Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Obama Now in Germany, Meets Chancellor Angela Merkel; Dolly Loses Strength; Company Sued for Using "N" Word; Will Race Relations Change in an Obama Presidency? China Rocked by Another Aftershock This Morning
Aired July 24, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Crash landing. Hurricane Dolly slams south Texas with 120 miles per hour winds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is just getting torn up down here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: A look at what it was like inside the storm.
And, happening now. Barack Obama visiting Berlin with JFK buzz on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And welcome. It is Thursday, July 24th. Glad you're with us this morning.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Friday eve we like to call it around here, right?
CHETRY: That's right.
ROBERTS: Sometimes it feels so good. Can we get an Amen on that, folks?
PEOPLE: Amen.
ROBERTS: All right.
New this morning, Barack Obama in Germany, arriving just about an hour ago. Right now, he's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. And at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Obama will speak at Berlin's famed Victory Column, where turnout is expected to be in the tens of thousands.
Earlier, Obama was in the Holy Land. His itinerary included meetings with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and a pre-dawn visit to the Wailing Wall, one of Jerusalem's holiest sites.
Hurricane Dolly is now Tropical Storm Dolly, weakening more overnight. The storm slammed into Texas yesterday afternoon with 100 miles an hour winds shredding roofing from homes and buildings. Dolly is still dropping up to a foot of rain in some parts. Our Rob Marciano is tracking her location this morning. He's going to join us in just a minute with more pictures of the storm's damage and what is expected to do now that it's inland.
The House passing a $300 billion housing bill that temporarily insures mortgages for at risk homeowners and gives financial support to lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. President Bush now supports the plan saying it's more important to stabilize the market. He had threatened to veto after Democrats added a $4 billion provision that would let cities buy foreclosed properties. The bill now heads back to the Senate.
CHETRY: And back to politics now.
Barack Obama is in Germany as we said. And right now, he's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after his jampacked tour of America's war zone and Israel. This afternoon he'll be giving an open air speech in Berlin about transatlantic relationships. It's expected to be the highlight of this particular visit. They're expecting tens of thousands of people to show up.
And CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is live for us in Berlin today. And Christiane, what are some of the challenges he faces as he gets ready to give this speech?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, you've heard of Oktoberfest in Germany. Well, this you might call Obama fest. There's a great deal of excitement.
You've heard many times how popular he is in Europe. And here in this big street that leads from the victory monument behind me where he'll speak, right up to the Brandenburg Gate, they're already stalls selling food and drink. They do, according to his organizers, expect large crowds. And there is a separate stand here, a podium where there is going to be music before he arrives.
But while he is wildly popular in Europe, he also really needs to answer questions on policy. Europe wants to know what kind of a policy would a president Obama launch in terms of how he would react with Europe, would he return America to multilateral diplomacy, for instance, rather than the go-it-alone approach of the eight years of the President Bush administration.
He has quite a challenge ahead of him, particularly whoever is the next president, because the standing of the United States has really collapsed in Europe and around the world over the last eight years. But while he is popular, there are many cautionary words out there.
For instance, the head EU trade official has said of Barack Obama to abandon "crowd pleasing rhetoric" and start to talk about his internationalist approach. And this would be about commitment to free trade. You know that on the campaign, Barack Obama has hinted that NAFTA, the free trade agreements and other such things, he would rework. The Europeans are saying, no, we want to see you continue in a free market internationalist vein, whoever is the next president. Beyond that there are great challenges, restoring America's moral reputation in the world. For instance, by doing things such as closing Guantanamo Bay and getting back to being a beacon on human rights. The environment very, very important.
Many people have said don't attack Iran. We don't want to see another war in the Middle East or caught up and dividing the United States from Europe. So a lot of challenges ahead.
CHETRY: Christiane Amanpour for us in Berlin today, thank you.
And while Barack Obama is overseas, John McCain back in the U.S. warning Israel may be under a greater threat now than at any other time because of Iran's nuclear program. McCain also trying to keep Obama from bolstering his foreign policy credentials by pounding away on his position when it comes to Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't know because I never know exactly what his position is. He gave a speech to APAC that said Jerusalem would be undivided. The next day he said that would be the subject of negotiation. So it's very hard for me to know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Obama tried to clarify the remarks he made last month saying while it's important that Jerusalem be the capital of Israel, it's not the job of the U.S. to dictate how or whether the city is divided -- John.
ROBERTS: Hurricane Dolly is now a tropical storm, but she is still leaving her mark. Dolly dumping more than a foot of rain in some parts of Texas, ripping roofs off of buildings and flooding out homes. Dolly slammed ashore with 100 mile an hour winds, hail and some isolated tornadoes as well.
