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Online Campaign to Help Kidnapped Nigerian Girls; Update on Phoenix V.A. Hospital Story; California Chrome Favorite at Kentucky Derby; No Shortage of Possible L.A. Clippers Buyers; Stiviano Explains Relationship with Sterling to ABC's Barbara Walters; OSCE Team Freed After Week Long Captivity; President, Celebs and Reporters Rub Shoulders; Searchers Not Giving Up On Bay of Bengal

Aired May 03, 2014 - 17:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN Newsroom. Good evening. I'm Randi Kaye. We begin with the new developments in the Donald Sterling controversy. The woman who recorded Sterling's racial comments is now defending him. V. Stiviano told ABC's Barbara Walters, Sterling is not a racist and she is not Sterling's mistress. Stiviano opened up about her relationship with the 80-year-old, Sterling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

V. STIVIANO, DONALD STERLING'S GIRLFRIEND: V. Stiviano I am Mr. Sterling's right hand arm man. I am Mr. Sterling's everything. I am his confidant, his best friend. His silly rabbit.

BARBARA WALTERS, ABC HOST: His what?

STIVIANO: His silly rabbit.

WALTERS: His silly rabbit? Is that what he calls you?

STIVIANO: No, that's what I call myself.

WALTERS: I see.

STIVIANO: And I joke around, and I make him laugh. I do things that some people find very silly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Right now, Sterling's L.A. Clippers are just hours away from a crucial game seven playoff game against the Golden State Warriors.

Let's go to our Ted Rowlands who is in Los Angeles outside the Staples Center. So, Ted, Stiviano says that she talked to Sterling after the scandal broke. What is she saying?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, she says that he's confused and that he's hurt basically. Barbara Walters asked her what Donald Sterling was going through, because we haven't heard from Donald Sterling. And one would think maybe Donald Sterling's not talking to her, but that's not the case. In fact, apparently he was at the Barbara Walters interview or at least there at some point with her. So, they're still together, whatever the relationship entails. Here is what she said Sterling is doing following the release of those audiotapes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTERS: You just left Donald Sterling. What is his state of mind right now?

STIVIANO: Confused. I think he feels very alone. Not truly supported. By those around him. Tormented. Emotionally traumatized.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: She also says that she doesn't think that Donald Sterling is a racist, but that he should apologize and she said that what we have heard, that portion of the audio, is just a small part of what she has recorded apparently. So it is unclear, Randi, if we're going to get more as this saga continues.

KAYE: Certainly was an interesting interview so far. So, Ted, you're at the Staples Center. Is the controversy, I mean, as far as you can tell affecting the Clippers' ability to focus on the playoffs and win basketball games?

ROWLANDS: I don't think so. The reason is because of the NBA's decision to be so quick and so decisive, saying that they plan to not only suspend Donald Sterling for life but then to start the process of actually getting him to sell the team. I think if it would have gone any other way, if it was stretched out, it would have made a big difference. Because remember, right after this broke, players were upset, they were mad, they were also hurt. This is a guy they worked for, and the fact that the league was so strong I think has made them able to focus.

KAYE: Yes. They wanted action and they got it. All right. Ted Rowlands, thank you.

Overseas now where the very real possibility of a civil war is looming. I am talking about Eastern Ukraine. A part of the country that borders Russia. These Ukrainian soldiers are rolling through one of several towns that have been overrun by armed separatists who believe the towns should be Russian. This is not right on the border, it is happening more than 150 miles into Ukraine. Dozens of people have been killed and people who live there are basically hiding out in their own homes. Meanwhile, a team of international military observers that were held hostage more than a week by those pro-Russian forces are now free.

CNN's Arwa Damon is in Eastern Ukraine.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That 12 member OSCE team finally freed, they had been taken hostage on April 25th in Slavyansk, accused by the self proclaimed mayor of Slavyansk of being NATO spies upon their release, he referred to them as guests. They appeared to be tired, but said that they had been treated fairly well. While the German foreign minister thanking the efforts of Russian envoy Vladimir Lukin and ensuring their release. Here in Donetsk (ph), the number two for the OSCE mission saying that this was an example of just how important negotiations are.

