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Girl Lives in Cube as Experiment; Bono Discusses the Release of Freedom Fighter Aung San Suu Kyi; President Obama Visiting Japan Before Returning to U.S.; New Technology for Tracking Alzheimer's Patients; Gamers Try to Do What Assassins Could Do

Aired November 13, 2010 - 17:00   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, the president's former chief of staff makes it official. Rahm Emanuel and his big announcement in Chicago today. You'll hear from him for the first time since leaving the White House.

Taking reality TV and the internet to the next level. One woman is living her life in a glass box on display for all to see. And the only way she's communicating is through social media. We're going to talk to her, live.

And rock legend Bono is here live, as well. He's overjoyed about the Aung San Suu Kyi release in Myanmar. We'll talk to him in just moments.

And of course, that is our lead story tonight. A woman who is one of the world's most potent symbols of liberty has finally been freed. Myanmar Democracy Activists Aung San Suu Kyi walked out of her home a free woman today. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has spent the better part of the past two decades either in prison or under house arrest. The government in Myanmar, also known as Burma, has refused to allow CNN and other news organizations into the country to cover the events. And we have the story from a journalist now in Myanmar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JARED GENSER, "FREEDOM NOW" (voice-over): After years in detention, it was the moment many people in Myanmar and the world had been waiting for. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese opposition icon, and Nobel Peace Laureate, free. Standing on the fence of her residence that's been her prison for 15 of the past 21 years. Waving to her supporters and putting a trademark flower in her hair, Aung San Suu Kyi said very little in this first encounter with the public, only telling the crowd "I am very happy to see you all again." And then telling supporters to come to the headquarters of her opposition party, the national league for democracy at midday on Sunday where she plans to address them in a speech.

Hundreds of supporters gathered in front of Suu Kyi compound throughout Saturday as word of her possible imminent release spread. Many more came to the NLD's headquarters in Yangon and many of them wore t-shirts bearing her picture. We managed to speak to some of her supporters but they had to hide their identities to protect from retribution by the military authorities. Of course, there's pressure by the military, but we know we're doing the right thing, so we don't fear the pressure of the government and the military. We're doing the right thing. We really want her to come back to the party. She will be the leader of the National League for Democracy forever. We're hoping for someone who will truly represent the people and that can only be Aung San Suu Kyi.

It's not clear whether Myanmar's military Junta has attached any strings to Aung San Suu Kyi's release. State television aired pictures showing Suu Kyi meeting with military officials allegedly shot on Saturday. Since 1989, when she was charged with trying to divide the military, she's been released from house arrest at least twice. But the military rulers have tried to stop her from being politically active or have tried to restrict her movement in return for freedom. And she was rearrested. This time, those close to her say, she would rather have stayed in detention than accept any conditions.

(on camera) Of course, every time she has been released, it's a delicate dance with the Burmese Junta because frankly, we have to recall that this is a brutal military dictatorship who is -- who has the capability at any time on an arbitrary basis to decide that she's crossed some line that they've set in their own minds and to re-arrest her or re-imprison her. My guess is that the military regime is going to claim that there's nothing for her to discuss with them, because they've just had to -- what they would claim to be a democratic elections. So we'll have to see how things play out.

(voice-over) For now, supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi are celebrating her release, but in the coming days they will want to know where the lady, as they call her respectfully, plans to lead them in the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And make sure you stick around here on CNN. One of the world's greatest rock stars is going to join me. Bono will talk about the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. That's happening in at half hour live right here on CNN in the Newsroom.

President Barack Obama praised Suu Kyi's release in a statement from Japan. It is a final stop of his 10 day trip through Asia. He'll be home by this time tomorrow, but he still has some official business left. Our White House correspondent Dan Lothian is standing by in Yokohama, Japan. So, Dan, what's on the president's plate in the coming days?

