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American Morning

Gen. McChrystal Apologizes to Obama Administration; Sex, Race and Religion: South Carolina's Nasty GOP Gubernatorial Fight; A Look at the E-Reader Wars; Going Speed Dating on Accent Night; Coffee vs. Cancer

Aired June 22, 2010 - 07:00   ET

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


KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Chilling words from Faisal Shahzad, the suspect in the failed Times Square bombing pleaded guilty to all of the charges against him. And staring at life in prison, he warns more attacks are coming.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: But first, oh, boy, a developing story, a major rift between the commander in chief and his top general in Afghanistan exposed for all to see. General Stanley McChrystal is apologizing this morning for a profile in "Rolling Stone" magazine. In it he talks about disappointment, distrust, and frustration with the Obama administration.

CHETRY: General McChrystal is now saying that the article was a mistake reflecting poor judgment. Barbara Starr joins us this morning from the Pentagon. Wow. So tell us more about how all this came to be.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This story unfolding by the minute. We have just learned that General Stanley McChrystal has been recalled to Washington, my White House colleague Suzanne Malveaux being the first to learn this. General McChrystal has been ordered to appear in Washington tomorrow for a meeting at the White House to explain himself.

This is just unprecedented, a profile in "Rolling Stone," not the usual reading in the Pentagon hallways. Everybody's reading this article word for word. General McChrystal apologizing, but the words in the article have not been challenged as being inaccurate.

Let me just read you a couple of quotes that will illustrate the problem for the general here. The article says, "The general first encountered Obama a week after he took office. McChrystal thought Obama looked "uncomfortable and intimidated by the roomful of military brass."

The article goes on and has further quotes from senior staff of General McChrystal about the commander in chief. It says, also, quote, "Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was," McChrystal. Here's the guy who's going to run his -- expletive deleted -- war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The boss was pretty disappointed."

This article by Michael Hastings in "Rolling Stone" is not being disputed for its accuracy, not disputed by General McChrystal who overnight from Afghanistan issued an apology saying, "I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened.

Throughout my career I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard."

What is the essential problem here? McChrystal, whether it's him or his senior staff, making disrespectful, disparaging remarks about the commander in chief. That is a red line in the United States military, it simply isn't done.

CHETRY: And he's well respected general as we've said. It sort of begs the question why would he even do that interview, Barbara.

STARR: Well, this is what everyone is asking. I can tell you further that Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has had an extended telephone conversation with General McChrystal according to top aides, Admiral Mullen repeatedly looking for some answers about how all of this happened.

The question that hangs in the air at this hour is, will general McChrystal survive this situation, because generals do not make these kinds of remarks about the commander in chief? Will he survive that White House meeting tomorrow?

I asked a top official that just a few moments ago. I asked, will General McChrystal be fired? And that official said, "We'll see."

ROBERTS: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Let's go to the White House now where our Suzanne Malveaux is. Suzanne, we remember back before the surge in Afghanistan, there did appear to be a bit of friction between incoming General McChrystal and people in the administration over the size of the commitment of troops that the general was looking for, but certainly no hint of anything that went this far.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And this is spilling out into the public, into the open. And that is what's really extraordinary about this, John. And the administration's response this morning is also very, very strong. It, too, extraordinary.

I talked to a senior administration official. This is what I got from him. He said that McChrystal has been directed to attend tomorrow's monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan in person rather than appear over secure video teleconference to explain to the Pentagon and the commander in chief his quotes in the piece about his colleagues.

John, just to be a fly on the wall tomorrow, that is going to be an extraordinary meeting. You are talking about President Obama, very specifically, they said, commander in chief, to have General McChrystal before President Obama, as well as secretaries of state, other Pentagon brass, and national security advisors, all around that table to hear what kind of explanation he has.

Barbara has a very good question, and that is whether or not he is going to survive this meeting. But it certainly is very important and symbolic that he is going to be doing it in person. I mean this is as close as it comes when they say taking somebody to the woodshed.

ROBERTS: The general in trouble, no question about that.

MALVEAUX: And Suzanne, you talk about another development in the White House this morning, CNN learning that the budget director, Peter Orszag, is going to be resigning in the next few weeks. Tell us more about whether or not this was expected.

MALVEAUX: Certainly. I spoke with a senior administration official late last night when the story was breaking, and essentially he was somebody who didn't really want -- he wasn't very excited about taking the job in the first place, said he would give two years. It's about that time or so when he wanted to step away and step down.