But elsewhere throughout the country, we're seeing very little on the negotiation side. A lot more on the military side. The Ukrainian forces continuing to maintain their positions in some areas outside of Slavyansk and pushing into Kramatorsk where they have managed to make some gains against the pro-Russian camp. But elsewhere, we are hearing from the pro-Russian side, and Lugansk for example that they issued a deadline to all of the security services. Police, military to declare their allegiance to the region of Lugansk or face the consequences. Lugansk under some self declared state of emergency it would seem, even a curfew being put into place. And most recently here in Donetsk, yet another building captured by the pro-Russian camp.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Donetsk, Ukraine.

KAYE: Well, tonight is Washington's very own nerd prom. That is the affectionate nickname for the White House Correspondents' Dinner. But is the event actually bad for reporters?

And search teams looking for Flight 370 might not have one cutting edge device forever. They're up against a deadline now with a high tech devices so many were counting on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Hollywood has the Oscars, Washington has the White House Correspondents' Dinner. For one night only, D.C. reporters trade their note pads for champagne flute, rubbing shoulders with the very people that they actually report on.

Mark Leibovich is the author of "This Town," which takes a scathing look at the sometimes incestuous relationship between reporters and political types in Washington. He is also chief national correspondent for the New York Times magazine. Mark, good to see you.

MARK LEIBOVICH, AUTHOR, "THIS TOWN": Good to see you.

KAYE: So, Washington loves its nerd prom. Should it though I guess is the question. I mean, does it make reporters more or less likely to get tough with the people that they're actually covering and reporting on?

LEIBOVICH: I think it makes them less, I mean, it's sort of goes to the larger coziness that people complain about with the media and political class in Washington. And I think the larger point is this thing goes on five days. We have a two dozen parties and after parties, you know, devoted to the media celebrating itself, and you know, both parties celebrating itself, and all of the institutions in Washington celebrating itself. And frankly, what are we celebrating? I mean, the rest of the country doesn't exactly look terribly highly on the major institutions of the city, and it is in direct disproportion to how we view ourselves. KAYE: Well, it has actually grown, right? I mean, it never went on the way that it does now. I mean, you can think sort of over the top?

LEIBOVICH: Totally. I mean, tens of dollars are spent on entertainment and food. And you know, there's this high minded sense that they, you know, have some scholarships that they give away which is good, it's a good cause. But I mean, I just think that it should be like, you know, in lieu of flowers when someone dies. I mean, I think a news organization should just sort of in lieu of going to the parties and putting on parties and spending millions of dollars on parties, you know, give it to a good cause.

KAYE: Well, let's talk about the crowd that gathers there though once again. I mean, are any reporters as far as you know squeamish about getting sort of cozy there?

LEIBOVICH: Oh, yes, no, a lot of them are. I mean, you know, "The New York Times" where I work, we're not allowed to go to the dinner anymore. I mean, our bureau chief in 2007 said that, you know, the dinner had outlived its usefulness, and that's fine. I mean, I have been to a bunch of them. You know, you can get some work done, but it is really not that big a deal. But really, there's a soul crushing sameness to this over and over and over again. Same people, same outfits, it's the same, you know, media cluster bomb. And, you know, I just don't know why we continue to do it.

KAYE: Yes. I would imagine the first one had to have been sort of fun.

LEIBOVICH: Totally.

KAYE: Do you miss going at all?

LEIBOVICH: No, I don't. I mean, the best part frankly, you can see on TV. I mean, the President's comedy routine, you know, of either party tends to be pretty good, because you know, both major parties have good joke writers and, you know, presidents are very, very comfortable before big groups and they're pretty good joke tellers. So, that's always fun. You know, the comedians can be pretty good, sometimes it can be pretty bad, but no, I don't really miss it. I mean, I occasionally go to a party, have a drink or something. But I don't know if I am getting old, I don't know if it is getting stale for me, but I do think that this is outlived its usefulness.

KAYE: Do you think the President whoever it may be enjoys it at all?

LEIBOVICH: You know, the President I would not speak for the president. I do think this President in particular enjoys a good comedy routine, can deliver it pretty well, and he can be pretty truthful and he can be pretty scathing. I mean, a few years ago, he went after Donald Trump who was in the audience in a pretty, you know, annihilating way, and it was pretty memorable. You know in a weird way, I mean, comedy can be a form of scathing truth telling, and I think presidents in both parties enjoy that part of it.

