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American Morning

America's Covert War?; CitiGroup Data Breach; Senate Deals Blow To Banks; Most Annoying Bank Fees; What's Eating Your Child?; Experience the Ultimate Tailgate

Aired June 09, 2011 - 08:00   ET

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


CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: America's secret war.

I'm Christine Romans.

According to the "New York Times," the Obama administration reportedly is so concerned about al Qaeda rising to power, it's ramping up air strikes with fighter jets and armed drones in Yemen.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And some House Democrats now bailing on Congressman Anthony Wiener after the most explicit sex yet hits the web.

I'm Kiran Chetry.

Now there are also reports that his wife is pregnant on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROMANS: Good morning. It's Thursday, June 9th. Ali Velshi is off today.

Good morning.

CHETRY: Nice to see you this morning.

We are in a heat wave in much of the country and much of the eastern half of the country. Rob Marciano out with some warnings for us.

But, first, the United States is reportedly conducting a covert war in Yemen. This is according to "The New York Times" this morning. The Obama administration is very concerned about al Qaeda being able to gain power in the Middle East country and is accelerating airstrikes against militant targets.

ROMANS: They are using fighter jets and armed drones to keep the terror group from organizing.

Mohammed Jamjoom has the latest on this developing story from Abu Dhabi this morning.

And a really kind of stunning development about what our government is concerned about there in Yemen.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Christine. The report underscores just how concerned the United States is about al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has its hub in Yemen. And they've been able to try to launch spectacular attacks against the Yemen and other Western countries and Saudi Arabia for the past couple of years even though it's an organization that only has about 700 to 1,000 members, according to most analysis over there.

But we heard earlier from Defense Secretary Robert -- I'm sorry, from CIA Director Leon Panetta who said, "AQAP, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is intensely focused on conducting a near-term attack against the United States, and poses an immediate terrorist threat to U.S. interests and the homeland. Al Qaeda and its affiliate, AQAP, are still actively plotting attacks with the principal goal of successfully striking the U.S. homeland."

Once again, really showing the level of concern about Yemen, not just political strike that's going on. But if there is a civil war there, if there's more chaos and more strife, what will al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula be able to do? Will they be able to take over parts of the country, will they be able to try to launch more attacks in the future?

In early May, actually, we had confirmation from U.S. officials and Yemeni officials that the U.S. had operated drone strikes against vehicles they thought were carrying a radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Now, he's considered to be terrorist target number one in Yemen. He eluded capture and killing that day. But nonetheless, a lot of concern about what's going to go on Yemen.

This report is really not a surprise because we've known that the U.S. has been trying to go after al Qaeda more and more there the last couple of years -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Mohammed Jamjoom -- thanks, Mohammed.

In Libya, there's heavy fighting in the rebel-controlled city of Misrata. Opposition forces say Moammar Gadhafi's troops are attacking Misrata with mortar fire from all sides. The port city had seen its share of bloodshed. A doctor in Misrata says 1,000 people have been killed in the uprising, and nearly 700 of them civilians.

CHETRY: Leon Panetta meanwhile can expect to face some questions about both Libya and al Qaeda in Yemen when his confirmation hearings begin in just about an hour and a half. Panetta is President Obama's nominee to replace Defense Chief Robert Gates. Gates is retiring at the end of the month. Panetta is expected to be confirmed without much opposition.

ROMANS: It's only getting worse for Congressman Anthony Weiner. A lot of new developments this morning, a new fallout in that sexting scandal and maybe the most dramatic turn yet. "The New York Times" is reporting that his wife, Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is pregnant. A source also says Congressman Weiner called former President Bill Clinton to express his regret for his actions.

CHETRY: And it didn't take long -- an explicit photo of Anthony Weiner's anatomy is now all over the Web, thanks to radio hosts Opie and Anthony. They captured the photo off of Andrew Breitbart's phone when he passed it around the studio as proof that it actually existed. Opie, who's real name is Gregg Hughes, explains how that went down on his YouTube page.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGG HUGHES, "OPIE", CO-HOST, THE OPIE & ANTHONY SHOW: One of the video cameras that was on our -- that was during the show today captured what was on Andrew Breitbart's phone as it was making its way around the room. It was race to see who could tweet the picture the fastest. I think Andrew Breitbart is not too happy with us right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Yes, that's true. Breitbart is insisting that he wasn't in on it, that they had no intention of releasing the photo. He says he showed it because they were questioning whether he actually had it.

