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American Morning
Bush Wants End to Ban on Offshore Drilling; Afghanistan Offensive; Evidence of Torture in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib?; Continued Flooding in the Midwest
Aired June 18, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): 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 killed two U.S. soldiers.
By any definition, the Taliban is proving a deft and stubborn enemy, even in the way it handles its own propaganda.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: You know, John, when 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 killed in a similar roadside attack.
We want to remind viewers again that there were more combat deaths in Afghanistan in May than -- in Afghanistan than there were in Iraq. It is really something that NATO commanders are chewing on on the ground right now in Afghanistan, which is why they want to be more on the offensive than actually being on the defensive with this new Taliban insurgency -- John?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Very troubling new developments. Paula Newton for us this morning in London. Paula, thanks.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Also new this morning, evidence of torture in a report on detainee abuse. A human rights group is alleging that medical exams show evidence of beatings, electric shocks, sleep deprivation and sexual humiliation for some terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and in Afghanistan even though they were not charge with crime.
This came out just hours after a Senate committee hearing with military lawyers. And Senator Carl Levin said the system of abuse began at the top.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: The truth is that senior officials in the U.S. government sought information on aggressive techniques, twisted the law to create the appearance of their legality, and authorized their use against detainees. In the process, they damaged our ability to collect intelligence that could save lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The White House denies that the U.S. practices torture. At the hearing, the Pentagon's top lawyer -- former top lawyer says, quote, "Nobody has advocated torture."
ROBERTS: And now to the most politics in the morning. And insults flying between the campaigns today over national security. A McCain adviser accusing Barack Obama of having a naive approach toward fighting terrorism in a, quote, "September 10th mind set for supporting Guantanamo Bay detainees rights to trial."
Obama fired back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: What they're trying to do is to do what they've done every election cycle, which is to use terrorism as a club to make the American people afraid to win elections. That's what they're trying to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It is the first time that both men have sparred over the issue of terrorism in the general election. Former New York mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has also been critical of Senator Obama saying that he is not ready, does not have the experience to tackle terrorism as proven by remarks that he made where he said that "The attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial, currently in U.S. prisons incapacitated and that terrorism could be dealt with that way."
Here's what the mayor said just a few minutes ago on AMERICAN MORNING about that 1993 attack and how the suspects were dealt with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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 11 mentality that he wants to return to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Giuliani went on to call the Supreme Court's decision giving Guantanamo detainees the right to challenge their detention to, quote, "Creation of new rights for terrorists that did not exist before."
CHETRY: And looking for oil off the coast of the United States. Skyrocketing gas prices leading some people to change their mind about drilling offshore.
Also breaking news right now in Illinois. A second levee breaks on the Mississippi River. Now more water is threatening to turn valuable farmland into drenched swamps.
Barack Obama wants critics to lay off his wife and he is blasting John McCain for not backing him up. The comments he made in a brand- new interview.
And trading in your car for a scooter can save you money on gas. Our Richard Roth found out that, well, it just might add a whole lot to your sex appeal, too. You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's five minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning.
Looking for oil off the coast. President Bush this morning will ask Congress to lift the federal ban on offshore drilling and leave it up to the states.
Our Brianna Keilar is live at the White House for us.
Brianna, the president has resisted rescinding this executive order that his father signed way back in 1988. Why the change of heart there at the White House?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it comes down to the bottom line. It sounds like this may not be a complete reversal, John, but the White House saying that while renewable and alternative energies are an answer, so is increasing the domestic oil supply.
President Bush, again, as we've heard him do, is going to push to open up Anwar for drilling, but this that you just mentioned, White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino -- White House Press Secretary Dana Perino saying 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, environmentalists will tell you that that's really an oxymoron. Democrats really not on board here. Some other critics saying that this is not an immediate solution to this $4 a gallon gas. So definitely opposition but there is growing support, John, and President Bush is part of that.
ROBERTS: And what about the timing of all of this. That John McCain announced a similar plan just the day before Governor Charlie Crist of Florida came out and said -- hey, I'm reversing my opposition to it as well.
KEILAR: Yes, and the White House says that President Bush was aware of McCain's plan to make that announcement or to address his energy policy in Houston yesterday. But they say even though President Bush does not agree with McCain's overall energy plan, this is a part of it, lifting this ban where John McCain and President Bush do see eye-to-eye. But we are seeing a lot of Republicans who are now supporting this. It is not really the political kryptonite that it was, John.
