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Chasing Guns and Drugs Near Mexican Border; Science Behind Prosecution's Case in Anthony Trial; Tracy Morgan's Many Apologies
Aired June 14, 2011 - 13:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: There is a disturbing new report out now on the deadly drug war in Mexico. It says that a large number of weapons taken from the cartels came from the United States. How large a number? Try 70 percent.
This is what we're talking about, take a look here. Yes, you see all the rifles? At least two-thirds probably came from the U.S. It's been a bone of contention in talks between the U.S. and Mexico on stopping the flow of illegal drugs going north.
The guns come from legitimate sales, smugglers running guns into Mexico and even from the military. The Mexican military is supplied in part by the U.S. So when a soldier defects to the cartels, well, he takes his American-made taxpayer funded weapon with him.
And what's the effect of the guns in Mexico? Death. Drug violence killed more than 15,000 people just last year, and nearly 35,000 over the past few years.
Stopping the flow of guns is a rough game for ATF agents near the border. Our Ed Lavandera road along on one of their patrols last year to see the challenges they're facing to stop the guns, the drugs and the Mexican cartels.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number of firearms that somebody's purchased.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're driving the streets of Houston with an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, ATF. We can't tell you who he is because he's in the midst of the biggest case he's ever worked, battling lethal Mexican drug cartels on American streets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We started seeing them popping up in Mexico, and then further down into Guatemala is where it really opened our eyes, and we're like, OK, we're on to something that's pretty big here.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What they found was a trail from Houston to Guatemala littered with almost 340 guns purchased by so-called straw buyers, 23 Houston area residents, all of them with squeaky clean records, and legally allowed to buy guns. Investigators say almost a hundred of those guns have since turned up at crime scenes south of the border in the hands of the drug cartels.
DEWEY WEBB, ATF, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: They're fighting each other for turf in Mexico and, unfortunately, many law enforcement and civilians are being killed in that fight.
LAVANDERA: The man in this undercover photo shared exclusively with CNN is John Philip Hernandez (ph). Investigators say he was at the center of the elaborate straw purchasing scheme.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He doesn't stand out in a crowd, a regular guy in his 20s.
LAVANDERA: According to ATF investigators, Hernandez recruited a crew of 23 people to purchase firearms for the drug cartels at gun shops across Houston.
(on camera): Court documents show Hernandez bought six weapons and ammunition at this gun shop. One of those weapons was later connected to the kidnapping and murder of a Mexican businessman.
(voice-over): Hernandez also admitted to buying weapons used in the infamous 2007 Acapulco massacre where seven people, including four police officers, were slaughtered by a dozen armed drug traffickers.
WEBB: It has very long range capabilities.
LAVANDERA: ATF special agent in charge Dewey Webb showed us some of the group's favorite hardware.
WEBB: There's probably over a dozen different versions of each of these weapons on the market today.
LAVANDERA (on camera): According to court documents, Hernandez purchased four weapons here at this shop. We spoke with the owner. He didn't want to go on camera, and he told us a few weeks after that, Hernandez returned, flashing $20,000 in cash and ready to buy 20 more weapons. The owner says he rejected the sale.
(voice-over): Investigators say the cartels paid Hernandez $100 to $200 each time they bought a firearm.
WEBB: People that are buying drugs in the United States have just as much blood on their hands as the people pulling the trigger in Mexico.
LAVANDERA: John Phillip Hernandez (ph) is now serving an eight- year prison sentence after pleading guilty. But this ATF agent says as one ring is broken up, new rings can quickly emerge on Houston streets on the gun trail from America to Mexico.
(on camera): ATF investigators also tell us that they didn't realize how big this group was until they sat down one day and compared notes. And that's when different investigating teams who had been looking into different members of this group realized that this group was all working together.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: And that was CNN's Ed Lavandera reporting for us.
As you saw, it is a growing problem, and some senators say it must be addressed right now.
CNN Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins me now from Washington.
Jeanne, 70 percent seems like a very big number. So how many guns though are we really talking about here?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're talking about a pretty large number, in fact.
This report, another one -- this one from Congress -- substantiating claims that, in fact, guns from the U.S. are fueling the Mexican drug wars. Not every weapon recovered in Mexico is traced, but according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, in 2009 and 2010, of the 29,284 firearms that were traced, 20,504, or, as you say, 70 percent, were sourced in the United States. The report also says that most of the firearms traced to the original owner in the U.S. came from three states: Texas, California and Arizona.
