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Old Law Banning Pinball Shuts Down Retro Museum in NY Town; American Seafood Cook-off; Aid Workers Killed in Afghanistan; "Big 3" Automakers Post Gains; Viral Video Rewind; Elena Kagan Swearing In; Midterm Elections; Wounded Heroes Returning Home
Aired August 07, 2010 - 14:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, call me old-fashioned, but I'm not into those video games where you stalk and shoot your prey. So this next story is for you and me.
CNN's Allan Chernoff takes us to a town where playing pinball is against the law, yes, pinball. And playing it just might land you in jail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pinball, that fun, fast, all-American game is actually against the law in this city. Sixty miles north of New York City, Beacon prohibits any type of pinball or video arcade, even the vintage kind from the 50s and 60s.
Fred Bobrow is owner of the Retro Arcade Museum. Eighteen months after opening his doors, he says he was ordered to shut them.
FRED BOBROW, OWNER, RETRO ARCADE MUSEUM: It turns out that they were able to prevent me from operating by enforcing an arcane law that bans pinballs in the town of - in the town of Beacon, pinball arcades. And the fine is $1,000 a day or jail.
CHERNOFF: Beacon isn't the only city to have outlawed pinball. Believe it or not, the game was banned from the early 1940s to the mid-70s in most of America's big cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Lawmakers believed pinball was a mafia-run racket and a waste of time for impressionable youth.
GEORGE MANSFIELD, COUNCILMAN, CITY OF BEACON: Arcades in the '70s may have represented something, you know, maybe that a community wouldn't want on their main street or that would attract the bad, you know, kids or whatever.
CHERNOFF: Many local officials insist, Bobrow's Retro Arcade Museum is a good fit with Beacon and believe this unique business, part museum, part entertainment center, has the potential to draw visitors to the area.
For the past two months, the Beacon City Council has been considered a change in the law.
MAYOR STEVE GOLD, CITY OF BEACON, NEW YORK: The legislative process really does take its time, and council's really looked very closely at all of the letters of the law and look ahead to the future. It's a process that usually can't be done very quickly because we want to do right rather than do it, you know, right away.
CHERNOFF: But movement to rewrite the law has been slow and could come too late to save this pinball wizard and his business.
BOBROW: The town is on their own timeline that doesn't coincide with business. Business, you have to be open every day.
I'm shutting this machine off.
CHERNOFF: Allan Chernoff, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Headlines at the top of the hour.
A medical team on a humanitarian mission is gunned down in Afghanistan. The group included six Americans.
BP is going ahead with the next step. By next weekend, they expect to finish relief wells that will allow them to pump in more mud and cement. It's the bottom kill.
Utah has its own plan for dealing with undocumented workers, but they're hoping to avoid the controversy and legal challenges we've seen in Arizona.
And welcome to the bench, Justice Kagan. Elena Kagan was sworn in a short time ago as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Kagan replaces John Paul Stevens, who retired in June. She was confirmed this week by a 63-37 Senate vote and sworn in today by Chief Justice John Roberts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, U.S. SUPREME COURT: -- Elena Kagan, do solemnly swear --
JUSTICE ELENA KAGAN, U.S. SUPREME COURT: I, Elena Kagan, do solemnly swear --
ROBERTS: -- that I will administer justice without respect to persons --
KAGAN: -- that I will administer justice without respect to persons --
ROBERTS: -- and do equal right to the poor and to the rich --
KAGAN: -- and do equal right to the poor and to the rich --
ROBERTS: -- and that I will faithfully and impartially --
KAGAN: -- and that I will faithfully and impartially -- ROBERTS: -- discharge and perform --
KAGAN: -- discharge and perform --
ROBERTS: -- all the duties incumbent upon me --
KAGAN: -- all the duties incumbent upon me --
ROBERTS: -- as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States --
KAGAN: -- as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States --
ROBERTS: -- under the constitution and laws of the United States.
KAGAN: -- under the constitution and laws of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help me God.
KAGAN: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And just like that, Kagan is just the fourth woman to be sworn in to the Supreme Court.
This court may be asked to deal with several current hot button, including California's Proposition 8 and Arizona's controversial immigration law.
BP is pushing forward with plans to permanently seal the rest of the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico. The top is already sealed. Tomorrow they will resume drilling a relief well to pump cement into the bottom of the well.
Despite the disaster, there's a festive occasion going on today, the Annual Seafood Cook-Off. Our Reynolds Wolf is live on Pensacola Beach, and there's - that is one industry that is just so important to the folks down there on the Gulf Coast, isn't that right, Reynolds?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely right. You know, the industry here, in terms of tourism and restaurants, is a billion- dollar industry. In fact, I believe it's a $1.8 billion industry. And a bit of a - a sense of return to normalcy for many people here to see the beaches flooded with people - not oil, but people, and that's been the situation with many of the hotels now finally beginning to fill back up.