ROBERTS: All right. But still could set up a real battle in some swing states. Brianna Keilar for us this morning. Brianna, thanks.
CHETRY: Congress reacting with fury to record oil prices. They want to look into it and find out whether or not something's going on in terms of oil producing nation.
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: They are sort of three things developing on the price of oil front. The first one is what Brianna was just talking about. The idea of more drilling, you know, getting more oil that we have in the United States.
The second one is this whole school of thought of people who think we should just pull back on the amount of oil we use. So what are we doing to replace oil as our basic fuel?
And the third one is the one that seems to be resonating around Congress, and that is finding out whether there is excessive speculation in the oil market that has driven the price higher. And there are a number of bills going on on Capitol Hill right now to try and address this issue.
There are a lot of people in the oil business who say they might be bad for the oil market. They might actually cause oil to go up higher because they're going to over regulate the market.
But let's just talk about a little bit of what Congress is thinking they could do. First of all, oil is traded around the world on many different markets even though it is mainly traded here in the United States on NYMEX.
But one of the suggestions is to make all of those non-U.S. exchanges share more information so that there will be some sense of whether those manipulations because you can look at all the trades going on in the world. That's already started between the U.S. and England.
Limit the number of contracts that a person can hold or trade. In other words, the amount of oil one can actually buy futures for so that you're buying what you need and you can't overbuy. That one has got people a little bit worried. That sort of anti-market --
ROBERTS: Limited two per customers, sort of.
VELSHI: That's kind of like limiting the number of houses somebody can buy. So you can't drive a whole neighborhood so price is up. Increase the amount of money you need to trade. Right now, you trade on margin which means you put down less than 10 percent in order to actually trade, because you buy and sell. The money doesn't actually change hands. If you actually had to put it down.
Again, the example, like putting more money down on a mortgage which tends to dampen the housing market. And limit the trading of oil to producers and consumers. People who actually make oil or use oil, because right now there are some feeling that a very large part of the oil trading market is done by people who are just doing it to make money.
Again, that's like saying you can't buy or sell a house unless you're living in the house. You can't buy it for speculation. So you can see why there are good ideas and there are potential problems with these.
ROBERTS: Why wasn't this a problem years ago?
VELSHI: Well, that's a good question, partially because the alternative to investing in oil were there. It made sense to invest in government bonds or the stock market or real estate. So much of the big money hasn't had a place to park for the last few years and they've moved into oil, which has, you know, replaced the U.S. dollar as a big-money investment, replaced a lot of stocks.
There are a lot of people who say this is just a cycle. As those things become better investment, they'll start to sell oil and they'll buy something else. It's a product in demand and it makes people money.
CHETRY: Is Congress taking up the issue of providing some tax breaks for people who choose to do things that are energy-efficient like buy Hybrids?
VELSHI: Well, you know, there are little piecemeal ideas. And John McCain said that he's going to come up with something in the next two weeks that will provide incentives. But I really think that's the bottom line.
If you really provide incentives for people to be more fuel efficient and for governments to do so and tax disincentives for them to be inefficient, I think that's the answer.
CHETRY: All right. Ali, good to see you. Thanks.
Breaking news out of Illinois. A second levee breaks. This happened just hours ago. Rising waters now threatening more than two dozen others. We're going to take a look at the measures they are doing right now to try to prevent more trouble.
ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, feeling the heat.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just cookie mania.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Controversy at the presidential bake-off. Family recipes? Only if they're related to Betty Crocker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But here it is in Betty Crocker's cookbook.
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ROBERTS: Jeanne Moos digs in and investigates, copycat cookies. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. We're following breaking news out of Illinois. It was just a couple of hours ago that we got the news that a second levee has broken along the Mississippi River. Right now water is rising and it's threatening to flood the community of Meyer, as well as the farmland.
About 40 to 50 people living in the area have been evacuated. And it comes just hours after another levee gave way plunging the town of Gulf Port under ten feet of water.
Our Rob Marciano is in the weather center in Atlanta.
You know, for people that haven't lived through flooding -- I mean, it's days after the actual weather comes through that the trouble starts.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: The State of Louisiana said to reclaim some of the $85 million in supplies that were meant for Hurricane Katrina victims, but given away as federal surplus. A CNN investigation revealed last week that stockpiles of household goods for Katrina victims sat unused in FEMA warehouses for two years before they were given away.