DAN LOTHIAN, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president will be sitting down for breakfast with the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. They'll be touching on a number of issues including getting the New Start Treaty ratified in the new Congress, in the lame duck Congress I should say. White House aides say the president will also be focusing on issues such as Iran and Afghanistan. Then there's the closing lunch with the APEC leaders before the president takes a cultural trip to the Great Buddha statue that is a place where the president visited when he was a young boy will be returning again before going back to the U.S., Don. LEMON: Well, Dan, you know, this trip has had its ups and downs. And if the president were -- if you were grading, if he's going to get a grade, how has he done?

LOTHIAN: Well, you know, I think some people, the experts would say that it has been a disappointment because the president's two key points that he wanted to push on this trip in Asia, first of all getting some movement on the monetary issues, the currency issue with China. No big movement there. Also, the South Korea trade deal was expected that that could get done at the G-20. It did not happen because of some issues over imports of beef, U.S. beef and also the auto imports. So, you know, that was a disappointment I think, and the White House would say, listen, these are things that take time.

And there are small steps that are being made. The president is hopeful that it will happen in the next few weeks or so, not months. On the other hand, some successes early only in this trip. In India, the White House pointing to $10 billion in deals that they were able to announce, including 10 C-17 cargo planes bought by the Indian air force. They were also be able to mix it up with some of the real people, if you will, there in India. So, the White House sees this as a success, but, you know, two of the big things that they wanted to accomplish they were not able to do that.

LEMON: And Dan, finally, it seems like the president is getting back into D.C. mode, his weekly address this morning took on earmarks.

LOTHIAN: That's right. Wanting to, you know, reduce additional earmarks, something that the president has been talking about since coming into office, even before that, as well. And of course, the big meeting that the president will be having with Republicans as well, and his new Congress to deal with the issue of the extension of the Bush tax cuts. That's something that the president had to deal with while here overseas and he has to find some kind of compromise. That's something he'll be tackling in the days ahead. So the president, after ten days of focusing on all of these issues overseas, will then refocus now to the domestic agenda.

LEMON: Thank you very much, Dan Lothian. We appreciate it.

Republicans have earmarks on their minds this weekend, and we're going to check out what's crossing our Political Ticker right now. House GOP leaders are calling for a vote on an earmark ban when Congress comes back from its lame duck, for its lame duck session next week.

Current Minority Leader John Boehner and Minority Whip Eric Cantor say, the GOP conference will hold their own vote and they say the Democrats do the same. Boehner and Cantor are in line to become speaker and majority leader in January. House Democrats have ended their fight over who will take the number two leadership position when they become the minority. Nancy Pelosi brokered a deal that will let current Majority Leader Steny Hoyer become the minority whip. Congressman Jim Clyburn agreed to in his bid for the spot and take on a new third ranking position. And if you're on Social Security, you're going to like this one. House Dems want to pass a bill that would give you a one-time, $250 check, they say it is a top priority when they get back to D.C. on Monday, they supposed to make up for another year without benefits increase.

And then check back with the said 7:00 p.m. Eastern for another political update tonight. You know, winter making a grand and early entrance. A foot of snow falls within 24 hours, blanketing parts of the Midwest and causing lots of travel problems, and it's a disease affecting millions of older Americans and many victims of Alzheimer's end up wandering away from their home. Straight ahead here on CNN, new ways for families to keep better track of their loved ones.

One of the biggest things in music history, we're talking about Bono. He's going to join us live. Why the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest after two decades means so much to him. And we want you to be part of this show, as well. And send us your messages if you want us talk to Bone, we'll read some of them if we get them. Send us message on twitter or Facebook, check out our blog at CNN.com/Don and look for me on Foursquare too, Foursquare.com/DonLemonCNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Jacqui Jeras is here. We're talking about some big snow from her hometown. Jacqui, you're excited about it, is this good?

