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International Journalists Freed in Tripoli; Preparing for Hurricane Irene; University of Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt Battles Dementia

Aired August 24, 2011 - 13:59   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: It is about 2:00 p.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 p.m. in Libya. And we are watching major displays of force.

Hurricane Irene, Category 3, and still growing. It's churning through the Bahamas and eyeing the Carolinas.

In Tripoli, forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi abandoned their siege of a hotel where journalists were being held hostage.

And from Georgia to Maine, folks are trying to shake off the earthquake that shook them this time yesterday.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAYE: Now to Libya, where the forces of a disappeared dictator are trying to retake the airport in Tripoli. CNN's Arwa Damon is there and tells us pro-Gadhafi fighters are lobbing artillery shells from nearby villages. Rebel fighters who captured the airport Monday are said to be fighting back while trying to avoid noncombatants.

Elsewhere, the hostage ordeal is over at Tripoli's once lavish Rixos Hotel. Just a little more than three hours ago, some three dozen international journalists, including CNN's Matthew Chance, managed to persuade the armed Gadhafi loyalists who had been holding them for days to let them go free. Soon after that, Chance got a camera and spoke live with my colleague Suzanne Malveaux, surrounded by people almost as happy as he was.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're celebrating their freedom. They're not celebrating my freedom, they're celebrating Libya's freedom, obviously.

But I've been given loads of flowers. I don't think they realize we've just gone through this ordeal of being held captive, essentially, in the Rixos Hotel. And it's only now that we've come out to speak to you because we've been essentially set free.

It's amazed us. The whole country, the whole city is celebrating its freedom. And, you know, I feel sort of a connection with them. I feel a connection with them, because I'm celebrating mine, as well.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Matthew, you look great. You know, give us a sense of where you are, how you got there. Have you had a chance to talk to your family?

CHANCE: No, I haven't yet. No, I haven't had a chance. I know that the desk, my foreign desk -- thank you.

My foreign desk in Atlanta has spoken to my family, so I know they're aware that I'm OK. They'll also be watching this, obviously.

But it's been such an amazing roller-coaster experience for this country, really. I mean, it's been incredible.

One of the things -- guys, guys, please. Just one second.

One of the things that was so amazing about what happened today is that the guys that were holding us hostage, essentially, they didn't know that any of this had taken place outside the perimeter of the hotel. They thought that the country was still in the control of Colonel Gadhafi.

They didn't realize that outside the hotel doors, the whole world for these people has changed. And when they finally realized that, when they finally realized that there was no reason for them to stay there and carry out these bizarre orders to sort of keep the journalists in the hotel and not let them out, when they accepted that, they literally cast away their weapons, said they were sorry to us, and said, "You're now free to go."

And we just organized these vehicles, these cars, and they took us out. It was the International Committee of the Red Cross. They took us out to a safe location somewhere else.

And it's just been amazing coming out to Tripoli, because all these people are so happy. They don't even know about our situation, obviously. They're just focused on the fact that their country, their entire country, from their point of view, is now free.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: There are no signs of Moammar Gadhafi, so the rebels are appealing to his aides, his helpers, and his sympathizers. They're offering a bounty of almost $2 million for Gadhafi's capture, dead or alive, plus amnesty for whoever turns him in or kills him.

You're seeing of footage of Gadhafi back in March at that Rixos Hotel.

Other news developing this hour, engineers are checking the Washington Monument today. It is closed indefinitely. Take a look here at this live picture.

They're trying to determine the best way to repair cracks found in the towering D.C. monument after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake yesterday. The National Park Service says inspectors discovered cracking in the stones at the top of the 555-foot-tall monument.

The quake struck about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia. Falling bricks and siding damaged cars in nearby Vienna as well. The tremor was felt in at least 12 states, from Georgia to northern New England. No far, no serious injuries have been reported.

The rare East Coast quake triggered an automatic shutdown of a nuclear power plant less than 20 miles from the epicenter. It also signaled alarms at 12 other nuclear facilities.

