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Why Trust Qatar with Bowe Bergdahl Deal?; Apple Expected to Announce Smart Home Platform; Will Obama Face Fallout from Bergdahl Deal?; Killer Birth Control; Brazil's Crime-Ridden Hellhole?; Ads for Adults Seen in Children Channels; Immunotherapy Better than Chemotherapy; 70th Anniversary of D-Day This Friday; California Chrome Seeks Triple Crown; Who Killed the McStay Family?
Aired June 01, 2014 - 18:00 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. I'm Randi Kaye in for Don Lemon.
This hour we're fast forwarding to the week ahead. We'll take a look at all the stories you'll be talking about and hearing about this coming week.
So, let's begin with our five questions for the week ahead.
We begin with question number five. What's going on with Qatar all of a sudden? It's a tiny Persian Gulf Nation that over the past few days negotiated the release of a captured American soldier and is also in the middle of an international sports bribery scandal. You can bet that you'll be hearing plenty about Qatar in the week ahead.
We wanted to know how the country's reacting to the part they played in the freedom of Bowe Bergdahl.
CNN's Richard Quest is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, for the tiny country of Qatar, this has been an extremely important development, but you might not realize it looking at the morning newspaper. This is "The Gulf Times". The lead story is some rather esoteric story about Qatar's heritage to go digital. And somewhere buried in the middle of the front page -- and watch how they phrased it -- "Obama thanks Qatar for assistance as Taliban free American soldier."
And that speaks volumes to how this country views what it did. Very few details have been given of their involvement. They will only say that the talks were mandated by the emir himself, that they were long negotiations, that they were part of the country's basic humanitarian principles of foreign policy. And when I asked a question of the foreign minister earlier today, he really wouldn't give any more other than a general architecture of what they've done.
DR. KHALID AL ATTIYAH, QATAR'S FOREIGN MINISTER: As I said, I'm not prepared to go into any details. But in any case, when Qatar takes up such a (INAUDIBLE) mediation, it bases that on basic principle of (INAUDIBLE) and that's humanitarian consideration and because Qatar enjoys the confidence of all parts, it makes it easier for us to deal.
QUEST: Now, the really big question. How can Qatar guarantee and live up to the promise that the detainees will remain in the country for the prescribed period and both during and after will not involve themselves in terrorist or violent activities? It's been the cornerstone of the promise guarantee given to the United States, upon which so much has been relied.
The truth is we don't really know how they're going to keep that promise. They've refused to give any details. As for the new regime of the emir this has been a very important arrangement. It cements his closeness and the closeness of the country to the United States. It keeps the Taliban on one side, and in terms of foreign policy, it puts Qatar on the map -- Randi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Richard Quest, thank you very much. In a few minutes more about Qatar, specifically that country's relationship with both the United States and the Taliban. It is a very tricky spot to be in politically. I'll have former CIA officer Bob Baer here to discuss.
Question number four now, will a Sudanese Christian women condemned to death but now possibly set to go free be begin asylum here in the U.S.? Mariam Ibrahim was sentenced to die after refusing to renounce her Christian faith. Her husband was raised Christian and is a U.S. citizen. He says he's working with two U.S. senators to quickly secure asylum for their family. Will their request be granted?
Question number three, what new stuff is Apple set to unveil at their news conference tomorrow? And how is it likely to impact their stock?
CNN's Alison Kosik gives us a quick preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi. Apple geeks are psyched for this week. The tech titan kicked off its worldwide developers conference on Monday. CEO Tim Cook will take the stage to announce all the cool i-stuff.
So, what's everybody expecting? The word is a new praying system for iPhones and iPads, iOS8. We're also betting on new Macs, but any announcement about iPhones or Apple TV are much less likely -- Randi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Thanks, Alison.
And later this hour, more on what's expected and some of the things we wish they would announce.
Question number two, will California Chrome be the first horse to Triple Crown since 1978? The Belmont Stakes is less than a week away. Only 11 horses have ever completed the feat of winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.
So, can California Chrome make it an even dozen?