JACQUI JERAS, METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, snow is fun. It's the weekend, right? Nobody has to worry about getting to work or anything like that. So, it definitely kind of come at a worse time. But, you know, it's the first snowfall of the season and it's quite a doozy. Let's go ahead and take a look at some of the video that we have for you that was shot by our affiliate. There you can see our iReporter actually, from iReporter Thomas Christianson from Mound, Minnesota. He said, he couldn't believe he was wearing shorts earlier in the week.

They had a record high of 68 degrees on Wednesday. And today, didn't make it out of the 30s. And then let's go ahead and take a look at that video that we have from our affiliate Carl Levin. And while it does look pretty and people are having some fun, the winds are really bad, gusting around 30 miles per hour right now. Thousands of people are without power because it was a really heavy wet snow. And then, you combine the wind on top of that and there were literally hundreds of accidents across the twin cities metro area in the entire state of Minnesota as well. That snow is still coming down.

We're talking about maybe another one to three inches on top of what you already have. It was a really a very focused area where that snow had been today. We'll be watching the arrowhead of Minnesota as well as North Western part of Wisconsin up for that continued treat of snow. And we're looking at rain ahead of this system, because that low is moving up to the north. So, it's heading into parts of Canada, so only a few of you are going to get it. But who is getting it, you really getting it. Take a look at that, Eden Prairie, a suburb of the twin cities, 11 inches. Maple Grove, nine and nine in Minneapolis itself and those numbers are going to go up a little bit. This storm system right across the nation's midsection bringing showers and well, isolated thunder showers.

We're watching the tail into this frontal system because it's going to stall out and low pressure we think is going to develop across Louisiana by tomorrow. And bring a lot of much-needed rain across the Deep South late into the weekend, into the early part of next week. So, that's a little bit of good news to go along with all of this. And there you can see the forecast map for you on your Sunday, as that rain moves eastward. The snow starts to tape her off by early in the day we think across parts of the Midwest. And we've got very blustery conditions causing problems out west which is in around 60 miles per hour, so and some of the high elevation -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Jacqui, a Minnesota girl, I appreciate it.

We want to check our top stories right now on CNN.

President Barack Obama's former chief of staff is officially running for mayor of Chicago. Rahm Emanuel made the formal announcement just today. He is been actively campaigning across the city since stepping down from his White House post just last month. About a half dozen other people are also expected to run.

In France, a government shakeup is in the works after passage of that country's controversial pension reform laws. President Nicolas Sarkozy today accepted the resignation of the prime minister setting the stage for leadership changes at several key ministries. The new prime minister, whoever that is, would form a new government. Mr. Sarkozy himself faces re-election in 18 months.

Online privacy concerns have some tech experts now recommending the Super-Logoff. They call it the Super-Logoff, it's not difficult, but it does require some extra steps. On Facebook, security users deactivate their account before logging off and closing the browser. And when an account is deactivated, no one can see it or post anything to it until it's reactivated by the user.

November is Alzheimer's awareness month and the statistics are truly alarming. According the Alzheimer's association, 60 percent of those with dementia will wander away from their homes. And if they're not found within 24 hours, only 54 percent survive. But there are new ways for families and caretakers to keep better tabs. I want to talk now to CNET contributor Katie Linendoll, she is here to show us some of them. Hey, Katie, how are you?

KATIE LINENDOLL, CNET CONTRIBUTOR: I'm doing fabulous, Don, how are you?

LEMON: I'm great. What do you have for us?

LINENDOLL: We have some good stuff this week. And yes, you heard the statistics with all time. But it's not only emotionally challenging for families and caregivers, it also can be very financially burdening. Because the early stages of Alzheimers as you said the statistics, 60 percent of those with dementia often wander away from their homes where they would be happier as oppose to a care facility. So, we're going to talk about two new technologies that are pre- remarkable.

