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Heat-Fueled Storms Kill 11; Deadly Wildfire Ravages Homes; Egypt Inaugurates New President; Storm Affected States; Jada Pinkett- Smith on Human Trafficking

Aired June 30, 2012 - 19:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I want to get you up to speed on the day's headlines.

Towering flames sending Colorado families fleeing for their lives. I just want you to take a look at this -- just a week after igniting, the Waldo Canyon fire already Colorado's most destructive, thousands of people are holding their breath, nervously waiting to see if their homes had been spared.

Nicole Frye let the cameras roll as she said her good-bye

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE FRYE: I'm leaving my house for probably the last time. Oh, my God, there's smoke in the air so bad. Let me see if I can pull up through here.

The hill was on fire just a second ago. There's flames. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: My goodness. I can't even imagine that. The fire has destroyed 350 homes and killed two people.

Millions of people are suffering through record high temperatures with no electricity this evening. A line of powerful thunderstorms killed at least 11 people and knocked out power across nine states.

President Barack Obama has called several governors.

More on the heat and on the storm in just a minute here on CNN.

Who knew what and when? There are new questions this evening in the Jerry Sandusky child rape case.

CNN is the only network to uncover alleged content of an e-mail thread involving Penn State's president, vice president and athletic director. The messages just seemed to indicate officials knew they had a problem with Sandusky dating back to 2001 but decided to handle the issues internally. See the complete report coming up in just moments as well on CNN. An historic moment in Cairo, Egypt, as they inaugurated its first new president, Mohamed Morsi. He became the first democratically elected president in Egypt's history. Morsi faces several challenges, one of the biggest may be dealing with the military, which still hold as lot of power in Egypt.

Avoiding the record heat that is blanketing a large of the country has gotten a lot harder for millions of people. The storm fueled by the heat wave knocked out power to more than 3.5 million people. Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia are under a state of emergency and crews are trying to restore electricity to customers in the United States. At least 11 deaths are blamed on last night's thunderstorms, packing 80 mile-an-hour winds from the Midwest all the way to the nation's capital.

Virginia's governor says restoring power in his state will be a multi- day challenge. The places hit hardest by last night's storms places that now have no power, are the same areas facing more triple digit record high temperatures.

More on that heat wave in just a moment. First, let's get an update on the area around Washington, D.C. now.

And we go to Athena Jones in Rockville, Maryland.

So, Athena, we're hearing that President Obama getting updates on the storm damage.

What else are you learning?

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

The president has gotten an update from the FEMA administrator Craig Fugate on the response activities in several of the states affected by the severe thunderstorms last night that rolled through. He mentioned, he also spoke with, as you mentioned, four governors in the area, some of the states hardest hit -- Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

And in fact, it was caught on tape the moment that he called Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. Let's take a listen to what happened there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BOB MCDONNELL (R), VIRGINIA: I'm going to -- I've got a call, the president is calling to see what he can do for us. The president was very kind as he did during several of the recent weather events. He's called me personally and asked if the federal officials were on the ground and doing the things that needed to be done and gave a direct offer of assistance, told me to call him personally if there's anything that we need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And, you know, of course President Obama was also calling to offer his condolences to the governors of these states for the deaths in their area.

As you mentioned, 11 deaths nationwide, but eight of those -- at least eight in this region alone. One man was killed in Washington, D.C. after a tree and power wires fell on his house. He and his wife stepped out of his house last night around 11:00 p.m. Both were electrocuted. He was killed, she's in critical condition.

Seven other people between Virginia and Maryland were killed by falling trees. And, in fact, I think we have some video of one of those locations where a young man was killed by a falling tree over in Springfield, Virginia. They have built a shrine for that.

So, just a lot of signs of how dangerous this kind of storm can be. And also showing how it may take a while to get back to normal across this area, Don.

LEMON: Absolutely, Athena. This is a terrible day to be without power. So what's the situation in the area now with that?

JONES: Well, exactly. I mean, 1 million customers were without power in Virginia. That number is slowly coming down. As many as two- thirds of the residents in Montgomery County, Maryland, where we are now, were without power. In many cases, it was a block-by-block situation. Earlier in the day, many of the businesses saw their power come back, but some of the streets still don't have it.

