Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

At Least 3 Dead in Bus Explosion; Romney Stumps For Votes in Ohio; Blast Kills Four Top Syrian Officials; Historic Drought Hits Half of US; 300,000 Sign to Let Gays in Boy Scouts; World's Most Valuable Sports Team; President Congratulating Baylor Lady Bears; Closer to Finding a Child Killer; Security Hearing Focuses on Flight Schools

Aired July 18, 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: Hello, I'm Don Lemon. Brooke is off today so we're going to get you caught up. It's a very busy hour ahead.

Happening right now, we want to show you, this is where Mitt Romney is going to speak. He's going to be taking the stage in Ohio. But he's not alone in that battleground state. Live pictures now. This is Bowling Green, Ohio. Two big-name surrogates also in the Buckeye State with him. Two surrogates who also happen to be off the list of possible V.P.s. We'll bring you some of Romney's comments in just a moment here on CNN.

But first we want to get to this.

We have some breaking news.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

LEMON: The breaking news is out of Bulgaria. We're getting word that at least three people have been killed, dozens injured in an explosion on a bus outside the Burgas Airport in Bulgaria. The Israeli foreign ministry says the blast occurred on a bus carrying Israeli tourists and that there are several casualties. At this moment, it is not clear whether the explosion was a result of an attack. Also -- although, I should say, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is already pointing the finger now at Iran. An Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, saying the blast is, quote, "clearly a terrorist attack." She's joining me now from Jerusalem, Elise Labott.

Elise, what more can you tell us about this breaking news story?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Don, it happened just several hours ago, 5:00 p.m. Bulgaria time. Just after the Israeli tourists landed at Burgas Airport, they were on their bus in the parking area and just moments later there was an explosion. Eyewitnesses are talking about harrowing accounts of hearing that explosion, seeing that tour bus just feet from them. There were a group of tour buses. And seeing dead women, dead people lying on the ground trying to grab their bodies. Defense Minister Ehud Barak just spoke moments ago. Left no doubt about who he thought it was. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHUD BARAK, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: This is clearly a terrorist attack initiated by probably Hezbollah, Hamas, Jihad or any other group under the terror (INAUDIBLE) of either Iran or other radical Muslim groups. We're in a continued fight against them. We are determined to identify who send them, who executed it and to settle the account.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LABOTT: And, Don, we have to be careful to note that we -- CNN has not independently confirmed that this is a terrorist attack, but certainly that's what the Israelis believe. And Prime Minister Netanyahu just put out a statement moment ago. And we have to note, there have been a lot of threats against Israeli targets in the last year in Georgia, in areas like India, in Kenya. There really has been a feeling that Iran has been targeting Israel for some time and Israeli fears, they say, have, unfortunately, come true, Don.

LEMON: All right, Elise, thank you very much. We're going to stay on top of this story and bring you updates just as soon as we get them here on CNN.

Now, if it's interesting and it's happening now, "Rapid Fire." So, let's go.

Syrian rebels dance in the streets after an explosion strikes a major blow to Syria's president, Bashar al Assad. The blast killed four top government officials, including Syria's defense minister and his deputy, who also happens to be Assad brother-in-law. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says it's time for the U.S. and other countries to put maximum pressure on Assad to quit. And he warns Syria to guard its big stash of chemical weapons.

Kerry Kennedy says doctors believe a partial seizure was the cause of an accident that resulted in charges of driving while impaired. The daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy pleaded not guilty at a hearing yesterday and was released on her own recognizance. She was found by state police behind the wheel of her damaged SUV last Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY KENNEDY: I remember getting on the highway and then I have no memory until I was stopped at a traffic light and a police officer was at my car door.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Kennedy said she was tested for drugs and alcohol and the results were negative. And the doctors concluded she had suffered a partial seizure.

We showed you the image here on CNN yesterday. A plane flying over Penn State with a banner, "take the statue down or we will." A reference to the school statue of the late Joe Paterno. Well, today, CNN has learned more about the person behind that banner. It's actually the same person who paid for this banner that flew over the Tiger Woods event when he teed off during the Masters in 2010. The owner of the plane, the company told us, the person is a do-gooder and when he sees something that he thinks is wrong or offensive, well, he just says something about it.