And question number one: will President Obama face political repercussions for the deal that freed Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl? There is happiness and relief across party lines that Bergdahl is no longer held captive. But critics say the price the U.S. paid was far too high.
So, let's talk about the Bergdahl deal with CNN commentators Ben Ferguson and Marc Lamont Hill.
Nice to see you guys.
So, national security adviser Susan Rice told our Candy Crowley today that she doesn't consider this deal to be negotiating with terrorists. And the defense secretary agrees. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK HAGEL, DEFENSE SECRETARY: First of all, we didn't negotiate with terrorists. As I said and explained before, Sergeant Bergdahl is a prisoner of war. That's a normal process in getting your prisoners back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Marc, the White House obviously very sensitive to the idea that the U.S. cut a deal with terrorists. Will the president face any long-term repercussions from this, do you think?
MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Long-term, likely not, the catch phrase and the buzz word for the day to say negotiating with terrorists (AUDIO GAP) --
KAYE: All right, we're having some trouble hearing Marc.
Ben, let me ask you. Is the president going to face tough repercussions here?
BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. I think first from Congress because there are a lot of congressmen and senators on both sides of the aisle, they are very upset that he didn't come to Congress about this, first of all.
And the other issue is, you know, the fact that people are trying to claim around this administration that we didn't negotiate with terrorists. The Taliban is a terrorist group. We've declared them a terrorist group. The United Nations has even said they're a terrorist group.
They gave us five names (AUDIO GAP) we said were terrorists that we put in Guantanamo Bay as terrorists, and we gave those terrorists back to the Taliban, a terrorist group that we claim is a terrorist group. So this idea that they're saying we didn't negotiate with terrorists, I think is an embarrassing line for the White House because I think most Americans are smart enough to realize the Taliban's a terrorist group, these men were terrorists.
As one commander put it, these guys have blood on their hands of American soldiers and they're so important to the Taliban that they asked them back over a five-year period. So, we traded with them. That's negotiating with terrorism.
KAYE: All right. Let me let Marc weigh in here.
HILL: Just because you keep saying "terrorist" over and over again doesn't make it any more or less true. The fact is, first of all, we didn't negotiate with terrorists. We negotiated with Qatar. And this is a normal situation.
This is a war situation. This was a prisoner of war. It's the United States' responsibility to do everything to bring a soldier home that is a prisoner of war. That's very different than just negotiating a hostage situation with al Qaeda or Hezbollah or some other organization in a traditional hostage situation. That's not what happened here --
(CROSSTALK)
FERGUSON: So, how many non-terrorists do we have at Guantanamo Bay?
HILL: Ben, I let you talk uninterrupted, let me finish my point here. There are a couple of other issues here.
The issue of connecting with Congress is also very important. The president argued some had a responsibility to talk to Congress ahead of time. There are debates about that. The president's signing statement last year indicated that he compromised the powers of the commander in chief.
Also, if he had waited 30 days, this soldier may have died. He had health issues. There was a concern of Hamid Karzai, might compromise the negotiations out of his own political concerns. A soldier may have died if we didn't do about this. How do you make the case for someone --
(CROSSTALK)
FERGUSON: It's amazing now that you bring this up, because for five years this deal has been on the table from the Taliban. The idea that now all of a sudden there was urgency certainly is up for debate.
But I would say this -- how many non-terrorists do we have at Guantanamo Bay that the Taliban wants back? They're all terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. That's why we have it and built it. That's what it revolves around is terrorists.
So, to say they're not terrorists, I'm sorry, is just incorrect.
KAYE: But, Ben, what was the answer then, Ben? How would the U.S. have gotten Bowe Bergdahl back if they hadn't done this? I mean, he was in Pakistan. The experts say they couldn't reach him, it was too dangerous. They had to bring him to the border. What was the answer then, leave him there?
FERGUSON: I don't know if the answer is giving up five to one, because the issue is, what is the price you're going to pay in the future? I mean, we have multiple that are around the world that are being held against their will right now in Iran. Are we going to trade with Iran and allow them to have certain weapons that they want to get the pastor out of Iran right now?
I mean, there's a lot of different Americans that are being held. We've got one that's being held in Mexico. Are we going to make a trade with them for that?
