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American Morning

Northeast Bracing for Dangerous Heat; Bobby Fischer's Body Reburied; Lohan in Court; No Summer Job? Create One; Driven to Stay Fit; New York City Royally Psyched

Aired July 06, 2010 - 08:00   ET

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

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning on this Tuesday, the 6th of July. Thanks so much for joining us on the Most News of the Morning. It's really good to have you with us. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry.

We have lots to talk about this morning. So let's get right to it.

The northeast is in the middle of an extreme heat wave. Today, it's expected to be the hottest day of them all. It could hit triple digits in New York, Philadelphia, and D.C. And it's the kind of heat that can be dangerous or even deadly.

ROBERTS: Her majesty, the queen, will be in New York City today, speaking at the United Nations for the first time in 53 years. She last visited the Big Apple back in 1976 for the bicentennial of the United States independence from Great Britain. We're going to have a look at what the queen's faithful subjects think of her arrival here today.

CHETRY: And President Obama will focus on improving relations between Palestinians and Israelis today as he meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu now says he's ready to meet with Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. Settlements and ongoing security issues in Gaza continue to be sticking points for negotiations.

ROBERTS: But, first, it's going to be a hot one like seven inches from the noon day sun. And today is expected to be the hottest of the week, especially along the eastern seaboard, where temperatures may go well past 100 degrees. In New York City, 500 cooling centers and water stations will be open to the public.

We've got Jacqui Jeras in the extreme weather center for us this morning. Also, Jim Acosta live for us on the National Mall.

First, though, let's check in with Jacqui. She's got the latest advisories for us.

Hey, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, John. This is pretty much as bad as it gets. And this stretches from Boston all the way towards Washington, D.C., and everywhere in between where many records will be broken today and humidity is on the rise. And so, that's going to make the feeling even worse.

Boston is looking for a high of 95, the record 101.

New York, looks like you'll tie the record today at 101 degrees.

Philadelphia forecast 101. You should easily beat the record of 98.

And Washington, D.C., a record of 103. You should top out about 102.

One of the big problems when we see heat like this, is that there's never any recovery time which, means our morning temperatures are extremely warm. Take a look at this. Eighty-five already in Philadelphia, as well as New York. Boston, 88 degrees already. So, we're approaching dangerous levels very quickly. And, of course, the worst heating of the day will be between about 3:00 and 7:00.

Heat advisories are in effect across all the areas in orange. And also notice, Detroit, you're under a heat advisory, too. Excessive heat warning for Philadelphia. And it's not a lot of difference between the two. Everybody is going to be feeling like 100 to 106 at times this afternoon.

So, you really want to stay indoors. Seek relief from that heat. Make sure you check on your neighbors and take care of the pets as well. High pressure grips the area today.

You might be asking yourself, why is it warmer, say, in New York and Boston today than it will be in Atlanta. It has to do with the core of the high and way those winds go.

Now, low area of low pressure is going to sneak on through here by tomorrow. So, those temperatures will drop down a little bit. And we'll have more significant relief by the end of the week.

So, while it is a brutally heat wave, it will be a little bit on the short side -- John and Kiran.

CHETRY: Wow.

JERAS: A little good news at the end for you.

CHETRY: Short but hot. Thanks, Jacqui.

Well, it already feels like 89 degrees here. In Washington, same thing.

Jim Acosta is live on the National Mall for us this morning. And it's not a dry heat. That's the other problem, quite humid out there.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That's what we get for the Founding Fathers building the nation's capital on the swamp. You're going to get heat. You're going to get the humidity.

And we can't blame the politicians for the hot air this week. From Richmond all the way up to New York City, record temperatures could be in the mix, as Jacqui was saying, well into the triple digits. And as the temperature starts rising, those record highs could start falling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): There's little doubt that these are the dog days of summer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the dog needs to have fun, too. She needs to cool off. I'll go to the pool later.

ACOSTA: From this creek in northern Virginia to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to the beaches of the Jersey Shore, the city pools in New York and Pleasure Bay in Boston, the goal was simple --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of beat the heat.

ACOSTA: But while some people enjoyed a long holiday weekend, not everyone got to lounge around. This construction crew in New York put in a day of hard work under a blistering sun, building scaffolding on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really tough. I sweat all day and it's not -- it's not good. You got to stay hydrated.

ACOSTA: The threat in the city is serious. During a 2006 heat wave, 46 people died of heat stroke in the city. Most of them were older New Yorkers who had known risk factor.

