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Tornado Devastates Iowa Town; African Union Meets with Gadhafi; Controversy in France Over Burqa Ban Law; Interview with Toni Braxton, Tamar Braxton; Kid Steals Car, Causes Damage, Parents Pay; Giants Fan in Coma After Beating in Dodgers Stadium Parking Lot
Aired April 10, 2011 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's stuck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop here. That's good. Let me get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And they did get it, capturing this huge funnel cloud on camera. This tornado in Iowa is part of a huge moving system. Stay tuned because it's not over yet.
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LEMON: That is the sound of a radiation alarm. The Japanese journalist who ventured into the heart of the radiation zone in Fukushima joins us for a CNN television exclusive.
And I want you to check this out. A plane crashes into a California warehouse. Amazingly, everyone survives. And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONI BRAXTON, SINGER: Is this a birthday or a roast?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I sing like you? Unbreak my heart --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Toni Braxton's new reality show going beyond the headline. She and her sister join me for a must-see interview.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Those stories and much, much more.
But we start with severe weather.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Large tornado, guys. Large tornado.
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LEMON: A tiny Iowa town is the target for this monster tornado. A ferocious funnel caught on amateur video rips through Mapleton last night. The quarter-mile-long twister wiped out entire blocks of Main Street, some 100 homes, almost all of the town's power. But, thankfully, no one was killed in the town of 1,200 in western Iowa.
But this is what is left behind. Take a look at the damage. So bad it's been declared a disaster area. Today, shell-shocked residents return to see what, if anything, is left there.
The Red Cross and the National Guard are there now. And officials say utilities could be out for at least, at least two weeks.
I want to go now to North Carolina. Hail as large as baseballs, that's what people saw just outside of Charlotte last night. Hail so large it easily shattered car windows.
The nasty storm swept through the Carolina's causing quite a bit of damage. Nine people were injured when they were hit by lightning at a dog show in Burke Country in western North Carolina.
All right, look at that. That's Oklahoma today. The governor extended a state of emergency for seven counties to help battle wildfires. A prolonged drought isn't helping at all as firefighters on the ground and in the air battle hot spots from this enormous grass fire near the town of Cleveland. More than 350 people were forced to flee the area. And so far, there'd been no reports of injuries there.
And people in Fargo, North Dakota, are breathing a sigh of relief right now. That's because so far, the dykes and sandbags that we have been reporting about, they are holding back the bloated Red River. And they have worked so far. The river crested at near 40 feet, just under the 44-foot levee. Lighter than expected rainstorm also helps stave off a flooding disaster there.
Our Karen Maginnis is in the weather center.
Karen, my gosh, what else can we have? We've got fire. We've got flooding. We've got hail.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, as if Mother Nature said, "I'm going throw everything your way."
We had snowfall across the Rockies. And, typically, that might make the news. But we've got violent weather to tell you about. And I'll point this out across Wisconsin. This is the bull's eye for the severe weather tonight.
We've got some iReporter images coming out of what happened last night in Mapleton, Iowa. Take a look at what Claret Smith (ph) shot. This is out of the -- this is actually Fargo flooding. This is an iReport from Kayla Graven (ph). She said she was driving behind a vehicle and it was creating a little bit of a wake. This is along Interstate 29, just north of Fargo, where they are still under flash flood warnings.
And, then, we've got Grand Forks and they are expecting a crest as we go into Wednesday. And then, across Texas, here is Midland. This is extreme west Texas where the humidity has been between 10 percent and 15 percent. The winds have been very gusty across the region as well, gusting up to as much as 60 miles an hour but go over that. We expect those winds to lighten up just a bit coming up for tomorrow.
But it's still going to be dry and it's still going to be hot -- maybe not as hot as it's been over the last several days. But still, temperatures in the 80s. They have a number of firefighters across this region. Thousands of acres have burned between Texas, west Texas, extending to the panhandle of both Texas and Oklahoma.
Well, to point out, once again, this area in Wisconsin, this is the tornado watch, which means conditions are favorable. A warning means that something has been spotted either by radar or storm spotters or meteorologists. And we have an outbreak now taking place across west central portions of Wisconsin.
