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Colorado Wildfire Still Threatening Homes; First Presidential Election in Egypt is Over; Supreme Court to Decide on Obamacare Next Week; Saffron is the New Crop of Afghans

Aired June 24, 2012 - 17:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin in Colorado where the U.S. air force is now helping firefighters in some areas trying to get a handle on a massive wild fire there. The Walden canyon fire is burning right now in Manitou springs, which is west of Colorado spring. The entire town was ordered to evacuate.

Affiliate KUSA shows us some tense moments from there as people packed up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have been watching it all day. It looks like the fire came over the chest back there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can see the fire coming over the mountain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know this is one of the risks that we have here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are doing it strategically so we can get the people and their biggest threat done first.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very scary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it started with Manitou Avenue, north of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's getting close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to leave when they ask them to leave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jus banging on my window.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was asleep. So I pounded on his door to get him out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's pretty scary. It is right there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Orange, a lot of orange.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you look at it coming down, she is backing down the hill, which is not what we normally see in the fire behavior. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's time to go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a good pastor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All these fine people came to help me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gove me a little one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are helping me move out. I have a few thousand art works there. So, trying to figure out which one is to take.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Otherwise known as Rocky, and he is a fixture in Manitou, he is 80-years-old, art is his passion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two or three, almost 1,000 artworks in there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has enough energy to move down. But she just start crazy more and burn up into that canyon and when she does, that just it is going start throwing embers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All in demand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Limited access, we have vegetation right up against houses. Houses in places where there shouldn't be houses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is just kind of like sad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Manitou spring is a whole sit cit city and suburban interface. So, in most scenarios, we have a lot of roads, we have a lot of people; we have a lot of fast knocked down on our fires. But in this situation, we had a fire running across with all those heavy fuels. She got to be too big before it got to be handled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a lot of valuables, financial records, clothes, everything else stays.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if it is going to reach the city. I know that we need to have clear road and not have worry about rescue potential. If we do have a fire, we want to make sure we are putting the firefighters in positions to protect houses and know that if something happens so that firefighter can back out not have cause someone their life. Manitou will be an empty city.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: It's terrible fire still raging out of control there.

Joining me right now on the phone is Reverend Dave Hunting. He is chaplain for the Manitou springs fire department.

So Reverend, are evacuations still ongoing?

REVEREND DAVE HUNTING, CHAPLAIN, MANITOU SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT (via phone): We are about 98 percent finished with our evacuations. We will all complete evacuating the entire town in about the next hour. WHITFIELD: And what's the proximity of these flames to that town?

HUNTING: The last report I had were the flames were about a quarter mile northwest of Manitou springs just off highway 24. We are watching it very closely throughout the day. We have had some additional fire support equipment arrive just within the last hour that will help us protect the city.

WHITFIELD: My goodness, that's awfully close and very frightening. So, military involvement now as well as other jurisdictions throughout Colorado, are you getting some outside help from neighboring states?

HUNTING: There are all kinds of firefighters involved in this incident. And we appreciate all their support coming from places near and far away.

WHITFIELD: What's your feeling as to why this fire is so difficult to contain?

HUNTING: We have very high humidity. The temperature reached almost 100 degrees in the Pike's Peak area. The humidity is about eight percent. It is very difficult to fire in this condition. We are hoping that the fire will lay down a little bit and rest during the evening so we can have a better handle tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: What's your biggest concern talking about Manitou springs, population about 6,000, you talked about these flames only about a quarter of a mile away. Your greatest concerns about how Manitou springs are going to be able to endure this threat?

HUNTING: Manitou springs will survive just fine. The spirits of the residents in this town has been remarkable. They absolutely were prepared to evacuate the city at a moment's notice. They had bags packed with personal items, medication, family portraits. So, they were ready to move out in a very orderly way. They will be able to return the same way.

WHITFIELD: Reverend, thanks so much. We wish you all the best there, you and all your neighbors there in Manitou springs.

HUNTING: Thank you. Be safe.