Rob Marciano has got some amazing pictures from the storm, and he joins us now from the weather center in Atlanta. Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, John. Still swirling a tropical storm with winds of 60 miles an hour. Category Two. Hurricane Dolly was the strongest storm to make land fall in the U.S. since Wilma back in 2005.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice-over): With winds gusting at 120 miles per hour, the eye of Hurricane Dolly crashed into Texas South Padre Island around 1:00 p.m. local time.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If these roofs collapse, if these signs go down, firefighters are all over helping people evacuate and (INAUDIBLE) to evacuate. But you can see this is a Category Two hurricane. And it's incredibly treacherous. MARCIANO: Dolly's triple digit winds ripped the roof off this house.
JACQUELINE BELL, RESIDENT: The first, you know, bang I thought it was one of the air conditioners flying. And then we went outside and we saw the debris.
MARCIANO: Seeing the conditions as unfit, firefighters demanded residents to leave the endangered building. Soon after land fall, Dolly was downgraded to a Category One storm. Its winds still powerful enough to down power lines, snap trees, ground traffic lights and cripple gas stations. Eventually the winds died down, giving way to heavy rain.
TUCHMAN: Intense rainfall. It's actually hailing now. And it's coming down so strongly that I really can't keep my eyes open while I talk.
MARCIANO: Flooding became the top concern for Texans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could have areas that have up to 12 inches of rain. So, again, preparing for the worst and praying for the best.
MARCIANO: And as the storm heads west, the focus remains the rain. How much will fall and how bad will the flooding be?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Now the National Hurricane Center as we could see -- says we could see as much as 20 inches of rain as this storm moves inland. Tropical storms by nature just hold a ton of water. And now that this thing is inland, we've got the threat for flooding certainly right around the Rio Grande. Also, a tornado watch remains in effect for another hour or two with the threat for some spin north of this thing.
All right. Let's talk rainfall. How much fell. You got to believe we broke some records. Brownsville, over six inches and this is mostly in the 24 hour period here. Harlington, three inches. McAllen over three inches. Well in Corpus Christi, pretty far north to the center we're seeing some rainfall with this.
Pretty well defined still. I mean, this should really be a lot weaker right now than it is. So that certainly is a concern your flood watches and warnings are up, John, for the expected 10 to 20 inches total when this storm finally wrings itself out. But that still may take a couple of days as Dolly continues to hold herself together pretty well. Back to you.
ROBERTS: And let's hope, Rob, that people in Texas take the lesson that Gary Tuchman didn't when mom said when it rains, come inside.
MARCIANO: Yes. Well, he's just doing his job.
ROBERTS: All right. Rob, thanks so much. We'll see you again soon
MARCIANO: All right, John.
ROBERTS: Kiran?
CHETRY: New this morning, the Coast Guard closing nearly 60 miles of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans area as crews clean an oil spill. A fuel barge split apart after colliding with a tanker dumping more than 420,000 gallons in the river. The Coast Guard says no one was licensed to pilot the tugboat pushing the barge. Now back in 2005, another spill sent seven million gallons of oil into the Mississippi.
Amtrak's service between Washington and Boston back on track this morning, but there was a big power outage caused by thunderstorms last night. Thousands of rush hour travelers her at New York's Penn Station and across the region were delayed for more than an hour with the second straight day of tough travels for Amtrak. Tuesday, a broken rail led to delays outside of New York as well.
And a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute is warning his staff, limit your cell phone use because of possible cancer risks. Now, he's basing his concerns on early unpublished data saying it takes too long to get answers from science and that he believes people should take action now, especially when it comes to children. Numerous studies have found no link between cancer and cell phones -- John.
ROBERTS: A lawsuit over the "N" word. A man takes his employer to court saying almost nothing was done after he was called a racial slur on the job. Does he have a case? We'll put that in question to our legal analyst Sunny Hostin.
And a far reaching bill to assist the nation's troubled housing market passed the crucial vote on Wednesday. Find out what kind of health could be at offer for at-risk homeowners. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: And welcome. Stephanie Elam in for Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business" today. And the scene, of course, housing. That big housing measure passed by the House.
STEPHANIE ELAM, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. The house also wanting to make sure that your house stays your house...
ROBERTS: Madness is what it is.
ELAM: ... in the middle of the street. Yes. Well, actually, this is obviously good news that Wall Street was waiting for a lot of companies were waiting to hear from as well. And yesterday, the House did go ahead and pass this legislation, 272 votes to 152, in case you're keeping count.
And what this is basically -- this is Washington's answer to the housing crisis. They've been looking for something to help out here and this is what they've come up with. And I want to get you into what is involved in this.