Now, in D.C., the quake damaged spires at the top of the National Cathedral. It prompted evacuations at the U.S. Capitol and other government buildings, businesses and schools throughout the region. People who were near the epicenter talked with us about what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGEL ROGERS, MINERAL, VIRGINIA, RESIDENT: All of a sudden, it started as a little roar and then a huge roar. And I tried to run, and it wouldn't let me move, it was shaking so bad. And I fell on the ground. I scraped my knees up.

LEE ROGERS III, STUDENT: It was like a wave came through, lifted us up, and threw us all down. I went to go under my desk and it knocked me back down. Then the roof came down and a piece hit me in the back. And then we went to go outside, and kids were falling down in the hallways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And we'll continue to follow developments surrounding that earthquake for you as well.

Well, all eyes are on Hurricane Irene, which is now a Category 3 storm, as Chad was just telling us. Evacuations already under way as it makes a beeline towards the East Coast. What you need to know to prepare for this major storm, we'll have it for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Hurricane Irene is now a powerful Category 3 storm and could threaten millions of people living along the Eastern Seaboard. Right now Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the southern portions of the Bahamas. People living farther north, in Nassau, are preparing for the worst by boarding up windows and moving their families inland, if at all possible.

And coastal communities like Charleston, South Carolina, are getting prepared as well. Hardware stores are seeing the usual run for emergency supplies.

And there are some concerns about the storm's possible arrival in the Washington, D.C., area Sunday that could impact the scheduled dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

Joining me now is CNN contributor General Russel Honore. He wrote the book "Survival" after his work during Hurricane Katrina made him famous.

First off, General, let's talk about the areas that might get hit. We're talking about the Northeast, OK, and the East Coast. What needs to be happening there right now, do you think? Because these are not states that are used to handling major hurricanes.

GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first is family and home preparedness. Be prepared with that several-day supply of food and water, because even if the storm don't affect you directly, it could cut your lights out. And as Chad showed, the eye may skirt the coast, but either side of the eye, up to 150 miles, you could have a tornado or you could have heavy rains that could flood the coastal North Carolina and Virginia area.

KAYE: And when people are told to evacuate, do a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that they don't really need to?

HONORE: Absolutely. People start thinking category, where they think their house or home can withstand a Category 3 storm. But if you're in a coastal area, it's the tidal surge and the water that will destroy your home.

You know, in 1938, we had a hurricane go into Long Island, destroyed 14,000 homes. Over 700 people in the state of New York lost their lives as a result of that storm.

KAYE: And when you talk about the winds, I mean, Category 3 is about 115, say, and then Chad was saying maybe it could get to 130 or 131 or so. How does a city, say, like New York City, prepare for such high winds? What would you advise Mayor Bloomberg right now?

HONORE: Well, to take a look at the vulnerable areas, those that are at or near sea level, because that's where you'll have most damage. The other thing is high-rise apartments that have a lot of glass, in office buildings. Rocks traveling at 90 miles an hour will break most of those windows. So you're not safe if you're in a high- rise building because of the flying debris from rocks that will be thrown around from the top of other buildings.

KAYE: And what about a situation maybe with flooding? I mean, if that's a concern as well, how does a big city handle something like that? Because they have public transportation and rely on it.

HONORE: That's right, as well as the underground network, much of that run underground. And as I said earlier, the models we show, some of that underground network could be threatened, as we saw in D.C. a couple weeks ago with a heavy rain. Much of the underground transportation was stalled because the pumps didn't get the water out.

This will be a major disruption if it follows the current track, which is skirting the coastline from North Carolina through Washington, D.C., up toward New York. This will be a major disruption.

KAYE: And we're being told now that the memorial service for the MLK Memorial has been moved to Monday. Is that a good move, do you think now, given the weather that we may be expecting?

HONORE: Absolutely. We can't afford to have thousands, or maybe even hundreds of thousands of people exposed on the Mall, because we will be getting tornadic and heavy rain and wind effect, which will cut the lights out in D.C.

