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American Morning
President Bush to Push End of Ban on Offshore Drilling; McCain Reverses Decision on Offshore Drilling; Evidence Shows Terror Suspects Tortured; Levee Breach Forces Small Town Evacuation
Aired June 18, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at the overall situation there, Robert. The U.S. reports that more American and coalition soldiers died in Afghanistan in the month of May, then died in Iraq. The violence is on the rise there. Bottom line, is U.S. policy in Afghanistan working?
ROBERT GRENIER, FMR. DIR., CIA COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER: I think the short answer is no. It's not working. I think NATO troops are an important part of the solution, but they are not sufficient to solve this problem. It's good that Afghan forces are coming into the fight a little bit more heavily. That's a long, slow process. They really need to engage people at the local level, and that really hasn't been done.
ROBERTS: So what's the challenge for the next president?
GRENIER: Well, I think that the next president -- the challenge for the next president will be to stay the course and to make sure that we get engaged in a sustained and systematic way at a local level in Afghanistan. Simply pouring in more foreign troops is not going to do it.
ROBERTS: Robert Grenier for us this morning. Bob, it's good to see you. Thanks for coming in.
GRENIER: Thank you.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And it is 7:00 here on the East Coast. Here's a look at what's making news this Wednesday morning.
Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe out of jail and free this morning. Islamic cleric, Abu Qatada, accused of helping to inspire the September 11th attacks after videos of his sermons were found in the apartment used by three of the hijackers including their leader Mohamed (ph) Atta.
Illinois underwater. An area the size of 3,700 football fields is submerging the town of Gulfport this morning. Homes and buildings swamped after the Mississippi River smashed through a levee. The town could sit under 10 feet of water if the makeshift sandbag dams don't hold.
Is the astronomical cost of oil due to price fixing? Eleven senators are urging the Bush administration to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization. They claim OPEC is breaking the rules by holding down the oil supply to pump up prices.
And lift the ban. That's the word from the president this morning when it comes to offshore oil drilling. The White House urging Congress to cancel the ban as well as allow drilling on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Our Brianna Keilar is live from the White House with more this morning. Hi, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kiran.
President Bush is going to be making an announcement on this today. White House Press Secretary Dana Perino telling CNN last night that with gasoline now over $4 a gallon, he will explicitly call on Congress to also pass legislation lifting the congressional ban on safe environmentally-friendly offshore oil drilling.
Well, as you know, environmentalists say that safe environmentally- friendly offshore oil drilling is really an oxymoron. Democrats certainly not on board with this. Some critics say this is not going to be a short-term fix. It will affect that $4 a gallon gas, but the White House and many Republicans are pushing this.
And this announcement is not a total 180 for President Bush. While he has been cautious about offshore drilling near Florida, remember his brother Jeb Bush was governor there, and he was against offshore drilling in Florida.
President Bush has pushed, has talked about the idea of offshore drilling in California. And among Republicans, what we're seeing here really this increasing acceptance of this idea. It's really not the political kryptonite that it once was, and President Bush is joining in in this call, Kiran.
CHETRY: Brianna Keilar for us at the White House, thank you.
ROBERTS: The president's request for offshore drilling comes less than 24 hours after Senator John McCain changed his stance on the issue. Joining us with more is CNN's Congressional correspondent Dana Bash.
Dana, a lot of people changing their minds. John McCain, Governor Charlie Crist out of Florida. What's this all about?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they're all saying just as Brianna just explained from the White House, what John McCain is saying is virtually the same thing, which is interesting since he's trying to distance himself from the president on climate change. But on this issue of offshore drilling, he says he is looking for some way to ease voters' pain at the pump. And that's not the only area his position on energy policy is evolving.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): In the heart of Texas oil country, John McCain went after Barack Obama for supporting a windfall profits tax on oil companies.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If the plan sounds familiar, it's because that was President Jimmy Carter's big idea too. And a lot of good it did us.
BASH: Critical now, but just last month McCain said he was open to the idea.
MCCAIN: I'd be glad to look not just at the windfall profits tax. That's not what bothers me. But we should look at any incentives.
BASH: The change? Proof of how tricky gas price politics is for McCain. On the one hand, he's pushing green energy alternatives, like wind, solar and biodiesel, pushing away from George Bush with this new ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, POLITICAL AD)
NARRATOR: John McCain stood up to the president and sounded the alarm on global warming five years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: But in the face of voter outrage over high gas prices, McCain is changing his position on an issue that helps define him as an environmentally conscious Republican. He used to oppose lifting a federal moratorium on offshore drilling. Now, he wants to lift the ban.
MCCAIN: The broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production.
BASH: It's a risky reversal for a candidate trying to use the environment to appeal to independents, especially in the battleground of Florida where many Republicans, like Governor Charlie Crist and Senator Mel Martinez, have long opposed offshore drilling. But as McCain changes his position, so are they.
