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Boy Left to Die in Hot SUV; Boehner to sue Obama; Former P&G CEO Bob Mac as New VA Head; ISIS Releases Chilling Video; Who Controls Tikrit, Iraq?; Obama Nominates New Head Of Veterans Affairs

Aired June 29, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everybody, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Topping our news at this hour, stunning internet searches by a mother and father whose son died after his dad left him locked in a hot SUV. Police say Justin and Leanna Harris researched child deaths in vehicles and what temperature it needs to be for death to occur. Justin Harris is already charged with the murder of his son but could the mother now face charges?

I want to bring in CNN's Nick Valencia. So Nick, police said the father stated he was fearful that something like this could happen and that's what justifies the searches. But the mother's explanation?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're waiting to hear that explanation. It looks really bad on both parents, no doubt about that. But we just don't know and can't rush to judgment before we hear all the facts. The police aren't getting context to that statement, they aren't saying, really other than it came about in questioning but they're not saying when that search actually happened.

And lawyers that had been on CNN's programs say it matters, the context given when the search happened. They say it happened recently. We just don't know exactly when. The search warrants came out a couple of hours ago. They said I want to read you here, Fred. It says "Leanna Harris, the child's mother was questioned regarding the incident and made similar statements regarding research in car deaths and how it occurs." Now the father, 33-year-old Justin Ross Harris, sitting in a Georgia jail, charged with murder and second degree child cruelty.

WHITFIELD: And then the mother, she spoke for the first time during the funeral yesterday.

VALENCIA: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And she was backing her husband.

VALENCIA: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And at the same time, kind of painting a picture about how she's mourning the death of her child but in a very odd way.

VALENCIA: It was a bizarre funeral service, definitely not ordinary, there was media there. It was open to the public. Leanna Harris stood in front of a crowd of about 400 people. And first she said, "I'm doing this for you, Ross." Ross Harris was on the phone and she went on to defend her husband, calling him a wonderful father, the leader of the family. She said it wasn't a matter of if but when they would have children.

She also said that the truth would come out and that that truth apparently, would fall in favor for the family. We just don't know yet, though, Fred, the context of this. We've called police, it's worth mentioning that to try to get context about this. They're unwilling to comment on the record this weekend. Perhaps more information will come out this week. But hat father - he has a bond hearing, he's being held without bond, I should say and has a next court appearance on July 3rd.

WHITFIELD: Did anyone in the audience of the funeral think it was odd that she would say things like, you know, at least this child won't have to go through middle school or the tough times that come with high school?

VALENCIA: There was - there was some sobs, there was some - we were in the very back of that crowd, so we couldn't see a lot of the faces of those in attendance. But she started off by saying, "I know that are people that are suspicious. I know that there are questions of how I'm able to stand here in front of you without being a mess. And deliver this eulogy" of her 22-month-old child, that casket, that tiny red casket, very chilling experience to be inside there.

A lot of tears in that church. That University Church of Christ was the family's church, they're from Tuscaloosa, Alabama which is why, it took place there. Of course the child died - you're looking at 22- month-old Cooper Harris - that child died in Marietta, Georgia last week, in temperatures, (INAUDIBLE) that could have reached more than 120 degrees left in the car for seven hours. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. All right. Nick Valencia give us the latest as you get it. Thank you so much.

VALENCIA: I will. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. A shocking string of shootings at a hugely popular tourist attraction. New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street. Police are looking for two young men they say shot nine people overnight. The police superintendent says two of the victims are in critical condition, the other seven in stable condition. And we're learning some of the victims were tourists, just visiting New Orleans. The shootings happened at about 2:45 this morning. Police do not have a motive.

Though they once golfed together, it seems like the relationship between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner has become chillier, maybe. The House Speaker says he may take the president to court. He claims Mr. Obama is overreaching in going around Congress too much. How is the president responding to the threat of a lawsuit? Well, here is what he said on ABC's "This Week" today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The suit is a stunt. But what I've told Speaker Boehner directly is, if you're really concerned about me taking too many executive actions, why not just try getting something done through Congress?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our senior political analyst Ron Brownstein joining me now from Colorado. Good to see you, Ron. So what's the interpretation? Is this the real thing or a stunt?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Fred. Greetings from beautiful Aspen, Colorado (INAUDIBLE) this week. The first thing to understand about this is what a historic, reversal of roles we're witnessing. For most of our adult lifetime, it was the Republican Party that was the advocate of aggressive use of executive power. Democrats in the 1970s complained about the imperial presidency in Richard Nixon.

