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Comedy Star Tracy Morgan In Critical Condition; Some Accuse Bergdahl Of Being A Deserter; Obama Defends Bergdahl Swap; Is American Dream Reachable Nowadays?; LAPD Implements New System To Track Law Violators

Aired June 07, 2014 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL FISHMAN COHEN, CO-PRODUCER, IRELAUNCH: Prior to 2004 we could only identify nine programs, and now we have 105 programs.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Carol Fishman Cohen is the woman companies go to when they want to launch a return to work program. She's helped thousands of women try and re-enter the workforce, she says even Hollywood is catching on to the trend.

COHEN: There are TV characters like (INAUDIBLE) "the Good Wife," (INAUDIBLE) "Modern Family," portraying characters of people who have taken long career breaks and are returning to work. It shows that the conversation has moved away from academic circles into the mainstream media.

KOSIK: So what makes moms like Kristen this so special?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They come with the level of maturity and life experience that you can't get from a 22-year-old.

KOSIK: As for Kristen, she has come advice for moms who are considering a break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You never know what you're going to want to do ten years from now. You just don't. You think you do, but you don't.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: Part of it is in a Wall Street is trying to attract more women, but more and more companies from met life to major law firms to start-ups have begun doing programs like this. And if you want to go back to work and aren't seeing an internship, you can ask a company to give you an internship, like a setup, a trial run, so to speak, so you get back in the game and they don't feel they're gabbling on someone with a resume gap -- Fredricka.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Thanks so much, Alison Kosik.

Hello again. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the big stories we're following right now. Comedy star Tracy Morgan is in critical condition after a serious

crash on the New Jersey turnpike. Morgan is star in hit show "30 Rock." And he was a regular on "Saturday Night Live." Police say he was in this limo bus early theirs morning when hit by a trackor trailer. State police say the limo bus flipped over. One person killed in the wreck and seven hurt.

Alexandra Field is live for us outside the hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Alexandra what is the latest?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredricka, we're now learning that the NTSB and the Middlesex county prosecutor's office will both investigation this crash along with New Jersey state police who are now saying it appears that the driver of the tractor trailer failed to see slowing traffic and that he tried to swerve at the last minute but hit the limbo bus that Tracy Morgan was riding in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (voice-over): A horrific scene along the New Jersey turnpike inside this mangled limo, former "SNL' cast member and "30 Rock" star, Tracy Morgan.

SGT. GREGORY WILLIAMS, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE: He is in intensive care at Robert Wood Johnson hospital in New Brunswick's hospital. In fact two tractor trailers' the limo bus, SUV, as limo bus overturned. Tracy Morgan was in the limo bus but he alive.

FIELD: The 45-year-old comedian had just wrapped up a live performance at the Dover Downs hotel and casino in Delaware when the multi vehicle accident happened around 1:00 a.m. Fellow funny man Artie Fuqua posted these pictures on his facebook page from the event just before hitting the road back to New York City.

New jersey state police tell CNN that one person inside the limo was killed. Seven others hospitalized. Morgan remains in intensive care. The accident also involved two cars, seven people, including Morgan, were taken to the hospital.

WILLIAMS: There's no way of really knowing whether or not alcohol was involved as of yet. I do not have that information right now. The limited information I have doesn't indicate that.

FIELD: The turnpike was closed several hours as investigators combed the area for clues. It has since reopened but the investigation continues including trying to determine the cause of the fatal crash.

Morgan joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1996, but after seven years left to start his own show that bore his name. Ten years later, he came back to NBC in the show "30 Rock" created by "SNL" co- star Tina Fey.

Today, the out pouring of support from fans and love one continue to pour in on social media, tweets. Morgan himself tweeting earlier in the week, Dover Down, coming with truckloads of funny. Delaware, stand up. Get those tickets while you can, baby.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: Police have now identified the man killed in the crash as James McNair, 63-year-old described in various media reports as a comedian. We know that two other comedians were in that little the bus were also hospitalized including Artie Fuqua. No word at this point on his condition. But we are told by rest of the Tracy Morgan that Morgan's family is with him. They say he's getting excellent care but don't expect his condition to change today, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: My goodness, terrible. All right. We, of course, wishing the best to all of them.

