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Thousands Still Flee Libya; Unemployment Falls Below 9 Percent; Rodney King: 20 Years Later; BYU Suspends Star Player; 49-Count Indictment Against Loughner; NFL Network: Seven Day CBA Extension; U.S. Aid Plane Lands in Tunisia; Yemen President Rejects Opposition Plan; China Tightens Control on Reporters; Do We Need a Space Program?

Aired March 04, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, and at any moment now we're expecting federal officials to hand down a new indictment against Tucson shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner. Loughner is accused in the January shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded several others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Prosecutors temporarily dropped two murder charges in a procedural move, but they plan to bring them back under a superceding indictment that is expected to include other charges as well.

Want to tell you that CNN's Jeanne Meserve, monitoring today developments on this. She will join us live once she gets the new information.

And I want to take you now to Libya. And pay attention to this.

That's security forces in Tripoli today using rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters.

Now take a look at this satellite image of the refugee situation along the Tunisian/Libyan border. All that white you see, that's refugee camps. This is from satellite.

Officials fear a real humanitarian crisis is in the making. The U.S. government has stepped up its relief effort.

And I want to get you straight to CNN's Ivan Watson now, who is now live in Djerba, Tunisia airport.

So, Ivan, what are you seeing?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, this is an air bridge that has been constructed basically out of scores of planes taking off from here daily, taking people back to their countries of origin. Up to 10,000 people a day now being shuttled out on what is effectively an air bridge from this airport.

And we've seen crowds of people coming through, tired, exhausted, dirty after going weeks without being able to bathe, but orderly, being fed by Tunisians who are donating food. And they're going everywhere from China to Vietnam, dozens of flights going to Egypt as well. People very grateful for the help they've been getting here. We heard Egyptians chanting in the corner here, "Tunisia and Egypt are one!" I've covered a lot of conflicts, Don. I've never seen a refugee exodus like this, where almost all of the refugees, more than 100,000, have crossed the Tunisian border, according to the United Nations, are male. They're all migrant workers, and they're from other countries around the world. Very few of them are actually Libyan -- Don.

LEMON: I think that satellite image we showed just before you just sort of really sums up what you were saying.

My question is, what about aid for the refugees, Ivan?

WATSON: Well, what we saw this afternoon here were the first of two U.S. Air Force C-130s bringing in tents and buckets and all sorts of aid, the first real American government international aid to help Tunisia cope with the massive numbers of people who have been coming across.

Now, it's Tunisians who have been bearing the brunt of the effort to help these tens of thousands of refugees. Over here is a line in the back here. There's a booth that would normally be renting out cars or doing currency exchange. And instead, you've got locals from the villages in this coastal area that have been making sandwiches and distributing water to the refugees coming through here. And they're ordinary Tunisians who have really been stepping up.

But the international assistance is definitely going to be really welcomed. The British government says it's going to help charter planes. The French government has been helping as well.

One strange development we've seen though is in the past two days, the number of refugees streaming across the border, Don, has fallen dramatically from 15,000 a day down to barely 2,000 yesterday and today. And there is some speculation now, some concern, that perhaps the Libyan authorities are not letting refugees escape their country the way they were before. And that's a grave concern for the United Nations high commissioner for refugees.

Everybody we've talked to coming through here, almost everybody, Don, tells me that they've been robbed at gunpoint by Libyan security forces while making the escape to Tunisia. Libyan security forces who have stolen their phones and in many cases stolen their money.

And a lot of these people we've talked to say they only make the equivalent of about $250 a month working in Libya. They're not wealthy people to begin with. Can you imagine then being robbed on your way out and having to come back home penniless after escaping a war zone?

Don.

LEMON: Ivan Watson, in Djerba, Tunisia.

Thank you very much for that report. Here at home, a new jobs report out today, and we haven't seen numbers quite like this in two years. Unemployment has fallen to 8.9 percent. The Last time we saw a number like that was April, 2009.

The U.S. economy added 192,000 jobs. This is the best number that we've seen since May of 2010. And by industry, we saw job creation in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and health care. And we did see, however, 30,000 government jobs lost.