A renovation celebration in Texas to tell you about. Governor Rick Perry and his family are moving back into the governor's mansion in Austin after four years of repairs that cost $25 million. The arsonist who threw a Molotov cocktail at the building back in 2008 causing extensive damage has not been caught still and the mansion had no sprinklers then, but it does now, along with state of the art fire protection.

In Columbus, Ohio, a burglary suspects daring escape is caught on camera. Police responded to a report of shots fired. And after briefly detaining a suspect, well the -- he gets loose and then he sprints to a police cruiser. There you see him. And that's when police began to shoot.

It's really incredible video there you're looking at. The man eventually crashed the cruiser and he was arrested. And police say one man was found dead outside the burglarized apartment and another suspect is still on the loose. They're trying to figure out exactly what went on there.

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has a warning this week for his listeners. Beware, there's a liberal conspiracy hidden within the new Batman movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES": What are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES": I'm Gotham's reckoning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That is Bane, the latest evil doer in the movie "Dark Knight Rises." Bane as in b-a-n-e. But Limbaugh sees a reference here to the company Mitt Romney used to run.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST (voice-over): Do you think that it is accidental that the name of the really vicious, fire breathing, four-eyed whatever it is villain in this movie is named Bane?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, you can probably imagine the Internet is buzzing with Limbaugh's assertions that the new Batman movie has an ulterior, political motive.

And speaking of politics now, let's turn to the campaign trail, shall we. Mitt Romney about to speak to a crowd in Ohio, as rumors swirl about who he will pick as his running mate. Live pictures now you're looking at in Bowling Green. Let's go to our political editor, Mr. Paul Steinhauser.

Paul, any new buzz on a VP pick?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, the reason that people are buzzing today is because of that live picture you're showing there right now, Don. That is the community center in Bowling Green in the northwest part of the state. And people are wondering, would Mitt Romney make his announcement today. He's in Ohio. Remember, four years ago, you flash back, John McCain announced Sarah Palin. He unveiled Palin, the Alaska governor at the time, as his running mate. Ohio an important battleground state. So that's why some people were thinking it could happen today or maybe even Friday when Romney is in New Hampshire. Another important battleground state.

But, you know, the conventional wisdom is, he's going to do it after he comes back from his overseas trip. Remember, next week he leaves for London for the Olympics and then for Israel and other spots overseas. So the idea is that probably he would do it after he comes back and after the Olympics are over on the 12th.

And Ann Romney, his wife, today in an interview that's going to run tomorrow morning on "Good Morning America," she said, quote, "we're not quite there yet" when it comes to the running mate hunt.

But, Don, you've got a couple other interesting things. Take a look at this. There is a short list. These are some of the names that may be on it. We don't know for sure. Mitt Romney's not telling us. But those names, Senator Rob Portman comes up all the time, of course, from Ohio. Former Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota. Remember, he ran against Romney for the GOP nomination last year. Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the House Budget chairman, and Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana governor. Guess where Jindal is today? Ohio. Separately though.

LEMON: Also in Ohio.

STEINHAUSER: Also in Ohio. In Columbus, Ohio, a couple of hours away, stumping for Romney. So a lot of (INAUDIBLE).

LEMON: And Jeb Bush is there -- Jeb Bush is there as well, but Jeb Bush said no, no, no, he's not going to do it.

STEINHAUSER: No, no, his name did come up and you're right, he said no, no.

LEMON: Yes. You're the man who always has the poll numbers and every day you're like, I have some new poll numbers. So, listen, how did -- you're talking about these VP picks. How do they play into how people vote?

STEINHAUSER: You know, most people say, guess what, you know, you're voting for the person at the top of the ticket, the president, be it President Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, not the number two. But this is interesting. A CBS/"New York Times" poll out today announced just how important is that vice presidential nomination pick to your vote for president? Well, about one in four say, you know what, it matters to me a lot. Almost half said it matters somewhat. And you can see at the bottom there, Don, one in four say, ah, it doesn't matter at all. I'm voting for the person at the top of the ticket.