ROMANS: He was passing it around the radio studio.

CHETRY: That's right.

ROMANS: And they got it.

All right. Now, fellow House Democrats are bailing on Congressman Weiner. Six now are on the record saying he should resign, including Representative Allyson Schwartz, a leader of the party's House campaign committee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALLYSON SCHWARTZ (D), PENNSYLVANIA: I know that it's a very personal decision as an individual member of Congress. But I was absolutely appalled when I heard about the behavior, actions of Congressman Weiner. And I think it's an inappropriate behavior. It violates the confidence and trust that his constituents should have in him, and I have called for his resignation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he can't defend him. Still, Congressman Weiner says he is here to stay.

CHETRY: Coming up at 8:25 Eastern, we're going to be speaking with author --

ROMANS: Elaine Sciolino. She's studied seduction and its role in politics and society. We are going to talk to her about this run of powerful men who can't fight temptations. And, you know, she has lived in Paris for a very long time. We're going to talk about the different sensibilities of the French and Americans on these affairs of the heart.

CHETRY: Interesting.

All right. Police believe an Indiana University student who hasn't been seen since last Friday is the victim of foul play. A search warrant was executed at the apartment complex of 20-year-old Lauren Speirer. She was last seen at 4:30 in the morning Friday after she went to a bar with some friends.

ROMANS: Chloroform is now front and center in the murder trial of a young Florida mother. Casey Anthony is charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter. Yesterday, a forensics expert who examined her home computer testified that he found 84 Internet searches for chloroform and how to make it. Chloroform can knock someone unconscious. It can even kill them. And witnesses have testified they found chloroform in Casey's car.

Listen to the other searches software expert John Bradley said he found in the defendant's computer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BRADLEY, COMPUTER FORENSICS EXPERT: Inhalation, death or value death, self-defense, hand to hand combat, head injuries, middle underscore meningeal artery, ruptured spleen, chest trauma, internal bleeding, how to make chloroform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Bradley created software that's now being used by police departments that actually detects search histories on computers even after the hard drive has been swept and cleansed.

ROMANS: Interesting.

All right. Six hundred square miles now of Arizona on fire. Officials are telling residents of two towns in the path of this blaze, Eagar and Springerville, that it's simply time to leave.

Now, calmer winds today may let firefighters get a handle on this monster blaze. It's been burning out of control. About 2,000 people are now on the fire lines, 2000 of them, including crews from as far away as New York state.

They really need the weather to give them a break in this.

CHETRY: And they certainly haven't had that.

Boy, we are in the midst of a heat wave across much of the country. Rob Marciano is tracking the extreme weather for us from Stone Mountain, Georgia, this morning.

Hey, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys. Extreme heat certainly across the Southeast has been ongoing for a good week and a half. This is a big tourist attraction. People often come here just to check out the monument which is designed by the same guy that designed Mount Rushmore, this to on or some Confederate generals.

A lot of folks have come here to exercise, especially in the morning. We actually caught up with them in a mountain to get some of their exercise. And we caught up them a little bit ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: What do you think of the heat the past couple of weeks?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's why I had to change to this time.

MARCIANO: You're coming earlier?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's too much. It zaps your energy. So, I have to be here early.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Took extra water, third one this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did it in the afternoon and it's unbearable in the afternoon. But it is a lot easier right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right. So, there you go. If you can, choose to do your strenuous work or exercise, do it in the morning or late evening. And, certainly, drink lots of water and wear light clothing.

Check out some of the high temperatures that we saw across the Northeast yesterday: 99 degrees for the high at LaGuardia or 97 at LaGuardia. That's a record. Newark, New Jersey, seeing 99, Baltimore is seeing 99 as well. These temperatures without humidity and measured in the shade. So, you can bet, it felt a whole lot hotter than that.

Here is where the heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are, from D.C. to Baltimore, up the turnpike, through Philadelphia and New York City. Dangerously hot weather. And we have had fatalities in Maryland and Tennessee with this heat.

So, be careful and check on your neighbors, especially if they are elderly or may be ill.

Chicago, you were hot and now you are cool. But you're getting a lot of rain and thunderstorm this morning, some flooding in the Southwestern suburbs. So, be aware of that. No doubt that's going to affect air travel.

This is the front that's been pushing slowly off to the east. Now, it's draped over the southern Great Lakes where it will remain stormy. And that storminess will eventually push off towards the Northeast. And that will cool you down, not today but tomorrow.

