Transcripts For CNN CNN Newsroom 20090725

right now on cnnit is not over yet. both sides speak out and the police called it shocking the country and turned into a national uproar over racism. what are they saying now? >> cambridge what is better, what does it say about race relations in america? >> tough questions. she asks what no other reporter did and got an answer no one expected. this time, we questioned reporter and we do it live. plus -- highway is your health care? not too health fi you're following the battle on capitol hill. divisions in both parties and the president is in trouble on this issue. we take you live to the white house. [ chanting ] and taking you to the streets. protests right now all over the world. the outrage, no signs of slowing down. you'll see it for yourself right now. hello everyone. i'm don lemon live at the world cnn headquarters in atlanta. ed president says all americans can flern the event that snowballed following at arrest of a harvard prfr by cambridge police. the professor is black. the officer is white. the incident highlighted some of the most sensitive issues in american society. including race and police profiling. so where does it go from here? cnn the elaine quijano is standing where i was yesterday in cambridge, massachusetts. she has the very latest. both sides are speaking out now. the attorney, we spoke to the attorney last night. what's going on now there, elaine? >> reporter: well, you know, president obama first of all really tried, don, as you know, to turn down the volume on this story calling both professor gates and sergeant crowley and inviting them both to the white house. he also tried walking back his comments from wednesday when he said in that press difference, that cambridge police acted "stupidly." how twhael was received here in cambridge? seems pretty well. it wasn't a full-out presidential apology. >> my choice of words that i think i unfortunately gave an impression that i was maligning the cambridge police department or sergeant crowley specifically, and i could have calibrated those words differently. >> reporter: for police officers in cambridge, massachusetts, united in their outrage, the president's expression of regret appears to be enough. >> we were happy. it was a good thing. we said, yeah. we'll give -- the high fives going up. >> reporter: and sergeant leon lashley of the cambridge police department was on the scene the day his colleague, sergeant james crowley, arrested prominent african-american harvard professor henry gates on gates' own property. >> would it have been different had i shown up first? probably would have been different. >> reporter: but he says schae ports of actions crowley took that day. >> i, too, would have probably placed himeneder arrest if he was causing that much trouble. >> reporter: at this national conference of black law enforcement executives in virginia, the consensus, that what happened in cambridge can be a valuable training tool in navigating the complex issues surrounding law enforcement and minorities. while most steered clear of commenting specifically on the gates' case, one officer believes police deserve the benefit of the doubt. >> i would say that it's a tough job for law enforce nont make those decisions on the spot. i would say we need to look at all the possibilities that, of what could have happened. >> reporter: back here in cambridge in a written statement a coalition of area police unions said that sergeant crowley was "profoundly grateful that president obama had taken the time to try to resolve the situation." the statement went on to say, it was clear the president respects police officers. don? >> elaine quijano in cambridge, massachusetts. stand by. we'll get back to you. thank you very much. make sure you tune in tonight for a 7:30 p.m. right here on cnn. a live no holds bar discussion. a panel discussion. we're going to be honest and open and frank about what that meeting might be like at the white house and how they should start and what issues they need to work upon how do we resolve this? tonight 7:30 right here on cnn. before he angsted that now famous question about the gates' arrest, president obama took almost his entire news conference talking about health care. simply put, some serious, serie road block. his hopes for a quick vote have vanished. democrats and republicans are divided on this issue. >> reporter: hi there. trying to return the focus to his top domestic priority, president obama is out fighting for momentum in the debate over health care. president obama in his weekly address is pitching to small businesses across the country saying they will only benefit from health care reform. >> these are the mom and pop stores and restaurants, beauty shops and construction companies, that support families and sustain communities. right now they are getting crushed by skyrocketing health care costs. >> reporter: we talked to two small business owners who face similar challenges every day. >> good afternoon. office products. >> reporter: david guernsey employs 170 people at guernsey office products in virginia. >> look how good? cool. >> reporter: brian england has 18 employees at his auto repair shop. both small businesses that provide