Don.

LEMON: They say it just like that, ah?

STEINHAUSER: Ah, just like that, yes.

LEMON: All right, thank you very much. And we should say that, you know, Ohio is not just a -- it's not a battleground state, it's the battleground state. And again, there we are. Thanks, Paul.

STEINHAUSER: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: We're going to keep an eye on the speech and bring you some of Romney's comments as they get underway. We're not going far away from that.

Romney just can't shake calls to release more tax returns. Campaigning in Pennsylvania, he reiterated that he will not release added years, added years of tax returns, claiming Democrats would distort what they find.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My experience is that the Democratic Party these days has approached taxes in a very different way than in the past. They're opposition people look for anything they can find to distort, to twist and to try and make negative. And I want to make this a campaign about the economy and creating jobs. And they want to make this a campaign about attacking people and diverting attention from our job picture in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You know what, a growing chorus of Republicans are calling for Romney to release more tax returns. The latest, Texas Governor Rick Perry.

We've got a lot more to cover in the next two hours. So take a look.

Striking Syria's inner circle. A bomb blast kills top officials of the al Assad regime, including the president's own brother-in-law. As the opposition celebrates, the world waits and wonders, is today a turning point in Damascus?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: This is a situation that is rapidly spinning out of control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Plus, the drought of the century wreaking havoc on our nation's crop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SMOCK, INDIANA FARMER: Some of our corn, it was so hot and dry that it -- that it tasseled early. And all of a sudden there was no silks that came out because there wasn't any moisture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And we'll all be paying for it soon.

And the Boy Scouts of America reconfirm their national message, no gays allowed. But one ousted scout leader has a message of her own -- make that 300,000 messages.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A deadly attack in Syria strikes at the very heart of President Bashar al Assad's regime and sends Syrians into the streets to celebrate. A device exploded during a crisis meeting of top government officials in Damascus today killing four members of President Assad's inner circle. Among the dead are Syria's defense minister and his deputy, who was also Assad's close friend and brother-in-law. Syrian's interior minister and President Assad's security advisor are also dead. Syrian rebels are claiming responsibility.

Now this attack is grabbing the attention of the highest levels of world governments. President Obama and Russian President Putin talk about Syria by phone. And, this morning, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called for an international effort to get President Assad to quit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: This is a situation that is rapidly spinning out of control. And for that reason, it's extremely important that the international community, working with other countries that have concerns in that area, have to bring maximum pressure on Assad to do what's right, to step down and to allow for that peaceful transition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Now to CNN's Arwa Damon tracking all of the developments in Syria from her vantage point in Beirut. Lebanon.

So, Arwa, this is the rebels boldest move yet. And they are better armed and better coordinated than many has suspected.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And they are certainly developing pretty sophisticated capabilities if, in fact, this was an attack that they did carry out. According to one of their deputy commanders, this was a by-product of some pretty lengthy coordination between a number of free Syrian army Damascus brigades, as well as those coming from other parts of the country. They managed to somehow get these explosives into the national security headquarters, where this meeting is said to have taken place, and then detonate them by remote. An indication that there must have been some sort of inside help. Someone who had access to these individuals, to this highly secure location, sympathizing with the opposition and with the rebels. This is certain to be sending President Bashar al Assad a clear message that he and his inner circle are not safe.

Now, there have been some conflicting reports, Don, though, as to what exactly has taken place. The government is saying that it was carried out by a terrorist who was wearing a suicide vest. But we're really seeing the ripple effect of this throughout all of Damascus.

LEMON: So they're going to -- they think it's an inside job. The question is, too, where was President Assad at the time, Arwa?

DAMON: Yes. His locations always very difficult to ascertain. As far as we are aware, he was not at this meeting. He could have been at the presidential palace. It is not that far away from where this meeting is said to have taken place. This just in the hilltops above it.

This particular neighborhood is very close to where the U.S. embassy used to be up until it closed back earlier this year. It is also very close to where the president himself resides.