But what do all of these numbers really mean?

And for that, I turn to CNN's Christine Romans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Let's look at the trend over a longer period. I mean, you've showed the headlines, but you can see for the past five months now, we've been adding jobs in the economy, most recently 192,000. But as you've heard me say over and over again, it takes 100,000 to 150,000 new jobs each month just to keep up with population growth in this country.

So it's not a significant enough of an amount to really eat into that eight million jobs lost during the recession. But you have the White House painting it in a pretty rosy light, and I'll tell you why.

They're focusing in on a year now of private sector jobs growth, 222,000 private sector jobs, Don, created. That means companies, small companies and big companies, are starting to hire again -- Don.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Christine. Thanks very much.

For much, much more on the jobs story, be sure to join Christine Romans for "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," each Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. And, of course, "YOUR MONEY" with Ali Velshi, Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and Sundays at 3:00.

Now to a horrifying and heartbreaking story. And it's out of Michigan.

A 16-year-old high school basketball player had just made the winning shot of a game Thursday night when he suddenly collapsed on the court. Wes Leonard had stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating.

After failed attempts to revive him, an ambulance transported him to nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A hospital spokesman says doctors hope an autopsy will determine the cause of death. Leonard had led the Fennville High School Blackhawks to a perfect 20-game winning season.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: It has been 20 years since the videotaped police beating of Rodney King. And since then, he's had some other run-ins with the law, including a citation just this week for driving without a license. That's according to his fiancee.

And I recently sat down with King for a CNN special to see how his life has changed since the beating, and what is the city of Los Angeles like, and really the nation since the riots that followed?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice-over): In the 20 years since his life was turned upside-down, Rodney King has relocated to suburban Rialto, California. He's 20 years older and, according to him, a lot wiser. He admits his past is riddled with bad decisions.

(on camera): If you could do it all over again, what would you do? Would you go out that night? Would you --

RODNEY KING, POLICE BEATING VICTIM: I would have stayed home. I think I would have stayed home.

LEMON (voice-over): For years after the beating, Rodney King continued to have run-ins with the law. In 1996, he was sentenced to 90 days for a hit-and-run involving his wife. He was also arrested several times on charges related to domestic abuse, drug intoxication, and indecent exposure.

(on camera): Why after all that? That's what people would say, especially black people. Why after all that, Rodney, are you still getting in trouble?

KING: I guess the trouble that they see me in is a part of my life that I'm working on.

LEMON (voice-over): And 20 years later, Rodney King still lives in fear.

(on camera): Years after the beating you wore a vest.

KING: Oh, yes.

LEMON: Do you still wear a vest?

KING: Yes, I do. I do.

LEMON (voice-over): He wears a bulletproof vest in large crowds because threats against his life were all too real. The FBI once infiltrated a white supremacist plot to assassinate King.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you constantly looking over your shoulder?

KING: You know, I never feel safe, you know. There's things that happen.

When you are part of history, and it changes for the better, you've got a lot of devilish people out there that don't like it.

LEMON (on camera): When Rodney King had the blood on his face, that mug shot of you with the blood on your face, who was he then?

KING: Oh, man, a guy that was almost dead and just, like, happy to be able to still have that face, to be able to see that face.

LEMON: And Rodney King now, all cleaned up, trimmed goatee, beads around his neck. Who is Rodney King now?

KING: I consider myself a decent, you know, good human being.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: You can watch my exclusive interview as I retrace the events from 20 years ago. "Race and Rage: The Beating of Rodney King" airs tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

Want to get back now to our social media question. We wanted your thoughts on Brigham Young University's decision to kick a star men's basketball player off the team, apparently for violating the school's honor code by engaging in premarital sex.

Here's what Sandra writes. "Good for the college to stick by its decision. Just because he is one of the team's top players, that doesn't mean he should be exempt from being kicked off the team if he violated the team's honor code."

Scott says, "BUY is a Mormon-run school. So what did he expect? If he wanted to play ball and have sex, too, he should have went to a school without ties to a religious group."

He should have gone to a school without ties to a religious group.

