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Sotomayor Begins Meet and Greet; Obama Heads to Egypt; Wreckage Found off Atlantic Coast Could be Air France Jet; Recession Hits Working Moms; Peshwar Attacks Create Fear; Abortion Doctor's Gunman Has Court Appearance; Arkansas Gunman Pleads Not Guilty; Military Using YouTube for Recruiting; Navy Investigating Loss of Money in Hijacking

Aired June 02, 2009 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. It is Tuesday, June 2nd, and here are the faces of the stories driving the headlines today in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Sonia Sotomayor. Before she's on the Supreme Court, she must make her way through the Capitol Hill gauntlet. She's meeting with senators right now and we are following her footsteps.

Muslim men and women in the United States and overseas, what do you think about them? And what does the president plan to do while traveling through the Mideast?

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Breaking news this morning. Brazilian officials say wreckage has been found off the Atlantic coast that could be pieces of the missing Air France jet. The flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris was carrying 228 passengers and crew when it fell off the radar screen late Sunday. Two Americans were on board that flight.

Anne and Michael Harris were Louisiana natives. They had been living in Rio since July. Michael was a geologist headed to Paris for a conference and a bit of a vacation. We're also learning that two executives from the Michelin Corporation based in Paris were on board that flight.

John Zarrella joins us live from Rio right now with details on the latest discovery.

And John, you were just talking to Heidi moments ago. If you would, share with us what you're learning.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, the latest we're picking up, of course, within the last hour and a half or two hours. The Brazilian Navy reporting they had spotted some debris. That happened about 6:50 a.m. this morning, what looked to be a life vest and a drum and maybe an oil slick on the water as well.

Now, they cannot at this point confirm that. So what they are waiting to do now is to get some ships in the area. And what we've just been told recently by the Brazilian Navy officials is that there are three commercial vessels in the area, one French ship, two from the Netherlands. One of those three --we don't know which one -- will be on scene within the hour.

And, of course, the first order of business, Tony, as you know, is going to be to look for any possible survivors, if anyone is out there in the area where this debris was spotted. And then if they do spot any debris, to keep an eye on it until the navy gets there. And the first of the Brazilian Navy ships is expected to arrive in that area sometime tomorrow.

Weather conditions out there, we're hearing, are pretty good. And, you know, so what we're also hearing, Tony, is that the Ministry of Defense officials will be arriving here in Rio in about an hour or so, and that they are going to go to the hotel where the families have gathered and brief the families on the latest information.

So, that's where it stands right now. There should be some ships, commercial vessels in the area of where this debris was spotted within the hour -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. John, appreciate it.

John Zarrella for us.

Now let's go to Paris for the latest on Air France's investigation and the families' reaction. In just a couple of minutes we will reach out to our international security correspondent, Paula Newton, in just a couple of minutes, right here in the NEWSROOM.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor meets the senators. President Obama's Supreme Court nominee is making the rounds on Capitol Hill right now. The courtesy calls gives Sotomayor a chance for some one-on one time with the senators who will vote on her nomination.

Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash following Sotomayor's Senate debut.

And Dana, let's see here, is this more style than real substance? Or does something meaningful sort of come out of these meetings?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, all of the above. But let's start with the first one that Sonia Sotomayor just wrapped up, and it happened in the room right behind me. That's the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

I am told by two Democratic sources familiar with that meeting that that meeting was largely just a get to know you session. Senator Reid talked to her, actually probed her about her humble roots, about her come from nothing past to success, because Senator Reid is somebody who had a very similar path. He had a very impoverished childhood.

So, I'm told that in their about half-an-hour meeting, that they connected, or at least Senator Reid tried to connect with her on that issue. And he largely avoided some of the policy discussions that he knows she is going to have, or at least he certainly assumes she's going to have with the senior members of the Judiciary Committee, and those meetings are coming up very shortly.

I am told also that Senator Reid offered her some advice in some of the meetings she's going to have with Democrats and Republicans, his colleagues in the Senate. So, that's what went on in that particular meeting.

But with regard to the other meetings, we expect her to have eight, maybe nine with those key Senate Judiciary senators. And Democrats and Republicans are very much expected to ask her some tough questions.

