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American Morning: Wake Up Call
Eleven Days? No Deal Yet; "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; NJ Cheating Investigation; Suspected Hacker Pleads Not Guilty
Aired July 22, 2011 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It is Friday, July 22nd. This is your A.M.: WAKE-UP CALL.
I'm Ali Velshi, joining you live this morning from New York.
The federal government is about to take its final steps towards ending "don't ask, don't tell." Today, the Pentagon is ready to certify that it is ready to integrate openly gay members without sacrificing national security. Now, that is according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the president has to endorse it and then there's a 60-day waiting period. After that, the controversial policy is history.
Eleven days to default and still no deal on the debt ceiling. But it is a new day, and our sources say President Obama is trying to coax members of his own party to get behind the plan that would raise the debt limit, while cutting as much as $3 trillion in spending. Now, that is obviously going to mean changes to health and retirement programs. It also puts off tax reform, something a lot of people have thought is very important, until later.
The details are very fluid. No agreements yet. And congressional Democrats are very nervous.
So, the president is trying to figure out a way to work it out. He's holding a two-hour meeting at the White House. He did that last night and writing about compromise in this morning's "USA Today." Here's what he says, quote, "Some of the cuts would target worthwhile programs that do a lot of good for our country. There are cuts that some people in my own party aren't too happy about and, frankly, I wouldn't make them if we didn't have so much debt."
This is a sales pitch to the American people, many of whom want less finger pointing and more action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I blame both parties for the stalemate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the people responsible for this are elected to do a job. See? If I did my job like that, I'd be fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Keep in mind the Treasury deadline to get this work out is August 2nd. The clock is ticking.
You don't need me to tell you it's hot out there. It's really, really hot out there. I'm talking triple-digit scorchers across a lot of the country. The Weather Service is now blaming more than 20 deaths on the record-breaking temperatures. People are cranking up the A.C. just to cope. And it's stressing the nation's power grid to the max.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY MCKINNEY, NYC OFFICE OF THE EMERGENCY MGMT: The longer it stays hot and the longer the system has to go without being able to cool off, the more risky it gets and the more stress builds up in the system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Energy Secretary Steven Chu says his agency is ready to spring into action in case of blackouts.
Well, a killer in Georgia is executed by lethal injection in front of a video camera. Andrew DeYoung was declared dead at 8:04 p.m. Thursday, some 15 years after being convicted of murdering his parents and his sister. Courts allowed the execution to be taped to document DeYoung's reaction to the injection. The state is using a new kind of drug in the needle. And some say it causes needles suffering.
A break through in the NFL lockout: NFL owners gave the thumbs up to a 10-year revenue-sharing agreement to end the four-month work stoppage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: Hopefully, we can all work quickly, expeditiously and get this agreement done. It is time to get back to football. That is what everybody here wants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Now, it's the players' turn to vote. But the executive director of the players association sent an email to players' reps saying there are still issues that need to be hammered out. If players approve the deal, team facilities could be open as early as tomorrow.
Well, a woman suspected of having ties to the worldwide hackers group Anonymous says she's not dangerous and she's not affiliated with anyone. Tracy Venezuela pleaded not guilty yesterday after she and 13 other people were picked up in a big FBI raid this week. The Justice Department says the woman is part of a collective that attacked several Web sites. She is under a judge's orders not to use the Internet except to talk to her lawyer.
Time now for a quick check on world's markets. The Nikkei and Hang Seng both closing up. The FTSE and DAX also up at this hour.
Let's cross over to Hong Kong. Kristie Lu Stout standing by.
Kristie, markets rallying on the heels of this debt plan -- this debt bailout plan for Greece.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: That's right. And I should say, markets (ph) go up for a change.
Ali, European leaders meeting in Brussels have finally reached a deal to give Greece a second bailout. And that has been well-received on the global stock markets -- U.K., French and German markets all on the rise. While, the Nikkei in Japan closed higher. And the euro continued to rise further against the U.S. dollar.
European policymakers believed that this deal, which is worth almost a quarter of a trillion dollars, will contain Europe's debt crisis and give Greece more breathing room -- Ali.
VELSHI: All right. Kristie, some say this rescue plan is not going to be enough to solve long-term problems in Greece or in the Euro Zone.
STOUT: That's right. I mean, the markets are rallying right now. But there is fear among European leaders, fear that imposing losses on Greece's lenders could cause the debt crisis to spread, to spread to Italy and to Spain, and that's because of a sharp increase in the rate at which markets would be willing to lend.
Now, despite the fear, as which just reported, the markets consider this deal a win. And a senior economist at Moody's says that the plans should go a long way to make Greece's debt burden sustainable and to contain the threat of contagion.
Back to you, Ali.
VELSHI: All right. Kristie, good to see you this morning. We'll check in with you later on -- Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.
Hey, do you take your smartphone with you everywhere you go? I do. But do you take it in the bathroom with you?
