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Security Leaks Under Investigation; Obama's Jobs Plan; Mystery E. Coli Outbreak; NATO Leader Apologizes; Murder Suspect Goes Unmonitored; No Triple Crown This Year; Conservatives Meet In Obama's Backyard; Senator Paul: We Didn't Discuss Veep Role; IAEA, Iran Resume Inspection Talks; School Bus Crash Caught On Tape; 14 Missing On Peru Helicopter; Women's Shelter Allegedly Sold Babies; Nuclear Scientist At 18
Aired June 08, 2012 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Mysteries unfolding right now. And it's got a lot of folks on edge. It is a strain of E. Coli spreading across the south. We're talking a dozen cases in at least four states. It's already turned deadly. Crews are racing against the clock here to figure out the source. Our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, is going to join us in just a moment to talk about that.
Also happening right now. We're learning new details about a major surprise on the eve of the Belmont Stakes. "I'll Have Another," that's the name of the horse, scratched as the horse tried to become the first triple crown winner in more than three decades. You're going to hear from the trainers.
But first, President Obama hammers Congress and gets riled up over leaks of classified information.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, everybody. Good morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The president called a sudden news conference this morning to talk about the economy. More on that in a moment.
But what really got Mr. Obama's dander up was a question about accusations that his team is leaking classified national security information for political gain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The notion that my White House would purposely release classified national security information is offensive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Strong words from the president. Brianna Keilar at the White House.
Now, "offense," Brianna?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. And he said there's a zero tolerance policy when it comes to these kinds of leaks. He wouldn't say, Don, that there is a specific investigation that is going on, but he did say that there are mechanisms in place to root out folks who have leaked. He said they'll suffer the consequences. And he said, in some of these cases, they are criminal acts when information like this is released.
He also said, and this is something we're checking on, he said the writers of these articles -- and there have been a number of them in recent weeks, have said he is, the president put it, unequivocally that they didn't come from this White House, that information. Now, we're not so sure, Don, that that is exactly right on. We're actually checking because a number of these authors have done a number of interviews. So we're checking to see if they've unequivocally said that.
But I think it's important to note that the stories that we're talking about, a lot of them took months. One, for instance, "The New York Times" article about the cyber attacks on Iran took a year.
LEMON: Right.
KEILAR: And this isn't necessarily, when you think of a leak, like someone just kind of dumping a solitary bit of information, you know, one of these writers said they had to fight, scratch and scrape to get this information. It wasn't a handout. So it may not be a leak in terms of what you might think of it. So an investigation may not be as simple as sort of rooting out that one culprit or those few culprits.
LEMON: Brianna Keilar on a windy afternoon in Washington. Thank you, Brianna.
The president also urged Congress to pass long-stalled parts of his jobs plan and he warned that cutbacks in government spending, coupled with any worsening of European economic troubles, could take a toll on the U.S. economy. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The private sector is doing fine. Where we're seeing weakness in our economy had to do with state and local government, often times cuts initiated by, you know, governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past from the federal government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: But the budget conscious Republicans say, wait just a minute. Here's House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ERIC CANTOR (R), MAJORITY LEADER: The private sector is not doing fine. And, frankly, I'd ask the president to stop engaging in the blame game. It's not because of the head winds of Europe. It's not despite his attempt and his party's attempts here in Congress. It is not because of House Republicans. It's because of the failed stimulus policies and other items in his agenda that small businesses in this country just aren't growing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. Let's dig a little bit deeper on this. Stephen Moore is a senior economics writer for "The Wall Street Journal" and he is a member of "The Journal's" editorial board.
What do you make of what the president said? And then we'll talk about Eric Cantor. What do you make of the remarks today?
STEPHEN MOORE, SR. ECONOMICS WRITER, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well, I think the idea that the private sector is doing just fine, I think the president misspoke there. Maybe he needs to get out of Washington a little bit more. But, look, the private sector isn't doing just fine. We had lousy GDP numbers last quarter. We've had really pretty dismal jobs numbers. So, I think that was a misstatement of fact. I think the president probably regrets saying that.
