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Rick's List
Thirteen-Year-Old Gunned Down in Street; Fire on the Floor
Aired July 30, 2010 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, GUEST HOST: John King, thank you very much.
Tonight, Chicago is on edge after a child is shot and killed execution-style right in the street. Violence has already claimed nearly 30 of the city's kids this year alone. Will something finally be done to stop this madness?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): Here's what's making THE LIST in primetime:
A 13-year-old shot again and again -- killed execution-style in the middle of his street.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He found 22 bullet holes in my baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Will his death be the wake-up call Chicago needs to stop crime?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They should have voted like an American last night instead of a Republican or Democrat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: House Republicans say no to money that would help 9/11 first responders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: You couldn't pass this bill if you wanted to. You are in control. You have the power. You have the responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A New York Democrat is furious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: It's Republicans wrapping their arms around Republicans rather than doing the right thing on behalf of the heroes! It is a shame! A shame!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can do whatever you want. I'm going to talk to you about the Jesus I have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Would you have the nerve to stare criminal down armed with faith alone?
And Chelsea is getting married -- the fashion, the security, the guest list. That story is trending.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Rick is off tonight.
Something obscene happened this week in Chicago. Somebody walked up to this 13-year-old -- he's name is Robert Freeman -- right in the street, right in front of his house and shot him not once, not twice, but over and over and over. Neighbors watched in horror but they couldn't do anything.
Robert Freeman was a kid who road his bike, mowed lawns for money and desperately wanted to move to Michigan to live with his grandmother, in hopes of escaping the very violence that would ultimately claim his life.
As if a child's murder isn't bad enough -- get this: police say the shooter or shooters may have had the wrong kid, a case of mistaken identity is a dispute -- in a dispute over drugs or money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The doctor told me he found 22 bullet holes in my baby. One of my baby friends that was with my baby said a guy told him, "Don't be sitting here when I get back." So, he went through the gate. He went back and he came back with something wrapped around his face, a black t-shirt wrapped around his face. That's when he got to shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He should have been a person they came for instead of my nephew. He didn't desire to that. It wasn't his time. He was only 13.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And when last we checked, the killer or killers were still on the loose.
Now, you already know that Chicago's kids have been in danger for years from this epidemic. That's all we can call it, an epidemic of violence.
Take a look at this list of killings. In 2008, 75 victims were under 18. Last year, nearly 50 kids had their lives cut short. And so far, this year, the number was at 28. And so, Robert Freeman became the 29th victim.
While the raw data shows a drop in numbers, it's not exactly progress.
"The Chicago Tribune" reports this was the fourth shooting of a teenager in the area in only a week. What in the world is going on?
Let's talk now with CNN's analyst, Roland Martin. He's joining us now from San Diego, California. And Annette Holt, who lost her son to gun violence, is now the president of a group called Purpose Over Pain.
Roland, I'm going to start with you. What is going on in the city that you call home and I once called home?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN ANALYST: Well, look, there is simply -- I mean, you have a generation of kids who have accepted being these punk thugs, and what you also have is you have that people who live in communities who have this whole notion of don't snitch. And that is they're allowing individuals who are committing murder, committing serious crime, to go free because they don't want to say anything. We see it in Chicago. We see it in Detroit.
So, what has to happen is, the people who live there must take a zero tolerance attitude and say, enough is enough. If they do it, we're turning them in, and these parents should stop making excuses for their children being thugs.
LEMON: Roland, we're going to talk a little more about that. I want to bring Annette in here.
Annette, your 16-year-old son's name is Blair. He was killed on May 10th, 2007. We've done stories on you -- I did a story on you last year. Blair was riding a crowded public school bus when a teenager, a teenage gang member stepped onto the bus and shot him with a 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. That was three years ago. Your husband was a Chicago police officer and was now recently appointed by the mayor to a program that's supposed to stop this violence.
Are police doing enough, Annette?
ANNETTE NANCE-HOLT, MURDER VICTIM'S MOTHER (via telephone): You know what? I think police are doing all that they can do in light of what's going on here in the city. They're really outgunned. They're outmanned here on the streets. It's hard for the police to do something that people in the community won't step up and do themselves.
I mean, we will be quick to turn in a police officer if we see them abusing a citizen, but we won't turn in a criminal who's doing the same thing in our community. So, you know, at some point, the black community has to stand up, we have to take a voice in this and stop it because we know who these criminals are. We know who these gang bangers and thugs are.
And, I mean, a child shot 22 times. Nobody deserves to die anyway or be shot, you know? But to shoot someone 22 times, that's an animal.
LEMON: Hey, listen -- listen, Roland, I want to let you get in here because I want to say, I spoke to a source with the Chicago police tonight. And here's what the source tells me.
