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Dry Weather Cancels Fireworks as Fires Burn in New Mexico, Arizona; New Orleans Hosts Essence Music Festival; NASA Space Shuttle Program Ends; Strauss-Kahn Freed from House Arrest; Barely Clothed Coffee Servers May Be Regulated; Casey Anthony Trial Nearly Over
Aired July 02, 2011 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Right now on CNN, from hiding to celebrating. The man accused of raping a hotel maid and trying to flee back to France, out of jail and out and about in Manhattan with his wife today. The tables are turning in his case. Now the accuser is on the hot seat.
Plus, celebrating, the stars and stripes will make you a republican. One study says it's a fact, political hogwash or the real deal, we're going to explore.
And this, from Fantasia to Usher to Jennifer Hudson, we take you live to New Orleans, the Essence Music Festival, one of the biggest music festivals in the country going on right now.
I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. The news starts right now. We begin with this developing story, the former head of the International Monetary Fund is free from house arrest. Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife today left the Manhattan townhouse where they had been staying. He was accused in May or arrested in May for an alleged sexual assault against a hotel housekeeper. But in recent days, the case appears to be unraveling because of the alleged victim's own credibility issues.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is covering the story for us from New York City. Susan is going to be with us shortly, but again, that is Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife out and about today in Manhattan. The case appears to be unraveling because of the credibility of the accused -- of the alleged victim in this case.
All right. Susan, OK, so we're learning now about some suspicious banking activity when it comes to this housekeeper and also a letter that the "New York Times" is reporting about. What do you know?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, we have -- I have direct information according to a source with direct knowledge of this investigation. About two different things, first of all is confirmation about reporting that originally appeared in the "New York Times" but now we have an independent confirmation of it. The first, Don, has to do with a jailhouse phone call that was made, according to the source from the jail to the hotel maid just a day after the alleged sexual assault at the hotel Sofitel. And in this phone call, and this is being paraphrased for me, the inmate at the hotel who was described to me as a boyfriend of the hotel maid, she says to him, "Words to the effect of, I'm fine, don't worry about me, I've got the situation covered, this man has a lot of money." Words that effect. This is a key phone call that, of course, helped lead investigators, according to my source to identify serious credibility issues with the hotel maid.
That's how it's being described to me. The second thing, Don, has to do with bank accounts. According to the source, investigators uncovered several bank accounts in her name, located in different states, into which tens of thousands of dollars, several thousand dollars at a time were deposited in her name. These deposits were made by someone that is described as being friends of hers who had, I am told, criminal backgrounds, possibly dealing with drug dealing. So this is information that certainly was critical to the overall case, Don, and helped lead prosecutors to publicly disclose to the defense that she had major credibility issues.
LEMON: All right. Clearly an unfolding story. Our Susan Candiotti reporting live from New York. Susan, stand by. I'm sure we'll be getting back to you. I appreciate it.
A new warning from Muammar Gadhafi to Europe, the Libyan leader is vowing vengeance for NATO's bombings in his country, he says homes in offices across Europe could be potential targets.
Today in Missouri (ph), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, the NATO mission is on track. And again, call for Gadhafi to step down.
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HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Instead of issuing threats, Gadhafi should put the well-being and the interests of his own people first and he should step down from power and help facilitate a democratic transition that will meet the aspirations of the Libyan people.
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LEMON: A state department spokesman said, the U.S. takes Gadhafi's threats seriously and will continue to support NATO's mission in Libya.
A travel warning for American this fourth of July weekend, Texas authorities are urging U.S. citizen to stay away from the Mexican border, the city of Nuevo Laredo, the warning indicates a violence Mexican drug cartel plans to target Americans from robbery, extortions, and carjackings. Nuevo Laredo is just across the border from Laredo, Texas, a city that builds itself a gateway to Mexico.