I spoke with an older man earlier today who was concerned, didn't have air conditioning and said I'm going to have to take my sister who had a serious operation somewhere where she can stay warm.

And so, Pepco says that they are working as quickly as they can. That's a major utility provider here, as quickly as they can to safely restore power. But they estimated that it could take about a week for full restoration all across the area.

LEMON: Boy.

JONES: They asked for help from thousands crews around the region but other areas are going to need it as well. So, that's one of the issues. And with that heat, people are going to be having to stay cool by going to cooling centers and shopping malls and that sort of thing, Don.

LEMON: One week with record high temperatures without power, not good.

Thank you, Athena. We appreciate that.

Twelve states are now under excessive heat warnings today. We should go to our meteorologist now to get some information on this.

Bonnie, man, I asked you last hour, any relief? What's the relief for these people? Coming soon?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's not coming soon, Don. And the heat is not your typical heat wave where we talk about records being broken.

What's happening, especially today, are all-time records being broken, meaning for cities like Chattanooga, and Atlanta, Huntsville and Knoxville, the tri-city's airports, it has never been this hot before. We've never had Chattanooga at 107 degrees, or today Atlanta at 106. So, tons of records being shattered across much of the country. More all time records for Columbia and into Macon, Georgia.

Let's take a look at what's going on and when the weather pattern is going to change. As high pressure emerged from the Rockies and dropped to the south, it just spread across the country. Now this heat is so expansive, it extends all the way to the East Coast with heat indices all the way up to 115 degrees.

It's a slow moving system, so it's going to sit here through tomorrow. Many of the heat advisories we have posted extend into Sunday and some of them began on Wednesday.

Now, looking ahead to the forecast, you're asking when relief is in sight. It depends on how you spell relief. Look at this. We've got temperatures dropping down from 100 to 96 Monday into Tuesday for Memphis, and Louisville finally dropping to 92 on Wednesday.

So we are seeing a gradual cool-down but it's not going to be cool. If you have don't have power and you don't have air conditioning, 92 degrees on Wednesday is still going to be oppressive and dangerous -- Don.

LEMON: Oh, yes, yes. And temperatures in 100s, I mean, my goodness.

We've seen -- you've shown us where the temperatures and chance of rain to help out in the situations. What's the weather forecast?

SCHNEIDER: Right now, we do have a chance for thunderstorms but it's not where we want it to be. The severe thunderstorm watch that we have crosses over to the Dakotas. And some of the plain states.

So, that's where we're looking at rain right now. There is a chance for rain to work its way through the Mid-Atlantic. But it's just not happening right now. And even as can you see in this watch back we have, we're not getting a lot of activity.

So, yes, we need the rain. Unfortunately, it's not in the immediate future. Just more heat is for Sunday.

LEMON: All right. Thanks, Bonnie. Stand by. We'll need you throughout the evening. We appreciate that.

I want to go to Colorado now where the flames of an out of control wildfire just keep growing. Firefighters aided by helicopters, air tankers and military planes are dropping water and retardant in hopes of containing the inferno, but homes are still being threatened.

I'm joined now on the phone by Neil Harlow, from the Wyoming Air National Guard and he is part the firefighting crew assisting with the wildfires. First off, Major, thank you. You have been flying over these fires all week and just looking at some of the information here, I want you to tell me what they look like from the sky right now.

MAJOR NEIL HARLOW, WYOMING AIR NATIONAL GUARD (via telephone): We've had some varying conditions all week long. Monday, we got out to Colorado Springs, got into the fight right away that afternoon.

Tuesday was a very, very challenging day. Weather was extremely hot. The terrain is higher than some of any of the terrain we've dropped in before. We've had challenges with the terrain, smoke, altitude we're working at, the heat, extremely busy radios, falling on tight formation with the aircraft, the smoke was very, very, dense, made it difficult to acquire our targets.

But we gained good gains on Tuesday during the day. And then the fire made a run Tuesday night.

LEMON: So, it's -- what's your plan of attack? Is that the plan of attack to keep hitting it from all ends?

HARLOW: The plan of attack is come up with by the Forest Service. We're just another tool that they used for their plan on how to fight this fire.

So, they give us the call and then we're ready at a moment's notice. We're standing by at the aircraft, at alert, ready to launch within minutes. So, it's almost like a NASCAR pit stop. We get slurry loaded, we get fuel and we take off, we rejoin with the lead formation pilot from the forest service. He takes us in, he has the plan and he puts us on the target where we can drop our loads.