The source says that -- he says that the biggest problem besides socioeconomics and the lack of jobs, people in neighborhoods not telling who's responsible for the shooting and the killing.
Roland, you just talked about that a while ago. Do you agree with that, Annette?
NANCE-HOLT: Yes.
MARTIN: Right.
NANCE-HOLT: People in the community are not telling what they see. And they know who are killing these -- they know who's killing the innocent victims. They know definitely who it is. They see them around and they're afraid to identify them. (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: Go ahead, Roland.
MARTIN: Don, what's interesting is, you also had two cases where two Chicago police officers were gunned down. One guy is sitting in front of his dad's house, who was also a former cop, you know, showing him his new motorcycle. He yells, hey, police officer, and a guy still shoots and kills him.
You have to also understand that you have a generation of children who have grown up, who have no sense of consequence. And what I'm tired of are people making excuses for people who are thugs. I don't want to hear another mother go to court saying, oh, my baby, my baby -- when I have to ask how do you not know your baby was a killer, was a thug, was a gang member, was carrying a weapon?
We can stand here and say it's about jobs. We can say it's about not having dads there. But, no, there is a lack of respect for life. It is a lack of values. It is a lack of faith, a lack of spirituality.
And churches and community groups and activists must say, "Enough is enough. If you do wrong, we are turning your sorry behind in."
LEMON: And, Roland and Annette, to be fair, because this same source told me, you know, you guys have to be fair, it's not just Chicago, he says. If you go to police conferences, a large police gatherings of law enforcement all over the country, he says, you'll see the same stories. He thinks it's more of a focus because --
MARTIN: Yes.
LEMON: -- because of -- Chicago is a big city so there's more attention. Also, the attention brought to the city during the death, that beating caught on tape of Darien Albert, the honor student last year. He thinks that more attention is being --
MARTIN: This is not a Chicago issue.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: This is -- no, no, no, Don. The point is, it's not, well, this is about Chicago. This is about a generation of people in cities all across this country. And so, Chicago is simply a microcosm of what is happening in communities nationwide. That's the real focus, what is happening with these children.
But we have parents, single mothers. We have fathers who are not there. Grandparents, aunts and uncles who are making excuses for their children in the first and second and third grade -- and then they wonder why all of the sudden when they're in high school they turn out to be crazy thugs because they're dropping out, they're not staying in school, they're not being disciplined. That's what it boils down to -- values at home.
LEMON: Annette, I'm going to give you the last word here -- as someone who has lost a child to this violence. What's the advice you have to anyone who is watching or in the sound of your voice?
NANCE-HOLT: Well, I have a couple points I would like to make.
One of them is: these parents out here do know their children are in gangs. They do know their children have guns. They do know their children are thugs. They need to turn them in.
And we need to hold the parents accountable for 'em when we know that they know their children are out there doing those things. And, you know, parents just need to step up and stop having excuses for everything in life going wrong because there's a lot of us that didn't grow up that way. We didn't have parents involved in our lives the way that most people do, but it's still not an excuse for your child to be a murderer if you'd have to harbor one because you're a murderer, too.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Annette. Thank you, Roland Martin. We appreciate the conversation.
Also coming up tonight --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some guy came out of the yard and shot about 15, 20 times.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's gone. God took him. I think God knew it was best for him. He's gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: This is outrageous. We're going to continue on with this story because how can any parent -- how can anyone really not be outraged when you think of a child being killed, being murdered in cold blood? We'll continue what we really started. This should be a national conversation here with Victor Woods, he's a community activist.
We'll continue right here when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEINER: It's Republicans wrapping their arms around Republicans rather than doing the right thing on behalf of the heroes! It is a shame! A shame!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: If you were at work today and you didn't see this, you need to pay attention. Congressman Anthony Weiner says it was the Brooklyn in him coming out in that heated moment on the House floor.
But you know who's even madder than that? The actual first responders who were there that day on 9/11. My heartfelt conversation with one of them -- next.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Did you know this? That there is a second oil spill emergency in the United States right now? This one is up north. It's in Michigan.
Today, the head of the Environmental Protection Administration, Lisa Jackson, and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm flew over the Kalamazoo River. A leaky pipeline burst there and, so far, has spilled an estimated 20,000 barrels of oil. That's a lot of oil for that river.
The spill covers 25 miles. So far, cleanup workers have recovered almost 6,000 barrels. That pipeline, by the way, is owned by a Canadian company, not owned by BP.
I want to get back to our big story now, the killing of a 13- year-old boy in Chicago who may have been shot as many as 22 times. Imagine that -- 22 times, another example of the city's youth under siege.