So it is not a total surprise here, but obviously it comes after major pieces of legislation, some accomplishments. Obviously the $860 billion stimulus package, two budgets, and something that was truly dear to his heart and that is working on health care reform, overhauling the system about $1 trillion in expenses there.

But the timing of this is very important because you've got a Congress that's still working on the budget that would start in October 1st. You have the Office Management and Budget, the OMB, that needs to get that second budget going by February.

So the idea was if you're going to step away, if you're going to walk away from this, now would be the time so you can get a director in place for fall to get some of that moving forward.

And the main item here, what Orszag was really known for, was his passion for reducing the deficit. He was one of those folks in those White House debates and the inner circle talking about the need to reduce the deficit. Others are arguing more stimulus, tax cuts. So we'll see how that actually plays out during this very critical time in the recession.

CHETRY: Suzanne Malveaux for us at the White House this morning with plenty of developing news for us, thanks so much.

Also this morning, a CNN security watch. Now that he's pled guilty to all charges in the plot to set off a bomb in Times Square, suspect Faisal Shahzad could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

ROBERTS: In court yesterday, Shahzad was unrepentant and warned of more attacks by Muslim soldiers just like him. Our Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is following developments for us. She's live in Washington. Certainly no remorse, no repentance here by Faisal Shahzad, Jeanne. JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: None at all, John. Faisal Shahzad used the courtroom yesterday to say others like him will continue to attack the U.S. unless the military pulls out of Afghanistan and Iraq and stops drone strikes in Somalia, Pakistan, and Yemen.

The arraignment in a New York courtroom was expected to be a simple, straightforward affair, but Shahzad made the decision to plead guilty to all ten charges, including the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, telling the court, "I want to plead guilty 100 times."

Shahzad admitted he drove an SUV to Times Square on May 1st, a Saturday night when it would be crowded, and lit the fuses to a bomb which he had built in three parts. He was unapologetic saying, "I would not consider it a crime. I'm aware it is a crime in the United States, but I don't care about the law of the United States," adding, "I consider myself a Mujahedeen and a Muslim soldier."

Shahzad told the court he had traveled to the Waziristan region to Pakistan in December where he received money and bomb making training from the Pakistani Taliban. Shahzad did cooperate with authorities for about two weeks after his May 3rd arrest, waiving his Miranda rights.

The government says there is no plea deal in place and two of the charges to which he has pleaded guilty carry a mandatory life sentence. Sentencing is now scheduled for October 5th, John.

ROBERTS: Jeanne Meserve this morning, thanks.

Raising more than $1 million in mere hours for the Gulf coast, an absolute a-list of stars and humanitarians joined Larry King last night to help the people affected by the oil spill disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: India Ari was one of the performers last night while celebrities on both coasts were manning the phone lines. Altogether at least $1.7 million was raised, and we're still taking funds if you'd like. If you want to donate, it isn't too late. Go to CNN.com/impact. There you'll find a list of organizations there that are making a difference.

CHETRY: Good stuff. Meanwhile, it's nine minutes past the hour.

(WEATHER BREAK)

ROBERTS: Voters in four states are heading to the polls today, but it is all eyes on South Carolina. The race for the governor's mansion there has been downright nasty. So what can we expect today? Jim Acosta's tracking that for us. He's right up after the break. It' 10 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: All eyes are on South Carolina where the governor's race could change the face of the state's Republican Party. Our Jim Acosta is live in Columbia, South Carolina where we know this race has turned nasty. I'm sure people involved are wondering, when does it end?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In South Carolina, they give dirty politics a bad name in this state. So it's been a long, strange trip for a woman by the name of Nikki Haley. She's the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination down here.

And she's faced allegations of marital infidelity, ethnic slurs, even questions about her religion, and that's just in the Republican primary. She is expected to win her run-off today against a sitting Republican congressman, Gresham Barrett. All of that thanks in large part to the allegations facing her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: For Nikki Haley, the road to South Carolina's governor's mansion has felt like a highway through hell.

NIKKI HALEY, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: It has been a brutal few weeks leading up to the primary and we have had a lot to go through.

ACOSTA: As in the accusations that the state lawmaker carried on two separate extramarital affairs, allegations Haley's denied. But in a state where political smears have eaten candidates alive, something unexpected happened -- Haley crushed her competition in the Republican primary for governor, capturing 49.5 percent of the vote, nearly avoiding a runoff, a runoff the polls suggest she'll win.

ACOSTA: There is a political narrative out there that some of these allegations against you actually helped your campaign. What do you think of that?

HALEY: I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. What it showed was that the people rose above it. I have an amazing husband.