Time now to talk a little politics, Iowa always kicks off the presidential election season. So, it always gets a lot of attention. No doubt, that's one reason. Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is there. CNN is there too of course. And our CNN Travis is the only reporter to speak with Bachmann today. And he asked her, why Iowa is so important to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's very important to be here and have a presence here because the values and the opinions that people have in Iowa count, they count for the nation, so it's important that we come here, this is the breadbasket of the world for a reason. This is where the food is grown, we have the best farmers in the world right here in Iowa. So, it's important to come and listen to what people have to say here in Iowa and then take that message back to Washington, D.C.
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LEMON: Shannon joins me now live from Des Moines. Hello, Shannon, Michele Bachmann is surging right now, she had a strong showing in a recent Iowa poll.
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey there, Don, it's a little hard to hear you. It's really loud out here. There's a band, they're just finished playing behind me, so I can't quite hear that question. But let me set the stage about what's going on and why we're here. This is about to be Tea Party really here at the state capital here in Iowa in Des Moines, and Michele Bachmann is the feature speaker, she's the reason why all of these people are assembling. The sound that you just play from earlier, was an earlier stop in Iowa City, it's one of five stops that she has today in Iowa. She basically kicked off her bus tour in Iowa today. So this is going to be a big deal for her and for her supporters that are here. She's also later after she's going to be going to in Iowa Cubs baseball game and talking to supporters and voters there as well -- Don.
LEMON: I hope you can hear me this time. So she's on a bus tour, and is it all Iowa all the time this weekend? Where is she going? Apparently, Shannon can't hear me, we'll get back to Shannon Travis, he's reporting live for us in Des Moines, Iowa and little politics there.
One more political note for you, the presidential seal fell off the side of the White House limousine this week as President Obama headed to the Philadelphia airport. Even though, the president's car is one of a kind, bullet proof glass and all that, the seal is not. It's magnetic, just like those Nascar numbers and college team logos that you see everywhere. A Philly police officer later found the seal alongside Interstate 76, he returned it to the secret service.
One last chance for the defense and the prosecution. And the Casey Anthony trial, closing arguments set to begin tomorrow in the murder case that has millions watching. What you can expect. The lawyers to say and what our legal expert thinks of the verdicts, we'll have that for you straight ahead.
Also more on Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the case against him that seems to be unraveling. Is he a guilty man or is he a victim here? We're asking our human behavior expert.
And the royal wedding that no one seems to be talking about. It happened today, did you even know about it? I mean, if you'd been asking for information through social media, you can reach out to us on twitter, on Facebook, facebook.com/don, and on Foursquare, plus my book, "Transparent" is out about my life and journey's and journalism available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, anywhere books are sold.
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LEMON: Ah, a royal wedding, another one, Prince Albert of Monaco is celebrating his first marriage, but just took part in his second wedding ceremony. The heir to the principality married his bride Charlene Wittstock in a Catholic service today, one day after tying the knot in a civil ceremony. Bride is a former Olympic swimmer from South Africa who wore Armani gown yesterday, 3,500 guests were present including 20 heads of state. Big wedding there.
Three days down, six busy days to go. Prince William and his wife Catherine are on their first official tour of Canada. Today in Ottawa, the world's newlyweds planted an Eastern Hemlock tree. Near the same spot, Prince Charles and Princess Diana planted a Pin Oak in 1983. Now they've moved on to another Canadian City, Montreal. That's where we find CNN's Max Foster. Max, what will the duke and duchess be doing?
MAX FOSTER, ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they're experiencing is a completely different tone this time around. They come to Montreal, was seen -- and in this polls, the country has lots of anti-monarchy campaigners, people generally don't believe in a monarchy. They do like William and Kate generally, but they're not sure about the monarchy. And the culinary institute where later on Catherine and William will be approving, you may be able to make out a big crowd over there, on one end of them are pro-Catherine and William supporters as they were. And the other one is an anti-monarchy campaigners. And they'd been chanting (INAUDIBLE) but they'd been chanting against each other. The campaigners on one side chanting "Will and Kate, Will and Kate." On the other side, the anti-monarchy campaigners shouting "parasites, parasites." They want to get rid of the monarchy. And that they're desperate for the couple to hear it. They're going to be arriving here at the red carpet in about an hour or so. It's going to be Catherine's first experience I think Don, of the negative side of royalty.