CNN analyst Roland Martin lives in Chicago and has been watching this crisis unfold there for the last several years. He's back, along with community activist, Victor Woods.
And Ronald Holt, Ron Holt who, along with his wife Annette, who lost their son to violence. And we spoke to his wife just on the other side of this break, before the break. He is now in charge of Chicago's Alternative Policing program.
Ron, thanks for joining us, calling us at the last minute here. We know that you and your wife are really passionate about this. And I asked your wife: are police doing enough? She said absolutely, it's up to the community. There can always be more done.
But it's up to the people in the community -- as all of our guests made clear here -- to take care of the problem as well. What do you think?
RONALD HOLT, DIRECTOR, CAPS (via telephone): Yes, the police are doing their part to go above and beyond in the inner city of Chicago to bring offenders in custody. But as director of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy office of the Chicago Police Department, our job is to bridge the community with efforts through the police department to help reduce crime and violence in that area. So, the community has to step up.
I'll give you a prime example with the shooting death of young Robert Freeman. I was with a community organization, community organizer yesterday, Kids Off the Block and Diane Latiker. I said I have been able to do two hours fliering (ph) and canvassing of the area, to bring attention to getting information on who the offender possibly is. I was able to identify one of the gang members on the block of 115th and Perry. And keep in mind, I've worked over there in that area for almost 20 years.
LEMON: And, Ron, all of this is because you were able to get this information because someone stepped forward and told. Here's --
HOLT: No, no, no. The thing of it is -- the thing of it is, is what I want to do, what I'm going to do along with the community organizations Kids Off the Block and other parents who have lost children is we are going to approach some of the young men in that area and ask them to sit down with us and we need to talk this out -- because, Don, this situation is so incredible that a lot of these young people over in that particular area know one another.
LEMON: Yes.
HOLT: Know one another and they've grown up together. We have to sit down at a table of peace and understanding. And we have to recognize the situation --
LEMON: Hey, Ron, I want you to come on my show on the weekend and talk about this. We can talk about this longer.
But I want to get -- I want to get Victor Woods in here -- because, Victor, you compared this to the BP oil crisis. Why is that?
VICTOR WOODS, ACTIVIST: Yes, I did. Yes, well, first of all, with BP, the oil crisis, everybody came together because it affected everybody. When this -- when Chicago gets serious, this is not just a black problem. White people should be outraged, Chinese people, Japanese people, German Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans -- everyone should be concerned but they're not concerned. You know, you have people on the south and west side that are treated like they're, you know, out casts or foreign members from another country. We have not got serious about this. We're labeling these kids gangbangers and thugs. Who are the gangbangers?
These kids all look the same. You can't tell the difference. And I don't hear anybody talking about jobs.
The police -- you know, first of all, if this happened in a white neighborhood, we would fix this problem in a minute. If one white child got shot in Chicago in Lake Forest, Highland Park, they would have a police officer on every corner.
They're not asking the community members to fix this. The community members are not police officers. We are not serious in Chicago about this problem.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hang on, Ron. Ron, real quickly -- Ron, I'll give you 10 seconds and I'm going to give Roland the last word. Go ahead, Ron.
HOLT: You know, I have to disagree with that. The police are doing a good job in patrolling the areas, patrolling the streets. If there's a shooting anywhere --
WOODS: Absolutely not. They're not doing a good job. That's not true.
HOLT: I disagree with you, sir. You're absolutely wrong.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: We're not going to solve this problem right now, but let's --
WOODS: If they're doing a good job, why are children getting shot on every corner? If one child got shot on Michigan Avenue, we'd have a police officer on every corner.
HOLT: If their parents raise them correctly, sir, if their parents raise them correctly -- let's get it right. If they raise --
WOODS: No, half the parents are in prison. We cannot blame this on the parents. These children do not have jobs and they do not have homes.
HOLT: It gets start at home, sir. It starts at home. You know that. You don't want to see it.
WOODS: Start to say the same things that we're saying and doing the same things --
LEMON: And, Ron and Victor -- Ron and Victor, listen, I appreciate your passion. And, you know, Victor, I appreciate your passion. But also, this is coming from a police officer who lost his son who's also working. So, you know, I just want to get that out there.
WOODS: I think that's awful. I think that's awful.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Roland, I give you the last word. Do you think it has anything to do -- if this happened in a white neighborhood, that anything would change?
MARTIN: You know what? I don't give a damn about that conversation. This is the problem. Every time this comes up, people say, well, if this happened in a white neighborhood, this would happen.
No, no, no. Here's the reality, Don, and that is: these kids are dying, sons and daughters are dying. Do the people who live there, their neighbors, their church members, their family members, are they willing to say enough is enough and we're going to create community policing organizations, we're going to patrol our own streets, we're going to write down license plates numbers?
