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NEWS STREAM
Detroit Files For Bankruptcy; Indian Children Afraid To Eat School Lunch; Trayvon Martin's Parents Speak Out; Heat Waves In Asia, Europe, U.S.; A Look At Comic-Con
Aired July 19, 2013 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.
Now once an icon of American power and success, and now the city of Detroit declares that it is bankrupt.
Tiger Woods is just a few shots off the lead at golf's third major of the year.
And the annual celebration of all things geeky gets underway. We'll bring you the latest from Comic-Con.
Now, the U.S. city of Detroit has declared bankruptcy. The move had been feared for months. And Michigan's governor says that there was no other choice.
Now Detroit is now the biggest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy protection. Now the so-called motor city has been crippled by decades of decline. Its debt is an estimated $18.5 billion.
Now the city needs to cut its liabilities. And we may learn more details about how that will happen when officials speak about two hours from now.
But first, let's go live to Detroit. Poppy Harlow is there. And Poppy, why has Detroit racked up just so much debt?
POPPY HARLOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Kristie.
Well, look, this has been decades in the making. As you said, this is the single largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history by far.
There are a lot of things that got Detroit here. You had a population of nearly 2 million people in the heyday of this city, 1950. That has fallen to 700,000 people. That means far fewer people paying taxes. So many abandoned homes here. You have corrupt politicians over decades and decades running this city. You also have the decline of the automakers. So many things led to this.
But the big question now is the fate of Detroit really lies in the hands of a federal bankruptcy judge is will this help or hurt the people of Detroit?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Detroit's downfall has been decades in the making.
RICK SNYDER, MICHIGAN GOVERNOR: This is not any recent development, this has been going on far too long. And isn't it time to say enough is enough?
HARLOW: A dwindling population, the decline of the automakers, and political corruption are just some of Detroit's woes.
Now, as it files for bankruptcy, Detroit's workers are bracing to what could happen to their pensions and health care.
MARK DIAZ, DETROIT POLICE UNION PRESIDENT: Will this affect pensions? Based on what we know, it's - anything is possible.
KEN PELTIER, FORMER DETROIT POLICE OFFICER: We paid a percentage of our wages every year into that. So it's not something that's been given to us, it's our money.
HARLOW: More than $18 billion in debt, Michigan's governor called bankruptcy the only choice.
SNYDER: Detroit is broke from a financial point of view, and more importantly the citizens deserve better services.
HARLOW: Those services have taken a significant hit.
TINESHA FLOWERS, DETROIT RESIDENT: When you call the police now, you wonder if they're coming.
HARLOW: Detroit's emergency manager who took control of the city in March insists bankruptcy will not change the day-to-day here.
KEVYN ORR, DETROIT EMERGENCY MANAGER: Services will remain open, paychecks will be made, bills will be paid, nothing changes from the standpoint of the ordinary citizen's perspective.
HARLOW: Detroit's mayor didn't have a say in the decision, but urged understanding.
DAVE BING, DETROIT MAYOR: As tough as this is, I really didn't want to go in this direction, but now that we are here we have to make the best of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: And let me paint this picture for you. The city of Detroit, 78,000 abandoned buildings in the city alone, police response time an average of 58 minutes, far beyond the rest of the nation. 40 percent of the street lights here don't work. And 38 cents of every dollar that this city gets goes to paying down its debt, that is how you get $18.5 billion in debt. And that is why this city is now in bankruptcy, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yeah, some sobering statistics there. And Poppy, now that Detroit has filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, what happens next?
HARLOW: So, now this goes into the hands of a federal bankruptcy judge. And what's interesting here is that some pension funds, some retirees just in the past few weeks filed lawsuits claiming that it violated the state constitution to cut down their pensions or their benefits at all.
But now, because of this bankruptcy filing, those lawsuits are put on indefinite hold. And federal bankruptcy law will likely supersede state law. So that's going to be a big protracted fight in court is just can these pensions be cut down to save the city money and by how much.
So now it goes to court. And millions and millions of dollars will be paid to lawyers to fight this out.
The city has said they're going to try to get out of bankruptcy in less than a year. That would really be record time. These things can go on for years.
LU STOUT: Wow. So there will be quite an expensive legal battle ahead. Poppy Harlow joining us live from Detroit, thank you.
Now Detroit was once the fourth largest U.S. city. And Michigan's governor says it has been going downhill for the last 60 years.
Now remember, Detroit was the cradle of the automotive industry, but Detroit was more than the Motor City back then, it was also home to Motown music. And back in 1950, its population totaled nearly 2 million. That was a peak in more ways than one.
And as the years passed and fortunes faded, people left in droves. By the start of this century, the population had fallen to less than 1 million. And it's dropped another 28 percent since then.
And those that have staid in the city, they face a shortage of jobs. Detroit's unemployment rate is 16.3 percent, that is twice the state average.
