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Gas Prices Surge; U.S. in Severe Drought; Dr. Accused of Waterboarding His Daughter; Battle for Aleppo; Boy Dies Before Meeting His Hero; Romney Raising Cash In New Jersey and New York; Obama Campaigns In Colorado; Movie Massacre Suspect Due In Court; Bomb In A Bag Undetected For Weeks; Patient Evacuated From Antarctica; Madonna Angers Russian Authority
Aired August 09, 2012 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Don Lemon, my friend, thank you very much.
I'm Alina Cho, in for Brooke Baldwin. Thanks so much for joining us. We're glad you're with us.
A lot of news to bring you over the next two hours. But I want to begin with something on the minds of many Americans. You have been watching gas prices heading up for weeks. So just how bad is it? Well, from New England to California, AAA says gas prices jumped an average of more than 5 percent in July. That's the largest increase ever recorded in one month. And it's about to get worse. A refinery fire in Richmond, California, is the latest disruption being blamed for sending gas prices up and up and up again.
Here's how things went down. Or should I say, up. On Monday, the fire starts at the Chevron refinery. The very next day, wholesale gas prices shot up in California 30 cents a gallon, with analysts warning the price could jump another 5 cents a gallon within days. Now the market did calm a bit by Wednesday, but there are growing concerns we could see another jump in prices.
So what happens next? Depends on how badly the Richmond refinery is damaged.
We want to bring in CNN's Dan Simon. He is in Richmond right outside the refinery.
So, Dan, we know that the rise in gas prices is directly linked to how long that refinery is offline. So just how badly was it damaged?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the refinery behind me. And it seems to be severely crippled. Chevron just saying that it's operating at a diminished capacity in the wake of that fire on Monday night.
We should point out that this is the third largest refinery in the state of California. It processes, Alina, about 240,000 barrels of crude oil every single day. So that is why you're seeing these gas prices go up anywhere from 15 to 35 cents a gallon. That's what the analysts are saying. Now, you might think it would be simple to bring in supplies from other parts of the country, but, no, California actually has strict environmental regulations that require a special blend of gasoline, so that's why it's not so easy just bringing in gas from other parts of the United States, Alina.
CHO: Dan, as you well know, on Tuesday night, Chevron met with residents in the area over health concerns that those residents were having. Emotions ran high. Hundreds of people basically shouting and booing the Chevron managers. Let's listen to some of that meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First and foremost, Chevron will take responsibility for all legitimate claims that come in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're putting this poison out here, killing us, and it's not just happening -- is it happening in y'all's neighborhood? No, it's not!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do I have to look forward to having cancer? Does my grandchild have to look forward to having cancer?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Wow. Has the community calmed down at all, or what has the reaction been?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's all right.
SIMON: We should point out that environmentalist activists have long expressed concerns about this Chevron refinery. Neighbor who live in the area have been concerned for many years. So the fact that you had this incident, that only caused people to really get upset.
Now, we know that hundreds of people did flock to area emergency rooms complaining of respiratory problems. Chevron says it will pay for legitimate claims. We know that lawyers have already lined up looking to file lawsuits. But one thing we should point out is that the local government that is responsible for some of the bay area regulations, they came in here the night of the fire, they looked at the air levels here and they said that actually the pollution levels were below what federal standards call for. So sort of an interesting dynamic. You have neighbors saying that they have all kinds of problems, but apparently, at least according to the local government, the air quality was fine that night, Alina.
CHO: All right, Dan Simon in California for us. Dan, thank you very much.
The West Coast isn't alone in this gas price surge. This summer, a leaking pipeline in the upper Midwest created some of the biggest price hikes. Just look at this. Between July 30th and August 6th, gas prices shot up 40 cents a gallon in Illinois. That's the highest in the country. The leak is blamed for boosting Michigan prices by 38 cents. And in Wisconsin, gas prices shot up 33 cents a gallon. The pipeline reopened on Tuesday and AAA says Illinois gas prices are beginning to fall, but just a bit.
