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Parents of Dead Vet Work to Fix V.A.; Clinton Responds to Political Criticism on Benghazi; American Was Syrian Suicide Bomber; Mother Sentenced to Death in Sudan for Christianity; CNN Hero Helps Families Dealing With Heart Disease; Spelling Bee Mistake Becomes Web Sensation; Spelling Bee Judge Brings "Milkshake" to the Yard

Aired May 30, 2014 - 15:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Bottom of the hour, you're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has resigned, this coming after weeks if revelations that CNN first broke abuses at V.A. facilities across the country, including those secret waiting lists, veterans who died while waiting for care and hundreds of veterans ignored by the system.

But you know what? This isn't just about the politics. It's not just about the resignations. This is about the people, the heroes, and it's a system that one veteran feels failed him, at least according to his suicide note.

Daniel Somers was a sergeant in the intelligence unit. He ran 400 combat missions as a machine gunner. he signed up for the National Guard a number of years ago. And he shot himself in June of last year at the age of 30.

His parents in their very first TV interview agreed to speak with me last hour, and they showed just how painful and how desperate the need is for veterans in this country to have a V.A. that guides and not hinders their healing.

And Daniel's father read me a portion of the note that their son Daniel left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD SOMERS, FATHER OF VETERAN WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE: My body has become nothing but a cage, a source of pain and constant problems. The illness I have has caused me pain that not even the strongest medicines could dull, and there is no cure.

All day, every day, a screaming agony in every nerve ending in my body, it is nothing short of torture. My mind is a wasteland filled with visions of incredible horror, increasing depression and crippling anxiety, even with all the medications the doctors dare give.

Simple things that everyone else takes for granted are nearly impossible for me. I cannot laugh or cry. I can barely leave the house. I derive no pleasure from any activity.

Everything simply comes down to passing time until I can sleep again. Now, to sleep forever seems to be the most merciful thing ever.

BALDWIN: Forgive me. This is tough.

SOMERS: It took him three months to be seen, but he was only seen within three months because we had a connection, and because of that connection who had a connection at the facility, they were able to get him in.

JEAN SOMERS, MOTHER OF VETERAN WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE: I would have preferred that Shinseki stay and maybe have a White House person alongside him to continue working on the problems.

BALDWIN: Do you disagree, Howard? Or do you disagree with your wife?

H. SOMERS: I don't -- no, I certainly do. I think, though, that problems start at the top, but the major issue is this huge, entrenched bureaucracy. Why do we have so many levels that we have within this system?

We always -- and one of the things that we're going to talk about, hopefully in a few minutes, is the difference between the DOD system and the V.A. system. And in the DOD system, there's a direct line of accountability from the surgeon-general of each branch of service to the chief operating officer of each hospital, of each medical center.

BALDWIN: And that isn't true of the V.A.

H. SOMERS: I can't even -- you can't even count the number of levels there are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Talked to them for about 20 minutes. We'll make sure we post that to CNN.com. You have to see the whole thing.

But let me be clear. The Phoenix V.A. facility, where their son Daniel got some of his care, told CNN it's committed to providing the highest quality care to veterans, but when pressed, they said that they would not speak directly about Daniel's case, for privacy reasons.

But let me just -- right out of that, Paul Rieckhoff, let me bring you in, founder and executive director of the IAVA, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and also the author of "Chasing Ghosts."

And, Paul, it's nice to have you back on. Can you just please -- did you watch that a moment ago, those two parents talking to me, very raw, very frustrated, want solutions.

The mother said that the fact that Shinseki is gone -- finding someone else, it'll be wasted time. Your reaction?

PAUL RIECKHOFF, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA: I know Mr. and Mrs. Somers, and we've worked closely with them at IAVA. They are heroic leaders, and they have been raising this issue for a long time now and fighting so hard in Washington and around the country to bring awareness to what Daniel had to go through and what too many veterans have had to go through.

So we stand strongly with them, and maybe that story and this changeover with Shinseki will be a wake up call to America. We're losing 22 veterans a day to suicide.

This is about real people like Daniel that are dying in America, and we've got to get ahead of this. We've got to get them the resources they need. And V.A. has to be able to respond.

When someone is a vet and does have the courage to step forward, V.A.'s got to meet them, and they've got to be quick, and they've got to be effective, and they've got to be consistent.

And right now that's not happening for far too many of our members and veterans across the country.

BALDWIN: Agree. And now you have the news today that Shinseki is gone, but that doesn't change much; it doesn't fix the problem, Paul. What is the root?

Is it -- the parents were talking to me about the bureaucracy. Is it the red tape? is it resources?

RIECKHOFF: It does change quite a bit. It is a dramatic change. It's something that our members wanted to see, and now, I think, will change the command climate, it will change the atmosphere.

We need someone who can be aggressive, who can get to the bottom of this, who can change the face of the V.A. and turn it from "veterans adversary" into "veterans advocates." So the command climate will be important.

