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American Morning
American Hostages Rescued from Colombia in Good Condition; Obama Defends Himself Against Claims of Flip-Flopping on Iraq; Powerful Florida Bachelors off the Market; Passport File Snooping; Taking on a Wildfire
Aired July 04, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: A search for suspects right now after a bomb explodes in an outdoor concert in Belarus. More than 50 people were injured. The concert was commemorating Belarus' Independence Day.
And the military extending tours for 2,200 marines in Afghanistan. They'll stay at least one month longer. Official say they need the man-power to beat back the dramatic rising violence there.
Three American hostages rescued from Colombia are said to be in good condition this morning. A doctor from the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas said the men are strong and in good spirits. The men will spend the next few days at the facility. They're going to be reuniting with their family and transitioning back into their lives. So far none have spoken about their five years in captivity.
We just got the news moments ago that rescued Colombian hostage, Ingrid Betancourt, is actually going to be meeting with the pope. She's flying home to France to be with her family. And she's expected to land just outside of Paris in about two hours. The former presidential candidate will be greeted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy when she touches down.
And again, according to the Vatican, she's going to be meeting with Pope Benedict the XVI next week at the Vatican.
CNN's Harris Whitbeck is live in Bogota, Colombia where the former presidential candidate took off last night.
Hi, Harris.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kiran.
Ingrid Betancourt wants to thank current and past French officials who worked towards her liberation. She also wants to thank Pope Benedict for his efforts on her behalf. But she says that once she went does that, she wants to continue working towards the liberation of the approximately 700 hostages still believed to be in the hands of the FARC in the jungles of Colombia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INGRID BETANCOURT, FORMER COLOMBIAN HOSTAGE: The ones that are still in the jungles in Colombia, we need to have them out. We need to -- to cry very loud to the world that what happens in Colombia must stop. And we have to put all the pressure on the FARC so that they understand that there is not another issue than just to give the -- the freedom to all of those persons that are kidnapped right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITBECK: As you know, Betancourt was a presidential candidate when she was taken hostage by the FARC back in 2002. And there are indications that her political work will continue. She already said yesterday that she wants to mobilize an international movement to try to get the FARC to the negotiating table.
The big question is how the FARC will respond and with whom negotiators, eventual negotiators will talk. There are reports in the Colombian press this morning that the FARC leadership has lost command and control capacity and that several of its fronts are now basically had been independently of each other because of a lack of communication -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Harris Whitbeck for us in Bogota. Thank you.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: To the "Most News in the Morning," now. Barack Obama celebrates Independence Day in Butte, Montana today.
John McCain staying at home in Arizona.
The latest CNN national poll of poll shows Obama leading McCain by six points now -- 48 percent to 42 percent. That is a point higher than his lead last week. 10 percent of voters say they are still undecided.
Barack Obama is defending himself against Republican charges that he has flip-flopped on Iraq. He says his policy has not changed. But he did talk about refining his position.
CNN's Jessica Yellin has got greater details for us on that story -- Jessica.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, it was a scramble for Barack Obama to put out a firestorm of questions over his signature issue. His pledge to withdraw from Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YELLIN (voice-over): Barack Obama has made his name as a different kind of politician. A candidate who says what he means and doesn't change with the political winds, which is why he can't afford to be seen as shifting positions on big issues. He faced a firestorm about whether he's backing off the central pledge of his campaign to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office.
The concern became so intense he found himself in an odd spot this afternoon, holding a do-over press conference. SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We're going to try this again. Apparently, I wasn't clear enough this morning on my position with respect to the war in Iraq.
YELLIN: The problem? Obama triggered a deluge of questions with this statement earlier in the morning.
B. OBAMA: When I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and we'll continue to refine my policies.
YELLIN: Republicans accused him of flip-flopping, so he faced reporters a second time to insist he's been clear all along.
B. OBAMA: That I would bring our troops home at a pace of one to two brigades per month and at that pace, we would have our combat troops out in 16 months. That position has not changed. I have not equivocated on that position.
YELLIN: When pressed, he refused to commit to that 16-month time frame, insisting any good commander-in-chief adjusts.
B. OBAMA: I would always reserve the right to do what's best in America's national interests. And if it turned out, for example, that, you know, we had to in certain months slow the pace because of the safety of American troops in terms of getting combat troops out, of course we would take that into account.
YELLIN: Though he insists he intends to end the war. Still, the McCain campaign quickly fired off a statement insisting that Obama has reversed his position, proving once again that his words do not matter, that they are just empty words. Obama fired back saying they're playing politics.