Gas isn't the only budget buster this summer. Anyone who's been to the grocery store lately won't be surprised at all by a United Nations report released today. It found that global food prices jumped 6 percent in July. The main driver of that jump is corn. According to the U.N. report, corn prices alone surged 23 percent last month. That's nearly a quarter increase. Things that cost more in July? Cereal, peanut butter, and margarine, to name just a few. And the reason, according to the U.N., this won't surprise you, the record drought across the American heartland.
I want to bring in Chad Myers.
And, Chad, you know, we've been talking so much about the record drought, the record temperatures across much of the nation. I mean, I guess the question I have is, are we going to see any relief anytime soon?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we will. This week it will get cooler and it will -- and it will rain.
CHO: Enough to help the farmers?
MYERS: No, it's too late. The corn is set. You know, you're not going to get a lot more yield from these crops. If we have 50 percent -- and we do -- of the corn crop at poor to very poor, that's a loss of 50 percent yield in those farms. Now -- and very little in good to excellent. That means not very many farms getting that 180, 190 bushel an acre yield like you can on a good year. Some of the irrigated farms are going to do just fine, but the dry land farms are really in bad shape. And even the dry land hay, the grass, is completely gone. Nothing even for the cows to even eat.
July 2012 has now been on record as the highest temperature record month of any month ever. It even surpasses July of 1936. So think about the '30s. What would this year and the '30s have in common? Drought. When you get drought, you don't get water in the ground. You don't get the ground to evaporate that water, so it isn't muggy. But the temperatures go up. And they say it's a dry heat. That's exactly how it happens.
It was the top 10 warmest in 32 states. It was the very warmest in Virginia. You add all those together and you get the hottest month ever on record since we've been keeping records. There goes the cold air, though, by the weekend. Temperatures will be 15 to 20 degrees cooler than you've seen at any time this spring, across Minnesota, Wisconsin. It will finally feel like summer rather than feel like something completely you're not even used to. You know people joked to me, aren't you going -- you're moving to hotlanta 13 years ago. It's not hot. It gets to 90 degrees and it rains. It hasn't done that this year. But we've had temperatures higher than ever.
Alina.
CHO: Well, hopefully we'll see some relief.
MYERS: It's on its way.
CHO: I hope you're right. You usually are. Chad Myers, thank you very much.
MYERS: Thank you.
CHO: A lot more news developing this hour.
A pediatrician behind bars, accused of waterboarding his own daughter. And it's a guy who once spoke to Larry King about near-death experiences. We'll have that story for you next.
Plus, the fighting intensifies inside Syria. Our Ben Wedeman has just left the battle for the country's biggest city, Aleppo. And he's going to join me, live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well, when it comes to disciplining a child, we've just about heard it all. Belts, paddles, even electrical cords, but waterboarding? An 11-year-old girl is accusing her father, who happens to be a pediatrician, of doing just that. Delaware Police arrested Dr. Melvin Morse and his wife. Their daughter accuses Morse of holding her face under a running faucet while her mother stood by and watched and did nothing. And she told police that it happened four times over the course of two years. National correspondent Susan Candiotti is in New York and she is following this story. So, Susan, what kind of charges does the couple face?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alina, this is disturbing to say the very least. Well, they're charged, both of them charged, with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and assault. That's what they were charged with last month. And then that involved a case of him allegedly dragging his daughter across their gravel driveway.
Then, this week, on Monday, when the daughter was brought in for additional questioning by detectives, that's when she allegedly told police that her father had waterboarded her. That's a term that she said he used. As you mentioned, holding her head under a faucet. So that's when they charged them with additional charges of reckless endangerment, four counts each. Dr. Morse has not yet made bail, his wife has.
Alina.
CHO: Just incredible story. This doctor, incredibly, we found out, who I mentioned is a pediatrician, has also been interviewed, as you know, Susan, on various national talk shows, including "Oprah," even made an appearance on "Larry King Live" back in 1991. I guess the bigger question is, there's the 11-year-old and there's also a five-year-old daughter. Where are the kids right now?