Officials say some of the property has been located in Texas and will be returned for redistribution.
Trading attacks over terror. John McCain says Barack Obama has a September 10th mentality and his opponent is firing back. The Obama campaign responds live just ahead.
Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are scooters sexy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: A slice of Rome here in the United States. The scooter is taking off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just make so much sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Richard Roth takes us for a fuel efficient ride.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you like to be held, though, really? Here or here?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You're watching the most news in the morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Easy. Oh, boy.
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JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): With rain becoming ever more precious and drought stuck in places, a Canadian engineering professor is pushing a solution. Khosrow Farahbakhsh created a rain water recycling system for his home using old cistern technology.
KHOSROW FARAHBAKHSH, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH: It is basically a new twist of a very ancient practice.
JERAS: Water still runs off the roof when it rains, but it's filtered and piped into an underground well. The water can be pumped out manually. Some is piped into the house for indoor use.
FARAHBAKHSH: Right now the rain water that we collect in our tank we use for toilets flushing, doing our laundry, and also outdoor watering our plants.
JERAS: The system is backed up by the city supply in case it ever runs out. Farahbakhsh says his family has cut its use of municipal water dramatically.
FARAHBAKHSH: This saves about 65,000 liters, which is about 30 percent of the water that a family of five would use.
JERAS: But at $7,000, it wasn't cheap. One solution -- building rain water recycling into the cost of a new home as a local developer is now doing. That way saving water becomes second nature, not just drought relief.
Jacqui Jeras, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Nineteen minutes after the hour. Millions of people may be eligible to get free credit monitoring. It's all thanks to a class action that was settled against the credit bureau TransUnion.
Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here with the details.
So what's in it for consumers?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, first off, you should know this is free stuff. I love talking about free stuff the consumers can get. Class action lawsuit settled in favor of consumers. And you get a couple of things here that you would want to know about.
First of, the basic service that you can get. Six months of free credit monitoring service, unlimited access to your TransUnion credit report and TransUnion credit score. Keep in mind, though, TransUnion is not the biggest credit bureau out there, not by a long shot. And even their credit scores are not most often used by people who would lend you money.
So the usage here is limited. But just to finish this out, you can apply for a cash payment from the settlement fund. But this is expected to be pennies on the dollar.
The total settlement, $75 million. But guess what, legal fees are going to take up a lot of that. Let me give you the second settlement offered, because you get a choice. You have 1 of 2. The other one is an enhanced service. You get nine months of credit monitoring services, mortgage simulator service, insurance score, lots of other benefits. This is valued at $115. The other was valued at $60.
You may be best off taking the second option. But this is available to millions of Americans. Anybody who opened credit between 1987 and the end of May of this year. So if you bought a house, if you financed your car, if you have an auto or student loan, you are eligible for some free stuff here.
ROBERTS: So as you said, TransUnion is not the biggest credit reporting agency. It is not the one that most people use when they're checking their credit score. So what's the real value here?
WILLIS: Well, look. You know, it's not nothing that you can actually monitor your credit report or look at your credit score. Credit scores cost about $15 if you get the FICO credit score. So you definitely want to think about that. If you want to sign up listclassaction.com. You can also call 866-416-3470.
But at the end of the day, if you want to get an idea of what your credit score is for free, this is the way to do it.
ROBERTS: All right. Good tips. It's always good to have free stuff.
WILLIS: It's always good to have free stuff.
ROBERTS: Gerri, thanks very much. By the way, Gerri is going to be back at noon today, along with the rest of the CNN money team -- Ali Velshi and everybody else for "ISSUE #1." Today, as always, every weekday here at noon on CNN.
John McCain's campaign says Barack Obama has a September 10th mentality. Barack Obama hitting back hard, going after the GOP for not getting Bin Laden. The Obama campaign responds. That's live, coming up.
And breaking news out of Illinois. A second levee breaks overnight. Now rising floodwater threatening to soak valuable farmland. A live report just ahead. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING -- if you can't take the heat --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Well, we're going to pop these into a 375 degree oven.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Stay out of the kitchen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just cookie mania.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Charges of plagiarism stirring up controversy in the presidential bakeoff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're even in the same order.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Jeanne Moos investigates the great cookie caper. You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-five minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning.
The man described as Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe is out of jail and free this morning. The Islamic cleric Abu Qatada was released after winning his fight against deportation to Jordan from Great Britain. He was accused of helping to inspire the September 11th attacks after videos of his sermons were found in the apartment that was used by three of the hijackers including their leader, Mohamed Atta.