I mean, there's a certain standard that America's had for 50 years and that is, we do not negotiate with terrorists if you have one of our citizens because once you start playing that game, the price of every American soldier or civilian goes through the roof in that part of the world because they know now that they can trade five for one for top people they want out of Guantanamo Bay and there's a lot more prisoners they'd love to trade with starting tomorrow.
KAYE: Marc, you want to respond to that?
HILL: There are no problem-free solutions here. Ben seems to think -- and this is telling. You asked Ben a very direct question, which is, what would you do? He doesn't have an answer because this is the classic Republican response no matter what the president does, the response is they did it wrong.
FERGUSON: Classic, we don't negotiate with terrorists.
HILL: This is not an issue of negotiating with terrorists. There was a third-party intermediary, the country of Qatar. Number two, this is not a question of five terrorists -- now these are terrorists, but these are five terrorists who were under security from Qatar. They're not simply being allowed to go back and rejoin the fight.
And again, this was a war, this is not a hostage situation. This was a war situation.
And Ben talked about a standard for 50 years. The standard we set in America forever is one that says if we send one of our soldiers off to war, we will do everything we can do to bring them home. And Ben says the deal was on the table for five years. He's absolutely right. This deal has been negotiated for five years, but the terms were not on the table for five years.
And one of the reasons it was hard to get the deal done is because of extremists in the Taliban, because of the Karzai government, and both of those things that we had to get it done quickly, we had to get it done in less than 30 days, and also this gentleman was sick. Bergdahl was sick. He could have died had we not gotten him home.
And somehow, in all this politics, we're forgetting that a young man would be dead if we didn't come and make this negotiation. That's far more important. FERGUSON: Well, we don't know -- first of all, we don't know if he would be dead. I mean, you're saying an awful lot of information that no one else has said out there.
KAYE: I don't think his parents or the U.S. government wanted to wait and find that out.
HILL: Right.
KAYE: A good discussion as always. Thank you both, Marc, Ben. Appreciate it.
Why did the U.S. put so much trust in the Qatar government to negotiate the release of Bowe Bergdahl and ensure that the terrorists don't retaliate? Former CIA operative Bob Baer will join me next to discuss.
Plus, hear from a family who claims birth control killed their daughter and why they refuse to accept a $100 million settlement from the company who made that birth control.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is a free man today, released by his Taliban captors who held him nearly five years. We're told by the Obama administration that he was only released thanks to mediation by the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar.
National security adviser Susan Rice was on CNN earlier today. And she said the wheels started turning several days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: President Obama spoke to the emir of Qatar on Tuesday when this looked like it was a real possibility and those assurances were repeated directly and personally by the emir to the president. And they enable us to have confidence that the -- they enable us to have confidence that these prisoners will be carefully watched, that their ability to move will be constrained.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Bob Baer is our national security analyst and a former CIA operative.
Bob, Qatar says, don't worry, we're going to keep a lid on these Guantanamo guys. Mullah Omar is thanking the government of Qatar today. President Obama thanking the government there today. All of a sudden, Qatar is like this rock star negotiating power.
I mean, when did this happen? And I guess, really, the question is, on a more serious note, how cautious should U.S. officials be in doing business with them?
BOB BAER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Oh, we are cautious because Qatar plays both sides of the fence. It's hosted Islamic militants for a year, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11, was in Qatar in the mid-'90s. But since then, Qatar has become a pretty good ally of the U.S. There's a large base there. There's a large intelligence collection platform there.
Qatar has gone out of its way to find favor in Washington. It's in its national interests to be a good ally of the United States.
KAYE: So, do you think this was a one time deal for Qatar? I mean, for this purpose only? Or do you thing this could set the stage for further negotiations with the Taliban?
BAER: I think this is a huge opening to the Taliban because, again, we're leaving Afghanistan. We don't intend to get in a civil war there. If there's some sort of mediation that has to occur between the United States and the Taliban, the people to do it are the Qataris. They're trusted by both sides.
KAYE: So, what do you think of these guys? I mean, first of all, how are they specifically going to watch them? I mean, is there anything in place? I mean, where will they live?