Thanks so much, Alexandra Field.

And a short time ago, the U.S. capitol was evacuated when a small aircraft entered the restricted airspace. Let's get more now from CNN's Erin McPike.

So, Erin, very unusual on a Saturday. How many people did this impact to evacuate the U.S. capitol?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, obviously, not as many as if it were during the week. This happened before in 2005 and 2009 and actually those two times it was the same aircraft and it was a student with a teacher, a pilot teaching that student how to fly. So accidents in those cases. We are still waiting to hear more details. But what we know is that it was a Moody m-20, which is a personal civilian used aircraft and it entered this restricted airspace about 1:35. There was no communication from the pilot, and so NORAD scrambled some jets when they lost that communication. They had to evacuate the Supreme Court and the U.S. capitol as well as the library of Congress.

Now, they ultimately did make contact with that pilot. The secret service will be interviewing the pilot, sort of standard operating procedure, but at this point the U.S. capitol and those other buildings have been reopened to the public, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Not a feeling that this plane also originated from Reagan national, just across the river, the Potomac from the capitol? The Supreme Court?

MCPIKE: That's right. You know, those are a few miles away from Reagan national airport, but, again, we're waiting to hear more details from the secret service as well as the FAA. There wasn't huge concern. They just have to go through the standard operating procedures of these interviews with the pilot. But likely, as it was with these other two incidents in 2005 and 2009, just a simple accident.

WHITFIELD: All right, Erin McPike, thanks so much for that update.

OK. So what was really going on in sergeant Bowe Bergdahl's platoon before he ended up in Taliban captivity? The investigation that reveals problems with discipline and questionable security practices.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's a question that has eluded the U.S. military and investigators for years. How and why did sergeant Bowe Bergdahl leave his remote outpost in Afghanistan? Some in this platoon accused Bergdahl of being a deserter. But a CNN investigation has uncovered disciplinary problems and poor security within Bergdahl's unit.

Chris Frates talked to men to served with Bowe Bergdahl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Paktika province, Afghanistan, 2009. Bandit country, not far from the Pakistan border. Private first class Bowe Bergdahl and his platoon were building a fortified bunker near several Afghan villages. That's him with a pipe in his mouth, just weeks before he walked off base and into Taliban fans.

In this video, you hear a member his team sympathizing with Afghan villagers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (bleep) from the Russians for 17 years and now we're here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Iraq when I was there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They want to be left alone.

FRATES: These shots are from British filmmaker Sean Smith after they were published by the British newspaper "the Guardian," there was trouble in Bergdahl's unit. Why? Because some of the pictures show soldiers without helmets, flouting army rules.

An army source tells CNN discipline in the platoon was lax. A sergeant was demoted and two other sergeants reassigned after the pictures became public according to a 2012 "Rolling Stone" article. Bergdahl's former team leader Sergeant Evan Buetow said the whole thing was blown out of proportion.

EVAN BUETOW, FORMER PLATOON LEADER: There was pictures taken of us building those bunkers, and with soldiers without their equipment on, and it blew up and there are some people really angry that people -- soldiers weren't wearing their protective equipment out in the field, and it's something that got exaggerated bigger than it should have.

Reporter: Sean Smith says other issues were at play as well.

SEAN SMITH, BRITISH FILMMAKER: There was a new commander and there was some new changes. I think one of the senior sergeants who had been with them a long time was coming up to retirement. You know, and --

FRATES: A are former lieutenant colonel who advised officials investigating Bergdahl's disappearance said that while some of the unit's commanders didn't have their act together --

LT. COL. TONY SHAFFER (RET.) U.S. ARMY: There's nothing going on there that could justify in my mind or in anyone that I've talked to about this, that would allow for, or explain Bergdahl as simply walking away and abandoning his post.

FRATES: And if there's one constant theme in the story, it's that Bergdahl walked away.

Chris Frates, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The president defends his decision to swap Bergdahl for five top Taliban prisoners and says he would do it all over again, if he had to. The White House also says everybody needs to wait and hear Bergdahl's own version of how he got into Taliban hands in the first place.