That is kind of the history of these courtesy calls. Yes, we have the photo-ops, we have the smiles, we have the pleasantries when our cameras come in. But for the most part, at least with those people who are going to get a vote on the Judiciary Committee, they do have some tough questions -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. Hey, Dana, you know, we've promised the audience here that we're going to follow her footsteps as best as we can. I know we've also got a stationary camera with you, but we've also got a couple of other cameras. And the plan is -- help me here -- is to try to follow her as she goes from meeting to meeting, correct?

BASH: That's right. And I can tell you right now where she is. She's literally inside the Senate chamber.

The vice president, Joe Biden, and every vice president has an office, a ceremonial office that is just inside the Senate chamber. I just watched her walk in there.

She's kind of cooling her heels there before she goes to her next meeting. And that next meeting will be with the Senate Judiciary chairman, Patrick Leahy, over in one of the Senate offices. That will be her next stop. We expect her to go, probably head over there relatively soon. But yes, we're following her.

HARRIS: Yes. When she walks out of the doors, give us a heads up. It worked out pretty well when you were following Burris not too long ago, so let's see how it works out this time.

Dana, appreciate it. Thank you.

BASH: Thanks.

HARRIS: We expect to hear from one of the senators meeting with Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont meets with the judge later this hour. He is expected to make remarks around noon Eastern.

President Obama leaves today on a major trip to the Mideast and Europe. The president's first stop will be Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with King Abdullah. From there, he heads to Egypt for a much anticipated speech on relations with the Muslim world. The president will also visit Germany and France.

The president hopes his speech in Cairo will start a new dialogue between the U.S. and Muslim nations.

CNN's Elaine Quijano live from the White House now with more on the president's trip and his speech.

And Elaine, the president has said he wants to provide a fuller, clearer picture of who we are as Americans, our values, and what we stand for.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's absolutely right, Tony. There are some huge expectations going into this trip.

As you noted, the first part of it is really going to be about reaching out to the Muslim world. Now, as part of that, on Wednesday, President Obama will sit down with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He'll do that in Riyadh before that major address to the Muslim world. That'll take place on Thursday, and the president will be delivering that speech from the University of Cairo.

Now, aides say that the president is going to be talking about ways in which the United States and the Muslim world can really work to bridge its differences. But he's also going to raise an issue that frankly has just confounded American presidents throughout the years. And that is, how to achieve peace in the Middle East, how to work towards an effective solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Now, what exactly is he going to say? What kind of tone is he going to set? All of that, Tony, as you can imagine, is going to be scrutinized very, very closely -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, Elaine, the president is also adding another Republican, we understand, to his administration.

QUIJANO: Yes. This is something that CNN just confirmed a short time ago.

CNN's confirmed that President Obama, in less than an hour, is going to announce that he plans to nominate Congressman John McHugh to be his Army secretary. Now, Congressman McHugh is a Republican from New York, and he is also the ranking Republican, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. Now, if he is, in fact, confirmed by the Senate, then he would join other Republicans in top positions within the Obama administration, including, of course, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and also Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right. Elaine Quijano at the White House for us.

Elaine, appreciate it. Thank you.

And later this hour, the president will make that announcement of his new Army secretary. And of course we will bring it to you live, right here in the NEWSROOM, 11:55 a.m. Eastern Time. Now we go to Paris for the latest on Air France's investigation and the families' reactions.

CNN's international security correspondent, Paula Newton, joining us live now.

Paula, good to see you. What are you hearing?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the news out today is that perhaps some debris has been found. This is according to the Brazilian Air Force. And Tony, you can only imagine the sinking feeling in the pit of stomachs, really, of a lot of friends and relatives at crisis centers here in Paris and also in Rio de Janeiro.

Earlier today, we were speaking to someone working in one of those crisis centers, and just saying that really that lot of the people there really are still feeling a numbness. They still want to hang on to the hope that there would be survivors. Of course, French officials telling them over and over again that the likelihood is very, very small.

And you know, Tony, the French officials also telling us, underlining the fact of how difficult it's going to be to find those black boxes. And if we want any answers as to what happened on that flight, they must be found.

Tony, they're talking about having to search waters that have a depth of 10,000 to 20,000 feet. And still no sign of a definitive area in terms of there being a debris field scattered somewhere -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, it seems at least the searchers are zeroing in on a stretch of the ocean for the search.

All right. Paula Newton for us.

Paula, appreciate it. Thank you.