UYGUR: So shouting back and forth between supporters and protesters, but no real serious problems, correct?
FOSTER: No. What you find in the polls is that in this area, people don't necessarily want the monarchy, but they are big fans of William and Katherine. Most people are indifference. But the problem is with this sort of -- as you know, as you get the extreme views. But certainly, William and Catherine had a very successful tour so far. Fantastic Canada Day celebrations and all throughout yesterday. And at the moment, we might be able to show you pictures of where they are right now, it's a children's hospital. And this going to be a really emotional event for them.
They have both spoken about wanting to start a family and they're going to go to an ICU unit, very young babies, and premature babies who have big problems. They're going to be meeting children. It's going to be an emotional day for them. And when they get there, they're going to get the campaigners, but they got some fun in the building, they're going to learn how to cook. Will is a good cook, so he may be able to teach the students here, a thing or two.
LEMON: All right. Very nice, Max. So, after their Canadian visit, they're headed to L.A., right?
FOSTER: Yes. They're going to see stuff in Canada before that, they're going all over the country. But they're going to end up in L.A., and there's lots of hike around that. That's a government sponsored visit, it's not promoting U.K. industry. But they're going to be in Hollywood, they're going to be meeting lots of big stars, and studio bosses that are trying to promote the British film industry. They're going to be paying Polo (ph), a Polo Club, a very glamorous event. But they're also going to go down to Skid Row because one of the prince's favorite causes is homelessness, he has supported that ever since his mother Diana took him to a homeless shelter as a young boy. And he supported that cause ever since apparently in her memories. So, the L.A., this is going to really good, this -- weekend.
LEMON: All right. Max Foster, thank you very much. I appreciate it. And speaking about west, coffee stands in the Pacific Northwest are getting naughty. So much so the local council is stepping in and may crack down on what are called sexpresso stands. That's story is coming up.
But first, the scandal surrounding Dominique Strauss-Kahn turns worst for her accuser, police -- people I should say, predicted if the alleged victim is facing accusations herself. We'll discuss straight ahead on CNN.
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KENNETH THOMPSON, ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGED RAPE VICTIM: We believe that the district attorney is laying the foundation to dismiss this case. Anyone can see that. They agreed to let Dominique Strauss-Kahn freely roam the streets of New York City or any other city in the United States knowing full well that the victim to this very day maintains that he sexual assaulted her in that room.
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LEMON: The attorney for the hotel maid who accused a prominent international official of assault is now forced to defend his client. Prosecutors say, the maid lied on her asylum application, the federal tax return and where she was immediately after former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn allegedly attacked here. The question of her credibility were enough for a judge to ease Strauss-Kahn house arrest. And he is now out on his own recognizance. The charges have not been dropped, they have not been dropped but now more accusations are flying that the Manhattan DA is sabotaging the case out of fear his team will lose to Strauss-Kahn.
We go now to our human behavior expert Dr. Wendy Walsh. OK, Wendy. Is this a case now of blame the victim? What's going on here? DR. WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: Well, of course, that's what they do first of with the rape victim all the time. Let me just ask you this, Don. In order to be considered a rape victim in America, do you have to go to church, have never told any lies and never date any bad boys? Because that's kind of what's happening here. Now, there are a lot of competing interest, let's play it out, you mentioned that the DA is afraid that they could lose the case, they could hurt them politically, there's a conflict of interest piece because the DA has an aid who's married to somebody on the defense team. And oh, yes, Strauss-Kahn has ten days to announce whether he's going to be running for president of France.
He can't do that if he's got this case. So, they're rushing to try to dismiss it. Now, let's think about this poor immigrant woman, she seeks the asylum here, she doesn't speak English, she's not educated, she's got to get through the tangled web of what I call informal income and informal life in America until she can get on her feet and be legitimate. So, she dates a guy who sells fake bags to white women in Manhattan. And then oops, he's sort of trades some for a joint somewhere in Arizona, and ends up in a jail. Some other men are putting money in her accounts here and there. You know, this doesn't discount the fact that she could have been raped. Remember those other women who came forward, Don?