KAYE: All right. General Russel Honore, appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

A shocking diagnosis for Tennessee's Pat Summit, the country's winningest college basketball coach.

Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, takes a look at early onset dementia straight after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: And there you saw some of our special coverage of the "MLK Jr. Memorial: Building the Dream." That does take place Sunday morning. There was some word that we thought it would take place Monday. That is not the case. So you will see coverage, and, of course, the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.

Some shocking news now from the world of sports. Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summit has been diagnosed with early onset dementia. The nation's winningest college basketball coach made the announcement on her school's Web site today. She's just 59 years old.

Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a closer look at the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Randi, there is a type of dementia known as early onset dementia. Typically, it occurs in people under the age of 65. And that's why it's called early onset. It's more associated with people who have a family history of this type of dementia.

We know in her case, Summitt's case, her maternal grandmother actually suffered from this as well. So, at 59, it's not that unusual. But across the board, all dementias, only about five percent of them occur in people this young.

Typically, you have memory loss, you have personality changes. People become withdrawn. Those are some of the early signs.

She said she was missing appointments, had to ask the same person, her son in this case, the same question several times to get an answer, to remember an answer. And that's what sort of tipped her off.

When people go see the doctor, typically what happens is the doctor may first get a scan of the brain to make sure something else isn't happening. And then after that, it's a series of cognitive exams, neurological exams that ultimately make the diagnosis of dementia.

There are more advanced testings nowadays, including PET scans, including analysis of cerebral spinal fluid. But still, at this point in time, this diagnosis is usually made clinically through a series of these exams.

Summitt says, "Look, I'm going to do mental exercises, including reading before bed, to try and stave this off." And there's plenty of evidence that suggests that can help slow down the progression. And there are also medications out there which can do the same.

But this is a progressive problem, typically. So what her memory is like now, what her function is like now may be different five to 10 years from now. It likely will be different.

Her judgment, for the most part, is different than her memory. In terms of being a basketball coach, having the judgment to be able to do that, that should likely remain intact much longer than her memory does, a question a lot of people asking about this basketball coach today.

Good luck to her.

And back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Thank you, as always, Sanjay.

And don't forget to watch Sanjay's special this weekend, "The Last Heart Attack." He dispels myths about heart attacks and shares ways to prevent them. Watch Saturday night at 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

A day of incredible emotion in Tripoli, freedom for dozens of foreign journalists. Plus, a national security's expert's advice on bringing democracy to Libya.

That's up next, right after the break.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Luna, 5'2", happy to take your commands. Luna is a personal robot.

Fred Nikgohar says his invention is like an iPad on wheels.

FRED NIKGOHAR, INVENTED LUNA: I'm now projecting myself to a remote location by simply using my laptop. This is robotic telepresence. It's the ability to be basically in two places at the same time.

TUCHMAN: For inspiration, Nikgohar points to pop culture, to the blockbuster movie "Avatar," where humans log into biological avatars and interact with indigenous people. Except Luna is made of aluminum and plastic.

If this all sounds too science fiction for you, then consider possible real-world uses. NIKGOHAR: If I need to go to China to look at a factory that I work with, I can physically get on an airplane, lose half a day of travel each way, all the costs associated with that, or I can have a robot on the ground in the factory that I can just log into with my mobile phone or laptop computer and I can instantly transport myself to that remote location.

So, in a way, you can think of is as video conferencing on wheels. The robot might need to deliver pills to patients every night in a hospital. (INAUDIBLE) will be able to go from room to room and provide the right medications to the right patient every time.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It's about 25 minutes past the hour. Here's a look at the headlines and other news that you may have missed.

Hurricane Irene, now a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 115 miles an hour. It has been pounding the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands. And the National Hurricane Center says it could get even stronger as it approaches the U.S.

Forecasters say it could threaten large sections of the Eastern Seaboard by the weekend, from the Carolinas to the Northeast. Take cover.