And still to come, your money and your lifestyle. Many working moms are facing more tough choices.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: On Wall Street, a new report shows pending home sales rose in April. And how about this? It is not just a one-hit wonder. Sales have now risen for three straight months.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

HARRIS: And just a day after filing for bankruptcy protection, General Motors says it signed a deal to sell its Hummer truck unit. GM isn't saying who the buyer is yet or how much they paid. The deal is expected to close by the end of September. Hummer has been a pretty big drag on GM's bottom line ever since fuel prices spiked last summer.

GM's bankruptcy is having a ripple effect on local businesses around the country. In Livonia, Michigan, The Bread Basket Deli has been serving up lunch to GM workers for a decade. The owners of this mom-and-pop business say their bottom line is going to take a big hit. There are other Michigan restaurants that have already been hurt by the shutdowns, but they say they will survive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LILLIAN SCHOSTAK, OWNER, THE BREAD BASKET DELI: We've already tried to tighten up as best as we can. And we have some wonderful people that work with us, and they've been very understanding. We've had to cut back a little bit of hours here and there. We definitely do feel it, but we're also very optimistic that everybody will work together and tighten up, and will become stronger for it, we hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, the owners add in the past, when the local plant shut down for just two weeks, they were really hurting.

Dozens of GM plants are closing for a leaner, meaner automaker, but count this one among the lucky ones. The plant in Wentzville, Missouri, will remain open. That's a suburb of St. Louis.

Some 2,000 GM employees work at this particular plant. They manufacture the Chevrolet Express and the GMC Savannah vans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR PAUL LAMBI, WENTZVILLE, MISSOURI: The good news is, it looks lice the plant in Wentzville will be part of the new GM. And again, our heart goes out to those communities that didn't make that cut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, GM says it will permanently close nine more plants and idle another three to cut costs under bankruptcy protection.

The recession really hitting hard at working moms, particularly minority women. That's according to a new government report.

Let's get more on the report. Stephanie Elam has the data and she joins us live from New York.

Stephanie, good to see you. Good morning.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

Yes, we're talking about women who are the sole breadwinners for their families. These are single moms who are making it happen for their families day in and day out. And as the recession has progressed, they've been impacted at a larger percentage than other people in the economy.

Let's take a look at this.

The Joint Economic Committee is saying nearly one million moms, single moms, are out of work. So, December 2007, that is when the recession officially began. And at that point, working mothers, their unemployment rate was 6.9 percent.

Then take a look at April of 2009. It's up to 10 percent.

And Tony, just to put that into perspective, the national unemployment rate is 8.9 percent as of April. So it shows you that these women are disproportionately taking a huge burden here with the recession as it continues to go on.

HARRIS: OK. Boy, that's a group we really count on. That's for sure.

Stephanie, appreciate it. Thanks for that.

ELAM: You know what, Tony?

HARRIS: Yes?

ELAM: I should tell you one thing, because you mentioned it, and I want to make sure I got it in there.

HARRIS: Sure.

ELAM: The minorities that are really getting hit by that, we have a little bit of info I can tell you on that too.

HARRIS: Oh, great.

ELAM: If you break it down by this, black rate, 13.3 percent for unemployment, mothers. Hispanic, 11 percent. And for white women, it's 8.7 percent. And for women overall, the national unemployment rate is 7.1 percent in April.

So, if you take a look at those numbers, you can see how the minority people are definitely getting hit disproportionately high by that. So I just wanted to add that in there.

HARRIS: Yes. All right, Stephanie. Yes, that's good.

Thank you, Stephanie. Appreciate it.

ELAM: Sure.

HARRIS: Are you still spending, or are you finally saving money? Check out the "Money & Main Street" section of CNNMoney.com, "Shrinking Salaries." Just log on to CNNMoney.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: Twenty-four minutes after the hour, everyone. Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM.

A confirmation hearing happening right now on Capitol Hill. Live pictures now.

The man slated to take over command of U.S. forces in Afghanistan facing the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal is not expected to encounter much opposition. In announcing the former Special Operations chief for the job, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he wants fresh thinking and fresh eyes on the Afghan war effort. Taliban attacks there are on the rise, as you know.

And this just in from Britain's Ministry of Defense. One of the most dangerous Taliban leaders has been killed. Mullah Mansour is believed to be behind a number of suicide bomber attacks that have targeted and killed British and Afghan forces in the Helmand province.

The war to wipe out Taliban militants in neighboring Pakistan taking a huge toll on civilians.