KAYE: I mean, is there serious networking to be done there do you think?

LEIBOVICH: I think there probably is, especially for smaller news organizations who don't normally, you know, get to hob knob with high level cabinet people or White House people. You have everyone in the same room, you have everyone in the same city. And there's always weird, you know, celebrity people around them re-appearing all over the place. But I mean, I do find that after awhile, it becomes this kind of drunken haze. Maybe because I drink too much, but I don't think I do. But look, it is overwhelming. I mean, it is just this big mass of people and booze and food. And again, what are we celebrating?

KAYE: All right. Well, on that note, Mark Leibovich, thank you very much.

LEIBOVICH: Sorry to be such a downer. Sorry. No, everyone had fun. I don't want to ruin anyone's good time.

KAYE: All right. Well, thanks again, I appreciate your time today. Well, CNN will give you the best seat in the House for the Correspondents' Dinner, from the red carpet to the main event. Our live coverage which will be fabulous starts tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Imagine your son or daughter going to school and never seeing them again. Hundreds of parents face that faith in Nigeria. Could social media hold the key to bring in their daughters home?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: And update now on the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Several navy ships from Bangladesh have been searching the Bay of Bengal for plane wreckage. But so far, they have found absolutely nothing. Remember, that was the area identified by an Australian ocean survey firm that claimed to detect some airplane far from the search areas, thousands of miles to the south. Several of hours, aviation analysts say that company's claim never did hold water. The search drone called Bluefin 21 hasn't produced any better results after 18 missions in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, in Beijing, officials have told family members of missing passengers to go home. The passengers' relatives have gathered around the clock at a Beijing hotel, waiting for any word from the search. Government officials gave them until today to clear out. Flight 370 has been missing now for 58 days.

David Soucie is here with me, he's a former FAA accident inspector and a CNN safety analyst. Also, Miles O'Brien, CNN's aviation analyst joins us as well.

All right. So, David, let me start with you here. You've just heard that searching the Bay of Bengal is turned up nothing, but apparently they're not giving up. In fact, Malaysia's transportation minister says that they might even actually send a ship there now to check it out. Now, a lot of people are not very happy with this alternative search area, miles being one of them. DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Right.

KAYE: But where do you stand on this?

SOUCIE: It has gone beyond hoax. I mean, the problem with it is that there is some legitimate technology I've used in mining that does similar things. And so when you look at what this has done, it not only discredits or discredits their company but discredits an entire industry. You can't look under the ocean like they're talking of doing. There's no technology that proves that. And for them to come out and make this statement is absurd. It goes beyond hurting the families, it is hurting an entire industry as well.

KAYE: All right. Let's get Miles to weigh in, Miles, I mean, I guess, you know, where do you stand on it. We heard what David said.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, I have been very outspoken on this. Because when I heard about this, you know, I know a little about space and satellite imagery technology, just from covering it over the years. And so what I immediately did was, you know, reach out to three or four of my favorite contacts who really know this business. And they were all just mystified that this could be possible. He said, they know of no such technology.

And I have no reason to believe that they would hold back on that. And so, I started looking a little further into this company and realized what we have here is an opportunistic company trying to get a little bit of publicity. And the horrifying fact, is just preying on the emotions of these families. If you look at the video of them, these people have been through the ringer. And it is practically criminal.

KAYE: Yes.

O'BRIEN: So, here is the thing. I hear that the Malaysians are going to take precious resources potentially off the real search, where we have some real evidence, and send it to the Bay of Bengal, that's when I get up most upset. I mean, the Bangladesh navy, if they want to check it out, they weren't involved in the search anyway, and if that, you know, would allay some concerns and fears that people have, this might be true, that's fine. But other than that, I would say, you know, we have to nip this one.

KAYE: So I guess the question is, David, then what's next. I mean, the Bluefin we know has been pulled out of the water as you said for the day. It seems to, you know, not have turned up anything so far. It will go until May 31st we understand. But what if the Bluefin doesn't show anything?