You remember all the debates we had about the theory of the unitary executive under George W. Bush. But the fact is Democrats are now more likely to win the White House and control Congress. They've won the popular vote, five out of the last six and Republicans controlled the House for 20 of the past 24 years. And so you're seeing this reversal where Republicans are asserting the prerogatives of Congress and Democrats like Obama realizing he has very little chance of getting his agenda through that Republican congress are really pushing the envelope on the use of executive power to try to advance his goals.

WHITFIELD: You know, but what's remarkable, Ron, you know, is the president hasn't even used his executive power as much as some of his predecessors. In fact, I think we have a graphic right now which shows the history, you talk about the Republican leadership, and you see there Ronald Reagan, 381 times, you see George W. Bush, 291 times and among Democrats, Jimmy Carter and Clinton, both in the mid-300- range. But this president, 172, under 200 times so how can this suit be substantiated?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, what that doesn't tell you is how consequential those orders are. Certainly the recent executive orders from the president have been very consequential, whether the deferred action, or the children brought here illegally by their parents, whether it was the executive order on the treating gays equally in the workplace for federal contractors. The potential I think that this lawsuit is really aimed at is the possibility that he will move on immigration reform to expand in effect the right to stay here to more people who are - covered by the legislation that stalled in Congress.

I think this is kind of a preemptive warning shot on than. So you know, it's not clear how successful the legislation has been. The court has wrapped the president across the knuckles at times for exceeding his authority, for instance, most recently on the recess appointment issue. But a broad allegation like this I think most lawyers think will have a difficult time in the courts. WHITFIELD: All right. And the president, obviously, not running again. But how much I guess influence is there of his fellow democrats, is he thinking as he pushes through certain legislation or executive orders or doesn't?

BROWNSTEIN: No, that's right. Look, as I said before what we're seeing here is really a long-term shift. The way politics works now, Democrats are more likely to win the White House than control the House, I believe, given the nature and the way the coalition is distributed. And I think what the president's doing here is responding on a series of issues to key elements of his coalition in a way that will activate them in 2016.

So on the one hand, people say that this lawsuit is an effort by the Republicans to gin up their base for 2014. But when the president acts on issues like immigration and gay rights and the minimum wage he is taking a stand and not incidentally forcing Republicans to oppose positions that create favorable contrasts in terms of mobilizing the Democratic coalition in 2016.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fascinating. Ron Brownstein, enjoy a very picturesque Aspen, Colorado. I'm jealous. Very nice. Thank you.

All right. Well, something is brewing in the tropics and parts of the midwest are battling rising floodwaters. We've got your complete forecast right after this.

But first, nearly one in five kids drops out of Los Angeles public schools. But this week's CNN hero, Karen Taylor, is empowering girls to find their voice through writing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I blossom with each pen mark.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I found myself in the words.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every girl has a story to tell.

KAREN TAYLOR: Some of our girls are facing some of the greatest challenges teenagers could ever face, pregnancy, incarceration, violence in their family, at school. Those girls need a mentor. They need to be inspired about their own voice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Life in the light can be so bright, nothing can be so pure.

TAYLOR: Writing, self-expression, can give them a tool for moving forward.

Say something that nobody else has said before because you have your own way of saying things.

We match under served girls with professional women writers for mentoring and group workshops.

I want to match you Krista with Christie.

The moment you ask a young person, tell me something you're passionate about, the writing and the ideas just flow.

You know you're going to read today?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was kind of scared. I'm really quiet and I keep to myself, but I met Emily, she's so excited and enthusiastic about writing and I absolutely love her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Writing gave me that position in life like, I'm a girl, I have a story to tell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The senses are diluted by the sparkly things that cross their eye. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to help girls see that their voice matters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've got a lot of good stuff. I'd like to hear more about you.