I want to bring in our military analyst Spider Marks.

Spider, good to see you. The Obama administration repeatedly invokes the no man left behind pledge as part of the rationale for doing this deal with the Taliban, and in an exclusive interview with our Jim Acosta, national security adviser Susan Rice brought it up again. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN RICE, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: We don't leave anybody on the battlefield regardless of the conditions of their capture. And as a prisoner of war, Bowe Bergdahl deserved and we had the obligation and the commander in chief had the obligates to do what was necessary to bring him home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. So Spider, talk about the military policy here. Are there ever any exceptions to what extent do you go to get a service member out, who's in trouble?

MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Fredricka, if I understand your question, to get a service member out of the service? Who's in trouble, or --

MARKS: No. A service member in trouble, such is the case as Bowe Bergdahl, who was in the hands of the Taliban to what extent does U.S. military go you know? Whether it was your mistake or whether it was desertion, for whatever reason you fell into the hands of somebody else to what extent does the military say we will leave no one left behind? Is that a written or unwritten appeals?

MARKS: Fredricka, as described, the conditions of his capture are not relevant. This is an American soldier, he is in combat. We have an obligation to bring him back. So I'm probably in a minority and that I agree with the decision that this should have been done, and also doesn't, isn't this a wonderful tribute to how we view and the sanctity of the individual, that we, the United States, are willing to pay such a high price to get one individual back?

The bottom line in all of this is that the army will get -- will investigate what took place and how he was captured, and not unlikely, possibly Bergdahl could go from captivity to jail. He could have broken the law and he's going to be found guilty --

FIELD: Even that possible though as a POW? I mean, wouldn't that be precedent-setting that whether he did something dishonorable or not? He served five years as POW and then to face prosecution once he get back or court-martial in the states?

MARKS: I think the real issue here is would the administration pursue that? Of course not. Is that a legal possibility? Of course. If he broke -- if he broke the uniform code of military justice, was found there was evidence and he was charged, that could be a likely outcome.

I am confident it will not happen. The fact of the matter is, the army will investigate that. The real story here is the high price that was paid, a justifiable price paid, and was the United States intelligence community doing right now to ensure that those five Taliban are not disappearing and going over the horizon? We're not hearing a thing about that, and we should.

WHITFIELD: And you say a justifiable price paid, the five Taliban members. These five members may have been released from Gitmo, anyway, because we know this president wants to close Guantanamo and after the Afghanistan war, almost everybody is going to be released. So there has been, you know -- the argument that if you're going to release these folks who are in Guantanamo, you might as well get something out of it. In this case you get something out of it when the value is there, the release of Bowe Bergdahl?

MARKS: I would not draw that conclusion. Number one is, we cannot presume that those that are still in Gitmo will be release. There might be some other form of incarceration or some other form of legal status that they're going to remain in. So let's not presume they're going to be released and fly to the winds.

The issue truly is, what is the United States doing to ensure that the terms as established between the United States and the Qatari government will be followed, and the United States has an obligation to brief our Congress, lay it out in all its details, all its classified details, on how this is going to take place.

The focus should be on Jim Clapper and the national intelligence community in terms of what is going to take place. Let's let the army investigation sergeant Bergdahl and we'll see how that falls as well. But I can see how there is a lot of, there are a lot of critics that will be involved in every one of these steps along the way.

FIELD: Do you see other potential gains from the release of these five Taliban members?

MARKS: Yes. WHITFIELD: In terms of how intelligence will continue to watch them,

keep track of, see how they may return to, you know, any other behavior or activity that the U.S. would be suspicious of?

MARKS: Fredricka, that's a wonderful question. The short answer is, yes. We need to view this as an opportunity. We have five very senior Taliban now back trying to reintegrate after a decade in captivity in Guantanamo. They will begin behaviors. They will establish new patterns. They will begin to thicken and enrich their networks. And we must be on top of that and see this as an opportunity to confirm and to continue to build on intelligence. This is a great intelligence collection opportunity for the United States, and our partners.