Another big thing, of course, is the incredible seafood that you'll find on the Gulf Coast. There is a contest taking place in New Orleans right now, with 14 of the best chefs trying to battle it out to see who exactly will be named the best seafood chef in America. And, let me tell you, for two chefs, the contest is deeply personal. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WESLEY TRUE, CHEF IN CONTEST: Hey, Chris. Cut me up some scallions, please. We're doing a (INAUDIBLE) crusted shrimp. Any of that spicy stuff?
I found something I'm good at.
Not bad.
I get to be creative.
My name is Wesley True, and I'm the chef-owner of True Restaurant in Mobile, Alabama.
CHRIS LUSK, CHEF IN CONTEST: Shrimp on shrimp on grits. Can you ever have too much shrimp?
There's really no boundary on what you can do with food.
I just love cooking. It's like I don't - I can't imagine myself doing anything else.
My name is Chris Lusk. I'm the executive chef at Cafe Adelaide Restaurant in New Orleans.
Well, this is a national seafood competition. We're competing with 14 other chefs from around the country. People come here for food, and this is my opportunity to represent our state.
TRUE: I mean, right after the economy started to get better, we had this big seafood crisis. Half the seafood that I - I was going to get, I can't even get anymore.
LUSK: I'm - I'm a competitive person, so - but, at this time, I think it's so important to represent Louisiana.
TRUE: Personally, you know, obviously I want to win, you know, because I'm representing the state of Alabama.
LUSK: Anyone on the gulf is going to be a challenge because they're going to have great seafood as well, but not Louisiana seafood.
TRUE: I've been cooking about 12 years now. I can't really worry about competition. I got to worry about what I'm doing.
Then when you cook one dish, it's like is this the best dish I've ever made? I don't know.
LUSK: Oh, there's pressure, definitely.
MYKELTI WILLIAMSON, "BUBBA", FORREST GUMP: Shrimp is the food of the sea.
TRUE: We've all seen Forrest Gump. WILLIAMSON: You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it.
TRUE: He mentions, like, 60 shrimp dishes.
WILLIAMSON: Shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole.
TRUE: That's all based, like, you know, 20 miles from here, so.
WILLIAMSON: Pan fried, deep fried, stir fried.
LUSK: You have these grape tomatoes and you cut in half.
We pride our self on the freshest ingredients and - so anything that's coming out of the water, you know, is safe, and it's, you know, delicious, as always.
TRUE: Maybe we can get the message across that, you know, still buy local seafood. So, I guess there is a lot riding on it, you know?
LUSK: To be able to get out there and say look at our seafood. It's still the greatest seafood ever. It's safe. It still tastes great.
TRUE: I don't really know what the future's going to be. And I hope we can - I hope we can change it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: CNN photojournalist John Bena put that piece together, along with Eric Fiegel, our producer. And if you would like to put them together in terms of a little bit of a seafood concoction of your own or you have to live in - in, say, Mississippi, that's actually good news for you. Great news for you, as waters are now open to both recreation and to commercial fishermen off the coast of Mississippi.
However, it only includes shrimp and regular fish. In terms of oysters and crabs, they're holding off a little bit because there's still a few studies that have to be conducted on tissue samples, especially with the oysters, and those results should come back in a matter of weeks.
Let's send it back to you in the studio.
ACOSTA: And Reynolds, I was just down there. I had the seafood and it was great. And so, you know, it's OK for folks to start diving back in, I think.
Reynolds Wolf down on Pensacola Beach.
WOLF: Absolutely.
ACOSTA: Reynolds, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
WOLF: You bet.
ACOSTA: We turn now to Afghanistan where a deadly Taliban ambush has left 10 aid workers dead. Six of the 10 are Americans. They were part of a mission providing medical care, and CNN's foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty joins us live from Kabul, Afghanistan.
And, Jill, the details of this attack are still coming into focus, isn't that right?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: They are, Jim, but, you know, we do know pretty much what happened at this point, at least where they were headed and what they were doing. This team came from an organization that's called the International -- excuse me -- International Assistance Mission. It's a humanitarian group, primarily does medical care, comprised of Christian medical organizations and others.
They were - the team was going into an area that's called Nuristan. That's in Northeast Afghanistan. It's quite remote. They were going into an area that's very, very difficult. In fact, they were going to pack and kind of hike into that area. They were providing medical care, operations, eye operations and other things for the people of Afghanistan who live in that area.
We understand both from the police and from the organization that they were attacked. The Taliban has taken responsibility. The Taliban giving a version that these were not just medical people, that they were actually spies and perhaps even Christian spies, so to speak, who might have had Bibles. That has been denied by the organization.
But, in any case, these 10 people - and there were six Americans, one German, one British, and two Afghan citizens - were summarily executed, we understand from the police, by the Taliban.
Now, there were two Afghans who were allowed to live, and one of them is in police custody. He's being taken care of. And the other is in another location.
So those are the details that are coming out. It happened on Thursday, which is now two days ago.
And, Jim, the details of who went in there are coming out, and although the organization has not officially confirmed who died, they have said that there were 12 people in that team, 10 people dead, and two Afghans survived. So you would have to say that all of - of the foreigners who were involved in that did die.