It is true. We've seen some contraction in government spending, but actually government spending has actually, in the last three or four years, been on a record tear. So I think maybe it's a misfocus (ph) there, but I think he's also right that the European problem is really starting to hold back even the U.S. economy.
LEMON: Uh-huh. And now to Eric Cantor, his remarks?
MOORE: Well, I think Eric Cantor was, in large part, correct. I mean to say that the private sector and private businesses and private workers are doing just fine I think is kind of an insult to the people who can't find jobs and, for the businesses that are really struggling out there right now.
There is this big tug of war obviously, Don, between the Republicans and this White House in terms of a legislative agenda. The Republicans say, look, we've passed about 20 or 30 bills out of the House that are stalled in the Senate that would help pick up the economy. But, look, that's the normal tussle that you're going to get four or five months before a big election.
LEMON: Europe is a major trading partner.
MOORE: Yes.
LEMON: And so are we looking at our fate? Are we looking at our future here when we look at what's happening in Europe?
MOORE: Don, let's hope not, because Europe is a mess right now. Their stock market is lousy. The currencies are falling and, obviously, they've got very high unemployment rates. As the president said today, some of these countries have unemployment rates as high as 10 percent or 15 percent. So, we don't want to look in the mirror when we see Europe. Europe, I think, Don, their problem is really that they have these kind of cradle to grave entitlement programs that simply aren't affordable any longer. You don't have enough people working in Europe to finance these big programs. And the problem has been that nobody wants to cut them back in Europe. They've become like human rights. And let's hope that the United States citizens don't view these entitlements as human rights because what we learned is, once you give these benefits to people, it's hard to take them away.
LEMON: Yes. You said the president misspoke. What about the president saying that the private sector, Stephen, is doing just fine?
MOORE: No, it's not. I mean I just think when you've got 8.2 percent unemployment, when you've got businesses that aren't spending, when you've had three months now of a really rocky stock market, those are all signals that the private sector isn't doing just fine. You know, if you look at consumer and business confidence numbers, they're just not showing the kind of bullishness that the president was talking about today.
LEMON: All right, Stephen Moore, thank you very much. We appreciate your expertise.
More news unfolding now. "Rapid Fire." So, roll it.
In just three days, Jerry Sandusky gets his day in court officially. The former Penn State assistant football coach will stand trial and that will start on Monday. She's accused of sexually abusing little boys. Well, today, a judge rejected a request by Sandusky's lawyers to dismiss the charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JOHN ALLEN, COMMANDER, ISAF: Very seriously and I grieve with their families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: This is just in to CNN. The leader of NATO's troops in Afghanistan grasps the hand of an elder as he apologizes for civilian deaths from a drone attack just two days ago. Eighteen Afghan men, women and children were killed. NATO forces said it happened in the province of Logar as they were targeting a Taliban member. Much more on General John Allen's condolences to the survivors of the victims in a live report from the Pentagon coming up.
A manhunt underway right now for the suspect in the killing of two children and their babysitter. The bodies of nine-year-old twins and their 73-year-old babysitter were found on a dirt road south of Montgomery, Alabama. Police are searching for this man, 22-year-old Deandra Marquis Lee. They say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
We've got a lot more to cover in the next two hours. So, watch.
A young dad is murdered and authorities admit a big-time screw up involving the suspected killer.
Plus, chilling accusations that a women's shelter sold newborn babies. But that's not all.
And, Rand Paul says Mitt Romney wasn't his first choice, but he's backing the presidential candidate anyway. I'll speak with the senator as he fires up the Republican base today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: As hours pass, the numbers of sick rises from a mystery outbreak of E. Coli. It has left a family in mourning. This is a photo shown at the funeral this week for Malan Grapanini (ph), who was just 21-months old. She died from a strain of E. Coli that has sickened 13 people in at least four states in the south -- Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Health investigators don't know how people are getting the bacteria. So we return now to our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.
