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Supermarket In Kenya Attacked; Chicago Experiences Second Night Of Deadly Violence; People Still Trapped By Colorado Floodwaters; Obama Pushes Congress To Pass Budget Amidst Threat Of Government Shutdown

Aired September 21, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Fredericka Whitfield. Here are the top stories we're following in the Newsroom.

A claim of responsibility for a shooting at a shopping mall in Kenya. A group of gunmen opened fire then take hostages. There are multiple death and injury. Americans are among the victims.

In Chicago, an unsettling uptick in gun violence. Several people are killed just 24 hour after a mass shooting at a city park.

And a former NFL star fight back after hundreds of teens trash his home, then document their damage on social media.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: A day of terror for Saturday shoppers including American citizens at an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. An al-Qaeda- linked militant group called al-Shabaab just claimed responsibility for this attack that left 30 people dead. A hostage crisis is still active this hour. A journalist at the scene tells us 36 are still being held. A senior Kenyan official says the suspected gunman is dead, and Kenyan police tweeted that the attackers are now isolated and pinned down in a room.

CNN also has learned that American citizens are among some 100 injured in that attack. A deputy state department spokesperson released this statement saying, quote "we condemn this senseless act of violence that has resulted in death and injury for many innocent men, women and children. We have reports of American citizens injured in the attack, and the U.S. embassy is actively reaching out it provide assistance."

Witnesses have been sharing their stories with CNN throughout the day. American resident Sara Head is in Kenya on business. She saw the horror as shots were fired.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA HEAD, AMERICAN WHO WITNESSED SHOOTING: People were telling us to be quiet. I was pretty afraid that it was unsafe to exit, but I did anyway. There were still employees of the supermarket who were sort of standing there and to some degree directing us to exit. There was blood on the floor. I mean, not a substantial amount but drops that looked like someone who had been wounded had either walked or been carried out the supermarket, the same path we were taking. We walked through the hardware section and the grocery section and onto their sort of storeroom or stockroom and then out the loading dock area where we eventually saw crowds of people milling about.

I saw two or three police officer with weapon. There were definitely cameramen. And so, once we made it to the street, I just continued to walk and picked up running after I got, you know, where I didn't feel like I had to stay quiet any longer. I guess I picked up running at that point with my colleague and my -- the driver who was with us.

I didn't trust anyone. I mean, not that I was suspicious of anyone either. I just feel like no one knew what was going on. And I also really didn't know that exiting through the supermarket was OK. I lingered in the stairwell before I actually did decide to go out. And I'm not -- since I wasn't at that door when it opened and people originally decided to exit the supermarket into the supermarket. I'm not sure who made the decision or when originally guided us out there. But no, I didn't -- I just felt like no one really knew what was going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That was eyewitness Sara Head.

Another witness told us how scary it was to hear gunfire all around while hiding in a bathroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UCHE KAIGWA-OKOYE, TRAPPED IN MALL DURING SHOOTING: We were really scared. Every sound sounded scary. We couldn't make out sounds, and they had grenades. And it was really, really loud. So, it always felt like they were close. I think they must have passed our quarter several times. We heard gunshots down our corridor. And when the police finally came, they shot tear gas canister in the quarter that we been hiding and being evacuated.

But then people came into the bathroom from the men's toilet. They told us that they were made to go on their knees and put their hands up and sort of walk on their knees out of the bathroom, and then they were led to where we were, and we were told we were safe.

We were being told by people who were texting outside not it trust anybody and that certainly the people who had entered could be a threat. So I was actually in the looking at any of the faces of the people when came in who I didn't want to.

WHITFIELD: So how did you even --

KAIGWA-OKOYE: Until we left the both of one of the toilet cubicles and just completely shut it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: President Obama has been briefed on the situation. U.S. counterterrorism officials are monitoring as well. Joining me now by phone from Washington is CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen.

So Peter, earlier when we spoke, you said you thought this was a terrorist attack being carried out by this very group which has now claimed responsibility. What made you think that earlier now that we also have that confirmation?

