Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
No Tax Cut Extension Yet; Murder in Beverly Hills; Unemployment Rate Jumps; Burgers Are Back
Aired December 04, 2010 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It is your Saturday night. And whether you're getting ready for a night out on the town or one at home, this hour, we're going to show you some things that will help you enjoy it a whole lot more.
Tonight, you or the kids may run across some very racy images on your TV or online. We're going to show them to you and we're going to let you be the judge of how far is too far for TV and the Web.
And instead of dinner tonight, at a pricey restaurant, many people are discovering a cheaper, more acceptable place for date night. Trendy new hamburger restaurants are popping up everywhere. The burger is back, everyone. And it's better than ever. And we'll take you there and we'll show you some live right here on CNN, live taste test.
And look at this, the movie "Burlesque" has big stars and big interest at the box office. Local burlesque clubs are loving it because it's becoming the new place to go instead of a night club. Some burlesque dancers are going to join us to tell us why and to show us how to do it in a live performance.
(MUSIC)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
We want to give you some news first before we get to all of that.
It is unusual to see U.S. senators hard at work on Saturday, but results of this morning's two tax cut votes were not a surprise. Democrats got 53 votes but still fell seven votes short in this political showdown -- their attempt to extend the so-called Bush era tax cuts for the middle class and only the middle class.
Let's get more now from senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash -- Dana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, if Congress doesn't act before the end of the year less than four weeks from now, every American in every income level will see their taxes go up. But what the Senate did by coming in on a Saturday doesn't do anything to resolve that issue.
The Democrats put forward two votes that failed. One was to extend tax cuts for those making $250,000 or less, and the other would raise it to $1 million or less.
Now, most Democrats argue that the wealthiest Americans simply should not see a tax cut, that they believe that their taxes should go up. Republicans, though, argue vehemently that now is not the time for anybody to see a tax increase, even the wealthiest Americans.
Listen to some of the debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: To give a tax break to the wealthiest people in America at this moment in history is foolish and reckless. And yet, that is the position of the Republican Party and a definition of their values.
SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: This debate is not about cutting taxes. This debate is whether or not we ought to increase taxes on anybody during a recession. And we feel you should not raise taxes on anybody during a recession.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
BASH: Now, to be clear, Democrats went into these votes knowing full well they would fail but they wanted to get on the record. So, what happens now? Well, negotiations for a compromise which already have been under way are going to accelerate. And that's something that President Obama himself acknowledged when he spoke after these votes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to redouble our efforts to resolve this impasse in the next few days to give the American people the peace of mind that their taxes will not go up on January 1st. It will require some compromise, but I'm confident that we can get it done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Democratic and Republican sources have been telling us that the likely compromise is to extend all Bush era tax cuts for all income levels temporarily, probably for two years. The unresolved question is what Democrats are going to get in return for that compromise.
Democrats, particular at the White House, have been pressing Republicans to concede on things like extending unemployment benefits for jobless Americans and other tax credits that are also going to expire at the end of the year. People in both parties say that they do hope to resolve all of this by sometime next week -- Don.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Dana Bash, thank you very much.
And more now on the economy straight ahead. The latest jobs report is worse than everyone expected. All the experts predicted something better. It turned out worse.
So, when will business start hiring? Later this hour, I'll ask three people from the business world what's going on from their perspective and what it will take to get employers to start hiring again. It's an important question.
In other news tonight, gruesome allegations out of Mexico. A ruthless drug cartel may have recruited a child, a 14-year-old boy, as a hit man. The boy was recently taken into custody in central Mexico and reportedly was carrying a U.S. birth certificate.
Now, according to Mexico's state-run news service called Notimex, the boy told authorities he had carried out four killings on orders of the Pacifico Sur drug cartel.
CNN's national desk editor Nick Valencia has been digging into this story for us. And I spoke to him about the disturbing trend of cartels recruiting children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL DESK EDITOR: We talked about this before the show, as young as 7 years old. The Chihuahua state attorney general's office has told me in reports in the past that they recruited as young as 7 years old to act as lookouts. Not necessarily hit men. I don't want to get the viewers confused.
But this, I read earlier right before going on --
LEMON: This is arrest video.
VALENCIA: This is arrest video. This is the first time federal authorities will ever interrogate somebody this age that has been accused of such crimes -- murder. You mentioned four people. And these are not just a shooting murders. These are decapitations. These are grisly murders.
He claims that he carried out these for $3,000 a hit and then he was under the influence of narcotics while he was doing so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The U.S. State Department says it is looking into the case to determine if the boy is indeed an American.