health insurance to workers but both admit it's getting harder and harder to keep up. >> top line's not going up. gross profit not going up. health care will go up and that affects the bottom line. >> the pie is the number one expense obviously in running a business. next is rent and next is health care. so it's third in line. >> a very large third. >> reporter: these men and their employees are keeping close watch on washington and the health care debate. one idea england supports, requiring employers to provide coverage. he says 2 would help level the playing field for him against competitors. >> every year it gets worse. the rates go up. they stop providing complete coverage, that make as big problem for the one that are left. >> reporter: but guernsey fears expanded coverage could come with an expanded price small businesses simply can't afford. >> if the requirement were such that the kind of coverage we offer ed were to dramatically different, dramatically more comprehensive and the cost according will would go up significantly that would then be a problem. >> reporter: instead, guernsey hopes small businesses will be allowed to pool their coverage to help drive down prices. now, president obama supports allowing small businesses to buy coverage through an insurance exchange, which he says would give them the opportunity to shop for different, cheaper coverage plans for their employees. noi, wednesday the president hits the road. he's heading to north carolina and virginia to continue selling the white house reform agenda. don? >> thank you, kate. from washington to alaska and sarah palin's final hours as governor. she leaves office tomorrow, but not before saying good-bye to the people who elected her. palin is 40ding a picnic at this hour. right now in anchorage. more than 1 now, people showed up for an annual picnic yesterday in her home town of wasilla, alaska. another gathering planned tomorrow in fairbanks when the lieutenant governor takes over, and of course the huge battle over health care. politics are grabbing the 4edlines this week and we have one of the best in the business to talk about it. actually one of the best political -- part of the best political team on television. our bill schneider. a full week for the president, bill. where do you want to start? >> certainly with health care. he regrets the fact shall we call it gates-gate got in the way of his health care message, but he's trying to create a ground swell of popular support to put pressure on members ever congress so that people will say to them you better vote for health care or else you'll pay a price. he wants to ratchet that pressure up. that's why he's out there, press grchs conferences, speeches, going to virginia next week. we want to increase the public pressure. >> bill, you said the gates -- gate. before we goat that, gates-gate, where are we on this issue? the president, he said by fall. just wanted to give people something to work on. something to look forward to or to shoot to a deadline. but so far even in his own party he has huge opposition, and it doesn't appear that this is going to pass the way he wants it to pass. the pivotal moment for the president, we heard that from a lot of folks. where does he go from here besides making more speeches and the setting new deadlines? what can he concretely do? >> work the legislative process. work directly with members of congress. he, the president harks to do that. i think he sorely misses the skills are tom daschle. his first choice, health and human secretaries, knows the senate. former majority lead perp needs someone to work with the members of congress. ed lyndon johnson of skills getting feel come on board of his program. a lot of members of congress aren't year the president want and what he'll accept. kniss is now a legislative process and he's got to get engaged in that. >> this was not a twisting arm moment. it was sort of a mea culpa. a lot of people respect head came out and addressed it. you calmed it gates-gate. take a listen and we'll talk about it, bill. >> i want to make clear that in my choice of words i think i unfortunately gave an imflaegs i was maligning the cambridge police department, sergeant crowley specifically. and i could have calibrated those words different. >> okay. i was in cambridge. the kraekz was very positive from the police department, positive from the people on the ground there and even from the people who were, who sided with gates. so they're going to have this beer. this meeting in the white house. ask this the end of that? does this, the president in law enforcement or maybe people who base votes or race? >> i think the president acted quickly to quiet the controversy acknowledging that he overreacted, justifies as he believes professor gates over reacted. and he believes the police may have overreacted. everybody overreacted. i i've heard people say the spres overreacting. here we are talking about it. basically every overraeted and the president reacted wuzly saying association did i i. was on an airplane come back. every person on the airplane had the paper, and it was open to the page that gates-gate. and may have been because i was coming from boston, too. the paper was filled with it. listen, let's talk about sarah palin now's. saying her final good-byes. is this a fair well, i'll see you again or do you think it's over for her political career? who knows? >> reporter: certainly over in alaska. saying farewell to constituents as governor. clearly wants a national career. campaign forge candidates around the country. the problem is, her reputation has take an hit. two polls came out this month both show her favorability dropped sharply. 