CHETRY: John McCain supporters calling Barack Obama naive and inexperienced on national security. Senator Obama firing back, accusing Republicans of dropping the ball in the search for Osama Bin Laden.
Susan Rice is a senior foreign policy adviser for Barack Obama. She also served in the Clinton administration as assistant secretary of state for African affairs. And she joins me from Washington.
Susan, great to see you this morning.
SUSAN RICE, OBAMA'S SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER: Good to be with you.
CHETRY: Well, we spoke a little while ago with McCain supporter Rudy Giuliani. He appeared on AMERICAN MORNING today. And here's what he said about Senator Obama.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I do suggest is that he doesn't have the experience to handle terrorism. I call it a pre-September 11 mentality that he wants to return to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: How would Senator Barack Obama shape his policies and act so that we were not attacked again?
RICE: Well, Kiran, let's be clear. What Rudy Giuliani and the McCain campaign are doing is straight out of the Karl Rove playbook. It's distorting, dishonest attacks that bear no semblance to reality.
Here are the facts. This administration and John McCain have for seven years pursued a stupid and fundamentally failed policy as we try to deal with the war on terrorism. Osama Bin Laden, Zawahiri, are running free in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We didn't take them down to Tora Bora. We diverted our attention from Afghanistan to Iraq. We've lost 4,000 lives and spent over $1 trillion on a war that had nothing to do with 9/11.
And today, in Afghanistan, al Qaeda and the Taliban are resurgent. They're pressing into Kandahar, they're breaking out of prisons, they're pressing the fight, and we don't have the troops on the ground to fight back effectively according to our commanders as a consequence of Iraq.
So this failed policy that the Bush administration and John McCain would pursue needs to be fundamentally changed. Barack Obama would pursue a smart strategy with multiple elements. First of all, tough military action going after al Qaeda targets where we know them to be.
When Barack Obama said that last summer, John McCain criticized him. He will use force when necessary. But he also believes that we have to be smarter than this administration has been.
CHETRY: All right. So let me ask you about this, because the McCain camp also criticized Barack Obama for saying that prisoners at Guantanamo Bay should have a right to trial.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF SCHEUNEMANN: I think somebody should frankly ask Senator Obama if he believes if Osama Bin Laden were captured and taken to Guantanamo, whether he should have habeas rights. The individuals we hold at Guantanamo are very, very dangerous people. And to give them full access to the federal courts and the criminal justice system is fraught with danger moving forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: And Susan, how would Barack Obama handle. How he proceed if Osama Bin Laden was captured?
RICE: Well, first of all, we'll try to kill Osama Bin Laden. But if Osama Bin Laden or anybody else is captured, we have to deal with that very forcefully. The way you deal with it is not to hold somebody in violation of our constitution, indefinitely in detention, and never convict them.
We've had seven years of Guantanamo, one conviction, and that person was released. In contrast in the East Africa Embassy bombings, the World Trade Center, we put people through our courts and lock them away for good. And some of them are eligible for the death penalty.
CHETRY: Would Osama Bin Laden go to -- would he go to criminal trial here in the United States?
RICE: Kiran, John McCain, in 2003, according to "The New York Times," told the Bush administration that people at Guantanamo are to be charged or released. So ask John McCain if he would charge or release Osama Bin Laden. He's now flip-flopped. That position went very --
CHETRY: OK. But let me ask you what would Barack Obama do there?
RICE: He would put him in, if he were captured as opposed to killed. There would have to be a fair and transparent military process or judicial process. That is how we lock people away and make them eligible for the death penalty.
But Barack Obama has said something that John McCain has refused to say. That if we have Osama Bin Laden in our sights, if we know where he is, we'll take him out if the government that's hiding him won't. John McCain criticized that and said that we shouldn't talk about how we would deal with Osama Bin Laden.
Barack Obama would deal with him forcefully and effectively. This administration has let him run free with John McCain's support in the Senate for seven years.
CHETRY: Susan Rice, Obama's senior foreign policy adviser. Thanks for being with us.
RICE: Good to be with you.
ROBERTS: In Southern Afghanistan overnight, Canadian and Afghan troops are launching a military offensive against Taliban fighters near Kandahar. Two Afghan soldiers and 23 militants killed so far. The operation comes just days after a Taliban attack on Kandahar's prison freed hundreds of insurgents. Meantime, four British soldiers were killed in an explosion while on patrol in Helmand province.