According to researchers at Plaxo (ph), 39 percent of people admit they take their phones with them when it's time to handle their business, get some business done while you're doing your business. Of that 39 percent, 19 percent say they've dropped their phones in the toilet. Think about that.
Triple-digit temps are blistering the country, blamed for more than 20 deaths. And today may be the hottest day yet.
Let's go to Rob Marciano live from Atlanta. Rob --
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's hot.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: I don't even know what to ask you about this. I mean, look, I've never seen the map behind you look like that.
MARCIANO: You know, when you get into the pinks and purples, that's when you know there's bad news on the horizon. We had ridiculously hot temperatures yesterday. And for a while, Ali, we really didn't have much in the way of record breaking temperatures. But we set all sorts of records yesterday, especially across northern New England and Upstate New York. And today and tomorrow, it's going to be -- not a whole lot better.
These are the heat indices for tomorrow. So, you know, just getting through today, which will have similar numbers at least in New York and D.C. and Raleigh, tomorrow is going to be no better. Chicago sees a little break as we get through the weekend and eventually in through New York City, you'll down into the 80s as far as the heat index goes on Sunday.
But, until then, the next two days will be ridiculously hot and heat advisories continue to be painted across a large swath of the U.S. and the I-95 corridor, all the way down to the south.
Hurricane Dora once was almost a category 5 storm, now falling apart, category 2 storm, with winds of 105 miles per hour.
If you're traveling today, isolated storms today in Atlanta, D.C. area, Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami and Orlando. Those are the areas we expect to see thunderstorms. But the hazy and hot conditions expected to continue really until further notice. Just a moderation expected over the weekend.
All right. One way to cool off, if you're a horse, Ali, I must -- I haven't seen this video yet. But nonetheless, you know, when we're kids, we play in the sprinklers, right?
VELSHI: That's nice to do as a kid.
MARCIANO: You know, if you're a horse, you do the same thing. And I guess you do it with the blinders on.
But, nonetheless, that must feel good if you're out there, especially that darker colored horse, sweating it out.
VELSHI: I think without the blinders, the horse might follow the sprinkler action, like we did as kids. But you've got to hand it to that horse, do whatever you got to do. If you're not in the A.C. and you got to keep cool, do you whatever you got to do.
Rob, I'll check in with you --
MARCIANO: Now, wait, he's pointing at somebody. He's point out his friend there.
VELSHI: I think he's pointed at his pointed at his face. But they don't have a pushable thumb --
MARCIANO: He's not the only who's going to be doing that today, I'm sure.
VELSHI: All right. Rob, I'll catch up with you later -- Rob Marciano on the weather center.
A group of gay rights activists show up at a Christian clinic run by Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and her husband. We're going to show you what they did once they got inside. It's all on tape.
But, first, here's our quote of the day, quote, "My children are not in a public position." Can you guess which politician said it and why? That's coming up after the break.
It's eight minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: It's 11 minutes after the hour. Good morning.
Back to our quote of the day. Quote, "My children are not in a public position." That is from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The former White House chief of staff got upset after an NBC Chicago reporter asked him about whether his children would go to public or private school.
Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL, CHICAGO: Oh, Mary Ann, let me break the news to you, my children are not in a public position. The mayor is. And I look forward to our future interview.
I'm done, especially after that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Wow, gets up, walks out of the interview.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was asked a similar question recently. And he got equally testy about it, but he stayed for the interview.
For Republican candidates hoping to snag the 2012 bid, it's a bit of a jungle out there. Here is Jon Stewart with your morning punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STWART: To become their party's nominee. They will need strength. They will need agility. They will need luck.
But mostly to survive, they will need money.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Gingrich, $2 million, Rick Santorum, not so much, half a million dollars.
STEWART: Five hundred thousand dollars in the war chest. Bye- bye!
And what about that old silver back, Newt Gingrich? By the way, that's not a wildlife metaphor. He stopped shaving his back when he left Congress.
Well, I wonder how "The Daily Show" will depict Pawlenty's demise.
If a Pawlenty campaign falls in the woods, does it make a sound?
BLITZER: Herman Cain raised $2.5 million.
STEWART: Two and a half million for Herman Cain. That's a lot of pepperoni for the godfather of buffet-style pizza. I don't know if predators are even going to bother with this one.
Of course, there's one candidate who seems to be gaining strength by the day, Michele Bachmann.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michele Bachmann's migraines and whether this should be considered a campaign issue.
STEWART: Yes. I got to say, of all my issues with Bachmann's brain.
We know who the clear frontrunner is -- $18 million raised. Mitt Romney is the king of the jungle. He is the thick-maned, super predator of the race, the Republican's Aslan.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
VELSHI: All right. Time now for your Political Ticker with Tim Farley. He's the host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM POTUS, live from Washington.
Good morning, Tim.