Twenty-four hours after the earthquake that shook the East Coast, we want you to take a look here at the Washington Monument. It's closed.

Yes, that's right. Some historic buildings in Washington are still closed. Engineers are studying ways to repair the cracks at the top of this monument.

And the National Cathedral sustained what's being called substantial damage. That includes cracks in the building's limestone blocks and broken pinnacles on its towers.

But, tourists, take heart. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials are open.

Mitt Romney says he will not attend a Labor Day forum in South Carolina organized by conservative Senator Jim DeMint, who endorsed Romney's run for president four years ago. A Romney spokesperson cited scheduling conflicts and said the candidate will instead spend the day in New Hampshire. Some say this is a signal that the former Massachusetts governor is not focusing on early southern primary states like he did back in 2008.

Alabama's new immigration law went before a federal judge in Birmingham today. Three separate suits have been filed against the law, which, among other things, requires police to check the status of anyone they stop and suspect may be in the U.S. illegally. Alabama is the fifth state to take immigration enforcement into its own hands.

So imagine the person you love the most and are married to being taken away. That is the reality this couple is facing. The latest in their battle over immigration rights for same-sex couples. We'll talk with them in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: As you've seen here on CNN, the battle for Tripoli has been one extraordinary event after the next. One of the most dramatic today was the release of 36 foreign journalists from the Rixos Hotel. CNN's Matthew Chance and his producer Germana Karache (ph) are among those enjoying their freedom.

Here with me to get his reaction to all of this, Michael Holmes, who recently spent two weeks with the Libyan rebels. I mean, you see them come out, and they were -- as Matthew described it, they were crying, they were hugging, that taste of freedom after all that concern. What do you make of it?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I was really worried for them. That was a situation could have gone badly in any number of ways from being human shields to indirect fire. They were certainly - and Matthew has been around. I mean, I first met Matthew in Afghanistan after 9/11, and that was the first time we actually met. And he and I bumped into each other in Afghanistan, Iraq and various other hotspots. He's been around. It's not like the guy can't handle stress. And you could just tell, he was worried.

Germana (ph), she's just amazing.

KAYE: Yes, apparently she helped to actually negotiate with some of these guys to get them out of there. Fascinating.

HOLMES: Yes, she basically lives or has lived the Iraq war in Baghdad. She's been one of the stalwarts of our bureau in Baghdad. Mainly behind the scenes. Every now and then, we can talk her into going on camera or doing a radio report. She doesn't like it.

But she is an amazing woman. And so relieved.

KAYE: Well, the timing was critical, too because Matthew was saying they had maybe a day or two left of water and snacks. They were using pool water to shower. He had a Mars Bar following his tweets. He had a Mars Bar for breakfast. It was just getting --

HOLMES: Yes. It's interesting, I love hearing him talk, too. Because I know what it's like in those situations. I was in Ramallah in 2003, I was where the West Bank was sealed off and Arafat was under siege and there was a 24-hour curfew. It ended up with a group of about journalists all in one place, one production studio we were using as a base.

And that sort of camaraderie that comes about. And don't tell the bosses, but competition goes out the window. You'll be dealing with ABC or NBC or whatever. And you'll swap batteries, you'll help each other out. Your colleagues become your friends. And you become very close-knit in those situations.

KAYE: Oh yeah. Well, they certainly did. No question about it.

HOLMES: Oh, yes. Friends for life now.

KAYE: Well, Michael, although the fighting continues in Tripoli, most analysts agree it's only a matter of time before the rebels gain complete control of the capital and the rest of the country.

International observers already are turning their attention to what happens next in Libya. Rachel Klinefeld is the CEO and co- founder of the Truman National Security Project. In an opinion article posted on CNN.com just today, she writes that a major key to democracy for Libya is jobs.

Rachel Klinefeld joining us now from Denver. Hi, Rachel. So, tell us, where will the jobs come from? I mean, are we talking about the oil industry here?