None of this gets to the Southeast. So, the hazy, hot and humid conditions will continue across Memphis, Dallas and Atlanta.

Another day of dangerous hot temperatures for the big cities across the Northeast, guys. This is unusual for this time of year to say the least. July and August, maybe yes, but not the beginning and middle part of June.

So, try to stay cool. Back up to you.

ROMANS: Thank you so much, Rob. We're going to try to stay cool as we go on this big party.

CHETRY: We are going to tailgate. That's right. We have Carl Petty (ph) joining us from NASCAR. It's the ultimate NASCAR tailgater's dream machine and we're going to show it to you.

Also, this is interesting. Your kid perhaps diagnosed with a ton of ear infections, maybe ADHD, behavioral disorders. Well, we are going to be speaking to a nutritionist and author who says there could be a hidden connection between food sensitivity and certain ailments. She has some advice on what every parent can do about it.

ROMANS: And this morning, we are going in-depth, taking the pulse of the people. Casey Wian is looking at indecision among voters in Nevada. That's a key battleground state.

CHETRY: All right. It is 10 minutes past the hour. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: That's right. Waking up in Vegas this morning. It's 69 degrees, fair. A little bit later, it's going to be sunny and 95. That seems to be the forecast for most of the country today.

ROMANS: Sunny and 95.

All this week, CNN has been crisscrossing America, conducting a listening tour. We're taking the pulse of the people with just 17 months to go before the next presidential election.

And we are hearing one complaint over and over again. Listen to iReporter Chelse Hensley, a student at Fairmont State University in West Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHELSE HENSLEY, FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINIA: A good economy equals job growth. And considering I graduate college around the time of the 2012 election, jobs are a very important issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: She certainly shares the sentiments of a lot of Americans.

ROMANS: Yes.

CHETRY: It's all about jobs right now, especially in places like Nevada, a key battleground state with a record rate of home foreclosures. They're also dealing with sky-high unemployment and an evenly split, actually, electorate.

ROMANS: Casey Wian on the CNN listening tour this morning. reporting live from Henderson, Nevada, this morning.

Jobs, jobs, jobs. And there in Nevada, it has been sort of the big center of a housing bust, too. So, they're getting it -- they are really getting hit.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is right. Absolutely.

You can see over my shoulder, the Las Vegas Strip. Of course, that's what everybody thinks about when they think about Nevada. That's where the tourists go.

But where the voters are at places like this, Henderson -- Nevada's second largest city.

And here, they are very concerned about the economy. You got situations like an unemployment rate almost 12 percent. One out of every 82 homes in southern Nevada is in foreclosure. Half of the home sales here are foreclosed homes.

So, it's no surprise that the main thing on voter's minds here is the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN (voice-over): Travis Ward and Jamie Miller work on a 30- passenger Hummer limousine, a symbol of the Las Vegas fast life surrounded by a Nevada economy that's hit the skids.

TRAVIS WARD, MECHANIC: It's just bad here. Everything is slow. A lot of people are out of work. They did build too quick here, and now, people are leaving because there's no job. Everything is empty. Look at the lot here.

WIAN: Their brake shop is the only business operating in the shopping center.

JAMIE MILLER, MECHANIC: If there are no cars coming in, I don't get no hours. How can I afford to pay for my kid?

WIAN: How is it going to impact your decision on who you vote for for president next year?

WARD: It will impact it some. I mean, it's pretty much picking the lesser of the two evils. I know I don't want Obama in there again because he pretty much (INAUDIBLE).

MILLER: You know, the only thing I can say I was happy about was finding Osama out there. That was one thing he did keep his promise about. I enjoyed that. WIAN: Neither man has found a Republican to support in 2012, but both say the economy here is so bad, they plan to leave soon. Not so with these women on their lunch break from message therapist school.

TITIANA MATTHEWS, STUDENT: I am going to continue to vote for Obama.

WIAN: And why is that?

MATTHEWS: Because I don't think it's fair to take him down after he did all the hard work in our economy where we are now.

BOBBIE WOODS, STUDENT: I've been looking for a job for a year and a half. I think Obama has done a good job, especially with what he walked into. Am I going to vote for him? I don't know yet.

GREG MARTIN, BUSINESSMAN: I voted for Barack Obama.

WIAN: Greg Martin used to have a 5,000 square foot shop cutting parts for manufacturing companies. Now, he's doing small jobs in his garage for a tiny fraction of the revenue. He doesn't like the president's health care plan, although, he says he can't afford insurance.