Where you see the purple-shaded areas, that's where the tornado warnings have been indicated. And just as we went on the air, right around Eau Claire, this is where we have seen Doppler radar-indicated perhaps tornadic activity. Also, just to the north of Eau Claire, but this is the line that's developing on where temperatures here have been well into the 80s.
So, a sultry hot day, whereas behind it, temperatures have been struggling to get into the 50s. We'll start to see the winds on the increase behind the frontal system. Now, that's also a point for the flood situation along the Red River, which runs north from Fargo to Grand Forks. They are looking at wind-driven rain and, Don, that looks to be a problem. They've got people watching the dykes to make sure they hold. Well, with the wind, it could really make that a very fragile situation for them. Not necessarily the rain.
LEMON: And this is all moving. It's going to make for a really terrible commute tomorrow, which you'll be reporting about a little bit later on.
MAGINNIS: Yes.
LEMON: Thank you, Karen Maginnis -- keeping an eye on the bad weather situation this evening.
Now, we get you caught up on the other top stories of the day. Tomorrow marks one month since the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan and triggered a nuclear crisis there. Well, today, about 2,000 protesters marched in front of TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, calling for Japan's nuclear power stations to be shut down. Protesters say they are concerned about the long-term effects of radiation.
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is speaking out for the first time since the revolution that ousted him from power two months ago. In an audio message aired by al-Arabiya TV, Mubarak denied he masked billions in wealth during three decades in power. His remarks come as a public prosecutor wants to question Mubarak and his sons about violence against protesters and corruption allegations.
In southern California, a small plane crashed into a storage facility near the airport in Camarillo, excuse me. The four people on board got out moments before the plane burst into flames on top of the building.
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BRETT HANLEY, WITNESS: They jumped in my arms, and I pulled them away from the wreck. And not long after that, the thing exploded and caught fire. And that's the end of the airplane.
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LEMON: And witnesses say the plane's engine seemed to be sputtering and running rough just before the crash.
LEMON: We have some breaking news to tell you about coming out of Libya. We have been told about a possible road map and that maybe the president there, Gadhafi, will accept it.
Let's join our Frederik Pleitgen with the very latest.
Frederik, what are you hearing?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, we just heard Jacob Zuma, the South African president who met with Gadhafi, and five other African leaders, Don, and he was saying after that meeting that Gadhafi's delegation had accepted, quote, "the terms" for the pre-conditions for a cease-fire laid out by the African Union.
Now, he didn't go into details as to what exactly those terms are. But in the immediate and verifiable cease-fire is something that the African Union has spoken about in the past.
This came as we actually saw Gadhafi here in Tripoli for the first time, us Western journalists, in a very, very long time in his compound after he met these African leaders. He went. He also greeted some of the crowds that he usually has over there. He seemed very defiant. He seemed really in quite a good mood.
And then, afterwards, it was Jacob Zuma who came out and said that these negotiations were making progress. And that, now, the African presidents who are here to try and broker this will then tomorrow go into Benghazi and then speak to the rebels, Don.
LEMON: OK, stand by, Frederik, again, because I want to tell our viewers what's going on. And then you're going to sum it up.
Frederik is saying there may be some progress in an attempt to resolve what is being called the Libyan civil war. South African's president told reporters that the government there has accepted a peace plan proposed by the African Union.
Now, the A.U. delegation and you saw there. They arrived in Tripoli today and met with Moammar Gadhafi. You're looking at the photograph right there. The delegation plans to meet with rebels tomorrow in their opposition capital of Benghazi.
Frederik, again, so, this is -- these are the reports there. Now, do we believe that, gain, that this is going to happen tomorrow and give us a time line here.
PLEITGEN: Well, it certainly will be the case, that these African presidents are going to fly into rebel-controlled territory and meet there and meet there with the leadership of the rebels.
How real exactly this offer is, how real Gadhafi's commitment is really something that's very much up in the air.
I mean, we've seen this in the past from Gadhafi and his forces, that they have called unilateral cease-fires, they've talked about cease- fires. They've talked about laying down their weapons, leaving civilian areas in the east of Libya, and also, of course, around the town of Misrata alone.
And then NATO came out and said that's simply not happening. They are still shelling civilian areas. They're still attacking civilians in those areas.
So, in the past, the track record seems to indicate that you don't necessarily take this at face value.
