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Ninety People Dead in Syrian Village; Pedro Hernandez Charged with Second Degree Murder In Etan Patz Case; Severe Weather for Memorial Day Weekend & Tropical Disturbance in Southeast; Hollywood Filmmakers Given Access to bin Laden Raid Documents; Facebook Helps Get Brian Banks' Rape Conviction Thrown Out; Robert Champion Enduring Beating to Pass Crossover Initiation; 911 Operator Asleep During Emergency Call
Aired May 26, 2012 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Massacre in Syria. Those are bodies under those white sheets, nearly 100 of them. Many of them children.
Far from home, debris from last year's tsunami in Japan is washing ashore in Alaska. And it's raising fears of contamination and radiation.
And an amazing sight that's if you're far away. But at least one woman was just a little too close for comfort to that tornado.
And tropical weather that's making the water dangerous this holiday weekend. We'll explain.
Hi, everybody. Glad you're with us. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Alina Cho in tonight for Don Lemon.
And we begin tonight with breaking news out of Syria where United Nations observers have made what they believe is a horrific confirmation. Witnesses told them that Syrian forces have shelled the village and then afterwards, begin killing dozens of people, entire families, many of them children. That U.N. team saw the evidence of that massacre for themselves.
This is the village Houla that is near Homs in Syria. Rows of bodies, men, women, and witnesses say more than 30 children under the age of 10. A total of 92 bodies in all. CNN cameras and reporters are not allowed inside Syria but our Mohammed Jamjoom is watching from neighboring Lebanon, and he joins us now live. Mohammed, good to see you. What can you tell us about this latest violence?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alina, Syrian opposition activists told us today that they are begging the international community for their help, for their intervention, after this barbaric massacre, that's what they're calling it, that happened yesterday in the town of Houla which is in the Homs province. Now, they described intense shelling, mortars raining down on that town, and then as you mentioned, they said the pro-regime militias went in and started indiscriminately slaughtering men, women, and children. We have seen horrific, very gruesome, very disturbing videos today. We can't authenticate those videos but certainly what we've heard from opposition activists corroborate what we have seen on these videos.
Women and children in blankets on the floors of rooms in houses. We have seen horrible videos of children which they appear that their heads have been bashed in, their lifeless bodies strewn across floors in these houses. It's just absolutely horrifying. Now, we know now that those U.N. monitors that are in Syria, that some of them are in the town of Houla, that they are gathering information. We have seen video of one of them looking at some of the bodies there, and we heard a little earlier in the day from General Robert Mood, he's the head of the Syrian mission in Syria. He spoke about the massacre. Here's more of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. ROBERT MOOD, U.N. OBSERVER TEAM COMMANDER: The death toll, 32 innocent children. Lots of women and men, but in particular, the children. That is unacceptable attack on the future and on the aspirations of the Syrian people. Whoever started, whoever responded, whoever contributed to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JAMJOOM: Opposition activists Alina are telling us, this is part and parcel of the Syrian regime's brutal crackdown against them, a crackdown that's claimed the lives of about 9,000 people according to you in estimates, and one activist we spoke with earlier said, he can't believe that seven billion people on this world are watching what is happening there and that nobody can do anything about it. He then begged the international community to help the people of Syria -- Alina.
CHO: And Mohammed, I know U.N. envoy Kofi Annan is headed to Syria sometime soon. So, we will be waiting for that as well. Mohammed Jamjoom in Lebanon for us with the latest on Syria. Mohammed, thank you.
Just a few days ago, I spoke with and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He told me, it is not too late for Syria's leaders to do what is right and stop the violence. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: President Assad, I have already clearly said, lost humanity and legitimacy. He has to have -- he has not listened to the wills and genuine aspirations of his people. What he has to do now before too late, he has to stop all the violence. And he needed to begin political negotiations for political resolution effecting on the urgent and genuine aspirations of the Syrian towards a pretty resolution. That is the only way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Ban told me, he is very concerned and very frustrated that the violence and killing continues despite both sides agreeing to a cease- fire. Our best guess is as many as 10,000 people have died in Syria in the past 15 months. The butler did it. That's what Italian police believe what happens after Pope Benedict's butler was arrested for allegedly leaking secret Vatican document to the media. This is just an incredible story. Paolo Gabriele is his name. He's one of the few in the Pope's inner circle. The documents that he allegedly leaked were sent to an Italian journalist, and they now appear in a book which is by the way, bestseller. Senior Vatican analyst John Allen says, this is a huge embarrassment for the Vatican.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ALLEN, SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: The problem for the Vatican isn't so much the content of these documents. They've had fairly good luck knocking some of that down. The problem is, these are all real highly confidential documents which apparently had been leaked by somebody who has the closest access possible to the right hand of the pope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Gabriele by the way has worked as the Pope's butler since 2006 and is one of only a few to have access to the Pope's private desk.