Elizabeth, so how did investigators figure out the child was getting sick and what it was from?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, what usually happens in these cases is a kid will have fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and it looks like it's just kind of a run of the mill virus. But then it gets worse. And then they will often start seeing blood in the diarrhea. And that's usually the -- you know, often the first sign that this is E. Coli.
This bacteria, it produces a toxin.
LEMON: Yes.
COHEN: And that toxin really can attack a young child.
LEMON: Contaminated food that's probably sickening these people. Why is that?
COHEN: Well, when they -- E. Coli usually comes from food. It's often from hamburger. Like undercooked hamburgers or sometimes from produce. We don't know in this case. And that's the next step, Don.
LEMON: Yes.
COHEN: That's what they need to figure out, what is causing it. They know when they put it under a microscope, they see an identical molecular footprint. So that lets them know that it's probably from the same source. They just don't know what that source is yet.
LEMON: All right. You have to eat. You've got to eat. So then how do you keep people from getting sick?
COHEN: You know, we don't know what to tell people to avoid, because we don't know what's causing the problem. But there's things we should all be doing all the time. You should not be eating medium rare hamburgers, right? LEMON: Really?
COHEN: Pink in the middle may be yummy --
LEMON: People love their burgers like that.
COHEN: I know, I love them too, but I don't order medium rare any more. I make sure they're cooked all the way through. You should make sure that you're washing your produce. You know, those kinds of things. You should make sure your washing your hands all the time. Those are things you should be doing anyhow.
LEMON: Is that just for ground beef? Is it for steak? Because I know a lot of people who are, the rarer the better.
COHEN: It's just for ground beef.
LEMON: Just for ground beef.
COHEN: It's just for ground beef. That rule is for ground beef.
LEMON: Oh, man. Awful. Thank you very much. Be careful and be vigilant, as always.
COHEN: Right.
LEMON: Thank you very much, Elizabeth Cohen.
COHEN: Thanks.
LEMON: Act now or expect civil war. As world powers meet about Syria, U.N. teams get closer to scenes of death.
Plus, a drone strike kills civilians, including women and children. And just in to CNN, a candid apology from the leader of NATO forces. You're going to hear it and why he mentioned his own children.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A threat of civil war in Syria remains imminent as reports of more killing surface today. U.N. Envoy Kofi Annan met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just a short time ago and stressed the real challenge when it comes to stopping the mass killings that have been going on for a year now. They're trying to come up with a plan to save his peace plan, which he says is not being implemented.
We've also learned today that U.N. observers finally made it to the scene of a massacre where 78 people were killed. They say they got shot at when they tried to see the burnt homes and graves yesterday. And we go live to the State Department coming up here on CNN.
A military leader mentions his own kids as he apologizes for accidentally killing people who had nothing to do with the enemy. General John Allen, the coalition commander in Afghanistan, did just that today after what happened in Logar province on Wednesday. A drone attack, targeting a Taliban leader, ended up killing 18 civilians, including women and children. To CNN's Chris Lawrence now from the Pentagon.
Chris, General Allen met with the loved ones of the Afghans killed and he got pretty personal and emotional.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don, meeting with the loved ones, not usual. ISAF, NATO, paying the families of these civilian victims, also not unusual. But the emotion that General Allen had in his voice as he spoke about this accidental killing, that was something different.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JOHN ALLEN, COMMANDER, ISAF: We are very sad. And I have come here today to offer you my condolences and my regrets, importantly to apologize to each of you for this tragedy. I have a family of my own. And I see the faces of my own children. And I know that no apology can bring back the life of the children or the people who perished in this tragedy and this accident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: And Allen also added, quite simply, our weapons killed these people.
Don.
LEMON: Can you tell us more about that -- just a little bit more about how these people were killed and about the incident?