(CROSSTALK)
WOODS: Why do people in the neighborhood have to --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let him make his point, Victor. Go ahead, Roland.
MARTIN: Because you know what, Victor? Because I grew up in the neighborhood where the people who lived there, like my parents, took charge of their neighborhood and say the cops will do their thing, but we are not going to pass the buck. And you have to do it in partnership with the police. Everybody has a role, not just the police.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Roland, that's going to have to be the last word.
Victor, I'm sorry, that's going to have to be the last word.
I invite Victor, Roland, Ron Holt -- all of you, guys, back on the show this weekend. We will continue this conversation. Thanks to all of you.
WOODS: Thanks, Don.
MARTIN: Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Mr. Green, how did you get through the 27 years? MICHAEL ANTHONY GREEN, FREED FROM PRISON: I'll say, fueling my anger and studying the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Michael Anthony Green spent 27 years in a Texas prison for a rape that he didn't commit. But it's what happened to keep him in jail for one more day that you're going to want to hear about -- one more day. What happened?
And this weekend in Upstate New York, Bill Clinton is not the former president or even the husband of the secretary of state. He's the father of the bride. Let's hope his daughter Chelsea's wedding tomorrow is less hectic than this scene today. Brooke Baldwin has the details -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This next story I'm going to tell you about is a story of justice denied, then justice delayed. Imagine being behind bars for 27 years for a crime that you didn't commit. And then, when DNA evidence finally clears you, you're sent back to jail for one more day apparently for mouthing off to guards.
That's what happened to this man in Houston. His name is Michael Anthony Green. He was 18 when he was sent to prison for rape. After 27 years, 27 years, DNA evidence finally cleared him earlier this week. But yesterday, as he was about to be released, Green got angry, he said -- because a guard handcuffed him too tightly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB WICOFF, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The guard transporting him was a little rough in his mind -- a lot rough in his mind. But -- then he got in the holdover cell and he was just really angry about it. On top of the fact that this is a very emotional day to begin with, this happens and it just triggered something he's had to put up with for 27 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Green was sent back to jail for one more night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENDA MURRAY, GREEN'S AUNT: That is pitiful and this court and the judge and everybody else should be ashamed of themselves. They should be ashamed. This is bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, Green cooled his heels behind bars and finally walked out of jail this morning a free man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Are you angry that you've been in prison for so long?
GREEN: That would come natural for doing time for something you didn't do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Green also said he channeled his anger into studying the law so that nothing like this would ever happen to him again.
There's plenty of anger on Capitol Hill these days, enough to go around. Have you heard about this? A heated debate on the floor of the House of Representatives last night turned positively ballistic. No exaggeration there.
And the issue that started it all -- a bill that would have provided billions of dollars in health care to 9/11 first responders and those exposed to toxic air around ground zero. But it wasn't just what was in the bill that was being debated. It was the procedure used to bring it to a vote. Final vote 255-159 for the bill. But it lost because of a technicality, a vote by Democrats requiring a two- thirds majority.
That same technicality prevents anybody from adding amendments, and that angered many Republicans who voted against the bill.
New York Congressman Anthony Weiner lost his cool -- he did more than lost his cool. He went into a tirade calling Republicans out. I'll play you Congressman Weiner's full tirade in a moment.
But, first, I want you to hear from New York Republican Peter King who actually co-sponsored and voted for the bill. Here is King:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: What we are doing tonight is a cruel hoax and a charade. Everyone knows that this bill will not get the two-thirds majority required on the suspension calendar. Everyone also knows this bill would pass with a clear majority if the Democrat leadership would allow it to come to the floor under the regular procedures of the House.
The reason H.R. 847 is not being brought under regular order is that the majority party is petrified of having members face a potential vote on illegal immigration. They say they want Republican support, yet they never consulted even one Republican before they made the corporate tax increase to pay for it. They said they want Republican support before they pass this bill, but they never applied that standard when they ran through the stimulus, health care, cap- and-trade or financial regulatory reform.
No. You only apply it to cops and fighters and construction workers. What a sad and pathetic double standards. These heroes deserve better than they're receiving here tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That was just the beginning. Sit back and pay attention. This one is -- you may not believe it.
Here is how Congressman Weiner responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentleman from New York is recognized.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, I yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from New York, Mr. Weiner.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman is recognized.
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: Great courage, to wait until all members have already spoken and then stand up and wrap your arms around procedure. We see it in the United States' Senate every single day where members say, "We want amendments, we want debate, we want amendment, but we're still a no." And then we stand up and say, "Oh, if only we had a different process we'd vote yes."