CANDIOTTI: Well, they're in protective custody right now. And you're right, he did make appearances on these national talk shows after he had written a book back in 1991 on children having near-death experiences. And here was his appearance on "Larry King Live" back in 1991 talking about that book.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MELVIN MORSE: I have interviewed well over 100 children who have a lack of oxygen to the brain, who are treated with all kinds of medicines, who also are mechanically ventilated and in scary intensive care units, but were not near death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Now, Alina, at the very least, I suppose you could call it a coincidence that he has written such a book and now his daughter is making accusations about waterboarding her. We'll have to see, of course, how this all plays out. We just don't have enough information right now, but very serious charges to say the least.
CHO: And sounds like it's far from a coincidence. All right, Susan Candiotti, we thank you for that. Thanks so much for joining us.
Now to the urgent situation in Syria, where the rebels are apparently retreating from the most important battleground in the race for control of Syria. Our Ben Wedeman has just left Aleppo. He's going to join me live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back.
In Egypt, the Sinai region bordering Israel is seeing more violence. This time gunmen shot up a police station. It's the latest attack in a deadly back and forth between Egyptian security forces and militants. Those militants are suspected of trying to bring down Egypt's peace with Israel. A band of militants killed 16 Egyptian soldiers on Sunday, triggering the conflict. Some of the militants were killed as they entered Israel. This Israeli defense forces video shows how the Air Force took out the armored car that the militants stole. Since then, Egypt has hit the area by air and by ground, even sealing smuggling tunnels that led to Gaza.
Both sides in Syria are reporting heavy fighting in the battle for Aleppo, that's Syria's largest city. And we can see part of a building on fire in this video here. That is usually a sign of artillery strikes by the government. Rebel forces say they have retreated from their former stronghold of Aleppo. Government troops continue to pour in to drive out the rebels entirely. CNN's Ben Wedeman has just gotten out of Aleppo after several harrowing days there as a witness to the fighting. He joins us live from northern Syria.
Ben, glad to hear that you are safe. Over the years you've found yourself in some of the more dangerous situations that any reporter can find themselves in. I'm curious to know, how did that fighting in Aleppo that you just witnessed compare to some of the other battles you've covered?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly dangerous. And, I mean, if you think -- if I think back, in Lebanon and in Gaza, things were very dodgy. I -- what makes Aleppo particularly frightening, so to speak, is the fact that it's in very close quarters. And you could feel this from also the local people there in the areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army, that the worry is that if for some reason the rebels cannot hold up any longer, and the army comes in, the worry is that there will be a blood bath. That all those who express any sympathy, provided any material support for the fighters of the Free Syrian Army will pay a very high price. That there very well could be a massacre. So when you're in Aleppo, it's very much in the back of your mind all the time that what happens if we get stuck and the Syrian army moves in? I doubt they'll be any kinder to foreign journalists than they would be to the local people.
Alina.
CHO: Ben, I think a lot of our viewers are not aware that you have actually lived in Aleppo before all of this fighting began. I'm just curious to know, as someone who has lived there before, who has been a witness, not just to the fighting, but to the humanitarian crisis, what that has been like for you to see all of that and to go back now?
WEDEMAN: Well, what was interesting was that when we entered Aleppo, we actually went through a government-controlled area, which was just a few blocks from where I used to live. And I had a great urge to tell the driver, turn left, let's go see my house. But I sort of came to my senses and decided not to.
But it's really eerie. When I lived in Aleppo, there was tension, actually, because this was sort of as another revolt against Hafez al Assad, Bashar al Assad's father, had come to an end, but there was lingering tension and bitterness and resentment against the government. So I was very well (ph) of the fact back then that there was the potential for this.
But by and large, when I lived there with my wife and my young daughter at the time, life was peaceful. The people were very friendly and outgoing. But that friendliness always ended when you got on to politics. Then people would sort of freeze up, change the subject, and try to move on to something else. But it's very strange when you go back to a city that you always thought of as peaceful and discover that it's become a battleground.