TAYLOR: To give a girl tools to be able to be positive, thrive and rise above whatever challenge challenges she's facing, what's better than that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never underestimate the power of a girl and her pen!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: This just in, President Obama will name former Procter & Gamble CEO Bob MacDonald as new Veteran Affairs secretary. CNN's Erin McPike joins me now with more on this. Erin, can you tell us?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, we just got this confirmation from the White House, and yes, tomorrow, the Obama administration will nominate Bob MacDonald.

Now, as you mentioned, he's the former CEO of Procter & Gamble. As we know when the White House was talking about who they were looking to replace the former Veterans Affairs secretary they weren't exactly sure what to do. There was no short list at the time. Would they get a veteran? Would they get a CEO with this understanding of how to put this organization back together essentially and in Bob Macdonald, they get both. He worked for P&G for 33 years, rose to the ranks after serving in the Army for five years. He is a West Point graduate. And I can tell being a Cincinnati native, Bob MacDonald is very highly regarded and revered in Cincinnati for his leadership of P&G. So again they get a CEO and a veteran to lead the V.A..

WHITFIELD: So is there a feeling, then, in the White House because of that, it is likely he is going to be a shoo-in in terms of approval on Capitol Hill?

MCPIKE: Well, Fredricka, it certainly seems that way based on the statement that the White House put out. I want to read part of that to you, they say his 33-year tenure at P&G prepares him well for a huge agency with management challenges in servicing more than eight million veterans a year at P&G, he oversaw more than 120,000 employees with operations around the world.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike, thanks so much for that latest information. Appreciate that.

All right. Now to the severe weather slamming much of the country in Prior Lake, Minnesota, south of the twin cities, the waters are still rising and dozens of homes have been flooded. More rain is expected later on today. Alexandra Field is with us. So Alexandra, the Memphis, Tennessee area is also being hard hit.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT:: Absolutely, Fred. The picture shows just how serious the situation is in Memphis, Tennessee. The National Weather Service reported a flash flood emergency, flash flood warnings are still in effect and drivers have been warned to stay off any water-covered roads. Cars have been trapped. Some people had to be rescued.

And in Shelby County, there were reports that some underpasses are flooded with water three feet high. They've also been hit hard in Minnesota, recently. That state has 35 counties that are already in a declared state of emergency. There, flash flooding is creating widespread damage while water levels just keep rising. In Pryor Lake, people are still trying to protect their homes and keep the streets open, they're piling sandbags five feet high.

In Waterville, Minnesota, they've gone through 60,000 sandbags already. And it doesn't stop there. In Milwaukee, a 67-year-old man is seriously hurt after a tree uprooted and fell on him while he was out for a jog. High winds toppled that tree. Looks like the man will recover, though, Fred. But really a lot of serious weather we're looking at.

WHITFIELD: Very serious, indeed. Thank you so much. Alexandra Field.

And it isn't just the midwest getting hit. Wet weather and high temperatures expected elsewhere, plus there is some tropical weather brewing off the southeast coast. Meteorologist Karen Maginnis has more on all of this. Karen.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We've got just a real soaking rain that just drenched portions of Memphis, as you saw those pictures. Early morning hours, big thunderstorms kind of roared through but didn't move a lot. As a result, we saw these very heavy downpours.

As a matter of fact, Memphis is on par to see the second rainiest June since 1885. They've already picked up seven inches of rainfall alone in the past 24 hours. But it's not just around the Memphis area. Throughout northeastern sections of Arkansas, look at some of these rainfall totals. Little Dixie, Arkansas, over 10 inches of rain. We have a live picture out of a tower cam in Memphis.

It is mostly cloudy. The temperature hovered around 70 degrees all day but because we've seen just some warmer air move through, the thunderstorms have not been rebounding there as of yet. We're seeing some thunderstorms erupt over northern Alabama. But in the three day outlook, look for rainfall totals three to five inches across that Tennessee and Ohio River Valley into northern sections of Georgia.

And the Midwest, you're stuck in a weather pattern that is relentless. We will see a moderate risk throughout the evening hours across portions of Nebraska, into Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa. Watch out for hail, high winds and the potential for isolated tornado.

Now, Fred, this is the thing we're going to be focusing on. It's the July 4th holiday coming up. And the National Hurricane Center says now over the next two days, there's a 60 percent chance that we will see this disturbance that we saw last week become our first tropically named storm which would be Arthur, over the next five days there's an 80 percent chance that this could become a tropical storm.