WHITFIELD: All right now, to the Gulf Coast where tropical storm Debby is a major concern right now as it continues to strengthen of the Gulf of Mexico. The storm's path is uncertain. But people living along the Texas coast all the way over to the Florida panhandle are getting ready.

Alexandra Steele is tracking this storm where we got some new information about the storm.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right, Fred. The 5:00 advisory from the Natural Hurricane Center has just come out. And there are some changes with intensity and with track. So, some very key areas. First of all, just want to show you a big picture. We will get to the specifics in a minute. But, one thing to note, it is a very broad circulation, i.e., a lot of people will be impacted one way or the other. It is moving very slowly, so it will not be a quick hitter. We are going to see 10-15 inches of rain potentially with this. And landfall expected at the middle or end of the week. And it is only Sunday.

Also, it has been soaking western Florida and will continue to be. And the key, the track is uncertain and still is and always has been. Now, this is what we call the spaghetti plot, the spaghetti model. Now, each of these different colors is different computer model showing you where they think the track will be. The consensus seems to be in northwest Florida, although that certainly our few farther west. But, the latest advisory from the Natural Hurricane Center now at 5:00 had it before in southeast Louisiana. That has just changed as of the 5:00 advisory. It had it going here.

Now, not so, directly straight north. You can see into Panama City. So, putting Appalachia Bay, Appalachia Cola really kind of right in the peak of things, expectation for landfall on Wednesday. It also in intensity before kind of a hurricane, a weak hurricane, about 74 miles per hour, now, it keeps us a very strong tropical storm with winds at 70 miles per hour.

So, maybe negligible, few miles per hour, but it takes about the hurricane status. Biggest threats, heavy rain again, 10-15 inches perhaps, isolated tornadoes as well. We have seen myriad tornado warnings in southeast and southwest Florida already today. Dangerous rip currents and cost of flooding, and here's the bulls eye, Appalachia Cola, Appalachia Bay, look at that Fredricka, potentially 10-15 inches of rain as this thing potentially moves north. But still, there are still a lot of questions.

WHITFIELD: All right. Alexandra, keep us posted on that. Thanks so much.

All right. Right now, we will proceed to the historic election in Egypt and the massive celebrations going on right now in Tahrir square. It is just past 11:00 there in the evening and this is the scene. Thousands of supporters of president-elect Mohamed Morsi are celebrating his victory in the country's first democratic election. The Muslim Brotherhood leader bead rival Akmed Hafik by an about a million votes.

Christiane Amanpour, our chief international correspondent global affairs, anchor for ABC News joining us live, from just above Tahrir square.

Christiane. Good to see you. We heard the president-elect who then addressed the Egyptian people. He said I am talking to all of the Egyptian people. He said this is a momented day, a message for Muslims, Coptic Christians, formers, workers, mothers, daughters, those are my family, he said, end quote. Was this reassuring to all Egyptians there? CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, that's a very good question. I have been down in Tahrir square and in the old bridges in rose that are leading on that right now. And as this huge crowd gathers and looks like it will stay here for many, many hours from now, that is the question we have been asking. How many of you believe that this president will be a president for all of Egypt? And there are serious concerns from minorities, from women. What will this mean for my life? And therefore, during his first speech to the nation, he made a laundry list of just about every constituency in this country that he could possibly enumerate and insisted he was the president for all Egyptians.

He was urged to do that by Egypt's highest Islamic authority, the grand Mufti, make national reconciliation. Embrace all of Egypt, said the Mufti. And he certainly did that during his speech.

He also said he wanted a constitutional, democratic and modern Egypt. And that is definitely going to be the challenge. Because people are wondering, does this mean an Islamist, Egypt, he is the first Arab Islamist head of state certainly to come out to this Arab uprising.

And people are worried. Will this be modern, forward-looking, democracy or will it be more fundamental kin to the ayatollah in Iran? Egypt does not want that and certainly nor do any of its neighbors, certainly nor does the United Stated and Egypt's promise. So, his first speech was very important -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So Christiane, you mentioned women's concerns. Was there anything in his message that might offer reassurance to women who are concerned that some of their rights they are enjoying right now would potentially go away with a Muslim brotherhood candidate as the president-elect? Do they feel a little bit more certain now that he has spoken?