But it is down from 2009 when it soared to 27.8 percent.
Now remember, two of Detroit's largest companies, General Motors and Chrysler, they declared bankruptcy in 2009. But the U.S. government bailed out the auto industry.
Now it's unclear if the city of Detroit can expect any such favors.
Now security is being ramped up in Egypt's capital ahead of what is expected to be another day of dueling protests. Now supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy have called for a break the coup rally. Meanwhile, Morsy's opponents say that they will support the new government with protests against terrorism in Tahrir Square.
On Thursday, Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour vowed to bring security to his country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADLY MANSOUR, INTERIM PRESIDENT OF EGYPT: Egypt is in a decisive moment as some want to push toward a chaotic path and some want to take the country to a path of peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now, feeding the protest's fervor, this Friday is the 10th day of Ramadan. And back in 1973, Ramadan's 10th day marked the start of a war with Israel, which Egyptians remember with pride.
Now let's cross over to Cairo now where Reza Sayah is standing by. And Reza, what's going on behind you?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, more theatrics by the military, Kristie. It's been interesting, over the past couple of weeks the military has used some theatrics to whip up the protesters by flying over Tahrir Square, military choppers towing the flags of the Egyptian military. They did it again about a half hour ago.
Earlier this month, those flights over Tahrir Square got a pretty huge reaction, but right now there's only a couple of hundred people in Tahrir Square, not much of a reaction, although some people are cheering here.
Of course, these are opponents of the ousted president Mohamed Morsy. They're cheering the military.
Then you have supporters of the ousted president. And I'm sure if the military choppers are flying over them, they're going to have some choice words for the military, because they're not happy with what they're calling an unconstitutional and illegal coup. They're ask - called for more protests today. They're calling today's demonstrations the breaking of the coup.
One hour ago, Friday prayers ended, and that started these planned demonstrations not just here in Cairo, but other cities throughout Egypt. And the position for these demonstrators, supporters of the ousted president, remains the same. They believe that the legitimate leader of this country is Mr. Morsy. And they want him reinstated, a scenario that seems very unlikely at this point.
For their part, the opponents of Mr. Morsy, the groups who managed to push him out of power earlier this month not to be outdone, they're planning on demonstrations too to flex their muscles. And when you have these dueling demonstrations, Kristie, there's always the possibility of violence and clashes not just between protesters, but between demonstrators and police. That's why we're seeing security stepped up. And we're waiting to see what this day brings and how it's going to impact this political conflict that seems to be going on and on and on, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Reza, you're just describing behind you there in Tahrir Square only a few hundred protesters both for and against Mohamed Morsy. I don't know if you can see the live feed coming from Reuters of another protest rally taking place near Cairo, a pro-Morsy demonstration, scores of people there as the military choppers fly overhead.
This is a test of the Brotherhood's staying power. How are they doing so far?
SAYAH: Well, every day is going to be a test for the Muslim Brotherhood's staying power. Every day is an opportunity for them to show the world and Egypt that they're not running out of steam, that they're standing their ground. And they want their former president Mohamed Morsy reinstated.
And the key question moving forward is how is this conflict going to be resolved. There's mixed messages from this interim government, the interim president Adly Mansour. On one hand, the messages seem to be we want the Muslim Brotherhood to be part of this transition. On the other hand, you have authorities continuing to arrest key leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, other leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood unwanted - are wanted on charges.
So it's difficult to figure out the interim government's strategy. Do they earnestly want the Muslim Brotherhood to be part of the political transition, or do they want the sideline them with more arrests. These are the key questions moving forward, Kristie.
LU STOUT: All right, Reza Sayah joining us live from the Egyptian capital, thank you very much indeed for that update.
Now, over to Russia where the Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been released from detention pending an appeal. Now the popular opposition activist, he was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday for misappropriating about $500,000 from the government in a lumber deal.
Now Navalny, who has long been an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin said his case was fabricated and is meant to stop him from running for mayor of Moscow.
Now you are watching News Stream. And still to come, as the controversy of Rolling Stone's latest cover continues, dramatic new images of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev emerge from the night he was captured.
Plus, students scared to eat school meals, their teachers being told to test them. We'll take you to the Indian village where 23 school children died after eating tainted food.
And why some of the world's best golfers are having such a rough time at the Open in Scotland.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
You're watching News Stream. And you're looking at a visual version of all the stories we've got on the show today. And we started with the city of Detroit declaring bankruptcy. And a little bit later, we'll show you a unique kids attraction that puts them to work.
But now, you've seen the Rolling Stone cover photo of the alleged Boston bomber Dzohkar Tsarnaev. And yesterday we told you about the public backlash against the portrait that makes him look more like a brooding rock star.
Well, one Massachusetts sergeant was so angry, he decided to release his own set of photos that he feels more accurately represents Tsarnaev.
