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Jurors Consider 7 Charges in Casey Anthony Trial; Hassling Over a Mortgage; Paper Hacks Dead Teen's Phone; Can Democrats and Republicans Find Middle Ground?; Godmother of Vietnamese Nail Care

Aired July 05, 2011 - 10:59   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

I want to get you up to speed for Tuesday, July 5th.

Jurors will decide Casey Anthony's guilt or innocence are in their second day of deliberations in Orlando today. Prosecutors say Anthony killed her daughter, Caylee, so she could live a party lifestyle. Antony's defense says the girl accidentally drowned in the family's pool. A body language expert has been in the courtroom. Her eyes trained on the seven women and five men who make up that jury.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN CONSTANTINE, BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT: I've been watching for the last two months and what I have identified is that we really have seven jurors that are more pro-prosecution. I established the behavior, the body language, what they're noting was important in their book, I really was able to compile all that information and find out who are more pro-safe, for the defense. We have a couple also of neutral jurors. So that really when they get into deliberations, it can go one way or the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Prosecutors in Paris will consider new criminal charges against former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn. A lawyer for journalist Tristane Banon says he'll file a complaint against Strauss- Kahn today. Banon claims he tried to rape her in 2003.

Prosecutors will review her complaint to determine if there is enough evidence to file charges. Banon says she didn't bring up the complaint earlier out of fear that it would hurt her career. Her decision to press charges now comes as the sexual assault case against Strauss-Kahn in New York appears near collapse.

Well, France's Christine Lagarde takes charge at the International Monetary Fund today, succeeding Strauss-Kahn. Lagarde serves as French finance minister. She is the first woman to lead the IMF. These are critical days for the IMF, as it works to stabilize Europe's teetering economies, particularly Greece.

The Senate is skipping its midsummer break, getting back to work today on the debt ceiling crisis. Now, Congress and the president have just 28 days to come up with a deal to raise the debt ceiling, or the country is not going to be able to pay its bills. Now, the president wants the belt-tightening to include some tax increases for wealthy Americans and corporations. Republicans want spending cuts only.

In Washington tomorrow, jury selection begins in the perjury trial of baseball great Roger Clemens. Now, Clemens is charged with lying to Congress about using steroids. He's in federal court today, asking to introduce evidence to discredit his chief accuser, former personal trainer Brian McNamee. Clemens' attorney says that McNamee lied to police in a 2001 sexual assault investigation, and he can't be trusted.

A European food safety groups says that sprout seeds from Egypt are most likely the common link between E. coli outbreaks in Germany and France. More than 4,000 cases of E. coli poisoning and 49 deaths have been reported in Europe.

Well, talk about the right place at the right time. This is an amazing story.

A toddler tumbles out of a 10th floor apartment window in China. A woman passing by catches the girl. Now, witnesses say she kicked off her high heels, she ran to catch the baby when she saw her dangling.

Doctors say the toddler is in critical condition with internal bleeding. The force of the falling toddler knocked the woman out and left her with a broken arm.

Back to our lead story and the most-watched murder case in years. Jurors are spending a second day deliberating Casey Anthony's fate. Now, they're considering seven charges against the Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter.

Our David Mattingly, he is outside the courthouse in Orlando.

David, any sense of how these deliberations are going today?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are going just as they are supposed to be -- quietly, behind closed doors. We do know at this point that the jurors have not asked for any additional information from the court. They haven't had any questions of the judge. They haven't asked to see any of the audio or visual evidence that they would have to go to the courtroom to see. So, behind closed doors, just as they were yesterday, deliberating the fate of Casey Anthony.

Casey herself, appearing in court this morning, seeming somewhat agitated. We don't know why. She had a very animated conversation, gesturing quite a bit with one of her defense attorneys. We have no idea what that was about.

There is an increased security presence at the courtroom. The jurors are behind closed doors, under guard. And we find out that there are also police in the neighborhood belonging to Casey Anthony's parents. They are there to take care of traffic in case a verdict comes up.

A memorial has been set up at the site where Caylee Anthony's body was discovered in December of 2008. That's in the woods behind the Anthony home.

And you can go there today and see stuffed animals, balloons and cards. People, remembering the child, the loss of her life that began this intensely-watched case. And that watching continues today here at the courthouse. Everyone sitting, waiting, watching, wondering when the jury will make up its mind, what they will decide, and what will happen to Casey Anthony -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And David, any sense of the mood as people wait and watch and wonder what's going to happen next?

MATTINGLY: Well, there has always been a certain amount of spectacle about this trial. You have a lot of people stopping by. We saw that a lot yesterday, with the Fourth of July holiday, people coming by the courthouse just to see the place where all of this is going on.

And you do always have a crowd out here of people hoping to get seats for the next day, people waiting to get in for today. That's no different. But now, as the jury goes into its first possibly full day of deliberations, there's a heightened sense of conclusion here.

Remember, this is a story that has been in the headlines since 2008. And we are now very close to having something that we haven't had before, which is an ending -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: OK. All right.

David Mattingly, outside the courthouse there.

Thank you, David.

Well, here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. As the tables turn in the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case, what does it say about our legal system?

Carol Costello -- hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne.