We want to go now to Beverly Hills and the cold-blooded murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen. Two weeks after she was gunned down while driving home late at night through a Beverly Hills neighborhood, police have yet to name a suspect or even a motive here. Almost as shocking as the crime itself and raising a host of new questions -- just days ago, so-called person of interest in West Hollywood killed himself as police tried to talk to him.
CNN producer Alan Duke has been investigating Chasen's murder since it first broke. He has been joining us ever since it happened and giving us great information. Alan, good evening to you.
Who was this person of interest and why did police want to talk to him?
ALAN DUKE, CNN PRODUCER: Harold Martin Smith. He is a 43 -- was a 43-year-old man who lived here in southern California, mostly on the west side of Los Angeles, but more recently in Hollywood and what you might call a seedy apartment building, low rent, $600 a month. You don't have to pay a deposit.
And he has a significant criminal record. He's done a couple stints in California's prison system, including for second-degree robbery. He's had a long list of misdemeanor raps and there was apparently a bench warrant already out for his arrest for not taking care of a traffic matter.
So, he is a man who did not have a lot of means. And some people questioned whether he had the method or the motive in order to kill Ronni.
LEMON: But there is new information, because it's -- many people are saying that they don't believe it was a guy at all. What's the new details that have emerged about this?
DUKE: Well, exactly. There are a lot of reasons to believe that this man has no connection to the killing of Ronni Chasen. First of all, he didn't have the means or he didn't have a car. He had a bicycle.
And he -- what led them to him was a tip that was called into "America's Most Wanted," the television show -- and apparently by somebody who lived in the apartment complex. I've spoken to a number of the people in the apartment complex and, frankly, the people that I've talked to didn't really seem to know him -- or I didn't really buy their details of what they said about him.
So, the police even are now saying that they have no idea if he is connected to Ronni Chasen's murder.
LEMON: Yes.
DUKE: That he might have actually shot himself because they thought he was being arrested for something else.
LEMON: So many more details to come and it is still a mystery. Our Alan Duke in Los Angeles will join us tonight at 10:30 where we're going to be going over this case with a fine-tooth comb. Thank you very much, Alan Duke. We'll see you at 10:30 tonight.
Viewer discretion advised: a veteran of the music industry joins us to talk about the increasingly raunchy music industry, the lyrics, the video, the controversy over why artists feel they need to go there in order to succeed.
And we have a special guest lined up for you live here in our studio at CNN world headquarters. My mouth isn't working. They're from the Pink Kitty Cabaret, a live performance.
Burlesque is back and so are hamburgers. We'll be talking about that -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: I want to check your top stories right now on CNN.
The U.S. has cut a huge trade deal with South Korea. President Obama announced the agreement today which he says will increase U.S. exports by $11 billion and support 70,000 American jobs. If approved by Congress, it will eliminate tariffs on over 95 percent of industrial and consumer goods within five years.
Shifting winds are fueling a wildfire in northern Israel. Police have two suspects in custody, but they suspect negligence, not arson is to blame for this blaze. The flames have killed 41 people and forced the evacuation of some 17,000 people from that fire zone.
No sign of relief in the U.K. from the last of winter weather that's hit that country right now. London's Gatwick Airport reopened Friday after being shut down for two days, but other airports are warning about possible delays.
Here is what authorities are saying. They're saying the cold snap across Europe has left at least 60 people dead.
Coming up tonight on CNN: a live performance from an Atlanta burlesque company. They're saying they are the new club to go to considering the success of the movie "Burlesque" and check out some of their smooth moves coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. You saw that "viewer discretion advised."
So, let's watch some videos tonight, but we can't show you the original versions. We're going to watch and talk about some that you might say need to be cleaned up. This is what the cleaned up version that we're showing you. So, wouldn't get in trouble.
So, check out this one. This is by Cee-Lo. It's called "FU" in one version and "Forget You" in the other. You got the picture. Take a look.
(MUSIC VIDEO CLIP, "FORGET YOU"/COURTESY ELEKTRA RECORDS)
LEMON: OK. You can clearly see with the little boy and what he was saying. He was not saying forget you.
So, I have one question. Why do artists feel the need to go there, to get raunchy with their videos, with their lyrics, with the imagery?
That's why I've asked Shanti Das to join me. She is a former executive with Arista Records and the founder of the marketing consulting firm that's called PressReset.me. OK, that's just one. And he's going to be performing at the Grammys.
SHANTI DAS, AUTHOR, "THE HIP HOP PROFESSIONAL": He is. And he is nominated for five Grammy Awards.
LEMON: Yes. So, why? He's a great artist, by the way.