This here is a GPS shoe. What looks like a regular loafer, it's actually made by a foot care company and also a GPS application company. And yes, it looks like a regular loafer. I've tried it on, it's very comfo. But in the back here, you actually plug it in to recharge it, it had a little mini USB port, you know, what's remarkable is, it actually tells you where that wearer is in real time. So you can track their location in real time and also set up safe zones. So, say for example, if you're watching a family member that has Alzheimer's, you can pin point on a map where they are. But if they go outside of a safe zone that you can set up, it will send you an alert via your phone or also indicated online, which is pretty neat technology.

LEMON: That is really neat technology and a lot of people deal with that. My family, I'm sure, there has been someone in your family.

LINENDOLL: Yes.

LEMON: All of a sudden they changed and you realize they're going through Alzheimer's or dementia or what have you -- are there other products out there, are there things out there to help?

LINENDOLL: Yes. So, we talked about the GPS shoe. This is coming out in early 2011. One that is out right now that I like is called M- finders. And this usually hasn't had a lot of media attraction, but I think it's pretty remarkable in terms of what's behind it. It looks just like a watch. You can take off the links like any regular watch. And what it does is, say for example, this can actually go to on the laces, they can go on the wrist, they can go on ankle and there are two different bands. This band you can put anywhere and they can take it on and off and then there's a secure band that they actually cannot take off without the help of the caregiver.

What happens is if somebody goes missing, you call 911 and you call M- finders. They immediately can activate the device and pin point their exact location, sending search and rescue. Because, as you mentioned before, remember those statistics. Sixty percent of those with Alzheimer's or Dementia can wander off. If not found within 24 hours, there's only a 54 percent chance of survival. Now, something like this costs around $200 with a $25 month service fee. And people are like, oh my gosh, that's really expensive. But in America, $3,500 to $7,000 on average for Alzheimer's care units. So, you kind of have to weigh out the cost benefit and also two, where would they be happier?

LEMON: Yes. It would be interesting, I wonder if it's maybe covered by health care. I'm not sure if they even know that because my next question to you is going to be, how expensive are they and you answered them? But I wonder if it's covered in some situations.

LINENDOLL: Right. No, and I think that's something that, you know, hopefully down the line will happen. Because we're starting to see too is pharmaceutical companies are actually looking into other technologies Glocap to tell people a patient when to take their pills and other great option for people with Alzheimer's. So, hopefully down the road, just like things that, you know, wheelchairs and different service are covered by insurance, we're hoping these kinds of technologies certainly come around. I personally, am worried about how I'm going to get to the airport right now with a shoe that has wireless technology. I have to go to JFK. I have no idea how this is going to pass through the TSA, but I'm going to try.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Yes. That's interesting. Because, you know, people with the security and all, and people are going to be checking that and you don't know and it's new as well. Katie, we appreciate it. Good luck getting through security, OK?

LINENDOLL: Yes. Thanks.

LEMON: All right. Taking out Fidel Castro. The U.S. reportedly tried for years. But in the new call of duty video game, it's a video game, it actually does happen. We'll tell you how the virtual assassination attempt is being viewed in Cuba right now.

And he's one of the biggest names in a music word. Biggest names in music you've ever know, really, just ahead, Bono on the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from two decades of house arrest and why this day means so much to him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, many have tried and failed to kill Fidel Castro. But assassinating the former Cuban leader has always been easier said than done. A new video game lets players take up that challenge.

From Havana, Shasta Darlington can tell us how Cuba is reacting to this graphic game.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new American video game literally takes aim at Cuba's Fidel Castro. One of the first missions in call of duty black ops is to rub out the young leader of the Cuban revolution. And unlike in real life, players appear to do just that. In disturbingly gory details.

(on camera) No official reaction from the government here in Havana, but this state-run Web site denounced the game for glorifying assassination and inciting America's youth to behave like violence sociopaths.

