today. >> brian, thanks. i'm suzanne malveaux. overwhelming grief in syria after a brutal massacre. and the violence goes on. opposition activists say at least 26 people died today, but even those activists who are accustomed to the brutality say they can't even wrap their minds around friday's massacre. more than 100 people died, almost of a of them children. an explosion in downtown nairobi, kenya, has left at least 28 people hurt. hospital officials say four of them are in critical condition. the blast happened at a shopping center, and witnesses say the ground shook and pieces of metal were everywhere. the prime minister believes that the explosion was caused by terrorists but police at the scene suspect maybe it was an electrical fire. both president obama and mitt romney are taking time to honor america's military men and

women this memorial day. the president laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns and he speaks later this hour at the vietnam veterans memorial. romney taking part in a tribute at the veterans museum and memorial center in san diego. senator john mccain is also appearing with him. i want to bring in dana bash who has more on this live. we expect to hear from mitt romney at this event that's getting under way. what do we think the message is going to be today? >> reporter: well, according to romney aides, suzanne, he's going to focus as much as he can on the whole concept of the fallen soldiers and people who are still living but veterans of wars that have happened in recent years and long, long ago. and the message, according to a romney aide, is to make sure that going forward we continue to protect the liberties and freedoms that they fought for. so it's not an overt political statement, but certainly there are tinges of politics in there making very clear that he believes that he would be best,

better than the president, when it comes to foreign policy. they were very strong, both he and john mccain, when it comes to syria and the president's foreign policy with regards to syria over the weekend, but we don't expect, according to aides, anything to be said about that at the speech. >> talk a little bit about that. because he did weigh in. we saw this awful massacre and a lot of people are pushing the president and thinking you've got to do something, you've got to do more. where does mitt romney stand on this? what did he say? >> reporter: he had a pretty aggressive statement. i'll read you part of it. he said, quote, obama can no longer ignore calls from congressional leaders in both parties to take more assertive steps. he went on to say the united states should work with partners to organize and arm syrian opposition groups so they can defend themselves. talking about congressional calls for more action, of course, the leading member of congress who has been saying that the president has not been doing a strong enough job on syria is john mccain.

yesterday he called the president's foreign policy, quote, feckless, very, very strong words. and also just politically it is interesting that you're going to have these two men together, mitt romney having no foreign policy experience. he is a governor, former eer governor, and he's going to be standing with somebody who obviously is well-known, legendary for his experience on the foreign policy stage and that is john mccain. maybe he's going to try to get some foreign policy street cred, if you will, from john mccain today. >> and both men who wanted the president's job. thank you. if you're enjoying the long weekend along the southwest coast, no need to tell you you're probably getting soak. tropical storm beryl made landfall overnight near jacksonville, florida. knocked out power to thousands, washed away festivities, and it was very close to being a hurricane when it hit land. but it's weakened to a tropical depression. i want to bring in jacqui jeras

to talk about where this storm is now. >> well, it's inland over north florida moving into georgia, and the timing of this thing. >> i know. ruined a lot of people's holiday. >> it really did. what a bummer. not a deadly storm and hopefully it will continue to be that way and it doesn't have to be if you play your cards right and just follow all those safety rules. we still have threats from this storm to deal with, even though it's weakened down to a tropical depression because we may still have some flooding rains and some of these thunderstorms are going to be strong. so 35 miles per hour hr the maximum sustained winds with this, but you're really going to find the strongest thunderstorm gusts associated right down here. i-4 corridor is where we're seeing the worst of the weather and you can see all these thunderstorms just kind of straddling from tampa up through orlando and then on up towards daytona beach. 40-mile-per-hour winds. that can still knock down some tree limbs, maybe ones that are big enough to bring more power outages. that will continue to be a concern and many of these stronger thunderstorms especially where you're seeing

some of this red are putting down an inch of rain per hour so that reduces visibility, makes things difficult for driving. we have i-95 here, we have i-4, i-75, major thoroughfares for people who are traveling. >> is there any upside to this? >> the upside is that this is a drought-ridden part of the country right now. northern florida and southern georgia really needs the rainfall, so it's great news to be able to see some of that rain, but we get too much at one period of time, it's kind of that catch-22 that unfortunately you're looking at flading and nobody likes that. >> jacqui, i understand we have an ireport video showing a wedding as this storm was approaching. >> yeah. you know, they sealed it with a kiss just in time. >> oh, my god. look at that. >> this is ryan and amanda porter in orange park, florida, which is basically jacksonville, and the wind was blowing. you can see it, you can hear the waves in the background. and the rain literally held off until right when they said i do

and had the kiss and it started pouring they said. there it is. >> that is awesome. that is so crazy. the gowns blowing and all that stuff but they sealed it with a kiss. it's official, huh? >> it certainly is. >> thanks, jacqui. here is what we're working on for this hour. scandal and turmoil at the vatican. allegations of leaked documents, a butler's arrest, and a missing girl investigation. and the latino vote is the most important it's ever been in a presidential election. we'll take a look at the growing voting districts in california and texas. and a camp that helps children of troops killed in combat deal with their grief. >> i wanted them to know there is a place they can go to where they feel normal. and where they feel like they don't have to always talk about what happened. [ male announcer ] fighting pepperoni heartburn and pepperoni breath? fight both fast with new tums freshers! concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds

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( younger sister ) where's heaven ? ( older sister ) far. what will you inspire, with the eos rebel t3i and ef lenses, for ron's next project ? learn more at youtube. controversy at the vatican seems to be growing by the day. pope benedict's butler has been locked up for allegedly stealing documents and giving secret information to a journalist. the reporter used the documents to write a tell-all book.