DAS: He is. And I actually worked with him in his early days at LaFace Records and helped to launch his career. And he was in a group called the Goodie Mob. And they were always known for socially conscious lyrics.
But I really don't have a problem with this song because if you look at it in hip hop, most of these artists always have explicit versions of the album or single as well as the clean version. And it's really just the song title, the "FU." He has a clean version called "Forget You." And if you listen to the rest of the lyrics in the song, it's really just talking about him being upset at his ex because she's dating someone else. So, he's mad at the guy she's dating.
LEMON: And there are some people who are upset. I think they're going to put it on a delay maybe, but he's going to do the cleaned up version, the P.G. version. And he did that --
DAS: He did that at the Soul Train Awards.
LEMON: -- at the Soul Train Awards.
DAS: Yes.
LEMON: So -- but people are wondering why do they need to go there? Do we just need to get over it because this is art?
DAS: Well, I think, particularly --
LEMON: Kids are listening to it though.
DAS: They are. And that's why --
LEMON: It's a kid in there saying it.
DAS: You're right. But like I said, there is a clean version and there's an explicit version of that song. And Cee-Lo is a really great artist who does a lot to give back to the community.
LEMON: But the kid is saying the F-word in the clean version as well. It's jut not coming out --
DAS: Maybe there could have been an edit for that particular part. But I applaud Cee-Lo for this song, as well as the Recording Academy for, you know, recognizing him.
LEMON: I'm not saying he's good or bad. I'm just here to ask the questions. So, don't send me your crazy e-mails. People will do that.
OK. So, there is one by DeVaughn.
DAS: Raheem DeVaughn.
LEMON: Raheem DeVaughn. And this is they were -- I don't know if this one has been banned. There it is right there from YouTube. They've taken --
DAS: They've taken it down, but I heard it was actually put back up on a different Web site.
LEMON: This is the cleaned up version. But in the other version, you see that's just the beginning of what you see and where you see his face go and other -- among other things. I mean, come on.
DAS: Yes, I agree. I think this video actually borders soft porn. They are some specific, you know, different parts of the video that I would have edited out. I think some stuff needs to be left to the imagination and in the bedroom and Raheem DeVaughn is a wonderful artist.
LEMON: Yes, he's a great singer. Again, why -- how would you advise him? What would you advise if he consulted you on that record and on the video?
DAS: I would say listen, you don't really have to go there. If you're looking to an artist like Maxwell, to me, I place him in that same category. He's experienced success already in the inland. His last album sold over 300,000 records. You don't have to do that.
It's interesting. I actually took a poll on my Facebook. Some people allow boys to get away with it.
LEMON: Yes. Maxwell, you know, he can be sexy without being raunchy.
DAS: Absolutely.
LEMON: All right. Let's look real quickly. Keri Hilson, because this one is causing a stir as well.
DAS: It is.
LEMON: And they're saying it's too explicit. Keri Hilson's video -- I think it's called "The Way You Love Me."
(MUSIC VIDEO CLIP, WORLD STAR HIP HOP/INTERSCOPE RECORDS)
LEMON: All right.
DAS: Yes. (LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Do you need to say that?
DAS: She really didn't have to go there. Actually, I have a lot of love for Keri Hilson. She's another artist --
LEMON: Beautiful.
DAS: -- that has experienced a lot of success -- gorgeous girl, great body. And when I worked in the entertainment industry and did artist development, you know, my boss, L.A. Reid, always told us that the young lady that's out there performing, girls have to want to look like her and guys have to want to be with her. But this is taking it too far.
LEMON: And women.
DAS: And women. You know, she has this great song called "Pretty Girls Rock" where it was a lot about empowerment and women respecting one another and loving themselves. But to look at this video, it might as well be something from Magic City.
LEMON: We know what that is.
DAS: But I love her. But she didn't have to go there.
LEMON: The Magic City, the strip club.
DAS: Yes.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Shanti Das. We really appreciate it.
DAS: Thank you.
LEMON: All right. And hopefully, you can join us more because you're right here in Atlanta.
DAS: I love to.
LEMON: Take advantages of your service when it comes to music.
DAS: Absolutely.
LEMON: Thank you. Appreciate it.
DAS: Thank you.
LEMON: You know, if you're taking out someone special this evening, let us make one suggestion for you. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Would you go on a date with some guy that took you to a burger joint?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Don't need a big, fancy restaurant. This is a good, juicy burger.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Burgers, the old stand by, might be your best bet tonight. Our friends from Yeah! Gab Burger, they are here and we're going to chow down with them live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You may be among some of the millions of Americans who are out of work right now and it is not good, especially at home. Some people can't afford their mortgage, and many people can't afford to go out and enjoy themselves. The last couple days, the outlook on the economy went from optimistic to ouch in seconds.