ACOSTA (voice-over): At a campaign stop in Florence, joined by her husband, Haley agreed the voters deserved answers to the allegations.

MARK SANFORD (R), SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: I hurt her. I hurt you all. I hurt my wife.

ACOSTA: Considering the sex scandal that nearly brought down the state's current governor, Mark Sanford.

HALEY: I think public officials have to answer to the voters. What's sad is when public officials have to answer to negative false accusations. That's where all of this went wrong. There was no proof. There was nothing that validated it. Yet all of a sudden it became the story.

ACOSTA: Haley, who's half-Indian, has also faced ethnic slurs and questions about her religion. She says she converted to Christianity after growing up in the Sikh faith.

HALEY: I think everybody will look back at this election and say that's what not to do.

ACOSTA: Former state GOP Chairman Katon Dawson says the attacks backfired.

KATON DAWSON, FORMER STATE GOP CHAIRMAN: Obviously it backfired at the polls. Republican voters will only tolerate so much.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gresham, what are you?

An honest conservative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Still, there's a whiff of the campaign's dark moments in this spot from Haley's Republican rival, Gresham Barrett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A military man who makes tough decisions. A Christian family man who won't embarrass us. Gresham, you made me -- want to vote for you.

GRESHAM BARRETT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA GOV. CANDIDATE: I'd be honored.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: But it's Haley who's the rising tea party powerhouse against a new health care law in favor of offshore oil drilling and drawing big guns like Sarah Palin to her side. She, too, aggressively courts conservative women to her cause.

(on camera): It's not kid gloves down here. Right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

ACOSTA: They play a little rough.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They come out swinging.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But they don't call us steel magnolias for nothing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: If she wins, she would become the state's first woman governor down here in South Carolina. And there is some talk about 2012. But, of course, she still has to win this race and the polls open at 7:00 and they close at 7:00 -- John and Kiran.

ROBERTS: All right, Jim Acosta for us this morning. Jim, thanks so much.

Coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, the e-reader wars -- the Kindle, the Nook, iPad, all battling for your dollars. Christine Romans "Minding Your Business." Boy, has she got a deal for you.

Seventeen minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Twenty minutes past the hour. Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business" this morning. She'll soon be a paperback writer. You're currently a paperback writer.

ROBERTS: Yes.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Paperback, paperback. Paperback, everyone's --

ROBERTS: The hardcover (INAUDIBLE)

ROMANS: Right. Exactly.

ROBERTS: Or e-book.

ROMANS: Yes, yes. In Times (ph) bookstores for you end of September. I'll let you know all about it when it's ready. But, maybe you'll be able to download the book that I'm writing. Right?

Bookworms are abuzz because we're talking about e-reader price war, you guys. A price war on e-readers. The price is coming down pretty sharply here. Take a look at the old price for the Nook. That's the Barnes & Noble product. It was $259. The Kindle was $259. That's the Amazon product. But look at this.

ROBERTS: Slashed prices.

ROMANS: Slashed prices, $199 for the Nook.

ROBERTS: The moonlight special.

ROMANS: The Kindle is now $189. More of these things are coming. Other people have them in the works. More models are coming, upgrades are coming. Some people are saying that the real number is $150. If you can get this down to $150, you'll have people buying these all over the place.

ROBERTS: Did Barnes & Noble slash the price of its Wi-Fi only to $159?

ROMANS: I think so. I think so.

ROBERTS: Yes. ROMANS: So look.

CHETRY: How about the iPad? Does that going to come down any time soon?

ROMANS: Well, here's the interesting thing. The iPad brings a whole new level to this thing because the iPad you can surf the web. You can do all these other kinds of things with it. It's a little more --

ROBERTS: Much more.

ROMANS: It's a little more glamorous and stuff. And so, you know, are these prices coming down because there could be potential competition from the iPad if the iPad is going to be the thing that's going to --

ROBERTS: They sold two million.

ROMANS: Yes. I mean, they're selling one every three seconds or something. So, look, bookworms, the prices are coming down. I mean, and from the very beginning people have been saying that if you've got -- if you paid -- I just talked to somebody this morning who said she paid $400 for her Kindle in the very beginning. I can't believe how cheap it's going to be, but this is the way technology works. It gets better. There's more competition. There are more kinds, and then suddenly the prices come down. So for all of you out there in love with the word, it's getting cheaper.

ROBERTS: That price, is it for the original Kindle, the smaller one or the larger one?

ROMANS: I'm not sure. I'm not sure.

ROBERTS: OK. You do have a "Romans' Numeral" for us this morning.