Eleven days and counting until the debt ceiling deadline. What's your feeling? What's your sense? Do you think we're getting closer?
TIM FARLEY, "MORNING BRIEFING," SIRIUS XM POTUS: I think you got a lot of it in the beginning, Ali, when you said the Democrats are getting very nervous about this, this pushback from Democrats, like Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader in the House, saying, how come we're not a part of the conversation. There was a confrontation between Senator Reid and Jacob Lew, who is the director of the Office of Management and Budget, about how come we're not being part of the deal? Mr. Lew evidently said something to the effect there is no deal. And you'd be informed if there was one. But that is where the president is getting push from.
The point is we're counting down and we need to get something pretty quickly.
The Senate is working on it today. The House will probably be working and voting on something Monday relative to cut, cap and balance, and maybe we'll see balance after that.
VELSHI: All right. We're talking about Michele Bachmann and her migraine. I think she's got not another headache and this has to do with this clinic that she runs with her husband -- counsels gays to be straight. I guess some activists got to the place.
FARLEY: Yes. Evidently, Marcus Bachmann, her husband, has said on a Christian radio show about a year ago that barbarians need to be treated. And so, the barbarian horde descended on their clinic, which does, by the way, get some money from Medicaid, Medicare and that is part of the issue.
But I don't know about you, Ali, I was watching this and wondering at some point was somebody going to yell at the camera, "What's in your wallet?" The glitter flute. The Bachmanns weren't there for that. However, again, this is just another incident of using an issue that's really not as big as an issue for some candidates.
I'm sure Mitt Romney is watching closely and enjoying it.
VELSHI: Well, that's an interesting question, Tim, because a lot of people this doesn't really hurt Michele Bachmann with her core, that her husband runs the clinic, that argues that gays can be counseled into being straight.
FARLEY: Right. And the key here is that what some people picked up on is that, again, they have received money from the federal government. That seems to go against her rather small government philosophy.
VELSHI: Right.
FARLEY: It's not so much the social issue. It's getting money for Medicare and Medicaid.
VELSHI: All right. Tim, you have a great show today. Tim Farley is the host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM POTUS radio.
All right. Will she or won't she? That's the question surrounding Sarah Palin as she keeps political observers guessing whether she's going to enter the 2012 presidential race or not.
Now, her daughter Bristol told HLN's Dr. Drew she's optimistic about her mom's chances if she decides to run.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRISTOL PALIN, SARAH PALIN'S DAUGHTER: I think she's so smart and I think she could debate anyone and do very well.
DR. DREW PINSKY, HLN HOST: You hope she doesn't win? I can imagine as the daughter -- oh, please, no, don't do that?
PALIN: No. I think people are going to be talking about my family and her and everyone else no matter what we're doing.
PINSKY: Do you like that?
PALIN: I mean, I don't know how to feel about it. I think there's awesome opportunities that come with it. But then I also think there's lots of drawbacks and lots of negatives towards it. But I think whatever she does will be right for her family and right for herself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Now, speaking of Sarah Palin, she is on "TIME" magazine's top 10 list of wives throughout history who have held their own. Now, "TIME" has a very specific name for these women. I'm not really wanting to use that name at this hour of the morning. But you can look it up on "TIME." Other women, tough women, wives, through history, Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Isabel of Spain, she would have slipped my mind, June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash's wife, Cleopatra., she's a got a new book out by the way. She didn't write it. It's about her.
Sarah Palin comes in at number five. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are on the list. So is Michelle Obama at number seven. The Rani of Jhansi, a 19 century warrior of queen of India, is on the list. Melinda Gates is there as well at number nine. Tiger Woods' ex, Elin Nordegren is on the list.
"TIME" compiled the list of top women after Rupert Murdoch's wife Wendi leapt to his defense this week, you remember than, when a protester threw a pie at him, some shaving foam while he was testifying before a British parliamentary committee.
It's an interesting list.
Superheroes, superfans and superstars are all converging on San Diego this weekend. His comic-con 2011. I know there are some of you out there. You can tweet me if you're a comic book fan or you're involved in comic books. I hear from a lot of you fairly often.
The annual trade show that shines the spotlight on what's next, what's new in popular culture -- sold out this year, by the way, more than 100,000 ticket holders rubbing elbows with celebrities and getting a sneak peek on what in the world of comics. For the city of San Diego, it is an economic bonanza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JERRY SANDERS, SAN DIEGO: The economic impact just over the next three years will be over $500 million. We're going to be expanding our convention center. And one of the big reasons we're going to expand it is because of comic-con.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: The mayor says after the convention center expansion is finished, it will add another 8,000 jobs.
A new electronic tongue tells you if your juice labels are lying. But what in the world does an electronic tongue even look like? I'll show you after this.
But, first, be nice to your pest control guys today. Today is National Day of Ratcatchers. Now, this day was actually created to celebrate the pied piper but it now refers to pest control technicians everywhere.