Who's going to keep an eye on them? Will they have communication with Taliban in Pakistan or Afghanistan? How does this work?
BAER: Well, Qatar is pretty much a police state. They will be able to watch them if they want to. All telephones are monitored there. Airports are monitored. It's a very sophisticated security system and they can be watched if they intend to do that.
And I don't see why they wouldn't for a year, just let things go, keep the five prisoners there under watch, not house arrest. I think they'll probably live by their side of the bargain.
KAYE: I mean, if this does happen again, I mean, if this becomes something that the U.S. does again for any reason, I mean, can they -- can somebody like these five guys and anybody else, can they be rehabilitated?
BAER: I think they can be rehabilitated. I think they are Islamic militants but again they didn't participate in 9/11 or any attacks on Americans. They fought what they call a war of national liberation.
But to class them with the worst terrorists is a mistake. Rehabilitated is a big word, but I think that in the future, we have to have some sort of channel to the Taliban and the militants in Afghanistan. There just won't be another 9/11 attack, al Qaeda won't come back or else.
KAYE: Bob Baer, nice to see you, thank you.
Well, Apple is rumored to be making some major announcement tomorrow. Will it be their next big thing?
Plus, how would you like to get paid to spy on your neighbors? One company is asking the people of New York to do just that. City officials, guess what? They have no problem with it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Well, there is always a whole lot of fanfare when it comes to Apple's announcement, so Monday's unveiling will likely be no different.
Let me bring in CNN Money tech correspondent Laurie Segall.
So, what's the news? Is it going to wow us, do you think?
LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECH CORRESPONDENT: We hope so.
You know, Steve Jobs used to come in and say "one more thing", and he would just give this amazing new piece of technology that blew our minds.
So, we're kind of spoiled. We want that.
KAYE: We are.
SEGALL: But let me tell you what we can expect. First of all, an iOS 8 update. So, an update to Apple's current operating system.
Also, people would be excited about this. New iMacs, rumors that those are coming out. The OS X redesign, Mac's operating system, is supposedly going to get a major design overhaul.
And we were just talking about this before. So, this one is very -- it hits close to home for me. The Smart Home software update that would actually make it easy for you to connect your home to your iPhone. Now, these are just rumors, but they're saying this could potentially happen, which is really interesting.
And another kind of interesting one, an App called Health Book that would help users monitor their health rate, sleep and breathing. So, that could be coming out. This is all coming out. But we'll find out.
KAYE: Monitoring your heart rate on an app. OK.
What about -- you mentioned the Smart Home. You actually got inside one of these?
SEGALL: I think this trend is so interesting. I had an opportunity, a guy named Matt Mullenweg, he actually founded WordPress, has a smartphone-connected home. So, you're looking at it right now.
That's Matt waking up. The lights go on. It says "Good Morning, Matt." There's the kitchen. You can control everything with your phone.
I kid you not, Randi. You walk into the kitchen. The coffee starts brewing in the morning, you open the door and it will tell you, this is the weather. And there's a lamp that turns red or depending on the traffic if there's a lot of traffic, the lamp will turn red. And this was kind of interesting -- when you walk into the home, you have a program to sing Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon." Very interesting, it's a brave new world.
And the technology is out there. So, if Apple makes a play here, it could be very, very interesting.
KAYE: Does it make you breakfast, too, your home?
SEGALL: I'm homing it can cook and clean.
KAYE: Way more important than breakfast. All right. Laurie, thank you. That was pretty cool.
SEGALL: Thank you.
KAYE: New York City, the home to more than 8 million people where officials are trying to track every single one of them.
Here's CNN's Erin Burnett.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN BURNETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours a year in lines, at the grocery store, for a hamburger, at their favorite restaurants. Imagine if you didn't have to.
That may soon become a reality in New York where they're embracing new recognition technology that will count every pedestrian in the city.
NICHOLAS O'BRIEN, NYC OFFICE OF THE MAYOR: Every neighborhood in the city walks. We really need to have an understanding of what that activity looks like so that we can serve New Yorkers better.
