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CNN Saturday Morning News

S&P Lowers U.S. Credit Rating; Credit Downgrade Effect; NATO Chopper Crashes; Extreme Heat In The Plains; Difficult Week on Wall Street; Chopsticks Export Irony; Hama Under Attack

Aired August 06, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, it's August 6th. Good morning. I'm Deborah Feyerick, in for T.J. Holmes.

Another blow to the U.S. economy. In a move last night, the country's credit rating was downgraded by Standard & Poor's. No longer do we have superior AAA status. We'll explain how the move impacts you.

And dramatic new video into the CNN Center. Real time video of the tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, last May. One school surveillance camera caught the destruction on tape.

And, do you use GPS to figure out where you're going? Well, it may be wrong. We'll explain why you may need a printed map for the next few days.

We'll get to those stories in a minute, but first, breaking news out of Afghanistan. A NATO helicopter has crashed in Wardak province in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says at least 38 people were killed.

Closer to home, Americans wake up to a stark, new financial reality. We're no longer the gold standard as it relates to the world's economy. Yesterday, after the market's close, Standard & Poor's downgraded the nation's long term sovereign credit rating from AAA to AA Plus. It is a first for the country and an embarrassment for President Obama.

In explaining the decision, S&P says the nation's growing debt, coupled with last week's political acrimony over raising the debt ceiling, gives them less faith in the nation's ability to repay its loans. It comes days after Congress cut the debt ceiling deal shaving more than $2 trillion over the next decade. In essence, S&P thinks the deal fell short.

After Standard & Poor's notification of the credit downgrade, the Obama administration fired back saying the S&P's own figures were off by $2 trillion. S&P acknowledged the discrepancy, but says its decision to downgrade stays.

So, what's next? And where do we go from here? CNN's Felicia Taylor is live in New York.

And as we said earlier, boy, this credit downgrade, Felicia, what a stunning wake-up call.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Completely. I mean it's totally unprecedented. We've had a AAA rating in this country since 1917. This now means that those countries that invest in the United States have a rating below that of Britain, France, Germany and Canada. That makes it a riskier investment for anybody who's investing in the United States. So that's a problem going forward.

But for consumers, for individuals, the reason this is important is that interest rates could go higher in the short-term. Meaning that any kind of an investment, whether it's credit cards, insurance payments, anything like that, is going to be at risk. That's why this is critical for every consumer in this country.

It's not just about investors and the economy. It's about the entire country overall. And what Washington now needs to do is get back to work and figure out how that debt deal is really going to work out and satisfy the rating agencies such as S&P.

FEYERICK: You know, on some levels, given the bitterness of the debt ceiling debate, was this a way of the S&P saying, we don't believe in your ability, the leadership on both sides, to get a deal done, to get -- to create jobs, to cut where it needs be? Basically sending a message saying, if this is the way you're going to deal with the debt ceiling, forget about trying to create jobs. Was that part of the message?

TAYLOR: Completely. You've encapsulated it perfectly. That's exactly the message that they're sending to Washington. That the lack of consensus, the lack of bipartisanship, is really what's at risk here. We Americans are not coming to the table and agrees on how to get this country back into a recovery phase. Because we're not.

We saw a jobs numbers on Friday that really wasn't up to snuff. It was better than expectations, but not good enough. And we've had a couple of months that were kind of wild cards in terms of jobs and that's what needs to be created. So the administration is being sort of, you know, scolded and said -- and being told, you need to come to the table and figure this out and get your ducks in order, so to speak. And understand that we're watching you.

And from the S&P perspective, I mean they've kind of put themselves in a hard place because, don't forget, they were criticized for not watching during the fiscal crisis and not minding the banks that were in trouble at that time. So they've had to step up to the plate and sort of say, OK, you know, you guys aren't really doing what you need to be doing and we're going to now call you on it. So there's a bit of a tug-of-war going on between Washington and the ratings agencies.

FEYERICK: All right, well this is certainly going to be interesting to see how it plays out and to see if the leaders of both parties step up to the plate and do what needs to be done to get the financial house in order and hopefully --

TAYLOR: Exactly. FEYERICK: Get the rating back.

Felicia Taylor, thank you so much. We're going to check in with you a little later on. Appreciate it.