Have a good day rat catchers and pest control technicians.
It's 19 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: It is 22 minutes after the hour.
Here are three things to have on your radar today:
The Pentagon is expected to certify the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," meaning that the U.S. military is prepared to accept openly gay and lesbian service members.
At 11:00 a.m. Eastern, the president will participate in a town hall at the University of Maryland to discuss the ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to deficit reduction.
And at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, a welcome home ceremony is planned for the shuttle Atlantis astronauts in Houston.
Let's go around the world with Monita Rajpal, live from London.
Monita, the U.N. declares a famine in parts of Somalia, something we really heard about on the nation -- on the international level for a while. Drought is compounding the problem.
Give me a sense of how serious this problem is.
MONITA RAJPAL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It's an incredibly desperate situation. Famine is declared when there is mass starvation. And we're talking about 4 million people in Somalia. That's half the country's population that are now at risk of starvation.
It's a perfect storm of a situation where there is drought, conflict and poverty. And that's why thousands of people, thousands of Somalis are trying to flee the country right out to head south into Kenya where there are refugee camps and some food were set up by the U.N. aid agencies. But, of course, the situation is becoming increasingly desperate. The U.N. secretary general said that, as you were saying 4 million people, that's 3.7 million people are now in a crisis situation.
In terms of the amount of money that is needed to help get the aid, to buy the food and the water that is desperately required, $1.6 billion is need and about $300 million of that money is required in the next two months alone.
Now, the U.S. has given back $28 million already in immediate assistance. But that is in addition to some $400 million they've already given in emergency aid over the past year.
So, it's an credibly desperate situation, and a lot of those people who are suffering right now are children, Ali.
VELSHI: All right. Monita, let's talk about this famine had triggered an editorial cartoon in a Murdoch-owned newspaper. I saw the cartoon this morning. It's drawing some criticism.
RAJPAL: Yes, it's disturbing, to say the least. This was in "The Times" newspaper. It's owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
And, of course, as you can see there, it depicts, you know, starving people. And the caption says I have a belly full of phone hacking.
I don't know what they were trying to be -- if they were trying to be smart or funny in any way. But I think there has been a lot of online criticism as a result of this. People are calling it as distasteful.
As -- you know what? As journalists, we're not really allowed to give -- we shouldn't really give our personal opinion on stories, but it really is quite distasteful, Ali.
VELSHI: Yes, it's a strange one. It's always difficult when you're talking about cartoons because cartoonists operate in a sort of different editorial space. But the juxtaposition of phone hacking and famine in Somalia does sit strangely.
Monita, thanks very much. Good to see you, my friend -- Monita Rajpal in London for us this morning.
An underwater robot the size of an egg could help limit contamination from nuclear plants. It's being developed by MIT engineers to swim through pipes at nuclear facilities checking for signs of corrosion. Leaking pipes can lead to contaminated ground water.
Keep in mind about half of all reactors in the United States are at least 30 years old. So, this little orb could end up coming in handy.
The state of California is axing its rebate program for people who buy all electric cars. The "Los Angeles Times" reports the state has run out of $5,000 rebates. But there are still might be some help for the 500 people who are on the waiting list. They could end up with smaller rebates of $250 apiece
But that California rebate is bigger than anywhere else in the United States and made it a real advantage to buy an electric car in California as opposed to somewhere else and drive it there.
Get ready for this -- you're about to see pictures of an electronic tongue. I warn you it doesn't look anything like a normal tongue. This thing tastes -- it taste tests fruit or juice and tells you how healthy it is. So that $5 palm juice that claims to have anti-oxidant powers, the tongue will tell you if that's true or not.
It's interesting -- kind of like a "CSI" meets your kitchen.
But, first, today's "Businessman's Special" is a littler start up company called My Textbook. It just sold for $100 million. Find out how, coming up after this quick break.
Twenty-six minutes after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Good morning. It's Friday, July 22nd. This is your A.M.: WAKE-UP CALL.
I'm Ali Velshi, joining you live this morning from a sultry, muggy New York City. It's 30 minutes after the hour.
You don't need me to tell you it's hot out there. It is really, really hot. I'm talking about triple-degree -- triple-digit scorchers across a lot of the country. The weather service is now blaming more than 20 deaths on this record-breaking heat, proof that it's not just uncomfortable, it is dangerous. People are cranking up the A.C. just to cope, but it's stressing the nation's power grids to the max.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY MCKINNEY, NYC OFFICE OF THE EMERGENCY MGMT: The longer it stays hot and the longer the system has to go without being able to cool off, the more risky it gets and the more stress builds up in the system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Energy secretary, Stephen Chu, says his agency is ready to spring into action in the case of blackouts.
The federal government is ready to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Today, the Pentagon is expected to certify that it is prepared to accept openly gay service members without sacrificing national security. That's according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The president, then, has to endorse the certification, then there's a two-month waiting period. After that, the controversial policy is history.