Alina.
CHO: Well, sure. I'm curious to know, too -- I'm curious to know, Ben, too, were you able to speak to any of the people you knew back then? And if so, how are they making out? I mean we've been hearing for days now, for weeks, about how the civilians are having, you know, just people trying to go about their lives are having such trouble even getting something as simple as a loaf of bread.
WEDEMAN: Well, I didn't -- I wasn't able to speak to anybody I knew before, although I did run into somebody who said he remembered me from my workplace, which was in international agricultural research center. But certainly, you know, I could, you know, talk about parts of town, places, restaurants, stores that other people, you know, that, you know, we had that much in common. But I'm hoping to be able to go back and actually go see the people I do know. But at the moment, obviously, communications are a bit difficult.
Alina.
CHO: Well, Ben Wedeman, we're so glad that we were able to speak to you live from northern Syria. We hope to speak to you again in the next hour. Thanks so much.
And back here at home, a heart-breaking story. The last wish of a dying child is to meet his favorite NBA player. And as that player heads to the airport to meet the boy, we just got word today that the little boy has died. I am going to speak with the NBA star, Roy Hibbert, who is sitting right now at the airport and vowing to still make the trip, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: We wanted to tell you a story about a NBA superstar fulfilling a dying 12-year-old boy's dream. Indiana Pacer's center Roy Hibbert, right now, is sitting in the airport in Indianapolis. He was due to fly out today to meet Lee Eddins, a California boy with stage four leukemia. It was the boy's dream to meet his hero, Roy Hibbert, before he died. We just got words a couple of hours ago that it had indeed happened and our newsroom naturally went silent when we heard the news. In fact, we struggled whether we should even do the story, but Roy Hibbert is still flying to Sacramento to be with the boy's family and he joins us by phone from Indianapolis.
Roy, this was so heartbreaking when we heard this. It was supposed to be a heartwarming story. What you were doing was so incredible to go out and visit this boy. I'm curious to know, when did you hear the news?
ROY HIBBERT, INDIANA PACERS (via telephone): I actually was in the car headed to the airport when I got a phone call from somebody within the Pacer's organization telling me that he passed away within the hour. And I'm very saddened and distraught.
CHO: Of course. You know, I was reading the article that said that it was supposed to be a surprise. Do you have any idea whether Lee knew that you were going to go out there to visit him?
HIBBERT: Well, I'm not actually sure if he knew personally, but I know that his family knew. And, you know, we were going to surprise him and, you know, let him know that, you know, I think about him and he's a strong, strong guy. And, you know, unfortunately, he didn't make it. But, you know, I wanted him to know and I want his family to know that I want to keep Lee's memory alive and his spirit alive and, you know, I want to be a part of this cause, and, you know, I haven't really attached (ph) myself to something, but I really feel that I need to let people know how they can, you know, possibly save or help somebody's life out by going to bethematch.org and, you know -- or going to a local location where you can get a cotton swab of your mouth and, you know, you're within a database and, you know, maybe a year or two from now, you know, you may be, you know, presented with an opportunity to help somebody out. And I think I need to be a part of this cause. CHO: I think it's important to remind our viewers, and I know this is part of the reason why you're speaking to us, is that these statistics are just so incredible. When it comes to bone marrow matches, African- Americans have less than a 17 percent chance to find a match, compared to 70 percent for Caucasians. It's really incredible. And part of what you're trying to do by talking to us is raise awareness, isn't it?
HIBBERT: Yes. You know, I planned on getting a swab done hopefully while I'm out there, but I could do that -- have a chance to do that. But first and foremost, I want to, you know, get to know the family and let them know that, you know, I'm here for them in whatever way I can. And I'll -- but, you know, anybody can help. You know, and for all my other NBA athletes to go get swabbed and, you know, a year or two from now, if not (ph) before (ph), you have a chance to affect somebody's life. So, you know, I'm very saddened by the news and -- but I feel like I believe in signs and I think that this is something that, you know, I feel very strongly about and I want to do this.