Now, for one thing, they're going to ensure up to $300 billion in at-risk home loans. That's obviously really important. This will also say that they'll back Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with credit and that will be unlimited credit. You're talking about over the next 18 months. And they'll increase the loan cap guarantee to $625,000 and create first time home buyer credits. And that will be about 10 percent or up to $7,500.
So this is huge because now the Fed will be able to buy into -- buy stock, if necessary, into Fannie and Freddie, making sure that they stay strong, they stay together. Because why this matters to us?
For one thing, if you take a look at how much they back, Freddie and Fannie backed more than $5 trillion in mortgages. So even if you have never gone and talked to Freddie and Fannie it's likely that they are behind your mortgage. So that's why you care about this.
The other side that the other side of this, obviously this is going to cost money. And in the end, taxpayers could be paying for this as well. But better to pay now than to have these two giants fall by the wayside.
CHETRY: Very interesting. Barney Frank who helped author that legislation says that's because a lot of the companies were expecting this to happen, they could be able to help homeowners sooner rather than later.
ELAM: I think the markets were looking for that as well because they were -- they came back strong yesterday.
CHETRY: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Thirteen minutes now after the hour. As part of CNN's special series "Black in America," we are talking this morning with noted author Maya Angelou. We'll ask her about Barack Obama historic candidacy and the issues facing the black community today.
Plus, Rob Marciano is watching extreme weather for us this morning with the remnants of Dolly. And lots of storms in the northeast there, Rob.
MARCIANO: Yes. I'll tell you why. With Dolly and all the rain that she brought south Texas and northeast, you've got your own set of flooding problems. We'll run it down when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Fifteen minutes now after the hour. Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." And time to fast forward to some of the stories making headlines throughout the day.
About two million Americans will be getting a slight raise today. A new federal law increases the minimum wage by 70 cents to $6.55 an hour.
At 1:00 p.m. Eastern, the Department of Labor is going to release a new report on last summer's deadly mine collapse in Utah. Six miners and three rescue workers were killed in the Crandall Canyon Mine back in August. Today's report will look at what went wrong and whether the deadly cave-ins at that mine could have been prevented.
And at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, the head of the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, is going to testify before a House subcommittee on aviation security. Kip Holly expected to talk about the threat still facing the country's airports and the steps that his agents are taking to keep travelers safe. You can see that here online at CNN.com/amlive -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, it's 16 past the hour. Rob Marciano keeping track of weather for us. We're still tracking Dolly. Not a hurricane anymore but, boy, a lot of rain falling in many parts of Texas. Are there any dangers, Rob, of the levees overflowing there?
MARCIANO: Well, you know, we're hearing from officials that they're pretty confident about the levees holding. But nonetheless, Dolly continues to hold on a little stronger than most tropical systems would be at this point. Sixty mile an hour winds still gusting to 75. So a still strong tropical storm.
The center of it is 90 or so miles northwest of Brownsville. So this thing, even though it's well on shore is not weakening as quickly as we would typically think. Ten to 20 inches of rain possible total as this thing continues its slow march across the Rio Grande. We expect it to become a tropical depression later on today or tonight, but the rain is going to remain. And until it wrings out that's going to be the main issue.
All right. Let's talk northeast. You've got a tremendous amount of rain and some thunderstorms the past couple of days, and it is raining and raining heavily across much of the Tri-state area this morning. So a rough rush hour for sure as this conglomerate of thundershowers rolls across the I-95 corridor down Long Island and eventually off the cape.
And we've got flood watches and warnings out for portions of the northeast as well. Temperatures will be building across parts of the central plains and into the desert southwest as well. A cool 75, rain cool 75 up here in New York. Keep your umbrella handy. Kiran, back up to you.
CHETRY: All right. We will. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right.
CHETRY: One man says he was called the "N" word on the job, but he says his company's zero tolerance policy resulted in zero action. Now, he's taking legal action. But does he have a case?
And it's called Alaska's oil ground zero. It's at the center of America's energy debate. To drill or not to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. CNN journeyed to the Arctic Tundra to get the opinion of people who call that land home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."
A workplace lawsuit in Florida over the "N" word. A black man claims that a white coworker called him the "N" word on the job.
Marvin Jackson says the company gave the employee a slap on the wrist and that he got fired after launching a complaint. Our legal analyst Sunny Hostin joins us now.
So under harassment guidelines, EEOC complaint, can somebody sue if somebody calls them the "N" word?
SUNNY HOSTIN, AMERICAN MORNING LEGAL ANALYST: Absolutely, and I'll tell you we're seeing this type of lawsuit, John, in the workplace. We're seeing job related lawsuits. And I think the bottom line here is, when is it appropriate to use that word?
I think many people will say it's never appropriate. We heard Jesse Jackson become caught in the crossfire. We've seen the ladies on "The View" argue about this. And now, we're hearing about it more and more in the workplace.
