alejandro, last question to you. What is your goal? Is Boyce Avenue satisfied with your following on YouTube? Or are you striving to be, you know, get to Justin Bieber status?

(LAUGHTER)

ALEXJANDRO MANZANO: Interesting question. No, I mean, it's a tough question, because we're very grateful for everything that we have right now. But we always -- part of the reason we got where we are right now is by setting our goals and having our standards really high up there. So we still definitely feel like this is just the beginning for us. And we hope to keep getting bigger and bigger and maybe more of a Cold Play, Goo Goo Dolls, Lighthouse-type of a way.

DANIEL MANZANO: YouTube will always be a part of what we do, and a huge part of what we do, because we love doing videos for the fans. But we're working on trying to get radio play and doing those kinds of things, too.

LEMON: Thank you, guys. Thank you Alejandro, Daniel and -- what's the other guy's -- Alejandro, Daniel and Fabbian.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I was going to call you Fabian earlier. And my producer was like, no, it's Fabbian, so make sure you say it properly.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Thank you, guys.

You know we always say, with the economy, people saying they're out of work, this is the new way people are doing new and inventive things to make money now and to earn livings. And that's what these guys show you.

So it's not only musicians making money on YouTube. I want you to meet other success stories. Tomorrow, we show you more ways that people are making money on YouTube. That's during the 6:00 p.m. hour of the "CNN NEWSROOM" on Sunday. Make sure you join us.

Ahead, actress, Ricki Lake, introduces us to one of CNN's top-ten heroes of 2010. You'll be able to go online and vote for the one who inspires you the most, to become the "CNN Hero" of the year.

And lace up your sneakers, grab your iPod. It's the new trend that's helping women put their best foot forward in the battle of the bulge.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You know, all year we've introduced you to remarkable, everyday people changing the world. This week, we announced our top- ten "CNN Heroes" of 2010, one of whom will become the "CNN Hero" of the year.

Actress Ricki Lake introduces us to one of those nominees, Susan Burton, who overcame a troubled past to help more than 400 female ex- cons get back on their feet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICKI LAKE, ACTRESS: Hi, I'm Ricki Lake. I've had the honor to help recognize people changing the world at "CNN Heroes, an All-Star Tribute." As a supporter of 2008 top-ten "CNN Heroes" Marie DeSilva (ph) and the Jack Rand Foundation (ph), I'm committed to building schools, providing education, and preventing AIDS in Malawi. And I'm thrilled to help CNN introduce one of this year's top-ten honorees. Now more than ever the world needs heroes.

SUSAN BURTON, CNN HERO: We all leave prison saying I'm going to get my life on track. And you end up getting off a bus, downtown Los Angeles, Skid Row. Many times, you don't even make it out of the Skid Row area because you're caught up into that cycle again.

My name is Susan Burton. After my son died, I used drugs. I went to prison six times. Finally, I found rehab. And I thought I can help women come home from prison.

I pick them up, bring them back to the house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She offers you a warm bed, food. Like a real family. She made me want to change my life.

BURTON: You finally whispered sure.

You came a long way.

This is giving to life. That's what it's all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And look at that. There she is.

Smile for us.

CNN's top-ten "CNN Hero," Susan Burton, joins us now live in Los Angeles.

First of all, congratulations to you.

BURTON: Thank you.

LEMON: What was your reaction when you learned you were named one of the finalists for the year?

BURTON: It felt like fireworks going off all in my body, to think that out of 10,000 nominations, I was chosen to go up into the top-ten bracket. I was just, you know, amazed and very grateful.

LEMON: Yes. Did you get any response --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: -- when your story was initially told on CNN?

BURTON: Yes, I got responses from all over the nation. A New Way of Life is a small organization located in south L.A. And this is a national problem and concern. And I got e-mails from all across the country from people wanting to establish little places in their communities and usher people back into a safe environment and into productivity.

As a matter of fact, there have been three women, one in Phoenix, Nadia, who has started an organization called Wings of Hope, and there's a lady down in Chicago, Geraldine, who has started an organization, and there's a woman in North Carolina, who has started an organization. And I've been kind of mentoring them and helping them get it going. It takes a lot of work.

LEMON: Yes. It does. And I have to say when you're dealing with -- there are a number of things, but when you're dealing with ex-cons, homeless people and sometimes people with HIV, they're sometimes the people forgotten about. For you to do this is a big deal. But as you say, it's a lot of work and we shouldn't turn our backs on people because people -- they're supposed to go to prison or jail and then they should come out and be redeemed, right?

BURTON: Exactly. They've served their time. They returned back to the community. And they're looking for a way to fit in, and a way to give to the community, a way to be productive.

You know, we're talking about 500,000 people across this country are released every year. And when there's no resources or support for them, you have tragedy. When there is resources, you have this amazing transformation, an amazing new person that takes up their place and begins to parent and begins to work and begins to contribute to the community.