B. OBAMA: I think what's happened is that the McCain campaign primed the pump with the press to suggest that somehow we were changing our policy when we hadn't.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YELLIN: Clearly, the McCain campaign thinks it's found a strategy, accusing Obama of changing positions now on a number of issues and will keep pressing its flip-flop claim -- John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Jessica Yellin this morning from Washington.
Meantime, the Obama campaign is considering a change of venue for his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention in Denver next month. Sources say Obama could deliver it outdoors at INVESCO Field. INVESCO is home to the Denver broncos and can hold 55,000 more people than the current venue, the Pepsi Center.
CHETRY: Well, one of Florida's most powerful bachelors is off the market. Now, he's getting married. Governor Charlie Crist proposed yesterday morning to his girlfriend of nearly nine months. His engagement making news on the campaign trail because Crist is thought to be a potential running mate for John McCain. And it's been since 1852 that they've had a bachelor VP.
Well, two of our country's most important historical figures are on their honeymoon this morning -- Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross. They tied the knot yesterday in front of Philadelphia's Independence Hall.
Ben and Betsy just actors, but the marriage real. Ralph Archbold and Linda Wilde share a love of history and obviously much more. Even the wedding party was in costume. And thousands watch the ceremony and the wedding march was performed, by the way, by the Philly Pops.
ROBERTS: Wow.
CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE).
ROBERTS: For the national average of $4.10 a gallon now, everybody is looking for a break at the pump. See how some people are buying now, pumping later. Will it really save you money?
And on the front lines, meet the national geographic photographer who is not only fighting wildfires, he's shooting them, too. Why he says fire seasons are longer and tougher to get under control -- global warming, McMansions, and wildfires, is there a connection?
CHETRY: And peeking at passports. Disturbing new report saying that passports snooping didn't just end with the presidential candidates. Investigators now saying celebrities' social security numbers and birthdays, all of that info peeked at. How they discover the breach and what they are doing about it.
Also, it's a CNN exclusive. What we found on the border between Syria and Iraq. Only CNN is deep in dessert territory, the secret entry point, where insurgents slip undetected into Iraq.
You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: All right. Well, Sammy Hagar couldn't drive 55, but is it time to bring back the double nickel? Virginia Senator John Warner saying that Congress might want to re-impose a national speed limit to combat high gas prices. Fuel efficiency dropped sharply after 60 miles an hour. Studies show a 55-mile-an-hour limit could save as much as 167,000 barrels of oil a day.
Well, add Albany, Missouri, to the growing list of communities that have made golf carts street-legal in order to save gas. Those who use the carts have to display a seven-foot orange flag on the golf cart. So, they can easily be seen by other drivers, and they'll have to pay $15 for a permit. But, hey, they're saving on gas.
Right now, it's more than $4.10 a gallon. And you'll feel the pinch going up this holiday weekend. Now, though, there's a new Web site that claims to have a gas-saving solution. You prepay when gas prices are cheaper and then save big as the price climbs. Sounds like a good idea, but is there a catch?
Here's CNN's Gerri Willis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): One way to beat rising gas prices, how about buying your fill-ups in advance. Bill Gardner bought 150 gallons back in April.
BILL GARDNER, MYGALLONS PILOT PROGRAM MEMBER: When I bought gallons at $3.20 a gallon and recently redeemed them at closer to $4 a gallon, I've saved a lot of money.
WILLIS: Gardner was in a pilot program to try out mygallons.com, a Web site that went live this week. You prepay for gas online at today's prices and if prices go up, you draw on your gas card for your next fill-up.
GARDNER: It just works like a debit card. You just plug it into the machine, enter your pin just like you would any other debit card, and pump your gas.
WILLIS: It's gambling that gas prices will keep increasing. Will it catch on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gas is up to $5, $6 a gallon, I'll be saving a dollar per gallon on gas. It will pay for itself in a matter of time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd be very interested in this, spending $50 right now.
WILLIS: What's the downside? Besides a $30 or $40 annual fee, you could find yourself on the wrong side of the market. Plus, prepaying can tie up your cash for months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, I can't afford to -- you know, to do it. You know what I'm saying?
WILLIS: And how does the Web site make a profit? Not from hedging gas.
STEVE VERONA, CEO, MYGALLONS.COM: The gas transactions are really a break even for us. We look to make money from advertising on our Web site and the interest earned on the prepayments and a little bit from the annual membership fees.
WILLIS (on camera): And there are other fees that users pay like a $2-fee every time you load your gas card.
Gerri Willis, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Thanks, Gerri.