Nearly three dozen schools in New Jersey are being investigated for possible cheating. An examination of standardized test data showed high instances of what's called erasure marks. You know what those are. That's when wrong answers are change to right answers. According to state school officials, the 34 school are being investigated showed erasures from wrong to right answers two to five times as often as the state average. New Jersey's acting education commissioner says in now way that these reports prove that cheating occurred.
We've seen eye opening pictures taken from space before, but check this out. This is the view of the space shuttle "Atlantis" looking like a bean sprout as it made its way home. It's a unique perspective because the picture was taken from up above by the expedition 28 crew of the international space station.
All right. Some Florida drivers are upset the state is selling their names, addresses, and birth dates. Information that's found on their driver's license to collection firms -- data collection firms. Our affiliate WCTV in Tallahassee reports the state raked in $63 million from the practice last year. A spokesperson from the Florida Department of Highway and Safety and Motor Vehicles say no laws are being broken, but some drivers aren't satisfied with that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN SANTALLA, TALLAHASSEE RESIDENT: Honestly pretty shocking. That's not something that I think the government should be doing or the DMV.
ANN HOWARD, DMV SPOKESWOMAN: These companies exist for a reason. If it were not for them, it would take Floridians weeks to get insurance coverage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: The spokesperson says the state never gives out Social Security numbers. That's nice. She admits the profit from the information they sell does go back to the states. I guess, that's nice, too.
Let's go to Carter Evans. He's here in New York City where markets are just set to open in a few hours. He's at the NASDAQ market site. I hope the air condition is working over there, Carter. It's a hot one today. How's it looking for markets?
CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It was hot when I was walking in today.
VELSHI: Yes.
EVANS: Eighty-five degrees outside at 4:00 a.m. here in New York City. Hopefully, the markets are hot as well. And, on word of this Greek debt deal, markets around the world are responding in positive ways. Our futures are looking good as well. I think investors here in the U.S. are hoping that our lawmakers can come up with a deal to settle our debt right now. So, that's still in the picture.
But this Greek debt deal has been a long time coming. So, a lot of people are really happy about that. We got Honeywell reporting a little bit later today. Lots of earnings still come in. And so far, earnings have been pretty good.
VELSHI: Talk to me about tech. Talk to me about Microsoft and Intel.
EVANS: Yes. Microsoft reporting yesterday, even though, Windows is sputtering, Microsoft still has plenty of gas left in the tank. The company says it sales of its Xbox 360 and Kinect soared 30 percent in the last quarter. A lot of people love that Kinect system.
VELSHI: Wow.
EVANS: Xbox is the top console for the 12th month in a row. Software sales, strong as well. All of that helping. Microsoft grow its overall sales by eight percent over the past three months to, get this, $17.4 billion, and that's despite a sales slump for windows. It's better than forecast. It's great news for Microsoft.
And all this, as you know, Ali, comes after Intel reported record sales, up 11 percent when it comes to its bread and butter personal computer business, which is a big accomplishment, as you know, because consumer PC sales are dropping.
VELSHI: Yes.
EVANS: People are buying tablets. They're buying phones. They're occasionally buying laptops, but they're not buying desktops anymore.
VELSHI: Yes.
EVANS: So, this is a big accomplishment for Intel. Great news for the tech industry. So far, so good when it comes to earnings. We've just got to get this debt crisis settled.
VELSHI: I'm no gamer, but I love Kinect.
EVANS: Yes. You know, it's awesome. Microsoft came here a few months ago when they were introducing it. I got to play Kinect with the CFO of the company. It was quite an experience. It's incredible.
VELSHI: Very cool. All right. Carter, good to see you, my friend. Carter Evans at the NASDAQ market site.
Now, back to today's businessman special, the start-up social media company, "My Yearbook." I accidentally call it my textbook last time, but it's "My Yearbook" has sold for -- actually, a whole lot of money, $100 million. Some teenage siblings founded the site back in 2005. The Web site is across between Facebook and a dating Web site with a heavy push on gaming.
The company has more than 20 million members, and it says it hit a billion mobile page views in June, way up from 140 million back in November. This company's philosophy is retain your users and keep them engaged in your products. One day I want to not report on this. I want to be the guy who actually sells a company like this for $100 million. NFL owners have approved an agreement to get the football season underway, but will the players follow suit? The latest on the lockout is just ahead.
But first, our "Get Smart" question of the day. If it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, how long will it take the interior of a closed car to heat up to 123 degrees? Thirty minutes, 60 minutes, or two hours. It's good information for you, especially those of you who keep your pets in your car? I'll have it on the other side. Thirty- five minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Thirty-eight minutes after the hour. Now, back to our "Get Smart" question. If it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, which would be nice, actually, it's hotter than that -- how long will it take the interior of a closed car to heat up to 123 degrees? Thirty minutes. 60 minutes, or two hours? The answer is B, 60 minutes. In an hour, your car will be 123 degrees inside.
