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Team USA Takes on Portugal At World Cup; ISIS Makes Significant Gains In Efforts To Take Down Iraqi Troops And Towns; Pope Francis Challenges Italian Mafia; Florida Couple Rescued After 14 Hours At Sea; Seven Things You Must Know About Iraq; Four Strategic Iraqi Towns Fall To ISIS; Congressman In Fight For His Political Life; Child Found Dead In Car, Case Shocks Officer

Aired June 22, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And countdown to kickoff. Team USA takes on Portugal at the World Cup in just four hours from now. We'll put you right in the middle of it all coming up.

First up, Islamic militants in Iraq known as ISIS are making significant gains in their efforts to take down Iraqi troops and take over strategic towns. Two Iraqi security officials say ISIS now controls 70 percent of the western province of Anbar. And that includes al-Qaim, a strategically key town that includes a border crossing interest Syria which is an ISIS stronghold. And militants also control the town of Husaybah which is about just 60 miles outside the capital of Baghdad.

Together, the four towns are situated along a highway from Syria to Baghdad increasing the possibility that militants could march from the west to seize the Iraqi capital. ISIS fighters are being helped by several Sunni tribes opposed to the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government. The militants also trying to sabotage the Iraqi army's recruiting efforts.

And security officials say suspected ISIS fighters shelled a recruiting station today, killing four and wounding dozens more.

U.S. secretary of state John Kerry is in the neighboring country of Jordan to discuss the threat and explore ways to contain it all.

Our Jim Sciutto is traveling with the secretary.

So Jim, what is Kerry saying about the severity of this crisis right now?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's extremely concerned. We just learned tonight that as we arrive in Jordan, those ISIS militants are just 70 miles now from the Jordanian border as they expand the land that they control inside Iraq.

Now as we met with secretary Kerry a number of times on this trip, he's been repeating two goals of his diplomacy in the Middle East now. One is to get the message across not just to the Iraqis but to Iraq's neighbors that this is a regional problem. It's not just an Iraqi or Syrian problem. And the other one is that their focus is on a political solution to

this. That to make this problem go away, really it's not just military action by the U.S. and others, it's about getting a unified Iraqi government that represents all of the sects inside Iraq, Sunni, Shi'a and Kurd and with great urgency.

Here's what secretary Kerry had to say just in Cairo as he spoke alongside the Egyptian foreign minister earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: No country is safe from that kind of spread of terror. And none of us can forward to leave that entity with a safe haven which would become a base for terror against anyone and all, not only in the region, but outside of the region, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: One thing secretary Kerry says he is not doing is pushing the Shiite prime minister of Iraq, Nouri Al-Maliki, out. There's been speculation that as he's lost confidence not only with Iraqi Sunnis and Kurds, but also with international leaders, American leaders, that he might be coming to the region to move him along on his way.

He says that's not the focus. That the U.S. is not in the business of choosing or selecting Iraq's leaders. That's up it Iraq. But he did make the point that Iraq needs a leader right now who can unify the country, and that's something he hasn't had in these past several years.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, a neighbor of Iraq, Iran's supreme leader, coming out today against this U.S. intervention in Iraq saying Iraq can take care of itself. So U.S. military advisers are set to arrive in Iraq soon. If only the paperwork would be delivered. How is all of this going to I guess work together?

SCIUTTO: Well, we've been asking about Iran. And it is interesting, is we spoke with the U.S. officials on this trip. They say they're not sure yet what Iran's intentions are inside Iraq. They say that if Iran's intentions are shared, that they also want a unified government that represents all the sects and not just the Shi'a. Iran, of course, a Shi'a country. You know, and Secretary Kerry has made this point. Other U.S. officials did it. Iran's function inside Iraq is purely to help the Shi'a, the Shi'a battle the Sunni, then the U.S. is not interested. But if they are interested in along with the U.S. and the other neighbors of pushing for a more unified representative government, then that's something they can talk about.