BURNETT: Over 60 percent of commuters in New York travel by foot or public transit. For a city of 8.4 million, that's a lot of people to count.
O'BRIEN: The Department of Transportation counts pedestrians around the city. And they send a few people to go twice a year. And they just sit there with umpire pitch counters. It doesn't really give us a view of what it's like day in, day out through different seasons.
BURNETT: A startup called Placemeter is trying to change that by providing a real-time picture of New York's pedestrian traffic, using hundreds of existing video feeds around the city.
ALEX WINTER, FOUNDER & CEO, PLACEMETER: We layer in computer vision algorithms that make it possible to detect and count people.
BURNETT: Using online traffic video feeds, Placemeter currently counts about 10 million people a day. They can even count how many people are inside a building.
The city is already using the data, providing pedestrian counts to small business owners in the city's online business atlas. And there is promising potential for integration with consumer apps.
FLORENT PEYRE, PLACEMETER: If our data was instead of Yelp or Google Maps, you could set up an alert telling you that restaurant you always wanted to try but is always packed right now at the right time to go.
BURNETT: Today, the company only covers about 25 percent of the city. To help count the rest, Placemeter is offering to pay residents to stream video from their own windows using an old smartphone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, we count different kinds of vehicles and pedestrians. Tomorrow, we're going to start detecting and classifying gender, then age. Then we're going to start depicting people with strollers or with bags and things like that.
BURNETT: With detection technology rapidly improving, an obvious concern is whether their systems will be able to track the details of our daily lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we do is turn on video feeds into data. Video feeds by nature are a little creepy, just somebody looks at them. In our case, a computer looks at them. So, whatever one frame gets for our system, we process it, turn it into some data, and then we delete it.
O'BRIEN: I think there is a lot more things we can do if we had better understanding of the pedestrian activity in the city. When we have to go schedule trash pickup, how many police we need to deploy to a particular area. The better information you have on a place, the better you're going to be able to manage it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: To learn more about the City of Tomorrow Project you can log on to CNN.com/cityoftomorrow.
Can taking birth control kill you? One family I spoke to says yes, it can. It claimed the Nuvaring killed their daughter. My interview with them right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Could your birth control method kill you? That is a question that millions of women and their families have to consider every day. And some say yes, it can. Hormonal contraceptives have a list of rare side effects including blood clots, strokes, high blood pressure and even death.
But now one popular birth control method is under extra scrutiny. The incidence of life-threatening blood clots is double with a birth control device called NuvaRing than with birth control pills. That's according to families who have lost loved ones who used NuvaRing.
NuvaRing has been available in the U.S. since 2002. At least 830,000 women use it. Studies have shown that the number of those rare side effects are extremely low. In fact fewer than 11 cases per 10,000 women who used it for a year. But a recent story in "Vanity Fair" detailed some of these dangers and allegations and we wanted to look further into it.
We found families struggling to understand their losses and demanding better education of doctors and the public on NuvaRing's potential side effects. Among them the family of Erica Langhart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK LANGHART, FATHER OF ERIKA LANGHART: I learned more from her than she ever learned from me. She was an amazing young lady.
KAYE (voice-over): Was an amazing lady. Past tense. Because in November 2011, just days before Thanksgiving, Erica, at 24, suddenly collapsed in her Virginia apartment. Karen and Rick wondered what could have caused their young vibrant daughter to suddenly collapse. 2,000 miles away they had no idea what paramedics were up against.
R. LANGHART: She had a heart attack and then two more on the way over to the hospital in the ambulance. And then another one in the hospital. And she never woke up.
KAYE: Erika was dead. She'd been a healthy 24-year-old. So immediately the question, why. The answer would come as a shock. Something they were never told about. Something tens of millions of women in America might not know about.
(On camera): When you were speaking to the emergency room doctor, did he ask you anything about what your daughter might have been on or if she had been using birth control?
KAREN LANGHART, MOTHER OF ERICA LANGHART: He asked if she was on birth control and then what type. When I said that she was on birth control and it was a NuvaRing.
KAYE: What did he say in response?