Linda writes, "I think the rules are a little overboard in today's world, but he did sign on to them and then broke them. So I guess he has to pay the consequences. I think it punishes the whole team, and that isn't fair."

And this comment from Vickie. "Oh, come on. Like there weren't other players doing the same thing who just weren't caught. Give me a break!"

Thanks for your comments. And you can still join the discussion. Head to our blog, CNN.com/Ali. And you can also post on Ali's Facebook and Twitter pages.

And also, coming up in about 10 minutes here on CNN, we'll talk to former BYU football star Reno Mahe. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Reno was suspended from BYU in 1998 because of an honor code violation. We'll talk to him about that.

The Internet connects people all around the world. Find out how this week's CNN Hero is using it to help orphaned children in South Africa. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Want to get back now to our breaking news, the Tucson shooting story. Federal officials are handing down an indictment against suspect Jared Lee Loughner.

And CNN's Jeanne Meserve joins us now with the details.

What have you learned, Jeanne?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Don, it's a 49-count superceding indictment against Jared Lee Loughner, the man who allegedly shot up Gabby Giffords' "Congress on the Corner" event in Tucson, Arizona.

We had expected that this superceding indictment would come, and that it would charge him with the murders of U.S. District Judge John Roll and also with Gabe Zimmerman, who was a staffer for Gabrielle Giffords. It does do that but, in addition, this indictment goes further. It also charges him with the murders of four other people who were at that event, saying they were eligible for these federal charges because they were at a government-sponsored event, Gabby Giffords' campaign event on that corner in Tucson, Arizona.

So there are a total of six murder charges contained within this 49-count indictment. In addition, he is still being charged with attempt to assassinate the congresswoman herself.

Now, these are death penalty eligible charges, but there's no word at this point whether that will be sought. That is a long, complicated process, we're told, which involves consultations with the victims, with victims' families, with a careful consideration of the evidence. But Loughner himself is expected to be in court on March 9th -- that's next week -- to be arraigned on these new charges.

Don, back to you.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much for that, Jeanne Meserve. We'll check back with you.

Also, we have more breaking news here into CNN.

We told you about the NFL and the Players Union. They were at a standstill, and they were trying to get their acts together. And there was some concern that the season might be delayed or suspended or canceled altogether if they couldn't talk and meet to some agreement.

Here's what we're learning, an d this is according to the NFL Network. They said, "The NFL and Players Association agreed to extend talks for another week."

Again, so there won't be a complete standstill here, no cancellations, no suspensions as of yet, because they're extending those talks for one more week. We'll keep you updated. Nearly two million children in South Africa have been left without a parent or mentor due to the AIDS epidemic. This week's CNN Hero is helping to change that through the Internet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMY STOKES, CHAMPIONING CHILDREN: Kohl (ph), are you going to help me do this other one?

In 2003, my husband and I went to Johannesburg and we adopted our son.

Here you go.

HIV/AIDS has really decimated some of these communities.

Seeing all of the children and so few adults to help them grow up, with none of the adults you care about has ever lived past 35, then why would you think you can? Why would you stay in school? Why would you invest in yourself?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me something good that happened in school will week.

STOKES: I had to find a way to bring the caring, nurturing effect of other adults for that child to invest in themselves.

I'm Amy Stokes. I use the Internet to create a global village where the mentors and kids can interact face to face on a regular basis.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. How are you?

LESLEY YANIV: How was your day at school? Did you work in the garden?

STOKES: That mentor shows up every week, a relationship starts between one person here and one person there, and then that relationship expands.

My mentor is so good, I like him very much.

Because they want to connect with that special someone, they're going to learn keyboard skills. The skills that they will need to have jobs and to be able to do whatever they need in the future.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At first I was nervous. OK, I love you.

YANIV: Love you, too. Bye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's part of my family and also part of my life.

STOKES: It's a bite-sized opportunity to change the world. And there's no commute.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: You can find out more about Amy Stokes and other CNN Heroes at CNNHeroes.com.

A BYU basketball player gets the boot after he admits he had sex with his girlfriend. Coming up, I'll speak to another athlete who faced the same scenario at the same school 13 years ago.