Time now for your "Political Ticker" with Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM P.O.T.U.S., live from Washington. The only saving grace in Washington is that Congress and the White House are both air conditioned, Tim. So, it's incentive for to stick around and get a debt deal done. Eleven days in counting to that debt ceiling deadline. I have to say, Tim, for those of us outside of Washington, it's very hard to read the tea leaves. You got a bunch of people saying, we're close, we're getting there. And you get another bunch of people saying, we're nowhere close at all.
TIM FARLEY, "MORNING BRIEFING" SIRIUS XM P.O.T.U.S.: You know, that's about the same way as it is inside the beltway which, by the way, never has a shortage of hot air, Ali Velshi. We're all watching the president try to fight against his Democrats who are saying, we're being left out of the deal.
Republicans are still trying to get a deal which doesn't include tax increases, revenues maybe, but there was a meeting yesterday with the Democratic leadership at the White House, and evidently, it was rather feisty meeting. The president is taking this case on the road today. You talk about people outside the beltway, and I guess, technically, it is.
The president is at the University of Maryland today. He expects to say more about this. He wants that, quote/unquote, "balanced approach," and we'll see how it shakes out. We're just 12 days away and counting.
VELSHI: All right. The good news, I suppose, is that unlike a month ago, when there really weren't options on the table, there are a few now. So, now, it might be like a buffet. It's a chance to pick between them. There is some sense that this "Gang of Six" -- tell me what's happening here. That "Gang of Six" proposal, is it gaining steam or losing steam?
FARLEY: I think it is probably going to be somewhat of a template going forward for an agreement.
VELSHI: Yes.
FARLEY: The challenge is all the details that have to be written. So, it may be that the president will have to back off in an original position of not signing a short-term deal, but it would be a short-term deal with the understanding that there will be something much bigger coming down the road. He's still hoping after this grand bargain. I'm not sure if that's possible, but it might be a kind of grand bargain.
VELSHI: Hey, Tim, real quick, I just want to show the viewers this video of a bunch of activists who got into Michele Bachmann and her husband's, Bachmann and Associates, their clinic in Minneapolis. It's interesting here. This isn't just a protest about the fact that this clinic claims to counsel gay people into becoming straight. There's more to it.
FARLEY: That's right. There's Medicaid and Medicare money that evidently has been funneled to this clinic. And, Michele Bachmann is one who says, you know, we don't need a big government. Of course, she (INAUDIBLE) to say she would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
So, it seems a little disingenuous that her husband's clinic is getting money. That that was part of it. As I look at the video, it doesn't look like someone is going to yell, yes, what's in your wallet, Ali?
VELSHI: Yes. It definitely looks like a capital one ad. Tim Farley, good to see you, my friend. Tim Farley is the host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM P.O.T.U.S. radio with us every morning.
It is 41 minutes after the hour. Here are three things you should have on your radar today.
The pentagon is expected to certify the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," meaning that the U.S. military is prepared to accept openly gay and lesbian service members.
At 11:00 a.m. Eastern, the president will participate in a town hall at the University of Maryland to discuss the ongoing effort to find a balanced approach to deficit reduction.
And at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, a welcome home ceremony is planned for the shuttle, "Atlantis," astronauts in Houston.
A breakthrough in the NFL lockout. NFL owners give the thumbs up yesterday to a ten-year revenue sharing agreement that will end the four-month work stoppage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: Hopefully, we can all work quickly, expeditiously, and get this agreement done. It is time to get back to football. That is what everybody --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Now, this isn't a done deal. It's the players' turn to vote now. There are still issues that need to be hammered out, but if players approve the deal, team facilities could be open as early as tomorrow. We'll keep you posted on that. You'll hear about it on CNN.
Well, they may have lost to Japan in the women's World Cup Final, but three members of the U.S. women's soccer team have landed a marketing deal with Bank of America. Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, and Alex Morgan will serve as spokes people in conjunction with an upcoming marathon in Chicago. A formal announcement is expected later on today.
And Tiger Woods' former caddie is speaking out about getting fired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE WILLIAMS, CADDIE: I'm extremely disappointed. The last days have been very difficult, and I've stuck by him through thick and thin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: He is complaining about how they worked together for 12 years, helping Tiger snag almost all of his major titles.
Before we go, this day in history, in 1994, O.J. Simpson pleaded not guilty to murdering his ex-wife, Nicole and Ronald Goldman. It's 43 minutes after the hour.
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VELSHI: Good morning. It's Friday, July 22nd. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Ali Velshi joining you live from New York this morning. It is 46 minutes after the hour.