The three Democratic senators who released the report are urging Congress to do a couple of things. One, reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, and require background checks for all firearm purchases, including those at gun shows.
As you know, Randy, those are both very controversial steps. They've been fought hard by the gun lobby, and they have failed before.
Back to you.
KAYE: So, I would imagine though, Jeanne, that the U.S. has already been taking steps to try to stop the flow of guns to Mexico. So is that just not working and now they're going to try this?
MESERVE: Well, not as effectively as people will like. The ATF has spearheaded something called Project Gunrunner, which attempts to intercepts weapons and ammunition headed for the Southwest border. It has had some success, but it's also been criticized for failing to target high level traffickers.
And the ATF is under fire for allegations that it let gun smugglers purchase hundreds of weapons so they could be traced. Senator Charles Grassley says ATF then lost track of hundreds of them. There is a congressional hearing on that matter scheduled for tomorrow -- Randi.
KAYE: All right.
Jeanne Meserve.
Thank you very much, Jeanne, for the update.
And now to the Caribbean, where President Obama is making a rare presidential visit to Puerto Rico right now, speaking there with leaders and citizens about jobs and their status as a U.S. possession. He is the first president to make an official stop there in 50 years. President Ford was actually the last president to visit Puerto Rico while in office, but he was there for an international economic conference, not to meet with Puerto Rico's leaders.
As you know, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but they can't vote in presidential elections. They also don't pay any federal income tax. But their citizens can serve in the U.S. military. And that's a fact the president highlighted during his first stop there. It's also our "Sound Effect."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For decades, Puerto Ricans like Juan and Ramon have put themselves in harm's way for a simple reason. They want to protect the country that they love. They're willingness to serve, they're willingness to sacrifice is as American as apple pie, or as arroz con gandules.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Yes, he had to practice that one just a little bit, I think. We'll have much more on Puerto Rico and the statehood debate later on in our show.
Seven Republican contenders battled it out last night during the first big GOP primary debate in New Hampshire. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann delivered the first surprise of the debate, announcing on stage that she had officially filed the paperwork for a presidential run. The Republican candidates squared off on a broad range of issues from the debt ceiling to abortion to foreign policy.
Front-runner Mitt Romney leads most of the candidates by double digits in most polls. But surprisingly, he was not the target last night. In the end, the attacks went straight to the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: President Obama is a one-term president.
TIM PAWLENTY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president is a declinist. He views America as one of equals around the world.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Any one of the people on this stage would be a better president than President Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: On the winners and losers of the debate, CNN political analysts agree Romney and Gingrich gave strong performances, and Michele Bachmann was the biggest surprise of the night.
He was not at the debate last night, but you can add Jon Huntsman to the roster list of GOP presidential hopefuls. A Republican source telling CNN the former ambassador to China will formally announce his bid for the White House next Tuesday in New Jersey, with the Statue of Liberty as his backdrop.
Harold Camping, the minister who inaccurately predicted the end of the world last month, has suffered a stroke. An employee of the preacher says Camping had a mild stroke last Thursday and was recovering at a California hospital.
For months, Camping predicted Christ would return to Earth on May 21st for the rapture. But when that day came and went, Camping said during his radio ministry that he had miscalculated and that the world would actually end October 21st.
The Casey Anthony trial, now back under way. Right now you're looking at live pictures. That is Casey Anthony's mother on the stand there testifying. They had the morning off, but now it is back under way, as we just said.
We take you inside the science behind the prosecution's case right after this very quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The Casey Anthony murder trial just resumed last hour. We want to show you some live pictures from inside the courtroom in Orlando, Florida. That is Casey's mother, Caylee's grandmother, on the stand.
Casey is accused of killing her young daughter Caylee. The prosecution's case centers around the argument that Casey knocked out her 2-year-old daughter with chloroform and then covered her mouth and nose with duct tape. In a sense, suffocating her.
The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case today or tomorrow. Then, it is the defense team's turn. The defense claims Caylee drowned in the family swimming pool.
Much of this case is based in science. How did she die? How was she buried? How did the child's remains decompose?
Here to tell us about the science behind forensics is Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky. He is a forensic scientist and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He's also worked as a consultant on Casey Anthony's defense team.
Larry, I want to talk to you about the science here, so I want to start with the duct tape. How are they able to determine, if they can, death by duct tape?