Out of all of these four individuals that were killed, it is perhaps the deputy minister of defense, so not the highest ranking official, but the most significant. Assef Shawkat was the president's brother- in-law, close friend, confidant. The man who many people said was really the strong arm, the iron fist behind the president himself. The news that we're getting from Damascus right now are of complete and total chaos, Don. Clashes in a number of neighborhoods. Intense shelling. Reports that pro-government thugs are taking to the streets with knives. It's most certainly not an image of a government that has control over its own capital at this point.

LEMON: Arwa Damon reporting. Thank you, Arwa.

And can anything -- anything be done about the unrest in Syria? Our Wolf Blitzer has a rare interview today with King Abdullah of Jordan. Watch "The Situation Room" today 4:00 p.m. Eastern right here of course on CNN.

Ninety-six million acres, 96 million acres of corn planted this spring. Millions of acres dry as a bone this summer. It is the worst drought in decades. Our severe weather team joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: One of the worst droughts to hit the U.S. in 100 years is taking a huge toll on this year's crops. And that means your wallet will take a hit as well. Hot, dry weather is crippling corn, soybean crops and natural disasters have declared in 26 years. All of this has devastated farmers, who are now worrying about how much damage their harvest and livelihood can take. Our Rob Marciano is in Indiana.

Rob. ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Don, of all the states in the corn belt, this one, Indiana, hit the hardest by the heat and drought. A couple of hours to our south in Indianapolis, they've seen less than a 0.10 of an inch of rain in the past 46 days. That's a record. A record high yesterday again, 101 degrees. And it's going to be another steamy day today.

Spring, though, was perfect conditions to plant. So across the U.S., 96 million acres of corn was planted. But then the heat and the drought hit and these stalks, that should be up and over my head, are well below that, stunted because of the heat and the drought. So as you can imagine, farmers are struggling. We've been talking to a bunch of them and, this morning, also talked to one gentleman who kind of helps facilitate what's going to happen between them and the federal government. One of the undersecretaries of agriculture, in just a few minutes, is going to hold a briefing up there to talk about what the feds may do with this. But there's been a lot of misconceptions about what the Americans think of farmers nowadays. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG HOVERMALE, DISTRICT DIRECTOR, INDIANA FARM SERVICES AGENCY: Farmers are individual businessmen that are a true -- one of the last really entrepreneurs, individuals, left, you know, as far as small business in the United States. And they do a terrific job. And I think there's a misconception that they're on the government payroll. And that's not true anymore. There was a time period when we had low, low prices where we had payments to get some assistance (ph) going there. But the last four or five years, the prices have rebounded. On the farm -- the farm life has been pretty good. This is the first setback that we've had for several years.

BOB SMOCK, INDIANA FARMER: Eight to 90 percent of our corn has already -- in this area has already established itself. And so the rain's not going to help it at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: This is what they'd like to see more of. The problem is, these are few and far between. A nice healthy ear of corn. This is what most of the stalks look like or have. And this one's not even pollinated. So they're just trying to hold on to what they have. And of the crop at last check, 30 percent is about what they consider to be good. So that's doing a number of things. It has the farmers scrambling and praying for rain, but also it's shooting commodity prices up. And you and me, Don, are going to see this at the grocery stores before too long in the way of higher food prices.

Back to you.

LEMON: You and me and a whole lot of other folks. Thank you very much for that, Rob Marciano.

So which states are hit hardest by this drought. You're probably living in one of them, as a matter of fact. Ahead, we will talk with our meteorologist Chad Myers, who has some very interesting information for you.

And just a quick note for those of you who are heading out of the door. Maybe you're heading out to lunch or maybe you're going to work. You can continue watching CNN on your mobile phone. Again, if you're headed into the office, you can also watch CNN live from your desktop. Just go to cnn.com/tv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: As promised at the top of this broadcast, we would take you back to Bowling Green, Ohio, when Mitt Romney took to the stage. And there he is. Let's listen in.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What would happen if the president's tax policies actually were enacted, because this tax policy is to take the tax on small business from 35 percent to 40 percent. I say that because most small businesses are taxed as individuals. And he wants to raise the marginal tax rate from 35 to 40 percent. And they (INAUDIBLE) came back with a number. They said if that policy gets put in place, it will kill 710,000 jobs. That's the direction of this president.