One thing they've also ruled out with Iran is any military coordination on the ground. U.S. forces coordinating with Iranian forces. But they're willing to talk as long as they have a shared goal here.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jim Sciutto, thanks so much, traveling with the secretary of state.

Meantime, there's been a lot of reaction in Washington on how President Obama is handling the crisis in Iraq.

Erin McPike joins us live now from the White House.

So Erin, former vice president Dick Cheney had harsh words for the president this past week. And I understand today he came out swinging again.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Fred, that's right. And as you'll remember for some context, over a decade ago, vice president Dick Cheney as vice president supported serious action that led to war in Iraq for the U.S. Well, this morning, he said on ABC News essentially that this administration should be doing more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When we're arguing over 300 advisers, when the request had been for 20,000 in order to do the job right, I'm not sure we've really addressed the problem. I would definitely be helping the resistance up in Syria, in ISIS' back yard, with training and weapons and so forth in order to be able to do a more effective job on that end of the party. But I think at this point there are no good, easy answers in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: On that last point that there are no good and easy answers, no matter what direction lawmakers think that this administration to go, that is something by and large that they agree with.

WHITFIELD: And then Erin, what about Democrats? What's being said?

MCPIKE: Well, generally speaking, Democrats are also very weary of going back in to Iraq. But Senate intelligence chairwoman Dianne Feinstein was on "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning with Candy Crowley. And she has suggested that she thinks the administration is doing the right thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I think it's a real wake-up call for the United States because they do want to develop the caliphate. They do want to and they now just about destroyed the border with Syria. I think the president's doing the right thing. He's being a bit circumspect, he is being thoughtful. I think we're building our so-called ISR assets so that some pinpointed action will be taken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Of course, whatever that pinpointed action may be, that could, of course, be controversial, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike, thanks so much, from the White House.

All right, shifting gears quite a bit. Now, even for a Pope who has taken on sensitive issues like clergy sexual abuse, gay rights, and abortion, this one stands out. Pope Francis is now challenging the Italian mafia. Movies tend to glamorize the gangster but not this Pope. In his strongest language yet, he's telling mafia members who portray themselves as upstanding religious men they are excommunicated from the catholic church. He warn those who in their life have gone along the evil ways, they are not with God.

Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher with us from Rome.

So, in a country with such strong conflicting ties such as the mafia and church, how this going over now?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, these were strong words, the first, another first from Pope Francis. The first time a Pope has told members of the mafia that they're excommunicated, and it is resounding loudly, especially in those regions like Calabria where the Pope was yesterday that live daily with a mafia presence.

The reason the excommunication is a big word there is because they live basically with those two pillars, as you said, the catholic church and the mafia. They are small towns. They all know who the mafia members are. What these men try to do is portray themselves as religious men. They want to participate in religious procession. They want to attend mass. And the Pope is saying, no. We are dist distancing ourselves from this behavior. It is not acceptable. You are not members of the club.

In saying this, the message is not so much for mafia members themselves but frankly may not be losing too much sleep over the fact that they're excommunicated. It is for the local communities, just to give them support, to show them the Pope himself is distancing himself from these people, and that they, too, should have the courage to do that on the front lines -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. This Pope being known to kind of steal the headlines and stay out in front.

Thank so much. Delia Gallagher, appreciate that.

All right, coming up next, World Cup madness or excitement depending how you look at it.

Laura Baldesarra is in Rio with the look at Team USA's big game against Portugal at the world cup.

LISA BALDESARRA, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: Hi, Fredricka. Yes, I'm not just in Rio, I'm at fan fest, the most exciting part of Rio now.

Now coming up, I have big injury news to tell you about, Fred. So, you'll definitely want to hear this.

WHITFIELD: All right. We look forward to that, Laura. Thanks so much.