Well, there's also something you might want to consider about mygallons.com. The Better Business Bureau gave the new Web site an "F" rating citing a, "material omission of fact in the material distributed for its launch."
Meantime, join Gerri tomorrow. She'll show us some other tips for you on "OPEN HOUSE," tomorrow morning 9:30 Eastern right here on CNN -- John.
ROBERTS: Well, who needs fireworks when lightning strikes 800 times? Meteorologists say a violent electrical storm hit the Portland, Oregon area yesterday. Officials say that it sparked some small fires that hit a utility pole and caused some power outages. But thankfully, no one was injured.
Rob Marciano is at the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta. He's tracking a tropical storm for us. And here he comes up to the lightning storm himself.
Rob, this is a Cape Verde storm that you're telling us about the other day. What is it looking like today?
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: You know that fireworks look great from a helicopter, but I tell you the most spectacular thing I've seen was that tornado that we were following from the helicopter a couple of weeks ago that hit the hog farms. That was unbelievable.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That would be a weather geek's specialty as well, the fireworks.
ROBERTS: You don't even have to be a weather geek to appreciate that.
MARCIANO: That's cool.
ROBERTS: Rob, thanks so much.
MARCIANO: All right.
CHETRY: President Bush makes a decision that puts him in the middle of an enormous controversy. Find out if he plans to attend the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING -- shot down. No fireworks on the Fourth. Why more and more cities are pulling the plug.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To hear that it's not going to be here this year is devastating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 18 minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." U.S. gymnast Morgan Hamm has been warned by the U.S. Public Doping Agency. The Olympic champion tested positive for a type of corticosteroid after using an anti-inflammatory medication without first informing officials. And his coach says it was an honest mistake and doesn't think that it's going to affect his standing on the Olympic team.
CHETRY: Well, speaking of the Olympics, the torch today making its way through the Shanxi Province. It's in north central China. And crowds are lining much of the route, cheering on the torch bearers. There are now just 35 days until the opening ceremonies in Beijing.
And in the crowd for those ceremonies will be President Bush. The White House making the politically-explosive announcement that he will attend. Several world leaders have turned down invitations over China's treatment of Tibet.
CNN's Ed Henry has more.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran.
The White House has finally confirmed that the President will be attending the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. But that admission only came after just a little bit more diplomatic tap dancing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): For the first time, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the President will attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics this summer.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Yes, he certainly is going to be going to China. And I would certainly think that the opening ceremonies will be a part of that trip.
HENRY: While the President has previously said he will attend the Olympic Games in Beijing, officials have danced around whether that includes the opening ceremonies. It's politically explosive because human rights groups have said leaders should skip the opening to protest China's record.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: We want freedom!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do we want?
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: We want freedom!
HENRY: French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has threatened to boycott the opening, now says he may go if China makes progress in talks over human rights with the Dalai Lama. Perino was asked whether Sarkozy's standard may provide a model for the President. And reporters pounced on her comment that Mr. Bush will attend.
In a sign of how sensitive the subject is, she immediately pulled back. PERINO: I think I said it's a distinct possibility here, right? I mean, (INAUDIBLE). But I would expect -- I think I said I would expect that the opening ceremonies could be a part of the schedule.
HENRY: As reporters noted, She had been more definitive that seem got comical. Perino sought help from her mother, who's visiting Washington for the Fourth of July. The first chance for mom to be at the White House to watch her daughter brief the media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom, what do you think?
PERINO: Thank you, mom. Help me. Look, I'm not able to announce the president's schedule, but he is going to the Olympics and I expect that the opening ceremony could be a part of that trip.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: After that light-hearted moment, a short while later, Dana Perino put out a written statement confirming that the president will attend the opening ceremonies. She told me that there's no bigger champion of both religious freedom and human rights than the president, and he thinks it's better to press these issues face-to- face with the Chinese leaders.
But as you know, the president is going to take a lot of political heat for this decision -- John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: And it's always nice to have mom there for moral support. Ed Henry at the White House today.
Twenty-one minutes after the hour. A CNN exclusive. Deep in desert territory at a secret entry point where insurgents are slipping undetected from Syria into Iraq. What else we found going on on the border between those two countries.
And peeking at passports. State Department employees access the scoop on celebrities. The investigation that caught them red-handed.