LAWRENCE KOBILINSKY, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: Well, to be honest with you, duct tape, generally speaking, is important evidence. It's used in criminal matters because people tend to bind, tie up their victims, restrain them. Sometimes duct tape is used to seal plastic bags in which you have bodies and body parts. So it's very common evidence.
And duct tape is very important because it very often has fingerprints of the person who handled it, and also DNA. So, clearly, you expect to find the victim's DNA, but anybody who handled it would also have their DNA on the duct tape.
Duct tape is ubiquitous. This particular duct tape in the Casey Anthony case is marked by a manufacturer, and so it can be compared with duct tape that was found on the gas can, as well as duct tape used to put up the flyers. George Anthony put up flyers about Caylee being missing. So the duct tape is similar there.
KAYE: Right. So, in this case, a sticker was also found near the little girl's remains. After months in the elements, I'm just curious, can you possibly determine its connection to the case? Does that adhesive play a role in this investigation, the adhesive that they said they were able to find that was left on the duct tape?
KOBILINSKY: Yes, Randi, this is a very controversial issue. I mean, if there was adhesive there, and if it was well-documented, analyzed, and found to be the same adhesive that these stickers were made out of, then it would be very significant.
Unfortunately, here, the analyst, at first, with multiple procedures, didn't see anything. And then, upon seeing what looked like the outline of f a sticker, failed to document it.
So there's issues of credibility here. Obviously, environmental factors could explain why a sticker that was on there would have come off, but I think there are some real issues about whether there was in fact a sticker on the duct tape.
KAYE: Right. We're talking about just the adhesive. But there was a sticker in the area, according to these witnesses, at least.
Larry, the prosecution brought up these hairs and fibers as well that were found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car, and with Caylee's remains. How do you test hair? How does that work to find out maybe whether or not that hair came from a live person or a dead person?
KOBILINSKY: Sure. Well, initially, hair is looked at visually and then microscopically.
You can tell if it's human or not and what part of the body it is derived from. But once you do that, then you obviously want to find the origin. Whose hair is it?
If there's a root, you can do nuclear DNA, and then tell with certainty whose hair it is. If there is no root, you need to do mitochondria DNA, and in that cases the profile that you get happens to be shared by all maternal relatives and even some people that are not related. So, it's a little difficult to identify with any degree of certainty whose hair it is.
Now, in terms of death, a death band, as it's called, there is a band that forms as a result of decomposition. It looks to the eye to be a little dark, and it's a couple of millimeters away from the root area.
But it's actually air pockets that in fact are transparent. Under the microscope it looks dark. And they say this is an indication of decomposition, which it could very well be, but there has been some research that demonstrates that other environmental factors can create a very similar looking band. So there is no absolute proof here that the state brought that says this is definitely from a dead body.
KAYE: All right. Larry Kobilinsky, always appreciate your expertise. It's so sad, but so fascinating at the same time.
So thank you for coming on and helping us understand it just a little bit better.
KOBILINSKY: Thank you.
KAYE: And our sister network HLN is your destination for complete coverage of the Casey Anthony trial. You can watch special coverage of that trial throughout the day on HLN.
Comedian Tracy Morgan has apologized several times about his violent anti-gay rant during his show in Tennessee. He's now working with a prominent gay organization to get his new message across. The details right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: New details today in the Tracy Morgan anti-gay rant story.
Tracy reported went on a violent anti-gay rant at a comedy show in Nashville earlier this month. We first told you about this story on Friday, last week, when one of the audience members talked with me live about his experience at Morgan's show. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I knew that I was going to see a comedian that does push the envelope, and was expecting to hear all sorts of different probably inappropriate humor. But I didn't expect to hear an attack on the gay community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Tracy did come out with an apology on Friday. He said, "I want to apologize to my fans and the gay and lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville. I'm not a hateful person and don't condone any kind of violence against others. While I am an equal opportunity jokester, my friends know what is in my heart. Even in a comedy club, this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context."
He also spoke with business mogul Russell Simmons about the incident. Russell asked Morgan about people defending what he said, and Morgan responded by saying, "When all of this set in, I realized how hurtful my words are. Not asking anyone to feel sorry for me or pity me, but I definitely don't want or need people to defend me."
"In my heart I know that the words I used are indefensible. I appreciate the love from my friends and fans, but I was wrong, period."
Tracy Morgan spoke with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or the GLAAD Organization, after the incident. The president of GLAAD, Jarrett Barrios, joins us live from our New York studios.