LAWRENCE: Well, Don, there were some reports out there that there was a wedding in this house the night before and that the Taliban used the wedding and the families who had come to attend that wedding as sort of a cover. The NATO forces thought they were going after a local Taliban leader who had been holed up there. But when they got to the scene, they did order all of the civilians to come out, but it's unclear if the Taliban even would allow something like that.
LEMON: So, what does this mean? How is this going to impact the pullout of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. 2014, that's the date.
LAWRENCE: That's right. One incident like this is not going to change overall big strategy like that, Don. But, again, you've got all of the 30,000 troops that President Obama surged into Afghanistan, they'll all be out in a couple of months. And they're still on track to really start that drawdown in full starting next year.
The big question is, incidents like this wear down the trust with the Afghan people. It also allows the Taliban to somewhat get more of a foothold in certain areas. So they're racing the clock to sort of pacify Afghanistan as much as possible before they leave. Incidents like this are setbacks.
LEMON: Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. Thank you, Chris.
A young dad is murdered and police think they're close to finding the killer, until they realize authorities botched the investigation. They could have actually prevented the father's death. We'll tell you how.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A murder suspect falls through a gaping hole in the legal system and it may have resulted in a three year old boy being orphaned. The child's father was one of thousands of people at a Surfside, Texas, beach party. The dad was shot and killed when a fight broke out near where he was standing. The prime suspect in this case is Deandre Marquis Gray. He was free on bond in another murder case. He was supposed to be wearing an ankle monitor, supposed to be wearing a monitor. And police say what would have proved he was at a beach party. But the system failed in this case. Not only was Gray not wearing his monitor, there is no record he was ever fitted with one. Legal analyst for CNN, Sunny Hostin, is in New York.
OK. There are some problems here. How does a murder suspect slip through the cracks like this?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, that's the question that everyone's asking. And, quite frankly, Don, it doesn't appear that they know the answer to that. They don't seem to know what happened here. But the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department has acknowledged three things. One, that there's no documentation showing that he was ever fitted with this monitoring device. Two, that he was ever assigned even a bond supervisor. And three, there was no documentation that he was even in the system as all, Don. So clearly, clearly many mistakes made here on several different levels.
LEMON: Did they do anything right? Anything right in this case? I mean -- because, as I understand, Sunny, there was an earlier opportunity to catch this error in January when Gray was arrested again, correct?
HOSTIN: That's right. I mean he was arrested on an unrelated misdemeanor in January. He bonded out the very next day, about $10,000. And no one noticed that he was pending a homicide case and that he hadn't met any of the bail conditions. And apparently no one even noticed that he wasn't wearing a monitoring device.
LEMON: Wow. Wow. How often does this happen? Let's hope it's not very often.
HOSTIN: Yes, I don't think it's very often. I mean, you know, I was a prosecutor and certainly I never had the experience where something like this happened where a defendant just didn't meet any of the bond conditions. I know that in this jurisdiction, this corrections and supervision department, supervises about 2,000 individuals out on bond. And my understanding is this is the first time that they've heard of something like this happening.
LEMON: Where is this guy now, Deandre Marquis Gray? Where is he now?
HOSTIN: Well, luckily, he is being held right now in jail on a $1 million bond. He was arrested on May 31st after he ran from police. And, get this, Don, he tried to hide in a walk-in freezer. But they found him. He was cold, but they found him. And he's now being held on bond.
LEMON: He is quite a character. Thank you very much, Sunny, appreciate it. Have a great weekend, will you?
HOSTIN: Thanks. You, too.
LEMON: A shocker for one of the most anticipated sporting events in quite a while. "I'll Have Another," that's the name of the horse, won't be making a run for the triple crown of horse racing this weekend. He's been scratched from the Belmont Stakes on the eve of his attempt to become the first triple crown winner in 34 years.