ROMANS: I do. I do. And this is my cynical "Romans' Numeral" of the day. For 43 percent of people, the price doesn't matter if the Kindle or any --

CHETRY: Because they're not using them?

ROMANS: Because 43 percent of Americans don't read books apparently. Can you believe that?

Here's where I'm not going to be cynical about this number. Forty-three percent of Americans simply don't read books. But maybe if it's cheap and it's convenient and it's easy, who knows? Maybe instead of us talking about how technology is making us all schizophrenic and not able to finish anything, maybe it will make us start to read books.

ROBERTS: I'd be interested to how many Americans can't read.

ROMANS: Oh, that's an interesting question. I don't know. ROBERTS: Can you come back with that one next time?

ROMANS: I can.

ROBERTS: All right. Thanks.

ROMANS: That would be a really cynical Tuesday morning.

ROBERTS: It sure would.

ROMANS: How many Americans can't read. All right.

ROBERTS: Well, it's not beyond you.

ROMANS: But 43 --

ROBERTS: And your cynicism.

ROMANS: It's true. Forty-three percent of Americans don't read books. I was shocked by that number.

ROBERTS: It is really shocking, yes.

ROMANS: Right.

ROBERTS: Christine Romans "Minding Your Business" this morning, thanks.

Well, he works at the United Nations. You think you'd be able to fake at least one accent. Right? Richard Roth -- Richard Roth -- get it, I'll say it one more time. Richard Roth goes speed dating on accent night. His guide to getting the girl in under three minutes. You do not want to miss this.

It's 23 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Twenty-six minutes now after the hour. In today's world of sound bites and 30-second YouTube clips, you got to be able to sell yourself in a flash. And there is no better example of that than speed dating where the first impression is all you got.

CHETRY: Yes. And in some cases, if you got an accent, you're hot. Well, our quintessential stud muffin Richard Roth went to see what that was all about.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside this New York City bar, the world of dating in the year 2010. It's speed dating. Men talking to women before moving to another table to talk to more women. A concept that's been around since Adam and Eve.

Now, the bell rings prompting a change of partners every three minutes. The organizers also spice things up. Tonight's encounter is billed as "men with accents" and the women who love them.

AMBER STILLETI, CO-FOUNDER, "ONE STOP SINGLES": Women are into the audio because they love accents. I think accents take an average man to that super hot level.

ROTH: One of those accents belongs to Andy from Australia who says New York is the best city in the world for dating.

ANDY, SPEED DATER: A girl comes up to me and the first thing she said was, I've always wanted to be with an Aussie. And one thing led to another and she got her wish.

ROTH: Most women attend after frustration with the current dating scene.

JESSICA, SPEED DATER: A bit of a disappointment.

ROTH (on camera): Why?

JESSICA: I meet a lot of people. I'm always open to anything new. However, I feel like dating is all about sex nowadays.

SARAH, SPEED DATER: I'm just looking to find a nice guy. I mean, I'm not looking for prince charming. Just someone that I can get along with.

APRIL, SPEED DATER: A kind, generous, fun man. That sums it up, right?

I meet a lot of people with accents, and it's part of the appeal in New York.

ROTH: How successful are you with that accent of yours?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I put it on big time just so it works. I play it up. Play it up to the max.

JESSICA: I'm Jessica, nice to meet you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Jessica.

Have you been to Ireland?

SARAH: I've never been. You know, I think --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ROTH: How much can really be accomplished in three minutes?

STILLETI: A lot. Because you know what? Chemistry is instant.

ROTH: All right, pretend that we were dating. Well, maybe we are dating. Are we dating?

JESSICA: We're dating.

ROTH: All right.

JESSICA: Where are you taking me?

ROTH: I'm taking you wherever you want to go tonight. Out of the 11 or 12 men you've dated for three minutes, how many would you be interested in going out with?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One.

ROTH: One man. And why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were all boring.

JESSICA: I have a sense that you're married. Happily married.

ROTH: Me? That I'm happily married? I've never been married in my life.

JESSICA: All right. So when are we going out?

ROTH: What do you think of the men you've met so far, excluding me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very hot.

ROTH: Hot?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hot.

ROTH: You like them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're hot.

ROTH: What's your sign?

JESSICA: I'm a Capricorn.

ROTH: You like to get up early in the morning? Capricorns do.

JESSICA: Yes, I do. Absolutely.

APRIL: I am OK on my own, but I'd like to share my life.

ROTH: I watch a lot of television. Is that OK with you?

JESSICA: I don't own a TV. It's OK with me. I will never judge anyone. I just personally don't own a TV.

ROTH: Our date is over.