Well, as we said earlier, this is unchartered territory for the U.S. economy. But one thing is certain, American's money crunch just got ratcheted up another notch. CNNMoney's Poppy Harlow looks at some of the potential ripple effects from the downgrading.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Let's take a look at what this means for you, the consumer. Your home loan. You can watch your interest rates on your mortgage go up. More homes are going to then sit on the market. Prices of homes could fall even further to this already depressed housing market. And the only silver lining is for long-term investors who see a buying opportunity here.

When you look at your car loan, very similar story. Expect your interest rates to go up. Car prices to go up. It's going to be pretty tough for people with middle to lower credit scores to buy cars and new car sales are going to fall. The car market isn't that healthy right now either.

And then, finally, when it comes to college loans, what does this mean for your college loan? When you look at interest rates, very similar story. Private student loans are going to see their interest rate increase. It's going to be tougher for students to get a loan for the spring term. So a very near term effect here. Students are going to have to work more through college to pay off that increased interest rate. And, finally, the only silver lining is, most students have their financing for next year already lined up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Poppy Harlow there for us.

Well, now for the flip side. Some analysts think that the credit downgrade may not have much of an effect on the markets. Listen to what Chrystia Freeland, the global editor-at-large for Reuters, told our Anderson Cooper. The downgrade could actually have a positive impact on some investments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRYSTIA FREELAND, GLOBAL EDITOR-AT-LARGE, REUTERS: Not just the U.S. which is in trouble, we're also seeing lots of sovereign debt issues in Europe. Ironically, the fact that the rest of the world is in trouble, too, is, in the short-term, really to the advantage of the United States. PIMCO, the world's biggest bond trader, likes to talk about the U.S. as the cleanest dirty shirt. You have to put your money in somebody's treasuries. And right now, the U.S. is still looking like a pretty good bet. And we saw that verdict in the markets this week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, last night on "AC 360," Standard & Poor's Managing Director John Chambers explained how lawmakers could have avoided this historic downgrading of the U.S. economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN CHAMBERS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, STANDARD & POOR'S: I think it could have done a few things. I mean the first thing it could have done is to have raised the debt ceiling in a timely manner so that much of this debate had been avoided to begin with, as it had done, you know, 60 or 70 times since 1960 without that much debate. So that's point number one. And point number two is, it could have come up with a fiscal plan, you know, similar, for example, the, you know, Bowles-Simpson Commission, which was bipartisan. Although it didn't have a super majority vote, it did have a majority vote and came up with a number of sensible recommendations. I mean you could envision other recommendations, but that would have been a start.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: The Bowles-Simpson Commission, that Chambers talked about, was the panel set up by President Obama to identify ways to reduce the national deficit. It's formally known as the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

Well, let's get back to breaking news out of Afghanistan. A NATO helicopter has crashed in Wardak province in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says at least 38 people were killed. David Ariosto joins us now over the phone.

And, David, what are you hearing about this tragedy?

DAVID ARIOSTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, in what seems to be one of the largest losses of coalition life in recent memory, the information that we're getting, both information President Karzai's office, as well as from local officials and Taliban, which seems to claim responsibility for this attack, it seems that this helicopter was traveling in an area that was ripe with insurgent activity and may have indeed been shot down.

Now, we're getting conflicting accounts on that. It may have crashed. It may have been shot down by Taliban forces. The indication that we're getting from the local sources and from the Taliban spokesman is that it was indeed shot down. Thirty-eight individuals. Seven of them Afghan, 31 NATO members were killed in that crash.

And it comes at a time of a series of high profile attacks against targets here in this country. But the south and east have always been sort of restive (ph) areas that have been under the watchful eye of both NATO and Afghan forces. Nonetheless, what we've seen in recent days is increased targeting of both high level officials, as well as helicopters themselves. Just last month a NATO helicopter was downed in an attack that the Taliban also took credit for. No one was injured in that attack. It doesn't seem to be the case in this instance. FEYERICK: All right. And, David, any sense, have the remains been recovered? I know it's a little too early to tell, but is -- at least the helicopter, is it secure?

ARIOSTO: The ISAF spokesman, the branch of NATO spokesman that we spoke to would only confirm that the crash had taken place. They wouldn't confirm any other details, but said that a recovery operation is underway. They're looking into really the specifics of what happened and whether anything can be salvaged at this point. Again, local officials that we spoke to say that roughly eight Taliban insurgents were also killed in what may have been an exchange. Unclear at this point. But as it stands right now, one of the worst loss of life in terms of coalition forces we've seen in quite some time.