Fighting on the front line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: In the air and on the ground. A rare up-close look, taking on a wildfire. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-four minutes after the hour. Being chased by the flames. A wildfire closing in on Big Sur, California. It's one of 400 burning right now across the state. And for the first time this year, a firefighter was killed battling the flames. Big Sur fire has burned 20 homes so far. 850 residents got the order to get out. CHETRY: You know, the problem of wildfires is apparently getting a lot worse. In 2006, wildfires burned 15,000 square miles across the country. A record nearly matched last year. Two-thirds of the burned areas were in the West. And perhaps most shocking, annual federal spending on firefighting has jumped from 1 billion back in 1998 at the beginning of this period drought that we've been seeing to more than $3 billion fighting fires last year.
ROBERTS: Mark Thiessen is a trained firefighter. He is also a "National Geographic" photographer. He took that extraordinary photograph that you just saw there. And there on the cover of this latest "National Geographic" magazine, for "Wildfires and Why Things are Getting Worse in the West?" And he joins us now.
So, why are things getting worse? It looks like a combination of a number of different factors.
MARK THIESSEN, "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC" PHOTOGRAPHER: There's a lot of reasons the fires have been getting worse in American West. One of them is the West is just hotter and drier than it's ever been. You know, we think of the West as being a hot, dry place, but it's actually -- there's evidence as in our February issue of the magazine on why the West is drying out, that the American West was settled in a wet period. And it actually might be going back into a drier period. And the other reason is, you know, possibly global warming could be exacerbating it.
CHETRY: We talk about this period of drought that we've been in the cycle since about 1998. But you also talk about some other factors and that is our whole theory of fighting fires in the first place. This theory going back to 100 years that we can actually tackle and harness and prevent what really is a natural occurrence in nature.
THIESSEN: That's right. Fire is going to happen. Fires have burned for the last 10,000 years out West, since the last Ice Age. And they're going to keep burning for the rest of time. So what we need to do is figure out how to live with fire successfully.
And part of that is -- is making sure that we, you know, build our structures, build our homes in places that aren't so fire-prone and build them out of materials that aren't necessarily going to be so quick to burn.
ROBERTS: And as we pointed out, you're a firefighter yourself. You spent a lot of time with firefighters on the lines. There's a talk of this wilderness urban interface. What they call the stupid zone. What's the stupid zone?
THIESSEN: The wild land urban interface is really where the eves of the homes meet the trees. This is where people are building their houses in the woods where, you know, it's a very fire-prone area. And, you know, you talk to firefighters and it's never a question of if a fire is going to happen. It's a question of when it's going to happen. And sooner or later, people are going to have to deal with that. CHETRY: You also talked about some of your own personal experiences with just how quickly fire can overtake you. You think you're safe, you think perhaps you're out of the thick of it, and then you find yourself almost being overcome. What was your experience?
THIESSEN: You know, with fire, you never know what's going to happen. And that's what makes it so unpredictable and so it makes you scary. In our situation on the lead picture of our story, we were on a road and the wind shifted, the fire jumped the road. And we were getting word that the -- up ahead, that crews were evacuating so we hopped in the pickup, drove right through the flames.
The fire is on fire on both sides of us and escape to our safety zone. We fought fire that way all summer long.
ROBERTS: And this article talks about some rather controversial practices that we could undertake to try to make this a little bit better and that is letting some fires burn or prescribed burning in certain areas.
THIESSEN: That's right. You know, what we want to do is live with fire successfully. And that means, you know, doing prescribed fires, clearing out the underbrush in areas, and, you know, not really put homes in areas that are going to burn. This is just a matter of when.
CHETRY: Well, it's a fascinating article and the pictures that go with it are amazing as well. Thanks so much for joining us. This is Mark Thiessen, a "National Geographic" photographer and also firefighter.
Thanks for being with us. Happy Fourth.
THIESSEN: Thank you.
CHETRY: Well, here's more on the scale of the fighting. Your "AM Extra" now. According to "National Geographic," federal spending on fighting fire has grown from $1 billion in 1998 to $3 billion last year. There were nearly 86,000 fires last year and they destroyed more than 9 million acres.
ROBERTS: Just in this morning. Iran may respond today to a new proposal on its nuclear program. The EU's chief foreign policy minister tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour that he received a call from Iran's top nuclear negotiator and he says the tone of that call was positive.
Under the deal, the European Union would allow Iran to keep enriching uranium for the next six weeks, but would not allow the manufacturer of new centrifuges. In return, the EU would refrain from supporting new sanctions.
Also new this morning, rescued Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt is in the air and heading home to Paris with her family. She is expected to receive a hero's welcome when she arrived. That will be about 90 minutes from now. Gay marriage opponents calling for a boycott of McDonald's today. The American Family Association is angry because McDonalds joined the National Gay and lesbian Chamber of Commerce. That's a group that promotes gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses. McDonalds isn't backing down saying, quote, "hatred has no place in our culture."