PETER BERGEN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST (via phone): Well, Fredericka, you know, capability and intent, it has the intent, very few people to do this kind of attack on, you know, civilian targets frequented by westerners in Kenya and who has the capability, probably more, but if you take those two things together, it's al-Shabaab which has operated this Kenya in the past, attacking in a much more minor way some civilian targets.

It's a group that doesn't like the Kenyan government because the Kenyan military conduct race against it. It's a group that is effectively part of al-Qaeda in 2012. It basically announced that it was an al-Qaeda affiliate. So it doesn't like westerners. It is a group that has conducted operations outside of Somalia in the past. For instance, in Uganda where it killed dozens of civilians in 2010 watching a world cup soccer match on TV. It's attempted to attack in the west in Denmark. It has recruited a number of American citizens, dozens from the Minnesota area and elsewhere and a number of Europeans as well, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: And so Peter, what's the history as to how al-Shabaab has been able to intensify or really kind of increase its presence in Kenya?

BERGEN: Well, you know, al-Qaeda, you know, let's take a step back here. As you mentioned, you know, al-Qaeda -- you mentioned a couple hours ago, al-Qaeda, of course, bombed the U.S. embassy this Nairobi in 1998. Al-Qaeda has had a presence in Kenya for many, many years. Al-Shabaab, it is sort of an al-Qaeda affiliate. It's on the Kenyan border in Somalia. It's very easy for them to kind of crossover. And al-Shabaab has only been existence as a group for three or four years now. It's an outgrowth of another al-Qaeda-linked group. Al-Qaeda overall has had a presence this Somalia and Kenya going back to the early '90s.

WHITFIELD: Peter Bergen, thanks so much for your insight on this ongoing situation.

Again, we understand at least 30 people now killed in that shootout at this shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. And we also understand that a hostage situation continues. However, Kenyan authorities say they have pinpointed the gunman in that mall and isolated them.

All right now, in this country, after a downturn in violent deaths this year in Chicago, the city has experienced for the second night at least 11 people shot. Thursday 13 people were hit including a 3-year- old. Deonte Howard was hit by a bullet in a south side park. No one was killed in that incident, but then in the last 24 hours, five people were killed in shootings that left another six people wounded. Chicago police don't think any of the shootings from overnight are connected to Thursday's attack.

A new health concern in Colorado's flood zone. E-Coli has been found in tap water in the hard-hit town of Lyons. The floods took out sewer lines and septic systems had caused the contamination. Officials say the problem has been -- the problem, rather, has to be fixed before evacuated residents can actually return to their homes. And had they do come back, they begin the long process of rebuilding.

Here now is CNN's Dan Simon.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredericka. It's still pretty surreal when you go into some of these neighborhoods, so much damage and destruction. As you can imagine, it's been an emotionally draining week for a lot of these residents, especially those who don't have flood insurance. Why didn't they have it? Well, to put it simply, they felt they didn't need it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So this was a finished basement.

SIMON (voice-over): Jessica (INAUDIBLE) and her husband built and moved into this house only 18 months ago. What did it look like down here when you had all the water?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Armageddon. Total devastation.

SIMON: These pictures show part of the aftermath. They estimate the damage to be about $100,000. But Jessica and her husband had opted against flood insurance.

When you moved to this area, did you ever think if you had heavy rains that the home could flood?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a chance.

SIMON: That's because they live in what's called a 500-year floodplain. That means the chance of this area flooding was less than one percent each year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we asked about it just to make sure we covered our bases when we move in, they almost laughed, you know, a ton of money. You don't need that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We would have had it if we knew this would have happened or if we even had an inkling it might happen. Really I don't think we had that.

SIMON: (INAUDIBLE) likely represent a significant portion of flood victim. Authorities say it's still too early to know how many affected homes didn't have flood insurance, but the devastation was so widespread that it went beyond places prone to flooding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something that's kind of beyond our imagination, beyond something you can even fathom. So, it's understandable that people didn't, you know, sign up for flood insurance in those cases. SIMON: But the (INAUDIBLE) now aren't thinking about their lack of insurance. They are still trying to keep more water from getting into their house and hoping to find any precious belongings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I found it. I found it. I found it. I found it.