(voice-over): Richard Roth, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Richard does so well in those situations, you know.

CHETRY: He does. She said you seem like you're happily married. He said I've never been married. Well, when are we going out?

ROBERTS: By day he hides behind a stack of newspapers in his office.

CHETRY: Oh, yes.

ROBERTS: By night, he is transformed. Whoa.

Half past the hour now. Time for this morning's top stories.

Developing this morning, CNN learning that Peter Orszag is going to leave his job as the White House budget director in July. This will make him the first official to leave the Obama cabinet. Orszag is a key member of the president's economic team. He played a vital role in helping to shape the economic stimulus and health care reform bill.

CHETRY: And a developing story this morning. The top general in Afghanistan apologizing for a "Rolling Stone" profile that says he seized control of the war by never taking his eyes off the real enemy, the quote, "wimps in the White House."

General Stanley McChrystal now saying it was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened. The White House also reacting this morning, saying it wants the general to explain his comments in person at tomorrow's monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

ROBERTS: That will be an uncomfortable meeting.

And Larry King called, you answered. Last night's two-hour star- studded telethon raised an estimated $1.7 million for victims in the gulf coast oil spill. Singer Lenny Kravitz was on hand and he said "this disaster really hits home for him."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LENNY KRAVITZ, SINGER: It's emotionally difficult because I know so many of the people down here. I've been coming down here for 17 years and I know a lot of these people firsthand, people that worked on shrimp boats, that own boats, that fish for, you know, their living and I sat down with people that have lost everything. You know, their families are trying to figure out what to do and you see and you feel the sadness. And it's hard down here. It's really hard down here right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Now, the show may be over but you can still help. Go to cnn.com/impact and there you'll find a list of the good charities who are doing all the fine work down there in the gulf to help people out. CHETRY: In the meantime, the president's six-month ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could end by this afternoon. A federal judge in New Orleans is promising to decide quickly whether or not a lawsuit against the ban filed by two big oil service companies has merit.

ROBERTS: The suit claims that the moratorium is unconstitutional and needs to be overturned in order to save thousands of jobs. Our Chris Lawrence is live in New Orleans this morning. And Chris, talking to a lot of folks down there over the last couple of weeks. Many people hoping that this moratorium will be lifted and those rigs will be up and running again and the service boats that bring materials out to them will be running again.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, especially in light of what we've just now learned, that the - this commission that is going to decide when these rigs can re-open isn't even going to have its first meeting until the middle of next month. So six months may be a short estimate. This moratorium if it is not lifted could go well beyond that as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): All the anger that D.C. directed at BP is being deflected right back at Washington. Some businesses sued the Obama administration in a New Orleans federal court Monday asking a judge to issue an injunction and lift the six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.

VELMA MOCK, OPPOSES DRILLING MORATORIUM: What are we going to do? You know, I mean, we've replaced our homes two, three times because of hurricanes. We're going to lose our homes again because of a moratorium that's not needed?

LAWRENCE: Velma Mock's company runs the boats that supplies the rigs. Other supporting companies like hers argue the government had no good basis to shut down rigs with no safety violations. Unlike supporting businesses, the rig workers are getting paid from a $100 million fund BP set up specifically for them.

MOCK: Their companies will try to place them with smaller rigs wherever - overseas, wherever they can put them. We will quit working before they will.

REP. GENE GREEN (D), TEXAS: Time after time it's been shown that BP chooses expediency over safety.

LAWRENCE: Some in the gulf are getting tired of politicians piling on BP and its CEO, Tony Hayward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have 26 people dead, more than 170 injured, you had the largest spill ever in Alaska, you now have the largest environmental disaster to hit the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're just, I mean, badgering in some instances this guy. I mean, we need this guy. LAWRENCE: (INAUDIBLE) man says the politicians' anger is designed to make voters so upset with BP they'll forget how mad they were at Washington.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The American public needs to understand that this is going on, BP's being scalped in more ways than one. As mad as we are at them, we need them to survive.

LAWRENCE: Even a fishermen who's been haggling with BP over his damage claims says outsiders are trying to pit one industry against another.

(on camera): Are you mad at BP?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've co-existed with the oil companies down here my entire life, and they've created some of the greatest fishing habitat in the world. A lot of the environmentalists don't want to hear that but it's true. I mean, the rigs are like a food chain and housing and cover for the fish and it's created a great fishing area.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Well, the federal government says that the moratorium is needed. And they say look no further than the fact that BP has been unable to cap this problem, you know, in a couple of months now and it still may be a couple of months away from doing so. They say the Deepwater Horizon passed all its safety tests, too, before it exploded which proves that the current regulations are way too soft. They say what's called for now is an overabundance of caution because the area just can't survive another disaster like this one. John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: So, Chris, is the judge actually going to decide the merits of whether or not this moratorium should stay in place or is he just looking at whether or not the state even has standing to bring this case?