K. LANGHART: He said, well, there's a link between NuvaRing and pulmonary embolisms.
KAYE (voice-over): NuvaRing, one of the most popular birth control products on the market. The manufacturer says 44 million prescriptions have been filled for women in the United States alone. Hospital records cited NuvaRing as a risk factor for causing a blood clot to break free and travel to Erika's lungs, cutting off her oxygen instantly.
The manufacturer Merck acknowledges a very small risk of blood clots but stands by its product saying there is substantial evidence to support the safety and efficacy of NuvaRing. Still since the mid 1990s there have been multiple studies suggesting that while third general progestins are generally safe they are approximately twice as likely to cause blood clots as those used in older birth control pills.
Merck denied our request for an on-camera interview, instead it gave us this statement. "While there is a very small risk of a blood clot when using NuvaRing or any combined hormonal contraceptive, this risk is much less than the risk of blood clots during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Without admitting any wrongdoing Merck settled the class action lawsuit and agreed to pay $100 million in damages. But the Langharts did not settle, insisting that Merck be held accountable for what the family said was Merck's failure to properly warn users of the risk. Again according to the study that risk is fewer than 11 cases for 10,000 women who used NuvaRing for a year but double the incidence of life-threatening blood clots of some older birth control pills.
And be sure to tune in this week to "ANDERSON COOPER 360" for my full series of investigative reports on this. That starts Tuesday night 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
E-cigarettes and Saturday morning cartoons. It's an odd and troubling pairing that you'll be hearing a lot more about in the week ahead.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen told me why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So here's the issue. The people who make e-cigarettes say, hey, these are for adults, but it seems like they're being advertised, according to various experts, on places that -- on things that kids watch. So, you know, channels like Comedy Central or ABC Family and MTV. And so there's this real concern that even though they say that they're not advertising to children, that children are certainly seeing these ads. And so we're expecting to hear more about that in this coming week.
KAYE: Everywhere I go I see people using these e-cigarettes. I read so much about them, so many mixed reviews. It's hard to know what to believe. I mean, are they as dangerous as regular cigarettes?
COHEN: You know, Randi, I think one of the reasons why it's hard to know is because they're so new that there aren't a lot of great studies. So the CDC will say look, we don't really know what it means for your health to inhale these e-cigarettes. But there is one thing that they do know. So these e-cigarettes work with this liquid nicotine and it gets heated up. And so the concern is that as they're -- as the e-cigarettes are being filled that kids' fingers or really anybody's fingers might come in contact with the nicotine.
And this isn't just a theoretical worry. There are calls to Poison Control Centers have gone up astronomically. People, it gets into their skin. It's not just like kind of a burning feeling, but they actually get sick because it's gone into their skin. They inhale it. So it's the filling of the e-cigarette to a large extent that's the concern here.
KAYE: And also this week, I understand there's going to be some news about a promising new cancer treatment. What can you tell us about that?
COHEN: That's right. The American Society for Clinical Oncology is going to be meeting this week. It's the biggest cancer conference of the year. And we're expecting to hear some news about amino therapy. So right now, Randi, if someone has cancer, basically you're given for the most part chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy and radiation, they kill cancer cells but they also kill healthy cells.
So for years now doctors have said how can we just target the cancer cells? So Immunotherapy is extremely helpful that way. It trains the body to fight off cancer in the same way it would a cold. And so last year, Randi, I had the pleasure of meeting with a teenager, his name is Nick Wilkins. He had leukemia. There were no more treatments that he could try. He was at the end of the road.
And he was able to get Immunotherapy and 18 months later he is doing great. And again, there was nothing left for him to try. And he did have some side effects but they were very shortlived. It wasn't like the ones that chemo has where they sort of go on and on. So there is a lot of promise in this treatment. And I think we're going to be hearing about some big studies coming out of this conference this coming year.
KAYE: And he was doing great and feeling good, right?
COHEN: Yes.
KAYE: Which is different from a lot of people who are taking the chemo.
COHEN: That's right. A lot of times chemo will just put you out. And so yes, you're fighting the cancer but you can't really enjoy life. And he was doing great, he was learning how to drive. We went to school with him. He's just a great kid.