One of them that is believed to have died is Dr. Karen Woo. She's a British - she was a British doctor, a specialist in women, maternal and child health care. And she actually wrote in a blog about what she was going to do, and I can read a little section in a second about that. And then the team leader, definitely confirmed, as Tim -- Tom Little. He was the team leader from New York.
Back to you, Jim.
ACOSTA: All right. Our Jill Dougherty joining us live from Kabul, Afghanistan, on that just terrible story about those aid workers who were, as - as Jill put it, executed out there in Afghanistan, apparently by the Taliban.
Jill, thanks so much.
Moving on to auto news, the "Big Three". They say they're back from the brink, but are American automakers doing enough to beat the competition? We will check the pulse of the auto industry next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: President Obama wrapped up his summer car trip this week with a stop at a Ford plant in Chicago. As during earlier visits to GM and Chrysler plants, he was touting the comeback of the U.S. auto industry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There were a lot of folks who were ready to write off the American auto industry, who thought we should just have walked away from it. Some still think that today, but you know what? That's not how you build a better future.
That's not how you build a better America. We don't give up. The United States does not quit. We always compete. That's what we do, and that's what we're doing with the U.S. auto industry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: So how are the "big three" automakers faring in this struggling economy? Let's check in with auto industry expert Lauren Fix. And, obviously, the president was trying to send a political message there that those bailouts for the car companies worked -- obviously not in the case of Ford. They were the one that didn't take the bailout money. But he's been trying to make this case over the last several weeks.
So Lauren, well, how do you see it? Are the big three making a comeback?
LAUREN FIX, AUTOMOTIVE ANALYST: Yes, actually, they are. And there's a reason for each one. When it comes to - let's start with Chrysler, and the reason that their sales are up about five percent is because of huge incentives. They haven't put out too many new brands. They've got a lot of products still in the pipeline.
And so they figured we'll put out huge incentives, get rid of these cars before we start bringing Fiats and Lancias and Alfa Romeos. So those are going to be your first coming to this country by the end of the year. You'll start seeing some 2011 models.
ACOSTA: And we have a graphic showing just how sales are doing in 2010, Ford up 3.3 percent, GM up 6.4 percent. And I was surprised to see - and then Toyota and Honda not doing so well, down 2 percent and 3 percent.
But I was surprised to see how well GM is doing over in China. Several of their cars are getting rated better by "Consumer Reports", better than ever before. And so - I mean, even General Motors, which you can't even - you can't even buy their stock on the New York Stock Exchange right now, I mean, this - this company is turning itself around, or so it seems.
FIX: Well, part of it is there's only four brand lines left. They've either dissolved them or sold them off or attempted to sell them off. So what we've got left is Buick, which is a huge product in China. They just love Buicks. It's like the goal is to own a Buick, which is great for the -
ACOSTA: Who'd have thunk it?
FIX: -- for the U.S. auto manufacturer.
But - yes, but you know what? If you've driven a Regal lately or looked at a LaCrosse, I tell you what. They've put together a really good product. Even, you know, their Equinox, and you're talking about the Chevrolet line, they've done a great job. The Camaro was a hot pick.
I mean, you're looking at cars that are really developed - and the Cadillac line is huge. The Cadillac line is just growing and growing.
And so, GMC, if you haven't driven a new Arcadia - I've driven them all, and I have to day, GM has really, really struggled, but they've come back strong.
But the interesting one, the one I really am impressed with, is Ford. They didn't take any government bailout. Alan Mulally is the genius behind it all, with redeveloping the Taurus, looking at the Fusion, the Fiesta, bringing that in from Europe. Number one selling car? Still the F Series pickup and the Super Duty Truck.
So, Ford is up huge in sales because they've really put their minds to it, and I think it's the product. It's really got to be the product because that's what the consumers are driving. ACOSTA: Yes. And so, Lauren, I - you know, I guess this is never going to settle the debate, right, whether or not the bailout helped or hurt, because you have - you have GM and Chrysler doing better. You have GM doing gangbusters. And Ford, which didn't take the bailout money, also doing well.
What's your take on it?
FIX: Well, I was against the bailout. I went (ph) totally against the bailout because I think that when you're talking about the U.S. economy and how we do things, it's consumers will buy things as they need things. If the economy is down, nothing is - was being sold, and as the economy starts to turn around very, very slowly, people start either to need cars, which is the reason for the car sales, because there are leases that are coming due, or, on the other hand, people just want to buy a car because they can afford to. That's why you're seeing the sales.
But then, look at the companies like in the Asian manufacturers, like Kia. Sales are up 20 percent.
ACOSTA: Wow.
FIX: That's huge. Hyundai sales are up almost as much. Nissan sales are. Those are (ph) are a reason, but then for some reason other brands like Suzuki have taken the biggest hit in sales.
So, again, consumers are out driving. They're checking crash test rates, they're checking fuel economy and, you know what? We're still buying SUVs. That's why the new Ford Explorer came out.
ACOSTA: Yes.
FIX: I mean, believe it or not, people still want those vehicles.
This is the U.S. We drive what we want. We don't drive what we're told to drive.
ACOSTA: That's true. Very - very good point there.