LAWRENCE: He's going to decide the merits. He's going to decide whether to issue an injunction which would suspend the moratorium. Now, more than likely that may get kicked up to a higher court. It depends how he words it, whether the drilling might actually be able to start up again.

But a lot of the people here are arguing that the longer this goes on, the more likely some of these oil companies or rigs could leave the area. And they say the most talented workers, the newest rigs, those will be the first to go.

ROBERTS: Chris Lawrence this morning. Chris, thanks.

CHETRY: In the meantime, with millions of gallons of crude gushing from a rig, his company owns, the president of Transocean is slamming the president for implementing the ban on drilling in the first place. Steven Newman telling the "Associated Press" that there are measures the president could implement today that would allow all of the idle rigs in the gulf to start up again safely tomorrow. He calls the drilling moratorium unnecessary and arbitrary. Transocean president is expected to expand on those claims at an oil conference that's taking place in London today.

ROBERTS: Held captive for more than a month by the Taliban in the tribal areas of Pakistan, the man who survived to tell the tale joins us, coming up next. It's 36 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROBERTS: 39 minutes now after the hour.

Our next guest has been inside the mind of the Taliban fighter. Why he wasn't killed? Why he was set free still both a mystery? Jere Van Dyk, an American reporter who went deep into the lawless dangerous tribal region between Afghanistan and Pakistan and ended up being a prisoner of the Taliban for more than a month, forced to convert to Islam and learned the language since he couldn't even trust his translator. His book about the experience "Captive" my time as a prisoner of the Taliban is out today, documents his 45 days in captivity.

And Jere is here this morning. Jerry, good to see you. I've known you a long time, I'm glad that you are here.

JERE VAN DYK, AUTHOR "CAPTIVE": Thank you, John. So good to see you.

ROBERTS: So you went to Afghanistan in the summer of 2007 hoping to get into the tribal areas of Pakistan. You eventually did, I guess in the beginning of 2008. What was the purpose of the trip? Why did you want to go there?

VAN DYK: What I wanted to do was drawing on my experiences from the 1980s where I knew the Mujahidin. Today the Mujahidin can be divided into two groups - those who are the (INAUDIBLE) army fighting the Soviet Union at the time, those who have gone with the government, were part of the Kabul government, with the U.S. and those who have gone with in the mountains.

I thought by going with those trying to find those, I knew from the 1980s where Taliban leaders today that I could find out to a degree, the same way I found out about the Mujahidin in the 1980s what the Taliban are really like, what the tribal areas, area off-limits to everybody was really like, their ties to Al Qaeda, what was really going on there, perhaps the United States and the Pakistani governments were not telling us.

ROBERTS: You had hoped to go in and talk with them, maybe do a few interviews. You didn't expect to be held captive by them. What was the moment where you said, this is going really badly.

VAN DYK: The moment came when we were about seven hours in, hiking in the mountains. It was sundown. Walking in a, you know, single file. My two body guards in the lead. I was next. My interpreter behind me. I saw a small tinge of black over Iraq. I knew immediately it was not a black sheep, it was not a goat, that it was the Taliban. I froze. They came running down the mountain with rocked propelled grenade launchers and rifles shouting at us. I knew I was dead.

ROBERTS: You thought you were dead.

VAN DYK: I thought I was dead.

ROBERTS: What was going through your mind at the time, that this is it. This is how I'm going to die in these wild tribal regions of Pakistan all by myself?

VAN DYK: That's right. I knew that I was - I felt totally helpless, scared. I had cotton mouth. I froze. I couldn't run. I couldn't do anything. A man stuck his rifle and a rocket propelled grenade launcher right at me. I looked at the very dark, gleaming eyes and I froze.

ROBERTS: So to your surprise, they blindfolded you and they took you into further northern region in Pakistan and you were held captive there for 45 days.

VAN DYK: Right.

ROBERTS: What did you learn about the Taliban during that time?

VAN DYK: What I learned in that very dark cell over that 45-day period, that fundamentally, they are pashtuns. Pashtuns being the ethnic group on Afghanistan and Pakistan, that blood counts more than Islam, more than faith, that deep down they will never give in, and that really - I was with the Taliban four times on the Afghan side and once in Chitral across the borders before I was betrayed and before I was captured.