RACHEL KLEINFELD, CEO & CO-FOUNDER, TRUMAN NATIONAL SECURITY PROJECT: Largely from Europe. You have to look at a map and see that Libya is right below Italy and Greece. And Europe is really taking the lead on this. It's part of Obama's very smart strategy to bring in the allies from the very beginning so that they can help own the aftermath so that America is not paying. Europe is paying.

And the jobs should come from Europe. It's just a few hours away by plane from Rome to Tripoli.

KAYE: And what sectors do you think could produce for this young workforce?

KLEINFELD: Well, you have a very young country as you just said. Half the country is probably under 30. At least 30 percent is under 15. It's perfectly suited to tourism. Big, long beaches right below Europe during those cold winters. Tunisia, which is right next door, already has a big tourist infrastructure that it brings in European tourists to. And so, probably the same thing in Libya. It's also got ports and so on. So, there's a lot that can be done.

I think the important thing to remember, it should not just rely on oil. Lots of people talk about oil, but oil is bad for democracy. It tends to keep people out of jobs and bring in money for dictators. And so, we can't just bring up the oil infrastructure there, and Europe is going to do a good job, I think, bringing in jobs there.

KAYE: Yes. Rachel, I want to bring in Michael Holmes, who's here with us as well.

HOLMES: Rachel's right. The tourism potential for Libya is huge. And we were up, as you know, in the Nifussa Mountains, which are just spectacular. The beauty of those places, ancient civilization there as well. Every corner, every town you go into, there's houses built into caves. It's a gorgeous place.

Rachel, I'm curious. The West is now got to be again, politically, also in an industry sense very careful about how they handle this and not look like they're intruding or coming in to take and not give.

KLEINFELD: Well, you point out something incredibly smart. It's another smart part of this strategy. The Libyans let this strategy. Unlike the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, this war cost one tenth of one percent of what those wars cost. America did not put troops on the ground. We let the Libyans lead. It's their war. It should be their war. We didn't lose a single soldier or service member. All we lost was one robotic helicopter.

So, completely different situation. The Libyans really own this. And they're very competent people in this National Transitional Council, their government that are going to Europe next week to talk about the future of Libya. They're able -- a lot of them are former government members who defected. There's a real infrastructure to start with there.

HOLMES: It is true. But politically, you have to agree there's a lot at risk here, too. They're looking all very unified now, having had the common enemy. But they're not actually unified when you strip away the Gadhafi factor. These are people with age-old enmities, and this could fracture very easily. Surely the West has got to be mindful of that in trying to keep the glue working when it comes to the council.

KLIENFELD: This is tough. And you're exactly right. It's a fragile state. There's a lot of tribes, there's a lot of internal fissures.

And it's one of the reasons we need to look at national security more broadly. For years, we looked at national security as just the Pentagon. What could the Department of Defense do? The Department of Defense has now done its work. Now it's up to the State Department, the U.S. Treasury, Europe's state departments and treasuries and their equivalents to put boots on the ground and start working to help them come together.

There's already lot of that going on. It's much cheaper than war. It's much more difficult. And it's something that we need to get right. Because frankly, we can't afford to go back to democracy -- to autocracies -- in the Middle East. Those autocracies were unstable. People like Gadhafi were keeping (INAUDIBLE) throughout Africa, really causing trouble that way. But also committing terrorism against U.S. citizens -- obviously in that Lockerbie bombing, against many others as well.

So, we do have a stake in this coming out right. It will largely be the State Department and the Treasury leading the way from now on.

KAYE: Rachel Klinefeld, pleasure to have you on the show. Thank you.

And Michael Holmes, good to see you.

HOLMES: She makes a very good point there. The real battle now for Libya is reconciliation internally.

KAYE: I think you're right. All right. Thank you very much. Good to see you as well.

Now we want to tell you about this next story. Bradford Wells and Anthony Mack are in the fight of their lives to save their life together. We first told you their story two weeks ago. Their fate is caught up in a complicated web snarled by immigration, the Defense of Marriage Act and their love and commitment to one another.