(voice-over) The Cuban government site also ridicules the CIA. What the United States couldn't accomplish in more than 50 years, they're now trying to do virtually, it says. In real life, Castro survived scores of assassination attempts and outlasted ten U.S. administrations. Illness forced him to step down in 2006, but after four years of seclusion, Fidel Castro is back in action. He's not in power, but he's got his trade mark fatigues on and tours Havana delivering endless speeches about the risk of nuclear war. Cuba has taken a different path when it comes to keeping the cold war alive for its youth. The attempts on Castro have been re-enacted in a big budget TV series. In one episode, the CIA has scientists develop a poisonous cigar for Castro's visit to the U.N. in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Any of these cigars is enough to kill him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: The plot is foiled when New York's police chief refuses to deliver them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You killed the double.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: Even in call of duty, Castro proves immortal at the end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This is my gift to you. In honor of our new relationship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: Shasta Darlington, CNN Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And up next here on CNN, a beautiful woman in a glass cube. No kidding. We're going to ask her why she's living without any privacy in downtown Portland. There she is right there. And he has written a song about her, and lobbied for her release from house arrest for years.

Ahead, superstar Bono on the day Aung San Suu Kyi gains her freedom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: I want you to stop texting, don't send any e-mails, stop updating your Facebook status for now. I mean, what we call here at CNN in our HD Studio, Studio 7, we call it the cube. And there's a reason that I'm doing this story from inside of here. And we turn the camera here, we've got some of our people who are here from the tour, and so it's really sort of reality TV, really taking it to the next level and social media, as well. So give me your undivided attention for this story, please. For a next few minutes, I want you to think about how much you immerse yourself in cyberspace while ignoring your surroundings. And we have someone with us today who will help to crystallize your thinking about this.

As part of an ambitious social experiment, Cristin Norine, there she is right there, she's spending the month, the entire month of November in a most public way, living 24-7 inside a glass door front much like this, the cube that I'm in right now, it's in at art gallery in Portland, Oregon. All of her communication is through social media. So, we're going to join her through social media now. We're going to join her by Skype. Hi, Cristin, how are you doing?

CRISTIN NORINE, THE FUTURE OF SOCIALIZING: Hi, Don. Well, thank you.

LEMON: What has this project been like for you so far, what is it, 12 -- you've been in here for 12, 13 days now?

NORINE: Yes, today is day13. You know, it took adjusting the first week and then I was doing pretty good. Still feeling I had a pretty normal life in here. And, I don't know, it's day-to-day now. I feel like that might start to change soon.

LEMON: So, you're thinking that your project and correct me if I'm wrong is a metaphor for modern life, living without privacy in a digital world. As you can see, all these people here watching me. We have a tour here, you know, for the most part at CNN, but it's very interesting. I couldn't imagine these people watching me for 24 hours a day. And they're laughing at it now. That's true, so, is this sort of a metaphor for what's going on in the world, that people have sort of become isolated by social media instead of the opposite or what?

NORINE: It is. I mean, I think that it's not only just a lack of privacy, but I think it's more about the idea that we have 24-hour accessibility into your lives now. And I think that because all of these new technologies, I mean, not just social media, but, you know, we're talking about the newest iPhone, whatever the latest trend is and how that really affects our interaction with people in our life.

LEMON: So, you're almost halfway through. As you've said, it's day 13, you'll be halfway through on the 15th or so. So, what was the most unexpected thing that you've experienced so far, Cristin?

NORINE: You know, well, it might seem kind of weird, it might seem like too crazy. But there's a long story about how the windows -- I didn't want people to be able to see, for me to see out but for them to see in. And now, that has become actually the most interesting part of this project to me is that these windows, even though I can see people on the other side and I can text message with them and all of that, but there's still something really -- I'm only getting bits and pieces of what people are saying out there, so even body language and everything else -- I guess I didn't realize how important that would be to this project and how it really does reflect what I'm trying to say.

DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: You know what I think is interesting? People now will go online, they meet people for dates or whatever. Instead of going to a bar to have a drink or have coffee with people, so it's kind of taken -- we call it social media, but sometimes there's nothing really that social about it.