it reveals an inattorneyal power struggle within the highest levels of the catholic church. joining us a john allen, senior correspondent for the national catholic newspaper. thank you for joining us. really amazing when you look at the story here. the butler said to have access to the pope in areas that even the cardinals were not able to go. one of the pope's closest aides. why do we suspect that the butter turned on the pope in the first place? >> hi, suzanne. well, the reason that people suspect the butler did it, which i suppose is the unavoidable thing to say in this story. >> sure. >> is that vatican investigators report when they searched his apartment earlier this week they found rafters of supposedly confidential documents that he was not supposed to have along with equipment to reproduce those documents. all of which led them to believe that he was one of the conduits in this massive vatican leak

scandal. >> john, do we have any idea a motive? why would he do that to the pope? >> well, first of all, i should say that there is real doubt among vatican watchers, the breed of vaticanologists, a, that there might be some innocent explanation for why he had this material. that is, that someone higher up the food chain may have asked him to hold onto it for them. or, "b," that even if he was involved, that he acted alone. i think it is sort of an article of faith among many people that this had to be a wider operation, that given the volume of the documents and how diverse they are among themselves, that more than one person had to be involved in these leaks. now, you asked what the motive would be. the italian journalist who published this tell-all book has said his source which he referred to under the code name maria, had decided to release all this stuff frankly in the interests of transparency.

this person believed that there were simply too many secrets in the vatican, that they needed to see the light of day. others believe there may be some office pop tigs going on, that there are some that went to undercut the prime minister to sort of compel the pope to execute a regime change. >> so the butler might actually be the fall guy in this situation you're saying. perhaps there were other church officials who might want to see the pope's daownfall, correct? >> i don't know if they want to see the pope's daownfall. these are people who would see themselves as friends of the pope and believe he's not being well-served by the regime he has around him and they are trying to induce him to get rid of those guys. >> what happens to the butler now? i understand he's being held in a special cell facing vatican justice and that's pretty different than if it was just facing italian justice from the

government itself. >> yeah. exactly what happens to be honest with you is a little bit of a mystery at the moment. what the vatican has said is there is an investigation ongoing, but in terms of this butler paolo gabrielle, there i a vatican judge which will hear the charges. if there's a prison sentence attached to it, then they would probably petition the government of italy to enforce it because the vatican doesn't have facilities to imprison anyone. that would raise the diplomatic question of whether italy would be willing to do that. so in addition to the kind of byzantine vatican intrigue, we might also have a diplomatic contretemps at the end of this. >> is there anything wee

learning about the pope that perhaps is surprising or scandalous or something we just didn't realize before? >> well, i think insiders have known all along that this was a pope who sees himself as a teaching pope, that is his passion is in his documents, in his speeches, in his books, not so much a governor, not someone who is particularly interested in moving the levers of power on a daily basis. he's been content all along to allow others to do that for him. but certainly this crisis has revealed some serious questions about at least some of the people who he's entrusted to try to make the trains run on time. >> and the pope himself, he's denying that one of his top cardinals is also under investigation. what do we know about that? >> well, i mean, the pope himself has not said anything about this affair, but a vatican spokesperson has indicated there are no cardinals who are currently objects of investigation. that, of course, leaves the door open to the pocket that there may well be some others.

and i think the vatican spoke person felt compelled to say that because of this atmosphere of speculation that a simple butler who by all accounts is a very devout guy would ultimately be the architect of this effort, that perhaps there are others involved. at least for now the vatican is insisting that whoever these others may be, there aren't any cardinals on the short list. >> john allen, really appreciate your reporting and your analysis there. it looks like this is a story that's only going to grow some legs. thank you. 67% of latinos chose barack obama for president, that was four years ago. so why are they planning and who are they planning to vote for this election? we're going to take a look. the word that we use is jubilation. as you're getting older, you should be able to do the things that you love.

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latinos are the fastest growing demographic within the country. you will be hearing a lot about the latino votes. it could be an influence as well for the vice presidential pick. our in depth report, raphael romo takes a look at the lahtin voted by the numbers. >> reporter: of the 200 million or so eligible voters in the united states, 21 million, about 10%, are hispanic. but don't look to the states

where latinos are actually the majority like texas, which is solidly republican, and california which is decidedly democrat. look to the swing states where smaller numbers could make the difference. take, for example, arizona. the grand canyon state has 766,000 eligible hispanic voters. close to 20% of all eligible voters. latinos may also decide the election in at least four crucial swing states, colorado, where electoral, nevada with 14%. florida with 14%, and new mexico at 38%. there are other states where the growth in latino voters have been dramatic. charles guards,arcia, a little t points to states like north carolina which where the number has almost doubled to more than 130,000 since the last presidential election. >> north carolina, obama wins by

14,000 votes in 2008. and in 2008 there was 68,000 registered latino voters. and a whopping 84% of the registered voters vote. now, how many are there today? it's almost doubled. >> according to research done by the cnn political team, based on census figures, there will be 15 swing states. in a tight race, hispanic voters could be the margin of victory in 12 of the 15 swing states. the number of eligible latino voters in those states have grown by more than 700,000 in the last four years. >> so the important message for the latino community that's living in one of these 15 swing states is get off your couch and go register to vote because you're going to determine the next election. and that's powerful. >> reporter: another important factor to consider, young latino voters. almost a third of all hispanic voters are under the age of 30.

>> rafael joins us live. we were noting in your piece, north carolina, that is unbelievable, when you think about the number has doubled in the last three years, really? >> typically when you think about latino electoral power you look at texas and california, but because of the way those states are shaped up politically, the vote there is not as relevant as it may be in north carolina where they can actually have an influence and be the decisive factor in a very close, very tight election in a swing state like that. >> how unified is the latino vote this time around? wh >> what we say is it's not monolithic. you have cuban americans in florida, mexican americans in texas. different faction goss with different parties. in 2008 67% of hispanics when for barack obama.

in 2004 you could say that partly president bush won again because of the 44% of the latino vote that he was able to get in florida, places like florida and texas he was very popular. those two last elections give you a glimpse about what can happen in 2012. >> president bush actually worked very, very hard to win over the latino vote, and it was a very concerted effort. does mitt romney, does he need to do the same here? do we see the latino vote going towards one particular candidate or another or is it still up for grabs? >> he's not only planning on doing it, he's doing it already. he's unveiled a number of political ads in spanish in which he has one of his sons speaking spanish, very fluently, very good. it's a positive message talking about american values that may resonate with a lot of the voters in places like florida, for example. president obama did it in 2008. he's doing it again. he went to puerto rico and greeted the audience in spanish, and this is something that we've seen all the way back to the 1960 presidential campaign if

you can believe it. i'm working on a story where you see jackie kennedy addressing voters in spanish. so it's part of a trend of addressing latino voters in their own language and also trying to court, as you were saying in the intro. >> is it too early to tell whether or not latino voters will be split or will they go towards president obama? >> well, one interesting aspect to note is that both president obama and mitt romney have managed to alienate a lot of latinos based on what they have done in terms of immigration. president obama, a couple of promises that he made to the latino electorate was that he was going to work on comprehensive immigration reform which didn't happen or hasn't happened, and the dream act, to help young kids of immigrant parents, that didn't happen either. we have seen how mitt romney has gone to the far right when it comes to immigration and also alienated a lot of voters in places like arizona and others. >> so they both have their work cut out for them.