LEMON: Yes. Susan Burton, congratulations to you. Your kind spirit comes through the television.

And we'll be watching to see if you become the "CNN Hero" of the year. I'm sure you're hoping Anderson Cooper announces your name on Thanksgiving night. So thank you very much. OK, good luck to you.

BURTON: You're welcome and thank you. LEMON: You can vote online. I'm talking to you, the viewer, for a "CNN Hero," the one who inspires you the most. All ten will be featured in the coming weeks on CNN and will be honored on Thanksgiving night during "CNN Heroes, an All-Star Tribute," hosted by Anderson. But only one will be named "CNN Hero" of the year. And your vote will count.

Another blow to an already devastated country. Eight months after a massive earthquake rocked Haiti, now this. Severe flooding washes away tent cities and the few possessions many people had left.

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LEMON: Let's check the top stories on CNN.

Torrential rains are mostly gone, but the water left behind is causing problems in the upper Midwest. Thursday's downpours have led to a weekend of cresting creeks in rivers in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. No reports of deaths or injuries though. The flooding is expected to last through the weekend.

It came with no warning and by the time it was gone at least five people were dead. I'm talking about a fierce storm that roared through Haiti's earthquake-ravaged capital of Port-au-Prince yesterday. Heavy rains and winds tore down trees, power lines and tents providing shelter to quake survivors. Crews are searching for people who may still be trapped or injured.

New video to show you out of Ft. Bragg that we told you about. Less than an hour ago, this Christian concert got under way. The Rock the Fort event is being put on by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Critics tried to get it canceled, saying it blurs the line between the state, in this case, the military, and the religion. Again, it got under way just about an hour ago.

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MAJOR MARGARET WITT, AIR FORCE MILITARY NURSE: I'm absolutely thrilled. I mean, all I ever wanted to do is go back to my unit and do my job. So just for that chance I'm excited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That is Air Force Veteran Margaret Witt reacting to a judge's ruling Friday that found her discharge, under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, unconstitutional. The judge ordered the Air Force to reinstate her to duty.

The New York Film Festival is under way this weekend and one of the more anticipated films highlights the very private man at the head of the very public web site. The stars of "The Social Network" turned out for the movie's premiere on Friday. The movie follows the rise Mark Zuckerberg as he builds the now ubiquitous web site Facebook. Actor Kevin Spacey says the movie captures the essence of the subject.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: I think it's great if you can set out to make a movie that does capture its time. There are few movies that do it. We certainly know the movies that have done in the past, and those are movies that stay with us, that we love to watch again and again, that you can't ever get enough of. And every time you see it, you see something new. I think this film has that level of complexity and depth. And great direction, great writing, all the things you hope a movie will do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: "The Social Network" will be in theaters October 1st. If it gets as many viewers as Facebook, it will do really, really well.

It's motivation to get moving.

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HEIDI ROIZEN, CREATOR, SKINNY SONGS: You could sing songs about lowering your cholesterol, but that wouldn't be very motivating. But talking about fitting into your skinny jeans, that's motivating.

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LEMON: Writing skinny songs to help you get fit. We'll meet a woman who is doing just that.

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LEMON: Heidi Roizen got a birthday surprise when she turned 50, one that she didn't appreciate though. As a result she went looking for what she calls chick empowerment music to help get herself motivated to lose weight. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her story in today's "Fit Nation" report.

(FIT NATION)

LEMON: Still ahead here on CNN, don't forget to duck. This is one dodgeball game for the record books. But keep your eyes on the balls, if you can. There are hundreds of them flying in all directions.

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LEMON: Time now for what we like to do here every weekend, give you some interesting stories that you might have missed throughout the week.

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LEMON: That looks fun. I would like to be there for that. Jeff Foxworthy might say, it was pandalerium. The world's biggest dodgeball event staged the other day at the University of California at Irvine. Nearly 1,800 students turned out to smash the old record by more than 500 people. The Guinness record folks were on hand to make the new record official. They didn't do it at Globo Gym. That was from the movie. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a doggy playground is turning all those little gifts that dogs inevitably leave behind into energy. The poo is deposited into special containers that compose it, or compost it, one of those components, as the waste breaks down into methane gas. Methane is then used to power the gas lights in the park at night. Interesting.

Coming up in one hour from now, we are taking a close look at the sex abuse scandal facing one of the country's most popular ministers, Bishop Eddie Long. We'll be joined by Ted Haggard, who had his own sex scandal as a minister.

Plus, we'll speak with several ministers of the New Birth congregation -- members, I should say, of the New Birth congregation to find out how they are dealing with the allegations, and what exactly is going to happen tomorrow. That's in one hour from now. I'll see you then.