On to Portland, Oregon, where police say no charges have been filed in the case of three children who were found abandoned in a shed. Those kinds were found on Thursday in an area with a lot of homeless people. Their mother was found yesterday. She's been interviewed, but she is not in police custody. Police say, the three children all under the age of three years old are in good condition now. They're in protective custody and they'll be the focus of a child custody hearing next week on Tuesday.
Now, to the case of Etan Patz, the little boy who went missing 33 years ago. A man named Pedro Hernandez has now been charged with killing six-year-old Patz. That's hardly the end of the story in this high profiled case. Hernandez was charged yesterday with second degree murder and attorney is raising questions about his client's mental health.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is following the case for us in New York.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More questions than ever are swirling around accused killer Pedro Hernandez. He remains on suicide watch in New York's Bellevue Hospital, placed on that watch on Friday after saying that he wanted to die, according to a law enforcement source.
At his arraignment on second degree murder charges after he allegedly confessed to strangling Etan Patz 33 years ago, a judge granted the defense request for a full psychiatric evaluation. During the hearing, Hernandez showed no emotions. He appeared on a video feed from the hospital as his defense attorney said that his client had a long history of psychiatric illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and suffering from hallucinations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: There's no plea at this point because --
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Police say they remain convinced by the details that Hernandez gave them during a three and a half hour long video-taped statement. However, authorities acknowledge they have no physical evidence linking Hernandez to Etan Patz's death and no motive. Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
CHO: All right. Susan, thank you.
A bold new beginning in space travel for the first time ever, a private spacecraft has linked up with the international space station. Cue the applause.
On this Memorial Day weekend, courting the vets vote, how President Obama and Mitt Romney are targeting those who have served.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back. Well, it's official. Outer space will never be the same again. For the first time, an astronaut at the International Space Station has entered a spacecraft made not by the government but by a private company.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This is mission control, Houston. Official hatch opening time for the Space X Dragon and spacecraft, 4:53 a.m. Central Time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: They were up early. Astronaut Don Pettitte entered dragon, that's a space capsule created by Space-X, a California company. Pettitte said it was, quote, like the smell of a brand new car. Should be, it's brand new. Dragon is delivering more than 1,000 pounds of cargo. In five days, the capsule is supposed to fall into the Pacific Ocean of California bringing back used gear and trash.
Vice President Joe Biden delivered the commencement address today at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Biden thanked cadets for their willingness to serve their country in this post 9/11 world. He also laid out the framework for President Obama's foreign policy and gave credit to the forces that took Osama Bin Laden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE PRES. JOE BIDEN (D), UNITED STATES: We have taken out, you have taken out more than half of al-Qaeda's senior leadership. And in a mission that will go down in the annals of intelligence and special operations, some of America's most gifted security professionals tracked down Osama Bin Laden after the trail had gone cold. And in one of the most incredibly daring raids, they delivered justice. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Biden called today's grad wits leaders of the 9/11 generation. A generation that he said will go down in history as the finest this nation has ever produced.
Well, today's speech to West Point cadets included plenty of points that President Obama likes to make on the campaign trail. That's no accident, of course.
CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian reports the Obama campaign is making a serious push to win the votes of military veterans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Obama rarely misses an opportunity to talk about the help he's offering to military veterans and their families.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: We will care and serve our veterans the way they served us.
LOTHIAN: It's about policy and politics. This reelection campaign is actively courting veterans who have traditionally supported Republicans. Launching a grass roots effort, veterans and military families for Obama.