ROBERTS: Chitral is where that fellow was caught just recently.

VAN DYK: Exactly.

(CROSSTALK)

VAN DYK: And where many people do feel -

ROBERTS: Right.

VAN DYK: That Bin Laden is hiding. I don't think he is there but one time people did think he was there. There really is no difference fundamentally between the Afghan Taliban and what we call the Pakistani Taliban.

I also know that they are fighting, they cross the border, they have ties with, they said, Pakistani military and ultimately, pashtun law, either ancient tribal code held true, they did not kill me.

ROBERTS: Yes, that would be obvious. And we're very glad of that. But just in terms of getting inside their minds, in some comments that you made about your time there, outside of the book, you said this of the Taliban, "they feel trapped by the United States and by the Pakistani government and they will kill anyone and fight to the death."

Is there any way - because this is being talked about in Afghanistan - negotiating with these people? Is there such a thing as the economic Taliban who are only being paid to fight and you can pay them more money and pay them not to fight?

VAN DYK: Perhaps. Perhaps there are young men. We've read about these young men who say that there are no jobs in our area. And I did meet some who - most of them in fact almost all of them are peasants. They're very poor people. So, yes, they do receive and they told me they receive money for doing different things, for setting an IED, for stealing a uniform. They ratchet it up, you kill American soldier. Those who get the most money are suicide bombers.

ROBERTS: And you were also looking for a potential tie between the Pakistani intelligence services, the ISI, and these guys, that maybe U.S. aid money was being used to pay them.

VAN DYK: Yes.

ROBERTS: The London School of Economics makes a strong case in a new report that the ISA, "orchestrates, sustains and shapes the overall insurgent campaign against the U.S.." Did you find evidence of that?

VAN DYK: I found anecdotal evidence in that all I can rely upon, based upon my experiences, is what I saw and what the Taliban told me. I tried to set up an interview with the Pakistani intelligence officer before that. It went very badly awry. I was threatened. Luckily I escaped. This time I never saw any Pakistani ISI officers, to my knowledge.

In fact, in many articles in the papers about how the Pakistanis have 90,000-plus soldiers along the Afghan-Pakistani border, when you travel along the border in Afghanistan, you see American soldiers everywhere. When you cross the border in Pakistan, I never saw any.

ROBERTS: You never saw one. All right. It's a fascinating book. It's called "Captive." Jere Van Dyk, the 45 days that he spent captive of the Taliban in 2008. We're so glad that you made it out of that situation when others haven't.

Jere, it's great to see you this morning. Thanks for coming in. Appreciate it - Kiran.

CHETRY: Amazing story. Thanks so much.

Well, still ahead, we're talking about the perks of coffee, how it may protect against some cancers. Elizabeth Cohen has details coming up.

And also, we're checking in with Reynolds Wolf with our travel forecast. It's hot, muggy and some pop-up storms could spell trouble.

Forty-five minutes past the hour.

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CHETRY: Welcome and good morning Louisville, Kentucky, where right now it's 76 degrees. A little bit later you're practically at the century mark -- 99 degrees and sunny for a high today in Louisville, Kentucky.

ROBERTS: It probably sure feel a lot more than that.

Reynolds Wolf is tracking the weather across the country, and we actually do have triple digits expected in some places today and some extreme weather on the way as well.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Triple digits certainly going to be felt in places like Phoenix, Arizona and some perhaps in - well, in - well, in St. Louis. St. Louis is going to be unbearable today, especially by late afternoon when you have these highs going up into the 90s and humidity is going to make it feel even warmer. But, I'll tell you, the surface temperature in St. Louis should reach exactly 100.

You know, as the heat and humidity can cause all kinds of storms, this morning we've got a - just a frontal line that actually go over parts of St. Louis and just south of Cincinnati. One of the places affected hardest, right here in parts of Indianapolis where we've had one swath of rain that's come through. You have a little bit of a break.

Then look to the north, more development back just north of Terre Haute, everything driving off towards the east so you've got some heavier shower activity expected. Also, when you look back at some of this activity south of Champaign, along parts of 70, with the rain continuing to fall over some of the same area, I would not be surprised we get some reports in the coming hour of some flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas or in spots with poor drainage.

Now, the reason why we're seeing, again, is this area of low pressure, this frontal boundary. That with your heating could give you more storm activity into the afternoon, a very unstable atmosphere. And with that unstable atmosphere in the western Great Lakes and in parts of the Midwest, even into the Northern Plains.