In this particular case, Marvin Jackson says he was at work. He was at Northrop Grumman and a coworker came up to him and said, hey, what's up, my "N" word. And he says --
ROBERTS: So he thought he was joking?
HOSTIN: Well, actually, the coworker's defense in this, he says, I was trying to bond. I grew up in the inner city. I am white but this is a term of endearment, and this is something that I use.
Now we spoke to Marvin Jackson and this is what he had to say about when he was approached with this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARVIN JACKSON, NORTHROP GRUMMAN EMPLOYEE: It's a big deal to me because I don't use that word with my friends, and my friends don't use it with me. And I'm not a friend of this person. And he has no right to address me in that manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOSTIN: And after also speaking with him, Marvin says he complained to his employer, Northrop Grumman, and they said, listen, your coworker was trying to bond with you. We got the opportunity to get a statement from Northrop Grumman and this is what they had to say.
They say, "As one of our nation's leading defense suppliers, Northrop Grumman is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer, one which does not tolerate racial discrimination or harassment in any form in the workplace. Because legal proceedings associated with Mr. Jackson's case are still pending, it would be improper for us to discuss the details of his allegations."
But what we do know, John, is that when this occurred, the employee was given an employee handbook. But Marvin Jackson alleges that he was fired for filing a complaint. And so, he did file a lawsuit in federal court and they are now actually in arbitration.
ROBERTS: So is there precedent for such cases?
HOSTIN: There really is. Again, we're seeing a lot of this, John, these "N" word lawsuits. And in January 2008, Lockheed Martin paid $2.5 million to settle a similar racial harassment lawsuit. $2.5 million to an African-American electrician who was subjected to the "N" word.
I think the take away here is it's never appropriate to use that type of word, in my view, ever, but certainly not in the workplace.
ROBERTS: All right. Sunny Hostin for us this morning. Sunny, thanks so much.
HOSTIN: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, as part of CNN's special series "Black in America," we'll be speaking with author and poet Maya Angelou. After the break, we'll get her take on issues in the black community today and her thoughts on educating students.
ROBERTS: Generation gap.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand the challenge I have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The college challenge. The plan to get the MySpace crowd excited about a candidate who doesn't use the Internet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we can't seem to draw the same vocal support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: As part of CNN's special series "Black in America," we've invited news makers and leaders on the show today and tomorrow to discuss some of the biggest challenges, issues, and also misconceptions faced by black men, women and families in this country.
And joining me now, poet, author and professor, Dr. Maya Angelou. Thanks so much for being with us this morning.
MAYA ANGELOU, AUTHOR AND POET: Thank you. I'm delighted to be with you on such an auspicious subject.
CHETRY: Now, let me ask you about Barack Obama's candidacy. How would race relations in America change, in your opinion, if Barack Obama was elected president?
ANGELOU: I don't think anything will change immediately. And nothing happens like that. We are a huge country, and we have had a history steeped in racism and cruelties and ignorance. So sometimes people have believed what their parents told them rather than to find for themselves whether they like these people next door.
CHETRY: Barack Obama has been described by some as almost a post-racial candidate. Is there such thing?
ANGELOU: I don't know. That's nice. If it's not meant sarcastically. It probably is, though.
But he could be all of that. He's half white and half black. And so that -- that makes him an American.
CHETRY: You know, let me ask you as we focus the spotlight on "Black in America." If you had to name what you think some of the most pressing and important issues that need to be addressed within the black community right now, what would those be?
ANGELOU: Some of them would be what the black community is or is not doing. And I know this is not going to be well received. I know that the majority, the government, needs to be impressed that it is the government of all the people. It is not supposed to be the government of the rich, the haves, the mighty. It's supposed to be the government of everybody.
And so, it owes to everybody fair play and clear thinking, and certainly good government. We don't get that. So it is also American to say, I don't get it from you, I'll see if I can't get it for myself.
CHETRY: And one of our "Black in America" panels, we met Roland Fryer who is a Harvard professor who suggested paying lower income students to do well in school. And he actually likened it to the gifts and allowances that higher income students enjoy from their families and their parents for doing well. Is that a path that we should go down?
ANGELOU: Well, I would say yes, first. I would say anything honorable which would help the students to stay in school, yes. That's absolutely a path.
I don't think that's the only path. I think that the -- the ability to get jobs after high school is very important.
CHETRY: Well, it was a pleasure talking to you this morning, Dr. Maya Angelou. Thanks so much for being with us. Great to talk to you.
ANGELOU: Thank you very much. And my pleasure to talk to you.
ROBERTS: And we've got some new numbers this morning offering insight into the feelings among the black community. CNN "Essence" magazine/Opinion Research Corporation poll asked, has life for black men gotten better over the past decade?