A human rights group releasing a report says that they have evidence that shows that terror suspects were tortured. The group saying the 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 but never charged with a crime.
President Bush is going to ask Congress today to end a ban on offshore drilling. Presidential candidate John McCain also wants to lift the ban, a move that he once opposed. Those against offshore drilling are worried about the potential environmental impact and oil analysts say that it wouldn't lower gas prices because we would not see a drop of that oil for at least three years.
The president's calls to drill offshore come less than 24 hours after Senator John McCain changed his stance on the touchy issue. Joining with us more on this, CNN's congressional correspondent Dana Bash.
Dana, why did the candidate change his mind?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He changed his mind John because he says that or he believes, I should say, that certainly his campaign believes, that one of the biggest problems that voters see is inaction in Washington. They simply say, wait a minute, all these gas prices are so sky high and nobody in Washington is doing anything.
What they've been reaching for are ideas like the gas tax holiday and now like this idea to lift the Federal moratorium for offshore drilling as a way for him to try to connect with voters and say, look, I'm trying to stop Washington from getting in the way of lowering gas prices.
Now the reality is, as you well know, this is a very different perspective and approach than John McCain has done in the past. What he says and what, frankly, some of his supporters in the state of Florida, who also were vehemently opposed to lifting the Federal moratorium say, is that they are responding to their constituents, to voters' concerns that they want something done and they think this is one approach, one avenue that they can take.
John McCain also insists on the whole idea of the environment which obviously is something he is trying to push himself as a green candidate, who says that this is something that can be done in an environmentally sound way. He pointed to hurricanes Rita and Katrina saying that those particular hurricanes didn't even cause spillage in some of the rigs that are off the coast of New Orleans.
ROBERTS: He certainly seems to have high hopes that this can make a difference. Let's listen to a little bit about what he said when he announcing his plan yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have proven oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad Federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production. And I believe it is time for the Federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: As you were alluding to, Dana, there has been widespread opposition to opening up offshore drilling around Florida. California certainly is a hot-button issue. But in Virginia they're toying with the idea. Is this just him trying to get votes in Virginia and as some critics have suggested, really pandering to the oil and gas industry for campaign contributions?
BASH: Well, look. I talked to several Republican strategists yesterday about this decision and the reality is that John McCain did make a decision potentially by doing this to give up some states -- or to try to appeal to others.
For example, you talked about California, talked to a couple of Republican strategists out there who said John McCain had hoped maybe -- maybe -- California could be a long shot win for him, but now that he made this decision, this decision that Arnold Schwarzenegger vehemently opposes, it is going to make it very hard for him in that state.
But you are right, you mentioned Virginia. The people of Virginia, that state's representatives in Congress, for example, they've been pushing to try to get offshore drilling. What's interesting about the way John McCain has done this, he's also made clear not that he necessarily wants offshore drilling but he thinks it is time for the states to decide whether it is best for them.
ROBERTS: All right, Dana Bash for us this morning. Dana, thanks very much.
And a programming note here -- President Bush planning to go out in the rose garden at 10:30 this morning to announce his new energy policy called for Congress to lift the Federal ban on offshore drilling. We'll be carrying that for you here on CNN. Again, 10:30 Eastern, the president in the rose garden. CHETRY: Alina Cho is here with some other stories for you this morning, including TV giant Tim Russert being laid to rest today.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, a big event in Washington. Good morning, everybody.
New this morning, a private funeral for Tim Russert will begin in about an hour and a half in Washington. That service is being held at the Holy Trinity church. You are looking live there. A televised memorial service will be held later this afternoon at the Kennedy Center. That's by invitation only.
Russert, Washington bureau chief and moderator of "Meet the Press" on NBC collapsed suddenly at work Friday. He died of a heart attack just 58 years old. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were among those who paid respects at a wake yesterday.
For the first time since January, Fidel Castro has appeared on Cuban television. The video shows the former Cuban leader talking to his brother Raul, Cuba's new president and to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Castro has not been seen in public since he had emergency stomach surgery almost two years ago.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will make their first public appearance together since Clinton dropped out of the presidential race. It will happen a week from tomorrow on Thursday, June 26th. Clinton's top donors are invited to the meeting with both senators. No surprise there. They are being asked to give $2,300 a piece. That's the maximum contribution allowed to the Obama campaign.