SEN. MEL MARTINEZ (R), FLORIDA: It is an evolving position for him as it is for me, as it is, I think, for a lot of Floridians who are now being tremendously upset about the high cost of gas.
GOV. CHARLIE CRIST (R), FLORIDA: It's something I would least like to do, but I also understand the economics of what's happening in our country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: Barack Obama accused John McCain of taking a "politically expedient way out." Obama echoed what some environmental groups are saying about offshore drilling. That it would take five to 10 years to really get the oil exploration up and running, and that's no short- term fix -- John.
ROBERTS: Dana Bash for us this morning from Washington. Dana, thanks. CHETRY: New this morning, a human rights group releasing a report they say shows evidence terror suspects were tortured. The group saying that medical exams on detainees at Abu Ghraib Prison and Guantanamo Bay showed signs of beatings, electric shock, sleep deprivation and other abuses. The group evaluated 11 former detainees who were held at those places but never charged with a crime.
Barbara Starr joins us live now from the Pentagon.
BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, this report really has some very disturbing details in it. As you say, medical evaluations conducted on 11 former detainees at both Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Men who were never charged with crimes.
This 121-page report from the group positioned from human rights indeed says it found evidence of beatings, electrical shock, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation and sodomy. Dr. Allen Keller, who was one of the evaluators on the study, spoke a little earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF DR. ALLEN KELLER, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: We've found clear physical and psychological evidence of torture and abuse, often causing lasting suffering. Whether it was scars from brutal beatings or nightmares, sexual humiliations that they endured.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: Kiran, one of the underpinnings of this report is that the forward, the preface to the report was written by retired Major General Anthony Taguba. He led the army's investigation into the abuses at Abu Ghraib Prison. He is one of the most respected senior officers in the army now retired. And he said in that preface, "There is no longer any doubt that the current administration committed war crimes."
That's a very serious statement from a very respected retired officer. The Pentagon has not directly addressed this report but has continued to say over the years that detainees are treated humanely, and that any abuses were isolated incidents that were dealt with -- Kiran.
CHETRY: So where does it go from here? What is the possibility that there will be repercussions from this report?
STARR: Well, you know, it's hard to say. There have been investigations -- the Pentagon's position is there have been multiple investigations of the situation at Abu Ghraib at Guantanamo Bay. We saw extended hearings on Capitol Hill yesterday into these techniques of interrogation that many people are now increasingly calling torture.
A lot of groups want people held accountable, but other than some low- level soldiers who were at Abu Ghraib in Iraq several years ago, no senior officers, no senior commanders have ever been held accountable -- Kiran. CHETRY: Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. Thank you.
ROBERTS: It's 8 1/2 minutes after the hour. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
And coming up next, no deal. Senator Chris Dodd shooting down accusations that he got a break on his mortgage.
CHETRY: Then levees breaking. Parts of Illinois completely underwater this morning as sandbags line the Mississippi towns down river, bracing for the worst.
ROBERTS: And later, Michelle Obama. From her life in Chicago to a possible pass to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Our Randi Kaye has her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Obama campaign tells me that Michelle Obama picks out her own clothes. No image consultant on staff. She's as comfortable in a gown as she is in a pair of jeans at her kids' soccer games. But beyond style what may most define a first lady is a sense of dignity. The ability to strike a balance between queen and commoner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Senator Chris Dodd shooting down accusations that he got any sweetheart deals on a mortgage from embattled lender, Countrywide. The Connecticut Democrat acknowledged that he was VIP customer but said that he didn't think that would mean he'd get special treatment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: If there was a VIP section we're in but the assumption was, and no one ever said to us you're going to get some special treatment. It was a courtesy. At no point did anyone ever suggest to me that we were supposed to get some deal out of Countrywide.
I never spoke to anybody except loan officers about this thing. Never any higher ups or any senior people within Countrywide and that anyone ever suggested to me somehow that I was going to get some preferential treatment because I was a United States senator. That would have ended the relationship immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Another Democrat senator, Kent Conrad, says he too received preferential treatment from Countrywide but he was unaware of any deal. He later donated the money he saved to Habitat for Humanity.
ROBERTS: Thirteen minutes after the hour. Ali Velshi is here for us this morning after a couple of days in Chicago. And on Capitol Hill, a lot of speculation about speculation.
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Right. There's just -- everything you could possibly think about to do with oil is going on on Capitol Hill. Everybody wants to solve this problem all of a sudden with oil still hanging around about $135 a barrel.
Couple things are going on. There are a bunch of senators who are interested in following up on a suggestion. We heard from Hillary Clinton some months ago about the idea that OPEC can be sued, or some complaint can be lodged against OPEC for the high price of oil. I'm not sure that's going to go anywhere, but there is a big OPEC meeting coming up this weekend where they've invited consumer nations. Chiefly, the United States, to meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss what's going on with the price of oil and what Saudi Arabia and OPEC can do to help solve the problem.