This week, the world watched as Rupert Murdoch, his son, James, and his protege, Rebekah Brooks, all answered questions from UK lawmakers about the phone hacking scandal, but some ex "News of the World" editors say James Murdoch gave mistaken evidence to the committee. Atika Shubert live in London. Atika, what's this about?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, this is not just the ex-editor, Colin Myler, but also the former lawyer for "News of the World" saying that James Murdoch was very much mistaken in his testimony, that he had been informed about an e-mail called the fornevil (ph) e-mail, and this e-mail basically showed that the problem was not limited to just one reporter, that this was more than a single person.
It went much further. And so, this suggests that possibly, James Murdoch, actually knew about this much earlier, and that he settled with another claimant on this issue in order to basically cover it up. Now, James Murdoch has replied to this challenge by his former editor and lawyer saying just very simply, "I stand by my testimony to the select committee." Full stop. So, very curt reply there.
And as you can imagine, the committee members are not happy about this at all, they say, they want to hear back from James Murdoch to explain exactly what happened. Was he lying to the committee? Was he mistaken? Did he forget? They want some reason for this apparent discrepancy.
VELSHI: There has not been a day, has there, Atika, where there hasn't been some new development, some conflict in the story. Thanks for following it so well for us, Atika Shubert. And, of course, CNN will continue to follow that story very closely.
It's been a long fight, but the military is about to take its final steps toward eliminating "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Today, the Pentagon is expected to certify that it's ready to integrate openly gay service members without sacrificing national security. That's according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The president has to endorse it. And then, there's a 60-day waiting period. After that, the policy is history.
Eleven days to default and still no deal on the debt ceiling, but it is a new day, and our sources say President Obama is trying to coax members of his own party to get behind a plan that would raise the debt ceiling, while cutting as much as $3 trillion in spending. So, that could mean changes to health and retirement programs. It also puts off tax code reform until later. The details are very fluid.
No agreements yet. Congressional Democrats are particularly nervous about what they have to give up. So, the president is working to figure it out, holding a two-hour meeting at the White House last night and writing about compromise in this morning's "USA Today." That's what you're looking at.
He says, quote, "Some of the cuts would target worthwhile programs that do offer a lot of good for our country. They're cuts that some people in my own party aren't too happy about, and frankly, I wouldn't make them if we didn't have so much debt" end quote. It's a sales pitch to the American people, many of whom ant less finger pointing and more action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I blame both parties for the stalemate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of the people who are responsible for this are elected to do a job. If I did my job like that, I'd be fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Keep in mind, the treasury deadline to get this worked out is August 2nd. The clock is ticking. A killer in Georgia executed by lethal injection in front of a video camera. Andrew DeYoung was declared dead at 8:04 p.m. Thursday. Some 15 years after he was convicted of murdering his parents and his sister. Courts allowed the execution to be taped to document DeYoung's reaction to the injection. The state is using a new kind of drug in the needle and some say it causes needless suffering.
A woman suspected of having ties to the worldwide hackers group, Anonymous, says she's not dangerous, and she's not affiliate with anyone. Tracy Venezuela (ph) pleaded not guilty yesterday after she and 13 other people were picked up nationwide in a big FBI raid this week. The justice department says the woman is part of a collective that attacked several Web sites. She's under judge's orders not to use the internet, unless, she's talking to her lawyer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHANTING)
VELSHI (voice-over): An interesting protest. Feathers, glitter, picket signs. Dozens of Las Vegas showgirls marching down the strip to protest so-called resort fees. Several big name Vegas resorts, apparently, tack a fee onto your nightly room rate. And according to vegas.com, those unadvertised charges can range anywhere from $5 to $25. Now, these performers are promoting Caesar's Entertainment, a company that has no resort fees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI (on-camera): Triple digit temps are still blistering the country, blamed for more than 20 deaths, and today, may be the hottest yet. Let's go right to Rob Marciano. He's live in Atlanta. Rob, tell us what the situation is.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, the resort fees may be worth it today just to get into some AC, although, Vegas won't break any records. There are a number of records that were broken yesterday, especially across the eastern third of the country, some of this across the north. Fort Smith, 106, Elmira New York, upstate New York saw some records fall (ph), 104. Syracuse broke a record as well. Jersey, Newark, 103. That's a record. Toledo is spelled wrong, but you get the idea.
A lot of folks seeing some record breaking high temperatures, and it's going to continue, I think, throughout the day today with heat indices across parts of -- heat warnings and advisories across 29 states including the ever populated I-95 corridor. So, one, actually probably two more days of this stuff at least along the east coast. Here's how we break it down. Eighty-five degrees expected today in Chicago for a feels like temperature.
They're cooling down just a little bit, but New York and D.C. tomorrow are still into the upper 90s and mid 100s. So, we won't see the heat break there likely until Sunday, and eventually, into Monday. We're watching the tropics. Hurricane Dora continues to weaken there. And any sort of travel delays today will be from afternoon pop-up thunderstorms. We don't have any big storms that are rolling across the area, although, Chicago may see more than others.