But first, tennis fans are gathering for strawberries and cream as Wimbledon gets underway this week. And one player hoping to do well is Maria Sharapova who remembers her own championship moment in this open court report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA SHARAPOVA, RUSSIAN TENNIS PLAYER: I remember -- I remember going up to the box. I didn't even know if that was even allowed back then because you see all the security standing there. Ad I was like, am I allowed to go up the stairs? Do I need to show you my credential?

Yes, I was quite nervous about it. But I found may way, took a few minutes. I found my way to the box. And I had a very special moment with my father. He's -- he's been with me through the thick and the thin. And it was just -- it was really nice to see him so excited and so passionate. He never cries, but it was -- it was pretty emotional for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Following her Wimbledon title, it didn't take long for Sharapova to become a household name.

SHARAPOVA: I remember coming to New York afterwards, a week after I won Wimbledon, I was on the cover of "Sports Illustrated." And I had no idea what "Sports Illustrated" was. And I -- I remember may manager running up to me and having no idea that I was going to be on the cover. And showing me this and being so excited, you know. He grew up in sports and playing in college and he knows what that's about.

I saw it, I was like, OK, cool, that's great. What's the big deal? Now I look back like, wow, I was on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" as a 17-year-old girl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, this is a huge day for team USA in particular at the World Cup. Coming up in just a few hours, they'll be taking on Portugal. And the game is so important because a win guarantees the U.S. a spot in the next round thanks to their earlier win against Ghana -- this music makes me think I made it to do the cha-cha.

OK, so CNN's Laura Baldesarra is in the middle of the party, that's really where all the incredible music and the fun is being had at the Copacabana beach, right there in Rio. I wish I was there. they got a little Volleyball there, too. Well, this sport is a religion, but I know, you know, folk are just crazy excited about hosting this sport.

BALDESARRA: You know, Fredricka, it's very strange. I've actually never been in a country before where no matter who's playing and who scores a goal, every single person around is watching and cheering for that goal. It's almost as though this is a country that no matter what, they just want to see a goal. And whenever that happens, this crowd could erupts.

Now, here at Fan Fest in Rio that we're expecting a lot of American now because not too many people probably headed up (INAUDIBLE). Some people don't necessarily want to go up in the Amazon there. So they'll be centered right here in RIO at Fan Fest. And I'm going to have all of the action from this spot.

WHITFIELD: Very exciting. Yet, you will not be too far from the action on the field. Let's talk about team USA and the star, Jozy Altidore who apparently is out with an injury. And I wonder how much this might hurt the team.

BALDESARRA: Well, Fredricka, to be completely honest with you, I actually think that this is a blessing in disguise. Jozy Altidore, he is a fantastic striker but had been out of form this past season. He played just club soccer over in England. And the fact of the matter is, he was the laughingstock because he had been experiencing a significant goal trap. It was almost a surprise he made the squad. So now, the USA, they are going to have to turn to their other strikers, that being even Aron Johannsson, the young kid from Iceland, is where he grew up. He is from Alabama foreigner, but he grew up in Iceland. Or Chris Wondolowski, who is an all-star in the NLS, had just a fantastic season. And this guy is a critical finisher. Now, if I was the (INAUDIBLE), I would put in Chris Wondolowski. I think he's the team USA best bet.

WHITFIELD: Well, he might take your advice. I'm sure he's listening.

Laura, thanks so much. We'll check back with you as you have a little fun there at Copacabana Beach and all the big action to few miles away. In fact, Manaus, Brazil, it might not be the best known place, but they've got soccer fever there, as well.

Shasta Darlington explains some American fans have even found their way there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A long flight from pretty much anywhere in the world, it looms up in the heart of the Amazon. A concrete jungle with two million residents.

We've come down the Rio Negro. This a tributary of the Amazon River, not even the real thing. And you could see how big it is. The other side, you need a boat to get over there. This is the beach in Manaus. Let's check it out.

A pickup soccer game, and in the middle, a star spangled bandana. A group of recent grad was Cornell playing with local talent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Walk around with these.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Probably had 100 people come up and take pictures of us wearing them. We're like celebrities whenever we wear American stuff.