Lauren Fix, we could go - I could go on all day talking about cars. We didn't even get to talk about the Volt and those electric cars --
FIX: Absolutely. There's so much more.
ACOSTA: -- out there (INAUDIBLE) to do that. But good talking to you.
Lauren Fix, an auto expert --
FIX: Next time.
ACOSTA: Exactly. Talking about how the big three are making a big comeback. Thanks for your time. Appreciate it.
Well, coming up next, the latest greatest videos on the internet. Our Josh Levs with "Viral Video Rewind".
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
ACOSTA: Josh has good stuff today. We know Let's check this out. Hey, Josh.
LEVS: All right. So take a look at this video. This shark got near swimmers in New Jersey. We are going to tell you all about that.
Plus, I got some amazing acrobatic stunts over a street. And no one can even listen to me now because they're excited about the shark.
ACOSTA: Oh my goodness. Yes.
LEVS: We also got this. Did you know that now robots can park your car on both coasts of the United States? They'll do it for you. And I'll show you, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: I think this is everybody's favorite segment, videos that make you do a double take. That is the very definition of going viral on the internet, and, I have to say, I - I've seen a lot of teases in my time. That tease you just did before the break with the shark on the beach, that was probably the best tease I've seen in, like, many years.
LEVS: Wow. Did you hear that, bosses? Write that down.
ACOSTA: Because I thought the shark was going to start eating people on the beach. I literally thought that was going to happen.
LEVS: Well, that was coming up.
ACOSTA: I'm eating up your time. No pun intended.
LEVS: No. Keep it. And, by the way, I'm glad you got the purple tie memo. This is -
ACOSTA: There we go.
LEVS: So that - that counts as another tease, because the shark is coming up, but first we've got this. Look at these guys.
ACOSTA: I'm sorry. I (INAUDIBLE).
LEVS: No, it's good.
Two British guys doing these - these street stunts.
ACOSTA: What?
LEVS: You do stuff like this on weekends, right?
ACOSTA: I - I do this all the time.
LEVS: All the time.
ACOSTA: Yes.
LEVS: Average Saturday for me.
ACOSTA: Exactly.
LEVS: Look at these guys. And they obviously needed (INAUDIBLE) to take this video. And it's the music of Professor Longhair, "Big Chief". Obviously, (INAUDIBLE) watch, watch, watch, watch. Look at that. These two guys are amazing. And you can see this stuff's real.
ACOSTA: Wow.
LEVS: Sometimes you can't tell. This is real. I mean, this is doable, but it's just really, really impressive.
ACOSTA: I'm going to date myself here, but this reminds me of that '80s film, "Gymkata." Do you (INAUDIBLE)? Does anybody remember that? Does that ring a bell?
LEVS: (INAUDIBLE) your name, it would make sense. Jim Acosta.
ACOSTA: Oh, there you go. Well, it was like a - it was like a karate/gymnastics combination, and that's what these guys look like they're doing. Anyway, that made no sense.
LEVS: Well, hey, there people out there who love the esoteric references. They'll be all over it.
ACOSTA: Exactly.
LEVS: Here's the next one. Take a look at this. Something else happening set to music, a little bit surprising. This is a hip-hop concert in England, the Camden Crawl, and - and take a look.
ACOSTA: What?
LEVS: That woman in the back.
ACOSTA: Just some lady juggling at a concert.
LEVS: She's in her Sunday best. She hears about the concert. She decides to show up and juggle. Someone captures this, and guess what? Now she goes viral. It's reposted all over. The group in the background is Bad Boy.
ACOSTA: She's like the Susan Boyle of juggling.
LEVS: She is the new Susan Boyle of juggling. The unlikely impressive juggler.
Speaking of unlikely, now it's time for your favorite video.
ACOSTA: Look at this.
LEVS: Let's hit it, folks.
ACOSTA: Wow. Oh, my gosh.
LEVS: Six-foot sand shark scared these beachgoers in Seaside Park, New Jersey. Officials briefly shut down this beach after this sighting. So people saw the shark, they got out of the water. And, by the way, this was apparently relatively near where they shot "Jersey Shore", (INAUDIBLE) took place in Jersey.
ACOSTA: It's too bad that shark did not eat the cast of "Jersey Shore". That's -
LEVS: I'm still managing not to ever watch that show.
ACOSTA: I think that's - I think that's wise.
LEVS: Ali Velshi says I'm crazy.
ACOSTA: Wow. I think we're going to need a bigger boat. That's what I'll say about that -
LEVS: Well, unfortunately, everyone's OK, and the shark's OK. Didn't ultimately get hurt, so -
ACOSTA: How do we - how do we do better than that? I'm sorry.
LEVS: I know.
ACOSTA: Can we just look at that for three more minutes?
LEVS: Well, we don't - but I'll tell you what. We have a follow-up to something you and I did last week.
ACOSTA: OK. Very good.
LEVS: Because this is interesting to me. I didn't know this.
OK, so last week I showed - by the way, welcome back, right?
ACOSTA: Thank you.
LEVS: He's here with us two weeks in a row. Fred's going to like this one.