What does he think about the school's strict policy? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So we've been telling you how Brigham Young University dismissed its star player, Brandon Davies, from the men's basketball team, apparently for violating BYU's honor code by engaging in premarital sex. All right?

The statement from the school reads, in part, "Due to the violation of the BYU honor code, Brandon Davies will not represent the university on the men's basketball team throughout the remainder of the 2010-11 season." It goes on to say, "BYU does not make public details regarding violations of its honor code. Given BYU became aware of this violation yesterday, some decisions regarding Davies' future on the basketball team and at the university are yet to be determined."

OK. So former NFL player Reno Mahe was in the same predicament 13 years ago, when BYU booted him from its football team.

Reno, thanks for joining us.

RENO MAHE, FMR. BYU FOOTBALL STAR: Thanks for having me.

LEMON: So, listen, it's a bit different. Your girlfriend was pregnant at the time.

MAHE: Correct.

LEMON: It's not believed that this woman is pregnant now.

So what do you think about the school's decision in light of your own experience?

MAHE: As I've stated before, I do appreciate a school that stands for what -- a school like BYU and what it stands for. It's something that you know when you're going into it, and you appreciate what the school stands for.

LEMON: OK. So listen, here's what it says. "The honor code says that a student must be honest, live a chaste and virtuous life, use clean language, abstain from alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and drugs. It also bars gambling, pornography, and homosexual behavior. Though feeling of attraction are allowed."

Do you think in these times, that that honor code needs to be looked at, or do you still stick by the honor code, and do most people at the university believe it should stand?

MAHE: I think -- look, it's -- I think it's something that the country could look at and the country can take notice of.

I think it's something that is there to free the kids from -- I mean, you think of things like tobacco and alcohol, they're things that aren't good for you. Some of those things we feel like are sacred, that should be between a wife and her husband.

It's one of those things that I think that people don't realize that we still have fun at BYU. And you can still have fun by making good choices. You know, we have things like ice blocking. I don't know, there's various things that you could within the honor code.

LEMON: Yes. We get where you're going. As they call it, good, clean fun, as they used to say in the old days.

MAHE: Exactly. Exactly.

LEMON: So, listen, Davies' suspension really comes at a tough time, Reno, for the number three ranked Cougars. March Madness almost here.

MAHE: Understood. And I think that it's even more something that I think sports people probably are disappointed at. You get fans who are.

But, at the same time, it's a -- as far as Davies goes, it's something that he can learn from. You know, you pull all of that away -- I'll give you an example.

What if the kid got hurt and he was out for the year? Would you still get the same reaction, that they lost their starting forward or center, or what have you? You know, those are things that you take into consideration.

Because he left on an honor code violation, or he got hurt, you know, it's sports. It's a sport. The next guy needs to step up and pick it up.

LEMON: OK. I get what you're saying.

We talked about the honor code, and you're since back at the university, right? And you have signed the honor code again.

Do you have to resign if you come back even to teach or to work?

MAHE: Yes.

LEMON: Yes?

MAHE: Yes, you do.

LEMON: So, now, listen, when you go to the school, I'm sure they take it very seriously, they found out. But when you're an adult and you're married, is it as strict or are they lax? How do they know that your wife isn't going to say that you're smoking at home or drinking at home or dog whatever?

MAHE: You don't know my wife. She'd tell on me.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Good answer.

MAHE: The reality of the honor code, it's something my wife kind of helped me to understand. It's something that BYU will come and ask you, this is something that was brought to our attention, did you do this? The reality is, it's on your honor. Are you going to be honest about it, or are you going to keep -- you know --

LEMON: It's what we call the honor system.

MAHE: Exactly.

LEMON: I want to get this in -- I don't want to run out of time before I get to ask you all the questions.

MAHE: No, no. Go ahead, shoot.

LEMONS: I'm just curious, have you reached out to Davies?

MAHE: I haven't. I haven't. I know there are been a few guys who have had the same situation that, to my understanding, have reached out to him. Just to let him know that there's more to life than just sports.