FEYERICK: OK, David Ariosto, in Kabul. Thank you very much. We'll check back with you a little later on.

Well, back in the U.S., students at the University of Alabama will finally get to walk in a graduation ceremony today. Their commencement was supposed to be in May, but was postponed after a string of tornadoes swept across the state. Nearly 250 people were killed that day in April, including six University of Alabama students. The school held a candlelight vigil for them last night.

And if you were hoping to get an airline ticket tax refund because of the FAA shutdown, think again. No break there. President Obama signed legislation yesterday to end the shutdown and make the taxes retroactive. Tax collection on air travel will begin again Monday.

Flash flooding in Charlotte, North Carolina, killed one person and trapped drivers in their cars yesterday. At least two neighborhoods had to be evacuated because of flooding creeks. And check out this hotel lobby in Charlotte. Oh, my God. The heavy rain accumulated on the roof and began pouring through light fixtures in the lobby at an Embassy Suites hotel. Parts of three interstate highways were temporarily closed because of the heavy rain.

And the South Central Plains and Gulf Coast states are in for some extreme heat again today. Reynolds Wolf is in the severe weather center.

And, Reynolds, watching those pictures of the water just sort of pour down, it happened so quickly.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It really did. Probably availability, not so good in a place like that tonight. I think they're going to probably be closed this evening and I'm the big cleanup is going to begin. You know, one of the big things I know people wish they could clean up though is, as you mentioned, the extreme heat across much of the nation.

We're talking about millions of Americans that are dealing with temperatures that are well into the 90s and 100s. And with the high humidity, it feels even warmer. We're going to tell you who's going to get what coming up. What are you watching and what day? Oh, yes, CNN SATURDAY. We'll have more coming up. See you in a little bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Good morning, Houston, Texas. It's a scorcher again across the state. If it gets over 100 degrees in Dallas today, it will be the 36th day in a row for that.

Boy, Reynolds, this is -- it has got to be so tough for them right now to live in that kind of heat.

WOLF: It's insane. It's ridiculous. It really is. And somehow hearing Phil Collins, you know, wail about it not raining somehow makes it even better.

It has been brutal. It's going to be more of the same today. In fact, when you take a look at some of these temperatures, Wichita Falls, mercy me, 110 degrees. That was the high yesterday. Record heat there. McAlester, Oklahoma, same situation. In Texarkana, Arkansas, the misery spreads over there over the triple digit heat. Shreveport, even Joplin, Missouri, 107.

Something else to consider. That doesn't even bring in the high humidity, which they have, which made it feel even warmer. What's even more interesting is we're going to have many of those same factors that are going to set up today atmospherically, which is going to make things pretty brutal to say the very least.

Got some video for you. Let's pop that up. And the video is going to be pretty interesting. It's going to show what's happening around parts of the nation. And, again, in terms of the heavy rainfall we had yesterday.

Actually, let's go right and show you this map and show you how expansive that extreme heat is. All the way from parts of the Central Plains to the Ohio Valley. Just south of the Ohio Valley, we're seeing the heat pick up. Everything you see on this map that is painted with the orange colors, a little bit of the pink on there too. That's where you have the watches, the warnings, the advisories. A lot of places with a lot of heat. Some places, you may be getting some relief into the afternoon with some pop up storms. Some of that, perhaps, in Georgia.

Now in a spot like Atlanta, believe it or not, Atlanta is going to have a cooler day with highs in the mid to upper 80s. But, in south Georgia, extreme heat. With the sea breeze converging with your daytime heat, you might get a little bit of some thunderstorm activity. In fact, as we wrap things up, 91 degrees it's going to be for much of downtown Atlanta, 92 in Tampa. Back over into say a place like Memphis, 100. Eighty-nine in Billings, 66 in San Francisco and 92 in Salt Lake City.

That is a snapshot on your forecast. Deb, let's pitch it right back to you.

FEYERICK: That's right. OK, well, listen, they're probably out there doing some rain dances or something, you know. WOLF: I would hope so. Whatever it takes. Absolutely.

FEYERICK: Whatever it takes.

WOLF: You bet.

FEYERICK: That's right.

OK. Well, if you can't find your way without a GPS, you may want to carry a map this weekend. On Thursday, the sun released a massive solar flare that can disrupt radio communications on Global Positioning Systems. It's not just in cars, but airplanes, too. The solar flare is causing a GPS to misrepresent where you are. Scientists say we're at the peak of an 11 year solar cycle which can also effect power systems.