So last week I showed you this. This is parking, a robotic parking -
ACOSTA: Yes.
LEVS: -- in Budapest. And what happens is, skip to the second section of this video, and we'll keep the sound on. I just want to - I want to see the way it works. You get out of the car. It takes your car. It parks it in a spot for you. You don't have to think about it.
Well, after I showed this to you on TV, all these people got on my Facebook page and said, you know, a lot of people don't know this, but there actually is one in New York, also.
ACOSTA: Wow.
LEVS: So take a look at this next video. I have one out of New York. CNET, which is a technology website that puts together all sorts of videos and information, we link to them a lot -
ACOSTA: Sure.
LEVS: -- on cnn.com. They have this video.
ACOSTA: Oh, is that true? Those stuff's great.
LEVS: Yes. Those stuff are great.
They have this from 2007. There's this one spot in New York that does it. They have 67 -
ACOSTA: Now, I have to mention, this is where I park my car.
LEVS: Oh, see?
ACOSTA: See? I - I forgot to bring that up.
LEVS: When you were busy saying you had no idea this existed, you forgot to mention that this is actually how you park your car.
ACOSTA: This is where I - this is where I park the Bentley.
LEVS: Nice.
ACOSTA: It's just a weekend car.
LEVS: Oh, anchors and their Bentleys.
And now, as if that's not enough, look at Oregon. We have one more.
ACOSTA: Wow.
LEVS: There's one in Oregon as well. In Portland, Oregon.
ACOSTA: Who would have thunk it?
LEVS: It's an apartment complex. It also has automated parking. By using the - the system, they can park 30 cars in a space that could normally park 10. So it turns out -
ACOSTA: My goodness. This looks like a colossal waste of money. I just have to - I have to throw in my two cents here. Are we running out of space in this country where we have to have robots parking our cars? Is that what's going on?
LEVS: Well, whatever you can do to hand work over to machines instead of actual human beings seems to be our way.
ACOSTA: I don't know about that.
LEVS: Well, the industrial revolution happened for a reason. We just got to keep it going.
ACOSTA: I guess so.
LEVS: And one more before we go. Speaking of things robots can do.
ACOSTA: Yes.
LEVS: Parking your car is one thing.
ACOSTA: That's right.
LEVS: How about flipping a pancake?
ACOSTA: Wow. Now, that's a skill.
LEVS: Now, that's a skill.
I'll tell you why this actually is important. Watch what's happening. This guy is teaching the robot, and that's what's kind of -
ACOSTA: It looked like he was giving the robot a hand there, I have to say, in that last -
LEVS: He did. He had to. In fact, there's a term for this. It's called kinesthetic teaching. But I like (ph) give the robot a hand. There you go.
So what happens is they're - we're using this robot. This is researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology. They say after 50 trials, the robot learns the first step of the process requires a stiff-arm flip, while the second part requires a little more give. So the idea here is that they're taking this and through this kinesthetic process, they're actually teaching the robot how to do things that we do.
So the robot learns little nuances, learns the differences. A learning robot feels a little bit "Terminator"-ish, very Skynet -
ACOSTA: It does.
LEVS: -- but, you know, like we just said, we need machines to do everything for us.
ACOSTA: Well, leave it to the Italians. I mean, how - can you whip up a bowl of pasta? That's what I want to know.
LEVS: You know what? I bet they could. I'm going to ask them that.
ACOSTA: I think that's what they should move on to next.
LEVS: You know, as Americans, I think we should call the Italian Institute of Technology and say, come on. You're Italian. Make pasta. I'm sure they'd love that.
Here's what we should do. Let's show them where you can see the videos yourself. It's up in my Facebook page, JoshLevsCNN. I'll also tweet it out, JoshLevsCNN.
As always, send us your favorite videos and we will have some of those tomorrow afternoon here on the show. And you, I believe, will be back.
ACOSTA: I think that's right. And your new nickname, Josh, is Jaws.
LEVS: Jaws.
ACOSTA: It's no longer Josh. It's Jaws. That's what we'll be calling him.
LEVS: What's this movie I've got to go look up in IMDB?
ACOSTA: Gymkata.
LEVS: How do you spell that?
ACOSTA: I'll tell you after the break. It's very important that you check that out.
LEVS: OK.
ACOSTA: Well, our Election Express is back on the road. It's taking the pulse of voters around the country, and, plus, they may be only hours removed from the battlefield, but now they are only hours from the U.S.
This is where the nation's wounded warriors begin their journey home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This is what it's really all about in the world of the air medical evacuation community. You can see the plane now is full of the combat wounded from Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: That's right. Barbara Starr with our wounded warriors. This flight is relatively short. The journey to recovery may be long and daunting, and Barbara Starr is going to have their story. Amazing stuff.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: And now to this country's heroes who are coming home, U.S. troops wounded in battle. CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, takes us on this long journey home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This is what it's really all about in the world of the air medical evacuation community. You can see the plane now is full of the combat wounded from Afghanistan. These troops have all suffered injuries from IED, roadside bomb explosions, mortars, artillery, small arms fire, gunshot wounds -- they have gotten their initial treatment here in Germany, and now, we are about to make a nine-hour flight back to the United States, finally, they are getting back home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You remember that other guy that we put the antibiotics on...