On the other hand, however, of course, he does have some very powerful African leaders here. And Gadhafi has always been very well with the African Union. He's given a lot of money to the African Union and clearly is on very friendly terms with these people.
So, whether or not this is real, it's really very, very much too early to tell whether or not that is the case. The track record of Gadhafi's government in the pass doesn't leave very much room for hope, Don.
LEMON: And you mentioned NATO, Frederik. So far, no word from NATO?
PLEITGEN: No, absolutely not, not at this point in time. I mean, one of the interesting things is that NATO was allowing this to happen. I mean, as you know, at this point, there's a no-fly zone over Libya. They did allow these five African presidents to fly in here today and to try and start up these talks.
So, certainly, it appears as though there is a willingness there on all parts to at least go into some sort of negotiations, at least feel out whether or not all this could be real, to feel out whether or not at this point in time might be the right time to try and get talks going and to try to get the weapons to silence, because -- I mean, it has been a very, very long time, as you said, this civil war has been going on in this country. It's taken a heavy toll on the civilians in this country. It's taken a heavy tool on pretty much everybody in this country.
So, maybe NATO, for its part, is also willing to feel out whether or not at least these African leaders can try and start something at this point, Don. LEMON: That's our Frederik reporting our breaking news out of Tripoli, that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has accepted the terms of a road map aimed at ending that conflict supposedly negotiated by the South African President Jacob Zuma. If that is indeed true, huge breaking news here on CNN, and we'll continue to follow that.
Also coming up: a close-up look at the radiation zone in Japan around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and my interview with the daring journalist who drove into the evacuation zone with a Geiger counter and took these pictures.
Plus, my interview with Grammy Award-winning singer Toni Braxton. She's the latest celebrity giving viewers some personal drama as part of a new reality show drama.
And, remember, you, too, have a voice on this show. And it's just as easy as logging on. You can find me @DonLemonCNN on Twitter, on Facebook, and at CNN.com/Don and on Foursquare.com/DonLemonCNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Things are driving her crazy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, shut up!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did I say?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You always have something to say, then you always act like -- I mean, and then (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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LEMON: Now, an up close look at the radiation zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. Armed with radiation detector, Japanese journalist Tetsuo Jimbo traveled deep into the evacuation zone to monitor radiation levels and see the damage for himself. And what he saw was almost surreal.
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LEMON (voice-over): With radiation detectors on the dash, they enter the evacuation zone, just 30 kilometers, 18.5 miles from the highly radioactive nuclear plant. The radiation levels are detectable 21 kilometers from the reactor. Stray dogs roam freely.
As they get closer, 20 kilometers, no traffic lights and only two other cars on the road. And at 17 kilometers, the radiation sets off the detectors alarm. And they see truck drivers in radiation-proof suits and heavy duty gas masks.
And at 15 kilometers in, higher radiation levels, and the road is out. They have to find another route via GPS.
Along the way, more farm animals and except for a few lone drivers, this town is abandoned.
At three kilometers, they have to get out and walk. The levels keep rising, the damage is unimaginable. More walking, more abandoned dogs.
Somehow they find a way around the damage by car. Finally, their mission to the infamous Fukushima Daiichi power plant just under a mile away -- mission terminated.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And I spoke exclusively with Tetsuo Jimbo and I began by asking him what made him do it. Here's what he said.
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TETSUO JIMBO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VIDEONEWS.COM: Well, you know, no one had gone in there. And, you know, we hear a lot of strange rumors about the place. So, just, as a journalist, I just need to go in there and then find out in person what's actually happening there.
LEMON: Yes. Did you protect yourself at all with suits? At one point, you said you saw truck drivers in heavy suits and gas masks. And they were among the few people who are on the road.
JIMBO: You know, I have been dealing with this issue for quite some time. I have some knowledge. You know, those protective suit don't really protect you from gamma rays, which are actually the main component of the radiation at the plant. So, we didn't wear those, you know, like full-fledged suits.
We did take precautions. We took iodine pills and we had our mouth and nose covered. Stuff like that. Basically, we went in the plain clothes.
LEMON: Yes. So, as you started to get closer and closer to that plant, the radiation detector started beeping. The alarm started going off. What struck you most as you -- on your journey as you were venturing into the zone?