Our Dan Rivers takes us to the city of Peshawar, where recent militant attacks have left residents living in fear.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The cinema in Peshawar that was the scene of such carnage last week is closed, and the streets are quiet. This northwestern city should be bustling, but instead, many streets are empty and nerve-wracked.

The Taliban have been bombing soft targets here -- cinemas, music shops, anything they perceive as being un-Islamic. But it's not soldiers who arrive soaked in blood at the hospitals. It's ordinary citizens, punished for daring to live what most Pakistanis see as an ordinary life.

Children robbed of their parents and left horribly injured, this is the reality of life now here in Peshawar. Even the staff treating them have been threatened by the Taliban. Now most nurses wear traditional headscarves and male doctors have shed their medical uniforms, a sign of Talibanization, according to some.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A number of incidents happened. The pharmaceutical agencies, medical reps, they were beaten up twice. There are now female staffs, especially the nurses, on a number of occasions they were intercepted by male boys and they were asked not to move around without covering their faces. And even they were asked not to work in the hospitals because this is un-Islamic.

RIVERS: It's not just hospitals at local banks. Staff now wear traditional shawal kameez instead of western-style suits. Again, due to Taliban threats.

Businesses that are considered western, like cinemas, are also under pressure. Security is tight and business is bad.

This man says some people are scared of the bomb blasts, so they don't come to the cinema to watch films. This man says there used to be 200 to 300 people before, but now it's more like 100 or 150.

(on camera): Just a few years ago, Peshawar used to be a tourist destination, but now, for westerners, it's a virtual no-go zone. And for locals, every aspect of western life is gradually being closed down. Like, for example, this empty shopping plaza behind me, a sign of Taliban intimidation.

(voice-over): The battle for the soul of Pakistan is being fought here on the streets of cities like Peshawar, and it seems right now the Taliban is gradually eroding freedom, leaving these streets emptied of life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: I think it's important to understand what's going on in Pakistan at the moment isn't just a battle in a military sense -- for example, in the Swat Valley -- it's also an ideological battle about what the future of the country should be. Should it be a secular country, you know, much more western as parts of it are now? Or should it be basically be run under Sharia law, which is what the Taliban and what they're trying to impose through forces in cities like Peshawar.

Back to you.

HARRIS: OK. Dan Rivers for us in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The emotion surrounding the abortion debate. A doctor is killed, the suspect goes before the judge, and a patient speaks out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: He is accused of killing a well-known abortion provider at a Kansas church over the weekend. This afternoon, Scott Roeder is expected in court for his first hearing. And we're learning more now about him and a possible motive. His ex-wife talks about the days leading up to the shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LINDSEY ROEDER, EX-WIFE OF ABORTION PROVIDER SHOOTING SUSPECT: Everything fell into place. You know, he Friday had wanted to spend a lot of time with our son, which is very unusual because Friday is the beginning of the sabbath. And just different -- just all these things, this culmination of years.

It was like, he finally did it. You know, he finally -- he finally went and did it. And I had no doubt that if they said he did it, he did it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you mean of years of culmination? ROEDER: He just kept snowballing and that, you know, he was determined that if the abortion doctor killed the baby, then he didn't have any right to live either. It was justifiable. It was -- he was -- he felt -- I'm sure he feels justified in what he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Lindsay and Scott Roeder divorced 10 years ago. She says she strongly disagrees with his beliefs.

Here's a little bit more about the suspect. Scott Roeder is 51 years old, and we're told he was a regular at abortion protests. And just the day before Dr. George Tiller was fatally shot, a worker at another clinic says Roeder tried to glue the doors of that clinic shut.

Roeder was once part of the free Freeman Movement, an anti- government group that opposes taxes. In 1996, he served time in prison on an explosives charge that was later overturned.

Investigators say someone using the name Scott Roeder recently posted comments against the slain doctor on Internet sites. Roeder's brother says Scott has at times suffered from mental illness. Police have not said whether they believe his beliefs are a motive in the shooting.

HARRIS: Memorial vigils were held across the country yesterday for Dr. George Tiller. In San Francisco, a gathering at city hall. Organizers say they wanted to honor his life and peacefully protest, quote, "his senseless murder."

More than 100 people attended a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C. And in Chicago, a demonstration outside the state building. Many of the participants in favor of abortion rights, but even those who oppose abortion have come out against the shooting of Dr. Tiller. Dr. George Tiller was one of the few doctors in the United States who would perform late-term abortions when a woman's life was in danger.