MARTIN: I know it's not going to help me. You know, I'm a small business, and to get health insurance, it's really expensive.

WIAN: Down the block, one of Nevada's nation leading home foreclosures.

MARTIN: I'm not upside down. I'm not underwater at this time, but if it gives going the way it is, I will, and that's sad.

WIAN: What are you going to do in 2012?

MARTIN: I'm still undecided. At this point, I don't know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN (on-camera): Now, Nevada only has about 1.3 million registered voters, but to give you an idea about how closely contested this race is likely to be next year, 560,000 of those are Democrats, 460,000 are Republicans, but 300,000 voters almost in Nevada are nonpartisan or smaller parties. So, those are the swing voters that are going to be very much in play, and from what we can tell, most of them haven't made up their minds yet -- Christine, Kiran.

CHETRY: Interesting stuff. All right. Casey Wian for us in Henderson, Nevada this morning, thanks.

ROMANS: Be sure to join CNN Monday night when seven GOP candidates for president debate. It's Monday night, 8:00 p.m. eastern, live from New Hampshire, only on CNN in bright and early Monday morning. I'll be there. We'll be starting sort of the pre- game analysis and leading up to -- only on CNN. So, it's a great stuff. CHETRY: Yes. It's going to be good. I can't wait to see it.

ROMANS: Yes.

CHETRY: Also, new bank fees. We seem to talk about a new fee coming out every day. They're finding new ways to get your money, and some of them are shockingly annoying. We're going to tell you what to look out for.

ROMANS: Also, sex and power, seduction, intrigue. The hidden truth about the French way of life. A DSK, Anthony Weiner, how the French view the chase and how it's so different from the American view. That's coming up right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Twenty-two minutes after the hour. "Minding Your Business" this morning. CitiGroup confirms hackers may have accessed the online account information for about 210,000 CitiGroup customers. The attack happened back in May. Citi says other information like birth dates and Social Security numbers was not compromised.

Goldman Sachs saying it is not aware by the Securities and Exchange Commission into dealings with Libya. According to the "Wall Street Journal," Goldman Sachs and other firms may have violated bribery laws while working with that nation's sovereign-wealth fund.

ExxonMobil announcing it struck oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The company says it's one of the largest discoveries in the gulf in the past decade, yielding up to 700 million barrels, and it's the first deep water exploration discovery since the BP disaster last year that pulled (ph) into gulf.

Right now, stock futures are pointing to a higher open ahead of today's jobless claims report. The Dow, NASDAQ, S&P 500, all set to bounce back slightly after six days of losses. Initial jobless claims, that report could push market movement and that comes out in just a few minutes at 8:30 a.m.

The Senate dealt a blow to the banking industry yesterday voting down a measure to delay capping fees on debit charges. The legislation would have pushed back the July deadline for the Federal Reserve to cap the so-called swipe fees. The vote is a big win for retailers who have born the brunt of charges for debit transactions.

And check this out. Banks are charging customers for a few things you may not know about. For example, did you know some banks are charging you for talking to a human teller? They're charging you, perhaps, for changing your address and forgetting to tell your bank about it, asking for a paper statement to be mailed to your house.

Yes, there could be a charge for that, too, and even cashing in some loose change. Make sure to read the fine print of your bank's policy to find some of these hidden fees, and believe me, these hidden fees are multiplying. Coming up after the break, sex and power from DSK to Arnold Schwarzenegger to Anthony Weiner. We'll talk about why men who lead get caught up into sex scandals. AMERICAN MORNING is back right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Congressman Anthony Weiner is facing more pressure to step down this morning as more sex, as they're called, with other women come out. And now, "The New York Times" is reporting that his wife, Huma Abedin, is pregnant with their first child. The couple has been married for less than a year now.

Right now, another power player, ex-IMF chief, Dominique Strauss- Kahn is sitting in the house arrest in New York City, waiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. He's a man who could have been France's next president, quite frankly. Joining us now is Elaine Sciolino. She's author of "La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life."

She's here to talk about why men in power keep getting into sex scandals, and how it's viewed differently in the different countries. Welcome to the program.

ELAINE SCIOLINO, AUTHOR, "LA SEDUCTION: HOW THE FRENCH PLAY THE GAME OF LIFE": Thank you so much for having me.

ROMANS: It's a wonderful book, and I'm so glad you're here because I want to talk about the Anthony Weiner story first. How would the French perceive The Anthony Weiner story? Would this be a man's dalliances that are no business to the people who he works for and the press?