Now, there are a couple of other things in the works. There's a bill in Congress that's considering ways to control speculation. Now, remember, when we talk about speculation, we're really talking about excessive speculation. You need some amount of speculation in any market.
The excessive speculation is the kind where people are buying oil who don't actually use it. They don't produce it. They are simply buying it to make money off of it. Again, some of that is OK. Too much of it might be a problem.
Here are the things Congress could enact to tackle excessive speculation, or the things they're considering. One is make non-U.S. exchanges, oil trades around the world. Share more information. So there's some sense of exactly who's trading what.
Limit the number of contracts that can be held. One contract is for 42,000 barrels of oil. Limiting how much people can trade might limit some speculation.
Increase the amount of money needed to trade. Right now, you have to put less than 10 percent down in order to trade in oil. If you have to put more money down you might trade less of it.
And limit trading to people who are either producing or consuming oil. So if you're not -- nothing to do with the oil business, maybe you wouldn't be allowed to trade.
Those are the things that are being considered. Unclear what will actually take place. But those are some of the things that they've heard testimony about that could maybe tamp down the price of oil a little bit.
ROBERTS: All right. We'll keep watching this story.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROBERTS: Hey, a return to glory for the Boston Celtics. They finished off the Lakers last night in game six of the NBA Finals on the home parquet. There was no doubt about it. 131-92 win. The largest blow out ever in a championship clincher.
Paul Pierce was named the Finals MVP to Celtic's 17th NBA title. No team has won more. And you can tell, all you've got to do is look at the front of the "Boston Globe" and that tells the tale here.
Look at this. There we go. Oh, well, that's different than mine. Mine here says -- I mean -- mine says --
CHETRY: We went all the way to Boston to get this.
ROBERTS: Mine says happy goats, spectacular cheeses.
CHETRY: Oh, that's the food section in the back.
ROBERTS: It does. Oh, no, there it is. "BACK ON TOP". "Boston Globe".
CHETRY: They are happy goats, though, I'm sure. So it's a return to the natural order of things for basketball.
ROBERTS: There you go.
VELSHI: But I think that's a fantastic story that if your goats are happy the cheese is better.
CHETRY: Thank you.
VELSHI: Just saying.
CHETRY: Thank you. Worked up for us.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Yes, I'm on the goat cheese.
ROBERTS: What do you know about happy goats?
VELSHI: I'm a big fan of goat cheese. And I suspect happier goats. I think it extends to cows too. Happier cows probably make better milk. But, you know what, my time is up.
CHETRY: That would be a good name for a cheese. It is. Thanks, Ali.
VELSHI: I'm getting the wrap.
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
There are some new concerns also about FEMA's response. We'll tell you why the government says that the agency may be slow in providing aid to those in need.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sean Callebs in rural Iowa. The front line in the battle of the flood of '08. Will these levees hold up? We'll tell you. Stay tuned for more AMERICAN MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."
We're following breaking news right now. A second levee on the Mississippi River failing early this morning from the pressure of those massive floods. It happened in Illinois, the same state where another levee broke yesterday. And there are more concerns as we head into today.
We get right to it now with our Sean Callebs. He's alongside one of those levees across the river in Des Moines County, Iowa. Is this just the sheer pressure of the water that's causing these to break? Or are they topping the levees?
CALLEBS: Apparently, it is just the pressure from the water. The fact that the only thing holding back the mighty Mississippi all along areas from Iowa down to St. Louis area, sandbags and a wall of earth. I want to show you exactly where this levee breach happened.
We're about 10 miles north of the town in Burlington, Iowa, in the southeastern corner of Iowa. If you look at this map, we can show you it actually happened near Quincy. It's about an hour south of where we are. We talked to emergency officials. It happened last night allowing this muddy water just to pour into thousands and thousands of acres of mostly farmland.
And Illinois' misfortune is some good news for Iowa. We'll tell you exactly why. If you look at the Mississippi here, the sandbags, the water actually went down about nine inches last night. It doesn't seem like a lot. But, boy, it means so much to people here because just about 30 hours ago, the water from the Mississippi was at the very top of these sandbags.
I want to show you a breach that happened yesterday. So very dramatic pictures right across the river in the town of Gulfport, Illinois. You can see where this breach gave way, water simply pouring in. And that was the first time it actually took some pressure off of the Iowa side.
But a lot of concern here today. I want to take you back here just a little bit. There are people going up and down this levee in ATVs, about a 14-mile stretch. They're looking for what they call boiling.
If you've been here, there's some water right here, but it's clear water. And that, they tell us, is good news, because it means the levee is doing its job. Some water seeping through but there's no scouring going on. It's not bringing dirt with it.
What's at stake? Look over here. This is what's at stake. This levee goes down probably 15 to 20 feet, out there nothing but flat farmland, healthy Iowa corn. If this levee would give way, nothing to stop it for miles and miles and miles.