NORINE: Yes, it's true. There are wonderful things about social media. I can talk to friends that live in different countries or family in different states. But yes, I think that in some ways we have -- people have 500 friends. Are those really all of their friends? Are they really going out and hanging out with those people? I'm thinking not.

LEMON: What do you do? Are you bored? How do you shower? How do you go to the restroom? What's going on? NORINE: I tried to create an environment that is as comfortable as possible, because it was going to be hard enough to live without human interaction. So I have a private bathroom and shower and I have a little kitchenette area. I get groceries once a week. So that part of it is fairly comfortable.

LEMON: Cristin, thank you very much. We really appreciate it.

Again, this is what we call our cube.

Cristin, good luck to you.

I'm going to walk out here real quick and just say hello to the guys. Because it's really interesting the way Cristin is living her life sort of in a bubble there, in a box.

Would you guys be interesting in watching someone like that for 24 hours?

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: No, no.

(LAUGHTER)

Not at all?

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Well, we appreciate your taking part in our little experiment. And would you go see it at least for a little bit?

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: A little bit. A little bit.

All right, thank you guys. We appreciate it. Good luck to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

And just ahead on CNN, the joy one rock star is feeling today. Bono is going to talk about the woman he calls a hero, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her long-awaited release. Bono is live, right here in the "CNN NEWSROOM" next.

You want to see Bono, right?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: If you're on Social Security, you're going to like this one. House Dems want to pass a bill that would give you a one-time $250 check. They say it is a top priority when they get back to D.C. on Monday. It's supposed to make up for another year without benefits -- a benefits increase. San Francisco's mayor is doing what he can to keep the "happy" in Happy Meals. Yesterday, Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed a move by his Board of Supervisors to remove toys from Happy Meals that don't meet specific nutritional requirements. He said parents not politicians should decide what kids can eat. But kids can't breathe a sigh of relief yet. The board has enough votes to override the mayor's veto.

Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband says the actress is back home. The 93-year- old actress was rushed to the hospital yesterday with a swollen left leg. What was thought to be a blood clot turned out to be an infection. Gabor has been in frail health and confined to a wheelchair since a car accident eight years ago.

Stick around, because this is going to be an interesting talk. We're going to talk about Aung San Suu Kyi and we're going to talk to Bono about it.

Now on to what we call a rock star, and he's a rebel and activist, as well. Do you remember the YouTube hit called "Walk On?" It won a Grammy. Take a listen to it.

(SINGING)

LEMON: You may have missed it there, but the face on the T-shirt of U-2 band members is Aung San Suu Kyi, a fighter for democracy in Myanmar, a country under strict military rule. Bono has been a great supporter of Suu Kyi's for years. So this day is one great day, a day of joy since the 65-year-old freedom fighter is now free from house arrest.

And Bono joins us by phone now.

Thank you so much for joining us. How are you feeling right at this moment?

BONO, MUSICIAN & SINGER: Oh, we're feeling great actually. I mean, it's a sort of cautious joy at the same time, because though her -- though she's out in the world in a way that we need her to be, she's perhaps her vulnerable there if they should want to take advantage of her being outside her own four walls. So very excited, very thrilled that -- you know, at the possibilities that this might be the beginning of some sort of rational discussion with the people of Burma by the military junta, but we're not sure. We have to wait and see. There's 2,202 political prisoners still in prison for the crime of believing in election results. So until they start to release those prisoners, we won't really breathe a sigh of relief.

LEMON: Bono, it's cautious optimism. But here's my question. People know about you and your charitable work for Africa and what you do for HIV-AIDS and you being an activist for at least that part. But we didn't really know much about your feelings on Burma and on Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi. Why is this so important to you?

BONO: All of these things are bound up in the same thought for me, which is just one of freedom and equality. Our audience have had to suffer me playing on about this stuff for a long time. I was a member of Amnesty International. The band has been members of Amnesty International for nearly 25 years. So we've been very informed about what's been happening in her life.