But lack of air conditioning also contributed to a number of deaths. So, today, the city will again open scores of cooling centers like this one. And with people snapping up air conditioners of their own at holiday sales and businesses opening back up after a long weekend, local power company, Con Ed, is making sure it is ready.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't pay to worry. We'll just get prepared. And we all prepared. We prepared as much as we possibly can.

ACOSTA: Some 17,000 customers in New Jersey got a taste of what could happen if the grid fails, spending four hours Monday without power.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very uncomfortable. And we're just trying to -- we hope that the food doesn't spoil.

ACOSTA: With the weekend serving as just a warm-up and temperatures expected to hit the triple digits along much of the northeast coast today, it's a good time to remember the old adage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the humidity that gets everybody. You know, you really got to be careful. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And heat advisories, as Jacqui Jeras was saying, have been posted by the National Weather Service for cities up and down the east coast. Check with your local jurisdiction as to whether or no they are opening up cooling centers in your area. That's important because this dangerous mix of heat and humidity can be very, very serious for the elderly and the young.

And just one unscientific sign that it's starting to heat up here in the nation's capital, we're down here on the National Mall. This area should be filled with joggers right now, John and Kiran. But as the morning has been creeping along here, we've been seeing fewer and fewer joggers -- just pigeons behind me right now, John and Kiran. As you know, that is an unusual sight for this time of the morning.

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: What does it say, Jim, that in your picture, you're the only person there?

ACOSTA: Exactly. It means people are being safe, which is a good thing.

CHETRY: It's very smart. I mean, even at 8:00 in the morning on a day like this, don't get out there and jog and be a hero. Go to the gym if you got to get your exercise in.

ACOSTA: That's right.

CHETRY: Jim, thanks.

ROBERTS: Jimmy, you get out of the heat.

ACOSTA: You beat.

ROBERTS: Also new this morning, tar balls turning up in new places on day 78 of the Gulf oil spill. Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana is now off-limits to fishing after cleanup crews collected about 1,000 pounds of tar from the area. Oil has also washed up on the beaches of Galveston, Texas. That's more than 400 miles west of the oil spill.

CHETRY: Improving relations between Palestinians and Israelis -- it's President Obama's agenda today when he meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The Israeli leader now says that he is ready to meet with Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. Settlements in the Gaza blockade could be sticking points for negotiations.

Well, still ahead: big stars, big giving. Our A.M. original serious continues. Alina Cho sits down with Alec Baldwin who is trying to give back to his New York alma mater.

Seven minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

CHETRY: Certainly is. Ten minutes past the hour.

New York City, along with much of the northeast, is into a dangerous heat wave. Today, the Big Apple is expected to break 100 degrees and it might reach a record high of 101, factor in the humidity and in places, it can feel like 107. And it won't be much cooler until the weekend.

So, while you can head to the pool for relief sometimes, there are chilling statistics to keep in mind.

2006, two separate heat waves so severe that 46 New Yorkers died of heat stroke. Many of them elderly.

How do we prepare for this? What's the best advice?

To find out more about that we're going to be speaking with Joseph Bruno. He is the commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management.

Thanks for joining us this morning.

JOSEPH BRUNO, NYC OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Thank you, Kiran.

CHETRY: We talked about back in 2006 when we saw temperatures like this before. And we saw nearly 50 New Yorkers die. Many of them were elderly.

What are you doing to make sure that those most vulnerable, especially the elderly, some who either don't have air conditioners, or don't want to run it, how do you make sure that they are OK as we head into this stretch of super hot weather?

BRUNO: We are concerned about those of us over 64 and those under 5.

And we're giving that kind of advice, that one, if you're feeling sick, vomiting, nauseas, dizzy, call a doctor and check in with your doctor. If you're feeling really sick, and you don't have or cannot contact your doctor, get to the hospital or call 911 and we'll get you there.

But we are opening up cooling centers. We opened them up yesterday, about 100. Today, we have over 500 cooling centers operating in the city.

And we're suggesting to people, if you need to go to one, call 311. Check your location. They'll tell you where to go. And you should go there and enjoy it and we will be open until at least 7:00 this evening or perhaps later.

CHETRY: That's when the heat advisory is supposed to be in effect until at least 7:00. When we talk about this, we're also talking about people that are vulnerable -- people living in urban areas. They call it the urban heat island effect. And, of course, in Manhattan, when have you millions of people living on the small littler place, this is something that can happen.

What exactly is that?