STARR: The Air Force medical teams tend to every need on the final leg of the journey home. Captain Chris Watkins, a nurse, has worked evac flights for seven years. He sees the rising number of wounded, firsthand.
CAPT CHRIS WATKINS, U.S. AIR FORCE: Unfortunately, it is a lot of blast injuries. We have a lot of amputations, a lot of significant trauma patients that require some sort of a continuous monitoring care or obviously surgical treatment. IEDs are probably our No.1 player followed by small arms and indirect fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted to see a drop.
STARR: Private First Class James Darlington hit by a rocket- propelled grenade in the arm just a few days ago, now hours away from seeing his family. Doctors have eased initial worries that he may lose his arm.
PFC JAMES DARLINGTON, U.S. ARMY: I didn't think I was going to have an arm because the way it was just skin attaching to it. And I was actually really amazed when I woke up and seen an arm there, and I had feeling in it and everything, so, yeah.
STARR: So the medical care is pretty amazing.
DARLINGTON: It is really amazing. I was really surprised.
STARR: Twenty-two wounded on stretchers and some just hours off of the battlefield. There is constant worry about infection, many still on morphine for pain, and some in extremely critical condition on ventilators.
WATKINS: We have not sat down since about 8:00 this morning Germany time, and that was almost 11 hours ago. It is hard seeing these catastrophic injuries.
STARR: On some flights the most critically wounded are kept alive long enough to be brought home so their families can say good- bye. Sometimes the best cure, just being together. On this flight, three young soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division hit in the same attack just a few days earlier. Specialist Aaron Knuckols and his buddies were on patrol in the eastern Afghanistan when their vehicle hit a 300-pound roadside bomb.
SPEC AARON KNUCKOLS, U.S. ARMY: Everything got red and we went upside down.
STARR: After a near-death experience like that, Specialist Knuckols says he could not imagine going home without his friends.
KNUCKOLS: We have been together the whole trip, ma'am.
STARR: That is good.
KNUCKOLS: That is awesome.
STARR: Yeah. You keep an eye on each other.
KNUCKOLS: Yes, ma'am. I know my two guys back there, and I can't see, but I know they are getting the same care I am getting, and it is a very good feeling. I can't see them, but I know they are getting taken care of.
STARR: Fellow soldier Private First Class Mike Garcia broke two vertebrae in the back, his knee and his ankle in the attack, but his priority, his brothers in arms.
PFC MIKE GARCIA, U.S. ARMY: Well, ma'am, that is what makes it personal, because we go over there, and we are such a small group to begin w and we see pretty much nobody else for the year we are over there, and we just bond. A lot of bonding pretty much. And especially when you get hit. STARR: The third man, Staff Sergeant Benjamin McGuire's broken jaw is wired shut, but he doesn't need to talk for us to understand how grateful he is that they are all together.
(on camera): It means a lot to you. Do you think that it actually helps?
"Yes, ma'am without a doubt in my mind, it made my injuries seem not so bad."
You went to Afghanistan together, and you fought together and you got hit together. Now, you are coming home together?
"Yes."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tower reaching 612...
STARR (voice-over): For many of the soldiers the journey home is almost complete. Many we have spoken to have already reenlisted and are anxious to get back to Afghanistan to stand beside their fellow soldiers, even as the cycle of war wounded continues.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Andrews Air Force base.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And Barbara Starr has so many amazing stories to tell about the men and women she met. She'll be right here with Don Lemon at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
And Republicans are hoping to make some big gains in the midterm elections. We've got our Election Express back on the road in and our Paul Steinhauser joins us live in a few minutes from Utah.
Hey, Paul.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIR: Hey, Jim. We're heading up I-15, we're in central Utah, headed to Colorado, some hot primaries this week. A lot of politics momentings away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Midterm elections have us heading back to the bus as in the CNN Election Express. Our CNN political deputy Paul Steinhauser took the Election Express bus to Beaver County, Utah.
And Paul, why Utah? Was a really good Cracker Barrel there you had to try or what's the deal?
STEINHAUSER: No, here's the deal. And don't tell Tom Foreman and John King that I'm borrowing the bus, but remember the bus -- we had the bus in Phoenix just a about a week ago for the immigration law coverage. And we wanted to get it to Colorado. We got two hot primaries there coming up on Tuesday. I'm sending our Jessica Yellin, our national political correspondent, out there. So, we're doing a road trip this weekend, Jim, we're in Utah right now, immigration a big issues here in Borders, Arizona, it's a big issue here as well, Jim.
ACOSTA: And as we know, the economy is going to be a very big issue across the country. Those latest job numbers came out, White House tried to put the best spin on it. How is the economy, how's the issue of jobs playing as you're traveling across the country -- Paul.
STEINHAUSER: And you're absolutely right. Like I said, immigration is big issue here, but jobs the No. 1 issue in Utah and the No. 1 issue in just about every state in the United States.