Now for more details, let's go live to Jason Carroll in New York. And Jason, these new photos give a very, very different impression of the suspect.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very different indeed, starkly different from the cover of Rolling Stone. The police sergeant apparently felt somewhat conflicted about releasing these photos, but he felt strongly that the Rolling Stone cover was hurtful to the victims of the bombing. And so this was his way of helping.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: These new photos showing a much different picture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev captured by police -- a bloody face, his hands up, the lasers of a sniper's rifle trained on his forehead, a vastly different picture from the one depicted in the controversial "Rolling Stone" cover. Massachusetts state police sergeant Sean Murphy says he was so angry with "Rolling Stone's" cover he released these new photographs to "Boston" magazine.
The police tactical photographer told the magazine, quote, "What Rolling Stone did was wrong. The guy is evil. This is the real Boston bomber, not someone fluffed and buffed for the cover of Rolling Stone."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that's the real face of terror. I agree with him 100 percent.
CARROLL: "Boston" magazine's editor told CNN Murphy thought the cover sent the wrong message.
JOHN WOLFSON, EDITOR, "BOSTON" MAGAZINE: I think he was genuinely worried about the impact on the families of the victims, and I think he was also worried that certain impressionable people might be lured to replicate that by the glamorous looking photo on the "Rolling Stone" cover.
CARROLL: Tsarnaev's first public appearance since his arrest was in court last week. He pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges, including four killings. While images like these are already having an impact, some say the focus is all wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they should focus the attention on the brave people and the people who lost their lives, not the monster who caused it all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And I think there are quite a few people out there in Boston who feel that way.
Apparently, Murphy did not want Rolling Stone to have the last say, so he decided to release the police photos himself. A police spokesman said in a statement, "the release of the photos was not authorized by the Massachusetts state police. Murphy was suspended for a day and faces a hearing next week to determine his status - Kristie.
LU STOUT: Now those photos, they were published in Boston magazine on Thursday. What has been the general reaction to them so far?
CARROLL: Well, you know, it's been mixed. You heard there from some people how they were responding, but one family in particular, JP Norton's (ph) family. Norton (ph) and his brother both lost a leg in the bombing and I was texting sort of back and forth with JP Norton (ph) about this and what he thought of everything. And, you know, it's been a distraction. He says he's just not paying attention to any photos whether they be from Rolling Stone or these new photos. He says what he and others are trying to do like him are just trying to heal physically and emotionally.
LU STOUT: Yeah, fair enough.
Jason Carroll joining us live in New York. Many thanks indeed for that report.
Now, tributes have been held in India for the 23 students who died this week after eating their school lunches. Now 24 other students and the school's cook were also poisoned. They remain in hospital. And officials are still trying to figure out what was wrong with the food. And they suspect that it contain and insecticide.
Now the incident has sparked fear among students in other schools. And some have refused to eat their school provided lunches.
Now to reassure them, the state of Bihar has asked school principals to taste the meals before they are served.
But there is no reassurance for the parents of the students who died. And some have buried their children on the grounds of the school where they fell ill and died.
Now Sumnima Udas went to the village where parents cannot contain their grief.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Unbearable agony for this young mother still in a state of shock. She repeats her 5-year-old daughter's name over and over again.
"Why aren't you coming back," she asks? "Why isn't anyone bringing Depu (ph) back?"
Depu (ph) died after eating a free lunch in a government school on Tuesday, as did 22 of her school mates.
(on camera): This is the school where those meals were served. And right in front of the school, over here, is where one child has been buried.
(voice-over): Across the fields, more burial mounds. Locals say some 60 children were studying here that day. Now, just reminders of those days that ended too soon.
"There was sudden commotion at the school so we all rushed over there and saw all these children washing their plates after their meals. And then some just started fainting 10 minutes after their meal," he says.
No one here knows what caused this mass poisoning.
Officials have said they suspect it was cooking oil contaminated with pesticide. Many are demanding answers, some have even turned violent.
(on camera): Local politicians have been coming here one after the other trying to assuage the public, but the atmosphere is still very tense.
(voice-over): This weeping mother unable to even speak. She, too, calls out for her lost child while her relatives try to stop her from trying.
Sumnima Udas, CNN, Masrat Village (ph), Bihar, India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Thunderstorms here in Hong Kong this day. Coming to you live from the territory. You're back watching News Stream.
And turning to sport now and day two of the oldest of the four major men's golf tournaments is underway in Gullane, Scotland.
Now the world's second and third ranked golfers are hoping to do better after both had a disappointing first round. And World Sport's Alex Thomas is covering the Open for us. He joins us live from the Muirfield Golf Club.
And Alex, Tiger Woods, how is he doing so far?
ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: All eyes on the world number one, as they always are, really, Kristie. He still dominates the world of golf even if he's not quite the player he once was. Still looking for that first major title since 2008. Everything is in place. He wins other tournaments. He just can't seem to get over the line in those four big ones that the elite of men's golf play for every year.
Another hot, sunny day here at Muirfield, which means we'll have more discussion about conditions, a real mixed opinion yesterday as to whether the course was too tough for these, the world's best players.
But there has been one change and it's in the wind. It's not as strong and it's changed direction completely.
And let me show you why. We're alongside the ninth hole here at Muirfield. And all week it's been blowing into my back as you look at it, towards the camera lens. I've got a load of grass here. Let me show you what it's doing today, going completely opposite direction. So it's with the wind, this par 5. This can be reached in two shots now. Possible Eagle chance to some of the players. Tiger Woods, though, isn't taking advantage. He is one over today. He's dropped to one under par, but that's still a good school, because only 16 of 156 players are under par over the whole field.
The other big mover today is Lee Westwood. The Englishman, a former world number one and multiple title winner, but again he's never won a major at all, he has gone up to three under par. He's four under for his round today. And he's had six birdies, but a couple of dropped strokes as well. Lee Westwood really getting the home fans excited here, Kristie.
LU STOUT: All right, excitement about Westwood. You told us about Tiger Woods. Also the conditions out there.
Rory McIlroy, I mean he had a pretty rough opening round. So what went wrong?
THOMAS: Yeah, he had a 79, eight over par. And the cliche is always why you can't win an Open on the first day of four, you can certainly lose it. And I think Rory is out of contention. He'll need an amazing round just to make the halfway cut.
I was speaking to Bob Ratela (ph), famous American sports psychologist, who has worked with many of the top golfers down the years. And he says Rory just isn't in a place where he can be in the zone and focus on playing his game.
All these players technically are excellent. It's just those few inches between the ears, in the brain, that's where tournaments are won or lost. And right now, Rory's head just isn't quite right. He admitted it himself. But he's too talented not to come back, we all hope.
LU STOUT: Yeah. And golf is, of course, such a mental sport afterall.
India's Shiv Kapur, he's getting a lot of attention at the start of the open. Tell us about it.
THOMAS: Yeah, he was a bit of an interesting story yesterday. Shiv Kapur, he's been a journeyman pro since 2004. He is the son of a stockbroker from New Delhi in India. But for one point yesterday he was the leader of Britain's Open Championship, a position that he's never really got to before. All the focus was on him.
Sadly, he did drop back a few strokes today. Let's see if Shiv can make the headlines again. India, slightly growing golf game there. So is China, actually. I've been speaking to someone who coaches for China's national team. And my interviews with Bob Ratela (ph) and with Michael Dickie (ph) from the Chinese national golfing coach setup will be in World Sport in just over five-and-a-half hours time, Kristie.
LU STOUT: All right. There will be a lot of interest in hearing from them.
Alex Thomas joining us live from Muirfield, thank you so much and enjoy the play later today.
Now the Open is unique among golf's four majors, because it is always played on a links course, that's the oldest type of golf course. Now links courses are often on the coast, like Muirfield is, meaning that the golfers, they've got to deal with strong winds coming from the sea.
Now, they are also known for hard fairways and pot bunkers, small but deep pits of sand that trap the golf ball.
But probably the biggest hazard at Muirfield is the deep rough. And earlier, Shane O'Donoghue, he showed Alex Thomas why golfers will want to avoid the rough at Muirfield.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHANE O'DONOGHUE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDNET: Oftentimes with the wind or whatever, a ball is struck offline from the tee and it comes in pretty ferociously at pace. This is a pretty soft pace and yet I can barely see the ball.
Hopefully it'll be spotted by the spotters. And that the player will actually be able to set up to it and hopefully get it out. But the real theory is to lessen the damage, take your punishment, just knock it out onto the fairway. But even that is quite a challenge, because now as I set up for this ball, I cannot actually...
THOMAS: How do you even get to the ball?
O'DONOGHUE: I can't put the club behind the ball.
And then when I try to take it back, I'm going to be brushing against all this long fescue, this long marram grass. And then I've got to actually return the club head as well as I can into that position that I can actually get to the ball.
THOMAS: And we don't want to hit a ball towards the ninth tee.
O'DONOGHUE: We don't.
THOMAS: Take some swings to show us how hard it is.
O'DONOGHUE: This really is a test of mental fortitude, it's a test of patience, because everyone will hit the rough at some stage, but you've almost got to hit the ball using the bottom of the club, that's the theory.
THOMAS: Just a steep angle of attack.
O'DONOGHUE: Steep angle of attack. And you've got to make sure that you do not decelerate. You've got to accelerate into it. Pop it up and get it out onto the fairway, take your punishment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And that was Shane O'Donoghue in the rough.