Thirty-five percent of black men said yes, it has, while 35 percent said no. White men were also asked the same question. Sixty percent of them said, yes, life has gotten better for black men while nine percent said no, it hasn't.
Now, the numbers are higher for black women. Sixty-five percent of black woman polled said life is better now, and 70 percent of white women agreed.
The next installment of "Black in America" airs tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
It's coming up on 30 minutes past the hour now. Barack Obama has left the Holy Land and is now embarking on the European leg of his foreign trip. This morning he's in Berlin meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Later on today, Obama is expected to give an open air speech in front of a huge crowd at Berlin's Victory Column in Tiergarten.
China rocked by another aftershock this morning. A Chinese news agency reporting the 6.0 magnitude quake in parts of Sichuan Province where a 7.9 quake hit back in May. Nearly 70,000 people died in that massive quake. Another 18,000 remain missing. It was China's worst disaster in 30 years.
And it's been a rocking and rolling kind of week in Japan. A 6.8 earthquake has injured more than 100 people on the island of Honshu. The quake struck about 280 miles northeast of Tokyo knocking out power for thousands. The shaking sent boulders falling on to a major highway. Most of the injuries are reported to be cuts and bruises, and none of them apparently life threatening, which is very good news.
Hurricane Dolly now losing strength after slamming into Texas with 100-mile-an-hour wind, shredding roofs and flooding homes. The storm also spawning tornadoes and pelting the ground with hail.
Our Reynolds Wolf was there as the storm made land fall along South Padre Island, Texas, and he joins us now.
Looks like a little bit better weather today, Reynolds, than it was yesterday?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, John. Today, we don't have the wind and the rain coming down horizontally. It's a little bit better for us. However, as you mentioned, you know, we still have some issues with Dolly as it moves farther inland back towards the Rio Grande Valley.
But right now from our present location we're about a mile and a half south of where we were broadcasting yesterday. When we came back, this is the scene that we found. This is the hotel, the South Padre Beach Resort. And take a look at these windows you have here. All this glass is on the ground.
We were actually eating dinner right over there at that table just a few nights ago. And when we came back, you see the result. I mean, all these glasses all over the place. Even if you look up there on the wall, you'll notice there some of the side of the building actually just came off in the rough weather.
You know, this scene really displayed itself up and down this island. In fact, this 34 mile strip of sand, South Padre Island, you've got all kinds of issues with buildings. You've got toppled telephone poles, power outages. This area right here, this building is completely without power, without water. And that is going to be the situation for not only people here, but throughout many, many places in South Texas.
Over 50,000 people without power as we speak. Now, in terms of some good news. Let's give you the good news. First and foremost, conditions are better here. The causeway is going to be open. They're going to let people -- people are going to be allowed to drive on the roadways here on the island. So, people will be able to leave today.
However, in places like South Texas flooding is really a danger. Here's a possibility that Dolly could bring anywhere from say 8 to 12 inches of rainfall. Some isolated amounts maybe as much as 20. Now, in the city of Brownsville, there's some good news there, too. They did get some damage. They had some tree damage, some roof damage. But the levees are holding up very well.
The mayor says they've been reinforced to federal standards and despite the heavy rainfall they are really not under a threat right now. But still, you got a lot of rain and still get to fall. And there are a lot of places in the Rio Grande Valley that could have some issues as we make our way into the rest of the day and into the weekend.
Let's send it back to you, John.
ROBERTS: Reynolds, thanks very much.
And we'll get back to you as the sun starts to come up there in South Padre Island. Reynolds, thanks.
CHETRY: What a difference a day makes for Reynolds.
ROBERTS: Yes. And what a difference a day makes for all those people as well. I wonder how that place fared that he -- there's actually a picture of it going by on our big wall right now. That area where they sell a lot of beach implements and things like that. It was all glass and the owner said, nothing I can do about it. I wonder how it fared.
CHETRY: Yes. Well, we'll ask Reynolds next time we check in with him. And boy, it's calmed down a lot since yesterday.
Any decision on a troop surge in Afghanistan will be up to the next president. That word coming from the Pentagon's press secretary. It happened as President Bush arrived for meetings with military leaders. Commanders in Afghanistan have been asking for another 10,000 troops. Defense official say they are looking for ways to send more forces soon.
And the Department of Homeland Security cutting the amount of anti-terrorism money. 43 cities will get this year. According to a report obtained by the Associated Press, Detroit, Los Angeles and Dallas are among the cities that will see a slight decrease in grants. New York, Houston, and San Francisco, though, are expected to see a boost in funding for new equipment and training.