BEAU BIDEN (D), DELAWARE ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's door to door, person to person, grocery store-to-grocery store. Letting people know the President's record on his policies to veterans.
LOTHIAN: In 2008, President Obama lost the veteran vote to Senator John McCain, 55 percent to 45 percent, but the demographics are shifting. And Democrats sends an opportunity. A recent Reuters -- poll shows Mr. Obama with a 44 percent to 37 percent lead among this group over likely opponent Mitt Romney. Team Obama is looking for voters like Josh Prentice. He's a recent graduate of George Washington University Law School who serve with the army in Iraq. He's a proud veteran and a loyal republican.
JOSH PRENTICE, IRAQ WAR VETERAN: The first presidential election I could vote in was 2004 and I voted for President Bush.
LOTHIAN: But for the first time, he's looking to both the right and left. He likes former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, yet President Obama's foreign policy has gotten his attention.
PRENTICE: He's impressed me with the way he led the draw down in Iraq. And in Afghanistan as well.
LOTHIAN: The killing of Osama Bin Laden has also won over some former critics. That's the sales pitch Democrats are making. Republicans say, this outreach is honorable, but they're skeptical of an election year appeal to veterans.
ANTHONY PRINCIPI (R), FORMER VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY: They deserve, you know, support every day of the year. But not just when it's convenient.
LOTHIAN: Taking nothing for granted, former veterans affair secretary in the Bush administration Anthony Principi is pitching Mitt Romney to veterans and their families.
PRINCIPI: We'll be doing our work as aggressively as we possibly can to make sure that our veterans understand who Governor Romney is and we'll cast their vote for him.
LOTHIAN: Republicans are using proposed defense budget cuts and concerns about America's military strength to raise doubts about the President's policies. On the military time's Web site, one veteran posted, I simply can't vote for a president who advocates deep military cuts to those who gave so much to our nation. Another wrote, this is one president that I could never endorse.
(on camera) Apprentice already has a job all lined up. He's one of the lucky ones because the unemployment rate among veterans is at 9.2 percent, well above the national average. That could be a factor on Election Day. A republican say, it could hurt the President. Dan Lothian, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: I've got a question for you, do you want to feel more fulfilled? Happier? Well, then have kids. Researchers say people with kids are happier than those without. And that dads may actually benefit from being a parent more than moms. Why? That's ahead.
But first -- in this week's Smart is the New Rich, a blueprint for success. Our Christine Romans talks with a small business owner who has seen amazing growth in her business despite being one of just a handful of women in her field.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, AUTHOR, "SMART IS THE NEW RICH" (voice-over): In tough times and in a tough business, Aerial Design and Build has found a blue print for growth.
RUPILA SETHI, AERIAL DESIGN AND BUILD: There was a big need for a construction company that catered to mid-sized projects that was professional, transparent.
ROMANS: The construction firm has grown from revenue of $400,000 a year to four million. And from two employees to 12 in just two years. So, how did Rupila Sethi and her partner Julie Kelley do it? They say, the first thing they did was think bigger.
SETHI: Right now, it seems like Aerial Design and Build has its own individuality and it's its own person now. It's no longer just attached to my name and Julie's name.
ROMANS: Sethi got help with that from Count Me In For Women's Economic Independence, a non-profit founded by Nell Merlino. NELL MERLINO, CEO, COUNT ME IN FOR WOMEN'S ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE: I think what she was missing was just the push or the permission and the vision to grow it much bigger. She certainly had the capability.
ROMANS: Second Sethi says, learn to say no. The construction business is fiercely competitive, even more so since the recession. That's put the squeeze on profit margins for contractors.
SETHI: They want you to knock of your price and knock of that extra.
ROMANS (on camera): Do you have to turn down business sometime?
SETHI: Sometimes. Yes. The last time we had to say no --
ROMANS: What a privilege.
SETHI: It was very hard.
ROMANS (voice-over): Finally, you can't get bigger without some help.
SETHI: My advice would be to people who really want it grow their business, start by hiring even a part time employee and then a full time employee so that you can focus on marketing and doing what you're best at.
ROMANS: By bringing in more employees. Does that help bring in more business?
SETHI: Absolutely. A lot of our employees have a lot of connections that they've made over the last few years that they've worked in industry.