BRUNO: Well, obviously, in the city, because of the amount of concrete and masonry, et cetera, that we have, heat just retains itself. We also don't have the ocean breezes in many parts of the city because of the buildings. So it gets much hotter here.

Look, we're asking people to do one other thing. We're saying, check on a neighbor. If you know there's a neighbor in the home, maybe not someone -- does not have someone going there, you check in on that neighbor and make sure they are well. If they're not, you call for help. You can bring 911, an ambulance of 911, if you would.

CHETRY: Right. And as you said, there are 500 of these cooling centers that are going to be in many places. Hopefully, if somebody is not able to get there themselves, somebody can get them there.

You're also doing these portable water fountains -- which is also interesting. And people can also get cap -- sprinkler type cap for the fire hydrants in their neighborhood. Explain that.

BRUNO: Right. Every fire hydrant has cap. You need only to be 18 years of age in order to get one or assign to you. You'll be able to install it on local fire hydrant and you can use it. It's a good way to use water. It conserves the main loss of water and allows people to cool off.

You should also go to the pool. We have 54 pools open until 7:00 this evening. We have all of the parks have their sprinkler systems operating. So, there are plenty of places to cool off.

We are worried more about the elderly and the very young. The young are usually with their parents. But the older folks are the ones we are concerned with. And we are reaching out through their caregivers to give them the information I gave you today.

CHETRY: One of the other questions about this is the tourists. And also, people who work outside. I mean, your city workers that are going to be out there throughout the day.

What are you doing to make sure that people who are going to be out in the elements either because they have no choice, because it's their job, or because they are visiting the city don't succumb to the heat?

BRUNO: Well, you mentioned, one, water on the go is a nice idea. Highlights New York City water and allows some people to get some water. But, essentially, we are telling people to hydrate. That's probably the safest thing you can do to protect yourself. Look, heat illness is a serious matter. People do die from it. You mentioned it earlier. But we're telling people make sure that you hydrate yourself. If you don't have to be out every minute of the day, step inside in a cool place. If you do have to be out, wear a light clothing and again hydrate.

CHETRY: We talked about back in 2006, during the deadly heat wave, we also dealt with power outages in Queens, especially. There were hundreds of thousands poof people without electricity.

Are you confident that Con Ed and other electric companies and utility companies in this area are prepared for this heat wave -- that they're going to be able to keep electricity going?

BRUNO: Well, I know Con Ed has done as much as they could to prepare the system. This is going to be a very stressful day. It was -- one of the main problems we will be looking for, the system failure. In other words, equipment failure that could create major problems in different network. We look at every time a feeders goes out in the city, we start monitoring it.

And, of course, Con Ed is the expert in providing electric to our people. But we will be on top of them. And I believe they are, overall, a good company trying to ensure that we have adequate power for our people.

CHETRY : All right. Well, it's great to talk to you this morning. Joseph Bruno, commissioner of New York's Office of Emergency Management. I know you guys have a lot of preps in place. Hopefully, people will take advantage of what the city is offering.

Thanks so much.

BRUNO: We'll be working hard. Thank you.

ROBERTS: It's a sad reality of this tough economy. More than one in four teens can't find a summer job. So, if you can't find a job, what do you do? You create one. We'll talk to some very enterprising people coming right up. It's 16 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Eighteen minutes after the hour, and new this morning, the body of chess legend, Bobby Fischer has been reburied in Iceland. Law enforcement officials exhumed his body to take DNA samples. They are trying to settle a paternity claim brought by a woman who says Fischer is her father.

CHETRY: Lindsay Lohan could be looking at six months of jail time, if you care (ph). A Los Angeles judge decides that she violated her parole stemming from a 2007 drunk driving offense. A full hearing was scheduled for today after the judge ruled that there was probable cause to believe that Lohan did not complete her alcohol monitoring classes.

ROBERTS: Can you say train wreck? Just a guy trying to do what's right in tights. That's the slogan for a real-life wannabe superhero. Cops in Tennessee say they picked him up in his crime-fighting costume armed with ninja stars and sticks. He's a 20-year-old college student. He calls himself the viper and admits that he reads a lot of comic books.

CHETRY: What a shock.

ROBERTS: What was that Monty Python skit? Men were men, we're men in tights. Christine Romans here "Minding Your Business" this morning. She joins us now. Good morning to you.

CHETRY: Can you imagine that outfit today in 100 degrees?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I know. Ooh, right. (INAUDIBLE) The retailers are trying to figure out how to get him to buy that outfit at their store because that's what retailers --

ROBERTS: You don't buy costumes like that in the store.