And, can you imagine looking up and seeing two moons orbiting the early? Well, astronomers believe that's exactly what you would have seen around four billion years ago. However, the two moons actually collided. And they're calling it the big splat theory. The moons smacked into each other at 5,000 miles per hour. That's actually slow in space terms. The effect, they say, would have been kind of like a pie in the face with one moon spreading over the other one. And that's how they're explaining why the far side of the moon is more hilly than the side facing the earth.

And take a look at some amazing video. A view from inside the deadly Joplin, Missouri, tornado back in May as it tore through two school buildings. That's coming up.

But first, volatility was the word of the week on Wall Street, but look at how the market's fall effected the decision to downgrade the U.S. credit rating.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Welcome back.

And what a week on Wall Street. Markets wrapping Friday after a wild week. And then the sticker shock last night. Standard & Poor's downgrading the United States prize AAA credit rating. Alison Kosik, who was at the New York Stock Exchange, explains some of the circumstances that led to the downgrade.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Deb.

Volatility was the word on the week here on Wall Street. The bears overpowered the bulls with uncertainty and fear as the main emotions driving the trade. The big headline session came on Thursday when the Dow plunged more than 500 points.

The losses came as investors worried that the global economic recovery was coming apart at the seams. Specifically about the possibility of the European debt crisis spreading to the United States' borders. And whether Italy would be the next shoe to drop. A stream of negative economic reports on manufacturing, spending and the service sector earlier in the week added to the downbeat sentiment.

Thursday's tumble marked the Dow's ninth biggest point drop ever. But to put that in perspective, it was only the blue chip's 116th biggest drop percentagewise. A much more accurate indicator of loss.

Both the Dow and the S&P 500 have now dipped into correction mode, which is a 10 percent decline from their recent highs. And then on Friday, the July jobs report seemed to stem the pessimism somewhat. U.S. employers added 117,000 positions last month and the jobless rate ticked down to 9.1 percent. But one positive report does not make a trend. And traders tell me they're still worried about the possibility of a double-dip recession -- Deb.

FEYERICK: OK. Thanks, Alison Kosik.

With everything these days seemingly made in China, it's refreshing to see something so quintessentially Chinese made here in the U.S. Chopsticks from a manufacturer in Georgia. And business, well, it's booming. We'll take you there next on our "Passport."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And Nadia Bilchik is joining me this morning on our "Passport."

And, Nadia, the irony, China getting chopsticks from Atlanta, Georgia.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Isn't that amazing. And the Chinese use around 45 billion chopsticks a year. So a Korean gentleman, Jay Lee (ph), saw the need. He also saw the fact that in China there's a huge shortage of trees, of lumber, for various reasons. Around 10 million houses are built in China every year. So there's this incredible dearth of trees. So he finds in America, in Atlanta, Georgia, poplar trees and sweetgum trees and he is making something like 600 of these chopsticks a minute.

SAWYER: Which is incredible because this is a man who himself was an immigrant.

BILCHIK: Absolutely.

SAWYER: A Korean who came to the United States and now it's sort of -- it's going around. It's circular.

BILCHIK: Coming -- isn't that true? And the fact that he is an immigrant and sees things differently, because he is Korean, he had exported to China for many years, saw this need, but really isn't it a testament to how important it is that we have immigrants and diversity in this country. But he now makes 2 million of these chopsticks a day.

What's also interesting is in the form he makes them, they're considered not the finished product. Because if you take a look, they're the strips.

FEYERICK: OK. BILCHIK: So he can export them at a much cheaper rate than if it was the finished product. So they go to factories in China where they're then polished and packaged.

FEYERICK: Oh, very interesting. So he's providing the raw goods --

BILCHIK: That's right.

FEYERICK: Based on the trees (ph) that are growing here.

BILCHIK: In abundance.

FEYERICK: And did he, when you spoke to him, I know that you spoke with him, did he tell you where he find -- where he found the trees or is he harvesting the trees? And how did he set up this factory?

BILCHIK: Very interesting. He found the trees in this region in Georgia. He looked for specific trees. So he found them in abundance, both the sweetgum and the poplar. And around 2006, he started exploring his options. He went to Korea to have these machines specially made. Then came, set up a factory in Americus, Georgia, and only started production in May of this year. He will soon be producing 4 million of these raw chopsticks in a year and then he will break even. And think of the employment, right.