LEMON: Yes.
WALSH: All saying now, they were brave enough to come forward and talk about the other assaults that they had endured with him.
LEMON: But it does, I mean, when you think about all of this, so, it does call into question, it you're there in a jury, and if you're a member of the legal team, it does calling to question the credibility, though, I understand everything that you're saying.
WALSH: Yes. The credibility piece is definitely there, but watch closely, are they going to try to get this dismissed?
LEMON: All right. So, let's switch gears here, in the Pacific Northwest, there are coffee shops called sexpresso stands where the servers wear an apron and very little else. Now, officials in Washington, County when they're calling for -- that these businesses to be regulated. As adult in their team, and so my question, when kids are exposed to this kind of thing, can it actually harm them? Is this something bad? Someone wrote to me on twitter, this gives new meaning to the phrase coffee and doughnuts.
(LAUGHTER)
WALSH: It certainly does. I think they should be regulated. I think it is adult entertainment. And I think that there's a whole world of difference between you or I being exposed to sexually explicit material and a developing young adolescence to our child. I have my personal theory. And many people in the behavioral sciences agree that one of the factors in the precocious puberty that we're seeing all over our country now is this highly sexualized world and media that we live in. In other words, these images go in the eyes, they send a message to the pituitary gland that we'd left the nest in, we're ready to procreate. So, girls again, if you're there like eight and nine, it's crazy.
LEMON: Yes, I know. Happy to my nieces, very early on. OK, finally, a new study from Harvard University, it links patriotism with partisanship. We've found that kids who participate in Fourth of July parades and other festivities slightly increase the likelihood of being a republican, really?
WALSH: Well, I don't think you can correlate the Fourth of July party with the conservative politics. What you can say is conservative families in certain areas of the country are more likely to really celebrate July fourth. And so, I really think it's the family system and the local community that influences people's politics in the early years. I mean, the study even said that if there was very little rain on the Fourth of Julys when you were growing up, there was more chance that you'd be republican. In other words, Republicans don't even stop for rain.
LEMON: OK. All right, whatever. Thank you, Wendy.
WALSH: It's out of Harvard, who knew?
LEMON: OK. We'll keep that in mind, thank you, Wendy, we appreciate it.
WALSH: Thirty three days of testimony and it all comes down to this, closing arguments just hours away in the Casey Anthony trial. Our legal expert Sunny Hostin is here weighing in on what we can expect to hear from the prosecution and the defense as they try one last time to sway the jury their way.
She's going to hear me next. And this is not your average car crash, a car upside down on top of a building. Wait until you hear how it got there.
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JUDGE: Mr. Baez, you may call your next witness.
JOSE BAEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Your honor, the defense rests.
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LEMON: The Casey Anthony trial back in business. Sunday, the defense has rested so has the prosecution. The closing arguments get started in the rare Sunday session and we're near the end of this incredible case.
Sunny Hostin joins me now, and you know her very well, you've seen her on this case. Since the very beginning, she's a contributor "In Session" on TruTV. Sunny, you know, they're even planning to meet on the Fourth of July, are they in a hurry to get this thing over with? SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: Well, you know, it has been 33 days of testimony. This jury is sequestered so they haven't seen their families, they haven't been home, they haven't been to work. So, I'm certain that the jury is absolutely ready to get this case in their hands. But there is a lot of speculations that the jury is going to come back with a very quick verdict because they want to go home and barbecue. I don't think that's the case. This is a serious case, it's a capital case, it's a complicated case and I would imagine that the jury is going to do the right things and consider all of the evidence and come to an appropriate verdict.
LEMON: Yes, it is serious. Especially when it involves, really, the death of a child. We have been talking about, you know, what a circus this has been, but at the bottom of this, a little girl is dead. Was there a turning point in this trial for the prosecution, Sunny?