Tomorrow, August 25th is the day that they have been dreading. The day Anthony is supposed to leave the country. Just this morning, they filed an appeal to fight Anthony's immigration status. And a recent decision by the Obama administration may have the help they need as they appeal their case.

Anthony, who was born in Australia, is the one on the right in the photo. His visa expires tomorrow. The pictures you're looking at are the moment Anthony and Bradford got married in Massachusetts seven years ago. They've been together for 19 years.

But under the Defense of Marriage Act, immigration benefits only apply to marriages between men and women. Anthony applied for permanent residency but was denied. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services cited the Defense of Marriage Act as the reason. Bradford and Anthony filed an appeal against that decision today.

There, of course, is a lot at stake. Bradford suffers from advanced AIDS. Anthony is his main caretaker who Bradford says is his literal lifesaver.

But since we spoke with them two weeks ago, President Obama's administration announced it's implementing a new policy that will allow pending deportations to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Criminal history, community ties and family among other factors will be taken into account now.

More importantly, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security told "The San Francisco Chronicle," gay and lesbian couples will be considered family under this new policy.

But it is not that simple. Anthony and Bradford are now caught up in a waiting game. In their first interview since filing their appeal, Bradford and Anthony join me now from San Francisco. We're glad to have you back on the show. Thank you for coming on.

We'd like to get an update on what's happening. Anthony, tomorrow is the day that both of you have been dreading. Will you be leaving the country?

ANTHONY JOHN MAKK, FACING DEPORTATION: Thankfully, tomorrow I will not be leaving the country. The appeal has been filed today, and we'll be waiting for the outcome on the appeal.

KAYE: And Bradford, I know that you're appealing this case with Immigration Services. Is this your last option, your last resort? BRADFORD WELLS, HUSBAND FACED DEPORTATION: This is basically our last option. After this, if this appeal is denied, Anthony will be issued an order of deportation. And I'm appealing to president Obama to hold our appeal and not act on it.

The Defense of Marriage Act is what they used to deny me immigration benefits for my spouse. The Defense of Marriage Act benefits absolutely no one in this country. There's not one American who benefits from the Defense of Marriage Act. But there are many American families hurt by this. Every family that this act touches, it hurts. It also brings harm to the people around those families, the extended family.

I'm asking President Obama on humanitarian grounds to please hold this application until the Defense of Marriage Act is settled. Until there's some final determination. Either through Congress or through the courts.

KAYE: We did reach out to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Department of Homeland Security in fact, in response to this appeal that you filed. We're still waiting to hear from them.

But we do have a statement to share with you. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement did give us this statement. Emphasizing quote, you -- Anthony "are not currently in removal proceedings. Furthermore, in general, ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the agency, exercises prosecutorial discretion on a case-by-case basis as necessary to focus resources on these priorities."

They wanted to reassure us that you were not in any danger of being deported tomorrow or any time soon without going through these proceedings. How do you feel about that?

MAKK: I feel relieved that someone is not going to be coming knocking at my door. However, we do feel that being put under deportation proceedings, after tomorrow, this could happen to me. And it's -- many couples, tens of thousands of couples in our same situation live already under the threat of deportation.

And the recent events actually don't help me. To get relief from the recent announcement, I actually have to be put under deportation proceedings. We're trying to stop that. We're trying to ask that they put on hold all of the applications, the same-sex immigration applications until (INAUDIBLE) been settled. Not to actually put us under the deportation proceedings, then do something. It seems like we have to go to the end of the earth to get something to happen.

WELLS: Anthony is a good man.

KAYE: I'm sure he is.

WELLS: Anthony is a good man. He's a decent, hard-working contributing member of society. I want him to keep his -- to have his dignity. The law has always been important to him, following the law is important to him. I just want him to be on the right side of the law, to not be under an order of deportation.