Jarrett, nice to talk with you again. We spoke this last week about this. But I know that you've been working now with Tracy Morgan to help rectify what he did. So tell us about the three things now that he's agreed to.
JARRETT BARRIOS, PRESIDENT, GLAAD: Yes. We had a conversation with Mr. Morgan yesterday. He was apologetic. And, of course, we're not the ones he needs to apologize to.
He's agreed to go meet with, as we had asked, family members of kids who have been murdered because they're gay. He has also agreed to meet with some homeless kids.
Now, this is important, because if you're a homeless kid because your parents have kicked you out because you're gay, you're 8.5 times more likely to kill yourself. This is a serious issue.
If you're a family member who has lost someone to violence, you know how homophobia kills. And we want Mr. Morgan to talk to those folks and hear from them to help him understand how words and images matter.
And the story that he told on the stage in Nashville can hurt people. Not just hurt people, but kill.
He's also agreed, in addition to meeting there, to go back to Nashville and to apologize personally to the people he should be apologizing to, the people who were in that audience, who had to hear his anti-gay rant. Those are the people he needs to talk to. And GLAAD is going to go with him, but it's going to be up to him to tell his story to those folks and to make amends.
KAYE: I know that you obviously spoke with him after all this happened. We pulled this from your Web site. Tracy told you -- and I'm quoting here -- "My family knew what it was like to feel different. My probably was disabled and I lost my father to AIDS in 1997. My dad wasn't gay, but I also learned about homophobia then because of how people treated people who were sick with that."
"Parents should support and love their kids no matter what. Gay people deserve the same right to be happy in this country as everyone else."
So, Jarrett, how do you feel this conversation overall with him went? I mean, is this just about apologizing and keeping his job? Or do you really feel like he understands he really did something wrong here?
BARRIOS: I think this meeting this coming Thursday at the (INAUDIBLE) Center in Brooklyn with kids and with family members is going to be a good first step for him. But he's going to need to listen. He's going to need to hear, in my view -- the authenticity of that apology, we'll see if it stands the test of time. Is he an ally and does he believe all of us deserve to be accepted, respected and valued?
KAYE: I know also one of the things that he has promised to do, from what I understand, is a PSA. Are you working with him on that? And what might that look like?
BARRIOS: That's right. GLAAD and the American Federation of Teachers are doing a campaign for the back to school season this year, this September and October, called Project Amplify Your Voice.
And the idea is, as kids are going back to school, and as those all-too-familiar dynamics of kids experiencing bullying emerge in school, that we raise awareness. Not with the kids so much, but with teachers and with parents, that this environment, where kids live in fear because of bullying is unacceptable, and that all of us have a role in turning it around.
Mr. Morgan is going to tape at the NBC studios. He's going to tape a public service announcement to be part of that campaign with us. And we're excited that he's decided to do that.
KAYE: All right. Jarrett Barrios, thank you for coming back on and updating us on the conversations that you've had with him.
BARRIOS: Thank you.
KAYE: A lot of people paying attention to this story.
Thanks so much for your time.
KAYE: Twenty-three minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories.
The massive Wallow wildfire in Arizona has become the largest in the state's history. It's burned more than 733 square miles since Memorial Day.
In neighboring New Mexico, another fire burning in Carlsbad Cavern's National Park. Hundreds of visitors have been evacuated as crews battle the 14,000-acre blaze.
He is one of the most watched and talked about Republicans. And today, Texas Governor Rick Perry is in New York. He's speaking at a Republican dinner tonight. But there's still no answer to that question a whole lot of folks are asking -- will he run for president next year?
And speaking of Republican presidential candidates, last night, seven of them faced off in New Hampshire with one anti-Obama message. But when you ask people who won the debate, one name you hear often is Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
Our Joe Johns has more on her rise to contender status.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tea Party Darling, anti-Obama fire-breather, now Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, is ready for an even bigger microphone on an even bigger political stage.
BACHMANN: Maybe we need to send a change of address form to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
JOHNS: With Sarah Palin still undecided, Bachmann may be the only woman among a field of male contenders. She's known for tough talk.
BACHMANN: The powers that be here in Washington, D.C., specifically in the White House, have been wrong about a few things.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They've been wrong about everything!
BACHMANN: Wrong about everything! Is that it?
JOHNS: While seeking support, the 55-year-old Minnesota Republican will tout her ideology and biography. She and husband Marcus have five biological children. She's been a foster mother to 23 others.
Bachmann is chairwoman of the House Tea Party Caucus and often rails against excessive government spending and what critics call Obamacare. But her message is not always on message, like this gaffe from New Hampshire.