LEMON: I think that's interesting. You're saying like a NASCAR pit stop -- you get them in, get them out and you do it very quickly.

As we look at this video, especially the aerials are ones that we look, we're seeing a lot of smoke coming out of the area and from the sky in Colorado. Does that impact your efforts at all?

HARLOW: It impacts our visibility. It makes our job extremely tough, just because it has to be done visually. If we can't acquire the spot that we need to be on the ground, it makes it hard. So, sometimes we have to go into an area expecting to drop in one spot, smoke can drift on us.

Several times we came in on Tuesday for a line that they had picked out, that they wanted to reinforce, and then the wind would shift and bring the smoke in, drop visibility down. So, we'd have to go around and try it again. Sometimes it'd take three, four attempts before we could get our loads and the direction we wanted. Other times, they have alternate targets picked out where we can kind of continue to attack.

LEMON: Major, what about the terrain there, the rough terrain? Do most of the firefighting efforts come from above so the terrain doesn't mater, or does it play into it? HARLOW: Oh, the terrain plays into it greatly. It's extremely high. We're up around the 10,000, or 11,000 feet when we started our run-ins in some of these drops. We're drooping at 9,000 to 10,000-foot elevation range, extremely high temperatures.

Everything that's causing these fires to burn hot as they are creates great problems for us. The aircraft just doesn't perform all that well. So, we're flying at the edge of the envelope the entire drop.

You're constantly looking for terrain, there's helicopters around that you have to watch for, other aircraft. We have aircraft above us that are guiding where they need us, talking to the firefighters, coordinating the firefighters so that we can get our run-ins safely without hindering them on the ground as well.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Major Neil Harlow from the Wyoming Air National Guard joining us. We're not done with this. We're going to continue to talk about this.

The Waldo Canyon fire destroyed about 350 homes. Among those who lost just about everything is Susan Solich and her four grandsons, her four grandsons there. It is the latest in a series of heartbreaks for the family.

Jim Spellman explains now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For fire victim Susan Solich and her grandsons, Justin, Conner, Brandon and Tyler, their pain and heartbreak began long before the flames hit their neighborhood. In the fall of 2010, Susan's daughter, Kim, the boys' mom, died in her sleep. Then just three months later, the boys' father, Nolan, died of a heart attack.

SUSAN SOLICH, WILDFIRE EVACUEE: I spent a couple months packing them up, wrapping up their lives and moved them here.

SPELLMAN: Susan now had four grieving grandsons to take care of.

CONNER FLOWERS, WILDFIRE EVACUEE: It kind of feels like sadness in my heart.

TYLER FLOWERS, WILDFIRE EVACUEE: I just miss them so much.

JUSTIN FLOWERS, WILDFIRE EVACUEE: Most of the time I think why me? But that's pretty much normal because, like, people that go through that think like why me? Why does this happen to me?

SPELLMAN (on camera): Do you ever get an answer to that question?

J. FLOWERS: No, not really.

SPELLMAN (voice-over): They managed as best they could.

SOLICH: It's been a struggle, been in some counseling. We've gone up and down. But everyone's doing much better.

SPELLMAN: And then the fire came, forcing them to pack up what few things they could and head for safety.

SOLICH: And as we drove, we could see in our rear view mirrors the side of the hill just exploded. There had to be 40 fires just bam.

SPELLMAN: Grandma's house was destroyed. The boys would have to start over yet again.

(on camera): Conner, tell me how this makes you feel.

C. FLOWERS: Like a little kid.

SOLICH: Like a little kid he says.

SPELLMAN: Does it feel better when you're sitting with your grandma?

(voice-over): They gained strength from each other and a few special positions.

(on camera): What was the most important this evening you got?

T. FLOWERS: Probably my mom and dad's blanket. It makes me feel safer.

SPELLMAN: What would you say to them if you could have them back for a day?

T. FLOWERS: I love them so much.

SPELLMAN: Susan says when she needs strength, she gets it from the boys, even when it's hard to make sense of what has happened. She's not sure if she'll rebuild in their new nabbed but she knows that no matter how uncertain their future, they'll take it on together.