KAYE: We're talking so much about procedure here. When you really break it down honestly, Bradford, I mean, how do you really feel about this? How does this affect you? In your heart, in your mind about what's going on here?

WELLS: This has been so stressful. I've lost a lot of sleep, I've had a lot of bad days. I've been a lot of days when I've just been sick over this. If Anthony was to leave, even the thought of it just devastates my day.

I cannot get through my day without his assistance. He's just a lifesaver for me.

KAYE: You rely on him completely. Is that true, Anthony?

MAKK: Oh, yes. We do everything together. Since we met, our entire life has been to stay together because when we first met, we didn't even know how long we would have together. So, it's very important to us to be together all the time.

We've lived, stayed together, basically. And we've got to this point, and we will fight to stay together. And we're going to fight so other gay and lesbian families can stay together, too. Because there's many families in our position. Immigration Equality is working tirelessly for us. Nancy Pelosi herself has spoken up for us. Her office is working so hard for us.

And you know, the families shouldn't live under a threat of deportation to get some relief because change of policy or something like that could change everything in the future. And they could just put it aside. They do it for other families. They could do it for gay and lesbian families as well.

WELLS: The amount of support we've received has been tremendous. I never imagined that so many people would be so upset about our plight.

MAKK: Concerned about what's going on. Regardless of gay and lesbian families or whatever.

KAYE: I'm sure. It is so --

WELLS: It's been tremendous.

KAYE: It's so nice to see. And I do understand that from Homeland Security at least telling the San Francisco paper that gay and lesbian couples will be considered family under this new policy. So maybe that will help with your appeal.

Anthony Makk, thank you so much. We hope you get to stay here and get this whole thing worked out. And Bradford, we hope you feel well and we hope to have you back on once again with an update.

WELLS: Thank you.

MAKK: Thank you very much.

KAYE: Thank you.

Building a dream, a special preview of the Martin Luther King, Jr.. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. We'll have that for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Visitors are getting the first look at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. this week. The massive granite statue stands 30 feet tall on the National Mall and four acres overlooking the tidal basin. It took more than 15 years to see this statue come to fruition and about $120 million.

Master sculptor Lei Yixin from China created the King statue and was in D.C. Monday as visitors caught a glimpse of the memorial. President Obama will be on hand for the formal dedication of the memorial on Sunday. The dedication also marks the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. King delivered the famous "I have a Dream" speech.

CNN political analyst Roland Martin joins me with more on this big event. Roland, before we get into the event itself, I want to ask you, what accommodations have been made just in case this Hurricane Irene affects the weather there in D.C. on Sunday?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I talked to Harry Johnson, the CEO of the MLK Memorial Foundation this morning on the segment of the "Tom Joyner Morning Show." And he said certainly they are in contact with the National Park Service. They will make the actual final call because they control National Mall.

But based upon the current models, they plan, rain or shine, to have the dedication. Obviously, if you have significant winds and thunderstorms and lots of rain, that changes it. But right now, the plan is to go forward with the dedication, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday. Everyone has to be in their seats by 10:00 a.m. because of secret service.

KAYE: I know Roland, that this is certainly close to your heart. You've been working for years to try to get this memorial built and certainly helping to get it paid for. What is the status of the fundraising for this?

MARTIN: Well, I'm a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, a life member. And Dr. King was a member of APhiA. And that's really how this thing started. It started at a kitchen table, several members who said we need a monument to Dr. King on the National Mall.

There was efforts to try to put it near RFK stadium. The Alphas said absolutely not. And so the initial funding and the impetus and the driving force has been Alpha Phi Alpha.

And I'll tell you, we've raised already $114 million. We have about $6 million left. And look, I've given, I've used all of my speech and social media. You may have seen me on CNN a lot of times with a light blue lapel pin on. That was actually the Build the Dream lapel pin that we used to advertise this whole effort. The pin that I have on right now is the Dedicate pin. You'll see lots of folks wearing this.