JIMBO: Well, you know, some of the things you probably saw on the video, those animals that are just wondering around freely. You know, there's no policemen and no electricity. And, basically, it is a ghost town.
But, at the same time, you know, those Geiger counters, the radioactivity meter is going off. But, you know, you don't feel a thing. And that's actually the most scary thing, you know? Radioactive particles hitting your body but you don't, you know, you don't smell anything, you don't feel heat. You just don't feel a thing. And that's actually the most scary part of the whole trip.
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LEMON: Next here on CNN, we'll talk with a former Republican congressman about the high stakes negotiations behind the scenes to avoid a government shutdown.
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REP. JED HENSARLING (R), TEXAS: Frankly, in the history of America in absolute terms, and in inflation adjusted terms, it's the biggest since World War II. Probably for that, we all deserve medals, the entire Congress. Relative to the size of the problem, it's not even a rounding error. In that case, we probably all deserve to be tarred and feathered.
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LEMON: As you can see, some like it, some don't, and some are just glad the debate is over for now. Washington lawmakers are digesting the details in the last-minute budget deal.
The Sunday shows were filled with reaction from across the political spectrum.
And I discuss the deal with long-time D.C. insider who was in the mix back in 1995 when the government did shut down. And I asked former Republican Congressman Bob Walker who would have been blamed if no deal had been reached Friday night.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB WALKER (R), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA CONGRESSMAN: Well, that's an open question, but I think it would have been shared blame. Look, I mean, some people were looking back at 1995 and saying, well, the White House won that big time. And there's no doubt that they did.
But, remember, in 1995, Republicans signaled -- I was one of the people out there signaling it for weeks in advance -- that when we got to the question of the debt limit vote, that we were prepared to shut down the government in order to get this administration -- meaning, the Clinton administration -- to move toward a balanced budget. And so, we sent the signal. And so, the American people rightfully blamed us for the fact that the government got shut down.
But, in the end, the policy victory was we got the administration to agree to move toward a balanced budget.
So, you have to decide whether or not the political loss for a few weeks was worth the ultimate policy goal that you achieved. In this particular case, Republicans were sending a signal they didn't want to shut down the government. And so, would they still have gotten some of the blame? Sure, they would have. But I think the blame would have gone to virtually everybody that was in the room.
LEMON: Speaking to military families, as a matter of fact, we had one military mom on who was just flabbergasted that, you know, her family -- her family's, her son's family would not be paid and could suffer some consequences because of a possible shutdown here. How much of a role did that play in these negotiations and at least for both sides knowing that, hey, we've got to get something done and quickly?
WALKER: Yes, I think -- I think that did play a role. I mean, I think, the fact that you're engaged in three combat situations with troops on the ground in harm's way, I think everybody felt that you had to take steps to ensure that those people were paid and their families weren't disadvantaged in any way back here in the States.
LEMON: But were they using the military, the men and women in uniform, sort of as negotiation tactics? I hate to say "pawns," but as part of the negotiation in this whole process?
WALKER: Well, I think that that was in the back of their minds. I mean, I don't know what went on inside the room, whether or not that was a big part of the discussion. But I think, clearly, everybody felt strongly that the military need to be paid. It's the reason why when the Republicans pass their latest stopgap bill, they included the full pay for the military going out into September 30th.
LEMON: As we watched all this play out in the Sunday shows this morning, people were saying, hey, at least it's something. But, still, they've got a long way to go and it all starts over again next week. And then, Wednesday, can we see this kind of drama, again?
WALKER: Well, it just starts over. But I think they do have a pretty firm deal. And so, what we're going to see is a handful of people on both sides who are going to be complaining about the deal wasn't good enough. But, I think that they know where the votes are to pass the deal that will carry us forward to September 30th.
And what has happened here is that there is a baseline for which now they can work on 2012. And that gives the appropriators an opportunity now to move forward. But those are going to be huge fights because the kinds of cuts that are being talked about for the full year of 2012 are going to be fairly momentous. And then you look out for the kinds of things that you have to do with mandatory spending, looking out over a whole decade. Those are also big fights that are coming up.
And so, this is a start down a much longer road.
LEMON: Great inside information. Thank you, Bob Walker.