And there's something else I think that you ought to know. And that is, when something's in trouble, when people need good jobs, you would think the president would focus all of his energy and his passion on helping people get jobs. But you know what he's been doing over the last six months? Yes, in the last six months, he has held 100 fund- raisers. And guess how many meetings he's had with his jobs council? None. Zero. Zero in the last six months. So it makes it very clear where his priorities here. His priority is not creating jobs for you, his priority is trying to keep his own job. And that's why he's going to lose it.

He is simply out of touch with what's happening in this country. And he's out of ideas. He's offered no new ideas to get the economy going, other than to send in another bailout to states. Do you want another bailout, governor? No, no. The Republican governors aren't looking for another bailout. He's out of touch. He's out of ideas. He's out of excuses. And that's why November we've got to get him out of office.

Now, on Friday he said something which the governor eluded to, which really reveals what he thinks about our country, about our people, about free enterprise, about freedom, about individual initiative, about America. And you've heard it already and I've seen some signs that reference it. I just want to say it exactly as he said it. Speaking about small business and businesses of all kind, he said this. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. How many people here -- would the people who began a business or who are leading a business in this room please stand up.

Wow. Thank you. Thank you.

Let me -- don't sit down. Stand up. Stand up. Keep standing up. Keep standing up.

LEMON: Mitt Romney in Bowling Green, Ohio. Of course he's going to be hammering home that message until the November election coming up very soon and it's going to get harder and harder, these messages. He is, again, in Bowling Green, Ohio where it's no green on the ground according to our meteorologist, Chad Myers, because, as we have reported here on CNN, a huge drought is affecting more than half of the country with disaster declarations in 26 states. And I want to go now to Chad Myers for more on which states are taking the biggest hits.

You're the one that said, yes, he's in Bowling Green, but no green on the ground.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, he's getting a bird's eye view as he flew in and then driving around he has seen the devastation in Ohio from Indiana back to Illinois.

All the states that really are the bread basket, the places that make the food that we eat. Let's get to it. Let's go state by state. We'll break it down for you.

What has happened here is that we had an amazing planting season. We have great corn prices because ethanol has raised the prices of corn because they use the ethanol, use the corn to make the ethanol and then we put it in our tanks. So that's great.

But so many farmers planted corn this year trying to cash in on that money. We have corn planted where maybe it shouldn't be planted. Maybe they should have planted beans. Beans, a lot more drought resistant.

Starting in May a drought started through here. It literally stopped raining. We didn't have a severe weather season in May or June across most of the U.S. That's the area that was hit very hard by the lack of rain.

Indiana has planted 12.2 million acres of corn this year, 71 percent is poor or worse. Illinois, 22 almost 23 million acres of corn, 56 is poor or worst. Kansas, half of it, poor or worse, which means you're going to make 10, 20, maybe 30 percent of what you could have.

In some places you just going to plow it under or make it into silage, Iowa 27 percent poor. But that's the biggest state at 24 million acres. Nebraska where I grew up, 27 percent, 19 million acres planted.

And that's not the wholly thing, we talk a lot about how cow's eat corn. But you know what? Cows eat grass for the first couple of years of their life. You can't just start feeding them corn when they are born. They need hay. They need pasture.

Missouri 92 percent of your pasture is in poor or very poor condition. Indiana, there's no hay. There's no grass for these animals to eat. You're going to have to ship it in, bring it in from someplace else and all the other towns and all the other states that I see, Don, they are not making hay either.

You know, what they say, make hay while the sun is shining. The sun is shining too much this year. We needed some rain and it's going to take a lot to make this come back. I don't think we're going to see it.

LEMON: You stole my line. I say that to people and they go, what do you say? Make hay while the sun is shining. You're depressing a lot of people, but it is reality.