Hey, they shut down the Statue of Liberty yesterday, Ali, because of the heat. At least, the crown because it was so hot up there. Other spots, the Belvedere Pass, I know you're a big fan of that in Central Park, they shut that down as well. So, if you're a tourist in New York City, call ahead before you go to these popular spots. And just try to get through --
VELSHI: Yes. Look, it's not a driving city. So, you are bound to be outside and walking around New York. It was unbelievable yesterday.
MARCIANO: By the way, Ali, I put my jacket on because I got a little bit insecure about my ultra white shirt. They never like you to wear a white shirt on TV.
VELSHI: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: There's something different about your shirt, had some circular.
VELSHI: Circles, yes. It's textured. Yes. Plain white shirts are no good, but this has -- Thank you for noticing.
MARCIANO: You always come something to the table that's interesting and especially on a Friday. I appreciate that.
VELSHI: As do you, my friend. Rob, I'll see you all morning on "American Morning." Rob Marciano in the weather center.
Hey, before we go, let's take a look at the word of the day, pentobarbital. Find out what it means and why you need to know it right after the short break. It's 53 minutes after the hour.
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VELSHI: Fifty-six minutes after the hour. Now, back to the word of the day. Pentobarbital. It is a barbiturate used in animal euthanasia, putting an animal down. It's a mild anesthetic in humans, and it's a new element in a three-drug cocktail used for lethal injection. It was swapped in to replace a drug that is no longer being produced, and it is controversial.
An execution in Georgia was actually videotaped last night over concerns that the drug might cause needless suffering. You're going to hear a lot more about that drug in the weeks to come.
Here are three things to put on your radar today.
The Pentagon is expected to certify the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," meaning that the U.S. military is prepared to accept openly gay and lesbian service members. At 11:00 a.m. eastern, the president will participate in a town hall at the University of Maryland to discuss the ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to deficit reduction.
And at 5:00 p.m. eastern, a welcome home ceremony is planned for the shuttle "Atlantis" astronauts in Houston.
Let's go to Carter Evans. He's live in New York where the markets are set to open in just a few hours. He's at the NASDAQ market site. Carter, how is it shaping up today?
EVANS: You know, it's looking pretty good today, Ali, with that deal on the debt crisis in Greece. Investors are feeling a little bit better. Now, we just need to solve our own debt crisis. We've got some big companies reporting today. So, investors are going to be keeping an eye out for GE, Verizon, McDonalds, Honeywell, Caterpillar, and Xerox. Those names are reporting today. Futures are looking up. And, so far, all of these earnings that have been coming in have been pretty good.
VELSHI: Carter, Chrysler made its sort of final payment of the money that it took from the U.S. government. What's the news? How do taxpayers end up doing?
EVANS: Well, pretty good. I mean, Chrysler is all paid up, kind of. The government sold off all of its shares in the automaker at least six years earlier than expected. Chrysler got more than $12 billion in loans from taxpayers. Fiat ended up buying Chrysler and just spent half a billion to buy back the government's remaining shares and the automaker, but the treasury says the U.S. taxpayers still lost about $1.3 billion on the bailout. And that was money owed by the old Chrysler before it went bankrupt and was sold to Fiat.
VELSHI: All right. So, it's not entirely even, but not bad. All right. Carter, good to see you, my friend. Have a great day at the NASDAQ market site. We'll check in with you later on. Carter Evans in New York.
For Republican candidates hoping to snag the 2012 bid, it's a jungle out there. Here's Jon Stewart with the morning punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST OF "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": To become their party's nominee, they will need strength! They will need agility! They will need luck! But mostly to survive, they will need money!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rick Santorum, not so much, half a million dollars.
STEWART: A $500,000 in the war chest, bye-bye.
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: What about the old silver back, Newt Gingrich? By the way, that's not a wildlife metaphor. He stopped shaving his back when he left Congress.
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: I wonder how "The Daily Show" will depict Pawlenty's demise?
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: If a Pawlenty campaign falls in the woods, does it make a sound?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hermain Cain raised $2.5 million.
STEWART: $2.5 million for Herman Cain? That's a lot of pepperoni for the godfather of buffet style pizza.
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: Even the creditors (ph) are even going to bother this. Of course, there's one candidate who seems to be gaining strength by the day, Michele Bachmann.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michele Bachmann's migraines and whether this should be considered a campaign issue.
STEWART: Yes. I got to say, with all my issues with Michele Bachmann's brain -
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: We know who the clear front runner is, $80 million raised. Mitt Romney is the king of the jungle. He is the thick made (ph) super predator of the race. He is the republican's (INAUDIBLE).
(LAUGHTER)
VELSHI: All right. Some good poking fun at Republicans in their ability to raise money in this campaign fight. It's early days yet.
That's it for AMERICAN MORNING WAKE-UP. We'll be back on Monday morning at 5:00 a.m. "AMERICAN MORNING" continues right now.