WALKER: OK. Nice to be with you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: If you live in Texas and drive a fast car, there may be good news for you. I'll explain next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Here are stories making news across the country:
Drivers in Texas could be able to put the pedal to the medal. The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill to raise the speed limit to 85 miles an hour. If the state Senate goes along, Texas would have the highest speed limit in the country.
In Utah yesterday, appraisers couldn't believe what they saw at an antique road style fundraiser. A man brought something that he inherited. It turned out to be one of the world's oldest printed books.
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KEN SANDERS, ANTIQUARIAN BOOK DEALER: A gentleman walked in and said, "I've got a really important old book here." And I'm sitting there and rolling my eyes thinking, "Yes, sure you do." And then he opens it up and it's a Nuremberg Chronicles from 1494.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Can you imagine? The book was appraised at $100,000. The owner says he wants to sell it to a museum or library so that the public can see it.
Now to San Diego where a woman is taking on her homeowners association. They are mad at her because she hangs out and talks with her friends.
Here's the deal: 70-year-old Marilyn Weber's garage has become a kind of community center where neighbors stop and chat. The homeowners association has slapped her with a $120 fine for using her garage as a living space, and she is refusing to pay.
After more than a year of controversy, the ban on burqas becomes a reality tomorrow in France. And we'll tell you about an 11th hour effort to stop the law against religious face coverings.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN NEWSROOM: Now, for a look at our top stories.
The African Union say Moammar Gadhafi has accepted the terms of an agreement aimed at ending the country's civil war. But details of that agreement are not yet available. The delegation arrived in Tripoli today and held talks with the government. A.U. leaders will meet with rebels in the opposition capital of Benghazi tomorrow.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Large tornado, guys. Large tornado.
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LEMON: A tiny Iowa town becomes the target of a monster tornado. As we check the top stories, amateur video shows the ferocious funnel as it rips through the Mapleton last night. The quarter-mile-long twister wiped out entire blocks of Main Street. It ripped out 100 homes and all the town's power. Thankfully, no one was killed in the town of 1,200 in western Iowa.
In Oklahoma today, the governor extended a state of emergency to battle vicious wildfires. A prolonged drought isn't helping any as firefighters on the ground and in the air battle hot spots from this enormous grass fire near the town of Cleveland. More than 350 people were forced to flee the area. So far, no reports of injuries.
A frightening scene to show you in southern California when a small plane crashes into a storage facility near the airport in Camarillo. Four people aboard the plane got out moments before it burst into flames.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRETT HANLEY, WITNESS: They jumped in my arms and I pulled them away from the wreck. Not too long after that, the thing exploded and caught fire. That was the end of the airplane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Witnesses say the planes engine seemed to be sputtering and running rough before the crash.
Now to the big stories in the week ahead, from the capitol to Tinsel Town, we've got you covered, starting at the White House.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House, where this week, President Obama will focus on putting the finishing touches on the budget deal. Top aids say he's also likely to talk about the rising cost of gasoline. They realize the price at the pump will become a bigger and bigger issue as we get closer and closer to the 2012 election.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORREPSONDENT: I'm Brianna on Capitol Hill. This week, we are expecting the House to vote on the budget for 2011, the product of that deal brokered at the last minute Friday night. Then the Senate should follow suit. As soon as one fight to reign in spending ends, another begins. The House will start debating on the budget for 2012. It's Republican proposed. It includes a controversial plan to overhaul Medicare and Medicaid. That vote is expected Friday.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser at the CNN political desk. Friday is April 15th, the traditional deadline date for Americans to pay taxes. And a bunch of Republicans who will probably run for the White House will be out in force that day at Tea Party rallies in the crucial early voting states of New Hampshire and South Carolina. The next day, Donald trump gets into the act. The real estate mogul and reality TV start says he might run for president. He headlines a Tea Party rally in Florida.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer. The "TV Land" awards are being given out tonight and will feature amazing reunions of the cast of "Welcome Back Kotter" and "Family Ties." And we're expecting big news to break tonight at the latest of Charlie Sheen's New York City show. We're right there so we'll have complete coverage on Monday. "Showbiz Tonight," live at 5:00 p.m. on HLN. We are still TVs most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m. eastern and pacific. LEMON: Thanks to our guys here in the U.S.