SOLICH: You can't just walk around feeling sorry for yourself. You have a lot of people to consider. If you fall apart, what's going to happen?

So, it's like you know what? We're all together, we're safe and it's just stuff. And, you know, we can replace it. We'll always have the memories.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: To find out how you can help this family and anyone else affected by the wildfires, go to CNN.com/impact. Again, CNN.com/impact.

Just when you thought you've heard enough details about the Sandusky child abuse scandal, new details of alleged e-mails from Penn State officials suggest there may have been a cover up. That's what it suggests. A CNN exclusive report is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: The child sex abuse scandal involving former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky shocked the nation. It also ended the careers of three top university officials and legendary coach Joe Paterno.

CNN's Susan Candiotti got an exclusive look at information from alleged emails exchanged by university (AUDIO BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): CNN has been given details of four purported e-mail exchanges from sources with knowledge of the case, raising new questions about what Penn State knew and when they knew it. The e-mails are between Penn State president Graham Spanier, vice president Gary Schultz, and the athletic director Tim Curley, discussing the now infamous 2001 shower where grad assistant Mike McQueary said he saw Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy.

The first email is dated February 26, 2001. That's 16 days after McQueary reports to his boss, coach Joe Paterno, about what he'd seen in the shower. Paterno testified, quote, "It was a sexual nature."

By now, McQueary testified he's told athletic director Curley and V.P. Schultz about exactly what he saw, a boy with his hands up against a wall with Sandusky behind him.

The alleged e-mails don't mention Sandusky by name, instead calling him the subject and person.

In the first exchange, Schultz messages Curley about a three-part plan to, quote, "talk with the subject, contact the charitable organization, Second Mile, and contacting the Department of Welfare." That's an agency required by law to investigate suspected abuse.

Yet the next night, Curley indicates a change of heart. He allegedly sends an e-mail to Penn State's president Spanier and refers to a discussion they had two days earlier about Sandusky. Curley says he wants to talk things over with Sandusky and work with him before deciding whether to contact child welfare.

He also refers to coach Paterno. Did something he said change Curley's mind?

Quote, "After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. I am having trouble with going to everyone but the person involved. I would be more comfortable meeting with the person and tell him about the information we received and tell him we are aware of the first situation."

The first situation he's referring to is a separate shower incident Sandusky had with a boy in 1998. Sandusky was not charged at the time. He was convicted of both incidents at trial.

Curly plans to tell Sandusky, quote, "We feel there is a problem and offer professional help. And at some point soon inform his organization, Sandusky's Second Mile," and, quote, "maybe the other one." According to a source with knowledge of the e-mails, he's referring to child welfare.

If Sandusky is, quote, "cooperative," Curley writes, quote, "we would work with him. If not, we do not have a choice and will inform the two groups."

Two hours later, Penn State's president purportedly responds and agrees with the approach, quote, "I am supportive," Spanier writes and adds this: "the only down side for us is if the message isn't heard and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it. But that can be assessed down the road."

Spanier calls the plan "humane and a reasonable way to proceed."

The next day, V.P. Schultz ways in with an alleged e-mail to President Spanier and athletic director Curley. Quote, "This is a more humane and up front way to handle this," he writes. "We will inform his organization with or without his cooperation. We can play by ear to decide about the other organization," another reference a source says to outside authorities.

But that never happened. Authorities say records show suspicions about Sandusky in 2001 were never reported to any outside agency. Victim five was molested by Sandusky in a Penn State showers about six months after the McQueary incident and Sandusky went on to sexually abuse at least three other boys. Years later, all testified at trial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That was CNN's Susan Candiotti reporting.

Both former university vice president Gary Schultz and former athletic director Tim Curley are charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse. They've pleaded not guilty. And sources say former Penn State president Graham Spanier could also face charges. Prosecutors say Penn State never reported the 2001 incident and never found that boy in the shower, and Jerry Sandusky is expected to be sentenced in September.

More than a year after the spring uprisings in the Middle East, Egypt's first democratically president is sworn in.

Meanwhile, violence continues in Syria as leaders of the international community forge an agreement to try to bring peace to the nation. Those reports are next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: World leaders are desperately seeking a solution to the fighting in Syria but you can't put a crisis like that on pause.