Richard Roth, what an assignment you had there. Sad news about the horse. So what happened?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What happened is an injury to one of his front legs. The left leg. Tendonitis. A form of tendonitis for "I'll Have Another." And they decided to look out to the future of "I'll Have Another," which is the lucrative stud career, and they decided to retire him. He will not race in the Belmont Stakes tomorrow despite the high hopes of many in the racing industry and elsewhere.
Now, the hose was paraded for journalists and a crush of media in one of the barn areas. The horse walked around. At times we could see a little bit of a ginger handling of a leg. And then there were hugs, emotional hugs, between the ownership group, the trainers, all the connections of "I'll Have Another." Everyone gathered around and the horse oblivious to what's happening and oblivious as to the future for him.
It's only happened three times, I believe, in the history of racing that a horse has won the first two legs of the triple crown, the famed triple crown, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and now he won't race in the Belmont Stakes behind me. There's a race underway now. Just about a couple of thousand at most here in the stands. There would have been over 140,000 here tomorrow. The owner and the trainer both saying that this was a freakish injury.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J. PAUL REDDAM, OWNER, "I'LL HAVE ANOTHER": We tried to be quite, but I really thought he was going to run off and -- tomorrow and really show something. So were all a bit shocked. But we have to do what's best for the horse. And if he can't compete at the top level, you know, he's done enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Now, a veterinarian, who is very experienced in these matters, a consultant to the networks and works at the Churchill Downs and has handled many major injuries at the triple crown, he described briefly how this injury really could have occurred. How almost minor it is compared to what could have happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LARRY BRAMLAGE, EQUINE SURGEON: It's minor. In the whole scale of tendon injuries, it's minor. In the scale of triple crown contenders, it's huge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did the horse get it?
BRAMLAGE: It's an exercise induced injury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: So that's it. No triple crown possibility this year. On the eve of the race, Don, "I'll Have Another" scratched and retired from racing.
Back to you.
LEMON: What a story it was, though. What a story it was.
All right, thank you, Richard Roth, appreciate it.
Republican stars firing up their base at a CPAC conference in Chicago, but buried under all that, Senator Rand Paul backing Mitt Romney. But wait, isn't Rand Paul's dad, Ron Paul, the man who ran -- he's still running. He's just probably (ph) not going to be the nominee -- running against Mitt Romney? And who ripped him constantly? Wait until you hear what Rand Paul just told me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Conservative all-stars and the ghosts of primaries past, gathering right now in President Obama's backyard as we speak. The Conservative Political Action Committee is meeting in Chicago today and former presidential contender Rick Santorum, Herman Cain already spoke.
Michele Bachmann is scheduled for this evening. It is a who's who of the Republican Party including Senator Rand Paul who took the stage just hours after endorsing Mitt Romney.
Remember one of my previous interviews with him, it got pretty contentious. But guess what, we talked again. We caught up with him right after his CPAC speech just a big ago. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: So Senator, let's start with the business at hand. This just happened. The president this morning pointed the finger at Congress for not passing his ideas to create jobs. Take a listen and then we'll talk.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It would make a difference in our economy. There's no excuse for not passing these ideas. We know they can work. Now, if Congress decides despite all that, that they're going to do anything about this because it's an election year. Then they should explain to the American people why.
LEMON: If you wouldn't compromise with him here or there, wouldn't you take away his ability to campaign against a do-nothing Congress?
SENATOR RAND PAUL (R), KENNEDY: Will we compromise on the details? Absolutely, but they have to have a plan. They have to come to the table. I'm willing to go to the White House anytime. I've sent him many letters and I'd like to come back to the White House. I'll go there tomorrow.
LEMON: So let's go on talk about this, other big news that you made this week. You endorsed Mitt Romney. Why did you decide to do that?
PAUL: You know, I've always supported my dad. He's always been my first choice and still is my first choice. However, when I was 1 years old, I knocked on doors for him. I worked in every one of his campaigns.
But, you know, the nomination is now done and Romney has achieved the amount of delegates necessary to be the nominee. Those are just facts. And I've decided to endorse Romney after meeting with him and talking about a lot of areas that we actually do have common ground on.