She's kind of the Mandela of our moment, this moment we're in right now. You think, well, do people really care about what's going on in a rock concert in the United States or in Europe, and if 70,000 U-2 fans lifting pictures of her face over their head, you know, what does that mean? Does it mean anything? What we've learned from being members of Amnesty is these dictators are vainer than rock stars. They read all their press.

(LAUGHTER)

You think Kim Jong-Il doesn't read his press? He does. And the military junta in Burma absolutely do. They care about what people are thinking. So in the international community, if they keep her front and center in the media -- CNN has done a great job on this -- it really does count.

LEMON: You wrote a letter about why you wrote the song "Walk On" that we played a little bit of, and it was said to honor her. You said, quote -- this is what you said, "This is an amazing woman that put family second to country, who, for her convictions, made the choice not the see her sons grow and not to be with her husband as he lost his life to cancer. Suu Kyi, with an idea too big for any jail and a spirit too strong for any army, changes our view as only real heroes can of what we believe to be possible."

I think many people don't realize this connection you have with her. So what can we learn from Aung San Suu Kyi's efforts and what have you learned?

BONO: You know, the grace, really. She's a character of great grace. Maybe that's what she has in common with Nelson Mandela. Her struggle has become a symbol of what's best about our humanity and worst, but she has managed to just keep this kind of calm in the middle of the storm. I think that's why people are so attracted to her. Of course, it's the courage and conviction that she has.

LEMON: Have you spoken to her today?

BONO: No, I have not. We've met her family and spoken to her family recently, but not today. But I was speaking to the Burma Action people, and they were thrilled and they're having a moment tonight. But she was released before, and at that point, I think it was 2002 -- she was released in '95 once and put back in prison, and then released in 2002 once and put back in prison.

The worry is that there's no real negotiation going on at the moment. In 2002, the U.N. were negotiating with her -- with the military junta, with an envoy from the U.N. It wasn't senior enough, perhaps, and didn't get anywhere. What we would love to see now is, you know, some of a gifted negotiator, as Ban Ki-moon, to sort of take advantage of this moment and begin dialogue. That start in 2002 didn't get anywhere. For this to be real and for us to really breathe a sigh of relief, there has to be progress toward real peace. LEMON: I found it interesting, Bono, on the YouTube web site, it says, the headline is, "Aung San Suu Kyi released." It says, one down, 2,202 to go, meaning those political prisoners.

Listen, we appreciate you joining us here on CNN and best of luck to you. Let us know when you do meet her. We'd like to hear about that.

BONO: Thanks for your coverage. Really appreciate it, Don. Always great to talk to you.

LEMON: Let's move on now. We're going to talk about helping children from half a world away adjust to life in America. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has their story.

And how would you like to meet up with this beast, right there, not the one on the other side of the screen. A record-breaking gator caught. Wait until you hear how big this guy was and how long it took to round him up.

(COMMERIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Refugee children in a small Georgia town are learning a new way of life. But they have a familiar and favorite sport to lean on. In today's "Human Factor," our Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us how soccer is being used to educate kids in need.

(THE HUMAN FACTOR)

LEMON: Up next on CNN, a hero is sacrificing his retirement to help rebuild the lives of wounded war veterans. An Olympic gold medalist introduces us to him. And then we'll talk to him live.

There he is right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: CNN will reveal the 2010 hero of the year at the star-studded gala on Thanksgiving night. We've been calling on friends at "CNN Heroes" to tell us more about this year's honorees. Today, Olympic skater, Evan Lysacek introduces us to a home builder who is helping wounded war vets rebuild their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN LYSACEK, OLYMPIC SKATER: Hi, I'm Evan Lysacek. As a champion of Help USA, which aids the homeless and those in need, I'm committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty in our country. And I see just how much the world needs heroes. Now I'm thrilled to help CNN introduce one of this year's top-ten honorees.