CHETRY: You create them.

ROMANS: I see, I see. Or they just magically appear in the telephone booth, right? Do we even have telephone booths anywhere? I don't think we do.

CHETRY: There is one left when we check.

ROMANS: Look, what I'm talking about right now is your personal stimulus. The stores and the companies out there that are trying to figure out a way to get you to spend your money in their stores, and they're giving you some creative ways to do that. Sam's Club, for example, is actually partnering with a lender and the small business administration to give small business loans of $5,000 to $25,000 to Sam's Club members. Some of the rates currently around 7.5 percent, and the hope, of course, is that small business owners then will go to Sam's and spend that money on the things they need for their companies.

Other interesting ideas out there, target has a 5 percent discount card, discount for card holders. Also, if you get five pharmacy prescriptions filled there, you get a 5 percent coupon for your next purchase. Toys "R" Us as a holiday fund, you could put up $2500 into it to save money for Christmas, and then they'll even give you a bonus of like 75 bucks, and then you can spend the money at their store Christmas on your children. And the Staples also has their own little shoppers to move (ph) some free items and penny sales. The idea here is they're trying to get a piece of your discretionary spending.

Look, there are -- there's a two-track recovery here. They're people who have jobs, who have money in their pocket, and the retailers are trying to figure out how to loosen your grip on that money. There are a lot of other people who lost their jobless checks, who still don't have a job. Those people are real problem for these big retailers because they don't have money to spend. So, I think you're going to find that credit card companies and retailers are going to be looking for ways to get you to spend your money. And you should see some creative promotions.

ROBERTS: 7.5 percent for the loan in Sam's Club? How does that compare?

ROMANS: I think it's 4 percentage points above prime. So, that's -- but look, if you have - the poorer the credit or the more you're trying to borrow, the more it's going to cost you.

CHETRY: What's Roman's numeral?

ROMANS: Roman's numeral is 4 percent, and this is what you're doing with your money right now. They like to get their hands on it.

CHETRY: Oh, you're saving for the first time.

ROMANS: Yes.

CHETRY: Keep doing that, OK? Don't let them get their hands on. We saw back in 2006, you showed us all this home equity loan --

ROMANS: Yes. Savings rate right now is about 4 percent. And look, here's --

ROBERTS: 4 percent of your income is actually be --

ROMANS: The conundrum here, though, is that you -- I mean, all of these retailers, these are jobs. This is economic activity. Three-quarters of American economy is driven by you going out and spending your money. So, it's that -- it's that double-edged sword. You want to save your money, but --

ROBERTS: If we are going to live to be 100 like this. Doctors suggest you better save something.

ROMANS: I know. My retirement calculator doesn't go up to 100.

ROBERTS: Mine doesn't go to 60.

CHETRY: I'm relying on my kids to be highly successful and to help us out.

ROMANS: We need more money. Yes.

CHETRY: Thanks, Christine.

By the way, big stars, big giving. Our series continues with Alec Baldwin. Alina Cho sits down and talks to him about why it's so important for him to make sure that he gives back to his alma mater. Twenty-two minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Twenty-four and a half minutes after the hour. Your top stories just a few minutes away, but first, an "AM Original." Something that you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING. He is the unofficial head of one of Hollywood's most recognizable families.

CHETRY: Talking about Alec Baldwin here, and he's enjoying the biggest success of his career. He's using that as an opportunity to give back. And our Alina Cho is here with our special series, big stars, big giving and had a chance to sit down withal Alec.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun with him. Good morning, guys. You know, Alec Baldwin, if you think about it, really, is best known for his humor, but he's really a serious actor with a serious cause. He's a graduate of New York University, and now he's committed to helping drama students there, giving back in a big way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHO (voice-over): He's the politically incorrect boss on "30 Rock."

Lets it all hang out in "It's Complicated." Alec Baldwin is riding high, on the big and small screen. Five screen actor guild awards, three Golden Globes, two Emmys, back to back.

ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: Now that I have that --

CHO: Now that he has that, the 52-year-old actor is doing this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you could do it over again, what advice would you give yourself?

BALDWIN: How many people here sing? Everybody but -- everybody? But you. That's important.

CHO: Baldwin recently donated $1 million to his alma mater. The school of the arts at New York University to provide scholarships to students who love the craft and demonstrate financial need.

BALDWIN: I'd love to sit in on some of the auditions. And they said to me, what we think it would be a little --

CHO: Distracting?

BALDWIN: Distracting. Oh. Putting in their audition (ph). And I said, oh!