AMANPOUR: Well, not specifically. There was not. What he did say was that everybody was his wife, his sister, his partner. In other words, his way of saying we are all in this together.

I actually interviewed him before the election. And we will hear a little bit of that interview later on, on CNN, in which I specifically asked him about women. And I pressed him on that. And he again and again insisted that women were equal.

But, you are absolutely right. Women are afraid. There have been some suggestions that potentially some of the minimal protections under the law for women here may, indeed, be reversed, everything from women's rights to sexual harassment laws that are meant to protect women, to female genital mutilations, female circumcision that was banned. Would that be brought in again as sort of a volunteer situation?

So, many, many people are worried about those kinds of things. And of course, you know, the other real issue is what about his power? Does he have real power? Don't forget. The military is still in full control. You know that it dissolved parliament just before the run- off election. It has legislative control right now, there is no constitution written yet. And we are not quite sure how that process is going to go.

So, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. And right now, the military is still in control of all effected leaders of powers in this country - Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Christiane Amanpour, thanks so much for Cairo.

A common household spice could help detour international drug trade. We will show you how.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Poppies are a cash crop in Afghanistan and the main source of revenue for Taliban militants. But an increasing number of farmers are standing up to the insurgent and ditching opium for a legal crop giving. It's giving their families a better life and peace of mind.

Here is Sara Sidner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Herat Afghanistan, located in western Afghanistan is an ancient city marked by a towering mosque, bustling markets and an improving economy.

What's happening in Heart, the government says, is a good argument for a spice revolution replacing opium poppy crops, the main source of funding for the Taliban, with the world's most expensive spice, saffron.

Heart province has been cleaned of 99 percent of its poppy cultivation. The one percent is in places with security problems. With government, cooperation of NGOs, some donations and U.S. AID have played an important role to help and encourage saffron cultivation, he says.

Saffron can sell for thousands of dollars a pound on the world market. But for farmers like Haji Ibrahim, it is not just as simple as deciding to switch. After changing his crop from poppy to saffron, he says, he had visitors.

Taliban took money for me. I walked for days with my eyes wrapped with a piece of cloth. I was kept in a well for two days. Finally, they told me to stop promoting the cultivation of saffron, he says.

Instead, he and his 13 family members moved. And now, freely grow and sell saffron, which he says, brings in more profit than poppy ever did, enough to buy this large home in a safe and relatively peaceful environment where his young daughters are being educated.

The Afghan government, along with NATO members, has been trying to stem the growth of opium poppy. Ninety percent of the world's opium is produced in Afghanistan and brought in an estimated $1.4 billion last year. Most of that ended up with Taliban and government-linked warlords.

But saffron is being looked at as a potential gold mine in Herat. A far easier crop to plant and harvest than opium and poppy and aligning with the tenants of Islam gives new opportunities for Afghan women.

Parigul Danishyaar says she wouldn't have a job if it weren't for saffron cultivation. Working with poppy was forbidden in her household.

PARIGUL DANISHYAAR, SAFFRON WORKER (through translator): My family would not allow me and now I would participate in it. I am very happy for this work because it is very useful for Afghanistan and other countries. This is legal work.

SIDNER: Work that's yielding big money. Dozens of companies have been formed with the aim of exporting Afghan saffron abroad.

When you think of Afghanistan, you don't think luxury items. But, take a look at this saffron store. Look at the packaging. They are actually putting saffron in what looks like pretty little perfume bottles. And to give you some idea of just how precious and expensive this stuff is, this little bottle, just two grams, will cost you $8, a princely sum for something to cook with in a country that's been impoverished for years.

But saffron success here isn't without pitfalls. Since the government and some NGOs are handing out saffron bulbs to encourage farmers, there is the potential for flooding the market and bringing the spice of this precious price down.