Last night, CNN's Anderson Cooper talked with one of his patients. We can't show you her face because she fears retaliation, but here are her thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "ANDERSON COOPER 360": You wrote a letter last summer to then-candidate Barack Obama. And you took issue with his position on late-term abortions, which at that time, he said that states should be able to restrict or prohibit those procedures as long as there's an exception for the health of the mother.

Why do you think he's wrong? I mean, why should it be more than just the health of the mother?

LYNDA WADDINGTON, FORMER PATIENT OF DR. GEORGE TILLER (via telephone): No, I don't think that statement is necessarily wrong, inasmuch as I wonder who gets to decide what those health concerns are. I mean, there are some people who believe that pregnancy, if God wills it, should be a death sentence for women. There are other people who believe that terminal defects like I experienced should be allowable to terminate a pregnancy.

But there are other people, you know, who want to cut that line off at depression -- women are suicidal. I don't think that's a decision government should ever be making, ever.

COOPER: That is the argument you hear probably most often from even some people who support abortions in general that if it's just the mental health of the mother, the depression of the mother, then that's not legitimate enough reason. And you say that's not true. That's inappropriate.

WADDINGTON: I do believe that's inappropriate. I think that's a decision that the mother and the doctor and the family should be able to make on their own. We wouldn't look at someone suffering from cancer and say that you're too depressed to make your decisions regarding your family and your life. Why do we put that on women?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK.

Now to this developing story out of Arkansas. The man accused of shooting a soldier and wounding another at a military recruiting center pled not guilty in court this morning. Twenty-four-year-old Abdulhakim Muhammad, formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe, faces a first- degree murder murder charge. He is a Muslim convert.

He is accused of shooting two soldiers as they stood outside the Little Rock recruiting center. The soldiers has recently completed basic training and volunteered for a program to recruit others. Investigators believe there were, quote, "political and religious motives" for the shooting.

The U.S. military launched a new recruiting tool today, this one online. Let's take a look at it. Josh Levs is here to show it to us. Good to see you, Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, too. Yes, it's interesting. Just take a look at this, Tony. You know, they're reaching out now on the social network. And this is specifically forces in Afghanistan. Let's zoom in for just a second. You'll see one of the big things they have here now is their own YouTube channel. It's got some video on it. Let's take a look at a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The team of nine civilians and 275 soldiers have been assisting the province for over a year now. They are currently training Afghan national police on the basic skills and knowledge necessary for their jobs, skills they'll need to protect their country.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEVS: So Tony, what you see when you look at this is a lot of information about what it is. It's not all straight-up "join us, join us," but it's a way of reaching out over these social networks.

And one thing that I found really interesting, they're actually having a video contest for troops who have served in Afghanistan. We have some video of that. Take a look here. I want you to see this. This is basically -- they're encouraging people to send in their own videos. Let's get some sound for a second.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... currently serving or past service in Afghanistan, here's a great opportunity to showcase your talent in photography, videography or video editing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: So, Tony, what they're doing is they're reaching out to troops, and this video goes on to say only things that you're comfortable with, think about cultural associations, be careful you have the rights to show the video. But what they want to do is kind of pack this YouTube with some great video out there that talks about what's being done in Afghanistan.

That's one way of reaching out. So, there you've got YouTube. You also have a brand-new page over here that they've set up at Twitter. And you have a new page that they've set up here at Facebook. And we have posted links to all of these on our blog at CNN NEWSROOM, and also, I put them on my own Facebook page and my Twitter page. So, Tony, reaching out through all of the major outlets online.

HARRIS: And we're hearing about this from our viewers, today, huh, Josh?

LEVS: Yes. We want to encourage you all to send in some of your views. Let's go to this full screen so you can see how to weigh in. You got the CNN NEWSROOM blog. You'll see Tony's face at CNN.com/newsroom. And since we're talking about Facebook and Twitter, go ahead and send me messages there, Facebook.com/joshlevsCNN, Twitter.com/joshlevsCNN.

We would love to hear what you have to say. You know, a lot of this is about reaching out. And people who use those sites a lot are going to be the best judges of, is it well done? Is it interesting video? Is it not being done right? Are they tweeting not very well? Your initial thoughts on what they've just set up.

And, Tony, check this out. One more thing before we go. I was looking at their main page.