CHO: Well, it sounds like you're -- if you haven't already, that you're going to take this up as your cause. What also struck me about the article when I read it is that you were -- you said that you're usually uncomfortable going to hospitals when the Pacers do events because it's so tough for you to see kids in this situation. But in this case, you changed your mind. What was it about this case that made you change your mind and make the trip?
HIBBERT: I mean out of all the NBA players that he could meet, you know, he chose me. He looked up to me and, you know, that touched me. But, you know, I looked up to him as well. I've had, you know, I said in the article, I've had two family members pass away from cancer and, you know, I was -- I was young and I actually never got to see them, you know, prior to their deaths. And I feel like, you know, I need to man up and, you know, I really felt that, you know, this would have been great for the boy. And, unfortunately, Lee wasn't able to see me. But, you know, he's touched my heart and he's affected me. And I want to, you know, keep his memory and spirit alive.
CHO: It's just -- it's just so, so heartbreaking. You know what I found so extraordinary about this little boy, Lee Eddins, is that he spent his whole life in California. You're an Indiana Pacer. And yet he followed you from the beginning of your career, back when you were playing for Georgetown. I men, when you heard about that, what did you think?
HIBBERT: I said, wow. You know I had a -- I mean, I'm not sure how old he was when I was playing at Georgetown. That was about, you know, eight -- five -- between five and seven years ago. And, you know, for him to follow me then and follow me throughout my career is something that is inspiring and his story's inspiring. And, you know, I sit here and like I'm holding back tears. I'm not afraid to say that, but, you know, he's somebody that, you know, touched me without meeting him.
He lives -- he lived all the way across the country and he's affected me like this. And I feel heartbroken that I wasn't able to meet him. But I look up to him and the way he fought and his strength and I think that, you know, I dedicate, you know, my season to this -- to Lee and his cause.
And, you know, I'll always remember him. I want to meet his family -- I want to hear stories, I want to hear everything. You know, I want to hear the funny stuff about him and what he did, besides, obviously, his illness. I want to know the kid until the illness.
CHO: Roy, I guess I'm not clear, were you ever able to speak to him?
HIBBERT: I actually was not able to speak to him. We were trying to keep it a surprise. But I'm interested to know if he knew I was coming or not.
CHO: I hope he did.
HIBBERT: It's very sad.
CHO: I just have --
HIBBERT: I wish I could have met him.
CHO: I know. And I can tell you that it's very, very, very difficult for you. But I'm just curious to know, obviously, the best-case scenario would have been that you would have been able to see him. What would your message have been to him?
HIBBERT: If I had a message to him, I would let him know that, you know, I love him, adore him, even if I haven't met him, but, you know, it's unfortunate.
But I really feel like, if people register to become a bone marrow donor that could really help, people, you know. Bethematch.org, get the inside of your cheek swabbed at local locations and you can really make a difference.
CHO: I know you will keep 12-year-old Lee Eddins memory alive. That little boy is a hero and he worshiped you, but you are a hero too and I commend you for going out there and being with the family. Roy Hibbert with the Indiana Pacers, I thank you for joining us by phone and have a safe flight.
HIBBERT: Thank you for having me, and have a nice day.
CHO: You too. And we're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back. Mitt Romney is deep into fundraising in New York and New Jersey. Here is Romney's motorcade, fighting its way through the crowded streets of Manhattan today.
In New Jersey's Lakewood Township, members of an orthodox Jewish wedding partner abandoned the bride yesterday, in hopes of getting a glimpse of Romney. Romney entered a back door to attend an event hosted by Republican fundraiser, George Bathgate.