SOUCIE: Well, I am very confident, even more so after the report came out, and gave us a little bit more information on how the satellite, how the arch was drawn. I am even more confident that they're searching in the right area. I think the Bluefin was the wrong tool. They started with the ping where they could reach the depths with the Bluefin. Now what they have to do is retool and get into a deeper area of the ocean just to the north and keep searching there. I think that's the next step.

KAYE: And Miles, you know, we've obviously had trouble finding MH 370. They searched for Air France 447 for a couple of years before they found the wreckage there. What about this idea of real time tracking? I mean, could this prevent something like this from happening again?

O'BRIEN: Well, prevent is a different matter. It would change the equation significantly. I mean, we can track an 18 wheeler going from New York to Los Angeles much better than we can a 777 leaving from Kuala Lumpur on its way to Beijing. And that statement is just absurd on the face of it, isn't it? You know, the airlines and the regulatory agencies have got to step up their game on this. This is important and it is not expensive. The technology is all there. Would it prevent?

No. I mean, the bottom-line is in the end, no matter what we put on these planes to track them, and make them safer, and improve them, and do, whatever you have to do, make them bulletproof, whatever it is, you have to trust the person who's driving the bus as it were. And if that person is going to be a problem or if another human being, a hijacker is able to come and deer a plane, all of that is for naught in the prevention category.

KAYE: So, where is this all going, David? I mean, are you so confident that they will find the plane? I know you think they're searching the right area. But finding it is another story.

SOUCIE: Yes. I am. The pings, I have researched the pings. There's been several other things that said, well, these pings that they found down were not from underwater locator beacon, they were from animals track, animals things like that, they track whales or turtles. So, I checked with holes, I checked with everybody who does that. They said that the pingers that pings every second as these did are no longer manufactured. They haven't been for ten years. So, the fact that someone said that that could be out there, I think the batteries are probably dead by now on those.

KAYE: Yes.

SOUCIE: So, I am very convinced the more information I get, the more I am convinced that they're in the right place searching.

KAYE: And Miles, you, too, do you think they'll find it?

O'BRIEN: I do. It is a matter of time. It is unfortunate. Because we heard the pings, that was a very fortunate thing in the search, it's unprecedented, not having wreckage on the surface to actually hear those pings. I am pretty confident those are the real thing. But, you know, I think we had an expectation that it would just be a matter of days before they'd find wreckage and it is just not that simple.

KAYE: Miles O'Brien, David Soucie, great to see you both. Thank you.

Can twitter help reunite families in Nigeria? Ahead, a campaign to bring back hundreds of girls kidnapped by a militant group takes social media by storm. We'll talk to the woman behind that effort.

And then sick veterans waiting for care and some dying during that wait time. An appalling story of failure by the Veterans Administration and effort to cover it all up.

But first, Ned Norton made a career of training Olympic athletes and professional body builders. But when a young man with a spinal cord injury came into his gym, he found his true calling. Meet this week's CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NED NORTON, CNN HERO: When I am running, I feel limitless. Being in motion makes me feel free. You are really pushing yourself, that's when you really feel alive. But there are millions of people around the world that are facing severe physical limitations. They can't be independent. They can't live their lives.

I spent years training Olympic athletes, football players, body builders. One day a young guy, newly spinal-cord injured, came to the gym, asking for help.

At first, I didn't know what to do. But just worked together, he made tremendous progress.

Take a breath, reach out, reach out. Bring it back.

Before I knew it, my phone rang off the hook, people asking for help. So I opened a gym designed to fit their needs.

Ready to go to work?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Yes.

NORTON: For the past 25 years, I've provided strength and conditioning training for people with disabilities.

Push, stretch up, nice job.

People come to me when they're at their lowest.

Up, up, up, up. Hold it, rack it.

You come to the gym and all of a sudden you have a natural support network.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: In 1971, I broke my back, and I've been in a wheelchair ever since.

NORTON: That's it, Tom.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Thanks to Ned, I keep my upper body strength at a maximum. I've been able to live a full life.

NORTON: I never worry about what they can't do. I worry about what they can do. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I can do it, Ned.

NORTON: Yes, you can. Good job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did up to 10.