We are in a mandatory evacuation here, Kiran. Also, the Army Corps of Engineers came up and talked to us in the last hour and asked us to stay off of these sandbags, and it's interesting why. There's dirt and there's a layer of plastic then these sandbags. What happens?
Condensation builds up on that plastic. If we step on it, it actually causes a depression. And even that little depression, the condensation on the plastic can begin running through there and that begins scouring and that can bring down this levee. So even the littlest thing has such a huge impact at this point when the water is this high -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Unbelievable.
All right. Sean Callebs for us. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Twenty-two minutes after the hour.
Skyrocketing gas prices. It's America's top concern this election year, and both John McCain and Barack Obama agree that things need to change. Ahead, Rudy Giuliani joins us with more on McCain's plan.
And the world getting its first glimpse of Fidel Castro in more than five months. We're going to take a look at the 81-year-old former Cuban leader.
You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's coming up at 25 minutes after the hour.
The skyrocketing price of oil, John McCain and Barack Obama squaring off over what to do about it. McCain now says that he wants to lift the federal ban on offshore drilling. It's an about face for him. He opposed offshore drilling when he ran for president eight years ago.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is a McCain supporter. He joins us now from Republican National Committee's headquarters in Washington. Mr. Mayor, it's good to see you.
RUDY GIULIANI (R), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good to see you, John. How are you?
ROBERTS: I'm fine this morning. Hope you are as well.
GIULIANI: I am.
ROBERTS: Hey, listen, during the campaign you were for lifting the federal ban on offshore drilling but a lot of people saying, hey, this is nothing more than pandering to the oil and gas interests. It's going to do nothing to lower the price of a barrel of oil in this country. Listen to what Barack Obama said about that yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unfortunately, I think this is another example of where John McCain has taken the politically expedient way out. He had it right the first time. Just as he had it right with the Bush tax cuts the first time. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: As we mentioned, Mr. Mayor, this is an about face for Senator McCain. Also, an about face for Governor Crist to his opposed offshore drilling. Why all the change of heart here?
GIULIANI: Well, as you said, I believe it should be left to the states. That's the position I've always taken. But I think the reality is it is just not correct to say it wouldn't affect the price of oil. Anything you do to increase supply, actually, given the futures market, anything you do to suggest that you're going to increase supply in the future is going to reduce somewhat the price of oil.
And the reality is, Barack Obama opposes almost everything that could realistically reduce the price of oil. Expanding refineries, expanding nuclear power, which is something that he doesn't embrace. So the reality is you can't look at this in isolation.
If all you were doing is this, it would have a small impact on the price of oil. But if you're talking about rethinking some of the things that have hurt us over the last 20 to 30 years, then that is truly taking us on a path toward energy independence. It includes liquid natural gas. It includes wind and solar. It includes hybrid vehicles.
You have to do all these things. These all have to be opened up for discussion because we've been basically on hold for about 30 years now. We haven't built a new refinery in 30 years. We haven't licensed a nuclear power plant in 25 or 30 years. We're not exploiting responsibly our oil reserves. All these things have to now be opened up.
We're in a crisis with regard to this. And the reality is the American people deserve some really tough political decisions about things that we've held back on in the past.
ROBERTS: Mr. Mayor, in the past 24 hours, you have really been lashing out at Senator Obama over this idea of fighting the war on terrorism. It falls out of some comments that he made in an interview with ABC, in which he said regarding the Supreme Court decision on Guantanamo, D.C. (ph) and East, "We can crackdown on threats against the United States, but we can do so within the constraints of our Constitution. For example, the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated."
He says he wants to deal with terrorism within the frame work of the constitution. What's wrong with that?
GIULIANI: Well, the reality is no one is lashing out on him. I mean, the words that were used by some of the commentators are no different than Hillary Clinton said.
She described the way he deals with terrorism, the way he proposed dealing with it, talking to these people in some of these countries without preconditions. She described it as irresponsible. I'm not sure she used the word naive. Same word that some of the Republicans have used.
I haven't said that but what I do suggest is that he doesn't have the experience to handle terrorism. It was a terrible mistake to deal with it in the '90s, just as a criminal justice matter. I think most experts --
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: Well, would you have dealt with -- would you have dealt with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in a different fashion?
GIULIANI: We should have. Of course, we should have recognized that it was a terrorist attack.
ROBERTS: What should you have done with Sheikh Rahman (ph) and his cohorts?
GIULIANI: Well, America should have gone --
ROBERTS: He may have gone to Guantanamo?
GIULIANI: America should have gone on offense. America should have gone on offense against terrorism. We didn't. We had a muted response to the terrorist attacks that occurred right after that, including the ones that occurred on the USS Cole where we had no response.
We saw it as the way Senator Obama sees it. I call it a pre-September 11th mentality that he wants to return to.
ROBERTS: But --
GIULIANI: The reality is the criminal justice system has limited application in this area of terrorism. When it can be used, it should be used. But you should not think of it as a criminal justice matter, as a grand jury is going to solve terrorism. And I guess the real objection that we have is trying to take the constitution and apply it all over the world.