SCIOLINO: Well, the French are still trying to absorb the whole Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal. So, suddenly, to have another New York based scandal, there is a depth (ph) much reaction except just starting to see normal people saying, do we really need to know about this?

ROMANS: Right.

SCIOLINO: I mean, in France, you have a culture minister who wrote a confessional memoir about paying for sex with boys in Morocco and Thailand, and he's still culture minister, even though, the scandal broke, and it just went away.

ROMANS: Which is pretty emblematic of the very differences of the public and the way it's perceived in these two countries. I want you to listen to something that happened on "The View," because the very different reaction to the Weiner case, especially when you bring up that point. This is what the ladies of "The View" said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY BEHAR, HOST: I think he should resign. He's a distraction. Get out now, Anthony. Out! (APPLAUSE)

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, HOST: He is so self-empowered that he thinks it's actually good enough that he said I'm sorry for doing what I did. Well, congratulations for being practical. That's what you're supposed to do.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, HOST: You got to go, Anthony. Goodbye!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: No. It's so interesting to me because in France, you sort of viewed as virile and strong and a leader if you are a seducer. In this country, being a seducer can be your undoing as a leader. It's just fascinating juxtaposition, and why is it do you think?

SCIOLINO: It's French history. If the kings were not virile, if the kings didn't produce heirs, and weren't sexual with other women, then they were not considered powerful leaders. And even someone like Dominique Strauss-Kahn who has a reputation and had a reputation as a womanizer, it's what I write in my book --

ROMANS: Right.

SCIOLINO: Was not considered to have a liability because he might have had a sexual past.

ROMANS: But then, there was a line that was crossed. What's happening in France now, especially among women, their perception of Dominique Strauss-Kahn and these sort of, you know, these different cultural standards?

SCIOLINO: Well, exactly, Christine.

ROMANS: Cross the line.

SCIOLINO: Yes. Seduction is fun. It's playful when it's done well. This is an issue of criminality. This is an issue of did he commit a felony and did he sexually abuse a woman? So, this event has kind of made the French realize that it's a turning point now. It is open to conversation. Where women are starting to say, hello, what is this behavior in the work place?

ROMANS: French feminism is sort of been revived.

SCIOLINO: You never use the word "feminism." It is a bad word in France.

ROMANS: I know. The book is called la seduction, the seduction. Many times, it is the chase, the beauty of the chase and not necessarily the conquest or the sex in the end.

SCIOLINO: You know France and you know French, it has nothing to do with the result. It is all about process. It is all about the before and the after, the anticipation and the memory. It is something like the sex act is almost beside the point. ROMANS: It is one of the reasons why you see these misunderstandings between these two countries. It is a very different way of looking at things, part of the whole French aesthetic of beauty. Thank you so much for joining us. Very nice to see you this morning.

SCIOLINO: Thank you.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: We are crossing the half hour. Time for our top stories. "The New York Times" reporting this morning that the U.S. is conducting a covert war against Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen using fighter jets and armed drones to step up air strikes against militant targets to keep the terrorist group from organizing and from gaining power.

ROMANS: Get out while you can. Arizona fire officials delivering that message to people in two towns, eager and Springerville, directly in the path of a monster wildfire. It has already torched 600 square miles. Calmer winds may help crews finally get a handle on that fire. It has been burning out of control until now.

CHETRY: A dangerously close call for 77 air force ROTC cadets. They were Struck by lightning while training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. The cadets were taken to the hospital. Officials say they are all responsive and all in stable condition.

ROMANS: This morning, we are feeling the heat. Rob Marciano tracking extreme weather from Stone Mountain, Georgia. This is going to be one for the record books, I think.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. It is starting to get steamy out here, guys. The sun is up and started to bake the ground, bake the granite behind me, the largest exposed piece of granite in the world. A little engraving of Jefferson Davis, stonewall Jackson, and general lee. A lot of people out here exercising. They climb this thing. They are trying to do it before the heat of the day really builds.

(WEATHER BREAK)

ROMANS: The new $105 million glass staircase in Franklin's county courthouse has an unfortunate side effect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies, just be forewarned, if you are using the steps, you are subject to being viewed from underneath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: That's brilliant. Apparently, folks can see up a woman's skirt if they are in the walkway underneath. A judge there is now urging women who wear skirts to take the elevator instead. The county leaders are discussing what, if anything, should be done to change the stairs. ROMANS: I don't know if that's an architecture story, a budget story, or just a huh story.