And New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates are pooling their money to combat smoking around the world. Gates is contributing $125 million. Bloomberg is giving $250 million and that is on top of the $125 million he contributed in 2006. The money will be used to support a number of awareness projects in developing countries where tobacco use is the highest.
ROBERTS: From cyber space to the college campus. Many young conservatives are getting increasingly worried that John McCain is not appealing to young voters. What does he need to do to bridge the GOP's generation gap?
CHETRY: Energy hunt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This is all part of the North Slope Oil Field where 700,000 barrels a day are pumped out of here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Ali in Alaska. Looking at the case for drilling in a national wildlife refuge. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: That grade wide open is today's energy hunt. We head north to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The site of the hot button debate over oil exploration and the potential consequences on the environment.
CNN's Ali Velshi traveled to Kaktovik, Alaska to look at what it would mean for Alaska and the U.S.
Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, I'm in Kaktovik, Alaska. It's a little town, a poor town of about 300 people. Now, it's the only human settlement in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and some people say it could do well economically if they bring oil drilling to ANWR. But we found that opinion in this town is split right down the middle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI (voice-over): Kaktovik is a busy place for the Arctic, but most folks here still lead a traditional life. They hunt caribou and other game, and the village is allowed to catch three whales a year. Some of the locals worry that if the oil drills and pipelines come, the wildlife could go.
But long time resident Myrtle Soplu thinks oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR, for short, will bring jobs to this part of Alaska.
MYRTLE SOPLU, RESIDENT: Me, I got three jobs right now to take care of myself. So, if I can give ANWR open so we can stick to one job for a long time.
VELSHI: She's seen those jobs. They've been drilling for oil in other parts of Alaska for 30 years, nearby, but never actually in ANWR itself.
(on camera): This is all part of the North Slope Oil Field where 700,000 barrels a day are pumped out of here, shipped by pipeline to Valdez, Alaska, where it is then sent to the rest of the United States.
(voice-over): But production here has been declining for 20 years. There's more oil in ANWR. No one knows exactly how much. And it's off limits. And these days talk of drilling in ANWR is growing. Along with worldwide demand for oil. Supporters of the idea point out the arctic tundra is flat, treeless land. Not the forested wilderness many may picture.
No one's advocating opening up all of ANWR. The potential drilling area is about the size of the State of Delaware. The amount left untouched, about the size of South Carolina. But drilling opponents say that's not the point. ANWR was set aside as a refuge for animals in 1960 and they say it should stay that way. So, the question is how much oil is there in ANWR and what impact would it have on prices?
The Department of Energy says the U.S. imports more than 60 percent of the oil it uses.
MICHEAL SCHAAL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: An increase of production from ANWR would reduce that somewhat. Perhaps by two percent out to 2030. And that really is not enough to significantly alter world oil prices. VELSHI: While residents' opinion is split, the Kaktovik local government is officially in favor of drilling. Resident Mike Gallagher figures the animals will be OK, but he's not sure that opening ANWR to drilling will give him much of a break at the pump.
MIKE GALLAGHER, RESIDENT: You can open it today and you're not going to feel nothing for five to 10 years down the road. How is that going to change that?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI: So, John and Kiran, a couple of questions remain. What effect will drilling for oil in ANWR have on the wildlife up here, on the culture? And ultimately, what effect will it have on the price of a barrel of oil or on a gallon of gasoline?
Right now, the Department of Energy's best case estimates suggest that it won't have much impact in bringing prices down.
John, Kiran?
ROBERTS: All right. Ali Velshi, way up north there in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a place you don't often get to see but a place that CNN takes you to. To see some of Ali's personal snapshots from his trip to Alaska, log on to CNN.com/am.
Generation gap.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand the challenge I have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The College challenge. The plan to get the MySpace crowd excited about a candidate who doesn't use the Internet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we can't seem to draw the same type of vocal support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: In this election the youth vote is widely seen as belonging to Barack Obama. So, it's no surprise that some young conservatives feel frustrated, even left out by the GOP.
And as CNN's Chris Lawrence tells us, many people worry that the generation gap could threaten the future of the party. He's here now with that story. CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, some young Republicans say there's an enthusiasm gap between them and their candidate. And they've got a few ideas how to close it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): He hears the screaming at his rival's rally. And this young Republican wonders what could be for his candidate.
ERIC PEARLMUTTER, USC YOUNG REPUBLICANS: We try to get people out to our college Republican meetings and we can't seem to draw the same type of vocal support.
LAWRENCE: Eric Pearlmutter cringed when his candidate admitted he doesn't use e-mail. John McCain's MySpace page looks like it hasn't been updated in five months. And some pictures seem too nostalgic to represent, say, small business.
LAWRENCE (on camera): Does that image connect to young people?