But watch the spaghetti models, these are different computer models, they plug in different parameters and it has just kind of meandering off the coast of Florida. Remember, if you're visiting Florida, there could be some rip currents here, gusty winds. You'll see some occasional showers. If this verifies, it looks like it will meander here for a while and then make its way along that gulf stream. That's that river or that current that's very warm, it can kind of fuel tropical systems.

So we'll have to watch this. This - a lot of the unknown now, but know if you're headed to the beach here, southeastern coast that July 4th holiday, it would be a little tricky.

WHITFIELD: Oh, a drag. All right. Thank you so much, Karen. Appreciate that.

All right. Stunning, new accusations in the case of a Detroit boy found barricaded in his dad's basement. A petition has been filed in court what it says, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Did a 12-year-old Michigan boy vanish from his dad's home for nearly two weeks because he was being abused? That is what a petition filed in a Michigan court this weekend, that's what it alleges. The boy suddenly turned up Wednesday, barricaded in his dad's basement after police searched his home days before. Many of you may have seen how this dad got the news that his son was found. HLN's Nancy Grace broke it to him during an interview on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HLN HOST: We're getting reports that your son has been found in your basement. Sir? Mr. Bothuell, are you -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? GRACE: Yes. We are getting reports that your son has been found alive in your basement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Mr. Bothuell has denied knowing that his son was in the basement, but in the petition filed in court, the boy told authorities that his stepmother did know. It says, "Charlie also reports that Ms. Dillard Bothuell was aware he was in the basement and did not bring him any food. Charlie reports sneaking upstairs to get food when everyone left home."

Also in the petition allegations of abuse, quote, saying this, "he was observed to have a half circular scar on his chest that he reports being as a result of his father driving a PVC pipe into his chest."

I want to bring in a legal expert and attorney, Ann-Margaret Carroza. The petition, Ann Margaret asks for Charlie and his younger siblings to be removed from the home. Could we expect that there may be charges that also follow?

ANN MARGARET CARROZA, LEGAL EXPERT: I think everyone who has been following this case does expect charges to be brought, including Charlie Bothuell's attorney, fully expects charges to be brought. The allegations within this petition are absolutely heart wrenching and there seems to be evidence backing it up.

WHITFIELD: And, you know, the father's attorney is defending him. This is what he said -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MAGIDSON, BOTHUELL'S FAMILY ATTORNEY: He had been failing in school, he had been kicked out of a couple of schools and he told his son, "Charlie, the responsibility is now going to be you, you're going to have to go to school like everybody else and if you don't go to school, and the public school, I'm going to have to send you it a military academy."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, this is getting very confusing or very complex, at least, because hearing in some circles that maybe the child was abused and this may have been a form of discipline. And then we're hearing that possibly, you know, the child was a problem child and family was having a difficult time dealing with. Where does this investigation go, given these kind of facts or bits of information?

CARROZA: Well, the case is really troubling, because the father admitted to disciplining Charlie with a PVC pipe. And now you have the police chief, who found PVC piping with blood on it in the basement. The child's clothing with blood on it and the father's attorney says that the blood on the clothing was from eczema. Obviously, they're entitled to their day in court and they're going to have it on July 10th but the allegations within this petition are very, very troubling. And the most interesting thing from a legal perspective, at this point, is that the stepmother has her own attorney for the custody case. So think that this is setting the stage for her having a very different story when we get to court on July 10th.

WHITFIELD: Then, of course, does it mean that the other children in the house will be interviewed? I mean to what extent can their side of the stories be brought into this equation?

CARROZA: Well the other children are so young, two younger siblings are four years old and like 10 months old. Their testimony is probably not going to be used.

WHITFIELD: But the four-year-old can make observances and express what he or she said. Is it just the court wouldn't allow someone so young?

CARROZA: No, I think from an evidentiary point of view, their testimony, their verbal testimony, is going to be given less credence than Charlie's testimony, the 12-year-old has apparently been very forthcoming and very credible with the Detroit police. So I think the younger children are going to be observed, they're going to be checked out medically before any decisions are made.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ann Margaret Carroza, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Again, a very perplexing case.