BACHMANN: You're the state where the shot was heard around the world at Lexington and Concord.
JOHNS: That revolutionary war battle actually happened in Massachusetts. Bachmann later admitted her mistake, though she blamed media bias for widely reporting it.
And this from Iowa about slavery and the men who wrote the nation's founding documents --
BACHMANN: The very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States.
JOHNS: Not exactly. Many of the founders owned slaves.
And delivering Tea Party reaction to the last State of the Union Address, she appeared to look off camera. Blame a two-camera mishap. But that didn't stop "Saturday Night Live" from poking fun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unfortunately, that response was marred by some technical difficulties, and it seems that its core message was not properly conveyed. Accordingly, I have asked for this time tonight in order to try again. So here goes.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")
JOHNS: Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: So can you lift 550 pounds? Doubt it. But this guy can. The countdown to the Special Olympics world games begins. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Three hundred fifteen world class U.S. athletes, years of training, dedication and perseverance. All of it will be on display at the ultimate competition, the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, in less than two weeks. And no doubt, Team USA will make us all proud. Jermaine Edie is one of the Special Olympians representing the U.S. You can see he's proving over and over again just how extraordinary he is. Jermaine will compete in power lifting in Athens. And he's already breaking records. Take a look at him! He holds the Special Olympics New York record in bench press at 265 pounds and dead lift at 550 pounds.
Jermaine joins us now live from New York. And with him is Tim Shriver, the Special Olympics chairman and CEO.
Thanks so much, guys, for coming on and talking about this. Jermaine, first of all, I got to tell you, congratulations. I mean, talk about super human strength here! How excited are you about this?
JERMAINE EDIE, COMPETING IN 2011 SPECIAL OLYMPICS: I'm very excited about it. I can't wait on when to go. I'm very happy.
KAYE: We're excited for you.
Tim, I also want to talk about your mom, Eunice. She helped start the Special Olympics games 43 years ago. And you said the Special Olympics promotes the gifts of the forgotten. Those are your words. This year's Special Olympics is the most significant athletic event hosted by Greece since the 2004 Olympics Games. How does that feel to you?
TIM SHRIVER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Well, the movement's extraordinary. We have 3.7 million athletes who compete in 50,000 events a year in the Special Olympics movement. It's hard for people to believe China, India, all throughout the Middle East, countries like Afghanistan, all have Special Olympics programs that are operating year round and sending athletes to Greece, the home of the Olympic movement.
And so, people are kind of thinking, does Special Olympics really belong in Athens? Does it belong in Olympica, or are we just kind of a sideline? I think the message of people like Jermaine is perseverance, courage, determination, are proving that these are athletes who really can lay claim to the real Olympic spirit.
This is sports the way it ought to be. No cheating. No drugs. No scandal. Pure, joyful, exuberant and highly skilled athletes doing it for the love of the game.
KAYE: Lots of hard work. We know that the flame, the special Olympic flame of hope, faith and love was lit on Thursday in Greece. Jermaine, you've been competing in the Special Olympics since 1999. Why would you say this competition is so important for you?
EDIE: Because - the competition is important for me because it's good for me. It's good for people like us to be better for the Special Olympics. I'm a role model for Special Olympics. It's very good.
KAYE: And how did you get so strong?
EDIE: Practice! Practice makes perfect.
KAYE: There you go!
SHRIVER: Isn't that the message? That's the message to many people miss in our athletes. The determination, the guts, the hard work necessary to achieve. This is not just about patting people on the head and saying aren't you cute? This is about recognizing that the human spirit, when trained, when disciplined, when focused, produces extraordinary changes. Everybody has it within them to do great things. Our athletes proved the point.
KAYE: Tim, really quickly, ten seconds. Can you tell us how people can get involved?
SHRIVER: SpecialOlympics.org is the place to volunteer. We're trying to find 3.7 million fans for our athletes. Come on Facebook and friend us. Follow us on Twitter. Buy the laces. In general, jump into the movement. It's the movement for everybody, not just for those with special needs. It's the movement that I think can sweep the world with a message of tolerance and acceptance and fight a lot of the discrimination that causes so many troubles.
KAYE: Tim, thank you so much. And Jermaine, I'm sure you got a whole bunch of the new fans after coming on the show today. So, thank you. We appreciate it. And good luck at the games. Let us know how you did.
EDIE: Thank you very much!