CHO: I think so.

BALDWIN: I said that's funny. I never thought of it that way. I thought they would enjoy that.

CHO: Baldwin is passionate about giving back. In the same, way he is passionate about classical music. So much so, he signed on to be the radio announcer for the New York Philharmonic.

BALDWIN: It's the thing I wish I'd done with my life.

CHO: Really? BALDWIN: Yes, totally. To conduct, to be the executive director of a symphony. What could be better than that?

CHO: Maybe this.

Can we talk a bit about the laptop scenes?

BALDWIN: If you want to. It tells me a lot about you, Alina. Go right ahead. We will do that if we must, to satisfy some need you have.

CHO: Oh, my God.

BALDWIN: Shave the hair. Spray tan. Like a gigantic lobster up there.

I've never really known how to live without you.

CHO: It worked. "It's Complicated" has grossed $219 million worldwide.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will you do it?

BALDWIN: I don't know. I'm not an actor.

CHO: But Baldwin, a tabloid fixture, says acting has taken its toll. So, he plans to quit once his contract with "30 Rock" expires in 2012.

BALDWIN: As much as I like acting, I know that I would love to have a different life. A private life. Yes. I mean, I think that doing this now for a living has become really, really hard. It's really hard. And I would rather go do other things and have whatever amount of time I have left in my life and have more of a normal life.

CHO: But is that possible? You're already famous.

BALDWIN: I think -- well, it maybe -- I want to find out how close can I get.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO (on-camera): Hard to believe that Baldwin would ever leave acting. You know, he tells me that once he's done with "30 Rock," he plans to take a year off to think about it. Meanwhile, remember, his name is on a scholarship. NYU says the first Alec Baldwin scholar has been selected, though, we don't know his name, guys. We do know that he is the son of working class parents. NYU says that he shows a lot of promise and a lot of talent. And so, as I said earlier, it keeps in line with what he wanted and envisioned for this scholarship, and he's helping a lot of kids.

CHETRY: That's going to be great because a college education, especially, at a school at NYU, not cheap.

CHO: Yes. And it's going to be great for the kids. And who knows, maybe he'll drop in on some of the auditions.

CHETRY: Ooh, that would be fun.

CHO: Yes, it might be.

CHETRY: All right. Alina, thanks.

ROBERTS: Thanks.

CHETRY: Meanwhile, we're crossing the half hour now. Time to get a look at our top stories, and it is a heat wave. Blistering heat expected across the northeast today. Dangerously hot in many areas. 100 degrees and higher possible in places like New York, Philly, D.C., the megalopolis as Jacqui tell us. The heat wave may not break for the rest of the week.

ROBERTS: Tar balls from the Gulf oil spill are turning up in new places. (INAUDIBLE) Louisiana is now off-limits to fishing. Oil has washed up on the beaches in Galveston, Texas. Meanwhile, a navy blimp is on route to Alabama. It's going to be used to monitor slicks and detect threatened wildlife.

CHETRY: Also, the jury in the murder case against the former of Oakland transit police officer will resume deliberations at 11:30 this morning. Johannes Mehserle who is white is accused of fatally shooting 22-year-old Oscar Grant on New Year's Day in 2009. Grant, who was black, was kneeling and unarmed when he was shot. Mehserle says that he meant to fire his taser and not his gun.

ROBERTS: When most teens leave home for the first time, they still had their parents to rely on for help. But often, for young adults in foster care, once they're dropped from the system, they have no one to turn to. In California, the help that was available has been scaled back because of budget cuts. So, how do these young adults get by? Thelma Gutierrez now with one teen's story in this "AM Original".

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARLA, FOSTER CARE TEEN: This is my room. This is my bed. I have food. I have clothing. I have someplace where I can call home.

GUTIERREZ: Just imagine how frightened it would be to turn 18 and then to be turned loose out here without an education, money, apartment, or game plan for the future. That's what Carla is up against as California cuts $80 million from child welfare services. We followed her emotional journey as she transitions out of the system.

CARLA: I'm really stressed out. These past few weeks and days have been just terrible.

GUTIERREZ: This bedroom in her foster home is the only real bedroom Carla has ever known.

CARLA: May mom, she started having mental problems. And that's when everything just went bad.

GUTIERREZ: From the age of 10, she says she and her mother lived in homeless shelters in Orange County.

CARLA: I pretty much didn't get to be a kid.