DARLINGTON: We find more bandanas at the port. This is the closest thing to a bus station they've got here. Fans wanting to get to know the Amazon, this is where they start.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to see the water and anacondas, hopefully.

DARLINGTON: And at night, they've set up screens in strategic points across the city. This is in the heart of the historic center. It's right in the shadow of the opera house. And this is where people come together to watch the games.

More team USA fans turn up here, optimistic about Sunday's match against Portugal. A group of Portuguese supporters a few steps away say they're keeping their faith in Cristiano Ronaldo.

Shasta Darlington CNN, Manaus, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: My God, in spite of that Renaldo, injured or not, we'll see how Portugal and the U.S. head on later this evening at 6:00 eastern time.

All right, a couple managed to hold their heads behalf water for 14 hours after they fell off their boat with life jackets and some folks who were just fishing nearby, well, they nearly missed them. The incredible rescue coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Australian officials will announce a new search area Wednesday for missing flight 370. The transport safety bureau says it's been re-evaluating data that could move the search area hundreds of miles south. Australia will hire a private company for the new search which could start as early as August.

Meanwhile, Malaysian officials are denying a newspaper report that the pilot is a prime suspect if the plane's disappearance is the result of human intervention. London's "Sunday Times" quoted unnamed sources who pointed to Zahari Ahmad Shah and say he had not made any future plans. Malaysian officials said they did not make any such statement, and the investigation is ongoing.

And a Florida couple is lucky to be alive today after they fell from their boat and then had to tread water for 14 hours. They had no life jackets and no way to call for help. Luckily, a group of friend out on a fishing trip were in the right place at the right time.

CNN's Christi Paul has more on this remarkable rescue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imagine drifting for 14 hours in the Atlantic ocean, through the night, without any life jackets, treading water the entire time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very distraught, tired. You can tell they'd been in the water a long time.

PAUL: Sean McGovern (ph) and Melissa Morris (ph)are so lucky to be alive this morning after being rescued by some off-duty public safety officers off the coast of south Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The female, when we brought her on board, her legs were actually cramped. She couldn't even move them. We had to actually lift her out of the water. The male, Sean, said he ran into about three or four jellyfish stings during the course of the evening.

PAUL: The Broward county sheriff's office says the couple fell off their boat in Key Largo, then watched the boat which was in gear, just pull away. McGovern and Morris drifted up the coast, finally being spotted seven miles off Hallandale beach by some fishermen who just happened to include Broward county safety officials. The two of them who didn't want their faces shown on camera said they felt they were just at the right place at the right time.

JOSH WEBB, RESCUER: Another 30 minutes to an hour, they probably -- it probably wouldn't have the same outcome as it did today because they were -- they were in pretty bad shape. They were both cramping pretty bad. They were very dehydrated, very tired. They appeared to be mildly hypothermic.

JAMES WHITE, RESCUER: We originally thought they were bait fish. We got up close. Once we realized they were in trouble, brought them on board.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, the coast guard says despite what they went through, the couple will make a full recovery.

All right, the current crisis in Iraq is very confusing. Who is involved and what are the issues driving the country toward a full- scale civil war? Find out straight ahead in our quick course: Iraq 101.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Iraq is heading toward an all-out civil war. Fighting is intense, the characters are confusing, and the issues are wrapped up in a long history of hatred. And one thing we know is that the conflict has created about a million refugees.

How to make sense of Iraq, here's Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Question one, why is everyone fighting?

There are a lot of reasons, but here's a big one. Sunnis are a minority in Iraq and (INAUDIBLE), mainly because Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, promised to open up his government to both ethnic groups.

While since the U.S. left in 2011, he is worked instead to strengthen Shiite control of ministries and the military that made him popular in Iran where Shiites are also a minority. Not so much in passive Iraq, ISIS is exploiting that anger to fuel its rebellion. So it's Sunnis versus Shiites. More or less with some politics thrown in. Here's a wild card, as well, with Kurds in the north.