40% of americans have a positive opinion of her. a lot of people critical of her saying she quit in the middle of her job. 18 months to go as governor. and had this was an abc news/"washington post" poll, ask people, do you think sarah palin share yourself value, the public was split 50/50 about that. republicans believe she does. few democrats do. she is a very divisive and controversial figure for republicans and conservative base. suffered losses there. so her reputation has taken a hit because so many people call letter a quitter. >> i've got ask you this. talking about the polls. from conservatives and liberals, the same question. why so much focus on sarah palin? she is no longer running for anything. she is quitting as governor. people want to know why are we paying so much attention to her? >> reporter: two reasons. on the ticket for vice president. she became instantly a national figure. she was nominated by the republican party. second, the republican party has an absence of a national leader right now. who is there to speak for the party? they're looking for a voice. they're looking for leadership. they have a number of people competing for that, but right now she's one of the contenders to become the spokesperson for the republican party. >> all right, bill, thank you. see you back here at 7:00, in a little bit. appreciate it. a quick reminder for you. s&p will dlsarah palin will del farewell speech. watch it live right here on cnn. you won't miss anything. six continents, more than 100 city, word wye outrage over the arrest of protesters in iran. plus a cnn exclusive. a top commander talks about iraq. you're not going it like what lea to say. watch this. >> she left us on one of her friends and never came back. abandoned by his mother more than a decade ago opinion a young man whose chase for suction never stopped him. a success story we'll tell you about that. plus, talking about health care. we've been talking about sarah palin. and, oh, boy. gates-gate. twitter, facebook, myspace. ireport.com. we want to hear from you. s not . announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe 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and the president setting up camp for the night within shouting distance of the nations he once led. saying he stay right on the nicaraguan side of that border a day after stepping under a rusty chain on to his home soil. a crowd of thousands defied armed security guards to cheer that very short, very brief homecoming. frustrating allies who want to see democracy restored there. secretary of state hillary clinton calls his actions reckless. a shoot sglout afghanistan between the taliban and security forces and tonight nato says it ended with at least seven suicide tackers dead. it happened in the city of khost on the afghan-pakistani border. brandished machine guns when they struck a bank a police station and a military hospital. more than a dozen people were wounded. most of them civilians. all over the world today people are demanding the release of hundreds of iranians arrested after the june presidential election. the protests stretch across six continents and about 100 cities. the crowds gathered outside the united nations building in new york city today and demonstrations, demonstrators want u.n. xourty general moon to send a delegation to iraq to investigate the fate of those detainees and are demanding the immediate relieves all political prisoners and journalists. and london. protesters waved green flags and wore wrist bands the color of the opposition party in iran. demonstrators also blindfolded, gagged and chained themselves together. they're supporting the protests. protests they say were silent in iran after that election. about 40 berliners had been on a hunger strike over the past several days. meantime 2, 000 people gathered at rally for iranians in germany. among the silence, prison protesters in iran. and in seoul, south christine romans,romans, -- and seoul, south korea. demanding release of a dissident. a famous dutch singer has writ an song in memory of the young iranian woman killed by a militia bullet amid protests right after the iranian presidential election. listen to this. ♪ she was dying and fears >> and i-reporter taped the performance to crowds of at least 1,000 people there at a rally in amsterdam. mostly iranian protesters clapped and sang along as the musician played. and the 2003 nobel peace prize winner and native iranian urged the crowd to so units any supporting the iranian people. iraq is preparing for a post-war era by planning to educate its young people. government officials want to send 10,000 students to colleges abroad under a new scholarship program. meantime, american troop are shifting their focus to afghanistan, but iraq is still ground zero in all