But we have also got to rip this bureaucracy apart. We're pushing for the V.A. Accountability Act that's right now sitting in front of the Senate. The Senate has got to pass that, and we need system-wide performance.

We also have a suicide-prevention bill that's sitting in front of the Senate, the SAVE Act, sponsored by Senator John Walsh out of Montana. The Somers have been out in front on that.

Washington needs to get its act together and start moving things forward. Put the partisanship aside, now that Shinseki's out of the way, let's get to work, and let's move the system forward.

BALDWIN: Exactly what Dr. and Mrs. Somers were saying.

And so when we look ahead here as far as leadership, we know Sloan Gibson is taking over this post right, but long term, Paul Rieckhoff, who would you like to see in the job?

RIECKHOFF: We also know Sloan pretty well. He led the USO. He is an Army Ranger. He's a paratrooper, and he's got a business background, so he brings some solid experience.

He's new at V.A. but we're optimistic, and we're standing by to support him, like I know all the other veterans groups are.

We want to see a transformation agent, somebody who can be a turn around artist. They have really got to change the confidence level, the entire image of the V.A., and most of all, they have got to restore the confidence of America's veterans, because right now, it's shattered. And they've got to get in front of it, rebuild it.

And the president's got to back him up. This just can't be the V.A. secretary. The Somers are right. It's got to be DOD. It's got to be the entire government agency system, but it's also got to be the American people. We've got to support the community-based nonprofits that many of our veterans go to when the V.A. doesn't.

So it's got to be a national call to action led by, most of all, the president.

BALDWIN: I was talking to Gary Sinise just the other day, does so much with veterans, and he said the exact same thing about all those nonprofits around the country.

Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA, thank you so much.

RIECKHOFF: Thank you. We appreciate you.

BALDWIN: You got it.

Coming up next, Hillary Clinton fights back at critics blaming her for the Benghazi terror attack.

An excerpt from her upcoming book leaked today. Hear the tough words directed at Republicans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In leaked passages of her new book, "Hard Choices," Hillary Clinton goes after those who say she mishandled that 2012 attack on Americans in Benghazi.

According to Politico -- let me quote this -- Clinton writes, "I will not be a part of a political slugfest on the backs of dead Americans. It's just plain wrong, and it's unworthy of our great country.

"Those who insist on politicizing a tragedy will have to do so without me."

Let's go to Washington to our senior political correspondent, Brianna Keilar. And, Brianna Keilar, let's talk about this, because I was reading online today one political analyst basically making the point that nothing at this point -- when it comes to this particular leak -- nothing is on accident, everything is choreographed and that the Hillary campaign has begun.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It really does make you wonder, Brooke, but really all we know about this is that Politico obtained this chapter, which is really the chapter, as far as her much-awaited book, the chapter on Benghazi.

And then Politico wrote up the story and put out some excerpts. There have been other releases. For instance, she talked about her mother and here daughter around Mother's Day. That went to "Vogue." That was very official. There were also audio clips that went with that.

That was the official thing of non-controversial topics we've seen a couple of time. This is a little different, but it certainly allows her to dispense, I think, with some of this more controversial stuff before the book tour really gets under way.

BALDWIN: Let me play just a little sound. This was President Obama. He had this secret lunch with Hillary Clinton yesterday.

He sat down and talked to Kelly and Michael, host of "Kelly and Michael" about this potential run. Roll it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I always admired her. As soon as she got here, she couldn't have been more effective, more loyal, and since that time we have become really good friends.

And I think that -- I don't know what she's going to decide to do, but I know that if she were to run for president, I think she'd be very effective at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Very effective at that, Brianna Keilar. I see those eyebrows raised.

Do we see that as an early endorsement?

KEILAR: I don't. It's not certainly an sort of official endorsement. I think, more than anything, it's an indication of where things are going.

She is by far the frontrunner. She is by far seen to be the favorite when it comes to the Democratic nominee for 2016. So I think he's kind of going in that direction.

And, look, they do have a good relationship, but I also think, if I'm Joe Biden, am I thrilled that there was this lunch and that happened? No. There's a little bit of awkwardness to it, for sure.

BALDWIN: OK, Brianna Keilar, thank you so much, my friend, from Washington for me today.

And coming up next, a woman who just gave birth in shackles, facing a sentence of lashes and execution, the reason is because she's Christian.

CNN sat down with her husband to talk about what the family is going through. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: U.S. intelligence officials confirm that a suicide bomb in Syria was set off by an American citizen from Florida.

A video from the al-Qaeda-linked group features this picture of the man smiling and holding a cat. Officials won't release his real name, but he goes by an alias that in Arabic means "the American."

That attack targeted one of the Syrian government's key supply route. The CIA and FBI believe the Florida man is part of a larger group of Americans that they are tracking in Syria.

And a family in Sudan is enduring, really, the ultimate test of faith. A woman who just gave birth in prison days ago has been sentenced to death there, accused of giving up her Muslim faith.

In a first on CNN interview, her husband says even the threat of an execution will not make his wife abandon her Christianity.