What can you expect? Not only rough weather but also some serious delays out there. Some of the airports, say in Chicago, could have some back-ups there as the temperatures rise to about 88 degrees in Chicago; 88 in Minneapolis; 97 in Kansas City; 95 in Raleigh; 88 in New Orleans; 94 in Atlanta.

Here are the delays. In Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, about a-30 minute to a full hour wait in thunderstorms. If you happen to be on the tarmac, though, do not be surprised if that wait goes a little bit longer. And Detroit, some thunderstorms anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Those should be moving out, I'd say, within the next half hour or so. And Orlando, it's the gliding sea breeze, the daytime heating that's going to give you those thunderstorms. Possibly an hour wait there also.

OK, you are up to speed. Let's send it right back to you guys in New York.

ROBERTS: Thank you, Reynolds, so much.

WOLF: You bet.

ROBERTS: Appreciate it.

This morning's top stories just minutes away now, including the top commander in Afghanistan doing an about-face. General Stanley McChrystal reporting back home tomorrow to explain himself to the president after slamming the administration in a "Rolling Stone" magazine article.

New developments live from the White House and the Pentagon where we're learning today from Barbara Starr that apparently McChrystal has fired his press aide over this article.

CHETRY: Wow.

Well, after - in 10 minutes after the hour, a rising Tea Party powerhouse and primary runoff today in the State of South Carolina, hotly contested battle there. And our Jim Acosta talks to front- runner Nikki Haley, how rumors about an extramarital affair may have backfired.

ROBERTS: And at 28 minutes after the hour, oil spill survivors. Rob Marciano rides along as birds with brand-new feathers get sent back into the wild.

Those stories and more coming your way, beginning at the top of the hour.

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ROBERTS: All right. It's 54 minutes after the hour. Time for your "A.M. House Call", stories about your health.

That first cup of coffee is always a good eye opener first thing in the morning, right?

CHETRY: Yes. Some people say they can't function before that first cup. But, you know, new research suggests that a few more cups could actually help your body fight certain types of cancer.

Let's bring in our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. We chuckle only because it seems that there is differing research about coffee all of the time. Is it good for you or is it not? ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I know. And you know what? In some ways, the verdict is not still in.

However, I will tell you that this is really a pretty convincing study. This study looked at many other studies which looked at thousands of patients, and what they found is that people who drank more than four cups a day had a 39 percent lower risk of getting cancer of the mouth or cancer of the pharynx. That's a pretty big benefit. But, again, that was when folks drank more than four cups of coffee a day.

Now, they don't know why coffee might be good for you, but they do think it might have something to do with the antioxidants that are in coffee.

ROBERTS: All right. So instead of drinking, you know, one, maybe two cups of coffee every morning, should we just say, oh, to heck with it and drink the whole pot?

COHEN: Well, you know what, you may want to think twice before do you that because, as you said, there have been studies that go back and forth and there have certainly been studies that show that coffee can make you irritable and anxious. Not surprising, all the caffeine. And also, that it can raise your blood pressure and raise your heart rate.

So before you just chug all of that down, you want to think about that and sort of, you know, kind of what am I most nervous about here and, really, what are my objectives? I mean, more than four cups of coffee day, that's a lot of coffee.

CHETRY: Right. And it's interesting, though, because we've seen, as you talked about, these studies that talk about large amounts of coffee actually helping with other things as well, prostate cancer in some cases, perhaps brain tumors and other cases.

Is there - is there a way to sort of distill out what is good about the coffee and not worry about some of the other problems, especially for people who, let's say, have high blood pressure or shouldn't be having four cups?

COHEN: Well, I think you put your finger on it. If you have high blood pressure, you might want to stay away from four cups of coffee a day. If you have, let's say, Parkinson's disease in your family, you might want to talk to your doctor. Hey, maybe, should I be drinking a couple of cups of coffee a day? Because there are some studies that show that coffee can decrease your risk of getting Parkinson's.

So it really has to do with what are you the most anxious about.

Now, speaking of anxious, if you're one of those people who can drink a lot of coffee and not feel jumpy or restless, you know, that's - that's terrific. You should talk to your doctor about, well, maybe I'm someone who should drink more coffee because there are benefits and I don't seem to suffer from that irritability. ROBERTS: Wow. So many things to consider. We're waiting for next study because it would probably say, oh, everything we told you last week, forget it because it's wrong.

COHEN: That could be true.

ROBERTS: That could be.

Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much.

I only say that because we hear them so (ph) often, doesn't it? Today, coffee's good for you. Tomorrow it will be bad for you. So stay tuned.

Top stories coming your way right after the break. Stay with us.

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