HOSTIN: You know, interestingly enough. I think there was a turning point, and I think it came in their rebuttal case. Because this was a circumstantial case for the prosecution, and while it was a very linear presentation, and I think they did a decent job, the defense poked a lot of holes in their case. In their rebuttal case, I think the prosecution proved by pretty convincing evidence that Cindy Anthony got on the witness stand and lied for her daughter when she said, that she conducted the searches for chloroform. Remember the evidence, 84 searches for chloroform. Don, March 17, 2008, the prosecution says, Casey Anthony did it. In the defense case, Cindy Anthony says, no, I did it. And now, we know that she was likely at work on March 17 and couldn't have done it from the Anthony home computer.
LEMON: Oh, boy
HOSTIN: I think that was a pivotal, pivotal moment for this prosecution.
LEMON: Here we go. All right. Let's talk about the defense. Here's one of the memorable moments from Jose Baez's opening statement. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAEZ: You see, this family must keep its secrets quiet and it all began when Casey was 8-years-old and her father came into her room and began to touch her inappropriately. And it escalated.
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LEMON: OK, so remember that abuse claim that got floated out there, was that a mistake?
HOSTIN: Well, you know, I think it's too soon to tell, some people are saying it was a novice mistake for him to front load that opening statement with evidence that he knew could only come from Casey Anthony and she basically was forced then to take the stand, if these allegations were true. But some people are saying that he slipped this abuse, this reasonable doubt piece through the back door while questioning George Anthony and other witnesses. So, I'm not going to say it was a mistake yet. I think we have to wait to see what the jury says when they reach their verdict and then perhaps hopefully speak to us, speak to the media and figure out what they gleaned from those sex abuse allegations. Too soon to call that one, Don.
LEMON: All right. Listen, before, I'm going to ask you about a verdict, if you would like to predict. But I want to ask you this. The people I speak with say, you know it's crazy what's going on, you hear her. And according to the people who are watching and the defense prosecution, she's being caught in lies. But a lot of people are saying, it's not going to really depends on what she says, because she hasn't taken the stand, it's going to depend on physical evidence, the forensic. And so far, is there anything been shown here that can convict Casey Anthony besides circumstantial evidence?
HOSTIN: Well, it's a circumstantial case, you're right there, there's no direct evidence linking Casey Anthony to this crime. There's no witnesses that's going to say, they saw Casey Anthony used chloroform, to render her daughter unconscious, and then placed duct tape over her daughter's nose and mouth. So, there isn't any direct evidence. But, you know, circumstantial cases can be proven. Remember Scott Peterson, he's sitting on death row right now. And so, I think that there is enough perhaps for some sort of conviction because...
LEMON: So, you're saying she's going to get convicted?
HOSTIN: She's going to get convicted of something. I think everyone that I have spoken to agree that something criminal happened, they just don't know what. I think perhaps the truth lays somewhere in the middle between the prosecution's theory and the defense's theory. Closing arguments spoke tomorrow on 9 a.m., I'm going to be covering it on HLN. Everyone, I think will be tuned in to this trial.
LEMON: Yes. I think I will be talking to you tomorrow. Thank you, Sunny Hostin. We appreciate it. Happy fourth, tomorrow, thank you.
HOSTIN: Thanks.
LEMON: I want you to check this out. Unbelievable pictures from Louisiana. State troopers say, a car was going so fast that it's flipped multiple times before vaulting 12 feet in the air and landing on a roof of a bus terminal. Our affiliate reports WGN reports a 21- year-old driver died at the scene. Troopers say, fatigue may have been a factor but alcohol is not believed to have been involved.
We're following several big stories for you this afternoon, the CNN Newsroom including a warning from all groups, a drug cartel. And Muammar Gadhafi's threat to European nations, leave him alone or he's coming after them, that's what he says. Also, we're surveying the damage after a thunderstorm rips apart trees and causes damage in one Midwestern state.
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LEMON: Let's check your top stories right now. Dominique Strauss- Kahn and his wife today left the Manhattan townhouse for the first time since he was released Friday from house arrest. Strauss-Kahn is accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in May. In recent days, serious doubts have been raised by the alleged victim's truthfulness and credibility.