Now when you were young, did you ever wonder what it would be like to be a firefighter or a doctor, or perhaps a mechanic? Well, there's a place where you can be anything you want if you're a kid, that is. Find out where these kids are playing grownup.
And over in San Diego, it is the opposite, adults are playing like kids. I'll bring you through the city's annual Comic-Con.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.
Now the U.S. city of Detroit has filed for bankruptcy. The city is carrying debts and other liabilities that add up to more than $18 billion. It is the biggest public sector bankruptcy in American history. And it could result in pension benefits being cut back dramatically.
Now Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been released from detention pending the outcome of this appeal. Navalny was convicted on embezzlement charges on Thursday and sentenced to five years in prison. And after the sentencing, thousands of Navalny supporters turned out in Moscow. They say the government fabricated the case to block his political future.
In India, the results of an inquiry into the food poisoning deaths of 23 school children are due out later on Friday. Now investigators have previously flagged food safety issues at schools in Bihar State, citing poor hygiene. More than 20 other children remain in hospital.
An explosion in central Iraq has killed at least 16 people. Officials say 36 others were wounded when a bomb went off during a sermon at a Sunni mosque in Diyala Province. We'll bring you more details as we get them.
Now Trayvon Martin's parents have been speaking out for the first time since George Zimmerman was acquitted in the 17-year-old's death. Now Zimmerman shot and killed the teenager in Florida. He claimed self- defense. And a jury found him not guilty.
Now that ruling has angered many Americans. And Trayvon Martin's parents told CNN's Anderson Cooper that the verdict came as a complete shock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRACY MARTIN, TRAYVON MARTIN'S FATHER: We thought that there was enough evidence there, no matter who was on that jury, to convict him of second degree murder.
And when you think about it, I think that they just took into account what George Zimmerman said was the truth. Trayvon wasn't here to tell his story.
But the mindset of that juror, they -- some of them had their minds made up no matter what story was told.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The Juror B37 and I'm assuming the other jurors as well didn't discuss race in the jury room. According to Juror B37. I want to play something she said. She clearly does not believe that race played any role in the profiling of Trayvon Martin at any level in this case. Let's play that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Do you feel that George Zimmerman racially profiled Trayvon Martin? Do you think race played a role in his decision, his view of Trayvon Martin as suspicious?
JUROR B37: I don't think he did. I think the circumstances caused George to think that he might be a robber or trying to do something bad in the neighborhood because of all that had gone on previously. There were -- there were unbelievable number of robberies in the neighborhood.
COOPER: So you don't believe race played a role in this case?
JUROR B37: I don't think it did. I think if -- if there was another person, Spanish, white, Asian, if they came in the same situation they were Trayvon was, I think George would have reacted the exact same way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: What do you think of that?
SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: I think that's a joke. Because he clearly said in the 911 calls that it was a black teenager, an African-American teenager, so that was the profile. That was the person that he was looking for because that was the person or people that were breaking in in the area.
Unfortunately, Trayvon was not one of those people. Trayvon had every right to be in that community. Trayvon had every right to go to the store and come back in peace and safe. So I think that's really a joke. I don't understand why she wouldn't see that, but then again, there's the disconnect. There's definitely a disconnect.
MARTIN: Do the system work?
It didn't work for us.
But we -- we remain prayerful that the system, through this injustice, that we can build some type of -- we can close that gap and hopefully that the system can start working for everyone equally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Trayvon Martin's parents did not say whether or not they plan to file a civil lawsuit against George Zimmerman, but they did say that they hope a foundation started in the teenager's name will allow something good to come out of his death.
Now a former CIA director is making some serious allegations against the Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Michael Hayden says the company spied for the Chinese government. He is the first to accuse the company outright. And Hayden says at the very least, Huawei provided Chinese officials with, quote, "intimate and extensive knowledge of the foreign telecommunications systems."
Those comments further raised security concerns about Huawei which, for years, has been met with resistance in western markets.
But Huawei is firmly rejecting the allegations. Now spokesman Scott Sykes says this, quote, "these tired, unsubstantiated defamatory remarks are sad distractions from real-world concerns related to espionage, industrial and otherwise, that demand serious discussions globally."
Now Huawei has always maintained that its products and infrastructure networks are safe and that it does not maintain ties with Beijing.
Now let's turn to Libya. And this image is not how the people of Benghazi want you to see their city. Now 10 months have passed since the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate. But Benghazi is still struggling with the aftermath.
Now all week, we've been bringing you excerpts from Arwa Damon's special investigation. And today, Arwa talks to Benghazi residents who are fighting for their city's reputation.
(BEGIN VIDEOAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Benghazi's war cemetery is the resting place of those from battles past - Christian and Muslim, even Jewish. A group of armed bearded men desecrated some of the graves and destroyed the cross. No one dares repair it.