You vote yes if you believe yes. You vote in favor of something if you believe it's the right thing. If you believe it's the wrong thing, you vote no.
We are following a procedure -- I will not yield to the gentleman and the gentleman will observe regular order. The gentleman will observe regular order.
The gentleman speaks to you and gets up and yells, thinking he's going to intimidate people into believing he's right. He is wrong! The gentleman is wrong! The gentleman is providing cover for his colleagues, rather than doing the right thing!
It's Republicans wrapping their arms around Republicans, rather than doing the right thing on behalf of the heroes. It is a shame! A shame!
If you believe this is a bad idea, to provide health care, then vote no. But don't give me the cowardly view that, "Oh, if it was a different procedure" -- the gentleman will observe regular order and sit down. I will not!
The gentleman will sit! The gentleman is correct in sitting. I will not --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is quite --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman will suspend. The gentleman will suspend.
WEINER: I will not stand here --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman is recognized.
WEINER: -- and listen to my colleague say, "Oh, if only I had a different procedure that allows us to stall, stall, stall and then vote no." Instead of standing up and defending your colleagues and voting no on this humane bill, you should urge them to vote yes -- something the gentleman has not done!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Wow. I didn't know he had it in him.
Now, you've heard all the political back and forth. But what about the first responders themselves, the ones who stand to win or lose here? I'll bring you an emotional appeal from one of them after the break.
Also ahead on THE LIST: A massage therapist, a vice president and three years of denials. Today, police seem to put the matter to rest for good. You can watch us as RICK'S LIST team puts this program together, behind the scenes everyday. Go to Twitter.com/RickSanchezCNN, or today, it's on Twitter.com/DonLemonCNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, so you heard the congressman just a moment ago, his tirade over the failure of a health care bill for 9/11 first responders to pass the House. But what about those first responders this bill was supposed to benefit? The men and women who risked their own lives and rushed right down to Ground Zero to help in the recovery.
John Feal is one of those people. He's a demolition worker and founder of the Feal Good Foundation to help 9/11 first responders and their families. He thinks first responders end up suffering here because of politics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: How do you feel about this bill, the bill failing?
JOHN FEAL, FOUNDER, FEAL GOOD FOUNDATION: Well, one, we knew it was going to happen. The way it was put on the floor as a suspension bill, we knew it would fail. Both Congressmen King and Weiner are right. But both Congressmen King and Weiner are wrong. One said it was a sham. It was a sham. One said it was a shame, and it is a shame. Because of bipartisan reckless politics, it's the 9/11 responders that suffer. Because two parties can't agree and have different ideologies on how to help somebody, we're the ones who suffer. They should have voted like an American last night instead of a Republican or a Democrat. That vote should have been 435-0. Instead, we have to wait another six or seven weeks before they come back from their long overrated recess and hopefully we get the floor -- I'm sorry.
LEMON: Yes, go ahead, finish your thought and I'll go on with my question.
FEAL: We have to wait for them to come back and hopefully we put the bill back on the floor at the end of September. And as a regular rules bill which only needs 218 votes, and we know we're confident we're going to win.
LEMON: Yes.
FEAL: But the thing is, Don, we're running out of time.
LEMON: Let me ask you this, because Carol Maloney who sponsored the bill, she said she's going to take this up after recess. But let me ask, you said it was a sham. That's because Republican opponents say they were concerned about the $7.4 billion cost of the program. And money is an issue right now. We'll go on about the Democrats after this. But money is an issue. Do you think they have a point?
FEAL: The bill does not add -- Don, the bill does not add to the deficit. There's no more -- this bill does not touch the deficit. The congressman from California who said this is a tax gimmick, this is not a tax gimmick. And if you're going to put 9/11 responders on the table and their health and their welfare, and 900 have died since 9/11 against foreign companies having to pay tax or tax cheat, then it's a no-brainer. And when they call this an entitlement, you know what? The men and women who risked their lives without prejudice nine years ago, they are entitled to this because they worked under the guideline that Christie Todd Whitman said that the air was safe to breathe. And now all these men and women are deathly ill. So, yes, it is an entitlement. They're entitled to this.
LEMON: So let's talk about the Democrats now.
FEAL: And the federal --
LEMON: Instead of a simple majority, Democrats used rules requiring a wider majority for approval to prevent Republicans from offering amendments on the floor that they said would embarrass them in an election year. And here's what Michael Bloomberg said, the mayor of New York. He criticized both parties and he says it was wrong for the overwhelming majority of Republicans to vote against the bill, and it was wrong for Democrats to bring the bill to the floor under rules that made passage so much more difficult. Mr. Feal?