FEYERICK: I was going to ask you, how many people is he employing?

BILCHIK: He's employing literally hundreds of people, because it's taking 24 hours a day, six days a week, to meet demand. And he's still not meeting the demand. One of the things he did say, though, was, he's a bit concerned of all the publicity he's getting because he doesn't want to many copy cats.

FEYERICK: Oh. Interesting. So he came up with an original idea, was able to make it work and now is running a very successful business.

BILCHIK: Very successful business. And when -- about two years ago, when he started, trying and getting investments was not easy.

FEYERICK: Right.

BILCHIK: No one wanted to invest. He couldn't get a bank. Eventually he got $1 million between family and friends, started this business and it really is one of those great success stories. And chopsticks in abundance right in Georgia.

FEYERICK: Well, there you go. There you go. So, great story. And certainly nice to see somebody who has taken a business idea, an entrepreneurial idea, seeing the need and filled it.

BILCHIK: Thank you so much, Nadia Bilchik.

FEYERICK: Really appreciate your being here with us this morning.

Well, Honda recalls 1.5 million cars. We'll tell you why.

And after months of threatening, Standard & Poor's downgrades the U.S. bond rating. The impact on you coming up straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: It's 29 minutes past the hour. Welcome back. I'm Deborah Feyerick, in for T.J. Holmes, Thanks for starting your day here with us at CNN.

America's credit rating takes a hit for the first time in its history. From AAA to AA Plus. Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's sites two main reasons for the decision to downgrade, the deficit and lawmakers seeming reluctance to make tough choices on debt reduction.

CNN's senior correspondent Allan Chernoff has more on what it all means and how we go here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: This is not shocking at all. It is shocking from the public relations standpoint, but S&P actually had warned of this back on July 14th, when they said it was a better than 50 percent chance they were going to do this. And they have pulled the trigger. It wasn't easy for them, but they have done it.

What they are saying here is that the deal struck this week to avoid default and to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending isn't sufficient. It is not enough to stabilize the debt situation of the United States. They are also saying, they are making a judgment here on the politics that occurred in Washington this past week; the disarray, the fighting, the fact that it took until the very last minute, almost, for them to come to a deal. They are saying, we don't believe the Congress and administration will be able to leverage their agreement into a broader fiscal consolidation policy. They are just giving a thumbs down to what has occurred over the past week in Washington.

It is certainly possible that some interest rates could rise from this. Really the more likely impact is that we could have more pressure on the stock market come Monday morning. We've already had a horrific week, but this certainly is a blow to the United States without question in terms of the Treasury market, right? That is where it should hit because that, after all, is how the United States borrows money. We issue bonds and notes and short-term bills to investors. They give the United States their money. The United States says they will pay you back with interest.

Will people run away from those? Unlikely. The full faith and credit of the United States still means quite a bit. And, indeed, some other major nations have seen their credit rating cut and it didn't have all that much impact on those countries, including Japan. This is an embarrassment for the U.S. In the financial markets. The United States now have a lower credit rating than Luxemburg, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, Deb.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: A quick check of our top stories now.

A NATO helicopter has crashed in Eastern Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says 31 U.S. service members were killed. All were members of the U.S. Special Forces. A recovery operation is under way. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Today, a Texas jury will be back in court to hear more testimony in the penalty phase of the Warren Jeffs trial. The polygamous sect leader faces life in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old, he called his spiritual wives. Jeffs asked to be excused from court today. He says he doesn't want to hear his religion downgraded.

Honda is recalling 1.5 million cars. The company says a part in the transmission can be damaged if the car is shifted too quickly between reverse, neutral, and drive. It could cause the engine to stall. Honda will update software in those cars. The company says no injuries or deaths have been reported because of the problem.

And three months after a swarm of deadly tornadoes swept through Alabama, students at the University of Alabama are finally getting to walk in the commencement ceremony today. It was supposed to be held in May. Six students were among the 250 killed on that terrible day. Last night, the school held a candlelight vigil in their honor.

And this summer's intense heat can be too much for even conditioned athletes. So how are they able to train without collapsing from heat exhaustion? Reynolds Wolf is here to tell us how.

And, Reynolds, it is incredible to see these young kids wearing all of the pads and all the gear and not think that they aren't passing out really.