KAYE: That's amazing. Great story. All right. We look forward to that. Elizabeth Cohen, nice to see you. Thank you.
COHEN: OK. Nice to see you. Thanks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And some sad news just in to CNN. Actress Ann B. Davis known as the beloved Alice on "The Brady Bunch" has died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Alice.
ANN B. DAVIS, ACTRESS: Hi, Mr. Brady.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are we doing today?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Bishop William Fry, friend of Davis, tells us that she died this morning in San Antonio. According to Fry, Davis hit her head and never regained consciousness. Ann B. Davis was 88 years old. Friday will mark 70 years since allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. And the D-Day commemoration could create some uncomfortable moments for world leaders. Hear who's invited next.
But first, tonight's "American Journey." Jeralean Talley was born in 1899 during the presidency of William McKinley. She is the matriarch to five living generations. And at 115 years old, she's the oldest living American.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): What is the secret to living to 115? The Lord.
JERALEAN TALLEY, OLDEST PERSON IN AMERICA: The Lord. The Father above.
TUCHMAN: The father above.
TALLEY: He got everything in his hands. I got nothing.
TUCHMAN: I think you have a lot more, too.
TALLEY: He's got it all.
TUCHMAN: He's got it all.
TALLEY: He got mine, he got yours and everybody else's.
TUCHMAN: So the answer is to have a lot of faith?
TALLEY: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Say hello to tomorrow. You're looking at a live picture there from Paris. Look at that beautiful Eiffel Tower. Be glad you still have a few hours left to your weekend. It's already Monday morning there in Paris.
Friday will commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day. On June 6th, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches in Normandy during the German occupation of France in World War II. It was the largest sea born invasion in history. Thousands of people died and the Allied victory is seen as a major turning point in the war.
CNN's Jim Bittermann is in France with a preview of what to expect this week.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, Friday is the big day here in France for the 70th anniversary of D-Day. And it will be something of a test for French diplomats because in addition to inviting the heads of state of the former Allied powers like President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth, the French have also invited Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who is being shunned by the rest of the leaders because he sent troops to invade the Ukraine.
And just adding to the diplomatic delicacy is the fact that the French have also invited Petro Poroshenko, the newly elected president of the Ukraine. A little bit awkward to say the least but in fact it could be a diplomatic opportunity as well.
Apart from that, there's going to be nearly a thousand World War II veterans here for the big commemorations which would include air shows, mock invasions and a huge fireworks display up and down the Normandy coast -- Randi.
KAYE: Thank you, Jim. And be sure to watch our special coverage of D-Day right here on CNN.
No horse, by the way, turning now to horse news. No horse has won the Triple Crown since 1978, but that could change this Saturday at the Belmont Stakes. All eyes are on California Chrome, of course.
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KAYE: Fast forwarding now to Saturday and the Belmont Stakes in New York. And the question everyone is asking, can California Chrome become the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1978?
Let's bring in CNN's Laura Rutledge.
So, Laura, 11 horses have won the Triple Crown, 12 others have won the Derby and the Preakness but then failed to win at Belmont. So what do you think? Does California Chrome have a pretty good chance here?
LAURA RUTLEDGE, CNN SPORTS: Randi, I think California Chrome has a great chance at winning the Belmont Stakes but also becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. On Saturday, he had a workout run, and he ran a half mile in 47.69 seconds. That's really fast. And he also seemed to have a little extra left in his tank even after all that.
Here's the thing about the Belmont. It's the longest of the three races at 1 1/2 miles. The Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 and then the Preakness is 1 1/16. So this truly is a test for any horse. It won't be easy for Chrome. He will face off against his top three challengers, which are Commanding Curve, Wicked Strong and Sambra. Now those three horses did not race in the Preakness.
But I think Chrome is up to the task, he loves the challenge. He truly is the people's horse. Loves all this extra attention he's getting. Some people had questioned whether or not the extra attention would actually wear him out. I think it fuels him. And another fun note, if you believe in this sort of thing, horses with names starting with the letter C have won the Belmont Stakes 20 times. So that probably also plays in his favor.