KAYE: Thank you.
EDIE: I will!
KAYE: OK!
Firefighters make progress against Arizona's biggest fire, but another big wildfire has people on the run in neighboring New Mexico. We'll have the latest details in just 80 seconds. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is half past the hour. Here's a look at the headlines and news you may have missed.
It appears thousands of high-powered assault weapons by Mexican drug gangs came from the U.S. A government report shows that 70 percent of the weapons seized in Mexico originated in the United States. In an effort to toughen firearm laws and regulations, a trio of U.S. Democratic senators is calling for reinstatement of an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
Mexico says the U.S. has been lax at efforts in blocking high- powered guns from ending up in the wrong hands. Drug cartels are responsible for more than 34,000 killings since 2006.
President Obama is in Puerto Rico right now. It is the first official presidential visit to the territory since President Kennedy visited 50 years ago, although Presidents Johnson and Ford made unofficial stops there. The U.S.-Caribbean territory has roughly four million residents who are American citizens but can't vote for president. But five million Puerto Ricans living in the 50 U.S. states do have full voting rights, and the president could use their support in his 2012 reelection bid. He'll wrap up today's trip with a fundraiser.
Former ambassador to China Jon Huntsman will formally announce his bid for the presidency next week in New Jersey, a Republican source tells CNN. Huntsman, a former Utah governor, has already visited key states such as New Hampshire and South Carolina. The Republican presidential hopeful has not officially declared his candidacy, therefore did not participate it in last night's first GOP debate.
Arizona's Wallow wildfire has burned 733,000 square miles, making it the largest fire in the state's history. Right now, officials say it's about 18 percent contained, a big improvement from yesterday. They say the northward advancement has been stopped. So, that's good news. But another fire now burning in southern New Mexico at Carlsbad Cavern's National Park. Hundreds of visitors were evacuated as crews tackled the 14,000 acre wildfire inside there.
Hundreds of Syrian men, women, and children fleeing their homes ahead of an advancing army crackdown. A firsthand look at their life in limbo right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: For hundreds, perhaps thousands of Syrians, life right now is a waiting game. They're living under wretched conditions along the border with Turkey as the Syrian army widens its crackdown on what it calls armed gangs. CNN's Arwa Damon crossed the border from Turkey into Syria today and saw firsthand what they're facing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the campsite located just across the Syrian-Turkish border inside Syria. The conditions are so dire that as you've been walking through here, individuals keep coming up to us wanting to show us just how much the families are struggling to survive.
The women here are visibly upset. They arrived a few days ago from one of the small villages just outside of (INAUDIBLE). They don't have much of a shelter, either. There's children with them that don't have proper shoes. They're not able to stay clean. They're filthy. It's just an incredibly desperate situation.
So, the kids are saying they're here just playing in the water. But this is also being used by the adults to try to bathe themselves, bathe the children, and do their washing. And this water is not clean by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it's so murky it looks more like a stream of mud.
This is something of a makeshift pharmacy that's been set up inside the camp, if it can even be called that. Mohammed, who brought most of these medicines, owned the pharmacy himself and he piled everything he possibly could as he was fleeing. And he's choosing to stay here because the people desperately need his help. He's the only person that they can go to for any number of illnesses that people are suffering from here, especially the children, given the rough weather conditions that they've been having to deal with.
So, this woman who just arrived apparently, we're being told, has high blood pressure and she's diabetic. And those are for example, are two medicines he quite simply does not have.
This is what this family has to cook on, and you actually don't see this level of so-called luxury at every single small camp site. The tents, crewed, a tarp strung between two sticks, various vehicles. You see them strung between the trees as well. Laundry scattered all over. The families crouching and waiting. And when we ask them about what they've witnessed, they simply for the most part say it was too horrific to put into words. And the next thing they want to know is when will they be able to go home because none of them have that answer.
Arwa Damon, CNN, near (INAUDIBLE) in Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And Michael Holmes joins us now to talk a little bit about this. That's incredible. She was able to cross that border from Turkey.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: She did, yes. International journalists not allowed into Syria. Arwa worked with some people, and we're not even saying how she did it.
KAYE: So, what do you make of her report?
HOLMES: She's extraordinary. She speaks Turkish, Arabic, French, English. And she got across there. And it is our first look on our own at these camps and how these people are living. Up to 7,000 people now have crossed over - that's on the Syrian side - have now crossed over into Turkey. And the Turkish authorities is having to deal with that, putting a lot of pressure on them.