WOLF: Absolutely. It really just doesn't make sense, does it? I mean when you go out in the extreme heat you think the less you are wearing, the better off you will be. But you have to have, of course, the padding to just having some sort of protection when you are out there.

One thing that is interesting, Deborah, is that at University of Texas employed a little bit of technology where they used a small device called a heat pill, where they swallow it. And when they swallow it, it goes of course into their digestive tract. The trainers on the field at the University of Taxes are able to use another device about the size of an iPhone. They are able to track the body core temperature and regulate the heat. To see if they are in any state of to see if they are in a little bit of a danger zone, something like that. But it is amazing to see how a little bit of technology can go a long way toward saving lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF (voice-over): Each season, the Texas Longhorns face the bitter rivals, like the Sooners or Aggies. But an even tougher foe is the intense Texas heat. Hydration, it is one method the UT trainer Kenny Boyd stresses. But he also employs high-tech methods like the core temp pill.

The pill is ingested about six hours before training begins. That is what I did before my Longhorn workout.

(on camera): All right. Let's play ball.

(voice-over): The heat index? 105 degrees. A quick warm up run, then a body temperature reading before practice starts.

(on camera): It has to be a cool 98.6.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 98.6? Try 100.23.

WOLF (voice-over): Kenny will pull a player from the field when their body temperature reaches 103.

KENNY BOYD, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, ATHLETIC COACH: That is when you can exhibit signs or symptoms of heat stress. When they get to 104 that is when we pull them from practice or the workout and at that point cease their workout or practice, and try to get them hydrated and rapidly cool.

WOLF: To replicate real practice conditions, Kenny puts me through increasingly difficult drills.

BOYD: One, two, three, four, five. Let's go. Go through again. Come on back. Finish through the line. Finish. Finish. Finish. 100.81. That's not bad. Hit the next one. Go. Strike. Extend. Go. Strike. Extend. 101.7.

WOLF: This is me after 20 minutes of light workout in the 105 degree heat. Longhorns, like most players in training, will undergo intense workouts in 45-minute intervals. While doing so, Kenny looks for danger signs.

BOYD: Disorientation. Any kind of decreased mental acuity. Someone that is beginning to laboring a lot more in their drill.

How about we go cool off?

WOLF (on camera): That sounds great. Wow!

(voice-over): One method is this shirt. Fitted with a stem that allows a blast of cool air to fill its chambers. Not quite as high tech, but more effective is this, the rapid cooling tub.

(on camera): Oh, good god almighty. Oh. Good gosh almighty. Whoa! (voice-over): It may be crude, but it works. And that's the mission of trainers like Boyd, to keep their players safe.

BOYD: A lot of us in athletic training have been witness, or been a part, or know people who have had to deal with someone that's suffered from heat stroke, or from a heat crisis. That has really shaped some of the passion and some of the concerns we have as a staff today at the University of Texas.

WOLF: All part of an effort to keep their players on the field and in the hunt for the championship.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF: Now, Kenny Boyd, the head trainer at the University of Texas is truly a giant in the industry. He really is. But at the same time, I think he is a bit diabolical. He was enjoying that too much. I mean, putting me through the paces. That was agonizing.

FEYERICK: You were doing a really good job. It is incredible that your body went up to 101. I would think that 103 is just unsafe.

WOLF: It is unsafe. That is one of the things where they now employ water breaks. They give the players a chance to rehydrate. Remember years ago, they didn't do that. It was frowned upon to give players water, to give them breaks, as a sign of weakness. So they have kind of shifted gears and are using a different approach. Hopefully it will save lives.

FEYERICK: There you go. Great piece. Really interesting.

WOLF: Thank you very much.

Today is one of those days where the heat is going to extreme again.

(WEATHER REPORT)

FEYERICK: Thank you so much. Reynolds, you will stick around for this.

And Reynolds, you are going to stick around for this. You will like this story. We are getting a first look at some amazing video out of Joplin, Missouri. This is Joplin High School ripped apart by the devastating tornado that struck in May. We will have Reynolds look at the video and tell us what is going on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And we are getting a first look at some amazing video shot as a devastating tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri. It is from a surveillance camera at Joplin High School. High winds caused windows to explode. You can see the cafeteria being torn apart. Tables and chairs tossed across the room.