We are following new developments in the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal. Six new Democrats are saying it is time for him to go because of the whole debacle.

CHETRY: "The New York Times" is reporting adding another element to this, his wife is pregnant. That brings us to the question of the day. What would you do if you were Anthony Weiner's wife?

We have a very interesting segment coming up. If you are a parent that worries about your child's behavior, the hidden connection between food and your child's well-being is what a nutritionist and author is talking about in her new book, "What's eating your child." She will join you go coming up.

ROMANS: Coming up, NASCAR royalty, Kyle Petty, is going to drop by with his ultimate tailgating machine. These are live pictures. Those are our sausages that we are about to eat in just a few minutes. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Atlanta, Georgia, where right now it's partly cloudy, later, going up to a high of 92 degrees.

Our next guest has written a new book, a must-read for parents. It looks at the connection between food sensitivities and a variety of childhood ailments. She has important advice for parents. The book is called, "What's eating your child." Author and Nutritionist Kelly Dorfman joins me now. How did you discover this connection between food and childhood illness?

KELLY DORFMAN, AUTHOR, "WHAT'S EATING YOUR CHILDREN": I was looking at nutrition in a deeper way. We all think of you are what you eat but what does that mean practically? And I was interested in that.

CHETRY: What are some of the biggest links that you found for children, especially when it comes to behavioral problems?

DORFMAN: Well, with behavioral problems, the brain is mostly fat. So the kind of fat that children eat literally determines the kind of brain that they structure. So the kind of fats is very important. Fish oils turns out to be a very important, the kind of fats that are in fish oil turns out to be very important for brain development for example.

CHETRY: One of the things that is difficult for parents of young kids, mine are three and five, is getting them to eat things that are good for them and figuring out what they are having too much of and not enough of. How in the heck do you use fish oil?

DORFMAN: They make it so tasty that some of it tastes like pudding. It is not like your grandmother's oil. They have done wonderful things with chewables.

CHETRY: I want to ask you what you mean by food sensitivity. It doesn't mean you are allergic to a certain food but each child may have sensitivities.

DORFMAN: They know define allergies as histamine reactions. If you have a headache or joints are hurting, that could be a food sensitivity or reaction.

CHETRY: How do you go about figuring out whether your child is diagnosed with a behavioral problem or you notice sleep problems or recurrence ear infections. How do you narrow down what element of your kids' diet could be contributing to it?

DORFMAN: That's an excellent question. I think the first thing is to become aware of what they are actually eating. Most parents think their children are eating better than they are. They don't mean to give them junk food but you get busy and running around and there are more crackers and bars handing out. Write down what the child is really eating for a couple of days. Take a look at it. See if it was something that would make you feel good if you ate it.

CHETRY: After you keep this food diary, you also say to trust your instincts. What do you mean by that?

DORFMAN: Parents lack the confidence to follow their instincts. Nutritional intervention can't hurt.

CHETRY: If your pediatrician says milk is fine, foods containing gluten is fine.

DORFMAN: Pediatricians are good for medical problems but most lack training in nutrition. I don't talk to my plumber about my electrical system. You want to find a pediatrician trained in nutrition or a nutritionist specialist that knows about the area.

CHETRY: And what are the biggest foods to look out for that potentially could cause problems?

DORFMAN: That's a very good question and I think that the two food that come up a lot are gluten-based, glutens are protein found in wheat and grains and casein which is the milk protein because one, they're eaten a lot and two they're complicated proteins.

It's rare to have peas be a problem because nobody is giving that much of them or carrots or spinach. So it's usually foods you're eating a lot of that have complicated proteins.

CHETRY: All right, well, we're going to link up with our Web site some more information where people can find it.

It's -- it's something that is hard for parents to tackle. But I know that it's a big issue for many. So thanks for helping break it down for us. Kelly Dorfman, great to talk to you this morning.

DORFMAN: My pleasure. CHETRY: All right, and the book again is called, "What's Eating Your Child" is the hidden connections between food and childhood illness.

Well, coming up, NASCAR has a brand new ultimate tailgating vehicle. And we're going to take you inside with Kyle Petty, NASCAR royalty coming up. It's 45 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARY SNOW, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: It's 47 minutes after the hour. Here are your morning headlines.

"The New York Times" reporting the U.S. is conducting a covert war against al Qaeda operatives in Yemen. Using fighter jets and armed drones to step up airstrikes against militant targets, in order to keep the terrorist group from organizing and gaining power.