It is day two in Colorado for President Obama. He won that state back in 2008, but trails there in one late poll now. The president greeted diners this morning in pueblo, then served up some Romney bashing for brunch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The centerpiece of Mr. Romney's entire economic plan is a new $5 trillion tax cut. A lot of it is going to the wealthiest Americans, but last week we found out he expects the middle class to pick up the tab to pay for it. So you've got a $5 trillion tax plan and to pay for it, you raise taxes on middle class families with children by an average of $2,000.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The president referred to the Romney tax plan as trickle-down fairy dust. We're going to hear more from the campaigns a bit later on.
The man charged in the Colorado Theater massacre is expected back in court in the next hour. Today's hearing is not directly a part of James Holmes' criminal proceeding. Instead, it will focus on the release to the public of information. The media wants the judge to unseal documents relating to the case and lift parts of a gag order.
Well, this story will make you look at lost and found in a whole new way. A federal review found a bomb sat for three weeks in a bag under a desk in a Detroit building that, get this, houses the FBI.
The review by the Homeland Security Inspector General's Office reports that employees x-rayed the bag, one even shook it, trying to figure out what was inside.
The review says the most serious mistake was made by the security guard who placed the bag if in a spot where personal belongings were held, never considering it suspicious. That guard has been fired and the bomb, well, Detroit police took care of it.
An Australian rescue plane lands on an ice runway to reach a person who needs medical help in Antarctica. The plane picked up the patient overnight and flew to New Zealand.
We believe the patient is an American citizen who was working at a research facility there. No U.S. aircraft were in position to respond quickly, that's why the Australians did. An official says the patient was in stable condition before the plane arrived.
Well, Madonna's got a Russian official so hopping mad, he's taken to calling her names on Twitter. So what's gotten him so furious? Well, the pop star is supporting a jailed female punk band. And the singer, as she does, spoke up for gay rights during her concert in Moscow. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADONNA, SINGER: As you can see here on my stage, everybody with me comes from every different place in the world, from Africa, from America, from France, from Russia, from England. We are Christians, we are Muslims, we are Jews, we are everything you can imagine, but we are a family. We are together. We are gay. We are straight. We are human beings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Madonna always says exactly what's on her mind, doesn't she? But the government didn't like it. Russia's deputy prime minister took to Twitter, sending this message about Madonna, quote, "Either take off your cross or put on your knickers."
An Olympic athlete began losing her sight when she was just 9 years old. Today, she is legally blind. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story of how she's now helping children today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Silver or gold for the U.S. women's soccer team? That's the question. The world will be watching and waiting. The Americans are set to take on Japan in the gold medal match before what's expected to be a record crowd at London's Wembley Stadium.
Team USA is looking for revenge against Japan, after losing in last summer's World Cup. Now, if the Japanese win today, it will be the first time a team has won both the World Cup and the Olympics in back- to-back years.
Back in 2000, she became the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics. Today, she's inspiring other children with visual impairments by teaching competitive sports.
Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, has her story in this week's "Human Factor."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Good morning, Camp Ability!
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every day at Camp Abilities starts the same way, with care to share.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I got seven more shots on the basketball court last night, including three in a row.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I rolled three bars.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I did my first backflip on the rings at gymnastics.
GUPTA: All these children are visually impaired. And they've come to camp abilities for a one week developmental sports camp. Their inspiration this year is Marla Runyan, who was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease.
It's a form of juvenile onset macular degeneration. She was diagnosed when she was just 9 years old.
MARLA RUNYAN, DIAGNOSED WITH STARGARDT'S DISEASE AT AGE 9: We don't know, I mean, for everybody, whether you're sighted or not, you know, physical exercise, activity, sports, and think about what a role that plays in your life.
Running became my choice sport after I kind of abandoned soccer because I had such trouble seeing the ball obviously, so I went out for my high school track team.
GUPTA: And boy could Runyan run. After running track and field in high school and college, she turned pro, eventually becoming the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympic Games.
Runyan says she was able to reach her full potential by competing against the best athletes in the world, and now she's giving these campers their first taste of competitive sports.
RUNYAN: Camp Ability to me is all about empowering kids and teaching them what they can do and giving them opportunities that they are not otherwise available to them at public schools or after-school programs.