>> exactly. >> thank you. good to see you. egyptians made their voices heard in the first free presidential election ever. well, now they've got two candidates heading off for a runoff. we're going to tell you about them. why jimmy carter says the election matters to americans. when you have diabetes... your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger...

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liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? a relative of the man suspected of killing etan patz more than 30 years ago said police were killed he boy back in the 1980s but that nothing came of it. pedro hsernandez is accused of choking patz to death. hernandez's relatives said he felt a little bit mad, in his words, that police did not listen to the claim back then. a very soggy memorial day along the southeast coast because tropical storm beryl made landfall overnight near jacksonville, florida. knocked out some power to thousands, created dangerous rip currents for the swimmers. georgia alone reported 48 beach rescues over the weekend. the storm is losing steam as it moves inland and is now a

tropical depression. both president obama and mitt romney taking time to honor america's men and women this memorial day. the president laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns and he speaks later this hour at the vietnam veterans memorial. romney is taking part in a tribute at the veterans museum and memorial center in san diego. senator john mccain will be appearing with him. and it's official. egypt's historic presidential election comes down to a runoff. voters will choose between a man who served as prime minister under hosni mubarak and a member of the muslim brotherhood. details now from our ben we'dman. >> reporter: the results have been announced for first round of egypt's presidential elections. according to those results, mohamed morsi, the candidate of the muslim brotherhood, won 24% of the vote. ahmed shafiq, the former civil aviation minister and hosni mubarak's last prime minister, won 23% of the vote. therefore, they will be facing

off for the second and last round of the vote, the presidential vote, on the 16th and the 17th of june. now, what's interesting is that for egypt's parliamentary elections which concluded earlier this year, turnout was a very respectable 62%. but for the presidential election for the first round, turnout was a somewhat mediocre 46%. perhaps reflecting a lack of enthusiasm among the electorate for any of the 13 candidates on offer. also perhaps suggesting that egyptians are beginning to weary of the frenetic politics of this country. for those unhappy with either of these two choices as presidential candidates, there's always the street. some supporters of the number three, the one who came in third with 20% of the vote, are already going into tahrir square. some people are already chanting

down with the next president. i'm ben wedeman, cnn, reporting from cairo. former president jimmy carter was a witness to egypt's historic vote. he led a group of election monitors from the carter center in atlanta. carter talked to our own fredricka whitfield about the election, the runoff, and the two men now vying for the presidency. >> i think both of these candidates are well-known and they have many votes supporting them, but, of course, with 13 candidates in the race obviously a lot of disappointed people here, but now both sides are beginning to call in the others, the young people, the christians, and other groups to try to induce them for their support in the future. i think both candidates will move to the center and try to consolidate. >> is there a feeling that this runoff can be as peaceful as we've seen this election to be thus far? >> i don't think there's any

doubt about that. i don't see any indication here of potential violence breaking out in protest because there's really not anything to protest against. the people have had a right to go to the polls. they've cast their ballot the way they want to. and although many people are disappointed with the outcome, i don't think there's any threat of violence. >> when it's mentioned one of the candidates in this runoff, mohamed morsi, a member of the muslim brotherhood, is in this runoff, and the muslim brotherhood has some history, including former member al qaeda leader al zawahiri. is there any real reluctance or fear or reticence whether it be from some egyptians or even some americans as to, you know, how this person was able to be a viable candidate to end up being in this runoff? >> well, mr. morsi, dr. morsi, was educated in california.

he's got a ph.d. in engineering from southern california tech, and he also is ordained of an engineering school here. he knows our country and in my conversations with him he's been quite the moderate and progressive. >> we pause today to honor americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in war. but what about the children they leave behind? we're going to take you to good grief camp where kids can have fun and play while remembering mom or dad. from helping to revitalize a neighborhood in brooklyn... financing industries that are creating jobs in boston... providing funding for the expansion of a local business serving a diverse seattle community... and lending to ensure a north texas hospital continues to deliver quality care. because the more we can do in local neighborhoods and communities,

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today is the day set aside to honor the sacrifices of america's men and women in uniform, and for children of the fallen service members it's a chance for them to realize they're not alone. athena jones reports on a camp that helps them heal. ♪

>> reporter: this is the good grief camp. 11-year-old caleb lost his father air force captain cartez durham in a helicopter accident 4 years years ago. he and his brother are joining 1200 families as part of an event sponsored by the tragedy assistance program for survivors. >> i brought my kids five months after my husband died because i wanted them to know they were not the only kids who had lost a parent, either mother or father, in the military, and i wanted them to know there is a place they can go to where they feel normal and where they feel they don't always have to talk about what happened. we're all here for the same reason. >> reporter: taps has been bringing survivors together on memorial day weekend since 1994. with grief seminars for the adults and the daycare for the kids. >> grief is not a mental illness. it's in the a physical injury. grief is a wound of the heart,

and the absolute most therapeutic comfort for someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one is to talk with another young widow who was pregnant at the time of the loss. a mom who is grieving the loss of her only child. >> what does this weekend mean to you? >> what does it mean to you? >> that even though you lost a parent or your husband or wife died, you can still have fun, and that's what this camp is for. >> reporter: caleb is paired with mentor louis iverson for a second year. louis serves in the air force. >> just because they lost a loved one, it does not mean that we as a military group have just forgot about them. >> reporter: they also spend time with other children who know what it's like to lose a parent or sibling. caleb first met his friend hunter youngblood here four years ago. for families like the durhams, this weekend is an important reminder they're not alone. >> just having the sense of belonging when we're here, knowing we don't always have to