And, Randi, I don't know about you, but if I ever have a horse that's racing in the Belmont, I'm probably going to name him with something with the letter C.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: I would think that's a pretty good idea. Pretty good odds, too.
(LAUGHTER)
RUTLEDGE: Exactly.
KAYE: That's great. I wonder how you did all that research but definitely appreciate that.
Laura, thank you.
RUTLEDGE: Thanks.
KAYE: And now the way, way forward. Giving you a major heads up about something coming up not this week but soon enough to start thinking about. So when you hear the words "crime-ridden hellhole" does that sound like the kind of place that tourists would travel thousands of miles to visit?
Well, it is when it's hosting a World Cup soccer game. Manaus is a city that you can only reach by plane but it will host games during this month's World Cup which kicks off June 12th. Now it is deep, deep in the Amazon near the Equator. To prepare for the city's humidity England's team is actually practicing in three layers of clothing.
It is just one reason that some soccer fans are asking what were they thinking giving the world cup tournament to Brazil? Yes, the country has a rich history when it comes to soccer, but recently it also had this, a bus strike in the biggest city, Sao Paulo, one that affected nearly a quarter million people leaving them crammed into the few buses and trains that were rolling.
What if this happens during the World Cup? No one even wants to think about that or this, protests against the tournament in the same city from people who say they don't care about the World Cup but do care about homelessness.
All of it has fans, coaches, players and organizers very worried. Is Brazil ready? In Manaus, the answer is, sort of.
Here's Shasta Darlington.
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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A bustling city of two million carved out of the Amazon Jungle. Where weekends are spent frolicking on a beach along the mighty Rio Negro. Manaus is also a World Cup host city where it turns out England will face off against Italy.
England's coach said it would be the worst possible option because of the heat. British tabloids kicked up a fuss calling Manaus one of the deadliest places on earth. So we decided to ask some British backpackers what they thought.
(On camera): What's your immediate impression?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hot. I wouldn't want to play football here.
DARLINGTON: Crime-ridden hellhole was one headline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Manaus is being the safest city that we've been to.
DARLINGTON (voice-over): According to officials the crime problem is big and growing, but they say it's concentrated in poor slums and they've stepped up security.
The main challenges facing fans headed to Manaus may be logistical. The only way in and out is by plane and the four-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo will cost $600. The airport is a construction site. No indication the works will be done before kickoff.
There are some advantages to the city's unique location.
(On camera): Manaus may be a concrete jungle, but it doesn't take long to get out on the Amazon and even visit indigenous villages.
(Voice-over): The Dasan Tukana tribe greets visitors with traditional dances and handmade crafts. Tourism is now their main source of income.
"The World Cup is really important," he says. "We've never seen so many visitors like we're going to see this year." But, he says, tourists may not get everything they want since he predicts Brazil will win the World Cup title this time on home turf.
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KAYE: Coming up, an entire family disappears from their home. Years later their bodies are found buried in the desert. And police still have no idea who did it.
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KAYE: It is a mystery that has haunted the San Diego area for years. A family of four disappears from their home and police still don't know who killed them or why.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's the house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the house?
KAYE (voice-over): February 2010. A young family of four building their American dream vanishes from their home in suburban San Diego. No signs of a struggle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't go anywhere without the stroller.
KAYE: Or any apparent plans to flee. Gone without a trace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no way they left willingly.
KAYE: Then nearly four years later, 100 miles from their home --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911. What are you reporting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found what looks like cadavers. She thinks skull.
KAYE: Mother, father and two young sons found dead. Buried in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That has never happened in this county.
KAYE: Brutally murdered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's so cold blooded that they killed children?
KAYE: How did they get there? Who killed them? Exclusive interviews, surprising clues.
UNIDENTIFIEID MALE: Who did this to the family had this well planned out.
KAYE: Who killed the McStay family?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: "BURIED SECRETS: WHO MURDERED THE MCSTAY FAMILY?" Tuesday night at 9:00 right here on CNN.
I'm Randi Kaye. My special report from Costa Rica, "LOVE AND DEATH IN PARADISE" begins right now.