ROBERTS: Right.
GIULIANI: We never did that before. The constitutional decision last week by the Supreme Court is a creation of new rights for terrorists that did not exist before.
ROBERTS: Senator Obama says that the Guantanamo detentions haven't resulted in a lot of people being prosecuted for terrorist crimes and all it has done is ruin America's credibility in the world. True or untrue?
GIULIANI: Well, they have also protected America. At least 30 of the people that were released from Guantanamo have engaged in battlefield activities or terrorist activities again. That will give you some idea of what can happen if you decide to release those people from Guantanamo.
So the reality is the people that are being held there may have something to do with safety that has occurred. We haven't had a terrorist attack in the United States since September 11. I thank God for that. You keep thinking that it could happen again, and we've got to be prepared for that.
ROBERTS: Mr. Mayor --
GIULIANI: The reality is we've been safe. So I don't know why we want to change these constitutional guarantees and give terrorists more constitutional guarantees than they have had over the last 200 years, or at least enemy confidence they've had over the last 200 years.
ROBERTS: Mr. Mayor, we got to run. Apparently, we're going to lose the satellite.
Thanks for being with us this morning. It's always good to see you. We'll get you back.
GIULIANI: Good to see you again, John. We'll see you again very soon. Thanks.
ROBERTS: Take care.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now, 7:30 here on the East Coast, to look at what's making news this morning. The price of gas is down for the second day in a row. Average price for a gallon of unleaded is just over $4.07 a gallon. It means you'll save almost a penny at the pump. Not much, but at least it seems to be heading in the right direction.
Remembering a legend. Political journalist Tim Russert being laid to rest this morning at the Holy Trinity Church in Washington, D.C.. Russert died Friday of a heart attack at the age of 58.
Short staffed by a cash crunch. The police responsible for detecting suspicious people or even car bombs at federal buildings nationwide are reducing patrols. The cut back affects 9,000 buildings in Washington alone.
And Fidel Castro making an appearance on television. The former Cuban leader hitting the airwaves last night. Our Sashta Darlington is in Havana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASHTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Looking thin, but animated. Fidel Castro was back on the air waves Tuesday. In the first images released of him since January. Cuban state television broadcast a video that showed the bearded revolutionary chatting with his younger brother and successor Raul Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Castro is still gaunt but he laughs and appears to talk energetically. And he stands when he bids farewell to Chavez. The video was broadcast without any audio during the evening news program. These first images seen of Castro in five months likely will help dispel rumors that his health had taken a turn for the worst. Castro hasn't appeared in public since July 2006 when he stepped down to undergo emergency surgery. Newscasters said this latest video was shot earlier Tuesday. They said the two Castros and Chavez talked about a range of topics including the global food crisis. Shasta Darlington, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: And Alina Cho here now with some other stories new this morning. Good to see you.
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there. Good morning, guys. And good morning, everybody. New this morning, word of an agreement that may end months of deadly violence between Hamas and Israel. Officials from both sides say a six-month ceasefire in the Gaza strip in southern Israel will take effect tomorrow but Israel warns that the truce is fragile. And could easily fall apart.
A police officer has been pulled from street duty after being caught on tape slamming a teenager face first into a wall. Take a look at this. The 16-year-old was in handcuffs on his way to the booking room in Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he put up a struggle. That's what happened there. According to a complaint the officer swung him around and slammed him so hard that he damaged three of his teeth.
According to a new government report, FEMA's outdated equipment is hampering its ability to provide disaster relief in an effective and timely manner. The report says FEMA employees are using old computers and even paper forms. FEMA says it's already taken some steps to upgrade its logistical system.
A judge has approved $11 million settlement for most of the Virginia Tech shooting victims. 24 families have accepted the settlement. They'll get $100,000 a piece plus medical expenses. A gunman killed 27 students and five faculty members last April before killing himself.
And America's front yard as its called, the National Mall in Washington, is getting its first facelift in more than three decades. Today a house committee is scheduled to consider approving as much as $100 million in matching funds for repairs. The National Park Service says it needs $350 million. The money will go toward fixing bathrooms, lights and general cleanup on that famous strip of green between the Capitol and the Potomac River, not the Capitol itself as we just showed you there. 25 million people visit the 700 acre mall each year. That's more than Yellow Stone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon combined.
ROBERTS: Seriously? It's because you don't need an RV to get there.
ALI VELSHI, CNN, SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Maybe because they happen to be there visiting the...
CHO: Maybe, it could be that.
VELSHI: And you know, Congress.
CHETRY: The Smithsonian. Yes.
VELSHI: And you know white house? I kind of feel like the mall happens to be -
ROBERTS: It's like when you go to the shopping mall you got to visit the parking lot.
VELSHI: I mean, I could get in a lot of trouble for saying this but it's not just...
CHETRY: It's beautiful.
ROBERTS: Ali is back from a couple of days in Chicago.