But some Libyans are fighting back. No to terrorism, no to al Qaeda. Many in Benghazi are angry that their city has become synonymous with terrorism, its reputation ruined by a fringe of militants. And they want Americans to return.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it bother us, because we want Benghazi to be like the biggest cities in the world, you know, but we can't do that because the companies have gone. We can't do that. All the companies, not America's only, just all of them. They're gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A message to American people. I tell them, Libya is safe, especially Benghazi. I think you can visit Benghazi in the middle of night. You see the people.
DAMON: For now, that message is falling on deaf ears. The Italians were the last to pull out after an attack on their consul general.
Months after the assault on the U.S. compound, this city and Libya, is in a battle for its future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And you can find out more of what Arwa uncovered in the CNN special investigation. It's called Return to Benghazi. It premieres less than three hour from now. So tune in at 11:30 pm here in Hong Kong, that's 4:30 in London, and 7:30 in Abu Dhabi.
Now in Japan, children are learning to manage their finances from a very young age. Now it's not cash, but kidzos, its' a currency that kids can earn, save, and spend at a Japanese theme park. You'll have the full story coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now what better way to teach your kids the meaning of a dollar than to put them to work? Well, probably you shouldn't sent out their kindergarten resumes just yet, but you could bring them to KidZania. It's a Japanese theme park that lets kids try out different jobs, earn their keep, and manage their finances.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Pint sized paramedics practicing first aid. Around the corner, young firefighters hose down a building. At this theme park in Japan's capital, children can get their hands dirty trying all sorts of adult jobs.
KOJI NOSE, EXECUTIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR, KIDZANIA: We have over 60 pavilions where they can stop by. Some pavilions for them to work, make money, some pavilions spend the money.
LU STOUT: Children select a job, change into the uniform. And after a spot of on the job training, they are ready for their shift at attractions sponsored by real-life companies like Coca-Cola and Clinique.
"It's a lot of fun, because I can do things I've never done before," says this boy.
Fun, and teaching kids some financial smarts on the side is what it's all about at KidZania.
The company says the park broadens a children's understanding of the workplace beyond their parents professions and encourages them to be confident, motivated, and independent.
While these kids work, their parents watch. And at KidZania, it pays to play.
"We work and save money so that we'll be able to buy lots of stuff," these girls tell us.
The children's hard earned cash is kept in KidZania's very own bank, which deals in the park's currency, called kidzos. If they save up, they can use the bank notes on their next visit.
But not everyone is interested in squirreling away their cash.
NOSE: Compared to Mexico and other countries, KidZanias, for example, kids here want to work and make the money and then save the money in the bank. But in the other countries, they want to spend the money first. And after that they make money. It is a big difference in the whole, the other countries and Japan.
LU STOUT: Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe has ramped up government spending as part of an ambitious economic recovery plan. But it seems that his big spending message hasn't trickled down to KidZania's consumers just yet.
These girls told us they have heard of Abenomics, but they couldn't tell us what it was. Still, they have time to learn.
No matter what career they might pursue in the future, you can be sure these kids will take away more than just tasty treats from their time at KidZania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And a cute little tidbit for you, if you're watching carefully, you'd notice that all the facilities have been cut down to about two-thirds their actual size, so they're just right for those pint-sized workers.
Now, there have been heat waves across the world - in Japan, in the UK, and the U.S. Let's get details with Mari Ramos. She joins us from the world weather center - Mari.
MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kristie, you know what something that keeps the heat away, of course, is the rain. And you've been lucky in Hong Kong because you've been getting quite a bit of rainfall. I want to point out to the Hong Kong cam. Let's go ahead and take a look outside right now in Hong Kong. You had a severe thunderstorm warning - amber warning - ooh, perfect timing, or not. Wow, that was a tremendous lightning strike right there.
That has been a concern there as well. So, you know, the good comes with the bad.
The rain helps keep you cool, but it has been quite heavy and some strong winds also being reported up to 70 kilometers per hour just now.
When you come back over to the weather map over here, I want to show you there's a lot of rain in this area here. Those are the remnants of what was Cimarron, that tropical storm that has been moving through this area here. So it's still brushing the coastline.
We also have some rain farther to the north. And we should see some heavy rain across the Korean peninsula.
But it has remained relatively dry, but also very humid across Japan. And when the areas where you don't have the rain, that's when you really see things heat up, especially when you don't have the rain for a prolonged period of time.
I want to show you, this is a picture from Japan. Absolutely cute, right? People trying to stay cool whatever way they can. This is just one example. In New York, similar situation, people just try to find the shade, the water, you know, enjoying the sunshine. And this is a picture from London, also an area that has been suffering from a heat wave, so to speak, but people enjoying the weather at the same time.
That's the good part of it.
I want to kind of switch gears, though, a little bit and show you the other part of it. Look at the video, this is pictures from Japan. In Japan, they're having a huge, tough time now with reports of many people ill and HK reporting 85 deaths across Japan just in the first two weeks of July. They're also reporting thousands of people that have been hospitalized, because of the weather.