PEARLMUTTER: Well, when you see the Main Street barber shop image, you think of 1950's America. An entrepreneur as Silicon Valley guy will definitely make it more attractive.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Barack Obama has spoken at hundreds of college campuses.
JASON MATTERA, YOUNG AMERICA'S FOUNDATION: Senator McCain should demand that the same colleges and universities host him or else their tax-exempt status could be in jeopardy.
LAWRENCE: Young conservative Jason Mattera says McCain has to connect young voters to conservative principles.
MATTERA: So, if they're suspicious of Uncle Sam telling them what Internet sites they can view, they should be equally suspicious of Uncle Sam, the federal government, telling them what health care plans they're going to be a part of.
LAWRENCE: At an Ohio town hall meeting this month, a student told McCain that Republicans were a dying breed on his campus.
MCCAIN: But I understand the challenge I have and I understand that this election is really all about people of your generation.
LAWRENCE: The campaign plans to increase McCain's presence on Facebook, and MySpace. He's also appearing on shows that appeal to younger viewers like "THE DAILY SHOW."
McCain is trying to close a numbers gap. According to recent CNN Opinion Research Corporation polls, 40 percent of young voters consider themselves Democrats, only 25 percent Republicans.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LAWRENCE: Up to now, both parties tended to ignore young voters because historically they're pretty unreliable when it comes to actually turning out to vote. But the bad news for Republicans is that once a young person does vote for a particular party, they tend to stick with it for years.
John, Kiran?
ROBERTS: Chris Lawrence with that story for us this morning. Chris, thanks so much.
CHETRY: Well, how about this? Yapping about your husband's sexual shortcomings on YouTube? What does that get you? Well, not really what you wanted in divorce settlement. We're going to have more on the divorce drama that unfolded before all of us on the Web.
ROBERTS: Home alone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While Senator Obama was getting counseled by presidents, Senator McCain was touring a grocery store in Bethlehem -- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Jeanne Moos investigates. Is the media really in love with Obama?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SONG PLAYING: You're just too good to be true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: There you go. Well, Barack Obama getting the superstar treatment as news of his overseas trip dominated the headlines.
ROBERTS: So, John McCain is now going on the offensive, accusing the media of engaging in what a campaign video calls "Obama love." It's the "Most News in the Morning" for you and here's Jeanne.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): There he was. His arm nestled around Israel's President. And there he was waving his arm draped around the Palestinian leader. Having his arm patted by Jordan's king. Talk about getting the presidential treatment. Palestinian spokesman almost called him President.
SAEB EREKAT, SENIOR PALESTINIAN SPOKESMAN: Believe me that president -- Senator Obama left us feeling very well. MOOS: Feeling not so well, the McCain campaign accused the media of Obama Love with examples set to music.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He sort of a gift from the world to us in so many ways.
MOOS: On John McCain's Web site you could vote for your preferred love song.
SONG PLAYING: You're just too good to be true...
MOOS: That one or this one.
SONG PLAYING: My eyes adore you...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not cool if you haven't seen Barack Obama in person.
MOOS: Jordan's King Abdullah didn't just see him in person. The king personally got behind the wheel of a Mercedes and drove Obama to the airport. Contrast that the other day with former President George Bush giving John McCain a lift in a golf cart.
SONG PLAYING: I want to hold you so much...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The media's love affair with Barack Obama is all consuming.
MOOS: John Stuart has been running a daily bit on the trip called "Obama Quest."
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": Obama was off to Israel where he made a quick stop at the manger in Bethlehem where he was born. We'll have more tomorrow.
MOOS: But with all the press attention on Obama's trip...
STEWART: Who's covering the McCain campaign?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's covered.
MOOS: OK. So, McCain has a bit more than a tape recorder to talk into. But not media love like this.
TUCKER CARLSON: It's the kind of love that anybody who's been a ninth grade boy understands this species of love. I think about you when I go to bed. It's sealed with a kiss love.
MOOS (on camera): The snarky, dare we say slightly envious attitude even ended up plastered on the McCain campaign press credentials.
(voice-over): Reporters covering McCain were given credentials captioned "Left Behind to Report in America" with a photo of a wine drinking Frenchman in a beret while Senator Obama was getting counseled by presidents. PRES. SHIMON PERES, ISRAEL: Permit me to speak as a young man to a young man.
MOOS: And was being choppered around and saluted. Senator McCain was touring a grocery store in Bethlehem -- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania -- under attack not by the press, by the apple sauce.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: The aftermath. Hurricane Dolly bending trees, testing levees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything's just getting torn up down here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: And dumping more heavy rain this morning.