They are mainly Sunni, but rule an autonomous region, Kurdistan, which is Iraq's most stable area right now. Many Kurds have wanted their own nation for years. If there's a winner so far in all of this, it's them. They've got turf, they've got oil, and they've got muscle.

So who is ISIS? Well, they used to be known as al Qaeda in Iraq. In 2006, they rebranded as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. surge in Iraq did set them back, but after the U.S. withdrew, ISIS grew in strength. Al Qaeda distanced itself with ISIS because they are so extreme and wouldn't take orders. ISIS is infamous for its brutality.

And this is what Iraq is up against. Why not split up Iraq? Shiites in the south, Kurds in the north, Sunnis in the west and north. Simply drawing lines on a map could lead to massive bloodshed. And don't forget the oil fields around the country. Who gets what? On top of that, ISIS dreams of creating a caliphate, giant Islamic state spanning Iraq and Syria, but much more than just that.

Will it settle for a slice of Iraq? The answer is no. So we have to worry about Syria too. Well, yes we do. The civil war there gave ISIS access to more fighters, to weapons and money. Toxic combination. And the border, remember, between Syria and Iraq basically doesn't exist right now.

Sending out ISIS in one country, but not the other, probably impossible. So what do we do? Air strikes, combat troops, nothing? Right now, no good or simple answer, and this is what makes this war so hard to end.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Michael Holmes, thank you so much for that. So the ISIS militants continue to capture strategic Iraqi towns and they don't seem to be needing that much resistance from Iraqi force. Is there any way to help shore up Iraq's military at this point?

Let me bring in CNN military analyst, Colonel Rick Francona, and Christopher Hill, he is the dean of the Joseph Corbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and former U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Good to see both of you, Gentlemen. Thank you.

So Colonel Francona, to you first. What is happening? Is the Iraqi military so overwhelmed that it's not even willing to put up a fight against these militants in at least the three towns that were taken overnight?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The three towns that were taken overnight were out toward the west. It looks like ISIS is moving down and trying to consolidate the area that they have the north and west of Baghdad. They've come down the Euphrates Valley, Tigris Valley. They're going down the road that links Damascus and Amman. They're trying to get the whole border area under control. We're not going to see much fighting from the Iraqi army until they get closer to Baghdad. I think it almost looks like to me that the Iraqi army has ceded most of this territory and are setting up the battle to defend Baghdad.

WHITFIELD: Ambassador Hill, does that worry you that the fighting would -- if there is fighting or some resistance from the Iraqi army, it would be when ISIS is so close to Baghdad?

CHRISTOPHER HILL, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: Well, it is clear that the Iraqi army has ceded the western part of Iraq, and what we really have a de facto partition, which I don't think is very good news for the future of Iraq. I think also ISIS is very interested in maintaining that connection with Syria. After all, they're claiming to make a single caliphate. We have a trans-border issue right now and the Iraqis are incapable of defending their own -- their own border. So lots to worry about on military front.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's what's confusing, I guess, Colonel. Why is Iraq so indefensible at this point? It outnumbers ISIS in terms of manpower. Why would it feel like it can't take on ISIS until -- I mean, I guess delaying this conflict, which will be much worse, bloodier, far more serious by waiting until they encroach on Baghdad?

FRANCONA: A lot of that area we're seeing these towns are on the main roads. It's -- there's not much else out there. It doesn't make sense for the Iraqi army to deploy in numbers out in the middle of the desert. They're probably smarter to wait for ISIS to come to them, which we know is coming. And as the ambassador said, I think they have ceded all that territory to them.

WHITFIELD: So Ambassador Hill, what's the danger of the U.S. in this strategy whether to be involved diplomatically now, but then potentially be involved more militarily later on?