VELSHI: Which is why I'm mouthing off.
ROBERTS: Always a day without Ali is like a day without your hairless prophet of doom.
VELSHI: A day without Ali was a day without a gas price increase.
CHETRY: I know, you left two days in a row...
VELSHI: Isn't that interesting? This is the second time it's happening. I'm telling you, I may be the problem. John McCain suggests however that there are other problems. That he's actually going to unveil his solutions to those energy problems over the course of the next two weeks. I'm going to give you some hints as to what he thinks he's going to do so you can decide whether he's the right guy for your energy policy. Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Ali Velshi joins us once again. And you're sort of taking a closer look at the candidates' positions on energy policy, specifically the oil drilling.
VELSHI: Yes. I've been really trying to get a closer look at the candidates' positions on energy policy for some months because it's been the one where they've sort of talked about reducing our dependence on foreign oil. But we've been lacking specifics from both Barack Obama and John McCain. So John McCain now, yesterday making a major speech in which he say that over the next two weeks he's going to unveil his position. But he gave us some clarity on what he wants to do. And the corner stone of this is the idea that he wants to open up coastal areas in the United States that have had a ban on drilling offshore. He wants to open that up to more drilling. Best case scenario there is about 20 billion barrels of oil that we could start to see some of it within three years, most of it within about ten years. So that's part of it. He also wants to open up more drilling onshore as well. He still talked about the summer gas tax holiday. There's a federal tax of 18 cents on a gallon of gas which he wants pulled off. Obviously, that's not going to happen this summer. It could happen next summer if he decides to become president. He wants to ease regulation on building new refineries. There hasn't been a new refinery built in the United States in more than 30 years. AS we mentioned, he wants to allow more offshore oil drilling and he discussed encouraging more nuclear power. And one of the other things that he talked about was incentives which I suppose means tax breaks to develop other alternatives to, you know, using oil for fuel. Hoping that over the course of the next two weeks we'll get some specifics as to what he wants to support and how he wants to support that. I think that'll really help voters decide between the two candidates, what they are going to do about energy. Because if we think this is a crisis you want a president who treats it as such. And we're going to wait for the same thing from Barack Obama.
ROBERTS: All right. Looking forward to that. Ali, thanks for keeping us up to date. And don't forget "Issue #1" today at noon, right?
VELSHI: Thank you. Yes.
ROBERTS: Good to have you back.
CHETRY: You're watching the most news in the morning. The Denver Police Department stocks up on pepper spray. Why? Well, they say they're getting ready to host the Democratic National Convention.
ROBERTS: And the clutter on someone's bumper might be a sign to steer clear if you want to avoid a run inn with road rage. We'll tell you why.
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ROBERTS: 19 minutes now to the top of the hour. The Denver Police Department is spending more than $100,000 on crowd control devices to get ready for the Democratic National Convention which is scheduled for late august. Among the buys, 88 guns that fire special pellets filled with a pepper spray-like substance. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will make their first public appearance together since Clinton dropped out of the race. Clinton's top donors are invited to a meeting with both senators on June the 26th in Washington. The donors also being asked to give $2,300, that's the maximum contribution allowed to the Obama campaign.
CHETRY: Also, Barack and Michelle Obama are on the cover of the newest issue of "US Weekly." Now the gossip magazine isn't revealing any scandals, just profiling their relationship and letting readers get to know a little bit more about Michelle Obama. For instance, you may be interested to know that she shops at Target and that she loved the "Sex in the city" movie. For more up to the minute political news just head to cnn.com/ticker.
Speaking of Michelle Obama, she has withstood attacks from critics who labeled her as angry, negative, even unpatriotic. Well, now the Obama campaign is trying to make sure that she's ready for the general election spotlight. CNN's Randi Kaye has more on what we could see from Michelle Obama, the campaigner.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran. Michelle Obama's upbringing didn't exactly put her on the path to the White House. She grew up poor on Chicago's south side.
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KAYE (voice-over): Today, Michelle is a health care executive with an annual salary of nearly $275,000. Her next job could be first lady.
CARL SFERRAZZA ANTHONY, FIRST LADIES HISTORIAN: It's important for her to define herself before others define her. One comment made offhand and easily misinterpreted by the opposition -
KAYE: Like this one, perhaps?
MICHELLE OBAMA, BARACK OBAMA'S WIFE: For the first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of my country.
KAYE; The Obama campaign says she was just excited about grass roots support. But conservatives were quick to question her patriotism. Anthony says Betty Ford and Barbara Bush were also blunt. They used sarcasm and humor too. What does Michelle Obama exude? Is it confidence? Is it power?
ROBIN GIVHAN, FASHION EDITOR, "WASHINGTON POST": I think some people will see confidence. And others might see cockiness. I think some people will see strength. Others might see arrogance.
KAYE: That worries the Obama campaign. Donors say the campaign is aware of the criticism Michelle is too hard.