MYERS: It is reality. We're going to live with this all the way through the end of the season that's September or October hoping for some rain. But I just don't think even rain right now is going to help a lot of those crops where Rob Marciano was today.

LEMON: Yes, we'd had a lot here and the Georgia area. A lot, but those folks aren't getting any. Thank you very much. We'll check back with you next hour, Chad. Appreciate it.

One woman is taking on the Boy Scouts of America. She is a former Cub Scout den leader. She claims he was dismissed because she is gay. She just delivered petitions with 300,000 signatures to the national headquarters. I'll talk with her, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This next story has been trending all over the place. If you are gay you cannot be a Boy Scout or a scout leader for a matter of fact. That's what the Boy Scouts of America just reaffirmed yesterday in a national announcement.

But that did not stop one former Cub Scout den leader from pushing forward with her petition. Today, Jennifer Tyrell dropped off 300,000 signatures to the National Scout Headquarters in Irving, Texas.

Well, her petition asked that the Boy Scouts of America reinstate her and to end their policy on banding homosexuals from the group. In April her troop dismissed her because she is gay.

Jennifer Tyrell joins me now live from Dallas, Texas. Thank you, Jennifer, for joining us. Are you doing OK?

JENNIFER TYRELL, FORMER CUB SCOUT DEN LEADER: I am. Thanks for having me.

LEMON: We should tell you that we just confirmation from the Boy Scouts of America that you will not get your job back and that you will not be reinstated.

Here's what they say in a statement. The statement reads the BSA values the freedom of everyone to express their opinion and believes to disagree does not mean to disrespect." What's your response to that?

TYRELL: That's pretty much the statement that they've put out there numerous times before. I knew the statement going into the meeting. I didn't expect to change anything today necessarily.

But it was still nice to be heard along with those 300,000 signatures were tens of thousands of comments from scouts, former scouts, current scouts who disagree with the decision to keep this policy in place.

During our meeting, I asked for proof of this two-year 11 person committee. I just wanted to see some records saying where is the proof that people want this. They couldn't produce it.

LEMON: Let me ask you this. Because you said that you disagree with them. They disagree with you and they said that doesn't mean they are disrespecting you. But do you feel disrespected?

TYRELL: I don't think it was their intention to personally disrespect me. Unfortunately, it's just a policy that we need to update a little bit. I love scouts as everybody probably knows by now.

Crews love scouts. We don't have any ill feelings towards the scouts. We just want to be included. Just because we delivered the petition today definitely doesn't mean we're done. We're going to continue that petition to change that.

LEMON: How is Crews doing? Because he is 7 years old, he loved being a boy scout. I love being a boy scout when I was a kid. If I had been pulled out, I would have been heartbroken.

So I'm sure you're torn about even taking him out and just continuing your crusade leaving him in or taking him out. How is he dealing with this? Does he understand what's going on?

TYRELL: He understands to the best of his ability. He doesn't really understand discrimination because he's not been taught to discrimination. He treats everybody equally and doesn't understand why people aren't treating us equally.

He's sad because he doesn't get to do the things that he thought he was going to get to do this summer with his friends in scouts. But ultimately we can't continue to support this organization that doesn't support our family.

LEMON: Does he understand that he has two mommies? Have you spoken to him? He gets that, right?

TYRELL: For sure. He has two moms. He has a dad. He has more people to love him than most kids.

LEMON: Because what the scout said is that children shouldn't learn about sexuality at all except from their own families and at a time when the parents or families feel it's appropriate to them. So what does that have to do with you?

TYRELL: I don't know. I agree with that statement. I've never taught anybody's child about sexuality. It never came up. It never came up until the Boy Scouts of America brought it up.

We were just scouts. We went about our daily lives with our scouting and knot tying and whatever else we do. But it never came up and it shouldn't. I agree with that statement. I didn't bring it up. They did.

LEMON: You sound a little sort of downtrodden and I don't know what your normal tone is, but you sound a little --

TYRELL: I'm not. It's been a day. I'm actually very optimistic. I think the fact that they've met with me is a huge turning point. I think the fact that they came out with their findings yesterday, to me doesn't deter me in any way. It feels me like they're finally listening.