ROMANS: You don't advertise. It's world of mouth. It's really face- to-face, doing business with people to get you more business.
SETHI: Absolutely. We have a reputation of being on budget, on schedule, and providing quality workmanship. I think people like to hear that, and when we achieve that, they are, you know, they're very thrilled. And that let leads to more word of mouth.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Want to be happy? Have a kid. Well, not everyone will agree with that, especially some parents of teenagers, but new researcher has actually found that parents are happier than those who don't have kids. Our Don Lemon spoke with psychologist Wendy Walsh about the different approach that these researchers took.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: Well, what's different is about how they did the study. With hundreds of people of both genders with children, without children, they put electronic pagers on them and contacted them five times a day over a 12-hour period for weeks. And asked them how they were feeling. They showed less depressive symptoms, they showed higher rates of happiness and life satisfaction, but the big one, Don, they had greater meaning of life. They had a good feeling that their life had meaning.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
WALSH: Hint, hint. Time for you to be a daddy.
LEMON: It's called responsibility. You got to do something. Your life should have some meaning. You're caring for this life, right? Who can't take care of itself.
WALSH: Yes. Yes, it makes you think everything you do in the day, there are little eyes watching now. And it gives you a big sense of responsibility, and that gives some meaning.
LEMON: That's why I don't have any. Because I don't watching them and imitating. All right. So, listen, if you boil it down, this study says, it's really just dads who are more satisfied and happy as parents. Why not the moms? I think I know the answer, because the moms usually take on more of the responsibility, is that it?
WALSH: Well, no, actually it's just not dads. The dads had greater levels of happiness than men without kids, than women, but I think that has to do with a lot of it is you know, men aren't doing -- not all men, some men are, but most men aren't doing the heavy lifting of parenthood that might not make you feel so happy when you're in the middle of poop and spewing vomit, you know, it happens, and so they might report lower levels of happiness at those moments.
LEMON: Leave it to Wendy to say that. All right. So, a lot of men, there's an intense protective nature. Protecting family, especially kids some sort of ultimate primal fulfillment?
WALSH: It is. And you know, evolutionary anthropologists have long said that parenthood is one of those important human needs. It's on our hierarchy of needs. We are here to reproduce. That's why we're here. And so, when men go into their protective mode, I mean, men often parent very differently than women, but that can give them a great sense of fulfillment.
LEMON: OK. So, I've heard parents say, I'm not saying my own said this, I'm not saying they did or didn't, but you know, oh, my gosh, you guys drive me crazy. Why did I ever have kids? So, you know some parents are downright miserable because of their kids. And so, are parents still happy even if they have a brat at home?
WALSH: Listen, I have two very challenging children. One of them as you know is special needs in the autism spectrum, and I've had moments where I've been like, ah, but this morning, I gave her a real tight hug and said, you know, when do I stop and tell you how much I love you? And at those moments, I felt deep happiness. And the truth is, if you look at it over all, I would still rather have these kids than be alone. It's wonderful. LEMON: All right. Good for you. All right. So, listen, does it matter, this is serious because I was part of a blended family right, after my dad passed away. Does it matter if it's your own blood or if it's adopted? Is this the same sort of bond?
WALSH: Well, studies, in this particular research study, parents who were married and who were married to the person who also had the same biological connection to the child tended to report higher levels of happiness, well being, life satisfaction, and meaning in life. Obviously, life is a lot tougher for single parents and blended families have their own challenges, but parenthood still won out, it's making people happier.
LEMON: All right. Dr. Wendy, thank you. Enjoy your memorial weekend.
WALSH: Thank you. Thank you, you, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: All right, Don, Wendy, thank you very much. Stormy weather and a long holiday weekend, loads of fun, right? And to that rip currents. We'll tell you where, next.
And a reminder, we want all of you to stay connected to CNN even when you're on the go. So, grab your mobile phone, go to CNN.com/TV or if you're on a desktop or laptop, you can also watch CNN live. We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Twenty nine minutes after the hour. Coming up on half past. Let's get a look at the latest headlines now.
You're looking at the bodies of more than 90 people, many of them children under the age of 10. Witnesses say in a Syrian village, these victims were killed by artillery fire and by soldiers who went house to house, killing entire families. U.N. monitors have confirmed the death toll today.