A new warning from Moammar Gadhafi to Europe. The Libyan leader is vowing vengeance for NATO's bombings in his country. He says homes and offices across Europe could be potential targets. A State Department spokesman said the U.S. takes Gadhafi's threats seriously and will continue to support Gadhafi's mission in Libya.
Texas authorities are urging Americans to stay away from the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo this weekend. The warnings indicate a violent Mexican drug cartel plans to target Americans for robbery, extortion and carjackings. Nuevo Laredo is just across the border from Laredo, Texas.
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LEMON: Prince Albert of Monaco is celebrating his marriage today to Charlene Wittstock of South Africa. The bride is a former Olympic swimmer. 3500 guests were present, including 20 heads of state.
We'll move on to weather now. Because of dry conditions many states are going fireworks free --
(LAUGHTER)
-- wow -- this holiday.
KAREN MAGINESS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
LEMON: Meteorologist Karen Maginess here to tell us all about it -- Karen?
MAGINESS: All right, it looks like about 12 counties in the state of Texas are reporting fire bans. In particular, we're looking at west Texas. I just came from the Austin area. They desperately need the rainfall there. Already in the state of Texas, 3.2 million acres have burned. We have heard about the fire right around Los Alamos. They are saying this is priority-one fire in the country. And we have seen this already burn 177 miles square across the region. But not just fires there, but also into Arizona, right along the Arizona-New Mexico border. But look at these temperatures, well into the 90s. It is breezy and it doesn't look like much in the way of fire relief coming up in the next several days.
I have got some images to show you. Take a look at this. They had a fire right around Gulf Shores, Alabama. You think he's dragging that house to put the fire out? No, he's putting the alligator out. They put the fire out, which was right around 1,000 acres. It did this kind of damage. But these alligators survived by hunkering down into a mud hole. In Kansas City, the Missouri River has been running above flood stage and they say it's going to stay there at lest until about the middle of the workweek. They're seeing major flooding along the Missouri River. They have diverted the Missouri to the St. Louis -- they say -- Louis to Kansas City train that runs there because some of the tracks have been reported flooded.
Also, let's take you to Minnesota, 300-plus reports of high wind and hail, all the way from Colorado to Michigan. This one from our iReporter in Marshall, Minnesota. He said the storms there were absolutely vicious.
All right, we do have some strong and gusty winds across portions of New Mexico. Not that fire alert that we have seen, but many hundreds of thousands of acres have burned here and strong storms -- will continue to burn across the lower Great Lakes -- Don?
LEMON: Karen, thank you very much.
School is out for the summer. And in this economy, fewer young people have jobs. Diane Latiker (ph) knows this means trouble in her rough Chicago neighborhood, so she is doing something about it. In the last eight years, this "CNN Hero" has helped more than 1,500 kids by opening her door and inviting them in.
(CNN HEROES)
LEMON: Last year, Diane's center helped more than 300 kids stay off the streets and out of trouble. And remember, "CNN Heroes" are chosen from people you tell us about. To nominate someone who's making a big difference in your community, go to CNN.com/heroes.
The Big Easy is the place to be this weekend. And it's not just because megastars like Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Bilge and Kanye West are there, although that certainly helps. The Essence Music Festival is much more than just music. We're going take you there live coming up and explain why.
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LEMON: What a good time down in New Orleans from Usher, Kanye West, Mary J. Bilge and Jennifer Hudson. Major R&B star powers descending on the Big Easy this weekend on the 17th Annual Essence Music Festival. But it's not just about entertainment. It's all about empowerment. And we have got some CNN stars there as well. Let's go to CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, live in Nola where it is -- I was there yesterday. It is so hot, Suzanne, the music, the crowds, the weather.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is hot.
CNN: You know, CNN -- it is hot.
MALVEAUX: Exiting. And it is hotter than Atlanta. It's amazing, too.