LEMON: Are you going to sue?

TYRELL: No. I'm not interested in causing any grief. I just want to be included. We love scouts. We're going to keep up. This petition will be open until we win.

LEMON: Jennifer Tyrell, thank you and give our best to Crews. I hope he's enjoying his summer like a lot of little boys and little girls are doing around the country. Thank you.

TYRELL: Thank you.

LEMON: OK, now, sports fans, listen up. Sure your favorite team might be priceless to you, but "Forbes" magazine, well, they beg to differ.

Just released its list of the world's most valuable sports scene. Coming in fifth, here we go even with only three playoff appearance in more than a decade. The Washington Redskins are still worth $1.5 billion tying for third spot Skin fans not going to like this.

It's America's team, the most valuable in the NFL at $1.85 billion. That's the Dallas Cowboys, tying for third, New York Yankees. Did your team make the top two, the most valuable sports team? We'll tell you right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, "Forbes" has released its annual list of most valuable sports team. Before the break, we gave you three of the top five. Does you favorite team make that list? Well, let's find out.

Taking the number two spot here. Call it soccer or call it football, whatever you want. Real Madrid is working in the dough, it's worth $1.88 billion. The number world's most valuable sports team, guess what it is? It is Manchester United at $2.23 billion. We knew that.

All right, well, let's talk more about sports. It's happening right now. President Barack Obama welcomes the 2012 NCAA Women's Basketball champion Baylor Bears to the White House. There they are, looking good.

He's congratulating them for their historic unbeaten season. They were 40-0 in their NCAA title. Coach Kim Mulkey, well, she was the women's coach of the year, as well she should be for the record like that.

The president will also highlight the Lady Bears for their commitment that they have made to their community including their work with students and the homeless in the Waco area. Very impressive women, impressive team. Congratulations to them.

Michigan detectives ask for the public's help to solve cold cases. Four kids killed and evidence is found in a 1966 Pontiac Bonnaville.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Here's a fascinating cold case to tell you about here. Once again, new DNA has brought new life to a cold case. A string of child murders in Michigan from the mid-1970s, the evidence led to a convicted sex offender who is already serving life.

But get this, he's not the killer. Prosecutors hope by putting his name and face out there the murder of these two boys and another two victims will come to light.

Kevin Deates from our Detroit affiliate, WDIV explains it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN DEATES, WDIV REPORTER (voice-over): Take a look at Art Sloan. A 70-year-old convicted pedophile serving life in prison. Police say a hair found in his 1966 Bonneville is a DNA match to hairs found on the victims of Mark Stevens and Timothy King.

JESSICA COOPER, OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Those hairs recovered from the boys' bodies have the same MT DNA profile as the hair recovered from the 1966 Pontiac Bonneville.

DEATES: But the hair in the Bonneville is not Art Sloan's hair. Police believe it belongs to one of his friends or associates. Sloan isn't talking.

So police are asking for the public to help. This is what Sloan looked like in the 1970s. Do you know him? Do you know any of his friends? One of them may be the Oakland County child killer.

SHERIFF MICHAEL BOUCHARD, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: This actually has physical evidence on two of their victims. Physical evidence in the car or a person that we think is connected to or knows who that hair belongs to.

COOPER: We are asking for any assistance that the public can give to identify and locate Sloan's associates and friends from that time period.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, that was Kevin Deates reporting. We're going to go to the prosecutor we saw in that story. Her name is Jessica Cooper. She joins me now by phone from Pontiac, Michigan.

Miss Cooper, Art Sloan is serving life in prison and it must be so frustrating to you to have him sitting there and not really helping you out.

Is there anything more you can do to get him cooperate like maybe improve his prison conditions or anything like that?

COOPER (via telephone): No. He is serving a life sentence and he really has no incentive. We'll help you in on that life sentence to something that will give you another life sentence.