Reynolds Wolf is here with us. It is amazing to see the destructive power, the force of these winds. Though I have heard tornadoes can drive a blade of grass right through a tree. I mean that is the power of these.

WOLF: Absolutely. We are talking about winds possibly in excess of 300 miles per hour. This was EF-5, the most destructive tornado. One thing that is really something that we have to consider is the timing of this. Thank heavens this took place on a Sunday afternoon. Deb, can you imagine a school full of kids if this had happened on a Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, with a full capacity school? The situation would have been even worse.

And you know, of course, the aftermath that we have seen, we have video of that too. It tells us the story of a community that is still struggling with the damage. Take a look at this, we have some additional video that will pop up.

And you see it is basically a wasteland in many spots. Granted, the people of Joplin, Missouri have done amazing things in terms of cleaning up. And they haven't gone it alone. They have had people from all over the country, all over the world that have come out and certainly helped clean up. They still have a long way to go. Again, just that snippet, that video we have inside the school tells a story of what might have been. We know what happened, but what might have been. It could have been far worse.

FEYERICK: When you look at this school, also, and you have to wonder whether there was some interior courtyard where the children could even have gone to seek shelter. In this area, do they have areas where they can go for safety if it were to happen? If it were during a school day?

WOLF: Many schools do have structures, have areas that is basically considered a safe zone. You really bring up an excellent point. You really, really do. Bu the thing that is terrifying about that, is there also many spots that do not have those kind of things. I can tell you that for example, going into Tuscaloosa, you saw houses that you would think would easily withstand a tornado, maybe a EF-0, or maybe even up to an EF-3, which that are still moderately strong tornadoes-actually they are not that strong. But a storm of this magnitude, not that many safe places to find unless you are underground. But it is amazing the school itself was able to withstand at least some of the strongest winds, but terrifying, nevertheless.

FEYERICK: When you see the video, you have to ask yourself what sort of traumatic impact it has on the community that not only did they survive it, but also to see it played out again and again, and thinking about the possibilities. That has to be horrifying.

WOLF: No question about it. Anytime the skies cloud up, as soon as they hear a boom of thunder. You will have other storms in that area. That place is an area that is well known for storms. They have tornadoes around there, but taking a direct hit from something that massive, that expansive, is mind boggling.

FEYERICK: Right, 300 miles an hour. All right, Reynolds Wolf, thank you so much.

WOLF: You got it.

FEYERICK: I appreciate it.

New violence in Egypt.

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FEYERICK: Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square are wondering why the Egyptian military is attacking them rather than protecting them. We will have the story coming up after the break.

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FEYERICK: And there is new violence in Syria. Anti-government protests broke out across the country again yesterday. The city of Hama appears to have taken the brunt of it. Witnesses tell CNN that more than 50 people were killed when a government tank fired an artillery shell in front of a hospital there.

CNN's Arwa Damon joins us live, by phone from Beirut, Lebanon with the latest-Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It does most seem as if whatever bits of information we are able to get out of Hama, because communications have largely been cut off, continue to paint an horrific and incredibly bleak picture.

The city has been without communications and without power ever since the military offensive began in earnest, Wednesday morning. One resident we have been speaking to fairly regularly told us he had fled from his initial position in the northern central part of the city yesterday. And as he was fleeing, he said on the outskirts of the city, in the suburbs, there were a number of residents that had fled from their homes. They were going door to door begging people to let them in, seeking safety. He was describing how overnight he could intermittently heard the sounds of shelling gunfire.

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Offensive again in the early hours of the morning. And since then, he said, it has been impossible to reach anyone inside the city to get an accurate picture of what is taking place. This most certainly seems to be the Assad government's way of sending a clear message to the demonstrators that despite these (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of reforms, these various laws that are being put into place, this is still a regime that is intent on using military force to quell these demonstrators.

The Syrian government, for its part, has been claiming it went into Hama to target these terrorist armed gangs. But images that we had been receiving from Hama before this military offensive began showed nothing more than the masses gathering, demonstrating peacefully. In fact, Hama used to be the location of some of the largest, if not the largest demonstrations to take place in Syria. Most certainly that would be an aggravating factor for this regime. And if it did, in fact, want to deal this decisive blow to the opposition, which it most certainly seems it is trying to do, Hama would be the place to send that clear and increasingly brutal message.

FEYERICK: Wow, and the pictures are really stunning to watch. Arwa Damon, thank you so much joining us there from Syria-from Lebanon, watching the situation in Syria.