WHITFIELD: And then as it pertains to Bowe Bergdahl, who is still in Germany, hasn't made his way stateside yet and apparently there are three stages of, I guess, integration. What can he look forward to, and what should all of us expect as he tries to reintegrate from five years being held, and now making his way, after he gets a thorough medical checkup, checkups at Landstuhl and making his way back to the States and try to return to the life that he has been, you know, pour in to for a very long time?

MARKS: Very, very true. Clearly, he needs to medically and emotionally get his act together and he'll do that through the embrace of his family. The next stage which seems to be unfortunate at this point, because it probably not take place you want to have his buddies that he knew in combat leak back up with him. but now, we're getting all this discordant voices that he probably had some challenges, maybe the unit had challenges. You know, it is all about leadership. So, you'd love to have that leadership embrace him coming back. I'm not saying that's going to take place.

But we need to make sure that he is also part of a debrief process so that we can extract great intelligence from him. He's an intelligence source. He's been in the camp of the enemy for five years. We need to figure out what he knows.

WHITFIELD: James Spider Marks, always good to see you. Thanks so much.

MARKS: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. It is a race known as the test of a champion, and many are betting California chrome will be that champ. But will he win the Belmont stakes and the triple crown tonight? We're headed to the track, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, it's been 36 years since a horse has won the triple crown and it could happen today, if California chrome wins the Belmont stakes. Only 11 other horses have ever done it, and this track is a notoriously tough one.

Here's CNN's Richard Roth. RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: California chrome is not going to

have a walkover in this Belmont stakes. He'll face some tough competition including horses that have been rested for this occasion. He'll go off as the betting favorite but one of the honors of the other competitors believes that he could be beaten.

TERRY FINLEY, FOUNDER/PRESIDENT, WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS: All eyes will be on California chrome. I think he's in a tough spot, because all of the other riders will see the X on his back. Obviously, he's a star. And he's carried himself really well since up here at Belmont. So, we're all afraid of him. And if California chrome has a good day, we're all running for second. But I hope he doesn't and I hope we have a good day with commanding curve.

ROTH: And seven times in the last 17 years horses have failed to win the Belmont stakes and thus the cripple crowns after wins in Kentucky at the Kentucky derby, and the Preakness at Pimlico.

California chrome is running for racing history. His owners and trainer are confident, one of them guaranteeing a victory.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Richard Roth. We'll be watching.

Earlier I spoke with ESPN commentator Hank Goldberg and he talked about a few of the things that could put this win in jeopardy for California chrome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANK GOLDBERG, ESPN COMMENTATOR: The only thing that can do him is if they turn the temperature up 20 degrees and he cramps up like Lebron James, and that isn't likely.

WHITFIELD: Well, make sure to drink lots of fluids. So I understand this horse is in post number 2. I heard that the horses' owner, said that is very favorable. Why is that? Why is post number 2 so important?

GOLDBERG: Well, inside could get him in a little trouble. Although secretariat, and I'm not comparing him to secretariat, but he broke out of post 2. But there's some speed in the race who might break earlier than him by a fraction, but they're from the 7 post out. So nobody's going to break in his face. The horses around him are closers. So, he's going get his customary if he breaks cleanly. He's going to get his customary position just off the early speed in the race, and he figures to run, just off the early speed and make his customary run when he gets near the top of the stretch. And he should have the lead as he has -- if I took his last four races, he's so consistent, and I scramble them and ran them back for you, you couldn't tell the difference. He always runs the same way.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. GOLDBERG: The key is, that there's a long run down this Belmont back

stretch. It's such a big racetrack, and Victor Espinoza has been racing here all week and he can't push him. He's got to be able to --

WHITFIELD: Hold him back a little.

GOLDBERG: Yes. So that he has something left for the stretch run. Yes. So that those closers don't catch him at the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Good luck, California chrome and Victor Espinoza, the jockey.

All right, Maya Angelou touched many people around the world, and today we're hearing just how, from Oprah Winfrey, to first lady Michelle Obama. We'll show you some moments from a very special emotional service.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Family and friends of legendary poet and civil rights icon Maya Angelou celebrated her life at a memorial service in Winston- Salem, North Carolina. It was a very moving service, full of emotional words and songs. Here's a look at some of those moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are joyful for the manner in which my mother made her ascension, and now we're ready to celebrate her life.