Afghans like Haji Ibrahim and Parigul Danishyaar will be obstacles they face will disappear as they eye the world's markets where the deep red spice can fetch as much as $5,000 per pound.

Sara Sidner, CNN. Herat, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And if you really want to get a college football fan going, ask him about a playoff system. Well, it could actually become a reality.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: They are the new NBA champions.

Excuse for folks of Miami go crazy. The Miami Heat, starring Lebron James, finally nabbed that championship.

NPR Sports correspondent, Mike Pesca is with me for this week's smart sports. So, let's begin with the heat.

Finally, that is, for Lebron James to get a championship. Now, he can say to Cleveland, how you like me now, huh?

MIKE PESCA, NPR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: That would be very churlish of him. That's not who Lebron James we know.

This is how I see it. I know this was a major story line. You know, people hating Lebron thinking he has so much ubruss (ph). You know. They don't like the fact that he didn't just predict one championship. He predicted multiple championships.

But you know what, and listen. You should watch sports however you want to watch sports. If you get off on having a villain, that's fine. But he is a phenomenal player. He is not just a phenomenal player. He is very exciting to watch. He is unselfish. He takes over games. So, him winning, I think, changes the entire story line of the NBA.

We were stuck in a little bit of a rut, people saying, oh, will Lebron ever win. Yes, of course, he will win and he proved it, because he did win. So, right now, we are in a situation where we have a new story line. Can he defend his Oklahoma City, a young and upcoming team that can overcome this juggernaut in the east? This is where the NBA should be, with the Heat on top and everyone looking to take him down.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And you know, Lebron smiling there. You know, jumping on the court. That is the biggest smile I have even seen. I mean, really, it was resonating. I was thinking, you know, I don't think I have seen him so happy before. But he was very thoughtful opponents after play. Let's take a listen on what he says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT: I wanted to become a champion someday. I didn't know exactly when it would happen but I put in a lot of hard work. So, you know, for me, I'm happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Happy, indeed. We saw a big, old smile from him.

Ok. So, this is kind of a new Lebron, you think, too?

PESCA: Yes. I think that he down played the mental anguish he was under. And we see this guy making millions of dollars and being the most famous guy and seemingly having the world at his finger tips. But he was, of course, under a lot of pressure.

I don't think he wilted under the pressure like his critics claimed he did. But even this year, he admits that he changed his attitude a little bit and he changed it so he began to take over games and stopped deferring. The rest of the heat knew their role, specifically Dwayne Wade, stops sorts of saying well maybe I could be a co-alpha dog on this team. It doesn't work like that in the NBA.

And so, for all last year, when they were saying, this has nothing to do with the mentality. Maybe we lost to the mavericks because they were better. The mentality this year was in place to huge reason he wants.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Fantastic. Well, congrats to the Miami Heat.

PESCA: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Yes, thanks.

Mike Pesca, appreciate it. Always fun to see a winner and see winners be very, very happy.

All right. Coming to beautiful, sunny Chicago today.

All right, it is a big challenge. Train for a triathlon and change her life in the process. Seven CNN viewers are getting healthier one swim, run, bike at a time, dropping weight, building muscles and transforming themselves little by little.

Doctor Sanjay Gupta has an update on their progress with three months to go before race day.

DOCTOR SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, in less than three months, I'm going to do the Nautica Malibu triathlon. Little scary.

Alongside, there is going to be seven CNN viewers who weaved dug the lucky seven. I started training with these viewers since February when they all came to Atlanta to kick off this year's CNN Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. Since then, their transformations have really been quite amazing to witness.

Carlos Salice, for example, he is a type 2 diabetic. He just raised 8.6 hilly miles during the bike leg of a local triathlon. He could never imagine doing that just a few months ago. His racing partner incidentally was Ryan Maloney, a 13-year-old type 1 diabetic.

Also, Rick Morris, he did a relay, 17 miles on his bike followed by a 5k run. Now, Morris quit smoking after joining our challenge. He tried many times before, never worked. Now, he is going to try to quit his daily soda habit as well.