And for the first time since the Larry Bird years, a return to glory for the Boston Celtics. They finished off the Los Angeles Lakers last night in game six of the NBA finals on the home parquet. No doubt about it, a 131-92 win. Did you see that confetti? It is the largest blowout ever in a championship clincher. Paul Pierce was named the finals MVP. It is the Celtics 17th NBA title and the team's first since 1986.
Ali had hair back then! No team has won more.
VELSHI: (INAUDIBLE)
CHO: Exactly.
CHETRY: He actually said he was not going to grow his hair out until the Celtics won. We'll see some changes in Ali.
CHO: That would be great. So then he would no longer be the hairless prophet of doom.
ROBERTS: Alina, thanks so much.
Michelle Obama, the new plan to get the would-be first lady ready for her general campaign close-up. We're going to take a closer look at that. CHETRY: Also, we're watching breaking news at this hour in Illinois, another levee breaks early this morning and now rising water could force even more to crumble. A live report next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: We're following breaking news right now from Illinois, another Mississippi River levee giving way overnight. The floodwaters threatened farmland in the western Illinois community of Myer. A levee that broke yesterday has buried the town of Gulfport, Illinois under 10 feet of water. There are concerns that the mighty Mississippi could top more levees today.
CNN's Sean Callebs is alongside one of those levees. He's across the river in Des Moines County, Iowa. Take a look at this picture here, you got the river over here on left side, Sean Callebs right on top of the levee here on right side. Are things holding up for now, Sean?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Things are holding up. And because a small army of volunteers, as well as about 500 National Guard troops in this area have been putting sandbags along a 14-mile stretch of levee on the Iowa side.
If you look over at this river you can see it is down about maybe a foot and a half from the top of the sandbags. Well, about 30 hours ago it was up at the very, very top of these sandbags. That was a very anxious time for people here in this area. And you know what, they're not out of the woods yet.
Wanted to show you some video we took just a short while ago. There are farmers that are using their ATVs driving up and down a 14- mile stretch of this levee. They are looking for areas that could be suspect, the integrity challenged. Where they are looking at right now is where a small tributary meets with the Mississippi River. That's an area they are worried about.
Come back to this live picture, I'll show you, when they do find an area that they are concerned, they put one of these red flags up. That's how they know to go and continually check it.
Want to show you where this breach was earlier today, happened hours ago overnight. Now the Corps of Engineers tells us the levee was overtopped near Quincy, Illinois, about an hour south of where we are. However the sheriff in that area says it actually gave way in two separate places. There have been six homes that have been flooded, as well as thousands of acres of very fertile farmland. The sheriff says it is going to take a long time to get that farmland up and running again.
How bad is it? Look at these aerial pictures. I think this is perhaps one of the more dramatic things we've seen so far in the flood of '08. The Mississippi River simply pouring through a giant gouged- out hole on the Illinois side, once again. That water pouring through, flooding thousands of acres. John, we talked to you a couple hours ago and said if there was any concern we certainly would get off this levee. Really want to clarify, we would not be here if the guard didn't tell us it was fine, we think you guys are safe. However that said, this area is in a mandatory evacuation. Like I said, still kind of iffy.
ROBERTS: It is really impressive there Sean the amount of sandbagging that they've done as well. It just shows the degree of work that they've had to undertake to try to keep those levees intact.
Sean Callebs for us this morning. Sean, thanks very much.
CHETRY: You are watching the most news in the morning. Drivers dumping their cars, or at least leaving them parked in the garage and jumping on scooters, all in an effort to save gas, and they are looking better because of it. We'll explain.
Also, Barack Obama wants critics to lay off his wife and he is blasting John McCain for not backing him up on that point. The comment that he made in a brand-new interview coming up.
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CHETRY: Michelle Obama has withstood attacks from critics who have labeled her as angry, negative, even unpatriotic. Now the Obama campaign is trying to make that sure she's ready for the general election. CNN's Randi Kaye has more.
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.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: 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 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 grassroots 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 pearls 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 probably works out, who balances a workout schedule along with kids, along with a professional life.
KAYE: Before the campaign, Mrs. Obama used to work out daily at 4:30 a.m. with a personal trainer.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: 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 may most define a first lady is a sense of dignity, the ability to strike a balance between queen and commoner. John, Kiran?
CHETRY: Randi, thanks.