All right. Next, we have Iraq, where its military is getting help to defeat Islamic militants. Why their new resource is a defiant message from the enemy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the top stories crossing the CNN news desk right now. This just in to CNN, President Obama will nominate a new Secretary of Veterans Affair, Bob McDonald, is the former CEO of Procter & Gamble. He's also a graduate of West Point, but he never served in the military.

And the U.S. is calling on North Korea to stop what it calls provocative actions. That statement comes after South Korea said the North fired what appeared to be short range missiles. South Korea's Defense Ministry confirms two projectiles were launched into the sea off the eastern coast. It's the second reported launch by North Korea in recent days.

And people have claimed to see them for years, but now NASA has what it calls its own flying saucer. It launched in Hawaii yesterday. Even though the parachute didn't fully deploy, NASA called the mission a success. Technology could be used to land manned spacecraft on Mars someday. "Transformers, Age of Extinction," dominated the Box Office this weekend bringing in $100 million, that's the biggest opening weekend for any movie so far this year. It was followed by "22 Jump Street," "How To Train Your Dragon 2" and "Think Like a Man 2," all of the weekend winners are sequels.

Iraq's military got a welcomed delivery this weekend, five Russian fighter jets, they are the first of 25 warplanes that will be delivered to Iraq to help the army fight Islamic militants trying to take over the country. ISIS isn't just fighting on the battlefield. The group is waging a fierce PR campaign to get more recruits. It released a chilling, new propaganda video where a militant talking in English shows a makeshift jail holding Shia prisoners.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see here, prisoners. This is just some of the hundreds of prisoners that we have. Most of them Shia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The prisoners are believed to have been captured during the militant's invasion of Mosul on June 10th. The video cuts to the exterior of a building being blown up, as you see there. According to the militants prisoners were inside. Claims cannot be verified.

Our Nima Elbagir joins us now live from Baghdad. So, Nima, highly produced video, very disturbing, but this is adding to their arsenal, isn't it?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And it has been a very busy day, this first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a busy one for the ISIS propaganda machine. In addition to releasing that video, they also released an audio message, this time announcing a name change, Fredricka. They say they will only go by the Islamic State, by IS because they are now a caliphate.

They are now claiming to be a state that in and of itself stretches through the north of Syria to the east of Iraq and what makes this propaganda so powerful, Fredricka, is of course, there is some truth in it. They do hold territory across that large swath of geography stretching between the two countries.

But as you said, the Iraqi military looking to have the upper hand in the air at least. They've had the first contingent of Russian fighter jets come into the country and trying to ramp up their air strikes on ISIS and they need to.

We've had two strikes in as many days by ISIS to the south of Baghdad on an armed forces base, and continuing back and forth over the crucial city of Tikrit, which is, of course, on the highway to Baghdad. If Tikrit falls, it would bring militants even closer to the capital, to the Iraqi capital there -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Lots of conflicting reports about what is happening exactly in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. What more can you tell us about that?

ELBAGIR: We have had claim and counterclaim, the Iraqi state TV has stated a number of times that Tikrit is fully in government hands. But we've seen video recorded and distributed online that shows a pretty empty looking neighborhood. Also spoken to one resident who says at least in her neighborhood, there is no government presence. The issue with Tikrit if it falls not only do you have the highly strategic oil field to the north of Tikrit, again, you are even closer to Baghdad.

And that is the final goal. To even put pressure on Baghdad and to be seen to be closing in on the capital would be a huge propaganda claim -- gain for the militant, let alone to get within fighting range of the Iraqi capital -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nima Elbagir, thank you so much, from Baghdad.

All right, we have learned who the president is nominating to be the next secretary of Veterans Affairs. We'll tell you all about him next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Following breaking news now, President Obama will nominate former Procter & Gamble CEO, Bob McDonald, as the new Veterans Affairs secretary. CNN's Erin McPike and Drew Griffin joining me now. Drew's on the phone. Erin in front of camera. Erin, tell us more why the White House feels confident about this nominee.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've gotten a very lengthy statement from the White House on this with his background and his very long biography. He's a West Point graduate and then he served for five years in the Army and in his 20s, he joined Procter & Gamble, which is headquartered in Cincinnati, and I'm very familiar with Procter & Gamble, having grown up in Cincinnati, they like to start hiring employees at a very young age and move them through the ranks and leadership.