And finally, I want to tell you about Denise Castelli. She is a below the knee amputee who is also going to race with us in Malibu.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: It is amazing to think about your life as you described to me a few years ago and what you're doing now, not only doing the athletic endeavors but teaching other people. It is also worth pointing out that we are about three months away now from the triathlon. How is your training overall going and how are you feeling? This wasn't something you dreamed about doing a year ago?

DENISE CASTELLI, CNN FIT NATION TRIATHLON CHALLENGER: No. It was something that kind of, you know, I have fallen into now. But, I think after Hawaii my training, really, I really picked up the pace. And I felt like a much better tri athlete when I got back from that trip, so. And now, I can see my body is changing. I am starting to get more fit. I'm starting to lose weight. So, I think my training has been going as well as it can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: So, as you can see, our team is well on its way. Now, I have to make sure I am getting into my training as well. I will tell you all about it. You can follow our progress at CNN.com/fit nation. Fred, back to you friend.

WHITFIELD: Something tells me you will be just fine, Sanjay.

All right, a game show host, Alex Trebek suffering a mild heart attack. We are following developments and we will have the latest on his condition.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Jeopardy host, Alex Trebek has suffered a mild heart attack but should make a full recovery and return to the game show next month. A Sony television spokeswoman says Trebek is in good spirits but under observation. Jeopardy won the best game show Emmy at the daytime Emmy awards last night.

All right, it is down to the wire for President Barack Obama's healthcare law. At some point within the next few days, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide if the law is constitutional.

CNN's Kate Bolduan reports on what the justices are considering.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Long days and late nights at the Supreme Court as the justices rush to finish what justice Ginsburg recently called the blood season.

RUTH BADER GINSBURG, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: Many of the most controversial cases remain pending. So, it is likely that the sharp disagreement rate will go up next week.

BOLDUAN: The biggest case this session and the biggest in at least a decade, the president's healthcare law. The election year blockbuster argued for more than six hours in March has far-reaching implications from Main Street to the campaign trail.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm actually and should be confident that the Supreme Court rule, uphold the law.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I'm elected president, I will repeal Obamacare. And I will stop it in its tracks on day one.

BOLDUAN: The nine justices face four separate issues in this one case. The center piece, will the individual mandate requiring all Americans to have health insurance stand or will it fall? And, does the rest or any of the law survive if the mandate is struck down? Does the law's expanded Medicaid program unfairly step on state's rights? Or will the court call for a legal time-out until the main provisions go into effect? Though, this option is unlikely. THOMAS GOLDSTEIN, PUBLISHER, SCOTUSBERG.COM: There is going to be a bottom line as to whether the mandate is constitutional or not. I would be shocked if we didn't know that after the decision. And it gets a little bit more complicated.

BOLDUAN: The key to the decisions may be these two men, chief justice John Roberts and the traditional swing vote, Justice Anthony Kennedy. Both seem skeptical of the government's case.

ANTHONY KENNEDY, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: And you create commerce in order to regulate it.

BOLDUAN: Yet, they ask tough questions of both sides giving hope to the law's supporters it may survive at least in part.

JOHN ROBERTS, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: I don't think you are addressing their main point, which is that they are not creating commerce in health care. It is already there. And we are all going to need some kind of health care, most of us will, at some point.

BOLDUAN: After the decisions handed down, the big question quickly become, what now?

House Republican leaders have made clear, if the law is not completely thrown out, they will vote to repeal whatever is left. And for weeks, both the White House and congressional Republicans have been quietly strategizing their message. So, they are ready as soon as the decision comes.

Kate Bolduan, CNN. Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: There are provisions in health care law that people are already relying on.

Let's bring in CNN's ATHENA JONES.

Athena, you have talked with some of those people. What do they have to say is at stake?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka.

I mean, there are 450 provisions to this law. Several of them are already in effect and several have proven to be quite popular like the provision allowing young adults to stay on their parents' health plan until their 26th birthday. The one that says insurance companies can't take away your coverage because you become ill and can't deny coverage to children under 19 with pre-existing conditions.