What you're looking at was an attack on a funeral in the suburb of the capital of Damascus. Activists say a car bomb caused this carnage. The crowd was chanting anti-government slogans when the blast struck. CNN can't confirm the authenticity of the video posted online. And activists say at least 30 people died in the attack. That number could rise drastically.

While that was unfolding in Syria, diplomats huddled in Geneva.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton laid out what was at stake and how serious they could affect the entire Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: No one has any illusions about the difficulties ahead. We are dealing with not only a murderous regime in a combustible region but the potential for that region to be gravely affected by the continuance of this violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The plan for a peaceful transition in Syria calls for both sides to recommit to the original six-point peace agreement. That called for a cease-fire and pretty much went nowhere. U.S. pushed for a new deal that would ban President Bashar al Assad from taking part in the future government. That was blocked by China and Russia.

While envoys plan for a new Syria, Egyptians are celebrating their own future. The country's new president, Mohamed Morsi, was inaugurated today. He was a candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group that said it wasn't interested in political power.

Dan Rivers has more now on the dawn of Egypt's democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't how he wanted to become president, not a parliament which was dissolved by Egypt's temporary military rulers but at the constitutional court. Disagreement between military and civilian leadership briefly forgotten as Mohamed Morsi took the oath to become Egypt's first ever freely elected president.

(on camera): The geography of today's ceremony is also hugely symbolic. While Mohamed Morsi is being sworn in here, right across the street is a hospital. And guess who is being kept under armed guard here, none other then former President Hosni Mubarak, the old and new Egypt ironically juxtaposed on the same streets in Cairo.

As he arrived at Cairo University afterwards, suddenly, all the trappings of power were his -- the artillery salute, the security service jogging by his car.

But in a sign of new freedom this country is enjoying, also a small protest by students outside, unthinkable in Mubarak's day.

Inside, he made a speech acknowledging the role of the army, but also gently reminding field marshal Tantawi who was sitting in the front row that the armed forces must eventually reinstate parliament and hand back power fully.

PRES. MOHAMED MORSI, EGYPT (through translator): Elected institutions will come back to take their role.

RIVERS: In the cafes and restaurants of Cairo, history was unfolding live on TV.

The Egyptian people have waited 7,000 years for this moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I felt that he was truly a president for all Egyptians. We've heard so many claims that he will be a president for the Brotherhood. But to the contrary, he came across as a president for all Egyptians.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): His speech gives us hope. I feel we should give him a chance. Otherwise, the revolution will not succeed.

RIVERS: There was also an overt pledge of support for the Syrian opposition, a departure from the fence-sitting of the fast.

MORSI: We pledge our support for the Syrian people. The blood bath must stop.

MUSTAPHA KAMEL AL-SAYYID, POLITICAL ANALYST: He's a member of the Friends of Syria Group. So, again, you know, he is building on something that has been already done but he is giving it, you know, his support. And he is gaining from it.

RIVERS: Egypt now has two powerful leaders, a president and a field marshal. It will take many months to establish who really runs this country.

One of Mohamed Morsi's first engagements as president was a military parade. The armed forces here still have enormous power and aren't afraid to show it.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Hello, everyone. It's half past the hour now. I want to get you caught up on the headlines here on CNN.

The power is out in more than three million homes across nine states and President Obama has spoken with the governors of Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. Those are states among the hardest hit by last night's wave of deadly thunderstorms that killed at least 11 people. The same areas are also dealing with blistering triple digit temperatures.

Fear and anxiety. Colorado Springs, a raging wildfire continues to grow, forces the evacuation of more than 36,000 people earlier this week. Many have since been allowed to return to their homes. The fire has destroyed 350 homes and two people have lost their lives. It is just 30 percent contained now.

The students involved in that now infamous bus bullying case have been suspended from school for one year. The ruling by the Greece, New York school district also bans the four students from taking the school bus. The kids were seen on this video harassing 68-year-old bus monitor Karen Klein earlier this month.

The kids have to take an anti-bullying program and complete 50 hours of community service with senior citizens. Tonight, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, are girls bigger bullies than boys? We're asking that. And does that bullying carry over to the board room as those bullies get older? A special look at 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Actress Jada Pinkett-Smith teams with CNN on a tough issue of human trafficking. And is political office in the cards for Jada? Plus we spot (INAUDIBLE) involves our biggest weakness. Our interview with her just ahead.