Well, to another matter of privacy. Passport files snooping. First it was the files of presidential candidates. Now an investigation shows that someone has been peeking at celebrity passports.
State Department Correspondent Zain Verjee is live in Washington with us and she's got more on this new revelation.
Good morning, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
The report says there are some really big holes in the system that makes it easy to access the personal data of millions of Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (voice-over): It started back in March with isolated snooping into Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama's passport files. That prompted personal apologize from the Secretary of State and she ordered the investigation. Now, a new State Department inspector general's report suggests a lot more snooping of celebrities' passport records than previously thought.
To test the system, investigators made up a list of 150 entertainers, politicians, athletes, some of the most searched on Google. 127 have their private records accessed. It's not clear if the hits were authorized, but it's suspicious. Nine of the high- profile people had more than 100 hits on their file.
We're told too that it's possible there's been more snooping into presidential candidates' passport reports. The reports said that snooping has gone undetected and unpunished. Passport records have personal information like your social security number or date of birth. The State Department says it will cut in half the number of people that can look at files, but that still leaves 10,000 worldwide who could still peek.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: They're also adding more investigators. Right now they've only got two, but that's going to be increased to eight. There are also some other recommendations, John, just for better security. But many of them were redacted in the report, just blanked out, because officials say they don't want to make them public in case anyone abuses the system even further -- John.
ROBERTS: Somehow it seems we're going to hear a lot more about this in the future.
Zain Verjee this morning. Zain, thanks.
CHETRY: Deep in the desert lies a swath of land 300 miles long, used by militants to slip between Iraq and Syria. Now, the Syria army is now taking steps to seal off that border. CNN's Cal Perry got an exclusive look at the operation and this morning he is live in Damascus, Syria.
Tell us a little bit, first of all, how you even got there to the border and what some of the difficulties have been, trying to report there.
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, I came here about a week ago. I met with government officials and I proposed doing a group of stories. They feel like they've gotten a bad rep in the international media, specially the Western media so they took us to the border yesterday in a Syrian Army helicopter. We were the first journalists to actually go with the Syrian Army to this border.
And as you mentioned, 300 miles long and incredibly difficult to secure. This border is exceptionally important not only for the future of Iraq but also of course between Syria and U.S. relations. And what commanders said to us is they're in a very difficult position. They're doing everything they can to secure the border, but they don't have the proper equipment they need to fully secure this border.
There is a U.S. embargo in place here in Syria and they don't have simple things like night-vision goggles. And you can imagine on a desert border where you can barely tell where Iraq begins and Syria ends. How difficult it is to patrol at night without that equipment. They even said they mentioned this to Nancy Pelosi last year when she was here. They said we're desperate for more equipment.
They've taken a lot of hits from the U.S. especially the U.S. military saying they're not doing enough to stop these so-called ratline. These insurgents crossing back and forth. They're saying, we've done everything we can. We're working to the best of our ability but we need more equipment, Kiran.
CHETRY: And why are they giving you access now?
PERRY: I think when you look at where Syria is, especially regionally, things are changing a bit for Syria. We know they're talking to Israel. In Turkey, they're trying to setting a final peace agreement with Israel. They're still technically at a state of war with Israel. We know that's going on.
When you listen to what George W. Bush has said, just a few years ago, Syria in his mind and in speeches was a part of the "axis of evil." When you look at what he just said two months ago at the Israeli Knesset, that's the Israeli Parliament. He said that Syria could be a "future partner for peace."
In discussions that I've had with Syrian officials since we've been here on the ground, they say they're very eager to start a dialogue, that they want to change in the eyes of the international community. They feel like they've really had a lot of bad press coverage especially with the IAEA. Coming here, they say they were very open with the IAEA. They have no interest in developing weapons of mass destruction. I think we're seeing a shift here in foreign policy by the Syrians. Kiran.
CHETRY: Very interesting and some very incredible access.
Cal Perry for us in Syria this morning. Thank you -- John.
ROBERTS: There is a new ambassador for peace in the Middle East. She's a popular Israeli singer, but there is a twist to this rising pop star. We'll tell you about it.
CHETRY: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, blowing the budget. Why some towns are being forced to cancel the big show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we made the right decision.
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CHETRY: You're watching the "Most news in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Beautiful. It's the big show, the Fourth of July fireworks. They came early in some places as America celebrates its 232nd birthday today. A new CNN community research poll suggests the founding fathers might not necessarily like how things turned out -- 69 percent say the signers of the "Declaration of Independence" would be disappointed about the U.S. today -- 29 percent say they think they'd be pleased.