SIMON: A priceless memento but one that won't be able to pay for all the repair their home is going to need.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

That family and other, of course, have homeowners insurance, but that doesn't cover flood damage. They can request aid from FEMA, but it only go so far and it's really limited in scope and won't even begin to address all the repairs that need to be made -- Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: Dan Simon, thanks so much.

The federal government is running out of money, and it could shut down altogether. So what that mean for you and your wallet?

Then, partying teens trash a former NFL star's home. He watches in realtime as they post the damage on twitter. How he's turning the tables on the vandals.

And getting paid to stay in bed? NASA is handing over cash to people who want to catch some z's (ph), but there is a catch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Obama pushed Congress to pass a budget today as the U.S. inches closer to a government shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The most basic constitutional duty Congress has is passing a budget. But if it doesn't pass one before September 30th, a week from Monday, the government will shut down. And so will many services the American people expect. Military personnel including those deploy overseas won't get their paychecks on time. Federal loans for rural communities, small business owners, and new home buyers will be frozen. Critical research in the life-saving discoveries in renewable energy will be halted. All of this can be prevented if Congress just passes a budget.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Erin McPike joining me now from Washington.

So Erin, house Republicans did pass a plan yesterday, but does it even stand a chance in the Senate?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It doesn't. And the reason for that, Fred, is because house Republicans attached to the federal spending bill a measure that would defund Obamacare. Here was what house speaker John Boehner had to say about this yesterday after the house passed that bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Our message to the United States Senate is real simple. The American people don't want the government shut down, and they don't want Obamacare. The house has listened to the American people. Now it's time for the United States Senate to listen to them as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: But here is the problem. The Senate is, of course, controlled by Democrats, and Democrats intend to strip from this bill those provision that would defund Obamacare, and that mean that this bill ultimately find its way back to the House.

Well, Nancy Pelosi who was the former House speaker and now, of course, the Democratic leader in the House sat down with CNN's Candy Crowley yesterday. And here's what she had to say about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: They want to shut down government. The effect of putting the Obama -- affordable care act on the bill is to shut down government. They know that. They know that has no prospect of prevailing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Now, we expect the Senate to take up debate on this bill sometime in the next week. They will vote on it by the end of the week or next weekend. And then the house should be in session next weekend. And they will have to go through this process all over again -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike in Washington, thanks so much.

Teens trash a former NFL star's home during a raging party, and why their parents now are mad at the former NFL player.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Brian Holloway battled in the trenches as an NFL offensive lineman for seven years. Now he's got a fight on his hands with the parents of teenagers who busted into his home to party whale he was out of town. The partygoers trashed his house and tweeted while doing it. But Holloway's plan to use the incident as a teachable moment is falling on deaf ears.

Here's CNN's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): its Labor Day weekend. Brian Holloway is about 1200 miles away from his farmhouse in upstate New York when he learns there's a party going on there and he wasn't even invited.

Confused? Holloway is, too, as he watches it all unfold in realtime on his twitter feed. Holloway is in Tampa, Florida, on this night had his son and a friend start funneling him tweets from the partygoers, mugging for the camera, taking selfie photos in the bathroom and dancing on the kitchen counter, all from inside Holloway's house.

BRIAN HOLLOWAY, FORMER NFL PLAYER: We started listening to these tweet. I can't believe we're in the house. I can't believe how we trashed it. I can't believe how much alcohol is here. We are going to be partying for three days. I can't believe she's passed out. Look at her over there. This is an amazing night. I can't believe, you know, they're on meth. Give me some of those drugs.

KAYE: Some of the more memorable tweets, yes, it's like so trashed, cannot get over this, did a Keg stand, and yes, mom, I went to a party and got drunk. But hey, at least I'm not a meth addict, right?"

In all, 300 teenagers are at Holloway's home causing at least $20,000 in damage. They tear the place apart, punching holes in walls, spraying graffiti everywhere, scratching the floor with Keg, even urinating inside and through it all, stupidly documenting nearly all of their antics.

They also helped themselves to whatever isn't nailed down including this statue of an eagle which had been on Holloway's grandson's headstone. Desperate to save his home, Holloway, a former NFL player with the New England Patriot, quickly calls police who rush over. When they arrive, more tweets from the uninvited guests.

Busted or not, it was still the best party in the 518 of the summer. Crazy ass night and pig showed up with canines, and I was out.