(LAUGHTER)
I mean, Don, you were here. The energy and the excitement around a lot of these performers. And it's interesting too because there's another theme as well, they were talking about transforming your life. We had a political panel just a couple of hours ago. It was called What Matters, and it really was focusing on a lot of the voters and a lot of the people here want to know what matters to the community, if it's economics, if it's health care, if it's education or crime. So we had President Obama's top senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett, on stage. We asked her some questions about that, about the economy. We had other White House officials and we had two mayors. We had the mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reid. He was talking about the pension plan. And we had the mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu. He said this Essence festival brings in about $170 million for this weekend alone. It's very important.
But there's things that are going to happen after Essence leaves as well. That's because New Orleans is coming back. Its unemployment is now 8 percent. That's less than the national average.
Don, he's how he explained some of the things that are taking place here that are turning things around.
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MITCH LANDRIEU, MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: We see last year, amazingly, that our unemployment rate is actually two points below the national average. Our property values, counter to every indicator in the country, went up 9 percent when everybody else's went down. All of the scores in our schools that we're reforming from top to bottom have closed the achievement gap between kids in the city and kids in the state. So they're great economic indicators. Forbes magazine has now highlighted us as the second-best place in America to have jobs.
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MALVEAUX: And it's also, of course, Don, about having jobs. A lot of it is about tourism, bringing people back to New Orleans.
And we talked about a very serious issue, and that is the crime issue as well. They're addressing that head on. He says, look, every major city is struggling with that issue. They want to make sure it's a safe place. He says it's a safe place. I have a lot of family here in New Orleans, Don. It is still a place that is struggling, but it does look like there are many signs that it does look like it's coming back.
LEMON: Very good. I talked to the mayor about 20 minutes yesterday about crime as well. He's very concerned about that. And it's going to be interesting to see what he does in the next couple of years.
Listen, real quickly, Suzanne, I know you got a chance to talk to Chaka Khan, Chaka, what is she up to?
MALVEAUX: Can you say it Don? Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Kahn. You have to say it at least three times. You've got to do the rap, Don. But, you know, she was fantastic. It was great to see her. She is working with a group of women in New Orleans, about 50 or so, who are struggling themselves. And she was very candid, Don, about her own experiences. Times when she has had some ups and downs, the time now, she explains, it is still a challenge for her to feel good about herself. She does feel good about herself being sober. But she does want pass along that message to other women that you have got to work on yourself and continue to work on yourself to be successful.
Here's a little bit of our interview that she shared with me yesterday.
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CHAKA KAHN, SINGER: I had to relearn that this is a gift. I had to learn to like myself or pretend I did, so I did. I'm still working on that part too. It was hard.
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MALVEAUX: And, Don, she's actually going to be performing tonight. She's going to be performing tonight here. She's just one of many of the highlights, the artists that are going to be here, that are here in this celebration this weekend.
I'm going to take a quick break, Don. I think I'm going to go to the Lunch Factory. It's a restaurant, one of my favorites. But I understand you had a great time here as well. They're trying to do both, essentially bring entertainment and culture back here to promote it in New Orleans, but also to boost this economy. And it's something that seems to be working well here, Don.
LEMON: Let's keep our fingers crossed.
I'm going to give you a tip. Go to the little booth over there. It's called Taste of New Orleans, N-A-W-L-I-N-S, and get the barbecue shrimp and then just the fried garlic shrimp.
(LAUGHTER)
Amazing. I gained 20 pounds in one day.
MALVEAUX: Oh, I'll try that out. But I'm going to go to the Lunch Factory too.
LEMON: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: I got a full schedule, Don.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Thanks, Suzanne. Have a great time.
And I want to tell our viewers, coming up at 7:00 p.m. eastern, we're going to talk to Soledad O'Brien who's there as well.
And coming up, one surgeon's story of how exercise cannot just help the body, it can also heal the mind.
And the end of a space era. The last launch of NASA's shuttle approaching and CNN is tracking these momentous final steps.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: He is team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a leader in his field, but Dr. Joseph Maroon hasn't always had it so together. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story how one man overcame major obstacles to get his life back on track.