NORTON: I'm building them up, building them stronger, so they can go out and live life like they're supposed to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Each week we honor a new CNN Hero. If you know someone who deserves this recognition, tell us about them at CNNHeroes.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: There is growing world outrage over the plight of more than 200 teenage girls abducted last month in Nigeria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(Crowd's rallying): African lives matter. African lives matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Crowds rallied today in New York to draw attention to the abductions which have gone largely overlooked outside Nigeria. Two hundred seventy six girls were taken from their dorms in the middle of the night on April 16th. About 53 managed to escape, but the rest are still missing. It happened in Nigeria's northeastern Borno State, in area threatened by militants belonging to the Boko Haram Islamist group. The group opposes education for girls and is dedicate to making Nigeria an Islamic state.

Earlier today, Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. would work to help find the girls. But families say they've waited too long for the world and the Nigerian government to take any action. The father of one girl spoke with CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FATHER OF KIDNAPPED GIRL (voice-over): I and my family are in difficulty. We have no rest of mind. No security in the town. The government didn't provide security even presently as I'm talking to you. Most of the people do sleep in the Bush because of fear. And our daughters have been kidnapped. No action the state government nor the federal government has taken. As of now, as I'm talking to you, my wife is back in the hospital. Because she was so disturbed and she cannot even eat. She was attacked by Boko Haram because of thinking how we lost our daughter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Joining me to talk about efforts to raise awareness of the Nigerian girls' plight is Ramaa Mosley, the commercial director and founder of the online campaign, Bring Back Our Girls. Good to see you, Ramaa.

Why did you first decide to get involved in this type of issue and create this hash tag?

RAMAA MOSLEY, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR & FOUNDER, BRING BACK OUR GIRLS: You know, I heard about this story on the radio and I looked and saw there was very little being spoken about it and I could not ignore it. It was so atrocious that this happened and no one was doing anything about it.

KAYE: What kind of response have you been getting so far?

MOSLEY: Thousands of people around the world joined in and wanted to help. Everyone is asking what can they do. My main focus has been to give people action points so that they can feel empowered and help raise awareness. My initial target was to spread the word around the news and to get people talking about this issue because they weren't. Now they're talking and now we are going through action plans, asking people to write Senators and write our government leaders and tell them they must act. It is wonderful that John Kerry has spoken out. I want to see what he's going to do. I want to see the world come together and help rescue those girls immediately.

KAYE: Raising awareness, you say to tell them they must act, but what can they do? What should be done?

MOSLEY: Well, one, we can tell our friends what's happening, and we can ask our friends, and do ourselves the favor of writing our leaders and telling them that we care about these girls. There are over 150 million school girls in the world who are uneducated and who are needing to get educated, and these 260-plus girls that were kidnapped are the future of our world. You educate one girl and they'll go back and they're less likely to have children young, they're more likely to educate their sisters and their families, and break the cycle of poverty. And the fact that these 230-plus girls were kidnapped and the world has not stepped in is atrocious. We have everyone searching for an airplane in Malaysia, and you have these girls that need us now.

KAYE: If this happened in the U.S. and not Nigeria, I mean, you can only imagine what would be done to try and find them, right?

MOSLEY: That's what I keep saying. If this was someone, if this was girls in the U.S. or in the United Kingdom, anywhere else, who were white, sorry to say, they would be home now and be in their beds. I do believe the world has become desensitized to what's happening in Africa. We need to see what's happening there, and know it is a reflection of what our whole entire country could become. If we do not step in and rescue these girls, what are we saying to the future about the importance of education and the importance of helping each other?

KAYE: These girls we know were taken in the dead of night. Why do you think they were taken? And what is your greatest fear for them? MOSLEY: I believe they were taken to sell and to be used as slaves. And my greatest fear is that many of them have been killed, many of them have been raped, and that they are in really dangerous situations right now, and that because the groups were fractioned off, that will be more difficult to find them. That is one of the things that's so heartbreaking about the story. When I found out about it 10 days ago, I began the social media campaign, I told people we have to act now. The longer we wait, the quicker this will become a difficult challenge to find them. And that is what has happened. I know there are smarter people than myself who can figure out a way to locate the girls and to bring them home.

KAYE: And it sounds like you think the action certainly needs to happen outside of Nigeria, not there, which hopefully it will, as a result of all of your action in terms of raising awareness.