this. so that's what general david petraeus says. he's the head of central command. he sat down exclusively with cnn's arwa damon in baghdad. >> reporter: even though the u.s. is reducing a combat role in iraq, the american general in charge of both iraq and afghanistan told us in an exclusive interview that iraq is still the center of the fight against international terrorism. >> you have the al qaeda connections, of course, the senior leadership, and the western pakistan extends into afghanistan, threatening pakistan and then very much threatens the rest of the world. links from there to lk ann curry the peninsula, re-established itself in south yemen and certainly iraq is in the center of all of this. it's very, very important to us strategically. >> reporter: mainly because of its location, but also because control of iraq's natural resources. oil and gas, so strategically important. the general, who served nearly four years as a commander in iraq was one of the main orchestrators of america's surge strategy there saying there are lessons to apply to afghanistan. >> some of the lessons are very obvious. again, you shouldn't start clearing until you've had your plan to hold and build. it wasn't just the surge. it wasn't just 30,000 nor forces. it was the employment in a manner that focused on security of the people and did it by living with the people and then also sought to help the process of reconciliation, because you cannot kill or capture your way out of this kind of endeavor. >> reporter: that realizization is why america implemented another strategy in iraq. it wants to carry over. reaching out to bemys. in afghanistan, the taliban. >> there has always been activity at local levels, which one would characterize at reaching out to elements that were willing to be part of the solution instead of the continuing part of problem. >> reporter: those efforts though not yet on the scale of what they in iraq in respect is a realization when it comes to combating global tear ter, brute force is not the solution. >> this is not the kind struggle where you kill or capture the bad guys, take the hill, plant the flag and go home to a victory parade. at end of the day, it is about education, and it is about, in a sense, accepting modernity. pragmatic progressive leadership of countries, and that's the ultimate solution, and that's why, again, i mentioned that this takes a hold of that approach. again, you just can't kill or capture everybody. you have to kill or capture the condition. >> reporter: arwa damon, cnn, baghdad. and the jury said not guilty at his terrorism trial. why is this young man from florida still behind bars? an exclusive report on the lengths the government will go to in the war on terror. it keep. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better 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welcome home, man. we spend a lot of time we spend a lot of we spend a lot of word president bush considering using troops wanted to send in troops to make the aarrest. . >> incident people get caught up in the frenzy. one young man cleared but still has the government on his case. i was surprised sitting there listening to it. the jury foreman. came to the u.s. from egypt in 1998 charged with possessing and transporting explosives. circumstancealed not guilty on the verdict form. for geg georgia head, freedom, right? wrong. again he's behind bars. >> in our they flat out saying you're a terrorist and they're going to deport you. >> how does that -- how do you react to that? >> i would say this is -- and allegations against. we were not allowed to bring reporting devices. how did this unfold? two years ago mega head a student at university of south florida went on a road trip way friend. ammad mohammed. pulled over for speeding in south carolina police found a pipe with potassium nitrate inside. but it wasn't what authorities found in the car. it was a video posted on youtube that made the case against mohammed. in arabic he demonstrates how to outfit a model car wiexplosive' pt he pleaded guilty supporting terrorists and is serving 15 years. mega head claimed he no idea what was in the car. on the family's home computer authorities found video, documents and the an internet search history that supports "jihad against the united states." the jurors believed megahe had not the government. he was freed for all of three days. he was leaving a tampa walmart with his father when he was rearrested by federal immigrations. >> a chance to speak to somebody to know what he's doing wrong. >> reporter: this time immigration and customs enforcement is accusing him of being engaged in or likely to engage in any terrorist activity. the same case mega head was acquitted in will now be heard in immigration court, where the government's burden of proof is far less than at a criminal trial. >> the government doesn't use it a lot but i think is-it-is an arrow in the kwiver that needs to stay. there are case where is the government needs to do everything within its power to keep us safe. >> reporter: mega head says she's been profiled and president obama's case to end the suspicion. >> check into it. talking about change. if president br b was to think about change, it's that the u.s. before