What makes this worse, Brian Holloway recognizes many of the teens partying at his house. They're friendly with his son and have been to the house before when Holloway was there and invited them. The teenagers slept overnight and Holloway would make them burger and hot dogs and hundreds of pancakes in the morning. At those parties, he says, there was never any alcohol or drugs.

HOLLOWAY: The window, this window was just replaced today.

KAYE: Now back at his home, Holloway is getting it repaired and you might say getting even. He is turning the tables on these teenagers and teaching them a thing or two about the power of social media. On his newly minted Web site, helpmesave300.com, Holloway posted tweets identifying about 200 or so teens from the party. It's not out of spite, he says, but a call for action to turn the moment into a movement, create a dialogue about teen behaving badly and drugs. But some parents are actually upset with Holloway's postings.

HOLLOWAY: I don't really know how to respond to a mother that says, you know, I'm mad at you because you put my son's picture up there. I'm going, well, actually, he is at my house and he is robbing and breaking in and drinking and doing drugs. And you are upset with me posting the picture that he posted on twitter.

KAYE: In another attempt at good will, Holloway invited the partygoers to his home to help clean up and own up to what they did. Only one teenager showed up to help. Holloway says that was like a slap in the face.

But on a bright note, remember the eagle's statue that had been stolen? It was returned, so maybe after all of this, one of that's teens must have discovered their conscience.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Coming up, the latest on that deadly shopping mall siege in Kenya. We will hear from a shopper who was right there when the drama unfolded.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

Here are five things crossing the CNN News desk right now. Number one, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group called al-Shabaab claims responsibility for a deadly attack at an upscale shopping mall in Kenya today. A hostage crisis is still active. Thirty people were killed and 100 injured including Americans. Al-Shabaab just tweeted about negotiations moment ago. What they're saying in just a moment.

And number two, a deadly day in Afghanistan for American forces. Three soldiers were killed had an individual wearing an Afghan army uniform turned his gun on them. Official say other soldiers in the area quickly killed the shooter. The troops part of army special operation forces were training in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.

And number three, Syria's government has handed over what it says is a full list of its chemical weapon. The organization for the prohibition of chemical weapon confirmed it received the document today. The group will meet this week to talk about how to verify the information. A senior U.S. administration official says Syria's declaration was more complete than expected.

And number four, after a downturn in violent deaths, Chicago experiences a second night with at least 11 people shot. In the last 24 hour, five people were killed in a string of shooting that also wounded another six people. On Thursday, 13 people suffered gunshot wound including a 3-year-old. No one was killed during that attack in a south side park.

And number five, people are also still trapped by floodwaters in Colorado. Nearly 1200 people have been airlifted out of isolated mountain areas. The damage of the scene is overwhelming. Nearly 2,000 homes destroyed and dozens of bridges and roads have been washed out. Back to that overseas, a hostage crisis and deadly attack at an upscale shopping mall in Kenya. An al-Qaeda-linked militant group called al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, and they are saying there will not be any negotiations at all.

In a series of tweets, just moments ago, the group says non-Muslims were targeted. They said all Muslims inside the mall were escorted out by the Mujahidin before the gunmen started stating. A senior Kenyan official says a suspected gunman is dead, and the attackers are now isolated and pinned down in a room.

All day witnesses shared their story with CNN describing the horror as shot were fired including the aunt of CNN's Zain Verjee. She says she heard random shots coming from every direction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We heard some shots and people rushing, so we rushed to the back of the supermarket and hid ourselves, trying to get anything that would save us in a random shooting because we heard random shots all over the place. And it was quite terrifying. In fact, we even heard shots 30 feet from us. And at one stage I saw them come near us. And it was just so worrying and people praying and crying. And it was rather traumatizing for everybody. And at one stage we heard that there were terrorists, that they were holding hostages and that they were all over the mall and, you know, taking people and shooting coffee -- people having coffee and lunch at restaurants and it was just a random shooting and lots of people were hurt.

And we were stuck in the same place for over two hours. And this was on the ground floor of this supermarket. And finally after two hours, a security guy came and told us that it was safe for us to go. So hurriedly we left and we saw lots of blood, sandals and shoe flung everywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: President Obama has been briefed on the situation. U.S. counterterrorism official are monitoring as well.