Well, he tried to sell his vote to the highest bidder on eBay and now a Minnesota college student is paying for it with a felony charge. Max Sanders accused of violating a 115-year-old state law that makes it a crime to buy or sell a vote. He says it was all a joke, but apparently prosecutors did not see it that way.
ROBERTS: It's 37 minutes after the hour. Fireworks as much as anything symbolize the national celebration of this day, but economic conditions are forcing some communities to do without the rockets red glare this year.
CNN's Susan Candiotti has got more on that for us -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, what would the Fourth of July be without fireworks? Well, big cities wouldn't dream of slicing a piece of Americana from their budgets, but in some smaller towns. fireworks shows are biting the dust.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The Fourth wouldn't be the Fourth without a dazzling fireworks show. In Cocoa Beach, Florida, they light up the ocean front.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's phenomenal. You see fireworks as far as the eye can see.
CANDIOTTI: Not this Fourth. The recession fizzled its fireworks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To hear it's not going to be here this year is devastating.
CANDIOTTI: Coast to coast, hard times are forcing some towns to blast booming displays from budgets. In Chula Vista, just south of San Diego, the $200,000 price tag became a non-essential service.
DAVID GARCIA, CITY MANAGER, CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA: It was a tough decision to make, but I think we made the right decision.
CANDIOTTI: In upscale western Florida, it's the second year in a row fireworks are doused, and people aren't happy about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think it really hurts the family. It hurts everyone getting together for a common American event, which is as old as baseball and apple pie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If the kids didn't have fireworks to watch on the Fourth of July, what would it be like for them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That wouldn't be possible. They wouldn't let me live without them having fireworks.
CANDIOTTI: In smaller Margate, Florida, a solution. The mayor and city council collected over $50,000 in donations to keep alive a 20-year tradition.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the Fourth of July. It's the nation's birthday. People just felt generous even in this - today's economy. So...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you're there and you see this great abundance of color and sound, the heart starts beating. You say, oh, my God, how fortunate I am to be in this country.
CANDIOTTI (on-camera): Next best thing? Look for a fireworks display in a nearby town. If you can afford the gas to get you there -- John and Kiran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Susan Candiotti this morning.
The world's greatest eaters are converging on Brooklyn for the annual Fourth of July Nathan's hotdog eating contest. The competitors weigh in on Coney Island including, that's not him in there. There he is there, six time champion, Takiro Kobayashi. He's hoping to win back his title after losing to last year's champion who won by eating 66 hotdogs buns. his year though it's going to be even harder. As if it's not hard enough already.
The competition has been shaved from 12 minutes to just 10, as it was during the first competition back in 1916. They're going old- school.
CHETRY: How about it?
ROBERTS: Maybe eat but 55 dogs this time.
CHETRY: You know, they dip it in the water and eat it to soak the bread a little better.
ROBERTS: Kobayashi says his secret is he eats the hot dog separate from the bun.
CHETRY: There's a system to the madness. Well, with her powerful voice, a singer is achieving what political leaders and humanitarian leaders have been trying to do for decades, bring peace to the Middle East. There's an unusual twist to this performer.
ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, presidential pup.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. OBAMA: We promised them we'll get them a dog.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Jeanne Moos goes in search for a pet worthy of the West Wing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can see you in the White House.
Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You're watching the most news in the morning.
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ROBERTS: An Israeli singer is breaking boundaries. Her hit song not only topping the charts of Israel but also in nearby Lebanon. But there's a real twist to this unlikely new ambassador for peace.
Atika Shubert of CNN has go the twist for us this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Aderet, Israel's latest dance queen. But here's the twist. She's a transsexual. Raised in an Orthodox-Jewish family and to top it all off, she's big in Lebanon. That's right. "Say no more" is a hit single in Israel and Lebanon. Just two years ago, they were at war and had yet to sign a peace agreement. That makes Aderet a most unlikely ambassador for peace.
ADERET, SINGER: The message is to be free and let it go. It's not politics when you listen to music.
SHUBERT: Aderet says she had no idea she was an international hit until she Googled the song released in Israel. She found "Say no more" at the top of the charts at Lebanon's Internet station. Now her Facebook and MySpace page is flooded with more requests from across the Middle East.
Lebanese and other Arab bloggers have praised her songs for their uplifting lyrics. Her new English album coming out this year is entitled "Jewish Girl." But how Arab audiences react to her proudly Jewish-Israeli identity and unorthodox sexuality.