talking about change worldwide. >> reporter: a senior administration told cnn the white house would have no comment on this case but the jury foreman has had plent toy say. on dreary saturday he got in his car to visit megahead as the florida defengs facility. >> i told him i wanted him to know there were people out here that cared about him 23457 were praying for him. i wanted the kid to get a fair shake. >> reporter: on the way out, he sees megahead's father. >> god bless him. >> right there. >> yousef megahead will be deported if the judge rules against him. this time. john zarrella, cnn, miami. from neverland to wonderland. you'll see the house we're told michael jackson wanted but couldn't afford. all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's 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county coroner's office illegally leaked information about michael jackson's death investigation. the sheriff spokesman won't say what prompt the inquiry but the "l.a. times" reports the county supervisor's office requested it after employees not involved with the investigation were found accessing jackson's death certificate. if you thought neverland was spectacular, wait until you see what might have been michael jackson's next pad. our drew griffin gives us an exclusive tour. >> reporter: it's the home michael jackson wanted but at the time even he couldn't afford. according to his las vegas realtor, this ten acre estate was to be michael jackson's vegas wonderland. >> this is the only house i showed michael out of probably ten or a dozen where he came outside, and he came outside with no umbrella or mask on, just came out here with the kids to see the groupds of the property. through this estate here we have an apartment, it's about 1,000 square feet and the kids wanted to make this into the playroom and michael loved that idea. >> reporter: instead he placed them in a leased home. not up to par, but jackson was building a life in las vegas and also trying to build back his welts. entertaining casino owners offering jackson deal after deal to make him stay. >> i know that michael really liked the idea of being able to perform in one location night after night. he loved the fact that the kids could actually have a place to call home and not move around with him since they're always going everywhere with him nap was an idea that very much -- a couple secret tunnels through here. >> reporter: the estate is filled with quirky appeals. secret tunnels leading to a gun range jackson wanted to turn into a music studio. a barber chair in the master bath. a full gym, theater room and a 20-car garage where he and his family could load into and out of cars out of view. >> most interested in when he'd come into a house? >> michael's biggest concern, in my opinion, was always the safety of his children. >> reporter: at the time just back from his self-exile in bahrain and ireland, jackson simply couldn't afford the $22 million to $25 million price tag. he says he believed the concert tour would have been michael jackson's pathway back to this house, a permanent show in las vegas and new retreat he would have called wonderland. drew griffin. cnn, las vegas. >> wow. you saw that special investigations unit drew griffin. interesting story. powerful winds slam into east florida and along for the ride, a devastating tornado. jacqui jeras is that right? >> yeah. a lot of waterspouts, too, don. pictures we'll show you coming up of it forming, really cool stuff and also what about the rest of your weekend? what kind of weather can you expect? a lot of storms to talk about. that's coming up next. long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me 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my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. ♪ you're the one ♪ who's born to care this life was protected... ♪ seems you've always been right there ♪ this life was saved... ♪ soothing sadness ♪ healing pain and this life was made easier... ♪ making smiles appear again because of this life. nursing. at johnson & johnson, we salute all those who choose the life... that makes a difference. ♪ you're a nurse ♪ you make a difference the nation wrestles over health care reform, we focus on the uninsured and on a horrific killer. talking breast cancer. less likely to get annual mammograms and therefore at greater risk and black women are 37% more likely than whites to die from the disease. this week's hero is fighting to better those odds for all women, and she's doing it by hitting the streets. in 2004 i was diagnosed with breast cancer. i realized how blessed i was to be diagnosed with breast insurance. i wanted to make a difference in their lives. i'm andrea and i'm fighting breast kansaser from south florida one household at a time. the florida breast health initiative is an outreach organization. we're targeting working class people. we're going to make a difference in your states and lives. we had to take it to the streets. we feel like little pixies spreading breast cancer awareness. can i ask you a few questions? we target women that are 35 years or older and make appointments on the spot for a free mammogram. i look forward to seeing you. i'll be there. bring in the mobile