And one thing that will happen if the government shuts down in this country. American troops won't get paid. But House Republicans say it's now up it the Senate to stop the government from running out of money. Democrats say if it's tied to cutting the president's health care bill, there's nothing to talk about.

And "PARTS UNKNOWN with Anthony Bourdain" is charging into a second season, tomorrow night 9:00 p.m. eastern time. Anthony takes us to Spain where he eats, explores and learns about three things Spaniards do well.

I had a chance to talk to him about how his show gives people new insights into places around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: Well, I think we're always looking to do better than the week previously to tell what's essentially a pretty simple story in a different visual way, outdo ourselves creatively, to mess with the time line, to just find a way to make each show look like its own individual film with its own sound, its own smell, its own feel. And we're always looking for at best an individual perspective.

Last year we went to Los Angeles. That's a place that's been filmed many times by many people. The challenge is how do we tell that story of Los Angeles and show you Los Angeles that most people around familiar with. And we did that by essentially pretending that there's no one in Los Angeles but Korean-Americans and looked at the city entirely from their perspective.

So, to the extent that we can look through either a very narrow lens or maybe a very wide one, we can often see things that we might not have seen before.

WHITFIELD: What's the next country that you want stamped in your passport and you want to take us along with you?

BOURDAIN: I'd like to see Iran very much. I have heard extraordinary things. I have heard, you know, nice people, a government that can have varying opinions on their policies for sure, dodgy times. But I hear the food is awesome. And I would like to -- it's a place I would like to learn about. I mean, I guess that's as simple as I can put it. It's a place I know very little about. It's a place about which many things have been said. I would like to see it for mace.

WHITFIELD: Well, I think many of us would like to go along with you by way of your "PARTS UNKNOWN." So when that happens, we will be along for the ride as well.

Anthony Bourdain, thanks so much. Good to see you. Congrats on yet another season.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And be sure to tune in Sunday night 9:00 p.m. when Anthony Bourdain's "PARTS UNKNOWN" heads to Espana.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The clock is ticking, and come October 1st, the U.S. government will run out of money and have to shut down. The House passed a bill yesterday to keep it open, but only if the Congress guts the funding of the president's health care law.

John Avlon is executive editor of the daily beast and a CNN political analyst. Good to see you.

JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: And Alice Stewart is a former spokeswoman for GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum and now host of radio show in Arkansas. Good to see you as well.

ALICE STEWART, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, SANTORUM 2012 CAMPAIGN: Good to see you, Fredericka. Hi, John.

WHITFIELD: Ladies first. You first. Are most Republicans and some Democrats in the House so determined to kill the president's health care law that they are willing to stop the business of government?

STEWART: Well, what members of Congress specifically those in the House are determined to do more than anything as they did yesterday, they voted a bipartisan vote, mind you, to fund the government, to keep the necessary services of government fund. But they decided to spare the American people the deplorable effects of the Obamacare. That's what they did because they understand the fact that 70 percent of Americans are concerned about their health care under Obamacare.

WHITFIELD: This is where it gets muddy because if the objective is really just to keep the government going, then that's what this package is all about. But instead, it's saddled with all this other stuff, voting on something that's been voted on for over 40 times now. So I think people, in general, don't believe that the sole objective is to present a budget to keep the government going. I mean, why won't people just admit that? Aice.

STEWART: Well, what -- exactly what they're doing is they presented a bill to keep the government going. They presented a bill --

WHITFIELD: With a contingency plan. That's where it gets murky and muddy.

AVLON: No. It's not murky and muddy.

STEWART: The House presented a bill to fund the government. And the question is what's going to happen to those in the Senate when they're posed with the question of do you want us to continue to fund the government? What p the senators who are up for re-election?

AVLON: Alice --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: John, go.