He is a very sophisticated man. He has a considerable IQ. They have interviewed him for a period of time. So what the task force did is they spent time an (inaudible) amount of time tracking down family members, friends, as much as we could.

We reached a point particularly about a month ago when we got confirmation on the fourth hair where we sat down in terms of law enforcement and said OK. We have done what we've done and we have investigated as best we can.

Now we're going to turn to the media who has always been fascinated by this. We want the public to know that what we have been working at is science. What we've been working at is forensic evidence.

LEMON: Can we talk a little bit more about this science because as you said in the story, you're looking with MT, with is mitochondrial DNA. It doesn't mean that it actually belongs to the person who may have killed these kids or had something to do it. It could be a family member.

COOPER: It means that this is -- how should I say this in terms of simplicity thinking, simplicity language is that we're in the ballpark. We don't have the pew.

What it means is that mitochondrial DNA was -- has been used to identify specific people. Mitochondrial DNA is not autosomal DNA. Autosomal DNA is what we see on television all the time, the CSI.

What we have is something that is really half of the chromosome. That testing for us in Michigan is not done in Michigan. It's sent out to the FBI lab in Quantico.

LEMON: Can I jump in here and ask you something?

COOPER: Sure.

LEMON: In layman terms as we say, this evidence has been linked to two killings, the killings of two boys. The 12-year-old Mark Stevens I believe and 11-year-old Timothy King, is there any indication that the same person killed the girls, the 10-year-old and the 12-year-old?

COOPER: There has been -- that hair, there were no hairs found on Jill Robinson and on Christine Pallet there was a hair, but it's not related to these four hairs that we're talking about. That is not a profile here or an MT DNA or mitochondrial DNA profile.

So, yes, there was a hair on one of the girls, but it bears no relationship to what we're talking about. What we have is a tie between the two boys and between this hair that is found in the 1966 Bonneville. What that is again is mitochondrial DNA. It will give you probabilities into the thousands. But what we find to be as we say the momentous decision or the momentous finding is that there are four items and those items, Mark Stevens was killed in 1976 and Timothy King was killed in 1977 and the profiles are the same.

LEMON: Ms. Cooper, we have to go. Thank you very much. Jessica Cooper is a prosecutor in this case. It's certainly fascinating. Again, we appreciate it here.

Moving on, an explosion outside an airport in Bulgaria on a bus carrying Israeli tourists. Several people are killed and the Israeli prime minister is pointing the finger at Iran.

Plus more than a decade after the September 11 attack, could American flight school still unknowingly be training terrorists?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It has been more than a decade since 9/11 when terrorists came into our country, trained at our flight schools and murdered thousands of innocent people.

And we have learned a lot of lessons since then about our national security. But according to a new report, it looks like we are still not doing enough.

I want to bring in Chris Lawrence here who has more on a House Homeland Security Committee hearing that got under way this morning. So Chris, what exactly does this report say? It's certainly is a bit disturbing.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Bottom line, Don, it's scary. It's showing that 10 years after most of us thought these problems had been completely fixed. This report shows there are serious loopholes in the program and that terrorists could still be receiving flight training right here in the United States.

Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen is supposed to go through a threat assessment program before being allowed to take flight training. That includes a criminal background check checked against the terrorist database.

Passport, everything is supposed to be checked out, immigration status, but some foreign nationals are not being vetted and still allowed to go to flight schools. Others who have been vetted should never have passed.

Illegal immigrants are not allowed to take flight training, for instance. Immigration authorities busted a school up in Boston just a couple of years ago in which they were basically handing out student visas and allowing some of these people to take flight training.

They weren't even in the country legally. In fact, three of them already had their pilot's license. Listen to this exchange from a congressman to the GAO official who conducted this investigation in this report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R), ALABAMA: Based on your report, the Transportation Security Administration cannot assure the American people that foreign terrorists are not in this country learning how to fly airplanes? Yes or no?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this time, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: At this time, no, very chilling words to anyone who is involved in this and anyone who flies out there or has family flying that 10 years on these loopholes still exist, Don.

LEMON: Absolutely.

Chris Lawrence, thank you.