That you'll be fine and, you know, although you've made one decision that has affected you right now, to make better decisions and to learn from it. So one of these days I hope to reach out to him and just tell him that we care about him.

We cared about him when he first got here and we care about him even more now and what happens to this kid as his life progresses.

LEMON: Listen, we appreciate you coming in and being so candid about it. It happened to you, and you seem to be doing fine now. And we appreciate it.

MAHE: Thanks for having me.

LEMON: OK, best of luck to you.

MAHE: Appreciate it. Thank you.

LEMON: Two American troops gunned down in Germany, the apparent motive originating thousands of miles away. Details in what you missed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, in case you're just joining us, some of the stories you may have missed. Just moments ago, we learned a federal grand jury indicted Tucson shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner on 49 counts in a superseding indictment.

The new indictment adds additional charges against him including murder in the death of Federal Judge John Roll. Loughner is accused of shooting U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others at a Tucson grocery store in January. Six people were killed.

This hour, breaking news, it's from the NFL network. It's reporting that the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to extend the collective bargaining agreement deadline for another seven days until March 11th.

The league and players union already agreed yesterday to keep it in place for another 24 hours. The two sides have been in talks for almost two weeks now. We're expecting to get more details from a news conference that should happen at the top of the hour.

We also have some new information on the man charged with killing two U.S. troops outside the Frankfurt airport. German authorities say that 21 year old is a Muslim who only recently got radicalized.

During his interrogation, he allegedly confessed and said he attacked the troops as revenge for the war in Afghanistan. According to German intelligence, he has links to radical Islamists, but he insists he acted alone.

The French government has announced that its so-called Burqa ban will take effect next month. As of April 11th, any woman wearing a veil or other face covering in public can be fined 150 euros, almost $200 and also have to take a citizenship class to remind them of France's secular values.

Human rights group say the ban clearly discriminates against Muslims. Still, most French people approve. A Pew poll last year found more than 80 percent support for the measure.

Revolt in Libya. Fighting in the east, protestors killed just outside Tripoli and a refugee crisis deepens. Details right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Anti-Gadhafi protesters tell CNN that government forces today gunned down peaceful demonstrators in the city of Zawiya just outside the capital, Tripoli. A doctor described the hospital there as a river of blood.

Elsewhere, fierce fighting continues in the east against anti- Gadhafi rebels and government groups, and a refugee crisis may be taking a turn for the worst.

Details on this now and developments in Libya, CNN's international correspondent Michael Holmes joins us and also the host of "Back Story." You know the fighting in Zawiya appears to be the deadliest we've seen in several days if not weeks.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Savage stuff I got to tell you. People who said that they were protesting there, we've had people tell us that they were attacked by mortars and machine guns, very deadly stuff.

One doctor said 16 people have been killed, 200 have been wounded. A bunch of other people, dozens, are listed as missing at the moment. This was a savage attack, happened in Martyr's Square.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES (voice-over): This is Zawiya is just west of Tripoli, a very strategic town. The protestors had taken it over. This is Gadhafi's people going back in to take it. Again, they now -- the government says it's retaken the city, but no way of knowing for sure.

LEMON (voice-over): Gadhafi forces also cracked down on protestors in Tripoli today and there was more heavy fighting in the east.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Yes, that's right. There was more heavy fighting in the east. Ben Wedeman has been following some of that, the rebels moving on a couple of key areas there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES (voice-over): Now, in Tripoli itself, it was Friday of course, Friday prayers and after Friday prayers it's often traditional for protests.

We did see some protests in Tripoli. It was put down as you can see with tear gas, rubber bullets. Witnesses said flatbed trucks of gunmen drove through the streets firing. You know, a lot of people say they want to protest in Tripoli, but they're just too afraid to go out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Yes, and as we've been reporting here, you heard the president announce yesterday about the planes and the first of two military planes landed loaded with supplies in Tunisia for people who are fleeing Libya for safety.

HOLMES: That's right. Yes, a couple of interesting things you mentioned there. A couple of C-130s as you've said. There are other aid planes from other nations as well. Sixty six flights a day so far going out, taking people out because, of course, we have tens of thousands of people who crossed over the border into Tunisia and on the other side into Libya as well so now it's a matter of getting those people out.