A huge embarrassment for the Vatican. Pope Benedict's butler has been arrested for allegedly leaking secret Vatican documents to the media. Paolo Gabriele is only of few in the Pope's inner circle. The documents were leaked to an Italian journalist and now appear in a new book which is a bestseller. Gabriele is one of the handfuls to have access to the Pope's private desk.
Now, to the case of Etan Patz, a little boy from New York who disappeared 33 years ago. A man named Pedro Hernandez, you're looking at him there has been charged with second degree murder in the death of the six-year-old boy. Police say, Hernandez confessed to the crime this week on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of Patz's disappearance. Police say, the investigation is ongoing and they acknowledge there is no physical evidence or no motive linking Hernandez to the crime.
For the first time every, a private space craft has linked up with the international space station. Astronauts at the international space station have entered the "Dragon," the name of the space capsule that was made by private company SpaceX. "Dragon" is delivering 1,000 pounds of supplies. The space capsule was unmanned, but private enterprise is hoping to send astronauts along with supplies in the future.
Incredible video of a powerful tornado snaking its way out of the sky and touching ground in Kansas. Get a load of that. Storm chasers shot this video yesterday of the twister near the town of Russell. One woman was reportedly pulled from the wreckage of her home by a storm chaser after a twister flattened her house. We know that the storm has injured at least one person near Russell and did do a substantial amount of damage on the ground. In nearby Lacrosse, at least one business was leveled and several other buildings were damaged.
The chance of severe weather in parts of the country this holiday weekend. That's never good news. And a tropical disturbance could make things ugly for people in the southeast.
Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is here with what we can expect.
You're talking about rip currents. A lot of people at the beach. You have to watch out.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know. It's hard because Beryl is way offshore, so it's about 200 miles away from the South Carolina coast. And you can see really no showers or thundershowers affecting you on the beach. It looks gorgeous. Take a look at the live picture from Jacksonville, Florida. All kinds of people out there enjoying the sunshine. The temperatures well into the 90s. It's the hidden danger in the water that is of concern. There have been more than 20 rescues off the Georgia coast because of rip currents. And that threat is going to continue throughout the weekend.
You know, hurricane hunters are flying into this to get a better handle on it. A lot of dry air in this so it's just a weak subtropical storm. 45-mile-per-hour maximum sustains winds and all this dry air is pushing through.
Now we're trying to get a better idea of where it's going. It's stalled out here today. But we do think it will pick up some forward speed as it moves southwest and heads toward the coast late tomorrow and into Monday.
And the big impact we're going to have to deal with, heavy rain from time to time. A good three to six inches. This part of the country needs to rain so it's not a bad thing. It's just bad for tourism and people who want to be outdoors. Use a lot of caution. Remember all your safety rules and people should come out of this storm system just fine.
We're also tracking some showers and thunderstorms across parts of the northeast. A severe thunderstorm watch here. That includes you in New York City. Travel has been difficult by the airways in the northeast because of this as well. And we'll see more storms across the Midwest for tomorrow -- Alina?
CHO: I don't feel so bad being here in Atlanta.
(LAUGHTER)
My home in New York, it is raining up there.
(LAUGHTER)
All right.
JERAS: I know. Welcome to the sun.
CHO: OK, Jacqui. Yes, 90-degree weather.
Thank you so much. We'll see you later.
A former Marine is our "CNN Hero" this Memorial Day weekend. As if serving his country wasn't enough, see how this man has built an army of veterans with one mission, helping others.
But first, new technology is taking the concept of hands-free to the next level.
Our Gary Tuchman has a "Technovation" you have to see to believe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew Miller was 43, with no major health issues, until ALS limited his ability to speak and move. Now, though, he's able to communicate and connect online with the blink of an eye.
BARBARA BARCLAY, TOBII: Eye tracking is revolutionizing life for people with disabilities. Now nay have a communication tool. They can take part in social media.
TUCHMAN: For Drew and people with similar disabilities, eye tracking technology is a huge part of their lives. And it could become a part of everyone's sooner than you think.
New computers allow you to flip through folders, scan over maps, even select music with a glance of your eye.