He became the CEO, is very well recognized for his work leading Procter & Gamble, which is a Fortune 500 company. In Bob McDonald, they've gotten both a veteran and a CEO to address these challenges. We did just get in a statement from Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, a Democrat -- independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

And he said I look forward to meeting with Mr. McDonald next week in order to ascertain his views on these important issues. The first statement from a member of Congress. But the White House does feel very confident, obviously, about this pick.

WHITFIELD: Drew Griffin on the phone. You are the one who broke the story, highlighting the egregious mistakes made at Phoenix VA Hospital. Is it your view that many of the critics of the way the system has been run might feel more confidently about this nominee, particularly because of his military experience and well as corporate experience? DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): I think the military experience has a lot less to do with this than the corporate experience. The VA is an establishment that needs to be run like a business, especially the health care of the VA, it is a health delivery service and system. It needs to be run like a major hospital chain, which is what it is.

So if Bob McDonald can take his corporate knowledge and have the power to use that corporate knowledge, then I think it could be turning the VA into the right direction, which right now you know it's systemically going in the wrong direction.

WHITFIELD: And Erin, there was not the absence of military experience in General Shinseki. He came to the table with that, but what Drew is underscoring is to run the VA like a business, this history of McDonald, it will be a great attribute to him it would seem.

MCPIKE: That's right. In this White House statement, a White House official says, his 33-year tenure at P&G prepares him well for a huge agency with management challenges in servicing more than 8 million veterans a year. At P&G, he oversaw 120,000 employees with operations around the world, selling products in more than 180 countries, in more than 2.5 million stores, reaching more than 5 billion customers. Obviously promoting that executive experience.

WHITFIELD: And then, Erin, what challenges might the White House be bracing, you know, for in terms of being confirmed?

MCPIKE: Well, of course, he is a veteran and he did spend five years in the Army. Part of the statement is interesting as well because he's also the son of a veteran. His father was in World War II. So they wanted to make sure they got some of that in as well. But he obviously has been in business for the last 33 years. He does give quite a bit to veterans' causes. That is also in the statement, but that may be a slight issue.

WHITFIELD: All right, Erin McPike, Drew Griffin, thanks to both of you. We'll be right back with more of the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: An undocumented immigrant who came to the U.S. from the Philippines, at the age of 12 is now a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist telling his life story. Jose Antonio Vargas is the centerpiece of the CNN film "Documented," which airs tonight. He says he wants to be a U.S. citizen, but there is no procedure for someone like him.

I asked him if the issue is America needs to make adjustments for those who enter illegally or whether other countries should work harder to discourage its citizens from crossing borders.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS, JOURNALIST: The question is what do we do with the 11 million people who are here who live here who call America home, who work here, who pay social security, who pay billions of dollars in social security and taxes, talk to the IRS, Social Security Administration, right? What do you do with the people who are here already? Like that we haven't really fully explored.

WHITFIELD: And what should the answer be?

VARGAS: I mean, the answer should be people like me should be allowed to come forward and say, here, look we've been here, we speak English, we've been contributing to our communities and our societies and churches and schools. Right? Give us some sort of process to get ourselves to wait in the back of a line somewhere but the process, the process does not exist.

WHITFIELD: But the other part of the argument is, if someone enters into the U.S. illegally and they've simply blended in, then there are those who will argue, why should they, you, be rewarded with documentation, with allowances, with citizenship after breaking the law?

VARGAS: OK, I think that's really, really interesting.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

VARGAS: I'm not looking for any hand out. I'm not looking for any reward. All I'm looking for is some sort of a process, if you want me to wait in the back of the line somewhere, tell me I have to wait five, ten years, tell me.

WHITFIELD: But there is that line.

VARGAS: No.

WHITFIELD: That already exists for so many people who do go through the process, applications, work --

VARGAS: You mean people who aren't here?

WHITFIELD: People who are here --

VARGAS: No, no, no, people --

WHITFIELD: Go to the back of the line.

VARGAS: See, OK, the 11 million people in America right now who are out of status, who are here illegally without authorization, for example, take somebody like me, right? I can't -- because I admitted to everything that I've done, I mean, when I outed myself in the "New York Times," that bars me from any sort of relief, even though I have you know a part of a Pulitzer, I'm quote/unquote, "successful," I can't get an extraordinary ability visa.