talk about our situation. it's understood here, but we can talk about it and we can laugh and we can smile, but at the same time you talk about them in the past tense and that's what makes it more painful. >> reporter: athea jones, cnn, arlington, virginia. president obama is going to be speaking shortly from the vietnam veterans memorial. his speech is scheduled to begin in about ten minutes. we'll take you there live. this year marks the 50th anniversary of the deploying of an american presence in vietnam. mitt romney is appearing in san diego john mccain. did you notice the gas prices? it is the third highest memorial day at the pumps, but gas still 29 cents cheaper than it was in april. we're going to tell you what's going on and whether or not the price is going to continue to go down. t skin kids. ordinary sunblock drips and whitens. neutrogena® wet skin cuts through water. forms a broad spectrum barrier for full strength sun protection.

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silicon valley man who is trying to get his tech company off the ground was given workspace ata ol. nothing usual about it, but after his money ran out and he could nong loer afford the space he stayed anyway. he was a squatter working and living on the aol campus. eric simon said the idea just popped into his head. >> i'm 20. like i don't really have -- i had nothing to lose. itch no money, no place to stay. it's like, okay. and in the morning i would come there before i would work and during the day i would work out and take a shower. so i was already like almost -- the only thing i wasn't doing was sleeping there.

i couldn't imagine going home and basically closing up shop and saying, okay, i'm done. >> simon has now received another $50,000 and is working out of a nearby rented house. so if you're one of the thousands of people who sat memorial day traffic at some point this weekend, well, it's small consolation, it actually costs a little less to do that. the ample price of gas in the country $3.63 a gallon. it might be the third highest memorial day price ever, but still 29 cents lower than the peak price we saw back in april. alison kosik in new york to put this all into perspective here. alison? cheap gas all relative, right? >> reporter: it is all relative. i mean, you think about the national average for a gallon of gas, about $3.64 a gallon. here in new york we're paying $4.13, way above that national average, and we're not the only ones. if you're in california, in chicago, hawaii, you're paying over that average as well. but same goes for below average if you live in mississippi, arkansas, or tennessee, you're

paying below that $3.64 a gallon. so, yeah, it's all relative. it depends where you live. >> you're checking it out there at the gas station. what's the trend for the prices? >> reporter: you know what? the trend analysts say you will be seeing are these prices to kind of stay where they are, maybe they will dill a little lower but not that much because what's going to keep them elevated is the fact that refineries are switching over to summer blend gasoline. it's cleaner but more expensive to refine. that's going to kind of keep prices right around where they are. >> and why do we find the gas prices falling in the first place? do we know? >> reporter: remember when we were beating the drum of $4 a gas by the time memorial day came around, same with $5 gas? that obviously not coming to fruiti fruition. a lot of things have changed. the supply of gas and oil is at its highest level since 1990. also those tension was iran, you remember last year iran was threatening to close the strait of hormuz, that's a main

shipping -- basically a main shipping area for 20% of the world's oil, so with that fear premium built in, we saw oil prices rise. those tensions have now eased, so you're seeing gas prices come down as well, especially since oil makes up 66% of gasoline. and, finally, how the economy is doing. the momentum that we've seen, the recovery, has kind of slowed down. you can see that in our jobs numbers, in our gdp numbers. they're kind of slowing down. now the expectation is that demand for gasoline and the demand for oil is going to slow down as well. it's not just here. you look at what's happening in europe, at least a dozen countries are falling into a recession. china is even showing signs of slowing down. then you have that demand again, that expectation for demand slowing down shall a, and you s price of oil coming down. >> alison, what is it like where you are? has it been pretty busy? >> reporter: is it busy? right now not too busy, but i'm seeing a lot of cars come and go. and a lot of people telling me

the few pennies they're saving not making a big difference on their bill. they want to see gas prices come down 50 cents to a $1 and then they will see a difference when they sign their name on their credit card there. >> alison, thanks. for the first time since being infected with a flesh eating bacteria, aimee copeland is now talking, and doctors, well, it's tragic, they had to cut off the young woman's hands and feet, but she is now showing signs of improvement. copeland's father posted her first words to his blog. [ female announcer ] did you know the average person smiles

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losing as little as 5% of your body weight could reduce your risk of breast cancer by 22%. that's according to a new study by cancer researchers in seattle. women who dieted and exercised saw a drop in hormones associated with risk of breast cancer. it's never too late to start exercising. here in georgia a lot of folks are celebrating what's called aimee day. yesterday was the first day in weeks aimee copeland spoke and breathed on her own. she's been battling a potentially deadly flesh eating bacteria since early this hmong. surgeons have amputated her

hands, part of her abdomen, one of her legs, and her remaining foot. aimee's dad, andy, has been using facebook to tell her story and he posted her first words to his blog. a new stud whyy says y -- says if you have a long commute you have a greater risk of vascular disease. more likely to have high bloop. those who traveled 15 miles or more were more likely to be overweight due to lack of exercising. new york's metro area has the longest commute time at almost 35 minutes. all right. it's not a trick question but do you remember your commencement address speaker? did they inspire you to change the world or did they bore you to death? we'll take a look at some of the best speeches this graduation season, what did they say, where did they fall flat? is my high school math teacher, dr. gilmore. i mean he could teach. he was there for us, even if we needed him in college.