Another nominee on the hot seat today, Senate confirmation hearings on Leon Panetta's nomination to be Defense Secretary get underway within the hour. Panetta is the President's choice to replace Robert Gates.

Six House Democrats are now saying it's time for Congressman Anthony Weiner to go because of his sexting. "The New York Times" also now reporting that his wife is pregnant.

The markets open in 45 minutes. Right now, they are poised to bounce back slightly following six straight days of losses. The DOW, NASDAQ and S&P 500 futures are up.

Damaging evidence against a young Florida mother accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter. A computer forensics expert says he found 84 searches for chloroform and how to make chloroform on Casey Anthony's home computer.

A wall of fire is threatening towns in eastern Arizona, 600 square miles have already burned. Calmer winds may help fire crews today, they're planning to use a special 747 jet to make water drops on the monster wild fire.

It's the dog days of June; the pre-summer scorcher continues today with temperatures closing in on 100 degrees for much of the east. The dangerous heat wave expected to break tomorrow.

You're caught up on the day's headlines. AMERICAN MORNING is back after the break with former NASCAR driver, Kyle Petty and NASCAR's brand new ultimate tailgating vehicle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: All right, here we are outside on a steam heat day here on Columbus Circle, New York. And we have Kyle Petty with us. A NASCAR legend, now analyst for TNT and you've brought with you quite a machine here. This is called the ultimate tailgating vehicle. The UTV. KYLE PETTY, FORMER NASCAR DRIVER: Yes it is.

CHETRY: What the heck is this puppy?

PETTY: This is everything you want in a parking lot at a racetrack, beer kegs, TVs, video games, satellite radio, observation deck on top, a nice clean bathroom inside, a place to lay down when you have had too many -- too many beverages.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to take you inside in a second to show you all of the accoutrements inside. But tell us what's going on here.

PETTY: Here you have that -- you've got a -- you've got a TV obviously out here where you can watch the race. And if you want to play the race, then obviously, we have the NASCAR game, which is pretty cool. And all -- all of the trinkets and (INAUDIBLE) the satellite radio all of the -- the box everything that make everything, the Sony TV. Everything is right here.

CHETRY: This is -- we're going to see you are at the game but you can also watch the race, you can watch the standings, the results and you can play video games.

PETTY: You can -- you can watch the Pocono -- the Pocono race on TNT right there on that TV and play the Pocono race.

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: But Kyle, I have to say, on the side of this, you also have your built-in grill. This is amazing.

PETTY: Yes, we have a grill. We have a grill.

CHETRY: This thing is attached to the ultimate tailgating vehicle.

PETTY: Yes. I'm sorry. The cook does not come with it. In fact, he will deliver it, he will deliver this if you win it.

ROMANS: And some of them with it.

PETTY: If you win this -- yes, they are giving it away on NASCAR.com/UTV. You go to Nascar.com to register to win this thing. And these guys are going to deliver it to whoever the winner is. Which is pretty cool but they are counting on a party whenever they deliver it.

ROMANS: This is bigger than most New York City apartments. You guys are going to show us inside.

ROMANS: Yes, I like my burger well done.

CHETRY: All right.

PETTY: Ok, he'll -- he'll have it done. He'll have it done. CHETRY: I'll look after for you go ahead and show them what it looks like inside this thing?

ROMANS: All right, show me.

PETTY: All right, here we go. Obviously, we have an outside keg or an outside --

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: Because you always need two kegs.

PETTY: You need two taps, you need two taps; we have an outside tap and an inside tap. A little counter here if you want to play bartender.

ROMANS: Fridge.

PETTY: Refrigerator obviously, another TV, right? We've got to have another TV in here.

ROMANS: Because when you're not watching the race, you are watching the race.

PETTY: Yes, a nice little couch right here. A nice little sleeping area if you --

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: You could technically sleep one, two, three, four in there.

PETTY: You could sleep, well, at a racetrack, you could sleep like 20 in here so let's -- let's be honest with it ok it's three to four normally.

All the dishes, microwave. What is this? Ice machine?

ROMANS: Ice machine.

PETTY: Ice machine. What's a -- what's a tailgating vehicle without an ice machine?

ROMANS: And this could be yours.

PETTY: Two additional refrigerators here, storage, sink and a clean restroom. That's all you need.

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: And upstairs, is an awesome deck, by the way, this is not working. So we've got to get to the other.

PETTY: Yes, we're going to -- we're going to -- well, we'll make the taps work as soon as we go off air the taps will work.