FEAL: I agree with the mayor. But I hope the mayor just doesn't make a statement today and that he gets more involved. As one of the most powerful politicians, elected officials in the country, he needs to be more involved. And he needs to assert himself more because he's the mayor of New York City and thousands of New Yorkers are sick and dying from their heroic actions.
I have the utmost respect for all these elected officials. I've worked closely with all of them. And I know this bill better than all of them. And, Don, high school was hard on me, but I know this bill inside and out and I've been advocating it now for almost five years. I've made enough trips to D.C. to circumnavigate the earth, and I'm confident in September we'll pass it, but Congress has to get their act together.
LEMON: John Feal, you're foundation is the Feal Good Foundation. Is there a Web site? How can people find out more?
FEAL: Don, they all can go to www.fealgoodfoundation.com. It's f-e-a-l, like my last name and they can learn about the horrific, horrific, horrifying stories of 9/11 responders and what they're going through. People losing their homes, losing their cars, not having gas to get to their chemotherapy appointments. This is un-American and I blame this on Congress. And the Senate, they better take notice because when we do pass this in the House, we're going to gun for the Senate. And they better start voting yes, too.
LEMON: John Feal. Thank you, sir. Have a good weekend.
FEAL: God bless you, Don. And God bless America.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: A lot of people are sounding off about this. We've got a lot of tweets from you. And you know, we follow lists here. What people who are relevant to the news are saying on Twitter.
I got this one from Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City. So let's go to the Twitter board now. He says, "Congress's failure to pass 9/11 first responder benefits is outrageous." And then he has a link there that you can go to. That one is coming in from the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg.
OK, moving on now, this news coming in late this afternoon. CNN has confirmed that former Vice President Al Gore will not face any criminal charges over the accusation that he sexually abused a massage therapist at an Oregon hotel in 2006. Portland police are saying they have completed their investigation and there is a, quote, "lack of credible evidence."
Al Gore's office immediately released a statement. Here is what it says. "Mr. Gore unequivocally and emphatically denied this accusation when he first learned of its existence three years ago. He respects and appreciates the thorough and professional work of the Portland authorities and is pleased that this matter has now been resolved." That's coming from the Gore camp.
You've heard of politicians getting in trouble with the law. But tonight, you'll hear it happen while a congressman is being interviewed live.
And in California, wildfires are burning right now, but it's not only lives and property firefighters are worried about saving. That and more as our national conversation in prime time continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Our conversation about Chicago at the beginning of the show got you guys fired up. I'm getting so many tweets here, it's crazy. Let's get -- let's go to the Twitter board.
This is at donlemonCNN. Here is what SchantzLaw says. He says, "I am a Chicago criminal defense attorney, intimately familiar with our street gangs and violence. Your guests tonight barely scratched the surface." And then one more here from MasonicAlpha. Says -- roland at rolandmartin. This incident in Chicago is a shame. You spoke the truth on at donlemonCNN. Thanks again for your tweets. If we have more time, we'll read more of them at ricksanchez.CNN or at donlemon.CNN.
Let's talk more about what's happening over the social media, online. What's trending.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, sir. Yes.
LEMON: We've been saying trending since Twitter came about. What's the trending topic right now.
BALDWIN: Because we're hip (ph) like that, Don Lemon, you and I.
LEMON: Because we're cool, we're cool.
BALDWIN: Because we're cool like that. Three things tonight on my list. First I want to begin with sort of the new development out of this WikiLeaks ongoing story. You know, it's the investigation into who leaked more than 90,000 of those classified military documents.
So let me show this picture. This is the Army private, 22-year- old Bradley Manning, who is now awaiting a possible military trial. He's in Quantico, Virginia, now. He's transferred out of prison in Kuwait. He is the guy. He's an intelligence analyst who was accused of leaking the secret Afghanistan reports, those field reports.
Meanwhile, we are now hearing today from the former hacker who tipped off authorities about this whole thing, about Manning leaking those documents. Adrian Lamo told CNN he turned Manning in because he feared the leak would endanger lives, would endanger national security. He also says he did try to stop him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADRIAN LAMO, TOLD AUTHORITIES WHO LEAKED DOCUMENTS: I expressed to him that it could be very well considered espionage. And he respectfully disagreed. But the thing about it is that nothing that I could say would prevent the release of these documents because they had been leaked prior to my interactions with Bradley Manning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That guy you just heard from, he is best known for hacking into "New York Times," Microsoft, Lexis-Nexis computer systems. That was just a couple of years ago. And he says he has proof Manning was, in fact, the source of that leak. And he also says he's now getting death threats for turning him in. We should also add WikiLeaks still will not say how they got the documents. It keeps going and going.
LEMON: That's what you call a true hacker.
BALDWIN: Truly. Truly.
LEMON: There's more trending.