Yesterday's announcement that unemployment rate went up to 9.8 percent was painful to hear. Just 39,000 jobs were added in November, about 100,000 fewer than most analysts predicted. It was just last week when early holiday shopping showed a solid boost from last year.
So, the dismal job numbers begged the question: why are employers not hiring right now? Tonight answers from job creators for you from coast to coast. So, get near the television and get your pen and paper because they're going to help you out.
Gary Toebben is the president and CEO of Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. And in Washington, D.C., we have Bill Rys, who is with the National Federation of Independent Businesses. And from Minneapolis, Darlene Miller, president and CEO of Permac Industries, which manufactures precision machined products.
Thanks to all of you for joining me on a Saturday night. So, let's help out some people at home.
I'll start with you, Darlene. Before the downturn, you had 47 employees, then cut to 21 people, and now, you're at 38 workers. Why did -- why did you stop hiring?
DARLENE MILLER, CEO, PERMAC INDUSTRIES: That is correct. Well, the reason is it's uncertainty. We really don't know what is going to be happening, not just with the economy, but with our tax rates, with the regulatory risks, what kind of cash we're going to have to outlay for that, the medical mandates. Our energy costs have increased significantly.
So, right now, it's just really imperative to be real conscious of our cash situation and to really monitor how many employees we have, our value on our current employees.
LEMON: So listen, Gary, Darlene paints a really dismal picture there. What are businesses -- business owners in Los Angeles area, what are they telling you?
GARY TOEBBEN, PRESIDENT & CEO, LOS ANGELES AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Well, they're very cautious right now. Sales are increasing some and that's very good. But there's also a great deal of caution amongst our members in the business community here during the last several years. They've laid off a number of people and they've also cut back the number of hours for the people that are currently working for them.
So, their first goal is to get those employees back to the full number of hours that they've had in the past.
LEMON: All right. So, Bill, the National Federation of Independent Businesses just -- Independent Business, just surveyed its members and announced yesterday an increase. Although a very small one in the number of jobs that members were offering. So, were you surprised to hear that so few jobs were created in November?
BILL RYS, NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS: Yes. It was kind of surprising, because, really, for the second month in a row, we've seen a little bit of an uptick in at least plans to hire.
But, you know, I think Darlene really summed it up well in what the other speaker said. Uncertainty and caution is really what small business owners are facing right now. What we've seen over the last two years in that monthly survey is that sales are down. Demand just isn't there.
Until that demand is filled, there's going to be less need to hire new workers and you're going to have to figure out what we do with the workers that we have. You throw on top of that a lot of policy changes, as Darlene mentioned -- health care costs, expiring tax rates, uncertainty about what your tax liabilities are going to be. You know, it really leaves small business owners asking a lot of questions. And that's what we're hearing from our 350,000 members nationwide. They're really just not sure what the landscape is going to be.
So, until they see a little bit more certainty, until they see more customers coming in the door, more orders to fill, and then we got to make sure that Washington doesn't really throw a cold blanket on top of everything with tax increases and more health care mandates and policy changes like that that increase costs. You know, so, there are a lot of uncertainties still going ahead before we dig ourselves out of the economic hole we've been in for the last two years.
LEMON: So, Bill, I got to ask you this, for people who are sitting at home tonight watching us, and many of them maybe on the verge of losing their job or have already lost their job and looking for months and months and months. What do you say to them? Can you offer them any hope? Is it -- or is it just a dismal picture right now and we have to deal with it?
RYS: Well, like I said, I think there's been some positive numbers. You know, last month's job numbers were good. Our numbers this month show some plans for hiring going ahead. And we really need to see our customers coming back in the door, orders to be filled.
You know, I think the economic problems are harder to solve. The policy problems are a lot easier. When you create that kind of uncertainty where you don't know what your tax liabilities are going to be, you don't know what your health care costs are going to be -- and those health care costs are directly related to the costs of hiring an employee, when you got to factor in what your benefit costs are going to be.
We got to make sure we keep the costs low and we let business owners know what it is they're going to have to spend to hire a new worker or pay their tax liabilities for the year.
LEMON: All right. Bill, Gary, and Darlene -- thank you so much for joining us here on a Saturday. We appreciate your expertise, OK?
RYS: Thank you.
MILLER: Thank you.
LEMON: All right, everybody. Let's chow down. The burger is back. And it's better than ever and a great, affordable alternative to pricey nights out.