OPRAH WINFREY, TV HOST: The loss I feel I cannot describe. It's like something I have never felt before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see, this has been very difficult for our family. We have always had to share grandma with the globe.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: When I think about Maya Angelou, I think about the affirming power of her words.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: History despite its wrenching pain need not be lived again. That's what she taught me and millions of others.

OBAMA: She touched me. She touched all of you. She touched people all across the globe.

WINFREY: Maya Angelou is the greatest woman I have ever known.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And she has left each one of us with something in our heart.

WINFREY: She was my anchor. So it's hard to describe to you what it means when your anchor shifts. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou will forever shine

and continue to bring joy to the world.

OBAMA: Words so powerful they carried a little black girl from the south side of Chicago all the way to the White House.

(APPLAUSE)

WINFREY: She was the ultimate teacher.

CLINTON: She had the voice of God, and he decided he wanted it back for a while.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. The world cup is in brazil next week on Thursday it gets started. Guess what? Guess who else is there? "ANTHONY BOURDAIN, PARTS UNKNOWN," and Anthony takes us to the beaches.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: (INAUDIBLE). This icon of Brazilian beach culture is known to start with fresh lime, muddle and mash with more lime juice, sugar, ice. The magic ingredient, (INAUDIBLE). That's basically the distilled liquor of the sugarcane. Shake it, not stirred. And you've got yourself one of the world's truly great cocktails. The utility beverage good for any time of day or any social occasion. Very satisfying.

One of these toasted cheese things here. Awesome. (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) he says, anything better than cheese, is semi-melted cheese. What's the best part of French onion soup? It is the burnt that's a cheese around the edge. Oh, yes. Just as good as it looks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Boy, does he have a cool gig or what? All "ANTHONY BOURDAIN, PARTS UNKNOWN" from brazil, Sunday night, 9:00 eastern and pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, fans of the hit show "30 Rock" woke up to some pretty shocking news today. Star Tracy Morgan in the hospital in critical condition after a six-vehicle crash on the New Jersey turnpike.

I'm joined now by Sarah Ricard, the TV editor for the Rotten Tomatoes Web site. Sarah, good to see you. So for a lot of viewers who, maybe they

weren't big "30 Rock" fans or didn't know much about Tracy Morgan, tell people how significant has he been and is, you know, on the comedy strip.

SARAH RICARD, TV EDITOR, ROTTEN TOMATOES: Yes, definitely. I think a lot of your viewers will recognize him from his lengthy tenure with "Saturday Night Live." He was cast member there for seven years and he is a beloved comedian. Last time I checked, he had about three million followers on twitter.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

RICARD: And he's really well known for some recurring characters. He's Brian Fellow, the animal enthusiast who doesn't know a lot about animals but that doesn't stop him from being very enthusiastic about them.

He also had a character that would go to outer space, astronaut Jones. It was sort of a 1960s, kind of "Lost in Space meets the rat pack," and he sang the theme song himself, and it's just very funny. He does a very funny -- send up to that genre with that character. And, so people know him from "SNL." He's also a huge comedian, and as you know, he was traveling from a gig in Delaware, coming home, when this accident happened. So he's performing all the time.

WHITFIELD: He really is, and very affable and a funny and, you know. And there is just a certain little boy sweetness about him, you know, even though, I mean, we know he has very adult humor and all that.

But you know, he is somebody who often whether you make your mark on "SNL," you know, some kind of leave the comedy stand-up, you know, routine. But he is somebody who has continued to incorporate it even through his television success. He has his own show, you know, "Tracy Morgan Show," didn't do as well as his "30 Rock" which has been hugely successful.

But you know, is there a way of kind to describe how important it's been for him to kind of maintain those roots as a comedy stand-up no matter how successful on television or the big screen he's been.

RICARD: Well, he is certainly edgy as a comedian. And it's worked for him and against him over the years, but Tina Fey, who created "30 Rock," she wrote the character of for Tracy Morgan. The name is very similar and an exaggerated version of Tracy Morgan. He incidentally, nominated for an Emmy for his role as Tracy Jordan. And his character is very over the top. He is full of nonsequeters (ph) and zany conspiracy theories. But you know, as a person who works on Rotten Tomatoes, I follow what critics say about TV shows and a lot of critics point out Morgan as the standout character in this show which is already a really funny ensemble. They say the addition of Morgan just makes it that much funnier.