CHETRY: Look at this, we thought there was going to be cold beer in there.

ROMANS: There is cold beer I'm told.

PETTY: There is cold beer.

ROMANS: In one of the many coolers in the front.

PETTY: Yes.

ROMANS: Now, this speaks to the enthusiasm for NASCAR fans, doesn't it?

PETTY: Yes. Yes, you know, people come to the NASCAR race and they camp a lot. And they'll be at the race on a Wednesday or a Thursday. So this is the thing where they go in, they watch qualifying, you watch practice on TNT or whatever. Then, you go out and you have a couple, have cook something, to go back in and watch the nationwide race or watch the truck race.

And then, on Sundays, sleep in and sleep late and have one and come on in.

CHETRY: That's the coolest thing though because when you are a fan of Nascar, you feel like these are your guys. When you run your flag up there. If you're for (INAUDIBLE); if you're for Kyle Petty, you're for Kyle Petty. The fans actually get a chance to meet the racers throughout this.

PETTY: That's the funny part about Nascar. The drivers are really accessible.

CHETRY: Right.

PETTY: They stay at the racetracks. They are there all the time. They make appearances for the different sponsors -- Coca-Cola, whoever that may be. They are always at the racetrack. We have a couple of flag poles up here if you have a couple of favorite drivers, we'll run the flags up for you.

ROMANS: You are still riding but you are riding a motorcycle. Tell me about all the money you are raising for kids?

PETTY: We do a ride every year called the Kyle Petty Charity Ride across American. We've done it 17 years. We have given away over $14 million to different children's charities, which is just phenomenal to think you can ride motorcycles and raise that much money.

We have a camp in North Carolina called Victory Junction. It's for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, part of the (INAUDIBLE) group of camps. We built it in memory of our son, Adam, that was killed 11 years ago. So it's a cool place and the ride has been really instrumental in helping build the camp.

CHETRY: It's really good work. And it is wonderful.

ROMANS: Tell us what we can expect at the Pocono 500. Who do you put your money on?

PETTY: Well, you know, I pick Kasey Kahne this week. I have to admit. I went out a little bit on a limb. This is the first TNT race. We do six races. We do Pocono, then we do Michigan, then we do, I think Sedona (ph), then Daytona, then New Hampshire and then Kentucky, which is a new race for us for the Nascar deal. And Turner and TNT puts a lot of efforts in these six races.

So Pocono should be a really good race. This is the time for the drivers who are really trying to give it a chase. So there's a lot of pressure on these guys.

CHETRY: Yes. What about this heat wave that we have been going through? Because they're going to be feeling that up in the Poconos as well. You know how hot it is in one of those cars --

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: What do you do in those --

PETTY: You know, a couple of weeks ago at Charlotte, Greg Biffle, the ambient temperature inside the car was 140. He had his cool box and it was blowing 100-degree air in his face. It gets 130, 140 degrees inside a car. It is hard on those guys. They have to hydrate a lot.

ROMANS: All right. We don't have much time. Let's go back to the grill. Let's see what we are going to have for breakfast with Kyle Petty.

PETTY: Yes. Everybody wants a brat for breakfast.

CHETRY: Well, you know it's actually good protein to start your day. A little bit of salt and you're sweating --

PETTY: Yes --

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: So remind us how somebody can win this.

PETTY: Excuse me.

ROMANS: Remind us how somebody can win this.

PETTY: You can go to Nascar.com/UTV, ultimate tail gate vehicle and register to win. They are going to give it away after the last race. The TNT summer series, the six races starting at Pocono this weekend ending in Kentucky.

But basically they will go online. They register, win the thing. These guys, as I said, will deliver it to your house. You don't even have to come out. Maybe they will deliver it right back here in front of this.

ROMANS: That will be nice. I can't think of any other sport that has this kind of fan participation.

PETTY: It is crazy. Because the fans, they just come out in droves and they are loyal to their drivers.

CHETRY: All right. Kyle Petty.

ROMANS: It was wonderful meeting you.

PETTY: Thank you ma'am. Thank you.

ROMANS: Best of luck.

PETTY: Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: The tailgate begins right now for us. Kyra, sorry you can't be here.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Thanks, ladies. You are talking to one of my favorite members of race car families. Yes, indeed. I'm a big Nascar fan, guys. I'm a little jealous there. Both of you give him a kiss on each cheek

CHETRY: She wants us to give you a kiss.

PETTY: That's the best part.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

Yes, all right. Next, the ride around the track. Thank you ladies.