GUPTA: And there's a lot to choose from. Sports like beat baseball, goal ball. They learn to the ride bikes, practice judo and of course, run track.
RUNYAN: When my vision changed, but my desire to be in sports never changed. So I just stuck with it.
GUPTA: Jst like the camp's mantra says, a loss of sight doesn't have to mean a loss of vision.
RUNYAN: Our motto for camp ability is, believe you can.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: All right, Sanjay, thanks so much. Don't miss "Sanjay Gupta M.D." this weekend. Meet the man who corrected forensic imaging, software to separate fact from fiction. >
Plus, the 14-year-old girl who got "Seventeen" magazine to change its photo editing policies. That's Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. right here on CNN.
Well, she is a singer, a songwriter, and an ambassador. The State Department is sending Mary McBride to other countries to give others a taste of American culture.
We're talking about Pakistan, Iraq, and Libya. And she also happens to be my very dear friend. I'm going to speak with her, live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHO: Well, singer, Mary McBride is on a mission. Not to make millions, not to go platinum, although that would be nice too. She is performing and touching hearts in far-flung places like Pakistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.
And the U.S. State Department is actually paying for her tour. McBride is an arts envoy, reaching out and connecting people through music.
I've actually been lucky enough to hear Mary McBride sing that song live. Mary joins us live from New York. And as I mentioned right before the break, she's my dear friend.
But I love it when my dear friends also do things that are newsworthy. So Mary, great to see you. You look great.
MARY MCBRIDE, SINGER/SONGWRITER: Thanks.
CHO: So the question I have is, is this all started with something you called the home tour, right, in 2010. Tell us about it.
MCBRIDE: I came up with the idea of the home tour to bring live music to people, originally throughout the U.S., who did not have the opportunity to hear live concerts.
This included people who were living in supported housing communities, for seniors, for young people. We play for people with HIV/AIDS, and we play a number of shows for people with disabilities. So the home tour brings live concerts to them, where they live.
CHO: And in fact you say you were inspired by Maya Angelo, a quote, "I long everybody human being, as does every human being, to be at home, wherever I find myself," which is so poignant. You weren't doing this long before you were contacted by the State Department, right, so how did that all come to be?
MCBRIDE: We did our first home tour in the summer of 2010 and then a two-week tour in L.A. and right after that we were contacted by the State Department to do our first tour in Russia. We started our relationship with the state department on the Fourth of July last summer. And it's been an extraordinary year.
CHO: Yes, and tell me y you've been. You seem to always be somewhere foreign, somewhere far away. Tell me about some of the more memorable moments of your trips and where you've been.
MCBRIDE: Well, we started in Russia, as I said. One of our favorite performances there was for the Russian Rehabilitation Center, which provides support for young people who have suffered spinal cord injuries.
We went from there to Pakistan, where we were for three weeks. We also performed for all-women audiences in Saudi Arabia. We performed in Bahrain.
And we also worked with a wonderful NGO called the "Humpty Dumpty Institute" that does work in Vietnam, and we had the opportunity to perform for one of their programs, for victims of land mines.
CHO: What do you find the reaction has been? I mean, what do these people get from hearing live music from you?
MCBRIDE: We play in places where, in many cases, people are really struggling. And so for us to have the opportunity to go into a community, to bring live music with a singular purpose of bringing joy to these communities, I think it's really an opportunity for people to take a break from the daily struggle of their lives.
And we particularly love playing in places like Pakistan and Iraq, where we more recently toured, because it gives us an opportunity to play where people do not have the opportunity to hear live concerts at all.
There are no venues, there are no concerts. So we are really, in many cases, the first live performance that, especially, many of these young people have the opportunity to hear.
CHO: That's incredible. That's incredible. I know you're leaving on another trip, three-week trip on September 8th. Tell me you're headed?
MCBRIDE: We start off in Italy and then we're going to Afghanistan for two weeks and then go from there to Albania.