BARCLAY: In the next five or 10 years, I think technology will be in almost every device you use on a day-to-day basis.
TUCHMAN: Which could mean using your eyes to adjust settings in your car, scroll through the web, and even play games.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Ah, yes.
TUCHMAN: It looks like a lot of fun, but it can also give insight into how we think.
BARCLAYS: So many things about the way your eyes move is related to how your brain is working.
TUCHMAN: It's also helping doctors spot early developmental problems in children, and rehabilitate people with traumatic brain injuries. It's the technology of tomorrow with advantages you can see today.
Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Look at that beautiful shot -- 3,000 majestic ships sailing into New York Harbor, all part of New York Fleet Week. See those guys in uniform? Women, too. They're all over New York right now. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard vessels are docked in the harbor and their personnel are exploring the city. Throughout the weekend, air and land demonstrations will also be taking place. And you can see the band there.
It's a tow so big it's a tourist attraction. Get a load of this. You're looking live at the "USS Iowa," a retired Navy ship headed from San Francisco to Los Angeles where it will be turned into a museum. It was supposed to leave last weekend but bad weather got into the way. Now it's happening right there. What a shot. People have been gathering by the water to watch the battleship, which was in Tokyo Bay when Japan surrendered way back in 1945.
On this Memorial Day weekend we honor those who died serving their country. We also want to remember those who served and came home. Today's "CNN Hero" is a former Marine who has made it his mission to help fellow vets find a new purpose by giving them a new way to serve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE WOOD, MARINE CORPS VETERAN & CNN HERO (voice-over): In the military everyone is taught how to lead. They're taught how to follow and solve problems. We really pride ourselves on being ready and willing to go anywhere.
I served in the Marine Corps. Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
When I first saw the earthquake that hit Haiti, a lot of the images felt like I had seen them before, driving through the streets of Fallujah, Afghanistan. I realized I could help out. So I went on Facebook and said, I'm going to Haiti, who's in? 72 hours after that, we were on the way to Port-au-Prince.
(on camera): Let's get our gauzes. Let's get our clor-hex (ph).
(voice-over): We got to work setting up a triage clinic.
(on camera): I'm going to go through and I'm going to number the beds.
(voice-over): We realized veterans are really useful in these types of situations. I'm Jake Wood, and I want to help veterans transition to civilian life and help others in need.
Team Rubicon started as a disaster relief organization and then we realized that we can help the veteran community as well.
(on camera): We bring these veterans together to be part of a team once again. They are almost recharged.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you get out, you have that feeling of what are you really doing that's important in the world. Team Rubicon has just provided a great opportunity to just help people in need.
WOOD: Need to pull your foot back as far as you can.
(voice-over): Most of the work we do internationally is emergency medical triage clinics. We've gone up to Chile, Sudan, Pakistan.
Here at home, we've been in Tuscaloosa, Joplin, doing debris clearing operations, search and rescue.
We have about 1400 volunteers and about 80 percent of them are military veterans. Helping other people is part of the healing process.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't thank you all enough.
WOOD: There's really no limit to what veterans can do. We have the ability to help and we want to serve.
(on camera): I think it's a win-win situation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: And to find out how a fellow veteran's death shaped Jake's mission, go to CNNheroes.com. You can also nominate your own "CNN Hero."
We're looking into a new complaint that secret information on the raid on Osama bin Laden may have been revealed to Hollywood filmmakers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back.
Hollywood's take on the Osama bin Laden raid. Just what happens when Tinsel Town starts talking about terrorists with the Pentagon?
CNN's Brian Todd has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's just weeks after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, two Hollywood filmmakers are in Washington to get details on the operation for their upcoming movie. According to a newly released document, a meeting between the filmmakers and top Pentagon officials brings promises of great access that critics now say could compromise national security. A transcript of the meeting last July quotes Michael Vickers, under secretary of defense, talking to Oscar-winning director, Kathryn Bigelow, and a screen writer. They can't speak to the top commanders of the raid, Vickers tells them, but they'll make a guy available who was involved from the beginning as a planner, a SEAL Team 6 operator and commander. Right below that, the name of the Special Ops planner is mentioned but is redacted in the documents. The screen writer's response? That's dynamite.