A major controversy is about to play out tomorrow in France. It's the first day of a new law that bans burqas or face coverings that some Muslim women wear. Is religious freedom under attack or is it a matter of equal rights for women?
I'm joined by CNN international editor, Azadeh Ansari. She joins me.
There have been some small protests this week. What's going to happen tomorrow?
AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: That's the thing, there are protests planned. They are peaceful protests, I should say, that the French government allowed to take place, that we can expect to see tomorrow. Again, Don, this brings up an important question. Many women say this is an infringement upon their fundamental rights. The French lawmakers and parliamentarians are saying this is secular law in France. They are enforcing that angle of it. If we go back to the numbers, the population stands at 65 million people in France. Of that population, 5 percent to 10 percent is Muslim. Break it down to the number that actually wear the full-face veil, you are down to less than 2,000 people so --
LEMON: The whole scheme, you think that's how many are affected.
ANSARI: Right.
LEMON: What happens if women defy the law?
ANSARI: That's the thing that we're going to wait and see what happens as it plays out. But from the government's standpoint, there's a fine that's going to be imposed right now of 150 Euros. Depending on the exchange rate at that time, it could be $200. They also can do acts of service to compensate that either in lieu of the fee or in conjunction with it. There's a fine that will be imposed.
LEMON: Where do French citizens stand on the law?
ANSARI: There was a poll conducted and they said 82 percent of them agree with it and support it. 17 percent -- you know, roughly 17 percent disagree. So they support it. But at the same time, it's a question of what are the rights of these women and is this going to isolate them even more by having them not be able to participate as active citizens in society in the way and form they are accustomed to.
LEMON: Do they believe, I don't know, that in some way this subjugates women or do they think you can hide your face and commit robberies? What is it? Do they feel uncomfortable about having these women in these burqas? What's behind it?
ANSARI: Lawmakers say this is somewhat a security threat.
LEMON: Got it.
ANSARI: If you can't see someone's face, you know, that's the issue at hand. Again, I want to go back to, this is not an Islamic religious thing. There's nothing saying they have to cover their faces per say. This is more of a social thing that we see in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.
LEMON: So it's not religious, it's social? That's interesting.
ANSARI: The covering of the face.
LEMON: I thought it was religious. See how much I know.
ANSARI: Yes.
LEMON: I always thought this was --
ANSARI: The covering of the hair is, but not the face.
LEMON: Yes. The face. Not the face. OK.
Azadeh Ansari, thank you. We'll be watching that one because it's very interesting. It could have ramifications around the world. We are concerned about security here as well in the United States.
ANSARI: Absolutely.
LEMON: Thank you, Azadeh.
ANSARI: Sure.
LEMON: Coming up next, my interview with Toni Braxton, her reality show, and some serious topics, including autism and bankruptcy.
But first, the economy is hurting in many parts of the country. In some high-tech areas, it is booming. One of these places, Austin, Texas, which our "Building Up America" team found is a live and well. Here is CNN's Tom Foreman.
(BUILDING UP AMERICA)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(SINGING)
LEMON: Oh, that is the sultry Toni Braxton, who hit it big with "Unbreak My Heart" in the lat 1990s. She's glamorous and gorgeous. Now, the singer promises to get real with her new reality TV show. Braxton says she'll see -- her far from fantasy life in the new show, "Braxton Family Values." It debuts Tuesday. Braxton stars with her four younger sisters, who are all breaking into the music business, including the very vocal Tamar.
Tamar and Toni talked with me about why they opened their lives to the viewers.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TONI BRAXTON, SINGER: Everyone talks about my financial woes and my health issues but no one knows the details behind it. I'm going to use this as a platform to discuss it all.
LEMON: I want to get Tamar in here as well.
(LAUGHTER)
Look at the elephant in the room, Tamar. You address how Toni grabs the spotlight all the time. Look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROSSTALK)
(CHEERING)
TAMAR BRAXTON, SISTER OF TONI BRAXTON: Of course, Toni gets all the attention when I know it should be me. I mean, some people might say I'm jealous, but I'm way too cute to be jealous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: One of the guys in the studio said, what? How do you work through all that attention that Toni gets? Is this just little sister jealousy here?
TAMAR BRAXTON: No, I'm actually not jealous. Toni is my best friend and has always been this superstar who is my older sister. This is what I'm used to.
LEMON: All right.