HILL: I think the concern, of course, is that as ISIS consolidates its position and the partition of Iraq becomes more consolidated, then I think it's a more difficult nut to crack. Certainly your Michael Holmes setup piece talked about that the Sunnis don't like Maliki. Well, I would argue that there is not a single Sunni state in all of the Arab Middle East that likes having Shias in Iraq.

So I think it's going to be very different even if you push Maliki out and get some -- another Shia, I think it's going to be difficult to get any support from the Sunnis, especially if there's this perception that they've already established Sunni-stan. The real issue here is what are these -- I'll call them moderate Sunnis -- what are their attitudes to ISIS that so far I think they're a little intimidated by them.

And so they make -- they make that into an argument that they can never deal with the Shia even though I think their real concerns is that the ISIS people will cut their heads off.

WHITFIELD: So is it reasonable to even think or believe that while Secretary Kerry is visiting some of the neighbors, Jordan, Saudi Arabia coming up, Emirates, he'll be asking these leaders if they can help support or help push for a government in Iraq that's more representative equally of Sunni, Shia, and Kurds. Is that realistic that they would have that leverage, these neighbors would have leverage to make that happen, Ambassador?

HILL: It's absolutely worth a try. I mean, the effort is really to hold Iraq together and to offer them the fact that this very polarizing figure, Nuri Al Maliki, would be out of the equation and therefore, would they support someone else? So it's definitely worth a try. Is it realistic? Hard to say until you really engage in it. I think it's worth doing.

So I think Secretary Kerry is definitely on the right track. The concern, of course, is that the Sunnis, you know, it's -- it appears to many people who watch for the first time that somehow the Sunnis were never engaged in the Iraqi government. They were. When Maliki formed the second administration of his, he had some one-third, almost one-third of the cabinet positions were Sunni.

The problem is he consolidated the defense and interior ministry, he went out after Sunni leaders, and I think he created backlash. So he probably has to go. No question.

WHITFIELD: All right, Christopher Hill, Colonel Rick Francona, thanks to both of you, Gentlemen. Appreciate it.

A congressman who has been a fixture since 1971 is in the fight of his political life. Can Charlie Rangel hang on to his house seat?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This year's primary election season has already been a big upset. The House lost its majority leader after Eric Cantor was defeated in Virginia's primary and in New York, one of the longest serving members of Congress is in the fight of his political life. Democrat Charles Rangel has been a fixture since 1971 and once was chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

But he, too, could be sent packing his primary -- his bags, rather, if his primary challenger pulls an upset. Alexandra Field is live for us in New York. So Alex, what's going on here?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, in this case, look, Charlie Rangel has been representing the district for 22 terms, a very long time. The reality is that the district has changed. The maps were redrawn before the 2012 election, and the demographics are different. Hispanic constituents make up the majority in what was Historically, a district that had a black majority. How much does

that matter? We'll see.

Two years ago, Congressman Rangel very narrowly kept his job by fewer than 1,100 votes in the primary and two years later, he faces the same primary opponent, State Senator Adriano Espaillat. I spoke to Congressman Rangle. Despite the close race last time, he maintains we won't see an upset this time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR CHARLES RANGEL (D) NEW YORK: I don't want to say anything negative about anybody else except they don't know anything about the job. Just saying that I've been around and I should leave -- if you got a winner going for you, and by any interpretation I'm a winner --

FIELD: You're campaigning hard, though. Are you feeling the heat a little bit?

RANGEL: How can you feel the heat when everything's going your way? I'm not taking anything for granted. Of course not. People say they're going to vote for me -- I appreciate that. I'm thinking about the vote. As a matter of fact, I'm not even tired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: Not even tired after 43 years in office. He says he's more fit for the fight than he was two years ago in 2012. He was battling health problems and he had recently been censured by the House for Ethics Violations back in 2010. Senator Espaillat says Rangel now represents the district's past and he says he believes Rangel's time is up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D), NEW YORK STATE SENATE: The fact of the matter is in the last few years, you know, he got censured, he got stripped of most of his power. He's unable to deliver for this neighborhood the way perhaps he used to do in the past. We need somebody that can deliver for this district.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: The most recent poll in this race, the New York One Sienna College poll, shows Rangel leading by 13 points, which does sound like a lot. Espaillat's campaign says internal polls show the race is much closer. But this is a primary battle, voter turnout is expected to be low, making it harder to predict. Both Rangel and Espaillat acknowledged it really will come down to who is able to get voters to come out on Tuesday -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: It doesn't look like either of them are taking folks for granted. All right, they are fighting to the end. Alexandra Field, thanks so much.