Also, this. We want our viewers to stay connected with CNN even on the go. Make sure you grab your mobile phone and go to cnn/tv. If you're on a desktop or a laptop, you can also watch CNN live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: She is one of Hollywood's brightest stars, a musician and an activist. She also happens to be married to one of the giants of the big screen, none other than Will Smith. But Jada Pinkett-Smith is taking on a very dark issue, human trafficking. She's making people aware of her cause in a haunting video where she appears nude. Take a look.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

LEMON: You're looking at (INAUDIBLE) or "Don't Sell Bodies." In part two of my interview with Jada Pinkett-Smith she tells me her major weakness and if politics might be in her future. But it was her passion in fighting human trafficking that really made me lean forward.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (on camera): So then what can Jada Pinkett-Smith do to get everyone else passionate about this particular issue?

JADA PINKETT-SMITH, ACTRESS: I think that having the ability to sit and talk with you about it and hoping that people will start to become more aware of how this is happening in our country. Trafficking is recruiting, coercion, hoarding, force, abuse of power. So if you're rolling down the street and you see two young girls 2:00 in the afternoon who should be in school but they're sitting on a bus stop -

LEMON: There you go.

PINKETT-SMITH: OK. And most of the time there are traffickers right across the street. You see them sitting there with their little cell phones so that their trafficker stays in communication with them. It's a very, very well oiled little network.

LEMON: Is this a transition for you? We know you're a great actress. I can hear, can you sing in the video, you look great. PINKETT-SMITH: Thank you.

LEMON: So is this a transition for you? You have a band now? Is this the mogul that's Jada Pinkett-Smith and the global ambassador for peace and goodness? What's going on here?

PINKETT-SMITH: You know, I think being a mother and being a woman and I think that it's just I'm growing and expanding in many different ways in those areas, especially as a mother and as a woman, right?

LEMON: Are you going to get in politics?

PINKETT-SMITH: I don't think you want Jada Pinkett-Smith in politics. I don't think you want that.

LEMON: What is something that people don't know about Jada Pinkett- Smith? Like me - I like Gummy Bears at midnight is my little secret. Do you have anything like that that people would go (INAUDIBLE)?

PINKETT-SMITH: You know, if I could live off French fries and pizza, I would. You know what I mean.

LEMON: And you weigh two pounds.

PINKETT-SMITH: Yes, I love - like those are my two favorite foods. They are my two favorite foods. If I could live off of French fries and pizza I would. And that's just the truth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Amen to Jada Pinkett-Smith. Same thing for me. Listen, if you want to find out how you can help for this project for human trafficking, go to CNN.com/freedom. CNN.com/freedom. And again, my thanks to Jada Pinkett-Smith. I really enjoyed that interview and thanks for your efforts in helping to fight this.

Moving on now, a new law could close the only abortion clinic in Mississippi but the clinic's employees are not allowing that to happen. Not without a fight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In just a few hours Mississippi's only abortion clinic is set to close. An abortion rights group has asked a judge to intervene but so far nothing has changed. Here's CNN's George Howell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The owner of this women's clinic closed the doors after being open this weekend and what happens next? Really, it's anybody's guess because of a new state law here in Mississippi that could effectively force this clinic to shut down.

(voice-over): The signs are hard not to miss outside the only clinic offering abortions in the state of Mississippi and now the director of the Jackson Women's Health Organization is gearing up for a legal fight to keep the doors open.

(on camera): Will this clinic be forced to shut down?

DIANE DERZIS, DIRECTOR, JACKSON WOMEN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION: I want to say over my dead body but I'm afraid. I'm afraid. Hopefully not. We're going to do whatever it takes to keep servicing the women in Mississippi.

HOWELL (voice-over): Despite the letter she got in the mail -

DERZIS: We are licensed until June 30th of 2013.

HOWELL: Diane Derzis says the paper could be worthless if she fails to comply with a new state law effective July 1st. Doctors who perform abortions in Mississippi must be board certified OB-GYNs and also have privileges with local hospitals to admit patients if necessary.

DERZIS: We have all the applications in. We have called these hospitals almost daily (INAUDIBLE) them but it's a process. It takes a while for an answer.