Ramaa Mosley, thank you so very much for your time and putting your attention to this issue. We appreciate it.

MOSLEY: Thank you.

KAYE: Two lists for vets needing medical care, one was public, the other secret. Now the secretary of Veteran's Affairs is being asked to explain why some vets were left to wait and, in some cases, die while waiting for treatment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: An update on our series of exclusive reports about military veterans dying while waiting to see doctors at a V.A. hospital. Already, President Obama has weighed in. The head of the Phoenix V.A. hospital and two other administrators were put on leave. Now a whistleblower has come forward, a doctor at the Phoenix hospital where patients died while awaiting treatment.

Senior investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin, has been following this story from the beginning and has this special report.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: This is the report that aired one day before the director, Sharon Helman, was placed on administrative leave. And as you're about to see, it was our final attempt to try to get answers from her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Director Helman?

(voice-over): After being stonewalled for two weeks trying to get answers from the Phoenix Veteran's Administration Hospital, it finally came down to this.

(on camera): Director, can you talk to us?

UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL: Off property. Off property!

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Surrounded by federal police, that is the V.A.'s director of this Phoenix medical facility, Sharon Helman --

(CROSSTALK)

GRIFFIN (on camera): Will she not talk to us?

(voice-over): -- who, on Monday, literally sped from our cameras.

(on camera): Can you please talk to us, Director? Director Helman?

(voice-over): A short time later, a change of heart. The director and her chief of staff decided it was time to answer the allegations that have three Arizona congressmen now calling for her resignation.

As we first reported, multiple sources tell CNN as many as 40 veterans died while they were waiting for medical care at this V.A. facility. Our sources tell us many were placed on a secret list designed by V.A. managers to hide the fact veterans were waiting months to see a doctor.

SHARON HELMAN, DIRECTOR, PHOENIX VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSPITAL: Those are the allegations we asked the Office of Inspector General to review.

GRIFFIN (on camera): But those are the allegations, I assume, you two would know direct knowledge of.

HELMAN: Again, those allegations are ones that the Office of Inspector General are reviewing right now. When we heard about this during the House of Veterans Affairs Committee is the first time we heard of the allegations and why we asked the Office of Inspector General to do a thorough impartial review.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): That is an odd statement considering as early as last fall the V.A.'s Office of Inspector General had already been pursuing allegations of a secret waiting list and veterans dying while waiting to see a doctor. Helman's explanation? Yes, she says, investigators questioned her back in December but she did not know what the questioning was about.

HELMAN: They don't tell us what the allegations are surrounding their investigation. I can just confirm, yes, they were here.

GRIFFIN: Multiple sources inside this hospital tell CNN, under direction of management, a secret electronic waiting list was created and paper evidence of when patients first went to the V.A. seeking care was shredded.

And those sources say Sharon Helman and her medical chief of staff, Dr. Darren Deering, knew about it because it was their plan.

(on camera): So I'm asking you, maybe you directly, sir, did this or did this not happen?

DR. DARREN DEERING, MEDICAL CHIEF OF STAFF, PHOENIX VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSPITAL: I think what we have here, Drew, I think there is some confusion amongst our staff. When we came on as a leadership team in 2012, the practice at that time was that they would schedule new veterans coming in for care way out into the future, sometimes a year or 14 months. What we did is we took those patients scheduled in the future and put them in this national tool, on this EWL, electronic waiting list, so when we had an appointment that came open, so if a veteran called next week and canceled their appointment, we could pull them off this list and get them in that slot. So it actually improved the probability of the veterans getting an appointment sooner. I think there were some folks that did not understand that, and I think that's where these allegations are coming from.

GRIFFIN: When I'm talking to sources inside this hospital who, literally in tears, are telling us that patients have died waiting on these list, those people are confused?

HELMAN: Drew, what we're saying is we implemented the electronic wait list. And any concerns staff have, I share in those same concerns.

GRIFFIN: Have you found cases where veterans are on the waiting list and have died?

DEERING: Yes. And that is -- in the course of health care delivery, we have patients who unfortunately pass away. We have found veterans on the list who have died, but we have not been able to connect their death to the delay in getting their care.

GRIFFIN: It seems cut and dry to me. Whatever happened happened, and the people who know what happened are right before me.