GIVHAN: She comes across as someone who is extraordinarily independent. And very much a force to be reckoned with.
KAYE: "Washington Post" fashion editor Robin Givhan says even potential first ladies have to establish a style. Michelle Obama's curls were front and center the night her husband sealed the nomination, accessorizing a purple sleeveless dress.
GIVHAN: This is really someone who is a contemporary woman who works out. Who balances, you know, a workout schedule along with kids, along with a professional life.
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KAYE (on-camera): Before the campaign, Mrs. Obama used to work out daily. At 4:30 a.m. with a personal trainer. The campaign tells me Michelle Obama picks out her own clothes. She's as comfortable in a gown as she is in a pair of jeans at her kids' soccer games. Beyond style though what they define a First Lady is a sense of dignity. The ability to strike a balance between queen and commoner. John, Kiran?
ROBERTS: Randi Kaye this morning. Randi, thanks. The most powerful marijuana since the 1970s, maybe ever. Got your attention? A new report says it's on the street right now. We'll find out what could happen if it ends up in your kids' lungs.
CHETRY: Also ahead on AMERICAN MORNING -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, we're on top of a corn field.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Right now we're right on top of a corn field.
CHETRY: Millions of acres under water. Crops and cash washed away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It isn't going to be good for anybody.
CHETRY: Allen Chernoff looks at how this devastating hit to the corn crop will end up costing you more on everything from milk to meat. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, if you can't take the heat -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. We're going to pop this into a 375- degree oven.
ROBERTS: Stay out of the kitchen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's cookie mania.
ROBERTS: Charges of plagiarism stirring up controversy in the presidential bake off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're even in the same order.
ROBERTS: Jeanne Moos investigates the great cookie caper. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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ROBERTS: 12 Minutes to the top of the hour. Bottled water appears to be becoming a drain op people's wallets. Last year, Americans spent $16.8 billion on it. That is up but it is the slowest growth rate since the early 1990s. Coca-Cola, the maker of the Sunny water recently cut its outlook for the quarter saying that the weak economy is hurting sales of its bottled water.
Steering clear of road rage might be as simple as staying away from cars with bumper stickers. According to a study out of Colorado, drivers with stickers, decals or personalized license plates, even peace signs are more likely to drive aggressively. Researchers say that people with bumper stickers tend to feel more attached to their vehicle and are more likely to defend it. From what? That's the question.
Tomatoes back on the menu at a number of fast food chains including Taco Bell and Wendy's. They were pulled more than a week ago following concerns about Salmonella poisoning. The outbreak sickened 277 people across the country. And the source has not yet been identified.
CHETRY: There's a warning about some powerful pot. A new study says the stuff out on the street now is more powerful, dangerous and addictive than it has been since at least the '70s. And a lot of kids are smoking it. One in six sixth graders, one in four high school seniors. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us from Atlanta with details. First of all, one in six sixth graders, that's unbelievable, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Isn't that terrible? That's really scary. They are definitely seeing that kids are smoking pot at younger ages. That more kids are smoking pot, and that the pot they're smoking is not like the pot that their parents smoked. Basically better agricultural techniques have led to more potent pot. In fact, people who analyze pot say the levels of THC, that's the psychoactive agent, the levels of THC in pot are higher than at any other point in time.
So, let's take a look, speaking of high, at some other increases that have to do with marijuana. 175 percent increase in potency. A 492 percent increase in marijuana abuse. This is 1992 until 2006. And a 136 percent increase in ER cases. So, they're definitely seeing more use of pot and that pot is different than it used to be. Kiran.
CHETRY: You're talking about the drug sending more and more kids to the ER. What is it that they're going there for? What is it that's so bad for you about it?
COHEN: You know what's interesting, Kiran, is that what's sending them there is really paranoia. In other words, people are smoking this very powerful pot and they're becoming paranoid. They're basically freaking out and that's why they end up in the ER. They're not there because they're actually physically ill. It's really all in their head. The problems with pot most of the time are more long-term problems.
Let's take a look at what can happen when people smoke pot long term. It can impair memory, attention, judgment and balance. That's actually short-term and long-term. It can increase the risk of chronic diseases like a chronic cough and bronchitis. Also, it increases the risk of cancer of the head, neck and lungs. There are far more carcinogens in marijuana than in cigarettes. Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Let's think about it. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
CHETRY: Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, scooter shock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I say 72 and I can hear them almost drop.
CHETRY: That's right. 72 miles per gallon. And a little bit of Italian romance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are scooters sexy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
CHETRY: Richard Roth takes us for a ride you won't soon forget.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Where do I hold on to?
CHETRY: You're watching the most news in the morning.
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DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LASTE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Al Gore has now endorsed Barack Obama for president. How about that? Yeah. And political experts say this is great because it gives the Obama campaign a much-needed shot of boredom.
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CHETRY: Well, Al Gore is back, and it didn't take long for "Late Night" to notice. CNN's Carol Costello takes a look at what Al Gore could do to help Barack Obama take the White House.