AVLON: Let's just have a reality vote here. This is not a pure a vote on the government. This is a vote to try to extort the president into undercutting his signature law which every person living in reality knows isn't going to happen. So the idea -- what you're hearing is Republican are deeply afraid to own the implications of this vote because they know government shutdown would be not only unpopular but deeply politically damaging. But because they feel the need to do so, to satisfy their own ideology, to satisfy their own base, to make money off the rackets that exist by people spreading this fantasyland, they want to say, this is all about continuing the government, and the president will be the one to shut down the government if he decides to do so. That's not a reality-based argument. That's spin really hard into the realm of fantasy, delusion and lie.

WHITFIELD: And we actually have a CNN/ORC poll, a recent poll that says about half of Americans, nearly half of Americans actually favor this health care law. I know, Alice, you talked about 70 percent. It's unpopular with. But those numbers are not supported by this most recent polling.

So, you know, John was talking about politically this would be damaging. Politically damaging to whom, in your view, Alice?

STEWART: Well, it's going to be politically damaging to the Democrats when they -- if they decide to shut down the government because what we're seeing here is, as we said, a bipartisan members of the House voted to support funding the government. The key is had it gets over to the Senate and they have to do decide are they going to support what the will of the people is, is to not to continue to support Obamacare? We have key Democratic senators up for re-election, we have (INAUDIBLE), Hagan, Landrieu and Begich. They're going to have to decide if they're going to support Obamacare --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: John, politically damaging to whom?

AVLON: Look, it's pretty clear, we have the president in 1996 that House Republicans at that time were blamed for a government shutdown, and President Clinton was handily re-elected. It marked the end the Republican revolution.

Look, the cycle of our politics follows cycles of arrogance and overreach and then backlash. And Republicans know they are playing with fire. One way you can tell that is because Alice doesn't want to own the implications of this vote, the very clear implications of this vote. She's trying to paper it over with words like bipartisan saying Democrats in the Senate are the ones who would shut down the government. That is nothing but spin because she does not want to own the implications because she knows they are unpopular and that's because it would be politically damaging.

WHITFIELD: Alice, last word on that.

STEWART: Well, clearly, Obamacare and those implications are unpopular. And the people in the House voted. But the will of the poem is to not continue to fund this. And here's the key. Talk about arrogance and not looking at the reality here is members of the Congress have the power of the purse. Article one of the constitution gives them the power of the purse. The president can go around issuing executive actions till the cows come home, but Congress has the power of the purse. And they made it clear that the American people want them to spend money on funding the government and not Obamacare.

AVLON: Own it, Alice.

WHITFIELD: Except that more than 40 time this effort has been defeated. So you know, this is just an argument that seems to go on and on and on and on, I guess, forever. But we are not going to resolve it here. We are certainly going to see what happens later on this week. Senate gets its stab at this measure and then, of course, the House one manager time.

Alice, John, perhaps we will have you on next week to see what kind of progress is being made on either side.

AVLON: Good luck to us all.

STEWART: Look forward to it. Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

All right, straight ahead, a case that doesn't just protect your iphone. It could actually protect you. It turn your Smartphone into a stun-gun.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was a fighter. Why didn't I try to stop him?

DOCTOR SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Dash Mihok is a fighter both on and off the screen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the Donovan family, boxing is a part of life.

GUPTA: On Showtime's "Ray Donovan," the fighting takes place this the ring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donovan goes down, he come back harder.

GUPTA: But when the cameras stop rolling, Dash fights for something quite real.

DASH MIHOK, ACTOR: I have had Tourette's syndrome since I was 6- years-old. Part of the reason I became an actor is probably because I was experienced so well in hiding it that I was acting all the time.

GUPTA: When Dash's acting, you barely notice his Tourette's. But look what happens when he loses that focus or he becomes distracted. Tourette's is a neurological disorder that causes repetitive, involuntary movements, even sounds sometimes that are called tics.

MIHOK: Growing up in New York City can be a very tough place. And you know, schools are tough enough. But New York, there's so many people around that there's people looking at you all the time.

GUPTA: Tourette's is genetic. And as it turns out, both of Dash's older sisters have it as well. Here he is at age 11, talking about Tourette's with his sister, Gwen. This is a video for the Tourette's syndrome association.

MIHOK: I have to, like, look at him in a funny way or I just can't concentrate.

GUPTA: Dash has come a long way since then appearing in the films like "Romeo & Juliette, " "the Thin Red Line" and "Silver Lining's playbook." And while his career was taking off, it was this report on CNN.com that caught Dash's eye.