This intense heat that continues to affect people in this area.
So we have different parts of the world suffering from extreme heat.
And I want to give you a little bit of stats, and a little bit of help with this when we talk about the deadly heat. This is from the Centers of Disease Control here in the U.S. And what they're saying is that heat related deaths and illnesses are actually preventable. And they're preventable by staying cool.
And if you think about how easy it is to stay cool, then it really just makes it more of a tragedy when you see people getting hurt by this or losing their lives because of the intense heat.
Now what happens is, when the temperatures become extreme, our body loses its ability to cool down. And blood flow increases near the skin and to try to keep us cool and it loses blood flow to our inner organs. And then when those high temperatures begin to affect our internal organs, it can damage our brain, it can damage other internal organs - heart failure is one of the things that tends to happen quite a bit when our body temperature rises very, very quickly or stays like that, Kristie, for a very long time.
So the thing to remember is that age - either you're very old or very young - dehydration, sunburn, which all those people out in the sun need to remember, and any kind of illness can actually increase that risk for you to be hurt by the heat.
So I know you're thinking we're enjoying the summer, leave us alone, we like it. You need to be very, very careful.
Now with reports also coming in from the UK that people had to be hospitalized because of the heat. We, of course, have seen this happen also in the U.S. And it can happen anywhere in the world.
So enjoy the weather, but please be very, very careful.
Back to you.
LU STOUT: Yeah, enjoy the weather, but we needed to hear that. Mari Ramos with the tips on what to do during a heat wave. Thank you very much indeed for that. And have a good weekend. Take care.
Now, same-sex marriage, it is legal in 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. But road blocks remain for gay couples in many other states.
Now Sara Ganim reports on the loophole that one man found to get around the financial repercussions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don't be fooled by the Supreme Court's decision to throw out the Defense of Marriage Act. Hundreds of thousands of guy couples still can't get the benefits of being married in their home state. John and Gregory, a couple in Pennsylvania, are among them, but they found a creative loophole. John, age 65, adopted Gregory, age 73.
JOHN, ADOPTED PARTNER: We have a great house. Nice property. And we've built that together and enjoy it together.
GANIM: State law in Pennsylvania says that when one of them dies, the other would have to pay a steep 15 percent inheritance tax to be able to keep all of those things. They've been together 45 years and didn't think that was fair.
MARIANNE RUDEBUSCH, ATTORNEY: To have to then pay inheritance tax on something that is already really yours somehow just doesn't pass the smell test.
GANIM: Attorney Marianne Rudebusch hit the books looking for legal options and came up with adoption.
JOHN: The judge said absolutely. There's no legal reason why I should not approve this. And I signed it - signed the adoption papers and looked at me and said, congratulations, it's a boy.
TED MARTIN, EQUALITY PENNSYLVANIA: I've heard of situations, on more than one occasion, sadly, when one couple - one part of the couple has died, you know, they've been locked out of a home.
GANIM: Ted Martin is with Equality Pennsylvania and he understands exactly why Gregory and John did it.
MARTIN: A place like Pennsylvania, still the only state in the northeast where you can still fire someone for being guy or evicted them from their apartment or deny them a public accommodation. So in a lot of ways, you know, people have to be smart.
GANIM: For this couple, it was a last resort. They didn't want to leave the state where they've lived their whole lives, but they don't believe they will live to see same-sex marriage legalized in Pennsylvania.
JOHN: And it's sad we can't call it a marriage in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but it is a really amazing relationship.
GANIM: Now this isn't for everyone. And it won't work in every state. New York, for example, has denied these kinds of request for adoption.
Now the attorney in this case told me it worked because one partner no longer had any living parents. Now the question of incest, could they be charged? Well, the attorney also told me she advised her clients she didn't think in this case anyone would act as the bedroom police.
Sara Ganim, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Incredible.
And you're watching News Stream. And coming up next, these American reality TV shows sound almost plausible, but they are totally fake. Find out who they fooled.
And it is a highlight of the geek calendar, we head to Comic-Con after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Now people around the world have heard of the movie - made for TV movie Sharknado. Now it doesn't matter that less than 1.5 million people actually watched its premiere. Sharknado has been a huge hit on social media. As we told you here, the Syfy channel has already ordered a sequel. But can it capture the same success?
Now here is what Sharknado's screenwriter had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THUNDER LEVIN, SHARKNADO, SCREENWRITER: I don't think there's any way to intentionally create a cult hit, that's something that just sort of happens every once in awhile. And we got very fortunate was if you'll pardon the pun a perfect storm of social media and a clever concept. And then I added sharks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now, the premise, it may be impossible to believe, but Sharknado is a real movie. Now the same cannot be said for these TV shows. Now Jeanne Moos explains the motive behind these unreal reality show promos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Which of the following is not really a real reality show?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Clam Kings." "Duck Dynasty". "Meet the Tanners". "The Real Housewives of New Jersey". "Long Island Landscapers."