The only way for me right now, I mean, I can't even though the defensive of marriage act has been repealed -- I happen to be gay -- and same-sex marriage is not legal in some states marrying my way into citizenship also is not really an option because I admitted to all the fraud. The only solution now for me is I leave, I go to the Philippines where I haven't been since I was 12, and then try to come back, which in which there's no guarantee. Well, I am not leaving.

WHITFIELD: So here's --

VARGAS: This is my country, this is where I grew up.

WHITFIELD: OK. Here's the other question, Jose. You're not leaving. This is your country, where you grew up. Do you want citizenship?

VARGAS: Of course, I do.

WHITFIELD: Would it make a difference? Because you know you talk about your accomplishments. You're able to go to school, able to work, be employed, get a Pulitzer, why would it matter at this point?

VARGAS: Why does citizenship matter to you?

WHITFIELD: Well, it's part of who I am.

VARGAS: Well, that's also because -- a part of who I am.

WHITFIELD: I didn't -- I was born a U.S. citizen. So I'm maintaining my status but --

VARGAS: So citizenship -- for somebody like me, citizenship is not something that I'm born into. It's something for me I have to earn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And he feels at this point, he has earned it. Be sure to tune in to watch the film "Documented" on CNN 9:00 Eastern.

First, it was Brazil, then Colombia, now a third team has moved into the final eight at the World Cup. We'll show you the amazing finish.

But first, a young girl using lemonade to impact our world, here's CNN's Chris Cuomo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CO-ANCHOR, "NEW DAY" (voice-over): Actress, Bailey Madison, is handing out more than just lemonade. She's serving up hope.

BAILEY MADISON, ACTRESS: Pink, of course, it will match your outfit.

CUOMO: Madison works with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which encourages kids to raise money for childhood cancer research by selling lemonade.

MADISON: You're never too young to make a difference. Your voice can be powerful, no matter if you're a singer, dancer, actress, no matter what you do, you have a voice and you can make such an impact. I would just go for it. CUOMO: That's certainly true for bone cancer survivor, Kaela Cruz. At 5 years old, she had her left leg amputated above the knee. Today, there's nothing this middle schooler can't do.

MATTHEW CRUZ, KAELA CRUZ'S FATHER: She's involved in taekwondo and swimming. She doesn't consider herself handy happened in any way. She's differently abled.

CUOMO: Cruz teamed up with Alex's lemonade stand to share her story, raising pediatric cancer awareness and inspiring other kids to never give up.

KAELA CRUZ, CANCER SURVIVOR: If you fall down, get back up, keep trying, believe in yourself. No matter what, if you can do one thing, you can do everything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So close until the 88th minute of the Mexico/Netherlands match at World Cup today. It was Mexico holding on to a 1-0 lead. Then it evaporated very quickly. After Netherlands tied the game, Mexican defender, Raphael Marquez, called for penalty inside the box. The Dutch converted the penalty kick, and moved on to the final eight. Ouch.

Joining me now from Rio is Isa Soares. Isa, what a heartbreak from Mexico.

ISA SOARES, CNN SPORTS: Real heartbreak, really, Fredericka. It was a brutal, brutal match for them. You know, they were -- the prize was within their grasp, as you just saw there. Holland Reid dominated the first half of the game. Mexico showed the most power, pizazz, going for it. You know, unfortunately, it just didn't work for them.

They scored the first goal, in the 88 minutes a goal from Sneider, then the penalty. Debate, some people say that it was a penalty, others saying it wasn't and basically it was a bit acted, dramatized. A bit debatable but they converted than Mexico only had 6 minutes to turn the game around. Very painful for them considering there were the performers of the day, so much heat.

They were under pressure, under heat, 38.8 degrees Celsius, two water breaks, seen if you look at the stadium, majority of the seat there's on the ones in the sun completely empty. Really struggling. But they powered through, unfortunately just didn't make it for them.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That was a tough match. Thanks so much, Isa Soares. Now, people are looking forward to the U.S./Belgium game, that's Tuesday. That's going do it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for being with me. The next hour of the NEWSROOM begins right now with Randi Kaye in New York.