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>> your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. >> that is the greatest lesson of life, to be it looks like you stole it from the set of survivor nova scotia.

seriously it looks like something a bear would use at an aa meeting. >> most graduates forget about the commencement message not long after the speech is delivered. that's what the author of "confessions of a public speaker" told me. >> people have been sitting around for a long, long day before the commencement speaker ever gets up there. so it's an audience that's really not looking to hear very much, and people just -- most people who get up there to do a commencement speech are focused too much on their piece of it when they're really at the end of a long day. most commencement speeches go on for much too long and they say predictable safe things to everyone. >> all right. so how do you make a speech memorable? what would be some of your tips? >> well, the first thing would be to keep it short. whenever we were told they have to listen to a lecture, we know it's going to be boring and we prepare ours, we brace ourselves for a long, boring speech. as soon as we're asked to talk we think about what we should

say. you're not obligated to use all that time. i always recommend thinking to use half of that time and whatever time you have, divide it into knee othree or four pie. less time and divide and conquer. >> and what makes a speech memorable. even beyond the commencement speech because you have a lot of folks who essentially, they're going to be facing a pretty tough economic situation when they get out of college. what can you tell them? >> well, the mistake a lot of speakers make, commencement speakers and speakers in general is they feel obligated to bring in famous quotes from famous people and they try to buffer themselves by telling other people stories, but if you're someone speaking at a commencement address, a day filled with lots of pomp and circumstance and generalities, what people want a specific personal story. the speeches we remember, we saw someone speak and they told something true about their past and that allowed us to connect with the story and the message.

if you want to have a memorable speech, think about how your own personal story can be a value to the people there. >> good advice. you have hit it, shaken it, now it still takes forever for the ketchup to come out of the bottle, but the wait might be over. >> reporter: who among us hasn't been guilty of assault on a ketchup bottle? but has technology finally caught up with ketchup? >> look at that thing slide. >> reporter: our long national nightmare is over. mechanical engineering students at m.i.t. have come up with a super slippery coating that makes anything from ketchup to mayonnaise practically leap out of a bottle. they call it liquiglide. even tony sow practice know would be beholden to these students. look how annoyed tony gets at the dreaded ketchup clog.

sure, there are techniques ranging from the good fella bottle roll to the heinz 57 trick. >> tilt the bottle -- >> reporter: and gently slap it on the sweet spot with the 57 is imprinted. but liquiglide could make those tactics obsolete. the idea is to apply the coating during bottle manufacturer. >> this is stuff that people already he'd in some foods. it's perfectly safe. >> reporter: they've already applied for a bunch of patents. what are the secret ingredients? >> they wouldn't be secret if they liquidided out of their mouths. they're already talking to bottling and food company. we asked the folks at heinz if they were in contact with the inventors. all they would say is we love

the idea of making it easier to pour out heinz ketchup. despite rave reviews. >> that's aamazing. >> reporter: there are traditionalists. >> i don't feel there would be the same satisfaction if it just poured out that quickly. >> reporter: guess what the young inventors at mit are anticipating? do you think this is going to turn you guys into lyle millionaires? >> i think so. >> reporter: they already have a slogan. liquid glide, let it slide. for traditional bottles, liquiglide could mean their last gasp. jean any moone moos, cnn, new y. cnn "newsroom" continues right now with brooke baldwin. >> what will they think of next. hello to all of you. i'm brooke baldwin. we're going to take you live to washington where we'll hear from the president in a moment as

he's getting ready to speak at what's known as the wall. it's the vietnam veterans memorial, but first this. want to take a look at some of these live pictures here. this is dallas, texas. you're looking at this crane. here is the story. we are told there is a man inside the cab of this crane hundreds of feet above the campus at southern methodist university, and police say he threatened officers. he is believed to be armed we're hearing with a pistol. everyone is okay. the school is closed so there aren't a lot of folks on campus, but we are keeping a close eye on the picture. thank you wfaa for providing it to us. as soon as we get updates we'll pass them onto you. some new video of this tragic scene. look at the smoke, flames break out inside the shopping mall killing at least 19 people. 13 of them are children. this is happening in qatar near saudi arabia, and this news just broke so we're getting more information right now again with this story. we'll pass it along as soon as we get it. tropical storm beryl is now

tropical depression beryl. the storm weakened after making landfall near jacksonville, florida, just after midnight with wind guss over 70 miles per hour in weakened after making land fall. the storm ripped down trees, ripped out power lines. thousands today on this holiday still without power. and pull up the boot straps, folks. because some parts of florida, parts of georgia could see upwards of eight inches of rain. a rebel leader in syria says the six-week old cease-fire brokered by the united nations is over. more than 100 people including 49 children were massacred over the weekend in the city of hula. the government is blaming terrorists. special envoy kofi annan arri d arrived, pleading to an end to this violence. another 26 people were killed across the country. and the vatican is narrowing down suspects who may have leaked confidential information. the pope's spokesman is denying

reports that the cardinal is implicated but also denies reports that a woman is involved are false. the pope's butler is under arrest and charged with aggravated theft. >> a and we want to show you a rook at the vietnam memorial, the black granite with the thousands and thousands of names here of the lives lost in the vietnam war. here we are waiting to hear from the president as he is helping kick off a 13-year tribute to the vietnam vets. so stand by for that. and as we wait for the president, i just want to show you something. you might want to spend a little time with. this is a pretty impressive interactive map, thank to the good folks at cnn.com. you can find it at cnn.com/home and away. it's a tribute to the americans who have fought and died both in afghanistan and iraq. so, for example, you can take a look at two maps. so we have afghanistan pulled up

on the right hand side of the screen. this is obviously the united states. for me, my hometown is atlanta, georgia. i'm going to try to go in closer here to atlanta. if i want to find a fallen soldier in many i particular neck of the woods, you click on one of these dots, three casualties in griffin, ja, for example. say i want to learn about pat faulkner. you can pull him up. 23 years of age when he passed away. explains exactly how he was killed. and then what's amazing is you can share memories and messages. so you pull this person up and you can read, for example, if someone sent in ireports or videos for this particular person. and you can see who else was killed in that province in afghanistan or who else was killed in action in grifb, fin, georgia. the same holds true with iraq. you have to wait for a moment, it will load and it will explain over the years, 4,802 u.s. and

coalition casualties. again, you can find this at cnn.com/homeandaway. and now, let's pause to take another look here at live pictures at the vietnam memorial as we are awaiting the president. there will be a flyover, several speakers here. master of ceremonies tom selleck, vietnam era veteran, actually. we're going to bring you the president's remarks here, the vice president there as well, their wooifs. let's get a quick break in. i'm one of six children that my mother raised by herself,

and so college was a dream when i was a kid. i didn't know how i was gonna to do it, but i knew i was gonna get that opportunity one day, and that's what happened with university of phoenix. nothing can stop me now. i feel like the sky's the limit with what i can do and what i can accomplish. my name is naphtali bryant and i am a phoenix. visit phoenix.edu to find the program that's right for you. enroll now.