There they are. Our guys from Yeah! Burger, a new burger joint -- two new burger joints have popped up here in Atlanta among others. They're going to join us. We're going to have a taste test live.
Look at the burger, the fries and the beer, of course. What would a burger be without a beer?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: What you'll see now is going to make you really hungry. You can call it comfort food, call it a classic. The hamburger never really went away but maybe you've noticed all these new hip burger joints popping up everywhere fast. It's not fine dining. Well, semi-fine dining but it's not fast food either. So we decided to hit a few.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got the veggie burger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a regular burger.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got the chicken burger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) grass fed beef burger.
LEMON (on camera): Your burger ate grass?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess the cow ate grass at some point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our ingredients are natural and organic and local.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing is frozen. We don't even have a freezer in the place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hand patty. All of our stuff is custom ground.
LEMON: What caused all these burger joints to pop up? It's you, it's Googie Burger, it's flip burger?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really? I think people are sick and tired, I think of the flavorless, dried out frozen patty that's become the norm in fast food.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I never eat fast food.
LEMON: It's like burgers are chic again. So many of them. You can come and get like so many different kinds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Burgers are like the new, like hipster food. With the economic climate people that we've been in the last couple of years, people wanted to sort of return back to comfort food.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I come to Flip virtually every day of the week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an American food. It's what people love to eat. It's an easy food and it has been around forever.
LEMON: Have you noticed all these new like trendy burger joints popping up everywhere?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have. This is my first experience at one though.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I usually smash mine first.
LEMON: It's trendy, right? It's not like you're taking her to a fast food restaurant and she is going to go forget that guy. We call this a date right now.
LEMON: This is what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a day date.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) for a cheaper date.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they do. I mean, one of the things I kind of like to call this concept is $16 fine dining.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Burgers are back, man.
LEMON: Can I have some of your burger? No?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: She wouldn't give me any. It's so good. Joining us now are the guys from Yeah Burger. One of the awesome spots that we had to check out. It's actually right in my neighborhood. You really improved the corner on our block. So thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
LEMON: Eric Maier is managing partner, Shaun Doty is the executive chef. Thank you guys for joining us. You're not the only burger joint that's popped up. There is Flip Burger and we always talk about five guys. Reel off a few that you consider sort of trendy ones. Eric.
SHAUN DOTY, EXECUTIVE CHEF, YEAH! BURGER: There are some national chains also that we really aren't fans of. Shake Shack is fantastic out of New York City. We're big fans of Epic Burger out of Chicago. And when we were traveling we really traveled around looking at a lot of these national chains and we wanted to bring that to Atlanta so that really was the inspiration for Yeah! Burger.
LEMON: I was surprised when once you guys opened, I mean, because it was pretty fast. Now I walk by. I drive by. The line is out the door. I go by other burger joints. You've seen it, Jacqui. The lines are out the door.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
LEMON: Really, it's not like fast food anymore. You don't drive up in your car. And you know, you get - you say it's all about, even though it's a burger, burgers weren't seen as healthy but they are now.
DOTY: Well, I'm trained as a chef so this is really (INAUDIBLE) of a chef-driven menu. I mean, we have grass fed beef from Georgia, which is local, which is good for the environment and it's good for your kids. We have organic turkey, hand cut fries.
LEMON: Which one is this one? Is that the grass fed beef?
DOTY: This is bison. And the way that I like it is with pepper jack and jalapenos. That is my personal favorite.
ERIC MAIER, MANAGING PARTNER, YEAH! BURGER: Super healthy though.
JERAS: Bison is lower fat. Right?
MAIER: Lower fat than even chicken.
JERAS: Really?
MAIER: Yes. It's a great alternative.
JERAS: And I had the bison burger and it wasn't gamey. Some people worry about when they -
MAIER: No, it's not gamey at all. It's a wonderful burger and we also have a burger of the month.
LEMON: Is that the burger of the month? This one right here? That is so awesome. Get a close up on that. Tell me about it Shaun.
DOTY: This is a Georgia, really Georgia inspired thing. (INAUDIBLE) so that's a local Berkshire court. It's all organic. It's served with the cheese from the south, it's delicious combined with the pork. And we have two different types of buns, whole wheat. So that is a whole wheat example. We have white but also right here, you see an example of a gluten free bun.
LEMON: We have the beer up here because there is a bar in your burger joint and you can have anything you want, right? I just thought it was a bar where you can go and eat and you said, Don, you're missing out. We have some of the best - MAIER: We have incredible cocktails, we have great wine selection, great beer. We really wanted it to be a place that everybody in the family could come to so it's great for your kids, it's casual. Earlier in the evenings we have all families and it goes over to people on dates. People hanging out with their friends. You can have a full experience there.