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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Al Gore, the adored. Back in the day, you know, like last year, many pundits wrote of democratic voters begging Al Gore to run for president in '08. For some voters the dream team was Gore-Obama. Today it's Obama-Gore.
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: If I were him, I would ask Al Gore to serve as his vice president, his energy czar in his administration to reduce our consumption and reliance on foreign energy sources.
COSTELLO: Democratic insiders say no chance. They're actually more concerned about Obama's slim lead over John McCain at a time the republican brand has weakened. So a big democratic gun like Gore matters.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Having Al Gore, this elder, this leader come out and endorse Barack Obama and to do so in Michigan, a state where Barack Obama was not even on the ballot I think is pretty significant.
COSTELLO: And if you have a perceived foreign policy experience problem, what better way to ensure nervous voters that with support from friends in the know, like former Vice President Al Gore? Gore can also help Obama by raising money. For the first time, Gore is asking his own supporters to donate to another democrat's war chest.
PRESTON: I can't get inside the guy's head. But, you know, there's something to be said about, you know, I'm going to make sure that democrats take back the White House.
COSTELLO: It's certainly something Gore hinted at as he endorsed Obama.
GORE: I can tell you that we have already learned one important fact since the year 2000. Take it from me, elections matter.
UNIDENTIED MALE: I voted. I voted.
COSTELLO: To voters Al Gore is practically synonymous with hanging chads.
GORE: There is the swinging door chad.
COSTELLO: He's a living reminder to get out and vote in droves if you want your guy to win. And, of course, there's Gore's reputation as Captain Planet.
CAPTAIN PLANET: The power is yours!
COSTELLO: Global warming is a hot issue not only among young voters, but among some evangelicals too. A voting block Obama is actively courting.
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COSTELLO (on-camera): But with all the good there's got to be some bad too, right? Most analyst say no, or at least among democrats and independents. Of course, it all depends upon just how much Al Gore actually campaigns for Barack Obama. Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.
ROBERTS: Three minutes to the top of the hour. And here are some of the top stories that we're following right now. Breaking news for you this morning in Illinois. This morning a second levee has broken along the Mississippi River. Rising water is now threatening farmland around the community of Myer. It comes just hours after another levee break which buried the town of Gulf Port under ten feet of water.
Word of an agreement that may end months of deadly violence between Hamas and Israel. Officials from both sides say a six-month cease fire in the Gaza strip in southern Israel will take effect tomorrow.
In Afghanistan, four British soldiers were killed in an explosion while on patrol in Helman province. One of the four was the first British female soldier to be killed in Afghanistan. Meantime, NATO and Afghan troops launching a military offensive against the Taliban fighters overnight near Kandahar. CNN's Paula Newton has got more on the operation. She's live for us from London this morning. Good morning, Paula.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning, John. We're just receiving information from the Afghan government that was leading the operation that in and around Kandahar City, just to the north of it, that they've for now completed a cleanup operation. They expect it to go on for a couple more days. But for today they are announcing that they claim to have killed several Taliban and that the Taliban are now on the run. We've been unable to confirm this. But John, all of this is a sign of the new crisis that is now brewing in Afghanistan.
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NEWTON (voice-over): Now on the brink of battle, NATO and Afghan troops are laying the ground work for what could be a dramatic showdown with the Taliban. NATO admits it is trying to restore confidence as rumors fly that hundreds of Taliban are swarming just north of Kandahar City.
MARK LAITY, NATO SPOKESMAN: Whether there's going to be a big fight or not, and I think that's very unclear. But I think what is certain is that we're in a good position to deal with it if it comes to pass.
NEWTON: This latest crisis triggered by that dramatic jailbreak last week now means at least 400 Taliban are free to fight NATO forces once more. The truth is, the Taliban comeback is such a familiar headline coming our of southern Afghanistan. It may not amount to a strategic victory for the Taliban but it has shaken Afghan confidence in NATO's operation here.
PAUL CORNISH, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAMME: Because in conferences, perceptions really, really matter. It will be regarded as a big loss in perception terms.
NEWTON: And for years now that perception that the Taliban has NATO forces on the ropes has, by NATO's own admission, been expertly reinforced by the Taliban's self promotion.
Just look at this suicide video of a German jihad recruit on his way to truck bomb a U.S. military base in March. Just as they hit us, he says, we will hit them in unexpected places by creating traps, by waiting and watching holes, we will hit them from god, in Shalah. The video has been circulating on the internet since April, and here it shows the suicide bomber approaching with his truck bomb and then the point of detonation that kills two U.S soldiers.
By any definition, the Taliban is proving a stubborn enemy even in the way it handles its own propaganda.
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NEWTON (on-camera): You know, John, we were looking at that propaganda video. A huge explosion, four soldiers, British ones, killed now by a roadside bomb. I want to point out on the weekend, four U.S. Marines died in a similar road side attack.