KAYE: Well, when you see the conditions in the camp - I mean, the government says it's targeting groups that have been firing on security forces, too. I mean, it is just an awful situation.
HOLMES: Well, this is the thing, too. Because foreign journalists aren't in there, we don't know what's going on. Whether it's an armed rebellion, whether it is the peaceful protests we've been told about, how much of a role the desertions are playing and whether you really do have military versus military within Syria.
And the fear too is this could become more and more sectarian. I mean, (INAUDIBLE) that we've been looking at is Sunni. There's an Alawi town only a mile away. Of course, the ruling regime is Alawi as well. That mixed in with Kurds and Christians. It's a very volatile mix of different religious ethnicities as well.
KAYE: Well, it's incredible htat she got in there. Great to have you here to talk about it with us about it. Thank you, Michael.
Feeling like air travel is putting a big dent in your wallet maybe? Well, you are not alone. Coming up next, how fees are helping airlines cash in big time.
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KAYE: Welcome back. In today's "Taking the Lead" report, airlines cashing in on your money. We're talking about those fees they charge you to be able to bring checked luggage or to make a change in your reservation. Last year, airlines made $2.3 billion in reservation change fees, according to the Department of Transportation. And on top of that, well, they made $3.4 billion just in baggage fees from travelers.
So, in 2010, do the math. That comes to $5.7 billion that airlines raked in. But the Air Transport Association says the fees help serve you. In a statement, a spokesperson says, "Without sustained profitability, airlines cannot add routes, add workers or buy new airplanes, all in the interest of airline customers and the global economy."
So, if you feel swindled, do some research because some airlines charge less than others for bags. And some don't charge at all, in fact, for the first two checked bags.
Coming up, should Puerto Rico become the 51st state? Our Stream Team talks it over, next.
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KAYE: During his visit to Puerto Rico today, President Obama revived the long running question on whether Puerto Rico should become the fifty-first U.S. state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In March, a report from the presidential task force on Puerto Rican status provide a meaningful way forward on this question so the residents of the island can determine their own future.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And when the people of Puerto Rico make a clear decision, my administration will stand by you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Puerto Rico is an island wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, closer to the Dominican Republican than it is to the U.S. mainland. It's about three times the size of Rhode Island and has almost four million residents, about the same number as Oregon.
Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but they can't vote in U.S. elections and they don't pay U.S. income taxes on Puerto Rico-based income. Voters there have rejected statehood several times, but some say it's time to take another look.
Joining us for our Stream Team discussion today are professor Matt Barreto from the University of Washington in Seattle and Bill Santiago, a comedian, author and former journalist. He joins us from New York.
Thank you both. I want to start with you, Matt. Tell me, Puerto Ricans have voted against statehood before. Do they really want it, do you think?
MATT BARRETO, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON: Well, it's a very complicated issue on the island of Puerto Rico. That's because there are a number of people who do not want Puerto Rico to become a state but rather to maintain its own sort of independent identity that might get lost in statehood.
But the pro-statehood forces in Puerto Rico, that group is pretty large and it's very mobilized. And I think if there was an election, it would be very, very close on the island.
KAYE: Bill, your parents, I believe, are Puerto Rican and you've lived there. What do you think? Is it something that they want?
BILL SANTIAGO, COMEDIAN: Well, it's about 50/50. Everytime they do a (INAUDIBLE), it comes about half and half. And as you just heard Obama say that he's behind any clear decision. Well, 50/50 is not a clear decision. And then you'd have to have the United States has to vote on it. And they're not going to force statehood on an island where 50 percent of the people don't want it! You know, and especially because there seems to be so much criticism of the statehood government at the moment. And really, even the state hooders have a national sense of their identity -- Puerto Rico as a separate place. You know, it's the homeland. And there's no way of getting around that.
It's a very, very, very complicated process. And when they say, it's a clear process - it's a clear process to nowhere. Chances are there will be no change, and it's just been used at a political football. Just like when Hillary went down there during the primaries and said her victory there put her over the top against Obama. But the citizens there can't even vote! You know --
KAYE: Well, you know, that doesn't matter!
SANTIAGO: It's the same thing all over again.
KAYE: So, Professor -
SANTIAGO: It does matter! It does matter!
KAYE: Let me bring in the professor here, hold on one sec. Would Puerto Rico, do you think, really be a good fit with the mainland of United States? I mean, considering the geographical distances, the fact that Spanish is the dominant language? And other differences?