WHITFIELD: So hilarious. And of course, our hearts go out to he and his family as he continues to be in intensive care, or at least in critical condition at the hospital in New Jersey. We wish him the best.

Thank you so much, Sarah, for helping to you know, re-educate a lot of people on his career. And, of course, we'll continue to keep our folks, our viewers posted on any update of his medical condition. Thanks so much.

RICARD: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, a new CNN poll showing most Americans think their future isn't very bright. Is the American dream dying? That's next.

But first, D-Day marked the beginning of the end of World War II, and was also the first step in liberating many of its victims.

This week's CNN hero focusing on some still struggling with the war's effects.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a child I ran from the killing squads three times, even now I still dream that I am running. Our entire little town was burned to nothing. My mother and father were killed in the mass graves. I sometimes think it would have been better if I had died with them.

I cry at night. Your letters are for me like medicine. These are the last survivors of holocaust in eastern Europe and out there today elderly, alone, suffering. They don't have extended family. Life is so hard in these places. They don't have anything.

I saw it with my own eyes and I knew no one was helping them. So I wanted to reach out and help them. We provide them with direct and continuous financial aid for food, heat, medication and shelter.

OK. Stay healthy and write to me.

And we let them know they've not been forgotten.

This person I'm very worried about. His wife is paralyzed. He, himself, is so not well.

We get stacks of letters every week. Mostly in Russian. They are sent out to translators and we answer them immediately and send money. We're now helping 2,000 people in eight countries. The money is life-saving, but the connection, the letters, the

communication, equally life saving.

I'm coming back to see you.

We can really write a more hopeful final chapter to the holocaust. This time one of kindness and compassion, what they finally deserve at the end of their lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Talk now about the American dream. Is it money? Is it happiness? However you define it a new CNN poll finds the most people believe it's out of reach.

CNN's Alexandra Field explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (voice-over): From Los Angeles.

ANN MARIE CHAPMAN, LOS ANGELES RESIDENT: My name is Ann Marie Chapman. I am 20-years-old. I am a full-time mom and part-time student.

FIELD: To Phoenix --

KAVE VALERIE, PHOENIS RESIDENT: My name is Kave Valerie. I am 13- years-old and I'm in eighth grade.

FIELD: To Atlanta.

ANDY SHELLY, ATLANTA RESIDENT: My name is Andy Shelly. I'm 50-years- old. I work for eyed parcel service.

FIELD: Wherever you live, whoever you are, it's what meant to define us, however, we define it. The American dream.

VALERIE: The American dream? It means that we go towards a better life and we'll be able to achieve more than other countries.

CLAY TURNER, ATLANTA RESIDENT: I guess the American dream I is, if there's something that you really want, you're able to go get it.

SHELLY: Successfully I raised a family. No debt. So, yes. I've reached the American dream. Am I Rich? No. But I have peace of mind.

FIELD: Peace of mind that more Americans today can't seem to find.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guns and violence.

SHELLY: Job security, crime, becoming a statistic.

FIELD: Some reasons are growing numbers that say the dream is slipping away.

A CNN money American dream poll finds about six out of ten Americans believe it's out of reach. The numbers are more alarming among millennials. They were badly battered by the economic downturn. More than half say the dream can't be attained. And if the next generation was always meant to be better than the last, 63 percent of people survey don't buy it. They now believe children will be worse off than their parents.

JAKE AHLQUIST, NEW YORK RESIDENT: The not something people can achieve, most can achieve, I don't think, in their. It's too hard. It's crazy.

CHAPMAN: I am most definitely afraid for this next generation, because money is already tight with the government at my age, for me. That the population is only growing. You know?

FIELD: Uncertainty fueling fear that dream might not be reality.

VALERIE: For right now, I believe that I could be able to achieve better than my parent. But then for the time being, we don't know.

AHLQUIST: In the future, with the circumstances we are in currently, it does not look like that's a thing achievable for mo most.