(HUMAN FACTOR)
LEMON: Next week will be the last time you'll hear this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NASA ANNOUNCER: Zero and liftoff for the final launch of "Endeavour." Expanding our knowledge, expanding our lives in space.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The space shuttle program coming to an end after 30 years. Up next, NASA's head man tells us why the shuttle accomplished more than the famous Apollo era ever did.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NASA ANNOUNCER: T minus ten, nine, eight, seven, six --
NASA ANNOUNCER: We have engine start.
NASA ANNOUNCER: -- five, four, three, two, one.
NASA ANNOUNCER: And we have liftoff.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Next Friday marks a milestone for NASA's space shuttle program. That's when "Atlantis" is scheduled to launch on the final shuttle mission ever. The shuttle program was a long time in coming. It was on the drawing board merely a year before the Apollo moon landing. And unlike other designs, the shuttle was reusable and considered by some as cost effective. So why is NASA pulling the plug now?
Our John Zarrella asking the experts, was the shuttle program a success or a failure?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the beginning, it was a marvelous machine, releasing from it cargo bay deep-space probes like Ulysses that went to Jupiter. Astronauts ventured out untethered --
UNIDENTIFIED ASTRONAUT: The trip to solar max estimated to take 10 minutes.
ZARRELLA: -- to capture and retrieve failed satellites dead in space. Dangerous feats unheard of before shuttle.
UNIDENTIFIED ASTRONAUT: Houston, I think we have a satellite.
ZARRELLA: The great observatory Hubble dazzles with breath-taking images of the universe and its ability to see galaxies born nearly at the dawn of time.
UNIDENTIFIED ASTRONAUT: Shuttle has arrived on board "Atlantis."
ZARRELLA: Hubble was launched to repair and service from shuttle.
Every major building block of the football-field long space station was carried up and assembled from shuttle.
Before becoming NASA's head man, Charlie Bolden was an astronaut. He flew four shuttle flights, including the Hubble launch.
CHARLIE BOLDEN, NASA DIRECTOR: I defy anybody, and I will argue with my Apollo comrades, the accomplishments the achievements, the record of performance, the spinoffs, the capabilities that have been developed. What we did in shuttle over the years dwarfs what we've done in the Apollo era.
We can build spacecraft, we can build hardware, we can build booster, but there's no goal, there's no mission. We are wandering in the desert in space today. Period.
(MUSIC)
ZARRELLA: So why now? Why call it quits now? From the time of its inception 40 years ago, until the shuttles are retired, the program will have cost the American taxpayers just shy of $115 billion. That's less than $4 billion a year, a drop, if that, in the federal budget. Still, the problem is money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's just not enough money in NASA to continue the existing programs and start a new program at the same time.
ZARRELLA (on camera): Was it time?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it was time. And it has been time for some time to phase out of shuttle and go back to exploration.
(MUSIC)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Whether you hated it or hailed it, whether you felt it a waste or worth it, the shuttle was an iconic flying machine that symbolized America's inspiration and ingenuity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, roll.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: John's special, "Beyond Atlantis," The Next Frontier," Sunday night, 8:00 eastern, right here on CNN.
And next week, make sure you join Anderson Cooper and John Zarrella live from Kennedy Space Center for the final launch. "Atlantis" lifts off at 11:26 a.m. eastern on July 8th. And our coverage begins Friday morning at 10:00 eastern, right here on CNN.
Let's get you caught up on the headlines. Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife left a Manhattan townhouse today for the first time since he was released Friday from house arrest. Strauss-Kahn is accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in May. In recent days, serious doubts had been raised about the alleged victim's truthfulness and credibility.
There's news from Iowa about the Republican presidential hopefuls. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is on a multi-city bus tour, trying to build momentum from her strong showing in a recent Iowa poll. Iowa, of course, kicks of the campaign season with the Iowa caucuses early next year.
And a shift in the Iowa staff for Republican Herman Cain to tell you about. Two Iowa top staffers have resigned in what the campaign is downplaying as routine changes.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. See you back here an hour from now.
"THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer starts now.