GUTIERREZ: Carla fell behind on her education, too. At 16, when the state found out she wasn't in school, she was taken away from her mother and placed in foster care.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): Has it been a good experience or bad experience?

CARLA: For me, I think it has been -- it has been good. I have -- you can say, a family.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Now just as Carla says she is finally feeling like she is part of the family and beginning to catch up in school and making friends for the first time, Carla turns 18, the age when foster children emancipate or age out of the system.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): Do you feel that you go out there make your money and pay for your bills and take care of yourself?

CARLA: No, not yet.

GUTIERREZ: Once you are emancipated could you turn to your father for help?

CARLA: It has been really hard for me, the fact that I never met my dad. And when I was a newborn, he just left me with my mom. And he got remarried again. He practically left my mom with nothing and nowhere to go knowing that he had a daughter on the way.

GUTIERREZ: Tomorrow the hearing where Carla is cut looses from the state and the painful goodbyes to her foster family as she moves on to the next phase of her life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: That's a tough future. Thelma Gutierrez for us this morning, looking forward to what she has to tell us tomorrow as well.

One in four teens can't find a summer job. In fact, there is a new survey that found that only one in four teens has find job this summer. But some kids are taking matters into their own hands. If they can't find a job, they create one. We will introduce you to a very entrepreneur-minded person coming right up.

It's 34 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Along with the sun comes and the heat. You can see it. That's the heat haze in Washington, D.C., where it is going to be 102 degrees today. You think hey, lovely day to be outside, but better to be inside on a day like this.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Stay inside, as Jim said, no one is jogging where you normally see them jogging around the mall this morning. It already feels like 90 there.

(WEATHER BREAK)

ROBERTS: Coming right up, an inspiring story, a young woman who couldn't find a summer job, so she flexed her entrepreneurial muscles and she created one. And you can do it, too. It's 40 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It's 42 minutes after the hour. With unemployment coast to coast double digits, it's proven to be a real challenge for teenagers to find a summer job. In fact, over the past decade the unemployment rate for 16 to 19-year-olds for the month of June has more than doubled, up from 12.3 to 25.7 percent.

So instead of pounding the pavement we found one teen who created her own summer job. Her name is D'Anna Tellis. She is joining us live from Miami this morning along with Alice Horn. Alice is the executive director for teaching entrepreneurship. Alice and D'Anna, great to talk to you this morning. Thanks so much for being with us.

D'Anna, let's start with you. How did you come to this idea? We should say the idea that you have is take slightly used old clothes and you doll them up a little bit and created dolly's house of fashion. Were you having difficulty finding a summer job and decided I'm good enough that I can do something myself?

D'ANNA TILLIS, OWNER, D'ANNA'S DOLLY HOUSE OF FASHION: Yes. Now the job market is very hard because not only do you have to compete with other teens, you also have to compete with other adults looking for a job, too. So I have always had a creative touch. I have always loved fashion. So I decided to turn a hobby into a business. Make money and use that as a summer job.

ROBERTS: We have a couple of examples of what you are doing here. If we can get the camera to widen out, quickly describe for us what it is you do.

TILLIS: So basically what I do, OK, you have old clothes, old pair of jean, you don't want to throw them away and you don't want to give them away because they are your favorite pair of jeans you had forever. So why not refurbish them, fix them up, add rhinestone, bleach them, cut them up so one day you can wear them again.

I also put rhinestones on some converse, old shoes. I decided that maybe they needed a little extra fashion touch to them. I also made this jacket from this vest from out after dress that I had. I added extra fabric in the back. And I bedazzled it a little bit. So that's basically what it provides.

ROBERTS: It looks terrific. What's the demand like for it? TILLIS: The demand for the jeans, especially, is very high. I mean, this is a new fashion craze, especially now for my peers. When a lot of the young ladies I have done jeans for, come to school with the fashion on, and lot of my other friends see them with their them, they are like wow, that's nice. I like that. I like that idea. So the demand for the jeans especially is very high.

ROBERTS: That's just terrific. Alice, are you finding with today's tough job market more and more teens like D'Anna are interested in your program, finding out how they can do something for themselves?

ALICE HORN, NETWORK FOR TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SOUTH FLORIDA: Absolutely. Teens are keenly where of what's going on with the economy. They all know a parent, friend, relative that lost a job. And this has heightened their interest in entrepreneurship and pave it is way for our program in so many schools.

ROBERTS: You know, you might think that a teen would get an interesting experience going to work for another company. What kind of an experience does being an entrepreneur give them that they might not get if they were to go to work for somebody else?