And those numbers, we saw them yesterday, 9.5 percent unemployment, troubling numbers for the Democrats. Take a look at this. This is our recent CNN/Opinion Research Cooperation National Survey. We asked which political party, the Democrats or Republicans, would do a better job kind of jump-starting the economy. You can see the Republicans by a slight margin ahead of the Democrats. And Jim, among those crucial Independent voters, the Republicans have a much larger lead. So, troubling numbers for the Democrats and if the unemployment level doesn't drop much between now and November 2nd, and it's not expected to, it could spell trouble for the Democrats as they try to hold on to their majorities in Congress -- Jim.
ACOSTA: And one person who's very confident in making big gains with the Republicans is RNC chairman Michael Steele. He gave a pretty boisterous speech there in Kansas City yesterday addressing a summer meeting of the RNC. And he's predicting some pretty big gains this fall, and it's hard to bet against him, at this point.
STEINHAUSER: Yeah. The Republicans and Steele are very excited. They think they're going to do quite well. They think they have the momentum with them, that they're on the right side on the issues. Steele announced that he was going to do a bus tour, not with our bus, no, not ours...
ACOSTA: A different bus.
STEINHAUSER: Across the country. A different bus, a Republican bus. And they're going to try to -- what they want to do is try to help their candidates cross the country as much as possible to get out the vote. One thing Steele didn't say, though, and you know he's had a lot of controversy; he didn't say whether he would or would not run for re-election next year as the head of the Republican Party -- Jim.
ACOSTA: And Paul, that's an interesting thing you throw in at the end because that excitement about chairman Steele's future, because if you think about it, I mean, if he is still the chairman, and obviously he's going to fill out the rest of his term or at least that's what's expected, and the November elections come by and let's say the Republicans take back the House, they get very close to taking back the Senate, that's going to be viewed within the Republican party as a very big success. So it's going to be hard to say that Michael Steele wasn't a success as the RNC chairman if you just look at the numbers.
STEINHAUSER: Exactly. And you know, they've already won three statewide elections over the last year and it's all happened on Steele's watch. So, some Republicans and some strategists say well, maybe he did or didn't help, but if it happens on his watch, he gets to take the credit -- Jim.
ACOSTA: All right, Paul Steinhauser with the Election Express. Take care of that bus out there, Paul. We appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
STEINHAUSER: Hope to see you back here. Thank you.
ACOSTA: All right, sounds good.
This week's "CNN Hero" put her entire hometown on a diet. Linda Fondren challenged the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, to lose 17,000 pounds in 17 weeks. That doesn't sound possible, right? Well, it was such a success she couldn't stop there. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA FONDREN, CNN HERO: Mississippi has held the title of being the most obese state for six consecutive years.
My sister passed away at the age of 54. Cancer took her life, but obesity restricted her from living it.
You have made a commitment for a healthy community. Let's walk!
I knew that I wanted to do something to help people who wished they could live a better life.
My name is Linda Fondren and I challenged my community to the 17,000 pound weight loss challenge.
Go girl. Go. Good job.
For 17 weeks, I asked the 50,000 people in Vicksburg to only lose only a half a pound. They beat the challenge.
So you made it. You there.
I decided to make the challenge permanent, because we did not reach enough people.
Yeah.
We have a walking club and a nutrition program. On Saturday, the gym is open for free.
Change stations, everybody.
You have to give them the tools and opportunities to want to do better. And they will jump at that chance to do better.
MAYOR PAUL WINFIELD, VICKSBURG, MS: She takes no prisoners and she is committed to community involvement as we wrap our arms around this obesity issue.
FONDREN: It's to benefit my life. Beside it get me off the couch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey I like that.
FONDREN: Obesity affects us all. The only way to combat it is to stand together and help each other. We need to make a commitment to change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Well so, far Vicksburg residents have lost almost 15,000 pounds through Linda's weight loss initiative. To see one woman's journey to banish the bulge or to help Linda with her continued fight against fat, go to CNNHeroes.com.
Well, we've seen the birth certificate, and yet the rumors still persist. Why questions about president's citizenship could cost a military doctor his career.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: A decorated Army doctor is risking his career on the false premise that President Obama was not born in the United States, that's Lieutenant Colonel Terence Lakin following a military hearing in Virginia. The 17-year Army veteran is charged with disobeying a lawful order in dereliction of duty. He could face a court-martial for refusing deployment to Afghanistan until he sees proof the president is native born. Yesterday Lakin's attorney explained why he wants the charges thrown out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT COL PAUL JENSEN, TERRANCE LAKIN'S ATTY: The motion will be made immediately and a plea entered at the next hearing in all hearing and the likelihood a following hearing.
QUESTION: What will you base the motion for dismissal on?
JENSEN: That the charges are illegal, because the president is ineligible to serve as commander in chief.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: That, of course, is his opinion. He has not proven that and neither have any of the folks who have brought that claim forward. By the way, the judge gave Lakin's attorney two weeks to file a motion to dismiss that case.