All right, police say the case of a dad whose child was found dead in a hot car is not at all what they thought it was. Why police say they're adding up the clues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: There are so many questions over the case of a dad who allegedly left his baby in a hot car in Georgia. The 22-month-old died after his dad says he forgot to take him to daycare a few blocks from his work, and then left him in the back seat for hours. Now police are saying there's a serious twist to the case. The dad's story does not add up, say police. Victor Blackwell has more.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, when police outside of Atlanta arrived at a parking lot at a shopping center and they found 33-year-old, Justin Ross Harris, there with his child, a 22-month-old boy dead, he told investigators that he'd forgotten that he left the child in the car when he went to work.

And then that he only found him seven hours later on the way home from work. But we're learning from an officer with the Cobb County Police Department near Atlanta that a lot of the details have changed since that tragedy on Wednesday. They tell me -- I've been in law enforcement for 34 years. What I know about this case shocks my conscience as a police officer, a father, and a grandfather.

Now, that's sergeant, Sergeant Dana Pierce, is not being specific about the details that have changed. But he says that the story about the child being in the car at 9:00 a.m. before Justin Ross Harris went to work, he can't confirm that the boy was there. I also asked did he drive straight to work and then head straight home. Well, that sergeant also says that he can't confirm if there was a stop before work or a stop after work.

Here's how they found out that something here was not right. They say that the officer started to question Justin Harris as soon as they got to the scene. Some of the answers he gave first responders did not add up. Now Harris was arrested and charged with first-degree cruelty to a child and felony murder.

He's pleaded not guilty, but we're also told there's a possibility those charges could change, possibly additional charge would be added. I also asked, when will we get some clarity about this? And because we're told this is no public safety issue, no one in the public is in danger, that sergeant tells us that quite possibly as we get closer it a trial for Harris, that's when we'll know what is, he says, shocking to the conscience -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: My gosh. All right, Victor Blackwell, thank you so much.

Joining me now is attorney and radio host, Mo Ivory. So Mo, it is so perplexing that investigators are willing to say already that there a lot of questions unanswered. Immediately following this, if they were going to be charges, people might expect negligent homicide, involuntary manslaughter.

But instead these are very serious charges that imply intent. What are the questions you're asking if you were his defense attorney?

MO IVORY, ATTORNEY AND RADIO PERSONALITY: Sure. First, the prosecutors, let's start with the prosecutors. They're going to totally figure out the timeline because obviously his story does not match up, which really sort of breaks my heart completely. Because we're all so upset about this, but we want to just think it was a father who was stressing out, who had so many life --

WHITFIELD: Overwhelmed, forgot -- IVORY: That he just forgot. Even as hard as that is to come up with.

You know, from a legal perspective as a prosecutor, the timeline, talk to the daycare. Is this normal behavior. Why wasn't the child dropped off? Was there a phone call saying the child wasn't coming that day? The timeline is crucial for the prosecutors. For the defense, I would immediately be trying to put together a mental illness defense, the stressed out, was out of his mind --

WHITFIELD: Immediately presuming that he simply forgot.

IVORY: That there was some kind of mental incapacity that made him forget that his child was even in the car.

WHITFIELD: But then what is a defense attorney going to do if the prosecutors, if the investigators are already implying that, no, intent was there. That perhaps this wasn't an issue of forgot, but something malicious, something intended may have happened to this child? Then what do you do as a defense attorney?