The other interesting thing, we're having 15,000 to 20,000 people crossing over getting out of Libya that went all of a sudden down to 2,000. The supposition is that Libyan authorities are keeping people inside the country.

LEMON: Cracking down.

HOLMES: Cracking down, not letting them out.

LEMON: They had trouble getting out with their phones, they were destroyed.

HOLMES: Yes, that's right. Case they had taken photos.

LEMON: My gosh, what a mess. Can we move on now and talk about Yemen?

HOLMES: I've always said this is a really important conflict what's going on there in Yemen. It continues to bubble along as well. The president still not -- he's actually rejected a proposal that he step down.

It was an opposition proposal that would have brought the demonstrations to a standstill. He's rejected that. Security forces have opened fire on protestors in northern Yemen. They killed two, injured nine and some suggest even aircraft were used in that.

LEMON: And in China, another crackdown on journalists and two of our very own co-workers here were involved in that.

HOLMES: Yes, that's right, a couple of our reporters. I think we have pictures to show what happened to them. Let's roll that for a second.

Eunice Yoon and Jolene Kent, they were out there covering what they thought was going to be a protest. This is what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Were really difficult with us. I'm not doing anything illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Yes, they took their cameras, tried to take her credentials. Journalists have been warned that they face the loss of their visas, their credentials, expulsion if they don't abide by new limits on how they can talk to people, where they can talk to them.

Of course, this is all China getting worried that there's going to be a spreading of what's happening in the Arab nations in north Africa into China. And so they're telling journalists, you can't do this, you can't do that, you can't talk to these people. You can see how they deal with it, too. It was interesting, actually. There's was one quote, a foreign ministry spokesman said the police were just there to provide reasonable guidance. That's Chinese reasonable guidance.

LEMON: And then they said the proper procedure wasn't followed.

HOLMES: And then didn't tell them what they were. Didn't tell the journalists what they were, explain what these procedures were. And the other irony, let's talk about media freedom, if you like. If you were on CNN International right now, we're having this conversation and we're broadcasting to China, they would have pulled the plug on us by now.

LEMON: Really?

HOLMES: Anytime you talk about anything negative in China, pop, they switch us off. And then when you stop talking, they switch you back on. It's interesting to watch.

LEMON: America.

HOLMES: There you go.

LEMON: Lot to be said about that in one word: America.

HOLMES: Good to see you.

LEMON: Thank you very much, sir. We appreciate it.

With its funding in jeopardy, public broadcasting takes another hit as a senator slams executive salaries. We'll show you the money next in our big breakdown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In an op-ed in today's "Wall Street Journal," Republican Senator Jim DeMint tries to flesh out his case for cutting federal funding for public broadcasting. The House voted to do just that just last month, and today Senator DeMint helped introduce a bill to do the same.

Anyway, in his supporting op-ed, he takes particular offense at some of the six-figure salaries paid out to executives at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, known as PBS and NPR. So we're going to use that as a springboard to look at the big picture here, the numbers, of course, but also the history and the mechanisms of public broadcasting in this country.

Congress made it a priority with the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The opening reads, "The Congress herby finds and declares that: it is in the public interest to encourage the growth and development of public radio and television broadcasting...the encouragement and support of public telecommunications...are also of appropriate and important concern to the federal government...it is necessary and appropriate for the federal government to complement, assist, and support a national policy that will make public telecommunications services available to all citizens of the United States."

So that's the backstory, and that's how the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was born.

CPB is funded by the federal government. It doesn't produce or distribute programming. What it does is get some of the government funding to outlets like PBS and NPR. And by law, almost three- quarters of the money goes directly to local stations.

This fiscal year, the CPB's federal appropriation is $430 million, about $1.39 per American. And just for comparison, the budget deficit is $1.5 trillion.

Still, Senator DeMint and his supporters argue there are way more media outlets today than in 1967, making public broadcasting less vital. He says, those high executive salaries show that public broadcasting is raking in the dough and therefore can pay for itself.