So, certainly, we've been around this country hitting up corporate sponsors, athletes, entertainers, but also regular, ordinary people. And understand, Randi, people have been tithing, literally to this project from day one. Every month sending in a payment to make sure this is possible.

KAYE: Wow. It's amazing. This is certainly real estate that's really reserved mainly for presidents and wars. So, this is certainly a big day. Roland, I know it's important to you and you'll be there to emcee the pre-dedication portion of the ceremony. We look forward to that.

MARTIN: Absolutely. You'll see us in the gold jackets and I'll have rain gear if need be, Randi.

KAYE: I'm sure you will. We won't miss you. Thanks, Roland.

MARTIN: Thanks a lot.

KAYE: And be sure to join T.J. Holmes along with Candy Crowley and Soledad O'Brien Sunday morning for CNN's live coverage of the unveiling of the memorial, commemorating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That is Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Earthquake insurance. A wise decision to protect yourself from catastrophic losses or would you say a shaky investment? It's our "Taking The Lead," next.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You feel that? What was that? My God --

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KAYE: Video of yesterday's East Coast earthquake interrupting a local commercial in Virginia. Falling bricks, damaged cars and a seismic jolt from Georgia to northern New England reminded millions that our friends out West are not the only ones at risk.

In fact, 5,000 earthquakes strike the United States each year and caused damage to all 50 states at one time or another. Given the damage they can do, should you invest in earthquake insurance? It is today's "Taking the Lead."

To find out if you need it, start by simply looking at where you live. Although earthquakes may be less frequent in the East, the U.S. Geological Survey says they pose, quote, "a significant risk to 75 million Americans in 39 states." Some of the most vulnerable cities include major metro areas in California, Seattle, Portland, New York City, Salt Lake City and St. Louis.

Policies are not cheap, and they vary between insurance companies. Understand that pricing factors: older homes cost more to insure. Wood homes withstand quake stress better, according to the Insurance Information Institute. And both your soil consistency and proximity to a fault line will also factor in.

Finally, make sure to understand the possibility of other damage when looking for coverage. It's not just the quake itself that can destroy property but tsunamis, floods and fires that occur afterward. The events in Japan earlier this year are a frightening example of this.

For more on earthquake insurance, you can visit my Facebook page, Facebook.com/RandiKaye, CNN.

Will the debt reduction deal earlier this month lead to a better economic forecast? Kate Bolduan will break down the new Congressional Budget Office outlook. That's coming you way next.

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KAYE: Well, the debt ceiling talks may be over, sort of, for now. But apparently there's a new ten-year economic outlook. For that, let's check in with our Kate Bolduan in Washington, D.C. Hi there, Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Randi.

Well, this is the latest update from the Congressional Budget Office, the official scorekeeper for Congress that we always cite. The country's economic outlook according to CBO seems to be improving yet still gloomy. And we're still talking about eye popping numbers.

According to the CBO, the country is on track to see a $1.3 trillion budget deficit this year, which is a slight improvement from previous estimates. But it's still the third largest shortfall in the past 65 years, according to the office. Over the next decade, deficits are on track to total almost $3.5 trillion. While huge number, CBO says that's down more than $3 trillion from the projection that they put out in March.

That improvement stems in part, they say, from the deficit reduction plan passed by Congress this month as part of the deal to raise the debt ceiling. The numbers also assume that current policies remain in place, which means Bush-era tax cuts that are allowed to expire as they're scheduled to do at the end of 2012, but that is a hotly debated issue and that can change -- which would change these numbers.

But finally, Randi, it's also noteworthy that CBO expects the unemployment outlook to improve but unemployment to remain above 8 percent until 2014. So, obviously tracking these numbers as they come in. Randi? KAYE: I see a lot more negotiating for some reason in Washington. Or stalemate. Or both. There you go. Well, they call it negotiating. I don't know if it really is negotiating. But something is happening there.

All right, Kate, appreciate it. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Randi.

And that is going to do it for me. Time now for me to hand it over to Brooke Baldwin. Hi, Brooke!