MOOS: Well, actually, there were three imposters. "Meet the Tanners" is seemingly about a family obsessed with tanning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where's my oil? It is empty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, young lady.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your vitamin C levels are spiking. Just calm down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have rules in this house. If you sass me, you go to the shade.
MOOS: Meet the tanners got burned in reviews.
(On camera): What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ridiculous.
MOOS: What do you think? Tell me you'd watch?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't watch it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I'm related to some people like that.
(LAUGHTER)
MOOS (voice-over): But it turns out there's nothing to not watch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Meet the Tanners," Sunday at 8:00 p.m.
MOOS: The fact that you thought this was a real show says a lot about the state of TV. This is an ad for public broadcasting's New York affiliate, Channel 13, a campaign called "TV Gone Wrong."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was real.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it was real, absolutely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it couldn't get worse than the Kardashians.
MOOS: There's also something fishy about "Clam Kings."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What business you got talking about my family's clams?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And when it comes to being the best, these two aren't shucking around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want a little ground to pound?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would definitely watch this.
MOOS: And there's one more unreal reality show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This Thursday on the season premiere of "Long Island Landscapers."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's do flamingos. This one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flamingos. Elegant birds.
MOOS: The spoofs were dreamed up by ad agency CHI and Partners New York. They create, sat around dreaming up over-the-top fake reality shows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's one of the things where all we try to do is make each other laugh.
MOOS: They tried to strike a balance between too over-the-top and believable. Some ideas were rejects.
RONNIE LEE, CHI AND PARTNERS, NEW YORK: Like the one called redneck rabbis, and the tag line was they're quite unorthodox.
MOOS: This bunch of kids had a definite favorite. "Meet the Tanners."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would watch it definitely.
MOOS: But "Long Island Landscapers" didn't make the cut.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MOOS: The fake reality shows are meant to make the real ones seem like more boo-boo, less honey.
Jeanne Moos, CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here comes Honey Boo Boo. Clam Kings.
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now, Comic-Con 2013 has kicked off in San Diego, California. Now it is one of the biggest events on the so-called geek calendar. And once a haven for lovers of comic books, it is now packed with sneak peeks at cult movies and TV shows and panels promising answers to fans burning questions. And of course, it is a good excuse to show off a creative costume. And Tory Dunnan is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here at Comic-Con you'll never know what you'll see.
More than 100,000 humans, or otherwise, converge on the San Diego conventions center for four days filled with self expression, with potential of meeting their heroes and maybe even a TV star.
KIP HARRINGTON, ACTOR: To me, it's coming to places like Comic-Con that make me realize the show's impact.
DUNNAN: Kip Harrington, aka Game of Thrones John Snow, is somewhat of an icon here. And we all want the inside scoop.
When is winter coming?
HARRINGTON: It's always coming, isn't it? And it never arrives.
DUNNAN: The sights and sounds, even he can't resist.
HARRINGTON: This is hilarious. There's a whole load of throne shaped pedicabs going around, which I'm desperate to go on.
DUNNAN: Here in the city's historic gas lamp district, every street and every corner turns into a place where being a nerd or geek is cool. So no wonder it's so much fun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just feels like the syngergy is really good this year and everybody looks happy.
DUNNAN: Dressing up as your favorite character. Let's see yours?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're basically walkers, so we don't talk.
DUNNAN: From the purists...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Current value worth about $100,000.
DUNNAN: (inaudible) Comic-Con can't be beat.
Tory Dunnan, CNN, San Diego.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Nice zombie makeup there.
Now Comic-Con, it is fun for the fans, but it is also serious business for the entertainment industry. The studio behind the Twilight blockbusters, they are betting big on this man Harrison Ford, the Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor, he spoke at a panel on Thursday about his role in the new sci-fi film, it's called Ender's Game.
And Sony Pictures, chose Comic-Con to showcase the first teaser for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man II. And that gave fans of the franchise their first look at Jamie Foxx as the villain Electro.
And also announced at the convention, Lego is launching new building sets. The company says that they will bring all the action of its forthcoming animated movie into the play room.
Now CNN is calling on iReporters to help cover Comic-Con, but this year, there is a special request. We want you to shoot short interviews with Instagram or super short ones with Vine. If you need some inspiration, you can check out this celebrity spot by iReporter Chris Morrow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK BLACK, ACTOR: I like capes. I guess I'm still a child inside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: And, yep, that was the actor Jack Black proclaiming his love for a superhero style cape.
So, if you're at Comic-Con and you want to have a go, send in your videos. Just remember to use the hashtag #CNNSDCC when you upload them.
And that is News Stream. But the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.
END