In Cairo last night, the Egyptian military broke up a demonstration in Tahrir Square.

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FEYERICK: About 300 protesters had gathered. Their peaceful demonstration quickly turned violent. Gun shots could be heard. Activists later reported that several people were injured or arrested.

Making social media work for you. We'll talk to an expert after the break.

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FEYERICK: A new survey from the Internet company Telenob (ph) says one-third of Americans would be more willing to give up sex for a week than their mobile phones.

If you find yourself having a closer relationship with your Blackberry than your spouse you may just have a social media problem. You may be on overload. Joining me is social networking expert Denise Evans Elsbree. She is here to talk about six things that can help make social media really work for you.

And you have posted, you have tagged, your Tweeting, are doing all this stuff. I mean, I am overwhelmed. Now what?

DENISE EVANS ELSBREE, SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT: Now we are adding Google Plus to the mix. So, everybody is like, OK, I have all this other stuff I have to keep up with. Now, am I supposed to do Google Plus?

What I like to tell people, is you know, feel like you can manage it in 15 minutes a day. Don't feel like you need an hour or two hours. You can do it in 15 minutes. If you think about it in 15- minute segments, you can get it done, and pick a couple of different platforms to be involved with.

FEYERICK: What are we talking about? For example, I find it very easy to go on Twitter. OK? Facebook, I find, just too-I just-I don't have the time for it.

ELSBREE: Right. I think what I like to say is Facebook is like a cocktail party. It is not an absolute in your life. It is something fun. It is fun to do. You don't know who you will see there or who you are going to talk to all the time. Think about it like a cocktail party. It is supposed to be fun. A lot of people are using it for business now. Don't feel like you have to use Facebook. It is a great way to stay connected to your family, our kids, your friends. And then in some people's lives their business connections.

FEYERICK: What -- how are we sort of overloading all of our friends, or business contacts? Because sometimes you get multiples.

ELSBREE: Absolutely. I think one of the worst things you can do is link your multiple profiles to each other. If you are Tweeting from your Facebook page, your friends and followers are getting the same information. They may be the same people. They are tired of getting the same information over and over. It is kind of a lazy way to deal with social media. I say compartmentalize those pieces. Have a social side, a business side, and a fun side to your social media. Just like you to with your event calendar, you life.

FEYERICK: And then what about linking all of your posts? How is that an effective use? How is that an effective use?

ELSBREE: If you have a LinkedIn profile, which if you are business person you should absolute create and have and manage a LinkedIn profile, you can connect your updates on LinkedIn to your Twitter account.

If you have a Twitter account that is business related, that is great. If you are linking your Facebook to your business Twitter or you have business followers on your Twitter, and you are talking about your son's Little League game, that may not be cool. Really think about when you link your profile updates, what you are doing. I don't recommend it. Because you can make a mistake easily.

FEYERICK: Right. Absolutely. Clearly, as we wrap up, it is about sending information to your friends that is fun, to your business folks that is more in line with what they expect.

ELSBREE: Right. Absolutely. I think the main thing is people should take this seriously. It is their brand. It is their reputation. They should take the time to do it right and analyze what they are doing and why they are doing it.

FEYERICK: You can't get away from your brand.

ELSBREE: Absolutely.

FEYERICK: Denise, thank you. I appreciate you joining us.

ELSBREE: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Great helpful tips. Thank you.

Well, a stowaway aboard a Delta flight gave some passengers a bit of a scare. Was it a bird or bat? We will let you be the judge. We will get another look in just two minutes.

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FEYERICK: Let's go "X-Country" now for a look at stories CNN affiliates are covering. First stop is Augusta, Georgia. A beauty of a birthday surprise for a five-year-old girl. Oh, I love this moment. An unexpected visit from her dad who has been deployed overseas for months. The girl had refused to celebrate her birthday without her dad.

And to the town of Tonawanda, New York. A local lifeguard appears to have broken the record for longest walk under water. The current record is about 160 feet, but 21-year-old Joe Wilke (ph) strolled just under 230 feet. There we go.

Up in the air in Madison, Wisconsin, was it a bat or bird? Regardless, passengers on board the Delta Airlines flight may wonder how it got through security. They eventually cornered the creature near a bathroom. A spokesman for the airline told CNN they are not sure if the flying animal was a bat or a bird. Oh, well. It looks like a bat to me.