Despite documented, vetted proof that President Obama is indeed American born, many people like Colonel Lakin refuse to believe it. CNN's Brian Todd looks at the persistent debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's no credible dispute. Officials in Hawaii released a copy of President Obama's birth certificate. It was authenticated by the state's Republican governor. A Honolulu hospital posted newspaper announcements of his birth. CNN and other news outlets have thoroughly debunked the rumors and the White House has squarely addressed those who doubt Mr. Obama was born in the U.S.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I have news for them and for all of us: the president was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
TODD: But despite the overwhelming evidence, a quarter of Americans remain skeptical. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows 11 percent saying President Obama was definitely not born in the U.S. Another 16 percent saying he probably wasn't.
Does that mean a significant new core group of Americans believes he's not eligible to be president? CNN polling director Keating Holland doesn't think so. He says those who think Mr. Obama probably wasn't born in America are not so committed.
KEATING HOLLAND, CNN POLLING DIRECTOR: They're probably not Obama fans. It's conceivable that they might wind up voting for Obama. It's conceivable that they might end up voting for other Democrats, as well.
TODD: But Holland says those on the fence are listening to right wing commentators like Rush Limbaugh, who fuelled the fire just this week on his radio show.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO HOST: They tell us August 4 is the birthday. We haven't seen any proof of that.
TODD: I asked political analyst Stu Rothenberg what happens if those tepid doubters stay tilted against believing in the president's American birth.
(on camera): What do they do this his chances for reelection? What does it mean for him from 30,000 feet?
STU ROTHENBERG, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, his re-election date is still a number of years away. These people didn't support him before. They're not going to support him again. He just needs a majority. And I think, much depends on the dynamic over the next couple of years if the Republicans take over the House.
TODD (voice-over): In their quest for that, some GOP candidates are playing political footsy with the so-called birthers, and often getting slapped down by fellow Republicans. This John McCain ad targets comments made by his primary opponent J.D. Hayward.
J.D. HAYWORTH ON THE J.D. HAYWORTH RADIO SHOW 7/15/09: And until President Obama signs his name and in fact has the records revealed, the questions will remain.
ANNOUNCER: The only difference between these people -- only one is running for the U.S. Senate.
TODD (on camera): Hayworth has since backtracked on that, as have Senator David Vitter and other Republicans who have voiced solidarity with the birthers. Analysts say, while Republicans want the support of the birther movement, especially for possible primary victories in the midterms, they certainly don't want to be identified as being part of that movement.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: From birthers to super differential Naomi Campbell is in court again but isn't the center of attention. Or is she?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Supermodel Naomi Campbell is used to being in the spotlight, but not like this. This week she testified in a war crimes trial. Campbell was there to talk about diamonds, dirty diamonds and CNN's Jeanne Moos has more.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We have seen her on the catwalk. We have seen her do the perp walk but who expected to see a supermodel at a war crimes trial.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is she?
MOOS: Fashionably late but only by a few minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You told us you were late for breakfast the following morning.
NAOMI CAMPBELL, SUPERMODEL: I'm always late.
MOOS: Naomi was wearing an evil eye necklace, but you may think of her as a diamond-loving diva like Marilyn Monroe, but the diamonds discussed here weren't the friends you brag about, blood diamonds allegedly used by Charles Taylor to fund his deeds. Taylor, the former president of Liberia.
CAMPBELL: I actually have never heard of Liberia.
MOOS: While at a dinner given by Nelson Mandela, Charles Taylor was there, as she pointed out with a manicured finger.
CAMPBELL: Myself, Mr. Mandela, Charles Taylor.
MOOS: Later that night, she was awakened by two men at her door saying...
CAMPBELL: A gift for you and they gave me a pouch.
MOOS (on camera): Now, if two guys knocked on your door in the middle of the night and handed you a pouch, what would you do with it? First thing, open it, right? But Naomi says she went back to sleep.
CAMPBELL: I opened the pouch the next morning when I woke up.
MOOS (voice-over): What did she see? CAMPBELL: And there was very small, dirty-looking stones. Dirty- looking pebbles. I'm used to seeing diamonds shine any and in a box.
MOOS (on camera): We are accustomed to seeing Campbell in court, but she's usually as the defendant, not the witness.
(voice-over):
She's always in trouble for throwing cell phones.
CAMPBELL: You stupid cow!
MOOS: Always being mocked for anger management issues. She even swatted at an ABC camera after the interviewer asked about Charles Taylor supposedly giving her diamonds. And she didn't want to testify at this war crimes trial, either.
CAMPBELL: This is a big inconvenience for me.
MOOS: She said she was worried about her family's safety.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't it correct that your account today is not entirely truthful because of your fear of Charles Taylor?
CAMPBELL: No, that's not correct.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Madame president...
MOOS: Naomi said she gave the pouch of diamonds to the then head of Nelson Mandela's children's fund so they could do some good. The whole story sounded like a James Bond plot.
After what must have seemed like forever, Naomi walked out in heels so high they were a war crime against her feet.
Jeanne moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Well, so whatever happened to those dirty pebbles? The former head of the charity turned them in Thursday saying he took three uncut diamonds from Campbell so he wouldn't get in trouble for trying to take them out of the country.