CHO: Wow, incredible. The U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City says Mary McBride's cultural exchange is exactly the type of the program that is the basis of friendship between the Pakistani people and the American people.
I wish you a lot of luck, Mary and I hope to see you in person very soon. I think that's going to happen so let's wait and see.
MCBRIDE: I hope so.
CHO: All right, thanks for coming in for us. Great to talk to you.
MCBRIDE: Thanks so much.
CHO: A refinery fire not only has folks in one city up in arms, it could boost the national average for gas across the United States. We are going to take you there live.
Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Kaczmarek's police scanner crackles to life just before midnight. Moments later, Kaz, as his friends call him, is rushing to the scene of a robbery gone bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Photojournalists chasing gunfire in one of America's most violent cities. A dozen shootings in just hours as CNN goes along for the ride in the city nicknamed kill-adelphia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: It's only August, but in Philadelphia, more than 200 people have been murdered just this year. And just since the movie theatre rampage in Aurora, Colorado, dozens have been shot in Philadelphia alone.
So as the crisis grows, two photojournalists are running a bit of an experiment, in a city many are calling kill-adelphia. CNN's Sarah Hoye is following them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH HOYE, CNN ALL PLATFORM JOURNALIST (voice-over): Joe Kaczmarek's police scanner crackles to life just before midnight. Moments later, Kaz, as his friends call him, is rushing to the scene of a robbery gone pad.
Along for the ride is fellow veteran, photojournalist, Jim McMillan. The 20-year-old robbery victim has already been taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the back.
Police take away two men in handcuffs. Kaz and McMillan co-founded guncris.org, to help curb gun violence plaguing what is supposed to be the city of brotherly love.
JOE KACZMAREK, GUNCRISIS.ORG: I want to put the audience out there on the streets and I want them to see what I'm seeing every night in the city.
The children watching crime scene investigations, night after night, day after day, anything to disrupt this, marginally disrupt it. I would consider it a success.
HOYE: Since the shooting rampage in Aurora, Colorado, "Gun Crisis" estimates at least 55 gunshot victims in Philadelphia alone. So far this year, more than 210 murders, a rate approaching 2007, when the city saw more than a murder a day and earned its nickname, kill- adelphia.
JIM MACMILLAN, GUNCRISIS.ORG: Turning around the gun violence epidemic is a tall order. It's going to take heroic action, but our cities are full of heroes. We've done this before, we can do it again. It's not going to go on forever, and the harder we work, the sooner we'll bring an end to this violence.
HOYE: The small volunteer team at "Gun Crisis" wants to shake things by chronicling the daily gunfire, another radio call and the pair races across town.
On this residential block, a man was shot at least 12 times. Police rushed him to the hospital, where he died moments later. The crime lab is documenting the evidence. At least four people were shot in separate incidents, in just two hours. KACZMAREK: This is a project that I believe in. The city gives us no break. There's an abundance of opportunities to report unfortunate life.
HOYE: Philadelphia has 324 homicides last year, with blacks making up 85 percent of the victims.
KACZMAREK: It's costing all of us. Whether it's immediately in front of your face or it's several miles away in another community, we are all connected and it's affecting all of us. And it's costing all of us.
HOYE: While the mayor and other city officials introduced new measures, cash rewards for tips and more police on the street, the mayhem didn't slow down.
Mayor Michael Nutter more than frustrated.
MICHAEL NUTTER (D), MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA: You want to act like an idiot, you want to act like an (EXPLETIVE DELETED), you want to be a lowlife in this town, we will track you down like the dog that you are.
HOYE: MacMillan, who works with the city officials, says they're committed, because lives depend on finding a solution.
JIM MACMILLAN, GUNCRISIS.ORG: What happens next, you know, we elevate the discourse, we bring people together, we build a movement. We stop the killing.
HOYE: A major challenge for a city where murder has become routine.
Sarah Hoye, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: That was our Sarah Hoye reporting. And to see more of the crime scene pictures from this special CNN report, go to CNN.com.