JERAS: People are more concerned about where their food comes from. You know, why was this important to you guys to go organic and locally grown?
MAIER: We - that was actually the first thing we thought about. We said, how are we going to be different? Clearly, there are a lot of burger places now. But to us, the most important thing was we were feeding people food that was healthier and local.
DOTY: Absolutely.
LEMON: Do people come in and just hang out? Because the ones - Like Flip Burger you can go in and you can get all these fancy martinis or whatever and it's great burgers.
MAIER: Yes.
LEMON: Can we just come in and hang out like going to a sports bar or is it just eat and go?
DOTY: We have a great full bar. Like Eric said, excellent cocktails, great bourbon selection.
LEMON: What caused the resurgence of the burger?
DOTY: I think it's a combination of obviously the economy, people were looking for something less - the more affordable but also (INAUDIBLE) just a return to simplicity. So people, there was so much, with the economy, it was booming and people were going out and they were spending a lot of money and then I think people came back to reality a little bit and said let's get back to basics. And even as a chef that's what I've done. I mean, I've invested all of my career into creating this concept. I think this is really something that's very sustainable.
JERAS: What should people expect to pay for a burger like this? You know, are we talking 20,30 bucks? Are you talking five bucks?
DOTY: Our signature burger, double stacked Georgia beef, American cheese on it. 7.50.
JERAS: 7.50.
LEMON: You could go. Because I've gone to restaurants, you get burger on the menu, 20, 25 bucks. This is good.
MAIER: That is actually one of the things that started the whole craze. You know, in New York City they had $30 burger. Not everybody can - (CROSSTALK)
JERAS: $50 burgers.
LEMON: The economy on everybody's mind this is a fun thing to do. It's not just Yeah! Burger. There is a bunch of them. So go check them out. They are very healthy. Not supposed to eat with my mouth full. I mean talk with my mouth full. So thank you guys. Listen, thank you, enjoy. Go out and get a burger, a healthy one. We're back in a moment here on CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Birthday, Don.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN LEGEND, SINGER: Everyone believes that a kid should get a good education but you have to put your money and your policy where your mouth is. So, you know, when you get down to saying, well not only do I believe every kid deserves a great education but here is what that means. Quality, principal, quality teachers, quality superintendents that are accountable for actually delivering on their promises. And when you talk about accountability, then that means, you know, everybody's not going to be protected in that situation.
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (on camera): Some loaded speech right there, man.
LEGEND: The priority is to make sure that the kids have the opportunity to get a great education.
PERRY: Now, you have gotten some flack from that.
LEGEND: Of course, I've gotten flack from that.
PERRY: People are not really interested in hearing this singer out there telling them -
LEGEND: I get flack for that. I am not an educator and I know that and I say this every time I talk about teachers. I truly respect what they do and I don't envy the task that they have. Like I said, we need to hold this job in high esteem. But when you hold it in high esteem that means you just don't put anybody in front of 25 kids. You make sure they're doing what they're supposed to be doing and if they're not doing it well then they shouldn't be there.
You know, the idea that rich kids get to go to good schools and poor kids don't is so entrenched in our national psyche that we haven't challenged that notion. We have to challenge that notion.
PERRY (voice-over): Steve Perry, New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING) LEMON: All right. You see that "Burlesque" movie there. "Burlesque" is making a comeback from big budget Hollywood films to local dance clubs, old school "Flash dance" alive and well. You call it "Flash dance"? My guest tonight is choreographer Andrea Kelly and her new dance show is called "Le Pink Kitty Cabaret" is that right?
ANDREA KELLY, CHOREOGRAPHER: Yes.
LEMON: Which she describes as Soul Train meets Bob Fossy.
KELLY: Yes.
LEMON: You are happy to walk in her into the light a little bit. Come over as well. What is your name?
CRYSTAL: Crystal.
LEMON: Crystal. All right. You're probably happy about the movie "Burlesque."
KELLY: I'm very happy about it with the movie "Burlesque." It is a new type of dance that's been around forever and now it's finally coming to the forefront and Bob Fossy is one of my favorite choreographers so to be able to blend those two worlds is absolutely amazing.
LEMON: People think they may have this image in their head old school that "Burlesque" is a little naughty, a little bit raunchy. Not so.
KELLY: Not at all. I believe that "Burlesque" is teaching the artist seduction which is missing. Everything is so in your face right now. So this is kind of that teaser. It's about being sexy, showing a little flesh but not everything. Right? I like it.