IVORY: Well, then the charge may change completely. For the defense attorney, they're probably sitting and waiting the same way we are, trying to figure out what the evidence is. There's going to be an announcement, and they're going to immediately start rallying around to figure out what this defense is going to be. If there was intent, they're going to have a hard time. There's another piece, the wife. All of a sudden, she's not saying anything. I think that there is --

WHITFIELD: Apparently she has been approached, but she's already said to reporters I'm instructed not to talk. You want to know what is her story.

IVORY: Right. I think the charges will change from felony murder. If there is intent, it may end up being a murder one charge. I can't imagine that a father would do this to rid their child, but we don't know what's going to happen. We'll be staying close. Obviously there's more, and I was upset to hear that there's more.

WHITFIELD: It is heart breaking no matter what because everyone knows especially when you're talking about mid-to-upper 80s temperatures that no matter what you should always be super conscientious of the well-being of your children and your pets in the vehicle. And that you work so hard to make sure you don't forget something like that.

IVORY: This is not something that doesn't happen. It's not often, but it does happen. This is not the first case and not the first case in Georgia that this has happened. Even the governor put into training for people to know this is not -- what you should do in this weather. Yet, still, that's why this story -- the first reaction from Facebook was pray for this man, pray for this man, but people were saying not so sure. This sounds fishy.

WHITFIELD: Overwhelming, there are a lot of people who say it's hard to believe, how are you going to forget your child, your 22-month-old in the back seat? You're talking to your kid when you're driving constantly, reaching back, checking on the well being of your kid all the time -- IVORY: But let's say the kid was sleeping and you forgot. By the

time you get to work, have you not remembered? By the time you eat lunch, have you not remembered? By the time you have your 3:00 snack, have you not remembered? Now you're driving home and you still don't remember? Something is not right.

WHITFIELD: Right. Mo Ivory, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

IVORY: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right, a new testament to the struggle for civil and human rights is opening. We'll take you inside the country's newest museum that has people talking already.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Join us for our expanded conversation on the crisis in Iraq at the top of the hour, how involved should the U.S. be? We'll ask our experts, that's straight ahead, 3:00 Eastern Time.

All right, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights opens in Atlanta tomorrow. It's a museum using events of the Civil Rights Movement and putting them in a global human rights context. Victor Blackwell takes us inside and talks with some of the people who helped make it a reality.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will use the same --

BLACKWELL (voice-over): Bo Connor and President Johnson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Therefore must be our cause, too --

BLACKWELL: Together, part of a comprehensive look at America's fight for equality inside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. The $80 million facility honors the well and lesser known stories and faces of the Civil Rights Movement. One of them, Henry Thomas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was immediately impressed.

BLACKWELL: Thomas was just 19 years old in this mug shot. He was a freedom rider during the summer of 1961, demonstrating for civil rights throughout the south. His is one of many covering the center's replica of the burned out bus he traveled on.

HENRY THOMAS: There was a face now to those people who made that sacrifice 53 years ago. They're my heroes. I am proud of them.

BLACKWELL: The center is filled with the images and sounds of the era and an interactive exhibit that mimics the taunting and kicking protesters endured during the lunch counter sit-ins. Doug Shipman is the center's executive director.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter who they are, we want them to feel inspired that they can stand a stand on whatever issue they want to.

BLACKWELL: The highlight is the king papers collection. A rotating exhibit of some of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal writings on loan from his alma mater, Moorehouse College.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are handwritten speeches, sermons, his report cards from when he was a child. Things that he carried with him throughout his life.

BLACKWELL: However, what is not on display is now at the center of a King family legal fight. Earlier this year, King's sons, Dexter and Martin Luther King III, acting as board members of their late father's estate sued their sister, Reverend Bernice King, after she refused to hand over her father's Nobel Peace Prize and traveling bible. According to court documents, the potential buyer was the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

(on camera): Had the center attempted to purchase the Nobel Peace Prize and the traveling bible?