LEMON: You mentioned your father. I want to play something that your dad said on CBS in April. Listen.
REPRESENTATIVE RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have no common ground on economics. I mean, he isn't worried about the Federal Reserve. He isn't worried about the foreign policy. He doesn't talk about civil liberties. I have a hard time to expect him to ever invite me to campaign with him.
LEMON: Has something changed since then? Is your father going to, do you know, I know you can't speak for him, do you know -- you're his son -- is he going to endorse Mitt Romney?
PAUL: You know, I don't know. But I did talk with Mitt Romney about some of the issues important to me, my father and many of his supporters like audit the fed.
Mitt Romney does support audit the fed. Will he talk about the fed as much or as eloquently as my father? Maybe not, but he is supporting audit the fed, which is a big deal for myself and many of our supporters.
LEMON: Did you talk about the possibility of joining his ticket?
PAUL: No, we didn't talk about that.
LEMON: Would you consider it?
PAUL: You know, I'll say what I said before. I think it would be an honor. I think anybody who says they wouldn't be honored by it wouldn't be honest.
I mean, a year, year and a half ago, I was a physician in a small town. And it would be a great honor to be considered as a vice president for the Republican Party. I think that would be something that anybody who said otherwise would not being truthful.
LEMON: Listen, I've told you this before a lot of people love your father. He has rapid supporters. A lot of young people as well. And in March, "Time" magazine quoted an adviser for your father saying if you're talking about putting rand on the ticket, and this is a quote, "Of course, that would be worth delivering our people to Romney."
So the question is, is there a possible deal, some sort of deal going on here? If you're on the ticket, or your dad, send his supporters Romney's way?
PAUL: No real secret deal. I always tell people if there's a secret deal, it's so secret that I don't know about it. My dad's supporters are very, very independent. Many conservatives and libertarians are independent people.
I don't pretend to speak for them. Some of them might be influenced to at least hear the governor out, listen to the areas of common interest. They're not going to agree with everything that Governor Romney stands for.
LEMON: Did Romney's health care plan in Massachusetts that's been compared to the president's plan, did that give you pause at all in your support of Mitt Romney and did you discuss that with him?
PAUL: We didn't discus Obama care because I think he's been pretty clear they give all 50 states waivers. And it does seem his tenth amendment position is states can do things the federal government is not allowed. If I was in Massachusetts I probably would not have favored it.
LEMON: So you did not support Romneycare and this is an area you compromised on. You don't agree, but it's not enough to not endorse him?
PAUL: Well, the things is I agree completely with his position on Obamacare. Immediately give all 50 states waivers.
LEMON: I'm talking about Romneycare.
PAUL: I know. But I'm not in Massachusetts in 1996, had I been there, I probably would not have supported, but I'm not re-litigate 1996 in Massachusetts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: My thanks to Senator Rand Paul.
Another pastor is in hot water. This one arrested. We'll tell you who it is and what happened.
Plus 85 miles an hour on the highway, really? That speed limit may just become a reality.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: More news unfolding right now. "Rapid Fire" so roll it. Got a lead foot like me? Can't keep it under 70? Well, I don't go that fast. You may soon have a highway for you.
Part of a toll road being built between Austin and San Antonio, Texas, will test 85 as the speed limit. Texas and Utah are the only states with an 80-mile-an-hour limit on some highways. You want to go even faster? Poland apparently holds the record of allowing speeds up to 87 miles an hour.
In Vienna today, Iranian delegates met with the International Atomic Energy Agency over granting the IAEA access to restricted sites. Senior IAEA Officials are pressing Iran for some sort of timetable to examine the nation's nuclear research facilities.
We're now seeing surveillance video from inside a school bus that got hit by a truck with kids inside. Louisiana police chased a man who they say is connected to selling cocaine. But the suspect ended up crashing his truck into that bus after running a red light. Thankfully, though, none of the kids were injured. The suspect now faces several charges.