And though he didn't mention it in today's op-ed, he's accused the public broadcasters, NPR in particular, of promoting a one-sided liberal agenda.

So there you have it, stay tuned.

Every day here on CNN and on this show we have a segment and it's called "You Choose." All right, it's where we give you three stories, three headlines, and then you vote on which one you want to see.

Your first option here, your phone is dirtier than a toilet seat. Your second option, there's a new dictionary of slang. And your final option, a father and son reunited after 57 years through Facebook.

Head to our blog, CNN.com/Ali to vote. We'll bring you the winning story about 10 minutes here. And once again, cast your vote at CNN.com/Ali.

Early this morning, NASA launched an unmanned rocket that apparently crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Were you aware of this launch? Millions of dollars up in smoke, is the space program still relevant? The Stream Team will tackle that subject next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: NASA has helped in the development of many things we use in everyday life, but back in February when NASA announced an $18.7 billion request for 2012, detractors once again called for slashing the budget. President Obama called for the budget to be frozen at 2010 levels. And while the new budget blueprint would roll back spending, it does recommend boosts for some NASA sectors, including partnership with commercial space flight companies.

So the question for our Stream Team today is -- With the way that the space program is currently constituted, is it still relevant? Is the space program still relevant?

There they are right there, Richard Saul Wurman and Pete Dominick. Thank you for joining us today, guys.

So, Mr. Wurman, you created what's called TED, Ted Conferences, where new ideas are spread. And you believe NASA is important, but do you believe that NASA is just not selling it properly, the importance of the program?

RICHARD SAUL WURMAN, CREATOR, TED CONFERENCES: Well, NASA, the federal government in general, doesn't make clear many of the programs that they promote, whether it is science or whether it's health care. It's very difficult to have a conversation with -- a coherent conversation on the man on the street or woman on the street and ask, what is the health care program and what is the space program and why do we have it, what is it for?

So, yes, there's always a difficulty in selling something.

LEMON: OK.

WURMAN: And it's particularly -- it's pointed out when you have disasters, when science fails, it points out why are we spending all of this money on that because it obviously isn't a need, it's a desire.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: All right, I want to get Pete Dominick in on this.

So, Pete, you have been asking people on social media -- I've been following you, you've been tweeting -- what they think about this. What are you hearing?

PETE DOMINICK, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: This is an issue we've talked about on my radio program before, Don. Yes, I tweeted it out and put it on Facebook. Should the United States continue to invest in our space exploration program and in NASA? Almost unanimously, Don, everybody says absolutely, yes. The few people that said, maybe not, thought because I want to invest right now in public transportation or schools.

The fact is, it's not should we or shouldn't we. There aren't just two sides to this I find in listening to opinions. It's how do we do it? And as the distinguished guest, Mr. Wurman, who I'm a huge fan of his work and my wife is at a TED watching party right now, said all the smartest people out right now are out at TED, a lot of the other smartest people that are working, the most intelligent people, at NASA.

We need to keep doing that. We need to keep dreaming, to keep innovating and to protect the future for our children and grandchildren, and NASA is a vitally important part of that, Don. I mean, NASA is probably responsible for the tie you're wearing, I could make an argument.

LEMON: OK. How's that shout-out and love there, Mr. Wurman?

And I've got to ask you this, though. What about privatization, though, like the airlines for the space program?

WURMAN: Well, privatization is already taking place and will happen, but basically, what this gentleman has just said should leave us both speechless because he's absolutely correct. There are needs, there are desires. This is a desire, this is what civilization is about, is about going ahead with science and understanding science. And it does the trickle down -- I don't know if it goes to your tie, but it probably goes to most things in our society when they leap ahead -- great leaps ahead come from massive amounts of money being spent on certain scientific things now.

LEMON: Can I just jump in here real quickly, Mr. Wurman, because you're talking about what our contribution to science.

Hang on, Pete, I'm going to get to you.

But where would we be, where would society be without NASA, without the space program?

WURMAN: Where would we be? It's very difficult to understand where the world would be without science. We wouldn't have -- you mentioned the airplane industry. The airplane industry came out of the federal government initially. Jet planes, everything that we have, big breakthroughs in communication, the Internet came out of science that was funded by the government through universities. Our society, these great leaps forward.