mammography van into the neighborhoods is one of most important facets of the work we do. we provide a service that is so needed. >> i know i'm saving lives. >> it's free. some come right over and get it. >> is the lady of the house at home? we're giving free mammograms on the 25th. >> i feel like, okay. i'm going. thank you so much. take care. >> i would say i was saved from breast kansaser to save other women. every time i knock on a door, it's another opportunity to save a life. >> you can find out more about her work and nominate a hero of your own. next week is your last chance. last chance to tell us about your hero, because nominations close on august 1st. so if you know a hero, go to cnn.com/heroes and do it right now. a sudden tornado shreds an east coast florida community leaving dozens of neighborhoods with a monstrous cleanup project. look at that. a twister slammed parts of mobile homes, the upper branches of trees, in fort orange. this is, the storm damage is always amazing to me. you can see debris was flying across people's yards. one person hospitalized with minor injuried from shattered grass there. more than 160 homes are damaged. tonight parts of the ohio valley are facing a hail and wind threat. our jacqui jeras is in the cnn severe weather center. florida, that was terrible. >> i know. you know what? thek check out these picture, too out of florida. this is the fort orange area. take a really close look. do you see it? there it is. >> a waterspout. >> had you to look at the bottom to see that water getting kicked up. >> jacqui, that can be dangerous, but they're beautiful. look at picture. the blue sky and the water. amazing t. is. what happens to a waterspout when 2 comes on land it become as tornado. that could cause damage. that did happen in ormond beach yesterday. there you can see a little bit of that funnel and some of the debris right there on the ground. incredible progression of pictures catching that still video. wow. you can see a very well developed spout coming off of that. you can see kind of what we would call a high-based thunderstorm. this is a little higher up. into the atmosphere. really amazing stuff. we do have some severe weather going on out there today. it's kind of more focused in the upper midwest. even though we don't have watches or warnings now across south florida, take a look at that. a lot of action across southern parts of state. really heavy downpours and don't be surprised if maybe we have an isolated waterspout or two. certainly going to need the umbrella. if you think you're heading out on the town in south florida for tonight. the ohio river valley, where we have showers and thundershowers. severe thunderstorm watch in effect for you from louisville over towards lexington and east of there you can see severe weather outside of that box. so be aware that that can occur at times even though you're not technically in a watch and there you can see stronger thunderstorms, going to put that down. you can see another watch across parts of pennsylvania into upstate new york. this is going to prove into new york city and philadelphia after midnight tonight. don? back to you. >> jacqui, and that waterspout picture, that was from someone on vacation, fort orange, florida. right? the one from rebecca owens? >> that's the one. >> thank you noor picture, ra bak kaw. glad you're safe, though. and something the out there's once it gets on land, not so much. thank you, jacqui. >> sure. "the situation room" is straight ahead. wolf blitzer what do you have for us? >> thank you very much, don. coming up at the top of the hour right here in "the situation room," a lot more on the controversy involvinged harvard university professor henry louis gates and the president's comments on that. a full discussion. also two key u.s. senators. they're here to debate health care reform. is it going anywhere anytime soon? plus, rudy giuliani on a new tear ef threat in the american heartland. all that and a lot more coming up in "the situation room." >> looking forward to it, wolf. thank you, sir. and the literally world lost a best-selling author. leyland harris died thursday night on a business trip to los angeles. no word on the cause of his death. harris will be remembered for novels that introduced millions of readers to the life of affluent gay black men. his characters masculine and sometimes tomorrowmented living two lives. his book signings were often standing room only. eventually became one of the world's most popular writers with 4 million books in print. e. lynne harris, dead at the age of 64. left this on one of her friend's desk and never came back. >> that didn't stop him from chasing a dream to go to college. his story coming up. lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away. happens to me all the time. helping you save money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. this is a story about overcoming all kinds of obstacles so i want you to pay attention to it because like through him, plenty of hurdles and he could have fallen through the cracks. thanks to people who believed in him and to his belief in himself as well, dashes future is looking pretty bright. there's a guest speaker at the jewish childcare at pleasantville