STATE REP. SAM MIMS (R), MISSISSIPPI: The clinic has had over 70 days to be compliant with this legislation. They should not be surprised.

HOWELL: State representative Sam Mims insists the law is meant to protect women's health not to ban abortions. He sponsored the bill, signed into law by Republican Governor Phil Bryant.

GOV. PHIL BRYANT (R), MISSISSIPPI: I think it's historic. Today you see the first step in a movement I believe to do what we can to say we're going to try to end abortion in Mississippi.

MIMS: We intend to lead but this is not an example we're trying to show the other country, other states look at what we've done.

HOWELL (on camera): But if it eliminates the one abortion clinic in the state?

MIMS: Well, I'm very pro life. I believe that life begins at conception. And I think a lot of Mississippians do as well.

HOWELL (voice-over): In a socially and religiously conservative state some say political pressure may be a reason hospitals haven't signed on to help the clinic.

W. MARTIN WISEMAN, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY: A lot of facilities like hospitals and so forth no doubt don't want to, from this standpoint, look up to be labeled as the one facility that is hospitable to providing abortions.

HOWELL (on camera): So come Monday if this clinic does not have what it needs to be compliant with this law what happens?

MIMS: If the clinic cannot get in compliance with the legislation, sure. I think, again, if we reduce the number of abortions it is a positive result for Mississippi I think.

DERZIS: This is not about safety. This is about politics. And politics do not need to be in our uterus.

HOWELL (on camera): The people here in the clinic say they filed a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order against the law to try to get a little more time to become compliant. State officials say there is also an appeals process but keep in mind every day this clinic is open after July 1st and again after Monday, the day the clinic is supposed to open, employees here, the nurses, physicians and the management could face civil and even criminal penalties.

George Howell, CNN, Jackson, Mississippi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, George.

A small Colorado town with only one medical facility, resident there have some strong opinions about the Supreme Court's health care decision. That is ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The make-up of the American family is changing and same-sex parents want to make sure their children's educational needs are met in a supportive environment. CNN's education contributor Steve Perry has this advice for Lorie who is searching for a school for her kids.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since my kids are coming from a lesbian family and we have different faiths, I want my kids to be really raised in an open environment. How can I decide which private schools is best for her?

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: Well, that's a really good question, an important one. Because you need to understand where your children are going to school not just because of what they're going to learn academically but how they'll be treated. What I suggest you do is go visit the school, go as a family. Ask the question that you're asking me? What are your values of diversity? How do you respond to a gay family? Get them to answer your questions and ask the questions until you feel like you've got answers. Ask the reputation of that school, not just the school itself because if they want your money as a private school, they're going to tell you what you want to hear but more importantly, ask your friends. When you get the opportunity to go on a tour, go with other students. Ask them. Kids and all they do, they don't typically lie. The kids will tell you the truth. So somewhere between asking the school directly, visiting the school, asking the reputation and finally asking the students who attend that school, you should find your answer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: It is a tiny town in Colorado that dates back to the 1800s. There's only one medical facility and the people have some strong opinions about the Supreme Court's health care decision.

So you're out and about and you're not in front of a television to stay connected to CNN, you can. You can pull it up on your cell phone or you can watch it from your computer, even at work. Just go to cnn.com/tv. Tell them Don Lemon sent you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The Supreme Court ruling on health care reform affects just about every American. And it will be a big issue in the presidential race, especially in the battleground states like Colorado. So what do folks think about the decision? CNN's Martin Savage visited a small Colorado town to find that out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): News that the Supreme Court's decision arrived (INAUDIBLE) about the time the folks sat down for their (INAUDIBLE) rancheros in the Absolute Bakery. This rural, southwestern Colorado town, population 1,300, dates back to the days of the old west. Jean Arshebow (ph) is the editor of the "(INAUDIBLE) Times" first published in 1893.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have snow birds. We have people who just come for the summer and leave for the winter. We have people who have retired here. And we have people who have lived here all of their lives.

SAVIDGE: A bit about the area politically. It voted 59 percent for John McCain in 2008. Folks say the conservatives were born here, the liberals mostly moved here.

VERONICA EGAN, RESIDENT: I see what you're saying.

SAVIDGE: Veronica Egan came from New Mexico.

EGAN: I think it's wonderful. I think there were problems with the law as it was originally written. But it's about time that the United States of America started taking care of its own citizens.