FIELD: Alexandra Field, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, police in Los Angeles have a new tool to catch criminals. They are using CIA technology to track cars and drivers. But are your rights being violated?

And now, it is time for this week's Human Factor. Let's get right to it. Here's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DOCTOR SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nowhere does country singer Julie Roberts look more at home than on stage, performing for her fans.

JULIE ROBERTS, COUNTRY SINGER: I decided that at a young age I wanted to be a singer like Barbara Mandel. And I would pray every night when I was a little girl that I would get a record deal.

GUPTA: During college in Nashville, Roberts interned at Mercury Records. When she graduate, she was offered a job as a receptionist. Eventually becoming the assistant to chairman Luke Lewis. A demo, without Roberts' name on it, found its way to Lewis' desk and her days of answering the phones were over. She got to work on her first record.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome Julie Roberts!

GUPTA: CMT was in the moment when Roberts' first single debut order the radio. Roberts' album went gold. She was living the dream. Then one night on stage, a nightmare.

ROBERTS: The first time that I knew something wasn't right with my health, I was on stage.

GUPTA: Roberts kept on singing but knew something wasn't right. A few tests led to a quick diagnosis. Multiple sclerosis. It don't matter

ROBERTS: I was so afraid that it all would be taken away from me if I told the world I had M.S. GUPTA: Fortunately, that has not happened and she manages her ms with

three shots a week plus a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

ROBERTS: I have never missed a show because of M.S. and I will never miss a show because of M.S. This is what I'm supposed to do. It is what I love.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: What if every time you drove past a police car your license plate and location was sent back to a sensible database? Well, that is exactly what is happening in Los Angeles, but is it a revolutionary new way to fight crime or a violation of your civil rights?

Here is CNN's Rachel Crane.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the early 19'90s crime rates have steadily declined across the country. One possible explanation, smarter data driven policing.

Here in Los Angeles, the LAPD is embracing new technologies and big data analytics like never before. Changing the way we fight crime. Watchman Sergeant Kennedy showed us how big data analysis is changing the force.

SGT. SCOTT KENNEDY, POLICE WATCHMAN: This is our license plate reader. We have three cameras attached to the light wand.

CRANE: License plate readers installed on patrol cars have become commonplace. And they automatically scan every license plate they drive by.

KENNEDY: It goes through the Sacramento database to check for California vehicle systems to see if it is stolen or if there is a want on it for some reason. Be on alert. $30,000 warrant. That's on parked car that we just passed. That's right behind us.

CRANE: Over the course of a day the LAPD can scan tens of thousands of license plates across the city. At the LAPD's real-time analysis and critical response division, those license plates scans are fed into a game-changing data mining system called talent here. A powerful application that can claim the CIA as an early investor.

CAPT. JOHN ROMERO, LAPD: Polantir is a better aid in search system. It combines disparate data sets and allows us to access them pretty quickly. With a single key stroke, you get the effect of a 38-person task force.

CRANE: After searching over 100 million data points it displayed an impressive web of information on one burglary fast back, creating intuitive graphs linking into cell phone numbers, arrest records, known associates and past addresses. They could even track the suspect's past locations based on previous license plate scans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we are searching for him, we don't have to search all of L.A. county. We know where he frequents.

CRANE: Anybody who is a vehicle owner is then in the system?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody who is in is a vehicle owner in a public place and has passed a license plate reader will be in our data set. We cannot just go searching for you or anyone else without a reason because we have a lot of data for people that have done nothing.

CRANE: For those people who have done nothing, the ACLU of southern California believes that the LAPD's license plate readers may be violating civil liberties.

PETER BIBRING, ACLU, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: A system of license plate readers that's pervasive muff to really track the movements of every car in the city, reasonable detail, would effectively substitute for GPS trackers for everybody. The public should be the ones deciding what the proper balance is between their privacy rights and their public safety.

CRANE: The LAPD believes the public wants him on his side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to have the effect of 30 detectives working that burglary or theft. It is hugely important to make those cases solvable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All very fascinating stuff.

That's ids going to do it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks for being with me all afternoon long. The next hour of the NEWSROOM right now with Poppy Harlow in New York.