ADERET: I don't know and I don't care. The music is all that matters.
SHUBERT: Still, her Lebanese fans asked not to be identified in this story. It seems even amid the flashing disco lights of the club, politics still matter.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And Aderet says that she hopes that her success will allow more Israeli musicians to break into Lebanon.
CHETRY: Well, today CNN's hero is helping kids get well one car ride at a time. Meet Russell Jackson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSSELL JACKSON, CNN HERO: There's a lot of folks that are going without in this country. I found that people of all races were suffering from poverty. In the rural areas, there are no cabs. There are no buses. Millions of children have no access to medical care when they need to reach it. I made the decision that I was going to leave my job as a firefighter and I'm going to start driving kids to the doctor full-time.
I'm Russell Jackson, and I make sure that thousands of Alabama's rural children get to the doctor. How is everybody doing this morning? All right. We all ready to head into the doctor? The volume of phone calls in the first year was beyond anything that I had expected. Families saw our vehicles and would call and say, who are you all? What do you do? And they'd sometimes cry or they'd just shout with joy. You know, hallelujah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Without it, we would be lost and always depending on a ride.
JACKSON: When I started the program, it was just myself in my little Chevy Blazer. I drove up and met that first young man with that million-dollar smile. Look at you, how big you've gotten. Golly. How are you, mom?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Russell.
JACKSON: How are you, sweetie?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm fine.
JACKSON: Good to see you all. He never talked, he never walked. That's awesome, buddy. I saw so many life change. So many determined children and parents who wanted to beat the odds. To know that they've beat it all because of a simple ride that how many kids around the country aren't experiencing those same success stories.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: And July is the last month to nominate someone you know as a CNN hero for 2008 so go to CNN.com/heroes.
CNN NEWSROOM is just minutes away. Heidi Collins is at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead.
Happy Fourth, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Happy Fourth to you, Kiran.
That's right. It is the Fourth of July in the NEWSROOM. A work day for California firefighters. That's for sure. 1,700 homes evacuated overnight in Santa Barbara county. The wildfire has now tripled in size since Wednesday. We'll be following that.
And former hostage Ingrid Betancourt arrives in France this morning. You will see it live.
And we take a look at the Fourth of July tradition, Nathan's hot dog eating contest. Can a six-time champ, there he is, regain the mustard belt?
President Bush spends the Fourth at Thomas Jefferson's home live in the NEWSROOM. We get started at the top of the hour on CNN.
It certainly makes you kind of lose your appetite a little bit, doesn't, Kiran?
CHETRY: It actually makes me hungry. I wish I could eat that many.
COLLINS: It does? I knew that about you.
CHETRY: Thanks, Heidi.
COLLINS: You bet. ROBERTS: Anytime she even thinks of food, she gets hungry.
Well, losing it. A young mother drops 215 pounds without surgery. She says that she owes it all to one little boy with a heart-breaking question. What he asked her. We've got that for you.
CHETRY: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, the first pet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: You can't walk around the White House with turkey in your ears.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Jeanne Moos checks out the candidates, including this familiar face. You're watching the "Most news in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, the man who delighted millions of kids playing Bozo the clown for more than five decades has died. And while Larry Harmon is not the original Bozo, he's widely credited with the clown's trademark -- look, there he is without his make-up on -- the orange hair, and the red nose, the crazy red, white, and blue costume. His publicist says that Harmon died of congestive heart failure. He was 83-years-old.
ROBERTS: Shame.
A new study shows people who joined Weight Watchers on average did not lose as much body fat as they had hoped but instead lost lean muscle tissue. The study also found that when combined with exercise Weight Watchers can be an effective tool for getting in shape. And that is no surprise to Sissy Lusk.
Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her "Fit Nation" success story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Sissy Lusk's family always struggled with their weight. So when she started gaining as well, her mother was concerned.
SISSY LUSK, JOINED WEIGHT WATCHERS: Mother was overweight. And a couple of my siblings were. And so constantly my mom was on diets. And she put me on diets right along with her.
GUPTA: Together they tried everything from shakes to pills to the latest fad diet. But Sissy kept gaining.
LUSK: Somebody once asked me before how in the world did you get that big? Well, one pound at a time. But then one pound becomes two and two becomes ten and ten becomes 20.
GUPTA: At her heaviest, she weighed 345 pounds. But one hot summer day, Sissy found the inspiration she needed in the least likely place.
LUSK: I was in a gas station. I was paying for some gas. And a little boy behind me with his mom looked at me and said, why are you so fat? And I just thought I was going to die. That was the moment that I thought I can't live this way anymore.