LEMON: Do people get lessons?
KELLY: Yes. Actually I do teach a class. Le Pink Kitty Cabaret classes at the complex here in Atlanta (INAUDIBLE). And you can come in and we teach you how to open the oven in a different way, how to wash dishes in a different way, walk in your heels just to let that inner goddess out.
LEMON: Wait, how do you open the oven? Show me how you open an oven when you dance.
KELLY: (INAUDIBLE) when you open your over, you're like "honey, dinner is ready." Or you can go, "dinner is ready."
LEMON: OK. You guys ready to dance and then we'll talk again. All right. Go for it.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
LEMON: All right. We're going to dance after the break. They can't hear the music out here. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
LEMON: Listen, show the folks over there in the cube, the women are like paying attention. They want to learn your moves, Andrea. They want to learn your moves. So are you bringing this to a new generation of people?
KELLY: Yes, I am. Yes, I am. I'm bridging that gap between the hip- hop dancers, step out of that envelope, learn about Fossy, learn about theater, learn about Broadway jazz and putting that street twist on it.
LEMON: Yes. Well, did you do this before?
CRYSTAL: Yes.
LEMON: How long have you been dancing?
CRYSTAL: I've been with her since August (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: And it takes care of a lot of things. I'm sure, the person, the partner in your life appreciates it and it's exercise?
KELLY: It is. Actually, I'm a mother of three.
LEMON: What?
KELLY: And I danced through all of my pregnancies up into the week each one of my children was due. Dance just works your body, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. So the fitness is teaching women to use their bodies in a different way, not lifting weights and getting bulky muscles, but long lean muscles like dancers.
LEMON: Do you ever go out and have you gone to any of the theaters where people said "hey, listen, I saw the movie "Burlesque." Do you go and like talk to them, recruit people.
KELLY: Yes, I do. I see people on the street. I think dancers, we all have this sense, like we all came from the dancer planet. I'm like "you're a dancer, aren't you?"
LEMON: Yes.
KELLY: And just recruit. Sometimes you just go to schools and I see other dancers, different performances. But in the dance community, whenever a dance film comes out, we're all there.
LEMON: It's called again, Le Pink Kitty Cabaret. And what's the crowd like on a Friday and a Saturday night? Are you open everyday?
KELLY: Actually, we're not open yet, we're going to be debuting here at the 14th Street Theater.
LEMON: Cool.
KELLY: Yes. January 21st. That's our first show.
LEMON: (INAUDIBLE) all kinds from all different kinds of people.
KELLY: All kinds. All different kinds of people, yes. Everybody's invited.
LEMON: Awesome, we love it. "Le Pink Kitty Cabaret." Give us little moves without the music on the way out.
KELLY: You ready?
LEMON: Yes, we see.
KELLY: And ready, five six, seven, eight. And -
LEMON: OK. There we go. Thank you guys, we appreciate it. I'm sure the viewers appreciate it too.
So we have so many fun guests here with us live tonight. We have Lisa Wu Hartwell from the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." She's watching it right there, the "Burlesque." She's going to join us in a little bit. She's going to gossip and she's going to talk to us about some things that are trendy on the internet and also talk to us about the so- called cheating gene, does your man have it?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Yes. Let me do something. No, I was saying, I was for morphing them like Brangelina together.
All right. She gave our little secret. That's why we love having her. She's back.
LISA WU-HARTWELL: Hi, honey.
LEMON: How are you doing?
WU-HARTWELL: You're so handsome, you know that, right?
LEMON: I'll pay you later.
WU-HARTWELL: That's funny, right?
LEMON: You're making me blush.
WU-HARTWELL: You're getting a little flushed.
LEMON: I'm turning rust.
WU-HARTWELL: No, you're not.
LEMON: So our go-to guest, there you see the beautiful Lisa Wu- Hartwell. She's going to talk to us about some trending items. We're going to do a little gossip. She's a businesswoman. She's a jewelry designer. She's a devoted wife. She's a mom and of course, she's a former cast member of "The Housewives of Atlanta." WU-HARTWELL: You're a little winded, huh?
LEMON: I've been running around. I was trying to do the cabaret. Can you do the burlesque?
WU-HARTWELL: A little bit.
LEMON: Let me see. Get up there.
WU-HARTWELL: Are you really going to make me do it? I don't even know what they did. They just did a little something, you know, saucy.
LEMON: Open the oven for us? Did you see how she opened the oven?
WU-HARTWELL: She opened the oven.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Sit down, girl. We have been talking about the (INAUDIBLE) Keri Hillson video.