SAVIDGE: Jeff McElwain is as close to a permanent doctor as the town gets. The physician's assistant runs Mancos Valley's only medical facility. 60-70 percent of his patients rely on some type of publicly funded healthcare program. Something he finds ironic given the criticism he often hears of Obamacare.

JEFF MCELWAIN, MANCOS VALLEY HEALTH CENTER: Well, it's certainly always an interesting conversation for people that are either on Medicare or receive some type of federal assistance to complain about having government health care.

SAVIDGE: Patient Betty Romero has health care insurance. But she knows many who don't. She, too, is an Obamacare fan.

BETTY ROMERO, RESIDENT: There's people out there that are dying of cancer because they don't have health care. You know, they're dying of other things because they can't walk into a doctor's office and get the help they need.

SAVIDGE (on camera): It may surprise you. But unlike the rest of the country, the big news here in town isn't the Supreme Court's ruling on health care. Instead, it's that. Wild fires that continue to threaten from just down the road.

(voice-over): Still, it's easy to get people here talking about health care, which I did with Will Stone who makes wagons for a living. He's against Obamacare, mainly because of the individual mandate.

WILL STONE, RESIDENT: Yes, I'd say that's the biggest burr under my saddle is the mandate. I just don't care for it. I don't like to be told to do anything.

SAVIDGE: Matt Lauer owns and runs Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters. Like Will, he, too, is against Obamacare. Not because he's against national health care, he just thinks the president's plan is the wrong one.

MATT LAUER, OWNER, FAHRENHEIT COFFEE ROASTERS: This is a gift to the insurance companies. It's not going to do anything to assure health care to all in this country. And I think that's the bottom line.

SAVIDGE: Mancos may seem like a long way from anywhere, but I find it to really be a microcosm of America, from the mountains to main street, almost equally divided on the issue of healthcare.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Mancos, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: A man wearing an outfit resembling this famous moppet named Elmo goes wild in a park filled with children. You'll see it play out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You don't want to miss this story tonight. From first round draft pick to convicted felon, former NBA pro Jason Williams had it all. He had basketball, he had money and he had fame until he lost it all. Now he says prison saved his life. You don't want to miss my exclusive interview, live tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern with Jason Williams right here on CNN.

A New York City impersonator is giving Elmo a bad name. And CNN's Jeanne Moos looks at his recent Central Park rant which had children and adults scrambling to get away.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you think of Elmo, you think of warm, fuzzy hugs, getting kids to eat vegetables, singing happy songs.

(MUSIC PLAYING) Well, this is Elmo's curse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

MOOS: A guy dressed up as Elmo has been ranting in Central Park yelling anti-Semitic slurs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jews will harass you.

MOOS: He (INAUDIBLE) against Hindus.

Elmo needs his mouth washed out with soap.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Filthy, stinking [bleep]. Filthy, stinking [bleep].

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is the scariest Elmo I've ever seen in my life.

MOOS: It was such a weird sight that everyone was stopping to shoot videos and take pictures among them Kathleen Loftus.

KATHLEEN LOFTUS: You know, people didn't want their kids to see that coming from Elmo.

MOOS: And it's been going on for months, documented by videos posted to Youtube. Watch mom grab her kid. It was too much for another performer wearing a drum. He started pushing Elmo around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I look like I'm playing with you? Come over here and start cursing at me around some kids, man.

MOOS: Times Square. A guy dressed up as Shrek shooed Elmo away and was applauded. But minutes later after his rant, Elmo cozies up to some unsuspecting kid, characters posed, mostly with tourist for money. And there are good Elmo's out there.

(on camera): So how do you tell the good Elmos from the bad Elmo? Look for the bad and the knee pads.

(voice-over): Knee pads are for all that kneeling he does with children. But this pass weekend, things came to a head.

(on camera): Tickle me Elmo? Make that handcuff me Elmo.

MOOS: The raucous he caused prompted police to put on the cuffs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

MOOS: As police led him away, the crowd cheered. Aspiring journalist Kathleen Loftus whipped out her camera in time to capture this.

LOFTUS: His big red feet are popping out.

MOOS: Elmo was not arrested. He was taken to the hospital where they probably did press on his belly. Jeanne Moos, CNN.