A search is under way in the rugged mountains of Peru for a missing helicopter with 14 people onboard. Contact with the chopper was lost two days ago. Twelve officials from a Korean company who are doing work in a jungle area and two crew members were onboard. Snow and heavy fog are hindering the search operations right now.
The second Annual CNN I-Reporter awards are under way and you can participate. We' searched through thousands of I-Reports submitted in 2011 and selected the most compelling.
Our very own Brooke Baldwin was honored to be among the seven judges. Now we're giving you to can it's time for you to vote on the Community Choice Award. The one you think best represents CNN I- Report in 2011. Take a look and then go to cnnireportawards.com to cast your vote.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am taking a stand to end slavery.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to be real about who we are, not be politically correct about our history.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see racism. I see respect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're stooping to the terrorist level when they celebrate an American's death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't had the urge to buy my first electronic book quite yet pop I voted for you! Where's my change! Where's my hope!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how we portray space clothes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It means a whole new world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think the world really understands what collective bargaining means.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Good luck I-Reporters. A chilling accusation. Police say a women shelter sold newborn babies to couples without children. But that's not all. Now a major development is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Police say a shelter for women and children turned out to be their house of torture where newborns were sold. Those allegations happened in India. Agents just raided the place arresting seven people. CNN's Sara Sidner has the story -- Sara.
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, it's a disturbing case. The investigation started when two girls managed to run away from this women and children's shelter that is partially funded by the government.
And they managed to get in touch with investigations from the National Commission for Child's Rights that's where this all came to light because in May investigators raided the shelters where these girls had complained of abuse.
And in it they found many women and children, all who were complaining of being abused, being forced into prostitution, being gang raped and also being forces to have abortions. Now, there's an allegation that the owner of the place, if the women did indeed end up having babies that she would then sell some of those children to childless couples.
It's just a horrific situation in a shelter where people had hoped that they would find refuge. And now they're saying that not only the people in the shelter were abusing them, but they said that some police officers were also taking part in their sexual exploitation.
This is an absolutely huge case. The investigators are saying that there will be a full blown investigation, of course. But at this time, the deputy superintendent of police where this has happened, which borders Delhi said there's not enough strong evidence to prove that police are involved.
Some people are calling for an outside team to investigate due to the allegation that police officers may have been involved in this, but an absolutely terrible case. The women we do know now have been taken out of the shelter and they're in another safe house.
And their ages range from r 55 years old to newborns. One investigator said yes, there have been other cases like this in the past, but this is the absolute worst case of abuse he's ever seen -- Don.
LEMON: Sara, terrible story. Thank you very much.
The emotional aftermath for U.S. troops returning home from war is so devastating. There's as estimated 18 veterans committing suicide every single day.
This week "CNN's Hero" gives veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injuries and other invisible wounds a positive outlook on life by enlisting man's best friend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I got back from Iraq, I stood away from large crowds, malls, movies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't leave the house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would stay inside. Windows were blacked out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was really numb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nightmares, constantly flashback. Everything to me is still a combat zone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Veterans with invisible wounds. We can't see a wheelchair of prosthetic legs. They appear like you and I, but their suffering goes so deep it touches the soul. I learned how to train dogs while I served in the army. I knew a dog can add a lot in your life. I realized this is what I was supposed to do.
My name is Mary Cortani. I'm at veteran's list service dogs. Train them as a team so that they can navigate life together. They have a mission and a purpose again. Tell them they did good.
Dogs come from shelters, rescue groups. They're taught to create a spatial barrier and can alert them when they're getting anxious. The dog keeps them grounded.
You're focused on him and he's focused on everything around you. You start to see them get their confidence back, communicate differently. They venture out and are beginning to participate in life again. Being able to help them find that joy back in their life, it's priceless.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: To nominate someone making a difference in your community, visit cnnheros.com. Let us know.