HARRIS: Hey, Josh.

LEVS: yes.

HARRIS: I've got to stop you. That's good stuff. And get back to me when we get some more responses.

LEVS: Yes, that's what I'll do. We'll keep an eye out for it. We'll tell you what people say.

HARRIS: Judge Sonia Sotomayor on Capitol Hill, wowing the senators or at least attempting to. Let's take a look. Oh, this is from our comment cam of the judge in the hallways. Let's listen in. I don't know what we'll hear, but let's try.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, we're going into the presser -- I mean, photo op.

HARRIS: OK, so clearly, these are cameras following the judge into another one of those photo ops. So, I guess this is the moment when they've been notified that the press is allowed in the room to take pictures at the photo op.

Why don't we do this? Why don't we come to these pictures when we get a little bit more. I just wanted to show you what we could show you as soon as we could show it to you.

Another reminder for you that President Obama will be announcing a new Army secretary, adding another Republican to his administration. That announcement coming up in about 15 minutes. And we will bring it to you live.

So, remember these pictures? Captain Phillips being rescued after pirates held him hostage? The Navy is now investigating because of lost loot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Boy, oh boy. A new mystery surrounding the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama a few months back. Navy investigators say the pirates who took the ship's captain hostage also took about $30,000 in cash.

Live now to CNN's Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. So, someone took the -- someone took the money, huh, Chris?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony. We're talking about the money that the pirates allegedly stole. And it came right out of a locked safe onboard the Maersk Alabama. Now, NCIS has opened an investigation into how and when that $30,000 disappeared.

Now, we believe that the money at some point was on that lifeboat where the pirates were holding Captain Rich Phillips hostage. We know that one pirate surrendered to the crew of the USS Bainbridge. Then, Navy snipers onboard the Bainbridge shot and killed the other three pirates and rescued Captain Phillips.

But the question is, what happened to that money? NCIS is -- there's been no accusations or anything like that, but NCIS is very thorough, and they'll be talking to anyone who had contact with that cash, which could include the crews of the Alabama, the Bainbridge and the Navy SEALs who rescued the captain.

HARRIS: Well, Chris, I'm trying to figure this out. Did the Navy provide the money, the $30,000? I'm trying to figure out why the Navy is investigating this. Why isn't this an investigation for the Maersk?

LAWRENCE: Well, it's because -- probably because it was a Navy crew involved. And at some point, perhaps the money was in the possession. What we do know is the U.S. government has filed federal charges against this one remaining pirate. So, there is a criminal complaint on file.

And an FBI agent says in that criminal complaint that these pirates put a gun to the head of the captain, that they walked him over to the safe, forced him to take out about $30,000 in cash, and then split it up amongst themselves and got on that lifeboat. So, if you believe the criminal complaint, the U.S. government's case, so to speak, the money was on that lifeboat. But yet, when you look at the list of evidence recovered from the lifeboat -- AK-47s, ammo, cell phones, radios -- there's no mention of the money.

HARRIS: That is something. All right, Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon for us. Chris, appreciate it. Thank you.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HARRIS: Well, we couldn't resist this one. Now you can combine your love for The Beatles and video games. Microsoft unveiling its latest project in Los Angeles yesterday with the help of the band's two surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

The game is called "The Beatles Rock Band." It allows gamers to be one of the band members and experience the history they made inside and outside the recording studio. It'll be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Look for it in stores this September. How about that for a commercial, huh?

Live pictures now from the White House. A reminder that President Obama will be announcing a new Army secretary. That's coming up in about 10 minutes, and we will bring you the announcement live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Take a look at these new pictures in to CNN from Capitol Hill, where President Obama's Supreme Court nominee is making the rounds. Judge Sonia Sotomayor paying courtesy calls on the senators who will vote on her nomination, calling on Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash is with us live with an update on Sotomayor's meeting with lawmakers. And this meeting, Dana, with Patrick Leahy expected, but still an important meeting.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Very important meeting. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. And I was actually in that room just moments ago. It's right on the floor below where I'm standing now in the Russell office building of the Capitol complex.

You know, it was kind of typical in that there were some pleasantries. Senator Leahy brought Judge Sotomayor over to show her some memorabilia. It was hard to see because the room was cramped, but I'm assuming it was some photographs. He likes to take photographs of various events. And that was what he was showing her before they sat down and got down to business. That's when they kicked all of us out of that room.