TOM FITTEN, PRESIDENT, JUDICIAL WATCH: They could basically give you anything you would want or get from --or also Admiral McRaven.
TODD: Tom Fitten heads the conservative watch dog group, Judicial Watch. They filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit demanding the transcript of that Pentagon meeting and other documents. Fitten says that promise from Vickers wasn't all that the filmmakers got.
FITTEN: This access is unusual. There's access to a vault at the CIA, which is their equivalent to the Situation Room.
TODD: Over conservatives are outraged. Republican Congressman Peter King, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, calls it a potentially dangerous collaboration between the filmmakers, the CIA, the Pentagon and the White House.
REP. PETER KING, (R-NY), CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: This is too sensitive for the average person to even know about. Did Kathryn Bigelow have a security clearance to -- to go in there?
TODD: A Pentagon spokesman tells CNN the filmmakers got no access to the classified information from the Defense Department on the bin Laden raid. White House officials have said they didn't give Bigelow and the screen writer any information on the operation that journalists didn't get.
JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We provided the same information to everybody, and none of it was classified.
TODD: The CIA said national security is always paramount whenever it engages with Hollywood. And the vault in question was empty at the time of the filmmaker's visit.
CNN national security contributor, Fran Townsend, says it's also difficult balancing security with the pull from Hollywood and journalists.
FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: It's not just American citizens who you're trying to be transparent with and share information with. But your enemies are also watching.
TODD: We contacted representatives for Director Kathryn Bigelow and the screen writer. They wouldn't comment on the specifics of what they got from officials in Washington. (on camera): But a spokesman for Sony said it was about the decade- long pursuit of bin Laden, that it was in the making for years, and that it integrates the efforts of the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations. It's not clear if the filmmakers ever met with the Special Ops planner.
Brian Todd, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: A former high school football star spent five years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Now, he's free with the help of Facebook? Find out how, next.
And we want all of you to stay connected to CNN even when you're on the go. So grab your mobile phone and go to CNN.com/tv. If you're on a desktop or a laptop, you can also watch CNN live.
We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: He lost five years of his life in prison, his promising football career derailed, all for a crime he didn't commit. When Brian Banks was 16 years old, he was a rising football star with a full ride to USC. Then, in 2002, a 15-year-old classmate accused him of kidnapping and raping her. He spent five years behind bars. And then out of the blue, Banks got a Facebook message from his accuser, friending him. She then admitted that she lied, which kick-started a series of events that cleared him.
We asked if he was angry with his accuser.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN BANKS, RAPE CONVICTION OVERTURNED: No, not at all. I've had those moments where I was very angry and very bitter. This was around the time I first received a six-year sentence in prison. It was at that time that I realized, regardless of the situation that I'm in, it was more important how I controlled myself while in those situations. I just saw it better for me, my health and my future to just move forward and try to be the best person I can be regardless of what I'm going through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Remarkable. You know, he wound up on a sex offender list, wearing an ankle bracelet. Naturally, he couldn't find work. Now Banks says he's dreams of a brighter future and still hopes to play with the NFL.
His death shed new light on the practice of hazing. Florida A&M drum major, Robert Champion, was just 26 when he's died just hours after collapsing on a band bus. It happened in November. And now there are new documents that have been released from the police investigation. And according to witnesses, Champion endured a pummeling with fists, even drum mallets, just to survive what witnesses called the crossover initiation.
Criminal defense attorney, Holly Hughes, is here with us.
Holly, good to see you.
You have actually looked at the documents. You pored over them. In looking at them, what surprised you the most?
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: It's kind of a twofold thing because it sounds to me like these folks are almost trying to say, well, he consented to be beaten and abused and subsequently killed, because he wanted to be hazed, is what they are saying, Alina. But also what they don't realize is they're confessing, in those documents, in those statements where they're saying, well, Robert wanted to be part of the gang, he wanted to be accepted so he voluntarily went through this. They're saying something happened.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: Hazing occurred.
CHO: So what you're saying is, in saying something that they think might exonerate them, they're actually may be hurting themselves.