TAMAR BRAXTON: But I should be in the spotlight.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Toni, are you OK with that?
BRAXTON: You know, I like to call it eagerness. She's eager to have her say. We're all very talented. I have been the one thus far to have success, but it doesn't mean I'm the most talented. Tamar is talented. Her mouth though is a lot of the problem.
LEMON: What do you mean by that? She got a big mouth?
BRAXTON: She's got a big mouth but she's the youngest, so she is a little bit of a baby and she's been comfortable saying whatever she wants to say. What's great about this show for me and my other siblings is the rest of the world gets to see her, so hopefully she can change a little bit.
LEMON: OK. I understand the show was your idea? TAMAR BRAXTON: It actually was. I am a reality buff. I love all reality shows. The one thing missing, from my point of view, was a family show that was entertaining, funny, but also something you can get from it and apply to your regular life. Knowing me and my sisters, I knew that we could be the ones that can do it.
LEMON: Toni, listen, anything you learned about your sisters that you didn't know before, good or bad?
BRAXTON: Oh, gosh. Can I say this on CNN?
LEMON: Yes.
BRAXTON: My next to the youngest sister, Trina, is a freak. She's a little bit freaky of all of us. I didn't know that.
(LAUGHTER)
I mean, some things came out. Yes.
Would you say that, Tamar? Would you say Trina was the one that --
TAMAR BRAXTON: She's definitely very liberal, I'll say that.
(LAUGHTER)
BRAXTON: Very liberal.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Go ahead. What you all mean by that?
BRAXTON: She's freaky.
TAMAR BRAXTON: You know, she -- she says -- yes, she's open to anything.
(LAUGHTER)
BRAXTON: Every and anything, with her spouse.
TAMAR BRAXTON: With her husband.
BRAXTON: She will do anything.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. We know about the fun. We want you to stick around because Toni and Tamar tell me about the serious stuff as well, including Toni's bankruptcies and a rare honest talk from the celeb herself. That's on the other side of the break.
(CROSSTALK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAXTON: I call him Sugar Lips. You know him as Don Lemon. I'm Toni Braxton and you are watching CNN's weekend prime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Toni, everyone, security guards and everyone's calling me Sugar Lips now thanks to Toni Braxton.
She can definitely make you laugh but it's not all glitter and glamour on her new reality show, "Braxton Family Values," which begins on Tuesday.
Braxton and her sister, Tamar, tell me that their series reveals tough times like Toni's money and her challenges raising a child with autism.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRAXTON: It was very important to me to portray a side of my other than a singer. I'm a mother with a special-needs son. Disel (ph) suffers from autism. But I'm one of the lucky parents. I found out when he was younger. He was about 2 years old. He's eight now. Early diagnosis completely changed his life. He's in public school now. We're mainstreaming him, very lucky. He's in a special education program, but his therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA, but we're mainstreaming him, which is important.
The best advice I can give parents is, no matter what the outcome may look like, there is always hope. My son had no eye contact, wasn't social, wasn't speaking. They thought he was hearing impaired. Look at us today.
LEMON: Let's move on now. Because I want to -- your viewers will see that you live a pretty luxurious lifestyle. I'm sure people wonder how you can do that, especially with your financial difficulties. You declared bankruptcy ones and you're going through it again. How do you afford to live that way if you're going through bankruptcy?
BRAXTON: What people don't understand is bankruptcy is protection. With this particular bankruptcy, it's because of my lupus. I got ill and I was forced to cancel my Vegas show and all of my upcoming concerts. I had to file bankruptcy to protect myself from the vendors from the Vegas show. It's been challenging, I have to be honest, to have your life out there. But what's great about this platform is I can tell this story. Now they know, wow, she got sick and that's why she was having financial problems. The Vegas show was definitely a business deal, but because I secured it individually, I also had to file individually well.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: This isn't like the last one, when you sort of didn't know how to handle money.
(LAUGHTER) BRAXTON: Yes and no. It really wasn't like that the last time. Last time, it was a gag order so no one knows after 40 million records, the first bankruptcy, my royalty statement was less than $2,000. That's the part I couldn't talk about, but now the gag party is over. In the reality show, I discuss that. This big spending spree, no.