The meeting is going on as we speak. You know, I tried to get from Senator Leahy when I saw him in the hallway just a few minutes ago what he was going to ask her. He said those meetings are private. But one thing that is going to be interesting in terms of the big picture here is the timing.

Because as these courtesy calls are going on, about a half an hour each, from senator to senator, what the man you see in the picture there, Senator Leahy, is going to be charged with figuring out is when exactly Judge Sotomayor will have her public hearings and when she will actually be confirmed.

The White House wants to do that before the Senate adjourns for August recess. Republicans are saying no, no, no, we need some more time. So, that is going on in the background here.

And one other thing I want to tell you. I think we have a picture of Senator Dianne Feinstein of California. She is going to be meeting, Tony, later with Judge Sotomayor. I had a really interesting conversation with her a few minutes ago off the Senate floor, myself and other reporters. And she said that she is going to ask Judge Sotomayor in her meeting about the comments that we've all seen and heard now, the controversial comments suggesting that as a Latina, she might be better equipped to make a decision than a white male.

She says, Senator Feinstein, believes that that has been blown out of proportion, but she also believes it should be put in the proper context. So, whatever context Judge Sotomayor wants to put it in. So, she, a Democrat, told us she's...

HARRIS: Yes.

BASH: ... going to ask the judge about that in her meeting later this afternoon.

HARRIS: Well, that's interesting. Do you believe you'll get an opportunity to get the response that the judge will give to the senator? Do you think you'll hear what she said?

BASH: I hope so. I actually asked Senator Feinstein if we could talk to her after her meeting, and she said yes. I'll talk to her.

Another interesting thing that could make a little bit of a wave here that Senator Feinstein told us about what she intends to talk to the judge about in her private one-on-one meeting, she said she wants to talk about some pretty important topics that will no doubt come before the Supreme Court.

She volunteered this, Senator Feinstein. She said including abortion, which is sort of a, frankly, a tabooo subject when you're talking to these judges.

HARRIS: Yes.

BASH: As you've heard in the White House briefing day after day, it's not exactly necessarily a subject that judges are asked about point blank by these policymakers.

HARRIS: And they usually don't give you much of an answer.

BASH: And they usually don't give you much of an answer. Exactly. And I asked her, I said, you're going to ask about abortion? She said, well, I'm going to ask about privacy. I said, will you ask her directly about Roe v. Wade? She said, I might.

So, that could be a very interesting meeting that Senator Feinstein has later today with Judge Sotomayor. But right now, she's meeting with the Senate Judiciary chairman. She's going to make her way right after that, right in the building where I am, to meet with the top Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. We're going to hear from both of them after their meetings as well.

HARRIS: Dana, when is this meeting with Senator Feinstein likely to take place?

BASH: Later this afternoon, I believe in the 3:00 or 4:00 hour. Unfortunately, it's kind of late in the day, but it's definitely one to wait for if you, you know -- given what Senator Feinstein told us about what she intends to talk to her about.

HARRIS: I want the response in my hours.

(LAUGHTER)

BASH: Sorry.

HARRIS: All right, senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash with us. Dana, appreciate it. See you next time, and thank you.

And we will have more on Judge Sotomayor's Senate debut in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. We will update you on her latest meetings with senators as she makes the rounds on Capitol Hill, and Dana Bash will be back. She is following developments, and she'll have a live update for us.

Also ahead, a suspect pleads not guilty in the death of a young soldier. We are tracking developments in the shooting outside a military recruiting center. A Cuba tourism getting a boost from Cuban Americans. Fewer travel restrictions mean more visits home. Find out what that means for Cuba's tourism industry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: New numbers show a decline in the way Americans view the Muslim world. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 21 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of Muslim countries. That is down from 24 percent in March 2002, six months after the September 11 attacks.

Neutral views are also down slightly while the number of Americans with an unfavorable view of Islamic countries is up. It is now 46 percent unfavorable compared to 41 percent after the 9/11 attacks.

President Obama leaves on his latest mission to improve U.S. relations with the Muslim world. He delivers a speech in Cairo Thursday that he hopes will begin a new dialogue. CNN's Jim Acosta has more on the president's trip and what he hopes to accomplish.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, the White House says President Obama's trip to Egypt this week fulfills a campaign pledge, but that depends on what your definition of the word summit is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Let's get back to Jim Acosta in a moment. But first, the president of the United States.