BARRETO: Well, you know, it is a complicated issue. And first of all, to say whether it's a good fit for the United States is whether it's a good fit for the people of Puerto Rico, as was just stated. There would have to be a very clear majority vote on the island before this could move forward.
But really, look at the history of the United States. It's no different than when the United States --
SANTIAGO: So, what would that majority be vote. What would a clear vote percentage be?
BARRETO: Well, that -- you're right. That's a big question mark. What would that be? I mean, I think you would have to see upwards of 70 percent on the island wanting --
SANTIAGO: When is that going to happen?
BARRETO: Oh, you're right. It's not going to happen now. There would have to be a little road to toll there. It hasn't happened in a long time. And it's very divided on the island between statehood and commonwealth or independence.
KAYE: Bill, you know, I've been tweeting about this. And I've gotten a lot of tweets back. And a lot of people said, well, you know, who would trade statehood for having to pay federal taxes? I mean, do you think --
SANTIAGO: It's not about the taxes. The people there - the people there are not living cheaply, OK? They have to pay taxes, they have to pay a lot of taxes on the island. The food is very expensive. They're not getting a deal as far as the economics are concerned. But the economics of it in terms of the United States adopting Puerto Rico as a state is a real issue because you would have to pour in billions of dollars in there just to get up to the minimal federal levels. They're so much more poorer than even Alabama. You know, so look at the reality of it. That's what you have to look at.
You know, if you're really going to explore this issue in depth, the United States can't afford it. There's no way you'll get the Congress to vote to make another four million Latinos and upgrade their citizenship and have to pour all that money in there when the country is broke and there's such an anti-Latino sentiment. Most voters in the United States, OK, do not distinguish between Puerto Ricans and Mexican. It's all Latinos and they feel they've got too many of them here.
Unfortunately, that's the case. It's a sad situation.
KAYE: All right, Bill, I'm glad that we know how you feel. Obviously very strongly about this. Glad you got so fired up. Glad you made time for us, Professor, you as well. Thank you, both.
So, first he tried to shrug it off as a prank by a hacker. Now he's fighting for his political life. Can Congressman Anthony Weiner keep his job? Our political update, next.
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KAYE: Time for a CNN political update. The pressure is growing for Congressman Anthony Weiner to quit. CNN senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash is standing by for us. Dana, we just heard from Weiner's political mentor for the first time. What can you tell us?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And that is Chuck Schumer of New York. He's somebody who's very, very close personally with Anthony Weiner. Weiner worked for him.
He just spoke to reporters moments ago. Stopped short of calling for him to resign. But is clearly in distress. Take a listen.
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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Those of us who have been friends of Anthony Weiner for a very long time feel his wrongful behavior is distressing, saddening, it's hard breaking. It's clear he needs professional help. That's what he sought. And that's all I'm going to say about the subject.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, of course, Chuck Schumer is a member of the United States Senate, a fellow Democrat. But the buzz today is in the House of Representatives with Anthony Weiner's fellow House Democrats. I was outside the first meeting, Randi, that House Democrats have had since they came back to Washington and since Anthony Weiner admitted to sending these lewd pictures of himself via Twitter. And certainly the frustration was palpable among many of them, saying they simply believe he's still a distraction, frustrated that he did not heed Democratic leaders' calls to resign.
Listen to what one of his colleagues, Democrat Sander Levin of Michigan said about the importance of keeping the pressure on him to resign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. SANDER LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: I think we should send a strong message to him that he should resign, and let's see what happens.
QUESTION: What message would that be?
LEVIN: I think the more of us who say it, the more telling it will be. And I've said that I believe he should resign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: So, the question is, what happens now? What more can House Democratic leaders do? The answer is, from their perspective, not much yet. They do have some potential things, like trying to kick him out of caucus, vote to do that, trying to strip him of his committee assignments.
But they're not doing that yet, Randi. And the reason is because he has told a lot of his colleagues, including Steve Israel, the Democratic Campaign Committee chairman, who told us yesterday that Weiner says that he just wants to wait for his wife to get back to town. That is going to be probably tomorrow morning. They're hoping that that conversation will force Weiner to say, you know what, I'm done, and that they're waiting for that before they make any other -- any other moves, Randi.
KAYE: All right, Dana Bash for us with the very latest, Dana, thank you.
And that will do it for me. Time for me to hand it over now to Brooke Baldwin.
Hi, Brooke.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Randi. Thank you so much. Have a great afternoon.