HUGHES: They are hurting themselves. Think about it this way. This isn't like a rape case where, if the person is accused of rape says the other person consented, there is no crime. Sex, in itself, is not a criminal act. Not the same thing here. You can't consent to being killed and beaten, and that lets the bad guys off the hook.
CHO: Right. I want to play some tape that we got of Robert Champion's mother. She spoke to one of our affiliates in Atlanta and basically called all of this character assassination. Let's listen and we'll talk on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM CHAMPION, MOTHER OF ROBERT: He was murdered on that bus. And no one signs up for that. No one. So for someone to say, well, this is what he wanted to do and this is hazing, of course, I still, and I will continue to say the word hazing is not what was actually done. It was brutal manslaughter, beating, whatever the legal terms there is (ph). But it certainly wasn't hazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: I mean, how do you respond to that? It's a mother talking about her child who has died.
HUGHES: Exactly. But from a legal standpoint, Alina, she is dead on. I keep asking myself why this isn't aggravated assault, why this isn't aggravated battery. If you cause injury to somebody's body, and it's a permanent injury, that's an aggravated battery. That can be up to 20 years in jail.
(CROSSTALK)
CHO: Well, it's 13 people who have been charged -- 11 of them with felony hazing, which can carry up to six years in prison. Hardly enough for the family, I can imagine.
HUGHES: Right. For a dead child.
CHO: That's right.
Holly Hughes, thank you for coming in.
HUGHES: Thank you so much.
CHO: Good to see you.
HUGHES: Great to see you.
CHO: Falling asleep on the job is never good. It's even worse when you're a 911 operator. Jeannie Moos has the story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: When you call 911, you expect to get help right away, right? For one woman the operator on the end of the line during her emergency actually fell asleep.
Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We've all been there, elbow falling off the armrest as we fall asleep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- to live up to their purpose and potential.
MOOS: But it's one thing to snooze during a speech and another to snooze during a 911 call.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: No.
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS: That's not just breathing. That's snoring. Around 12:30 in the morning a cal came in from this apartment complex to Montgomery County, Maryland Fire and Rescue.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Fire and ambulance.
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Hello? Hello?
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS: The dispatcher apparently nods off.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Hold on one second, ma'am. Let me get them on the line.
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS: A second dispatcher takes over but the sleeping one remains on the line. The caller reports her husband is apparently unconscious.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Right now he's all blue.
(SNORING)
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS (on camera): But the snoring confuses the second dispatcher, who mistakes it for the victim having trouble breathing.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Tilt his head back.
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes.
(SNORING)
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: OK. Is that him I hear doing that snoring noises?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: OK, are you able to keep that airway open like that? I see the snoring noises stopped.
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS: Not for long.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Is the blueness going away?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: To me, it looks not good to me.
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS (on camera): You can actually hear the dispatcher snore maybe 17 or 18 times during the course of the 911 call.
(voice-over): According to deputy fire chief, Scott Graham --
SCOTT GRAHAM, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF: In my 24 years here, this is the only incident that I can recall where a dispatcher has fallen asleep on a 911 call.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Oh, I don't know what to do here.
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Ma'am, is he still making the snoring noises?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes, a little bit but he -- he stopped breathing for a little while.
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS: It turns out the sleeping firefighter was 17 hours into his shift.
GRAHAM: He was about 20 minutes away from going into his rest period.
MOOS: Now he's on paid administrative leave. As for the patient --
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Oh, he's blue again.
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS: The deputy chief says the incident had no adverse impact on the victim's condition.
(on camera): About 5.5 minutes into the call, the sleeping dispatcher wakes up. Picking up where he left off, mutters a question.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: What's the address?
(CRYING)
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: What's the address? Ma'am, what's the address?
(END AUDIO FEED)
MOOS: Who knew 911 needed a wake-up call.
Jeanne Moos, CNN --
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes.
(SNORING)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Uh-huh.
(END AUDIO FEED) MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: You just can't believe it.
Fired for being too hot? Well, who hasn't had that happen to them? One woman says she was canned from her job at a lingerie company in New York because her body was just too much of a distraction. You're going to hear from her live right here tonight at 10:00 eastern time.
I'm Alina Cho at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'm going to see you right back here in just one hour's time at 7:00 p.m. eastern time.
But keep it here on CNN. "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer starts right now.