We caught up with a college student here in Washington D.C. who is working two jobs to pay the bills, two waitressing jobs, neither one offers help coverage. So, she is on her mother's plan because of this healthcare law. She is an asthmatic and she is not even a runner. So, she had that and must takes a daily medication that costs her about $20 a month. Without insurance coverage, though, it would cost her a little over 12 times that, which is a lot of money for a college student.

Now, her mother was a physician and an allergist says that a bad asthma attack can trigger an emergency room visit which as you know, is incredibly costly. Her mother believes that if the entire law is struck down, she is really hoping that Congress will step in and do something to save this provision.

Let's listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA WHITE, MOTHER OF COLLEGE STUDENT: Frankly, it is such a popular part of the health care law and it makes so much sense that I think it would be a mistake and kind of unimaginable if Congress doesn't decide to somehow make this continue if the law gets struck down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Of course, as you know, one more thing, this is an election year. So, if that were to happen and Congress has to go and tackle trying to save some of these measures, not a lot of people think a lot would get done in the next five months, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: It is going to be an interesting week, if not the rest of the year.

Athena Jones, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

All right, she was one of the most prominent atheist bloggers on the Internet and now she has shocked some of her readers by converting to Catholicism. We will hear why in, her own words.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Leah Libresco was one of the most prominent atheist bloggers on the Internet. So, a lot of readers were surprised when she announced she was converting to Catholicism. I spoke with blogger, Leah Libresco, about her conversion and personal journey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEAH LIBRESCO, CATHOLIC CONVERT: Well, it is nice to find a community here in D.C. I have scandalized some of my friends. Some of my friends think, you know, I am wrong now but I was less wrong than I was. They thought my old position was less intellectually defensible. This is in some ways an improvement. And it is exciting to be able to participate in the mass and thinking that it is actually the Eucharist.

WHITFIELD: So, some of these friends, have they also been nonbelievers?

LIBRESCO: Yes. I kind of had a mix of Christians and atheists, both telling that the things I thought need more sensitive Christian framework than they do in the atheist one. So, I got double teamed on that.

WHITFIELD: You have blogged about it. You have written extensively about it. What possessed you to do that?

LIBRESCO: Well, originally, when I started writing a blog about it, I was dating a nice catholic boy and we would have arguments. And it was kind of unfair to ask him to be the sole representative of Catholicism to me. So, one thing I was doing was trying to crowd source our arguments and draw on other people or check what he was saying. And also, writing helped me sort of clarify what I was thinking myself.

WHITFIELD: Was it that relationship that kind of enlightened you?

LIBRESCO: Yes, like all good fights should.

WHITFIELD: And what were his thoughts about you converting to Catholicism? Were you still together?

No, we are not. But obviously he is very pleased.

WHITFIELD: How has Christianity, embracing it, becoming a catholic changed your life? And then, speaking publicly about this personal journey?

LIBRESCO: I think one thing that has changed in my life for this is that it is easier for me to reach out to other people because what I want is their good, their moral development, their becoming what they ought to be in a way that before, when I thought of morality mainly as a set of rules for me, where it is my job to do good things but it doesn't matter what the people I like doing them for of life or how they live. All that matter is my own action was a lot more closed off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can read more about Leah Lebresco's conversion on CNN believe blog at cnn.com/belief. You also add your own comments there as well.

Going to see if people wearing orange jumpsuits hitting the streets of Washington today. We will tell you what they are protesting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Demonstrators marched through the streets of D.C. to protest continued detentions at Guantanamo Bay. They donned orange jumpsuits for the walk from the U.S. capital to the White House. The rally was part of the demonstration marking national week of action against torture. One hundred sixty nine people are still being held at Guantanamo Bay.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide on Arizona's controversial immigration law. It was one of the hot topics on the Sunday morning talk shows.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we can. Yes, we can.

CROWLEY: Keep the directive in place while he works out immigration reform in a more holistic manner.

ED GILLESPE, SENIOR ADVISER, ROMNEY CAMPAIGN: Every action that President Obama has taken will be subject to review. And in the case of this case, the subject of review is whether or not there are legitimate questions about the legality of it. And everyone that will take from here forward will be subject to review and subject to repeal.

MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA (D), LOS ANGELES: The fact is the president has done what we should do. And that is addressed the fact that these kids have been living here for most of their lives. If Mr. Romney wants to come clean with what he is going to do, he ought to do it.

DAVID GREGORY, HOST, MEET THE PRESS: You support a candidate, Mitt Romney, who talked about self-deportation during the campaign. The reality is that he is far behind President Obama among Latino voters.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: The enormous, vast and overwhelming majority of Republicans are supporters of legal immigration, are compassionate to the plight of legal immigrants. But understand that America cannot be the only country in the world that doesn't enforce its immigration law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No doubt in your mind, the House will vote Holder in contempt?

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: Chris. It is regrettable we are here and we certainly would like to not be here. And if the president and attorney general Holder would simply start producing the documents they know they could produce to us that are not by any means going to be covered by executive privilege, this could be delayed or even eliminated.

RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS GOVERNOR: This is almost Nixonian, if not absolutely Nixonian in the cover-up that's going on fast and furious.

REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D), MARYLAND: I am really kind of saddened that at this point in the history of the Congress that we would be fighting this attorney general in contempt.

I think I am calling on Speaker Boehner to come forth and show the strong leadership that I know he will and sit down with the attorney general. The attorney general has made it clear that he is willing to work with this congress.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: She has won four Olympic gold medals. Now, 40, Janette Evans dives back in this week with hopes of going to London. We will take a look at what's motivating her. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: At 17 years old, swimmer, Janet Evans, took the Olympics by storm. She broke a world record and took home three gold medals. That was in 1988. She won gold again four years later. Now, the 40- year-old wife and mother of two is back for more with her eye on the 2012 Olympic games.

CNN's Casey Wian finds out how she is pulling off a rigorous training schedule and what's motivating her to do it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before dawn and a southern California college pool crowded with young athletes chasing their Olympic dreams and one not so young swimmer trying to recapture hers.

You probably remember Janet Evans.

JANET EVANS, SWIMMER: I retired after the '96 Olympics. I was 24. I had gone to three Olympics. I started to have a few shoulder problems. I had won four gold medals, a silver, broken several world records and was tired. You know, I was tired of swimming. I had swum by entire life from the age of three until the age of 24. I felt like as a swimmer, I had done it all.

WIAN: In the 16 years since, Evans has married, had two children and a handful of careers. Now 40, she's attempting an Olympic comeback.

MARK SCHUBERT, SWIMMING COACH: It was during a meet, she was in the stands and texting me as to whether I thought she could do this and I texted her back, you'll never know unless you try. And then, she was in the water the next day.

EVANS: So, I spend five hours a day training approximately. I swim from 5:30 to 7:30 every morning. And then I work weight room for about 45 minutes and back in the pool from about 3:30 to 6:00 every day. So, I'm swimming about ten miles a day.

WIAN: Evans' 800 meter free style world record stood for 19 years until 2008 and it remains the American record. That's one reason her coach says she has a real shot at the upcoming Olympic trials.

SHUBERT: She's improved every single week. You know, once she gets in the pool, you know, she just puts in an amazing effort. If she can make the finals at the trials, anything can happen. I think Janet's going to amaze everybody with how fast she can swim.

EVANS: Home for practice.

WIAN: Though she's training as hard as ever, times clearly have changed.

EVANS: In this go around, I don't think swimming is everything in my life. I have two kids. I have a husband. I have a home to maintain. I have dinner to put on the table every evening and that is why I think in many ways, this time has been so much more fulfilling.

BILLY WILLSON, HUSBAND: Whether she makes the Olympic team or not, just to see her push herself like this, it's been incredible.

WIAN: Evans says she's ready for doubters and critics.

EVANS: She's 40. She needs to be home with her children. What is she thinking? Why she already has this success. Leave it for someone else. You know, someone else deserves -- you had your time.