HELMAN: I think that's a question for the Office of Inspector General.

DEERING: We have never instructed --

HELMAN: No.

DEERING: -- our staff to create a secret list, to maintain a secret list, to shred a secret list. That has never come from our office.

HELMAN: No. It has never come from me.

DR. SAN FOOTE, PHYSICIAN: Are you kidding?

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Dr. Sam Foote is the person who first became public on CNN with his accusations. He's a physician, recently retired after 24 years with the Phoenix V.A., who, along with several sources inside the V.A., says there is no confusion, the secret list existed and veterans died.

(on camera): So you're not backing down at all?

FOOTE: No sir.

GRIFFIN: So what they're telling us, false?

FOOTE: I would say so, yes.

GRIFFIN: Director Helman, even the president of the United States has spoken out about this particular issue. Three congressmen, this morning, are calling for your head. They want you out of here. Are you leaving?

HELMAN: I'll tell you right now, the Office of Inspector General is here reviewing all of the allegations. And as the leader of this organization, I'm going to continue to provide the best health care that these veterans deserve and earn.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): CNN has learned that the investigation may be expanding no longer just to veterans who died waiting for care, but veterans who died waiting for return care, follow-up appointments that they could not get.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Just one day after that report aired, really less than a day, Director Sharon Helman and two of her staff were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of this big investigation that's taking place at the Phoenix V.A. The Veterans Affair secretary said if these allegations are true, they are absolutely unacceptable.

KAYE: CNN has reached out to Veteran's Affairs secretary, Eric Shinseki, and, so far, no response.

Horse-racing enthusiasts are in Kentucky this afternoon. Fabulous hats, delicious mint juleps, and possibility of a history making ride for one jockey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Live pictures here from the Washington Hilton. It is the center of the political universe tonight for the White House Correspondent's Dinner, known as nerd prom around town. There you see Jeff Goldblum walking in. But also, a hot ticket for reporters, politicians and celebrities. See all of the highlights from the White House Correspondent's Dinner, from the red carpet to the main event. Live coverage starts on CNN at 8:00 p.m. eastern time.

To Louisville, and today's 140th running of the Kentucky Derby. A field of 19 horses will run in the event billed as the greatest two minutes in sports. The favorite is a horse called California Chrome, who was unbeaten as a three-year-old.

Francesca Cumani is an anchor for CNN's "Winning Post," and a former jockey herself.

FRANCESCA CUMANI, CNN ANCHOR, WINNING POST: That's right, Randi. This is 140th running of the Kentucky Derby and the first leg of the Triple Crown. We have a jockey bidding to make history today. She is trying to become the first female jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby. Her horse, Victor is Trouble (ph) and the assistant trainer of that horse is her husband, Joe Sharp. That would be a sentimental favorite here today. Also, we have a horse named Wicked Strong who was renamed after the Boston bombings to honor all of those affected by the bombings. At the percentage of his winnings and total career earnings will be given to the One Fund.

But the horse they all have to beat is the favorite, California Chrome. If he could win, he would put his trainer in the record books. Art Sherman, at 77 years old, will become the oldest person to train a Kentucky Derby winner. The excitement is building.

The weather is perfect. And it's not too long until the two most- exciting minutes in sports -- Randi?

KAYE: Francesca, thank you very much.

Experts will tell you it's not a good idea to pick a winning horse based on its name, but if you're a fan of the old school group New Addition, you know you have to root for Candy Boy. How about General A-Rod? No, he is not named after Yankee fallen star, Alex Rodriguez, but after its owner, Armando Rodriguez. If you can't get enough of the reality show "Duck Dynasty," there is Uncle Cy, named after one of the show's stars.

After Florida was hit by historic flooding earlier this week, another storm could dump several more inches of rain on the state. And there's another nasty system crossing over the Great Lakes.

CNN's Karen McGinnis has the forecast for us -- Karen?

KAREN MCGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Looks like problems in the weather coming up for the Great Lakes region, also pushing into the northeast in New England. We will keep the gray skies and rainfall moving in and some areas could see up to an inch of wet weather.