(CROSSTALK)
BRAXTON: Like will say I own a BMW, I don't own a BMW. Sometimes I have to laugh at some of the things.
LEMON: And this was -- was this with LaFace that -- did you have a lawsuit, or this was when you were with LaFace Records, right?
BRAXTON: Yes. For example, TLC, we were both label mates and they were going through the same thing. After that situation, it was kind of like a gag order. It wasn't necessarily anyone's fault. The money was really just cut up four or five times by the time the artist gets it. If there's seven cents but you have to pay back $20 million out of your seven cents. There's really no way to make any money. So that's what people will find out in the show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Toni and Tamar Braxton.
A recent ruling in Arizona is a serious reminder for parents there, if your kid steals your car, you'll be stuck paying whatever damage they may cause. We'll explain on the other side of the break what I'm talking about.
Remember, you have a voice on this show. It's as easy as logging on. Find me at DonLemon@cnn on Twitter, on Facebook, and at CNN.com/don, and Foursquare.com/DonLemonCNN
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAXTON: Hi, I'm Toni Braxton, inviting you to follow me on Twitter at ToniBraxton. Also check out my Sugar Lips himself, Don Lemon at DonLemonCNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Time now to talk some "Issues" with none other than Jane Velez-Mitchell. She hosts a show of that name on our sister network, HLN. This week, Jane's been showing her outrage over the release of this Utah man, Loni Johnson. Our affiliate, KTVX, reports he's escaping prosecution on child sex assault charges because of a legal technicality. Can you believe it?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CONTRIBUTOR, ISSUES: It is absolutely insane. It's happening in Utah. This guy, who was convicted of raping a teenage girl, is now accused of 21 sex-related crimes involving children, is being let go because of a loophole. Apparently, he's incompetent to stand trial because of some mystery cognitive disorder. Nobody can tell us exactly what that is. By the same token, shrinks have decided he's not a danger to society so they can't keep him many a mental ward. So he is apparently free to go.
People are up in arms over this, particularly the mother of one of the victims. Listen to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTY DANNER, MOTHER OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM: So we just wait for more victims and he uses the same loophole? Is that what we're being told? How many victims do we need before we close this loophole?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Jane, you know, I was thinking the same thing the mom said there. Because usually when someone has this sort of behavior, they'll say you usually can't fix that sort of behavior.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. It's very hard to rehabilitate somebody who wants to have sex with children. And he is convicted of having sex with a 17-year-old girl. Nevertheless, they've decided he's not a danger to society, even though he's facing a slew of sex-related counts involving children. And apparently, the problem is that a danger to society is defined as physically injuring someone. So apparently, you can destroy a child's life emotionally but, as long as you don't leave a bruise, you're not a danger to society. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
LEMON: Oh, boy. Let's go on and talk about, when will people realize that it's just sports, it's just sports. This Giants fan beaten at the Dodgers' season opener, this guy, 41 years old, never had a fight in his life. Now he is fighting for his life.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is absolutely obscene. And this is a strapping guy, so you can imagine what must have happened to him in the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium to leave this poor man in a coma. And what really upsets me is that apparently at least a hundred people watched this. It was in the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium after a game. And nobody came to his aid? And they don't even have a video of this attack, even though it happened in the parking lot? This is really a breakdown.
They are searching for these thugs who beat this father, this paramedic, this nice guy into a coma, all because he's a Giants fan and he had the nerve to show up at Dodgers Stadium? This is insanity to me, Don. I can't believe we've let America's favorite pastime devolve into something that looks more like professional wrestling.
LEMON: You can tell he comes from a good family because his family is thanking everyone for the outpouring of support they've received nationwide for this obviously just brutal attack that didn't need to happen. Let's talk now about parental responsibility here, Jane. We hear so much about that. 17-year-old, involved in an accident, a teenager, now the parents are going to have to pay for the injuries, even though the 17-year-old was driving without their knowledge, driving their parents' car.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And this is really a wake-up call to parents everywhere. Watch your kids.
LEMON: Right.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Because if they're old enough to get behind a wheel and take off, and they do some horrific damage, which is exactly what happened in this case, it's on you, mom and dad. And so it really is a wake-up call to parents out there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Watch "Issues" with Jane Velez-Mitchell every weekend night, 7:00 p.m. eastern on HLN.