BALDWIN: More trending, as we can get a little -- going to the chapel here.
LEMON: This is -- this is going -- I'm not being sexist. This is a chick story. You know, you said chick list, come on.
BALDWIN: Yes, yes, I know. Like the ladies are all aflutter talking about this story. But you know, Bill Clinton talking about it as well.
LEMON: Sorry.
BALDWIN: You will not go down there.
Moving on, Chelsea Clinton, probably rehearsal dinner, you know, winding up right now, in full swing. Lord help us.
Just getting this new video in here. Of course, there they are riding at the rehearsal dinner. Security as you can imagine, tight. Bill Clinton, the father of the bride -- he's actually we learned today, get this -- he is giving wine to the neighbors in the area, kind of like this gesture of, I'm sorry, you know, for all the security. I'm sorry about the disturbance in your hood for a few days.
Earlier today, we and everybody else got this glimpse of the father of the bride leaving lunch in a small Italian restaurant in downtown Rhinebeck, New York. And when asked if he was excited, of course, he told the reporters, you bet.
Also, a little bit of background on Chelsea. Chelsea marrying this gentleman. This is Marc Mezvinsky. He's an investment banker. They've known each other for years and years. They're getting hitched tomorrow at this beautiful place. It's the estate of the late millionaire John Jacob Astor.
And also one -- I have this in my own list tonight. Here we go. As far as the cost, look, we're getting conflicting reports. A lot of people are reporting somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 -- $3 million to $5 million for this whole shebang this weekend. CNN is also hearing though from a source that the wedding isn't costing more than six figures. So perhaps somewhere between catering, $750,000, tents $600,000. The porcelain port of potties with hot running water, 15,000 grand. But hey, a lot of people say, look, Chelsea, she deserves a dream wedding.
LEMON: Three to five million, you could fly everyone to like, you know, the other side of the earth --
BALDWIN: I was thinking like, let's all go to the island for a year.
LEMON: Yes. Yes, that's great. OK.
BALDWIN: OK. Last item. Here we go. Have you heard this? This California congressman, he's driving in D.C., right? He's on the phone, doing this interview on a radio show. When you see the red and the blue flashing lights in the rear view mirror, well, you know, you're getting pulled over. It just so happens that he's actually live on the radio. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KFBK: We are talking specifically this morning about the passage of the International Megan's law. Can you tell folks about it?
POLICE OFFICER: Can you hang up the phone, sir?
REP. DAN LUNGREN (R), CALIFORNIA: I have to get off the phone in just a moment here. Can I call you back just a second? I'm sorry. I'm talking with --
POLICE OFFICER: You need to hang up.
LUNGREN: I'm talking with a police officer here.
KFBK: Oh, yes. Abso - no, you go ahead and go take care of your business and we'll let you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Take care of your business. Uh-oh. So apparently, he called back in. He said I was jut going a little bit over the speed limit. Got away with just a warning.
LEMON: Poor guy.
BALDWIN: Kind of hilarious.
LEMON: Poor guy. Hey, don't go away. Stick around because I'll just talk.
BALDWIN: All right.
LEMON: Yes, this is a test. I'm giving you a pen and a piece of paper. It's a test.
BALDWIN: Yes, yes.
LEMON: Because I have to be honest with you, Brooke, all this Chelsea Clinton wedding frenzy kind of got -- you know, it got to me. This being RICK'S LIST and all. So, I did a little digging. One thing led to another and now I have a list for all of you including Brooke.
BALDWIN: Yes.
LEMON: Famous first daughter's weddings? Can you think of any?
BALDWIN: Maybe.
LEMON: Let me help. I'll start you off here. Number four, Teddy Roosevelt's daughter Alice married an Ohio Congressman at the White House. It was in 1906.
BALDWIN: Oh, wow.
LEMON: Number three, in 1966, LBJ walked his daughter Luci down the aisle of her Washington wedding. Who else made the list, do you know?
BALDWIN: I'm not going anywhere.
LEMON: Do you know? OK, here is who else made the list. I'll tell you after the break.
BALDWIN: Tease
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. How did you guys do? How did you do on this little quiz? I did some research and I have a list for you of famous first daughter's weddings. Brooke couldn't take it. She left. She didn't know the answers.
I gave you two before the break. Did you think of any others? Let's see if you got them.
Number two, many of you still remember seeing the images of Richard Nixon walking daughter Tricia down the aisle the White House Rose Garden. That was back in 1971. And number one on the list of famous first daughters, George W. Bush's daughter Jenna. In 2008, she tied the knot on the family ranch in Crawford, Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, dios mio.