SGT. ALLEN SANDER REYES, VETERAN: Baghdad ended up being a hell of a ride. I sustained a severe blast injury. My life came to a complete halt.

DAN WALLRATH, COMMUNITY CRUSADER & CNN HERO: How are you doing? How's everything. You look sharp today. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

WALLRATH: I've been building custom homes for 30 years.

One of the most important things for a family is a home.

I want you to read a sign for me.

RAYES: Future home of Sergeant Allen Sander Reyes, United States Army.

Congratulations.

(APPLAUSE)

(LAUGHTER)

WALLRATH: Giving these folk as new home means the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. That's all I can say.

WALLRATH: My name is Dan Wallrath, and we build homes for returning heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The houses are mortgage-free. It changes a whole family's life.

Welcome home.

It gives them a new start so they can move forward. These young men and women are doing this for you and me. How could I not help them?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, Houston homebuilder and "CNN Hero" Dan Wallrath joins me now live.

Dan, it's an honor to speak with you. Congratulations of being a top- ten "CNN Hero." How many homes have you already given away so far and how many more do you plan on building?

WALLRATH: We've given away 12 homes right now and we have another ten that's in process right now, whether it's in permitting or just different stages. But we've got lots of plans.

LEMON: Tell us about funding. How are you able to give these homes away?

WALLRATH: Well, actually, we do need help from the American public. We need donations. We can build a $250,000 home for about $50,000 to $75,000. The rest of the funds, the materials, come from suppliers and vendors throughout the United States, carpet companies, window companies, lumber yards. So we don't need $250,000 to build a $250,000 home. We just need about $50,000 to $75,000 and the home builders and vendors in the United States take care of the rest. So we do need help.

LEMON: So if someone is watching, where do they go? Do you have a web site for them?

WALLRATH: We do. It's www.babasupport.org. And they can go on the web site there and make donations.

LEMON: www.babasupport.org, if you want to give to Mr. Wallrath.

Listen, describe the reaction once you are able to give these homes away, once you've completed them and then you see the vet walk in.

WALLRATH: It's incredible. You know, I've had the opportunity and the blessing to give away several of these homes. And every time I do it, it gets more and more emotional every time. And just to see the burden lifted off the face of these families when they realize that they have a home. And this is so important to the young man that's been injured, whether he lost his leg, severe burns, or whatever. You know, a man needs to know that he can take care of his family. And what these injuries say -- they feel a little less than that. And with these homes, they've all told me that now they know, regardless of what happens to them, they know their family is going to be taken care of. And this means a lot to these young men and women.

LEMON: Dan Wallrath, thank you very much.

Again, it's babasupport.org. That's the web site if you want to help.

We really appreciate it.

Listen, to meet all of the "CNN Heroes" and to vote for one who inspires you the most, make sure you go to CNN.com. All 10 will be honored at "CNN Heroes, an All-Star Tribute" on Thanksgiving night and hosted by Anderson Cooper right here on CNN.

An officer is under investigation for allegedly having sex on the job. You won't believe how they found out about it, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, time to give you some news you might have missed throughout the week.

A Tallahassee man has some major bragging rights. Earlier this month, he bagged the state's longest gator on record, more than 14 feet long. Look at that thing. It was killed in the state's annual alligator harvest. Hauling the 650-pound gator to land took an epic two-hour battle. It beat the previous record by three inches.

You know, 10 seconds or really 30 seconds, I should say, may cost a deputy of 20 years his job. In Washington State, an officer on the Snohomish County's Sheriff's Department is under internal investigation for possibly having sex on the job. Our affiliate KING reports the officer accidently tripped the mic in his patrol car while he was out. They heard a woman moaning. Again, 30 seconds may cost him his job. He is on administrative leave now.

I'm Don Lemon. I'll see you back here in one our.

"THE SITUATION ROOM" starts right now.