CNN Nima Elbagir has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Five years ago, Daniel Wani thought he had it all, a beautiful wife, a new future.

This is his new reality, the first glimpse of his baby girl inside a jail cell, his wife's shackles just out of view.

Daniel told us his wife Mariam Ibrahim was accused last September of apostasy, abandoning her Muslim faith. It's a crime punishable by death under Sudan's harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

When you met her, she told you she was a Christian?

DANIEL WANI, HUSBAND: She's a Christian.

ELBAGIR: And she was a practicing Christian?

WANI: Yes. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ELBAGIR: A court here in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, ruled on May 15th that Mariam was guilty and sentenced her to death.

The ruling has sent shockwaves, both in Sudan and around the world.

Daniel now faces losing not just his wife, but life as he knows it.

How did it feel for you to hear that your marriage wasn't valid?

WANI: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ELBAGIR: And your children were baptized?

WANI: Martin, yes. Martin was.

ELBAGIR: And your new daughter?

WANI: Not yet. She's only a day old.

ELBAGIR: Daniel's case is closely watched throughout Sudan. The Christian community here says they are praying for him, praying that he'll be able to keep his family together.

Nima Elbagir, CNN, Khartoum, Sudan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: CNN tried to get a comment from the Sudanese government and was denied an interview with the Justice Ministry. We were told the justice minister would not comment because a final judgment has yet to be made in this case.

CNN has also reached out to prison authorities, regarding the treatment of Mariam Ibrahim and were told it is standard procedure for inmates sentenced to execution to be shackled.

Coming up next, a teen was just along for this ride-along with police when this happened.

We've got the full story for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Sixteen-year-old Jared Hinkle didn't exactly expect his ride- along with Alabama police to end like this.

Hinkle was in the passenger seat of that police cruiser, wanted to learn more about the job and found part of himself here -- it was a high-speed chase -- and he was the one rolling on this whole thing with his cell phone.

This suspect drove himself through fences and red lights for more than 20 minutes until finally being cornered by police, and then again, this. Talk about truly learning on the job here.

No one was injured, thank goodness. The suspect was quickly arrested. Hinkle says the experience made him want to be a police officer more than ever.

Heart disease is the number one killer in America, and it can take an emotional toll on an entire family.

Meet Michelle Javian, a CNN Hero who's giving support to families dealing with the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been sick for my whole life. I can't do what most people can do. I can't go on sleepovers. I can't play football.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on, Brandon. You'll be all right, OK?

Brandon was five weeks old when he got his heart transplant. I've been dealing with Brandon heart disease since he is born.

MICHELLE JAVIAN, CNN HERO: Heart disease is the number one killer in America. It can happen in a second and it uproots your life entirely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lily!

JAVIAN: A lot of families travel to New York City for top cardiac care. However, New York City is also one of the most expensive places to live and stay.

My father passed away after battling heart disease for nearly two years. While we were at the hospital, we met countless families that didn't have a place to stay. They were emotionally drained and financially not in the best situation.

How are you guys doing and feeling, and .

So I cofounded Harboring Hearts. Our organization helps families with emotional and financial support and any other types of emergency needs.

Did you get the gift cards and everything?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

JAVIAN: OK. Good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brandon needs to have biopsy every few months. Without foundation, we would be able to be close to the hospital because my economical situation.

I want to really thank you (INAUDIBLE) in the time we really need it.

JAVIAN: After my father passed away, I wanted to do something positive and bring happiness and relief and support to the families who need it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: If you know someone like Michelle who deserves recognition, just go to CNNHeroes.com right now, and please let us know about them, CNNHeroes.com.

And before I go here, for the very first time in 52 years, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has not just one but two young champions. That's because there apparently weren't enough words on the champions spelling list to keep going. So huge kudos to them.

But let's talk about the moment everyone's really dishing about today, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kabaragoya.

JACOB WILLIAMSON, SPELLING BEE CONTESTANT: I know it. I know it. I totally know it!

OK, kabaragoya, C-A-B-A-R-A-G-O-Y-A, kabaragoya.

What!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Can we get him on the show, guys, please?

And if that wasn't enough for you, if you thought that was amusing, you remember Kelis' hit song, "Milkshake?" "My milkshake" -- I'll save you my singing, but somehow the spelling bee announcer accidentally ended up reading her lyrics to a contestant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Read it in a sentence, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Tabitha discovered that while her milkshake brought all the boys to the yard" -- oh, boy. Oh, I'm sorry. I was reading the wrong sentence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Bailly, time is ticking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Was that another sentence, part of the Bee? I'm so confused.

I loved his precious, confused face there. I'm not quite sure, actually, how that made it to the judge's desk, but back to the winners. President Obama tweeted his kudos to the co-champs, saying, "They all make us proud."

So congratulations to both of them.

And that does it for me. Thank you so much for being with me, of course, these last two hours here on CNN.

I will be back here Monday, but don't move a muscle, because "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.