LEMON: Time for photos and whether you believe in the higher power or not, you'll never believe this next video. Dateline, Pompano Beach, Florida, a 20-year-old sales clerk with nerves of steel talks down a gunman trying to rob her store by asking him essentially what would Jesus do. Take a listen to their exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBBER: Don't be scared.
CLERK: I'm not.
ROBBER: OK. Stay nice and calm.
CLERK: You know what? I know you can do whatever you want. I'm just going to talk with you about the Jesus I have.
ROBBER: What?
CLERK: The Jesus I got, before you leave.
ROBBER: God bless you for that. CLERK: I'm Christian.
ROBBER: So am I. And I absolutely hate doing this.
You want to know something. It's not real. It's a BB gun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The would-be crook was visibly moved by the young lady's faith in the face of danger and ended up leaving her and the store untouched.
A little joy ride for the president today after a tour of the Chevrolet plant in Detroit. The commander-in-chief chief got a chance to try out the Chevy Volt, the company's new electric car.
President Obama didn't get to take the hot rod for much of a spin, though. Only about 10 feet. But that's still high mileage for the president. In fact, with the exception of a quick test drive at a Secret Service training facility back in April, the president hasn't been out on the road since 2007. So what did the president think of the way the Volt handles?
Pretty smooth, he told the press. You can see all of our "Fotos del Dia" on CNN.com/ricksanchez.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, dios mio.
LEMON: In a minute, a reality TV show like you've never seen before. Move over "American Idol." It's time for "Young Imam," the show that's taking the Muslim world by storm.
We'll have a quick update on those California wildfires. A voluntary evacuation remains in effect. The so-called crown fire is only five percent contained, and power lines are in danger. Power lines that supply electricity to southern California. So CNN will keep an eye on the situation for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Any list of the world's top reality shows would have to include "American Idol," maybe "The Bachelor," maybe "Survivor." But another show that makes the list might surprise you. With more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, the show "Young Imam" has smash hit written all over it. Ten finalists vie to be the last cleric standing. And tonight, a 26-year-old scholar was named the winner in a live finale. Dan Rivers has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The search begins.
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may look like "American Idol" or "X Factor," but the contestants aren't vying for money or a record deal. This is "Imam Muda" or "Young Iman," Malaysia's TV talent show where contestants compete to become a Muslim cleric.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imam Muda anda (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A program that will change your life.
RIVERS: A big claim, but the producers were determined to break the rules of traditional religious programming.
IZELAN BASAR, ASTRO OASIS: The approach is how we want to make it interesting for the young because as I say before, any religion to attract the young closer to God is like, it's such a big, huge challenge.
RIVERS: Ten finalists try to maintain sincerity. Difficult under the glare of the studio lights. The winner will get a job at a prestigious mosque, a scholarship in Saudi Arabia and an all expenses paid pilgrimage to Mecca.
(on camera): The producers say the show is a reflection of Malaysia's modern and open form of Islam. It's designed to provoke debate among Muslims, but also importantly to draw in young viewers with a slick set and dramatic elimination rounds.
(voice-over): Each week, one or two contestants are voted off if they don't make the grade. The producers claim this isn't reality TV. But for who want to be Imam, Nuri Ali Arbain, it sure feels like it.
NURI ALI ARBAIN, CONTESTANT: So far, I'm very (inaudible) because I didn't know -- I did the best in my exam.
RIVERS: Some of the practical test of being tough preparing HIV positive corpses for burial and helping families through difficult times.
There's no Simon Cowell. Instead a former grand Mufti equivalent to an archbishop is one of the judges. He insists the show is educational as well as entertaining.
Millions are expected to tune in on July 30th to find out --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who will be crowned with the council of "Imam Muda"?
RIVERS: For a religion that is often portrayed as stayed and conservative, this kind of TV show is nothing short of revolutionary.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Kuala Lumpur.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON": Tony Hayward didn't like the way he was treated. He said, quote, "Sometimes you step off the pavement and get hit by a bus." In response, fish were like what is a bus and where can we get one? (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: It's Friday, people. And it's almost time for our "Laugh List," where we rank the best of late night. Who beat out Jimmy Fallon for the top spot? You're going to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Time now for "The Laugh List." The three funniest jokes from late night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE LOPEZ, HOST, "THE GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW": Today, President Barack Obama taped an appearance on "The View." The president on "The View." I thought he was against torture.
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON": On "The View," Obama said that he won't be going to Chelsea Clinton's wedding on Saturday because, quote, "You don't want two presidents at one wedding. Hillary was like, yes, we get it, you won. OK? Big deal.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": A lot of security at the wedding. A huge security detail and that's just to keep Bill from the bridesmaids. It's a big thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Funny stuff. That's it for now. I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for watching. Have a great weekend everyone.
"LARRY KING LIVE"" starts right now.