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[ male announcer ] when diarrhea hits, kaopectate stops it fast. powerful liquid relief speeds to the source. fast. [ male announcer ] stop the uh-oh fast with kaopectate. >> welcome back. this is chairman martin dempsey. he's talking about courage. as they come home, to respect and honor these brave men and women, our war heros. he follows up. let's just listen in. marking memorial day, the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. >> ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, america's veterans. i'm honor ed with all of you as we begin the commemoration of

the 50th anniversary of america's participation in vietnam war. memorial day is an appropriate opportunity sfr all americans to come together, to pay distribute tribute to all those who have fought and died for our country. across more than 200 years, and on battlefields near and far. america's son's and daughters have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our liberties to give us all a better life. at this hour, at this hollowed and haunting memorial, we comet rate the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. a war that occupies a central

place in the american story. millions of americans were sent across the pacific to a little known place to fight in the service of the country that they loved. not only at this hour, but at all times we remember and carry in our hearts the more than 58,000 soldiers, sailors airmen, marines, coast guardsmen whose names are inscribed on this dark wall for eternity. for me personally, this is an especially moving moment. as a member and later chairman of the vietnam era veterans kau tus in the house of representatives, i have the honor to work on the endowment of this memorial.

to see the names of officers who went through rotc service in santa clara, to know my good friend, everett alvarez, a hero from this war and a classmate of mine served with great distinction in that war. no memorial, no memorial better reflects the main of the sacrifices that were made. many more came home from that country that failed to fully acknowledge their service and their act sacrifice and failed to give them the honor they so justly deserved.

that was burned into the soul of my generation. for too many vietnam veterans, the recognition of their bravery came too late. the vietnam generation, my generation is sgraing now. but this commemoration effort gives the country an opportunity today and in the years ahead to try and right the wrongs of the past. to remember those who served in this war and what they did for us, their service, and their sacrifice on our behalf. last week, i had the opportunity to join the president in paying tribute to a fallen member of that generation. specialist les sabel who

posthumously received the medal of honor. les sabo died in vietnam saving his brothers in arms. and it was those same brothers from the 101st airborne division who campaigned to reopen the medal of honor process for les more than 10 years ago. the story of les is the story of the vietnam war. we forgot and now we finally remember. next week, as secretary of defense, i'll have the opportunity to travel to vietnam to continue strengthening the growing ties our two countries are re-establishing since 1995.

we've come a long way since the war has ended. and it was the veterans of vietnam who led that way for our two nations to begin the process of trying to heal the wounds of war. today the department of defense personnel are working diligently to identify and locate the remains offalen service members missing in action in vietnam. let me assure you, this sacred mission will continue until all of our troops come home and are accounted for. during the last decade of war,

like past generations of warriors, another generation has answered the call to fight and sacrifice on foreign soil. they have done all this country has asked them to do and more. as they have returned overseas with our vietnam veterans front and center, they have embraced this new generation of service members, showing that we have learned pras the most important lesson to come out of the vietnam war -- the debt we owe to those who fight and who died for our freedoms.

president and mrs. obama have led the fight for the men and women who have fought for their nation. as this country faces tough economic times, we must do everything we can to ease the transition of the thousands of service members who will come home from war to civilian life. they fought for us. the least we can do is fight for them. one oof sthoez brave men was lieutenant hagel. like millions of our generation, he demonstrated bravery,

patriotism and heroism on the battlefield. and he also demonstrated that patriotism and that bravery and that heroism in the life of public service that is followed. chuck, we thank you for honoring us with your presence today and thank you for your commitment to the united states of america. god bless you. >> thank you. this uniquely american day memorial day was born over 140 years ago of america's civil war, our most costly and terrible war.

a war that tore at the heart and fabric of our republic. the next war to divide america produced this simple and elegant memorial that watches over us today. it reflects the images of the future as it roords the names of the past. memorials are built for the living and are to instruct our destiny as they honor and remember those who fell in the service of their country. memorials further instruct us of the power of responsibility of our nation's stewards to make policy wor thit of sacrifices of those who serve and died. war is not an abstraction. it is brutal and always a companied by the haunting portends of dangerous unintended consequences. uncontrollable and unpredictable. even though this is so, america's men and women have always found higher purpose in their lives in service to their country. i often think about those quiet heroes that my brother tom and i served with in vietnam in 1968. and i'm very proud that my

brother tom is here today sitting in the front row. i never knew nor -- thank you. i never now? or served with a better soldier or knew a better man nan my brother tom. these quiet heroes who we fought side by side with, were wounded with and sometimes helplessly watched die always considered themselves orderaire people. but they're far from ordinary. they viewed themselves as just, well, ordinary because they were humble, patriotic and selfless. they never asked for nor expect for anything in return other than respect and dignity. sadly, what they received when they returned was neither. in fact, they were blamed for the folly that so consumed america for so many years. the vietnam veterans memorial

means many things to many people. not only is there deep meaning and connection, but so it is with all americans of all generations. among these feelings is the responsibility and honor to assist returning veterans from wars in the last 11 years. assuring that these returning veterans are productively integrated back into society with the appreciation and recognition befitting a great nation. as we have painfully learned the tragic lessons from vietnam. we do not celebrate the vietnam war, we commemorate and historically recognize it. and as i said at the vietnam veteran memorial ground breaking on a cold, windy march day in 1982, there is no glory in war, only suffering. life is always more about the people than the event.

events are stages upon which individuals change the world. and today, we do celebrate a group of people. we celebrate those vinls who changed our country for the better. our vietnam veterans and their families. we also recognize those who are assisting our military families today in very special ways. like the first lady, michelle obama. and joe biden. the character of a nation is always about who it chooses to be its leards and how it respects its veterans. in my lifetime, america has not known two more committed leaders to its men and women in uniform and its veterans and their families than president obama and vice president biden. here to speak for all of us on this special day when we were all americans is the leader of our country, the 44th president of the united states, barack obama.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of our guest of honor and remain standing until the colors are retired. ♪ the mount of the united states, barack obama. first lady michelle obama, vice president biden and dprchlt biden. ♪

>> colors, present!

♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪

♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave? ♪ >> right shoulder arm. colors, colors turn, march!

>> please be seated. >> good afternoon, everybody. chuck, thank you for your words and your friendship and your life of service. veterans of the vietnam war, families, friends, distinguished guests. i know it is hot, but you are here to honor your loved ones and michelle and i could not be

more honored to be here with you. you know, it speaks to the complexity of america's time in vietnam that even now historians cannot agree on precisely when the war began. american visors served there and died there as early as the mid 50s. major combat operations would not begin until the mid '60s. but to illustrate the changing nature of our involvement, it was 1962. army pilots strapped on their helmets and boarded their helicopters. they lifted off, raced over tree

tops, carrying south vietnamese troops. it was a single raid just a few miles into the jungle, but it was one of america's first major operations in that far away land. 350 years later, we come to this wall, to this sacred place to remember. we can step, reach out, touch a name. they gave everything in the darkness of war so we could stand here in the glory of spring. and today begins the 50th commemoration of our war in

vietnam. we honor each of those names etched in stone. 58,282 american patriots. we salute all who served with them and we stand with the families who love them still. for years you've come here to be with them much once more. and in the simple things you've left behind, your offerings, your mementoes, your gifts, we get a glimpse of the lives they led. the blanket that covered them ooze a baby, the baseball bat he swung as a boy, a wedding ring,

a photo of the grandchild he never met. the boots he wore, still covered in mud, the medals she earned, still shining. and of course, some of the things left here have special meaning known only to the veterans. a can of beer, a pact of m&ms, a container of spam. an old field ration still good. still awful. it's here we feel the depth of your sacrifice. our founders in their genius gave us a task. they set out to make a more perfect union. and so it falls to every

generation to carry on that work to keep moving forward, to overcome a sometimes painful past to keep striving for our ide ideals. and one of the most painful chapters in our history was vietnam. most particularly how we treated our troops who served there. you were often blamed for a war you didn't start when you should have been commended for serving your country with valor. you're sometimes blamed for misdeeds of a few. [ applause ] 6 when the honor service of the many should have been praised.

you came home and sometimes were denigrated when you should have been celebrated. it was a national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened. and that's why here today we resolve that it will not happen again. and so a central part of this 50th anniversary will be to tell your story as it should have been told all along. it's another chance to set the record straight. that's one more way we keep perfecting our union. setting the record straight. and it starts today. because history will honor your service. your names will join a story of

service that stretches back two centuries. let us tell a story of a generation of service members, every color, every creed, rich, poor, officer, and enlisted who served with just as much patriotism and honor as any before you. let's not forget that most of those who served in vietnam did so by choice. so many of you volunteered. you said your country is at war. send me. that includes our women in vietnam. every one of you a volunteer. those who were drafted, they, too, went and carried their burden. you served. you did your duty. you persevered through some of

the most brutal conditions ever faced by americans in war. the suffocating heat, the drenching monsoon rains, an enemy that could come out of nowhere and vanish just as quickly. some of the most intense urban combat in history and a battle of a single hill could rage for weeks. let it be said in places like briar patch and the zoo and hanoi hilton, the veet rans didn't just endure, you wrote some of the most important storieses of bravery in the annals of american history. as a nation, we've long celebrated our forces at normandy and iwo jima and heart break ridge.

so let us also speak of your courage. hamburger hill to rolling thunder. you won every major battle you fought in. when you came home, i know many of you put your medals away, tucked them in a dwrauier or in a box in the closet. you went on with your lives, started families and pursued careers. a lot of you didn't talk too much about your service. as a consequence, this nation has not always fully appreciated the chapter of your lives that

came next. so let us also tell a story of a generation that came home and how even though some americans turned their back on you, you never turned your back on america. generations before you took off the uniform but you never stopped serving. you became teachers and police officers and nurses. the folks we count on every single day. you became entrepreneurs, running companies and pioneering industries that changed the world. you became leaders and public servants from town halls to capitol hill, lifting up our communities, our states, our nation. you reminded us what it was like to serve, what it meant to serve.

and those of you who stayed in uniform, you rose through the ranks, became leaders, ferned from your experience in vietnam and rebuilt our military into the finest force the world has ever known. and let's remember, all the vietnam veterans who came back and served again in the wars in iraq and afghanistan. you did not stop serving. even as you succeeded in all these endeavor, you did something more. you looked each other. when your government didn't live up to its responsen'ts, you spoke out, fighting for the care and benefits you had earned. and over time transforming the v.a.

one of these vietnam veterans is our outstanding secretary of veteran affairs. you looked after one another. you cared for one another. people weren't always talking about ptsd a the time. you understood it and you were there for each other. and just as importantly, you didn't just take care of your own, you cared for those that followed. you made it your mission to make sure your friends got the support and care they didn't always receive.

because of your, our vietnam veterans led the charge. we're helping hundreds of thousands of today's veterans go to college and pursue their dreams. because of you, because you didn't let us forget, our airports are returning troops get off the airplane and you're there to shake their hands. because of you, people across america welcome home the troops from iraq. and when forces return from afghanistan, america will give this entire 9/11 generation the welcome home they deserve. that happened in part because of you. this is the story of our vietnam service members, the story that

needs to be told. this is what this 50th anniversary is all about. you did your job. you served with honor. you made us proud. you came home and helped build the america that we love and that we cherish. so here today, it must be said, you have earned your place among the greatest generations. at this time, i would ask all our vietnam veterans, those of you who can stand to please stand. all those already standing, raise your hands as we say those simple words which always greet our troops when they come home here on out, welcome home! welcome home!