I've heard that a lot. You've had your time. Why are you doing this again? Well, if I swim fast enough, who says it's not my time?

WIAN: Casey Wian, CNN. Hamilton Beach, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And for all the celebration ceremony that will happen in London this summer, there was one anniversary that has an American connection.

CNN's contributor, Bob Greene has his thoughts on why we should all be remembering.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB GREENE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: This summer all eyes are on London. The Olympic games begin next month, the Queen's diamond jubilee earlier this month.

And as people talk about the history of London, one event may be overlooked. It should not be. Seventy years ago, this week, an American from Midwest farm country arrived in London. It was a business trip of sorts. His bosses had given him a rather daunting task. Save the world.

London and England and free Europe were under peril from the armies of Germany's third like. Help was needed. And so, it was in the last week of June of 1942 that Dwight David Eisenhower of Abilene, Kansas, came to London to command all U.S. troops in Europe.

Adolf Hitler did not realize it at the time, but Ike arriving in London meant that he was through. Soon would come the innovation of North Africa, followed by the greatest military undertaking in the history of the world. The d-day invasion of Nazi occupied Europe. Eventually, London and England and Europe would survive and prevail.

This summer in London, we will hear many times that famous phrase, there will always be an England, but 70 summers ago, that wasn't so.

In the United States, we do not have royalty, but on occasion, we are able to find majesty. Which is why as London glitters this summer, it will be fitting if perhaps a few people stop to remember the time when liberty itself was on the line and then Ike came to town and everything began to change.

What a job he did.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can read bob's columns and other great opinions on the issues that shape your world at CNN.com/opinion. It is going to be a huge, huge year particularly for London.

All right. Much more of the NEWSROOM coming up with our Don Lemon. How you doing?

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: I'm doing great. You're bright and sunny and sun shining. Look at you.

But Fred, we're going to be covering a lot. It's a big week next week. So, it is six to 7:00 p.m. We're going to talk about the contempt charges about the nation's top enforcer. Republicans say attorney general Eric Holder is lying. And with holding details in that botched fast and furious operation in 2010 that led to the deaths of hundreds of Mexicans and a U.S. border agent.

The White House has invoked, as we know, executive privilege rather than turnover certain documents that Republicans are requesting. So, I posed it last time on the show, had a great discussion and then again this evening because we know we have this coming up next week. Is it a legitimate investigation or politically motivated in this election year?

And Fred, in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky trial, here is a question for our viewers and one that sort of was strange to all of us when we heard about it. Do pedophiles deserve sympathy? There are people who say they do. What do you think?

We're going to talk about what with a psychologist, who says that a person cannot choose to be a pedophile, but they can choose to do something else. Interesting discussion.

WHITFIELD: That's going to be a riveting conversation.

LEMON: There's a difference, he said you can't choose to be a pedophile, but you can choose whether or not to be a molester. Yes.

WHITFIELD: The differences of those two.

LEMON: Exactly I don't know. I'm not a psychologist, but a very interesting question. OK.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. OK. We are going to look for that one.

Thank you so much, Don.

All that straight ahead. Got you in about four minutes and counting. Actually, less than four minutes.

LEMON: We keep talking. It's going to go over.

WHITFIELD: I'll be quiet. I'm getting hint. Thank you. OK. Here are a couple of big stories that we are watching for you right now in this hour and the next.

Colorado firefighters are battling a wildfire near Colorado Springs. Weldon Canyon fire has burned about 300,000 acres. It is threatening the popular vacation town of Manitou Spring. Ten thousand living there and nearby has been told to evacuate.

And now, to an incident that is causing tension between Syria and Turkey. The Turkish foreign minister said Syria committed a hostile act when it shut down one of its military fighter jet. Western leaders are condemning the incident ahead of a NATO meeting of the issue Tuesday.

And then search teams have located the wreckage of the fighter jet, but have not reached it. There is no word if there are any survivors.

All right, that's going to do it for me. I'm Fredrick Whitfield. Much more of the NEWSROOM straight ahead at the top of the hour with my colleague, Don Lemon.

Have a great week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)