WU-HARTWELL: Right.
LEMON: And some people are saying it's really too x-rated for primetime. What do you think?
WU-HARTWELL: It's pretty provocative. You know, you have to be very clear about the message you're trying to send out. A lot of Keri Hilson's fans are a lot of teenagers. And you know, they follow what she does and you know, it's a bit racy.
LEMON: In this whole era - there's the video right there. You know, I have seen Britney Spears and I think for her, Britney Spears and other artists who do racy things like that -
WU-HARTWELL: But we weren't expecting it from Keri though.
LEMON: Oh really?
WU-HARTWELL: Not to that extent. You know, I think you have to leave a little bit to the imagination.
LEMON: Yes, the f-word -
WU-HARTWELL: Yes.
LEMON: The f-word or whatever.
WU-HARTWELL: Yes, she's dropping a lot of F-bombs. You know, men can get away with it sometimes, but then when women do it, it's just a double standard.
LEMON: Is there anything that was off limits in this sort of reality TV world, where everyone's pushing the envelopes, was there anything that was off limits on your show, nudity, sex, they didn't go into your bedroom or anything.
WU-HARTWELL: Well, I was in the tub. Did you see that?
LEMON: Yes, I saw that.
WU-HARTWELL: There was a little hanky-panky going on.
LEMON: That's why I said it.
WU-HARTWELL: But you know really, I was in a bathing suit, as crazy as that is. I did. You know, some things are just off limits. I mean, (INAUDIBLE) come on, I'm wearing it. There's a limit. It means leave something to the imagination.
LEMON: You're old school and old fashioned that way. I like that.
WU-HARTWELL: You always have to carry yourself like a lady. Did you say old fashioned?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Can we see the (INAUDIBLE) video and I want you to tell me what you think about it. Have you seen it? I think your hair is on the microphone.
WU-HARTWELL: Thank you.
LEMON: This is the cleaned up version. On the other version, which they removed from youtube, it may be back now. It's like -
WU-HARTWELL: Soft porn?
LEMON: I don't even think it's soft porn.
WU-HARTWELL: Well, we expected that from her. The songs (INAUDIBLE) I think the audience that he's catering to, they're older.
LEMON: OK. Stick around. Hey, we're going to take a break and talk a little bit more. We're going to gossip about -
You're still in touch with the housewives?
WU-HARTWELL: I am, a little bit.
LEMON: And there's some crazy stuff.
I just started watching.
WU-HARTWELL: Did you?
LEMON: After I had you on, I saw - Nini had a huge fight and there was a divorce.
WU-HARTWELL: There's always fights with Nini.
LEMON: I know you've got some stuff. So we're back with Lisa Wu- Hartwell, the former housewife of Atlanta with so much more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We're back with Lisa Wu-Hartwell, a former housewife of Atlanta. OK, give me some gossip about the show. Nini, they say, she went into - when I saw the show she was going to a divorce attorney.
WU-HARTWELL: I believe they're both still in the same house. That's what I hear. That's the last I heard. And hopefully they'll work it out. You know, I don't know that they will. I'm hoping that they will. Because I like Greg.
LEMON: You're hoping they work it out and not get a divorce?
WU-HARTWELL: Yes, definitely. I hope they work it out. I like Greg.
LEMON: What about the one who can't sing, the blonde?
WU-HARTWELL: She needs to google singing. You know, her single "Google Me." Google singing. You know, I mean, she's getting away with it. I mean, my god. Kim.
LEMON: OK. Crazy. What are you working on?
WU-HARTWELL: Oh, my god. I'm doing this movie with (INAUDIBLE). He's a fabulous actor, writer, director and we're doing a film called "Must be the Music." Patty Labelle. My god. Jill Scott, myself and I'm playing his wife and Stevie g., Terry (INAUDIBLE), the producer and I'm excited to do that.
LEMON: All right. In a few moments we have left, why did you leave the show? Was it too much for you? Is this reality world become too much for you?
WU-HARTWELL: For me, it is I'm an actress, clothing designer and there's so many other things I have going on, and I think they just want the drama. Like I can bring the drama. Like I mean, you know, when it happens, I let it happen naturally.
LEMON: Yes, you need to get your real life back.
WU-HARTWELL: I do. I do.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, it's always a pleasure to see you.
WU-HARTWELL: Thank you, sweetheart.
LEMON: Guys, I know you're jealous. She's awesome.
We have Lisa Wu-Harwell. I'm Don Lemon here at the CNN World headquarters in Atlanta. "Losing Lennon: Countdown to Murder" is coming up next.