Also brand-new today, Barack Obama saying that John McCain should speak up about attacks on his wife Michelle. He says, quote, I think families are off-limits and I would never consider making Cindy McCain a campaign issue. If I saw people doing that I would speak out against it.
The fact that I haven't seen that from John McCain I think is a deep disappointment. He made those comments again in a brand new interview today. A McCain spokesman says that he agrees with Senator Obama that spouses should not be an issue in this campaign, but pointed out that Obama didn't come out strongly when the DNC was attacking his wife Cindy.
Barack and Michelle Obama are on the cover of a newest issue of "Us" weekly. It's the gossip magazine, not revealing any scandals, actually just profiling their relationship and letting readers know a little bit more about Michelle Obama. For instance, you may be interested to know that she shops at Target and she loved the "Sex and the City" movie.
ROBERTS: Everyone shops at Target.
CHETRY: A lot of people loved the "Sex and the City" movie, too. I didn't see it.
ROBERTS: I didn't either. Surprise there. CNN "NEWSROOM" just minutes away.
CHETRY: And you never will.
ROBERTS: I might. Heidi Collins at CNN Center with a look at what's ahead.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, John.
That's right. We have these stories coming up in the "NEWSROOM" rundown this morning.
Under water and under the gun, more Mississippi River communities stressed as the levees are strained. We'll have the very latest.
Offshore on the agenda, President Bush pushing today for opening U.S. waters to oil drilling. Critics in Congress are pushing back. I believe we're going to hear from the president about 10:30 Eastern time on that as well.
And the guys with the power wash take a break, saving people caught in an apartment building fire. What a story there.
You can join Tony and me coming up in the "NEWSROOM." We get started at the top of the hour on CNN -- John?
ROBERTS: I will certainly be there. Heidi, thanks very much.
Taking the heat, about 375 degrees of it. Cindy McCain accused of ripping off a recipe for delicious baked goods.
CHETRY: Also ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, scooter shock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I say 72 and I can hear them almost drop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: That's right, 72 miles per gallon and a little bit of Italian romance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are scooters sexy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Richard Roth takes us for a ride you won't soon forget. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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ROBERTS: Fifty one minutes after the hour. Everybody's looking for an edge to try to save money on gas. Trading in your car for a scooter will certainly help you save on the cost, but could it also have the added benefit of making you sexy? Our Richard Roth took to the streets on the back of a scooter to find out, which of course is a very sexy place to be seeing the city from. He joins us outside of our studios in Columbus Circle. You don't quite look like Dennis Fonda but you got a certain continental flare to you this morning, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: You combined the two stars of a movie. It's really Dennis Hopper, but that may be a give away of your knowledge of that John. Please call me Junior Steppenwolf. People have been buying these scooters now in a bit of a craze. They're paying $3 at the pump while others are paying up to $50 for gas for their car.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH (voice-over): Nick Bilton was not born to be wild. However, skyrocketing gas prices forced a change. He dumped his car and purchased a scooter.
NICK BILTON, SCOOTER COMMUTER: Just makes so much sense from both a financial standpoint and an ease of use getting around the city.
ROTH: It make sense to Mark Amerise, too. He has a Lincoln Continental but was shopping for a scooter.
MARK AMERISE, SCOOTER SHOPPER: I feel like right now with the price of gas we're all just throwing money away.
ROTH: He was in Vespa Brooklyn, a store that just opened and quickly sold 25 bikes.
CRYSTAL HADJIMINIAS, VESPA BROOKLYN: I have people calling up asking how many miles to the gallon they're going to get.
ROTH: The scooter industry reports sales are up 25 percent nationally.
ANDREW HADJIMINIAS, VESPA DEALER: On a day like this, would you rather be stuck in a subway or would you want to be on a scooter getting fresh air?
ROTH: So I stopped by the New York scooter club's weekly hangout. Does this scooter make you feel like a different person when you ride it?
MARCY FELTMAN, SCOOTER OWNER: A little bit more powerful. It's a lot more fun, kind of cool.
ROTH: Could I too, be cool? I've never ridden a scooter before.
Well, there is a first time for everything.
ROTH: Club co-founder Jonathan (INAUDIBLE) took me for a ride. I'm holding on to you. Where do you like to be held though really, here or here? Very firm hands. Easy. Oh, boy. So far as long as we don't get on the highway, I feel safe. I couldn't help think of another famous scooter couple in the movie "Roman Holiday." Jonathan was no Audrey Hepburn. Whoa! You're kind of pushing up against me. Are scooters sexy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
ROTH: In what way?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess the wind.