He's only 18 years old, but he is a nuclear scientist. Not only are his ideas helping the fight against cancer, but they're also helping to prevent terror attacks before they happen. We're about to speak to this kid live.
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LEMON: America is desperately in need of more graduates with degrees in sciences and I'm talking one million more of them. That's according to a report released just this year.
But there's an 18-year-old nuclear scientist right here in the U.S. who's already built a nuclear fusion reactor. At 18, I was just trying to master algebra. He is the youngest in the world to do it four years ago. It got the president's attention, you better believe it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So President Obama has a really good initiative to kind of support science. And he invited me to the White House to attend the White House Science Fair. Mr. President.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good to see you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was so proud of him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I developed a system for detecting nuclear threats. We use water instead of Helium 3.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, that's pretty important.
TIFFANY WILSON, TAYLOR'S MOTHER: Of course, Taylor has his rolling. Doubled over --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The secret service wouldn't let me turn it on.
WILSON: He's like his best buddy. No nerves at all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, there is Taylor right there. He joins me from Arkansas. Not that you are an overachiever. I'm sure you are. But at 14 years old, what inspired you to build a system that detects nuclear threats? What made you think you could do that, I guess, your big brain, right?
TAYLOR WILSON, APPLIED NUCLEAR PHYSICIST: Well, something like that. I joke with me that I built a fusion reactor and then I wanted a real problem so I decided to solve these big problems.
But I grew up, experienced 9/11 and that was very bad. A nuclear attack in the same area would tell ten times more people. It's a serious threat and always something that was on my mind. And I had these ideas that could fix the problem.
LEMON: Listen, 9/11 was horrific. I think it's amazing you used that as inspiration to help. That truly was an inspiration to you. That was an impetus behind doing this? WILSON: Definitely, the counterterrorism, for sure, yes.
LEMON: I can hear the passion for you to find, not only for that, but to deal with ways to cure cancer as well. How is that going?
WILSON: Yes, I mean, it's going really well. Counterterrorism had been a big passion of mine. But at least from a medical standpoint, the personal impact is unparalled. That's something I wanted to do. I developed some really cool technologies to treat cancer.
These isotopes they use, radioactive elements they use to, say, diagnose or treat cancer are really great. They're, like, the doctor's best treatment for diagnosing and treating cancer, but they're very short lived.
There are companies that make their living flying isotopes from where they're produced to hospitals in times for the scans. That's very expensive. If you're in a third world country for example you don't have access to these technologies.
The technology produces these isotopes on site. Hopefully, I think this will be a big tool in the fight against cancer.
LEMON: Are you telling us the truth, are you sure you're just 18 years old?
WILSON: Yes, just turned 18.
LEMON: OK, before I talk to you about your response from the White House in attending the science fare. You're not going on to college. What are you going to do?
WILSON: Yes, the co-founder of Paypal, I'm taking his fellowship for the next two years to start my company. Homeland security, big medical institutions are interested in buying my technologies. So at least for the next two years, I'll be starting the company to produce these technologies.
LEMON: Real quickly if you can do it because I wanted to ask you a response from the White House for your nuclear detector.
WILSON: The president was a little taken aback by this 17-year- old who came and showed him these nuclear technologies. I think he was somewhat wondering why the government scientists on his payroll hadn't come up with them.
LEMON: I've got a few seconds left here. If America can't employ more people with back grounds and science, what will happen do you think?
WILSON: Yes. I mean, I tell people that we're constantly losing manufacturing jobs to China. That he's horrible. But something that America has that china doesn't have and that's innovation and the thing that drives innovation of science and technology. I tell people and kids, if you want to change the world, if you want to do something that has an impact and is really cool, do science. Science is what's going to change the world and science is what's going to get in my opinion this country back up on top.
LEMON: Good work, Taylor Wilson. You're amazing. Thank you very much and best of luck to you. Make sure you tune in for more Taylor's story this Sunday on "THE NEXT LIST" at 2 p.m. Eastern --