GUPTA: So she joined Weight Watchers. And just as she had gained the weight pound by pound, she lost the weight. It's been six years since that day at the gas station.
LUSK: I owe my life to that little boy and his mom, for humiliating me.
GUPTA: Sissy says she also owes quite a bit to Weight Watchers and has been trying to repay that debt each and every day.
LUSK: I lead 14 meetings a week. And it gives me a real sense of purpose in life that I can help other people be who they want to be. My name is Sissy Lusk and I've lot 215 pounds.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Wow. That's amazing. Good for her.
Well, a pup fit for a president. What does it take to win the White House? Jeanne Moos is on the campaign tail. Sit, stay. You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Who makes the best pet though? That's the big question.
ROBERTS: That's the big question that we're asking today.
CHETRY: Yes. Barack Obama promised his kids, hey, if, you know, if I win the White House in the fall, you guys get a dog.
ROBERTS: I would hope that he'd get them a dog regardless of whether he wins but you never know. Already, the public is trying to help pick the best possible first dog.
CNN's Jeanne Moos has got the Moost news in the morning for us this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): This may look like a place mat, but it's a ballot for potential first dog.
I can see you in the White House. Yes. Just imagine, White House dinners. Meet a new breed of candidate. Whoa.
The American Kennel Club took note of Barack Obama's campaign promise to his kids. B. OBAMA: We promised them that we'll get them a dog.
MICHELLE OBAMA, WIFE OF BARACK OBAMA: That was the bargaining chip. You want to run for president? We're getting a dog.
MOOS: Well, now you can vote at the AKC Web site on what kind of dog the Obamas should get.
M. OBAMA: We talk about this dog every day. Every day. What kind are we going to get? You do know we're getting it.
MOOS: The kennel club says at least one of the Obama daughters has allergies, so they selected five types of hypoallergenic dogs.
DAISY OKAS, AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB: It's hair as opposed to fur.
MOOS: The candidates are the wheaten terrier, the Bichon Frise, the poodle, the miniature schnauzer and a Chinese crested. Wait a minute. Wait a minute, the Chinese crested is the dog that year after year wins the ugly dog contest.
OKAS: When they get old, they do tend to lose their looks.
MOOS: But Nutmeg here is a show dog. Don't even mention the ugly dog contest to Nutmeg's owner. Does it annoy you?
AMY GERNANDEZ, OWNER OF CHINESE CRESTED DOG: It annoys me intensely. I really wish they'd stop having that contest. It's such a beautiful breed.
MOOS: Well, it's currently bringing up the rear in the poll. By the way, this is not one of the criteria for selection.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say Obama. Say Obama.
MOOS: Remember how the Clinton's dog, Buddy, fought with the first cat, Sox? And current White House occupant, Barney, refused to get on Air Force One. And who could forget the time the president dropped Barney. And Beasley tried to elude secret service agents. Or the Reagan's dog, Lucky.
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You don't stand up on me.
MOOS: Had to be retired to the ranch because Lucky was too hard to control. So are the five breeds up for election White House ready?
OKAS: OH, somebody peed. Come here.
MOOS: It's just slobbering.
OKAS: Well, she's panting because of all the excitement.
You can't walk around the White House with turkey in your ears. Hey, hey. You'll sniff anything. We can't have any of this behavior in the White House. Flirtatious little boy. Knock it off.
You should have tried that back when Bill was president.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: All right. What's your vote? Which one should they pick?
ROBERTS: The Chinese crested.
CHETRY: The Chinese crested, that would make for some good laughs.
ROBERTS: It's interesting, the dog owners sort of begin to look like their pets.
CHETRY: Yes, I hope it doesn't happen to me.
ROBERTS: Well, the dog might be the traditional first pet but is far from the only first pet. Here's a look at some of the more unusual ones on "AM Extra."
President Bush of course has got two dogs as Jeanne point out, Barney and Miss Beasley. But he also has a longhorn named Ophelia that he keeps on his ranch.
Herbert Hoover kept a possum he called Billy.
Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace had a raccoon named Rebecca. They even walked her on a leash.
And during the first World War, Woodrow Wilson kept sheep on the lawn of the White House to keep it nice and trim.
CHETRY: Yes. How about that? Instead of a lawn mower, get a few sheep.
ROBERTS: It kind of saved some money.
CHETRY: Worked for him. Well, thanks so much for joining us. Have a wonderful Fourth of July.
ROBERTS: We'll see you back here again on Monday.
Right now, here's "CNN NEWSROOM" with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins.