MIHOK: His name is Jaylen Arnold.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His mother taped his ticking to show others how severe the condition can be.

MIHOK: A young man with Tourette's syndrome who was brave enough to start his own Web site to educate people about Tourette's syndrome.

GUPTA: Together, Jaylen and Dash captivate their student audience working with Jaylen's challenge foundation to put a stop to bullying. And when they're not raising awareness about an often misunderstood disorder, they hang out like brother.

MIHOK: I would like to say to anybody who is watching this that I'm just like you. Just a little bit different. And you're a little bit different from me. And I have nothing but love for you.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Shocking new technology turns a Smartphone into a stun- gun.

Dan Simon has more on the latest weapons for self-defense.

This is now being issued as standard equipment. Put it on your wrist.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is now being issued as standard equipment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Strap it on your wrist.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gadget, weaponry, a staple of James Bond. But this is real, an iphone with a big secret, a stun gun. It's called the yellow jacket. Snap on the case and you've got a serious weapon capable of delivering 650,000 volts of electricity. You just lift this flap, expose these little electrodes, turn the unit on, and press the button.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It protect your phone, extends your battery life and most importantly, it protects you.

SIMON: But that's not all. This case shoots pepper spray. It's from a company called Spraytect. The inventor saying he came up with the idea for his college-bound daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She would never leave home without her phone. That's when I had this idea of combing her phone and pepper spray. SIMON: What makes these things so unique is they are just perfectly concealed. They look like any number of cell phone cases. And since people carry their phones all the time, the weapons are always with you and ready. But self-defense experts stress the need for training.

SCOTT JACKSON, SELF-DEFENSE EXPERT: If you are formally trained, if you are taught the mindset to defend yourself correctly, if you go through repetitious training, it would probably be effective, if.

SIMON: Also, it's important to note that stun guns aren't legal everywhere. But as this promotional video claims, many would-be victims now have a new high-tech tool to defend themselves.

Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: OK. So if you just can't get out of bed, you may be perfect for NASA's latest mission. The space agency wants to pay people to get some zs (ph).

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WHITFIELD: All right. Imagine getting paid to stay in bed. NASA, yes, America's space agency, is paying people $5,000 a month to lie in bed for 70 days because there's no gravity in space, astronauts don't have to move as much to get things done. And researchers want to find out how that affects the body. So before you sign up, you should know that you can't get out of bed for any reason. Yes, there will be bedpans provided.

All right. Coming up, the CNN hero who's inspiring deadbeat dads to become responsible fathers.

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WHITFIELD: To the U.S. census, more than half of America's children are growing up without their fathers at home. Today's CNN hero overcame a lot in his own life and is now trying to turn deadbeat dads into responsible loving fathers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I sold drugs on and off throughout my life. The tattoos when I first got them was war paint. I didn't think about my son. I did not think about my family. They did not exist. I have not met one man that didn't want to be a good dad, they just didn't know how.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What male has help today shape who you are?

JOE JONES, CNN HERO: We have young men who didn't have fathers in their own lives and the cycle of father-absence repeated. And we want to change that for the children.

I'm Joe Jones. I work to help fathers and families become responsible for themselves and their children in their communities.

I was 9-years-old when my dad left the house. I began using drugs when I was 13. I spent time in jail consistently and I also had a child I wasn't responsible for. There's no reason why you can't get out of the hole regardless of what the circumstances are.

There aren't many spaces in our community when men can go that are safe and constructive, and healthy. We recruit on the street because you have to penetrate the community about being a responsible fatherhood. That's why we built the center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can make mistakes, but you can cover those mistakes. Joe has allowed me to find and restore my dignity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We currently have six classes left for you to take. You are almost done.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's one of the greatest things that you can offer anyone. When you see someone and they got that pride, the light in their eye is relit, their potential is unlimited. Showing their little boys and little girls what it means to be a man and what it means to be a dad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. That's going to do it for me.

Hey, Martin Savidge is coming up next with much more CNN NEWSROOM, there he is.

Hey, Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Fredricka, great to see you. Great to be with all of you.

WHITFIELD: All right.