welcome home! thank you. we appreciate you. welcome home. today we're calling on all americans in every segment of our society to join in this effort. everybody can do something. five decades removed from a time of division among americans, this anniversary can remind us of what we share as americans. and that includes honoring our vietnam veterans by never forgetting the lessons of that war. so let us resolve that when america sends our sons and daughters into harm's way, we will always give them a clear mission, we will always give them a sound strategy, we will give them the equipment they need to get the job done. we will have their backs.

we will resolve that leaders will be candid about the risks and about progress and have a plan to bring our troops home with honor. let us resolve to never forget the cost of war including the cost of civilians, not just in vietnam but in all wars 37 while your sacrifice in service is the very definition of glory, war itself is not glorious. we wait har. -- hate war. when we fight, we do so to protect ourselves because it's necessa necessary. let's resolve in our democracy, we can debate and disagree, but never let us use patriotism as a political sword. patriots can support a war,

patriots can oppose a war, and whatever our view, let us always stand united in support of our troops who we' placed in harm's way, that is our solemn obligation. let's resolve to take care of our veterans as well as they've taken care of us. not just talk, but actions. not just in the first five years after a war, but first five deck kids. for our vietnam veterans, this means disability benefits for diseases connected to agent orange. it means opportunities help you stand tall again.

every veteran who has fought for america has a home in america. you shouldn't have to fight for a roof over your heads when you've fought on behalf of the country you love. and when an american does not come back, including the 1,666 americans still missing from the vietnam war, let us resolve to do everything in to our power to bring them home. this is our solemn promise to mothers like sara shea who joins us today, 93 years old, who has honored her son missing in action for 42 years. there she is. thank you for your courage. god bless you.

this is the prom we're fulfilling today to the maroney family of fayetteville, arkansas. 43 years after he went missing, army can't mer rony the 3rd is coming home and will finally rest in piece. come called this war era a scar on our country. but here's what i say. as any wound heel, the tissue around it becomes tougher, welcomes stronger than before.

in this spence, we finally might be able to see a way to treat our veterans better. because of the hard lessons of vietnam, because of you, america is stronger than before. let us remember what binds us as one people. this is important for all of us, whether you fought in the vietnam war, fight against it, whether you're too young to be shaped by it, it is important that our children understand the sacrifices that were made by our troops in vietnam. but for them, this is more than just a name in the history books.

it's important that we know the lesson of a gift once left at this memorial. most of the tourists and visitors departed. and there it was, a football helmet. black with white stripes and a wristband. and with them was a handwritten note. it was a young man in high school. but in that short handwritten note, he captured the reverence, the bonds between generations that bring us here today. the letter began, dear vietnam veterans. here things from me to you that i think you should have. he explained it was his helmet from midget football and his

wristband from his senior year. so today i want to close with the words he wrote in these two pieces of equipment, i was allowed to make mistakes, correct them, grow and mature as a person. however, that was on my battlefield. you didn't get the chance to do that on your battlefield. some of you were forced to grow up too fast. all of you died too soon. we do have many things in common, though. we both have pride, heart, and determination. i'm just sorry you guys had to learn those qualifies too fast. anticipate that is why i'm giving you what i grew up with. you are true heroes and you will never be forgeten.

that's from a high school kid. born decades after the end of the war. and that captures the shirt that this entire country should embrace. veterans, family the of the vietnam war. i know the wounds of war are slow to heal. and you know that better than most. but today we take another step. the task of telling your story continues. and the work of perfecting our union goes on. and decades from now, i hope another person will vaz zit this place and in that moment of understanding and gratitude and of grace, your legacy will

ensure. for you are all true heroes and you will all be remembered. may god bless you. may god bless your families. may god bless our men and women in uniform, and may god bless these united states of america. >> there's a tradition that when a new name is added, it's added on memorial. this year, 10 new names were added to the wall. we ask the families of these hooer roes to ride as their loved ones are read.

albert calajana cueva. joseph william aben. richard carl hunt. richard duane stocker. walter allen lindsey. frank a. nearry.

florence decker. larry morgan kelly. johnny owen brooks. the wall now bears the name of 58,282 heroes. ladies and gentlemen, please rise as the president, the first lady and other distinguished leaders tack their place at the wall with families of the fallen who represent not only their loved ones but all who served, suffered and sacrificed in the name of freedom. joining the president and first

lady is miss rose marie sabo brown, wife of sergeant leslie sabo, u.s. army, who will lay a wreath in honor of all those who served. joining the vice president of the united states, joe biden and dr. jill biden is mrs. janin janine sigen. in honor of american prisoners of war. joining the honorable leon panet panetta, secretary of defense, is mrs. sara francis shea, the mother of donald emerson shea jr. in honor of all who remain unaccounted for and to whom we renew our commitment to the fullest possible accounting.

joining the honorable kel salazar, secretary of the interior, the brother and travis renvo, u.s. army, as they honor all who served. frank neary jr. and christopher neary, the sons of corporal frank neary, u.s. marine corps in honor of all veterans who bear the wounds of war. joaning dempsey is sdaif clinker, brother of captain mary clinker, in honor of all women warriors who served. joining the kmeef of staff,

united states army is jeannete early, wife of first class howard early in honor of every soldier who served. timothy hanafin is georgiana drou, mother of bruce carter, in honor of every marine who served. stephan stephanie loper, niece of richard hunt, in honor of every sailor who served. jiening is is colleen shawn, daughter of anthony cameron shawn in honor of every member of the air force who served.

. henry rattiger, son of jack columbus rittager in honor of every member of the coast guard who served. joaning general craig r. mckinley, chief of national guard bureau is bill cuyler and stephen cuyler, the sons of major clyde cuyler in honor of every member of the guards and reserve who serveded. joining the deputy secretary of state is cindy coleman, the wife of foreign service officer, joseph gregory fendino, in honor of all members of the state departments and agencies who served.

a vietnam veteran and member of the department of transportation honors all who served in the merchant marine. joining major general victor hugo is jenny tran and van win, daughters of colonel ban nguyen in honor of all who served. ♪

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>> present arms.