And then it can be privatized. And space is privatized. There's a lot of communication satellites up there that are paid for by private industries.

LEMON: OK, we've got your point.

Hey, Pete, I want to give you the last word here. You want to jump in?

DOMINICK: Well, I would just say this to answer both your questions, Don. We wouldn't be having this conversation right now, none of those screens behind you would be working, no phones, no internet, no iPads or iPods, no computers.

And the idea of privatizing it, there's arguments for that, of course, but it's for the public good. Earth -- Earth, its interest is the public good. That's why these types of programs have to be in the best interest not the United States but Earth.

LEMON: Pete Dominick, Richard Wurman, thank you, sir. Have a great weekend to both of you.

DOMINICK: Thanks, Don.

WURMAN: Thanks.

LEMON: Time now for a CNN Political Update. Our chief political correspondent, Candy Crowley, anchor of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" joins me now.

Candy, I watch you every Sunday. And if I'm not up that early cause I've worked late, I TiVo you.

So bipartisan push for education happening in America. The president down in Florida. CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Indeed.

Just to save you some sleep, it's also on at noon. So you can sleep in, see it at noon.

LEMON: Well, I wake up at the crack of noon, Candy, just so you know.

(LAUGHTER)

CROWLEY: OK.

Yes, but there is a bipartisan push or at least a bipartisan picture. President Obama just landed in Florida, in Miami, and guess who he's going to stand around with in a high school? Jeb Bush, the former governor, obviously the brother of the former president.

Jeb Bush, while in office in Florida as governor, was hugely interested in education. He has continued that out of office. This is one of the schools that the president is visiting, that they will both tout, as a real example of what you can do.

This is part of the president's month-long push to, quote, "out educate world." He loves that bipartisan picture, the president, because this is it a picture that the public likes to see. And obviously, Jeb Bush still interested in education, maybe still interested in politics, all though not at the moment. It's always nice to be out there and to be seen as somebody who brought about an example of something the president thinks is a good school.

While we're in Florida, I don't know if you recall, but the feds had offered $2.4 billion in federal money to help build a high-speed rail and the new Florida Republican governor said, no, not so much. I think it's going to be cost overruns. I think it's going to be really expensive for us to maintain. We really don't want that money.

Republicans and Democrats in the state, some of the local lawmakers, said, wait a second, wait a second, he can't turn that down. That's overstepping his bounds. In fact, a judge today found for the Florida governor and Florida is going to turn down that 2.4 billion -- Don.

LEMON: Candy Crowley, thank you.

Another update just one hour away here on CNN.

You know, we're still taking your votes on the "You Choose" story of the day. Your first option, your phone is dirtier than a toilet seat. Your second option, there's a new dictionary of slang. And your final option, a father and son reunited after 57 years through Facebook. Head to our blog here, CNN.com/Ali.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Now back to our "You Choose" segment where we ask you to vote on the news, and here's the winner today. This is some shocking news. A study from the University of Arizona found the handles on most shopping carts are covered in fecal matter and E. coli. That's right, 50 percent tested were covered in E. coli and 72 percent were covered in fecal matter. I'm not sure -- right? Ugh is right, Brooke.

All right, if you think that's bad, Brooke Baldwin, and I'm sure everybody who is watching at home, researchers also say your cell phone may be dirtier than a public toilet.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Great.

LEMON: Yes, apparently it's heat acts as an incubator for germs and we'll post the story about the new dictionary of slang and the father reunited with his son after 57 years through Facebook on Ali's blog.

So --

BALDWIN: Really, you're going to leave me with that?

LEMON: I'm going to call you, though.

BALDWIN: I'm not touching my phone now.

LEMON: On my cell phone.

BALDWIN: Speakerphone, baby.

LEMON: Which is, as they say, disgusting.

Thank you very much. I know you have a lot ahead today.

BALDWIN: Yes, we have a lot going on, minus bathroom phone stories.

Don Lemon, thank you, have a wonderful weekend. Can't wait to see your special tonight at 8:00, by the way.