cottage school. >> i'm 18 years old. >> former resident, he came back to give advice and encouragement. for years this place kept him from a life on the street after his mother abandoned him and his brother. >> she left us on one of her friend's steps and she never came back. >> he was just five years old. >> she was a drug addict and she had sex for drugs also. she was always high or whatever and was experimenting with different drugs. >> he bounced around from his godmother to foster care to a group home that eventually shut its door. the women that ran the home were determined to find him a family. they reached out to gene and lonnie doll. >> they tell you about these poor kids. i'm literally -- i just don't know what to do about it. i wish there was something i could do about it because to think that the things have gone through through no fault of their own. i kept thinking of dasheen and i thought, he's not that way, you know? >> with their guide tansians, he runs and he has a nick name and his father said just about everyone has written him off. >> they're very surprised when they find out he's a foster child because he's probably better adjusted than 75% of kids who really have supporting family. >> who have the mom and dad at home. >> that doesn't surprise his former social worker. andrea fink. >> he came in quiet, peaceful and very self-assured but underneath, very, very scared and worried about what was going to be with his future. >> a bright future now for the recent high school grad. >> i'm going to courtland and i'm going to study education. >> state and university grants will take care of his tuition and his passion for track that carried him this far will, no doubt, help, too. >> track, in general, is a way for me so, i guess, express myself. i would think about things that happened to me when i was younger and try to bring it up and it could get me through workouts. when i think of the things that happened, it's a fuel. it fuels me. >> he's now poised for the biggest jump of his life. good luck to him. very inspiring young man. if you missed even a minute of our "black in america 2" you can see it again. soledad o'brien hosts tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 eastern only here on cnn. using sports to combat homelessness, the topic in today's fit nation segment. ter all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. nounceit keeps my airways o. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. well how do you get homeless people off the streets and drug addicts off drugs? how about a little game of soccer? here's dr. sanjay gupta. >> it's a hot humid day but calvin and the rest of the team don't mind the heat. it's easy to see their dedication. but something else is not so obvious. all of these men are homeless. riley found himself on the streets after the company he worked for suddenly went bankrupt. >> i never thought i would be homeless. to be honest, i had a good job but i never thought i would be in a homeless shelter. >> depressed, overwhelmed he joined atlanta's street soccer usa team, part of a national program designed to inspire hope and to restore self-worth. for men who are homeless, recovering drug addicts or refugees. >> you stop thinking about yourself and your health and things that make you happy. things that make you want to live and be a productive member of society that make you want to get up and go to work. >> there are 16 teams around the country that will compete in july called the "u.s. homeless cup." and about a dozen players deemed to have overcome the greatest obstacles will to milan in this year's homeless world cup. >> what we're trying to do is provide case management, medical, transportation, employment, whatever it is we can do. like i said. we don't -- this isn't a program you have to force somebody into. >> all starting with socker? >> all starting with soccer. >> for riley, soccer helped him turn his life around. he went back to school and he has a job lined up after graduation, he lost weight and he quit smoking. >> when you join the team it's like a family. if you need anything, we're there for you. being on this team helped me be around positive people. trying to get out of the shelter. not trying to stay here, but trying to get out and better themselves. >> against all odds, these men are making goals happen both on and off the court. dr. sanjay gupta, cnn reporting. >> i like that. thank you. as always, we like your comment and feedback. we'll read a couple from twitter. this is john jones, he says -- michael jackson home. he wanted to move in but couldn't afford it in las vegas. who can? who lives there. here's what we have another one. what does royal rain say? why is health care reform not voted on by the people instead of congress? that's a great question. and then, the next one -- glad you made it back from boston and good to have you again. goo to twitter, myspace, or facebook and we'll get your comments on. good to be back. join me at 7:30 right here in the newsroom for a live panel discussion on issues over race and the controversy over the henry louis gates arrest. we'll talk to an interesting group of people who are going to be very

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