But if you remember, back a few days ago, it was the panhandle of Florida that just got soaked with astounding rainfall totals. We are still looking at some pretty heavy rain but this time, over central and southern sections of Florida, two to four inches is expected.

Now, the next several days, the temperatures will be rising across the southwest United States. Oklahoma City, is it possible we could see close to 100 degrees by Monday? Computer models are saying plenty of sunshine and not too much to interrupt that. Certainly, it is the possibility.

The Santa Ana's were ferocious the last few days in Southern California. In the triple digits, but looks like, by Monday, we'll see the temperatures back off a few degrees. Not so bad as we go into the beginning of the work week. Still a little on the toasty side but near normal temperatures all the way from Boston and New York, and readings mostly in the 60s.

KAYE: Karen McGginnis, thank you very much.

So who would make the best boss? A media mogul, a basketball Hall of Famer, a rapper? The NBA is holding an open casting call is see who will buy the Los Angeles Clippers. Only the super rich, of course, need apply.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Welcome back.

Don Lemon joins me now.

(LAUGHTER)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: We just played musical chairs.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: I switched. I like it over here. Very comfortable. Kind of nice.

Before I go for the night, we want to return to our stop story.

LEMON: Our top story is the L.A. Clippers getting ready for a do-or- die playoff game. Their shamed owner, Donald Sterling, is banned from attending after his racial comments were leaked to the media. The NBA commissioner is pushing to force Sterling, Randi, to sell the Clippers.

KAYE: Oprah has some interest in buying the Clippers.

Our personal finance and business correspondent, Zain Asher, is tracking how much the Clippers might be worth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN FINANCE & BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. So we spoke to a number of investment banks that specialize in the sports industry. The thinking is the L.A. Clippers could go from $850 million to a billion dollars.

OK, how did they get to that total for a team like the L.A. Clippers? The answer is they look at other teams that have recently sold. For example, we know that the Sacramento Kings recently sold for $535 million. We know that the Milwaukee Bucks recently sold for $550 million, which is a huge amount of money when you consider that the Bucks are in a much smaller TV market than the Clippers. For example, they are in dire need of a new arena. People are saying, well, you know, if the Milwaukee Bucks can sell for $550 million, then the L.A. Clippers must be worth a lot more, especially when you consider that Los Angeles is the second-largest TV market in the country. We are talking 5.6 million TV households. Plus, the Clippers TV deal is up for renewal soon so they could renegotiate for a much larger sum of money than they are currently being paid.

On top of that you have to consider just how infrequently a team like the Clippers changes hands. The last time they were up for sale was back in 1981 when Sterling, himself, bought them. Just the rarity of this event really will drive the price higher.

Lastly, I will say that anyone who buys the Clippers at a time like this really stands to benefit from a huge amount of positive publicity. They come in looking like a hero, and certainly there is a premium for that. Zain Asher, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: There is no shortage of possible buyers for the Clippers. If or when the team goes on sale, we want to know who would you want as a billionaire boss.

A tough decision.

LEMON: Who do you think, Randi?

KAYE: There's a couple of names out there. Floyd Mayweather, the undefeated boxer has a knack for making money but he also loves to gamble.

LEMON: He is also really late. Every time I've ever interviewed him, hours late.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: That means he would be a good boss?

LEMON: Probably not.

KAYE: OK. How about long-time and long-suffering Clippers fan, Billy Crystal? He told "Forbes" we are in negotiations. Do you think he is joking?

LEMON: I think he would be great. You know how Spike Lee is for the Knicks? He's like out there. That is what Billy Crystal is to the Clippers.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: His heart is in it, so I'd rather have a boss who is a fan and heart is really into it.

KAYE: I agree with you on that one. How about Larry Ellison? $50 billion, he has deep pockets. You could get raise?

LEMON: No. No.

KAYE: Not good?

(LAUGHTER)

OK, well, Ellison's bid, just in case you're wondering, might include Oprah also. She has given show audiences cars. What would she give an employee?

LEMON: She would get a lot of eyes. She would get a lot of publicity and goes a long way, and that will get you paid.

KAYE: Yeah. I agree with that one. All right, and music and show business insider, David Geffen, is another possibility. He's worth more than $5 billion. Probably throw in some pretty killer business partners.

LEMON: I would dig that. I would like David Geffen.