Plus, CNN exclusive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm actually inside a high security cell in camouflage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Jamie McIntyre gets a look at a place reserved for the hard core detainees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: There are some religious items.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Inside Gitmo. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." Your "Political Ticker" today. No sonic rays, no goo gun. Those non- lethal weapons are not included in plans to protect the Democratic National Convention in Denver next month. We're going to be close to look at those top secret security plans after the city turn over records to the ACLU. Security experts had been speculating that some non-lethal weapons would be used -- new types to control protesters.
Political columnist Robert Novak cited for hitting someone with his car. D.C. police say traffic was moving slowly at the time and the victim suffered minor injuries. Novak as he didn't know he hit anyone until witnesses flagged him down a block away. He was cited for failure to yield right of way.
House Republicans are calling out "The New York Times" writing a letter to the paper slamming its decision to reject John McCain's Iraq op-ed. The GOP wants the paper to allow a third party to buy a full page ad in the "Times" to feature the essay anyway.
And for more up to the minute political news, just head to CNN.com/ticker.
ROBERTS: 56 minutes after the hour. Barack Obama landed in Germany earlier this morning for the first European stop on his international tour. He met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. And later on, today, he's going to give a speech to an estimated crowd of 100,000 people at the Victory Column in the Tiergarten.
Joining me now to talk more about Obama's trip is Tara Wall of "The Washington Times."
Good to see you today.
TARA WALL, "THE WASHINGTON TIMES": Thanks for having me.
ROBERTS: So, Senator Obama certainly grabbing all the headlines this week. "The New York Times" said quote, "While Mr. Obama was shown striding across military tarmacs and inspecting troops standing at attention, Mr. McCain on Monday was seen being driven around in a golf cart by former President George Bush."
Did Senator McCain shoot himself in the foot by goading Obama into going overseas?
WALL: Yes, I think he was running around in a grocery cart. But, yes, I think that -- listen, this is what he asked for. This is what he's getting. He needs to calm down a little bit and just let it happen.
I mean, the reason Barack Obama is there, no doubt, is because John McCain certainly goaded him into going and because, you know, he started to slip as far as approvals relating to commander-in-chief. He started to lose some of the independents that started to shift over to John McCain. So, it was really a good time for Barack Obama to go to shore up some concerns that Americans have about his foreign policy and about how he would deal with an Iranian threat.
ROBERTS: So, you say that John McCain needs to relax, he needs to calm down a little bit, not worry about it so much. But is this the sort of trip that can permanently change perceptions and, therefore, Senator McCain really can't afford to relax?
WALL: Well, I think he has to be a little more strategic in how he's going about attacking Barack Obama, if you will. It's almost -- sometimes it can be a reaction. I mean, he's talking now about how important the Iranian threat is to Israel. These weren't things that John McCain talked about beforehand.
I looked at his Web site. In fact, I wrote about it earlier this week, that he could beef up his Mid-East peace plan and policies, himself, John McCain. And this is an area -- if he just starts talking about this early on instead of just saying -- well, he's flip- flopped on Ahmadinejad, we know that. But beyond that, what is John McCain's plan for a road map to peace and to dealing with Israel and the Iranian threat.
It is a very real threat that, yes, I think there's some naivete with Barack Obama on how to deal with that. But he's going to look presidential going over there. He's not there to make policy pronouncements but either way he's going to be seen that way. So, John McCain has to hit the ground running beforehand and not act in a reactionary way to what Barack Obama is doing and saying.
ROBERTS: On the topic of Iran, let's listen to a little bit of what Senator Obama said on that front yesterday in Israel.
WALL: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: If we show ourselves willing to talk and to offer carrots and sticks, and if Iran then rejects any overtures of that sort, it puts us in a stronger position to mobilize the international community to ratchet up the pressure on Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Now, Senator McCain called that a flip-flop from his earlier position of saying that he would meet with Ahmadinejad without preconditions. Senator Obama also is trying to thread the needle on Jerusalem at the APEC conference back in June.
He said Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel, undivided. Then, later he said -- well, I didn't mean undivided, undivided. I meant no barbwire fence running down at the middle of it. It's open to negotiation.
How was that being taken in Israel? And as a result of it, how is that reflecting on Jewish voters here in America who Barack Obama would really like to have vote for him.
WALL: Well, John McCain is right in that aspect. Barack Obama did say he would meet with Ahmadinejad with unconditional, unconditionally. That was the question that was posed to him last year, and that's exactly what he said. So, he has flip-flopped on that point.
But, you know, I think if you look at the numbers, over 70 percent of Americans believe that Iran is acquiring or will acquire nuclear weapons. It's a very real threat. At the same time, you see 46 percent of Israelis who say John McCain would make a better leader, a better president for Israel.
So, these are the things that Barack Obama has to deal as it relates to Israelis and even Jewish voters.