HORN: I think one of the most important things is that they learn that they can connect a hobby or an interest as they have to the real world and to the potential for making money.

We are so proud of D'Anna and she's a great example. She has taken a skill that she learned at home and turned it into a moneymaking enterprise. And more importantly, she's done the market research so that she understands that this is a very viable product for her community and her neighborhood.

ROBERTS: Well, here's the tough part D'Anna is that most summer jobs end when school begins but if you're running your own business, you've got to keep that going throughout the school year.

Does that put a lot of demands on your time and -- and how do you balance your spirit of entrepreneurship with needing to learn your lessons?

D'ANNA TILLIS, OWNER, D'ANNA DOLLY'S HOUSE OF FASHION: Yes. Of course, I have had -- I have a lot of activities on my -- under my belt. Especially with school, AP classes, and then the cheerleading squad and dance practice and everything. It's very hard but it's just -- the fact that I have dedication and that this is something I love to do and, of course, not only is for the summer, it's year-round.

But it's -- I have -- I'm dedicated to it and I love to do it. So that's what helps me stick with it and be able to manage my time.

ROBERTS: Wow. It certainly it sounds like your plate is full. What are your aspirations after you finish school?

TILLIS: After I finish high school, I plan to attend college and major in entrepreneurship and however -- I would like to take D'Anna Dolly's with me into college and my ultimate goal is to start up the D'Anna Dolly's clothing line.

ROBERTS: Right and what do you think, Alice? Does she got the stuff to make it in the business world?

HORN: She absolutely does. And I think you can hear the passion in her voice and the interest in entrepreneurship. And our program teaches so many skills that are relevant to D'Anna's future. Starting with market opportunity recognition --

ROBERTS: Yes.

HORN: -- the projections and -- presenting herself in a -- in a public location.

So we wish her well and she's really armed with the tools for success.

ROBERTS: Well, she certainly well on her way and an inspiration to plenty of other teens who are finding it hard to find your own job. D'Anna Tillis, it's great to talk to you this morning. And good luck with your business. We really hope it works out for you.

TILLIS: Thank you.

ROBERTS: And Alice, great to talk to you this morning. Thanks so much.

HORN: Thank you, John.

TILLIS: Good bye.

ROBERTS: There you go, you can do it is yourself if you can't find some other way.

Forty-eight minutes after the hour. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Fifty minutes past the hour.

Now it's time for your "A.M. House Calls" -- stories about your health.

If you feel like you're always on the go and you don't have time to exercise, well, one person who knows what it's like to run in circles is NASCAR driver Carl Edwards. And he's showing Dr. Sanjay Gupta how he stays fit while on the circuit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Screaming engines, rabid fans and food, lots of food.

CARL EDWARDS, NASCAR DRIVER: You can walk up and down pit lane and you can get anything you want to eat. From -- you can get fried Twinkies if you want.

GUPTA: But if you go to Carl Edwards' trailer, the fare is a little lighter.

EDWARDS: So this is the moment of truth right here. We're going to -- I don't know what they're cooking today. So let's just see what they've got here.

Oh now, look at that. Some chicken, it looks like a nice light broth they are cooking it in.

GUPTA: Edwards said it's not easy to stay fit on the NASCAR circuit but it is possible.

EDWARDS: We make a concerted effort, our guys -- the truck drivers have a list of grocery items that they buy. And instead of buying you know, candy, doughnuts and things like that, its dried fruit, coffee bars and stuff like that.

GUPTA: And what about exercise?

EDWARDS: The number one thing is when I'm staying at the hotel I -- I've tried to make sure that I choose a hotel with some sort of workout room.

GUPTA: Bottom line, says Carl, if you want to win, being fit helps.

EDWARDS: This is when all the fitness pays off. Not right now but at 495 miles, that's when it pays off.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And they lose a lot of weight just running around the track, too.

CHETRY: Well, you know, I -- and their -- well, and they are all in pretty good shape.

ROBERTS: Yes.

CHETRY: A lot of the guys.

ROBERTS: They are all very young, too.

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: It's easy to be in good shape.

CHETRY: It's easy then, right?

ROBERTS: Absolutely.

Hey, it's a very special day in New York City. The Queen is coming to town. And it's very special for us here at AMERICAN MORNING, because Richard Roth is coming to us right after the break.

Its 52 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: What are you laughing at?

ROBERTS: Oh, because that was just so inappropriate. I'm sorry. I apologize for that.

CHETRY: Aren't they a UK band?

ROBERTS: Oh, gosh.