ROTH: I lived in Rome for four years but I never rode a Vespa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why not?
ROTH: I was too scared.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came outside and I saw these wonderful sexy men with all these scooters and I was shocked. (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: The scooter club says the biggest problem here in New York, lack of parking and New York City taxi drivers. John, I know you have a Harley, quite an upgrade on what I'm sitting on and you are a lot more experienced than me.
ROBERTS: You may not look like Dennis Fonda but you sure do look a lot like Gregory Hepburn. I'll give you that. Richard, you should know better than to take advantage of the sleep deprived this early in the morning.
ROTH: I don't know how do you it every day. I just come in for one day so I give you credit for that. You're probably out late riding around on your Harley.
ROBERTS: There you go, out there on the streets of New York on a scooter. We see these things in Rome and they kind of flow like a river, there is almost a ballet to the whole thing. Are New Yorkers ready for these?
ROTH: Well, the streets are as crowded as can be. You're seeing more of them. I think everything is accepted but in New York some people going to need a license and unless the city really eases up, I think it is going to be tougher for scooters to find a place, at least to be parked.
ROBERTS: It does make you look good. Richard Roth, thanks so much.
CHETRY: There's a good look (INAUDIBLE) tie with the blazer. He's on top of the game this morning.
Cindy McCain taking some heat over baked goods, charges of plagiarism for a yummy family recipe.
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ROBERTS: Dennis Fonda.
CHETRY: I wonder if he is actually going to ride the Vespa or just going to smile.
ROBERTS: He looks good on that.
One teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 2/3 cups butterscotch chips and a ton of controversy.
ROBERTS: Put it all in the oven at 375 and here's what you get, John McCain's wife's cookbook getting her in a tiny bit of trouble -- again. It is the most news in the morning for you.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John McCain's wife Cindy is getting battered over a cookie contest. There is a scandal every year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah. It is just cookie mania.
MOOS: Serial recipe thief, reheat offender. Cindy bakes another whopper," says screams "The Huffington Post." Both Cindy McCain and Bill Clinton are feeling the heat, accused of recipe plagiarism. Every year "Family Circle" magazine holds a presidential cookie bake- off. The candidates' spouses submit their favorite recipes. May the best cookie win. Readers are supposed to try the recipes, then vote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's kind of bland. Needs a little -- umph!
MOOS: That was Bill Clinton's oatmeal cookie. Michelle Obama submitted a recipe for a shortbread cookie that looks like pizza. Cindy McCain submitted an oatmeal butterscotch recipe she said she got from a good friend.
But "The Huffington Post" turned up the exact same recipe at hersheys.com. The recipes are pretty much identical. Brown sugar, brown sugar, two eggs, two eggs, vanilla extract, vanilla extract -- they're even in the same order. No comment from Mrs. McCain.
This is the second time she's taken lumps for supposedly passing off recipes. Last time recipes for dishes like passion fruit mousse were described as family recipes on a McCain Web site, then discovered elsewhere. That time Cindy McCain blamed a campaign intern for posting the recipe.
CINDY MCCAIN, WIFE OF SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: The intern is not happy to stay at the Betty Crocker boot camp.
MOOS: Bill Clinton has likewise been fingered for saying his recipe came --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From his personal chef when he was in the White House.
MOOS: But here it is in Betty Crocker's cookbook.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once again it's a favorite, it's not necessarily an original for Bill.
MOOS: No one's complained yet about the origin of Michelle Obama's shortbread recipe which she says comes from the godmother of the Obama's two daughters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) I'm not going to lie. What's the green thing on it?
MOOS: It could have been elitist cooking.
JULIE MILTENBERGER, SR. FOOD EDITOR, FAMILY CIRCLE: I wouldn't necessarily say this.
MOOS: These are elitist.
MILTENBERGER: Dried fruit.
MOOS: That's what I mean, elitist. As for the taste test, those we asked were pretty much evenly split.
(On camera): So you guys like Michelle Obama's?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my goodness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you know? OK.
MOOS: And you guys like Cindy McCain's.
(Voice over): That's the way the cookie crumbles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They smell good.
MOOS (on camera): They smell like plagiarism.
(Voice over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. We will see you first thing tomorrow morning.
CHETRY: And CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins starts right now.