New York City is going to have a regal look today as Queen Elizabeth II makes her long awaited return. It's been more than 30 years since her majesty last hit Manhattan.

CHETRY: And (INAUDIBLE) saw her the last time. Her five-hour tour is going to be jam-packed. The Queen today making her first address to the United Nations in 50 years and also her first ever visit to Ground Zero.

Richard Roth is here to talk more about all the buzz and that excitement that is accompanying this royal visit. A lot of people saying why now? Why is the Queen making a trip at this particular time?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the palace is not really explaining. The trip was announced in January. It is a very short as you mentioned John, compared to her weeklong Canadian tour that she is completing. But New York City will take what it can get.

Many people were not aware she was coming. But when prompted didn't hesitate to offer to me their welcome thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (voice-over): It will be Queen for half day in New York City.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her Majesty, the Queen of England, will be here. Going to visit.

ROTH: Her first visit since 1976.

(on camera): She has not been to New York in 30 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we're not giving it back.

ROTH: She hasn't been here since --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hasn't been here for many years but --

ROTH: Does she not like New York?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, she'll love it. She will love it. Why not?

ROTH: At Tea and Sympathy (ph) in Greenwich Village the queen is already here. But owner and dual citizen Nicky Perry is upset she won't be here for the Queen.

NICKY PERRY, OWNER, TEA & SYMPATHY: I would for her my roast rabbit and proper cup of tea.

ROTH: I tried to prepare the former commoners. Not bad. What will you tell her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What will I tell her. That you are beautiful.

ROTH: Do you tell that to all the women in the summer here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do but there is a different beauty involved here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's around and wants to get high tea with me, just give me a call. She was very cordial last time we had.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will try to sell her a diamond watch.

ROTH: Do you think she needs jewelry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone needs jewelry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do Americans not know? I mean we don't know what it's like to have a queen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have plenty of queens in America.

ROTH: A queen could have some royal fun in the big city.

JAMES BONE, "TIMES OF LONDON": She makes very highly scripted visits. She isn't going to be doing what Prince Harry did the other day in New York, getting on a polo pony and falling off which made news all around.

ROTH: Some New Yorkers would rather the grandkids stayed longer.

Would you like to have tea with her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Or her grandsons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I now respectfully request Her Majesty --

ROTH (voice-over): The Queen will speak to the world at the United Nations as she did in 1957. The queen was 31 years old then when she noted the U.N.'s problem.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF ENGLAND: Time has, in fact, made the task of the United Nations more difficult than it seemed when the terms of the charter were agreed in San Francisco 12 years ago.

ROTH: Then it is a motorcade trip downtown. Perhaps passing this musician.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she would just go -- like this, like she does to everyone instead of like that which would be pretty cool.

ROTH: The Queen visits where the Twin Towers stood and a garden where the 67 British citizens who died on 9/11 are remembered.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the place for the British. It is also about the unity about our two nations. You know we've been -- ever since we got out of 1776, we have been shoulder to shoulder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would say God bless the Queen.

ROTH: What about God save the Queen?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God save the Queen, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: The president of the general assembly of the United Nations is glad the Queen is coming. Hoping it will help the delegates press on with some of their big needs in the coming years. And the U.N. has a lot of issues.

The palace, I think, also said it was going to cut down on some budget items from their expensive items yesterday. That was the announcement there.

There's also a bit of a power failure yesterday in Toronto.

CHETRY: Right and she's coming in to another heat wave here.

ROTH: Yes, over 100 degrees. So the heat's on the Queen and everyone here.

ROBERTS: Con. Edison has been given the word. Keep the power on.

CHETRY: That's right. For the queen.

ROTH: Yes. For the U.N., let's see. I was there at the U.N., by the way, power failure a few years ago in New York. Remember that? That was not pleasant.

CHETRY: 2006.

ROTH: I think so.

ROBERTS: You mentioned (INAUDIBLE). He was the mayor when the blackout hit New York in 1977. Are we again baiting ourselves.

He declared the queen an honorary New Yorker.

ROTH: That's right.

ROBERTS: Welcome back. Again, sincere apologies about the Sex Pistols. We discussed that discussion and it won't happen again.

CHETRY: Thanks, Richard.

ROBERTS: Thanks.

CHETRY: Well, we are going say good-bye right now. Thanks so much for being with us this morning. Continue the conversation on today's stories by heading to our blog, CNN.com/amfix.

ROBERTS: The news continues here on CNN with Kyra Phillips in the "CNN NEWSROOM".