I know most of America is feasting on the Casey Anthony trial, but maybe we should turn our attention to New York, to a sexual assault case that's as ugly as it gets, if you're talking about justice, that is.

A high-powered French banker, head of the International Monetary Fund, is arrested on charges of assaulting a hotel maid. The story resonates. A rich, powerful man allegedly attacking a woman with no power, and accusation so awful, even without a conviction the powerful man, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, resigns from the IMF. His dream of becoming France's next president, likely over.

The alleged victim? "The New York Times" reports hardened investigators were moved to tears by her story.

Police say there is DNA and bruising to prove the sexual contact was not consensual. But then the lies or, depending on your perspective, the leaks begin.

Less than two days after the alleged victim said she was attacked, a source told CNN she told her boyfriend she's fine, and this person is rich and there's money is to be made. Should it matter? Again, it depends on your perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH THOMPSON, ALLEGED VICTIM'S ATTORNEY: Now, it is a fact that the victim here made some mistakes, but that doesn't mean she's not a rape victim.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN BRAFMAN, STRAUSS-KAHN ATTORNEY: We asked you and we asked the world not to rush to judgment in this case, and now I think that you can understand why.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Now, whether the charges against Dominique Strauss- Kahn will be dropped is an open question, but the case will have lasting national ramifications.

So, the "Talk Back" question today: What does the DSK case say about our justice system?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I will read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we have ahead.

First, a British tabloid accused of hacking a dead girl's cell phone. We are live in Scotland Yard.

Then, an 800 credit score, 20 percent down, but no mortgage. Homebuyer horror stories continue to pile up.

Plus, NASA passing the torch to the next pioneers of space travel -- commercial companies.

Also, Republicans and Democrats still at odds over the debt ceiling. But does the president even need them? We're going to tell you about the possible loophole in the Constitution.

And an entire community of Vietnamese immigrants can thank a Hollywood icon for a $6 billion industry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAM NGUYEN, PRESIDENT, ADVANCE BEAUTY COLLEGE: Today, we attribute a lot to Tippi Hedren. In fact, she's been called the godmother of the Vietnamese-American nails industry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, thinking of buying a house? President Obama's housing secretary says that prices have hit rock bottom. Foreclosure rates are falling, and he told our Candy Crowley that makes him pretty hopeful that the worst now is over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAUN DONOVAN, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY: My sense though is in the long run, it is a good time to buy, whether it's five months away or a year away, to see sustainable increases. I think it is a good time, long time, to become a homeowner, because it's so affordable today, compared to where it's been for generations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Even so, some buyers are finding they have to jump through a lot of hoops just to get a mortgage. Now, lenders are still pretty skittish about signing off on loans even if you have money.

Our CNN's Alison Kosik brings us case in point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: For Gary Frisch and his fiancee, Christina Daniels (ph), the moment they saw this house they knew they wanted it, but for this couple, the buying process became a love/hate relationship.

GARY FRISCH, DENIED FOR A MORTGAGE: I was stunned when I got the news.

KOSIK: A week before his closing, Frisch found out his mortgage was denied, even though he put 20 percent down and had a top-notch credit score.

(on camera): This credit report shows that you have an excellent credit score.

FRISCH: Yes, my credit was exceptional. It was over 800, according to one of the reporting bureaus, and high 700s according to others. So my credit was not an issue at all.

KOSIK (voice-over): But Frisch had started his own business in 2007, and initially his income took a hit. Finally, last year, his business started to pay off, and he had a big jump in income. But that extra money coming in didn't mean approval.

FRISCH: The reason I was told by my realtor that I was declined was too big of a disparity between my 2009 and 2010 income.

KOSIK: Five years ago, that may have not been a problem, but these days it's a red flag.

BOB MOULTON, PRESIDENT, AMERICANS MORTGAGE GROUP: The bank is looking for steady income flow, and that self-employed borrower can't show it. So that person is getting declined right now and not able to buy a house.

KOSIK (on camera): Before the recession, credit was flowing free and easy. But then when the housing market went bust, lenders pulled back, overcompensating and tightened their lending standards.

(voice-over): In fact, in today's market, almost a quarter of all mortgage applications are denied.

MOULTON: We were too lenient in the early 2000s, we're too tight right now. It's got to end up somewhere in the middle.

KOSIK: And if lenders don't find that middle, it could scare some buyers away.

(on camera): Did you at one point you're just going to give up and not go through with this?

FRISCH: Yes, that thought did enter my mind a couple of times.

KOSIK (voice-over): As for the lender, Prosperity Mortgage says, "Privacy laws dictate we protect the personal information of all individuals so we are unable to comment on a specific case."

But this story ends well for Frisch and Daniels (ph). He found another lender that got him into a loan and the couple into a new home.

But for Frisch --

FRISCH: The lesson learned is you just have to really have a thick skin.

KOSIK: And be prepared to work through a difficult process.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Alison Kosik joins us from New York.

And Alison, we heard Secretary Donovan say it should be easier to buy a home. Do you have any tips for folks who are trying?

KOSIK: Yes, it should be easy. Right. That's if you have a couple of suitcases full of cash. But, you know, the reality is, Suzanne, buying a home, it really is not easy, especially when you compare to what it was like just a few years ago. You know, expect to hit some pumps here and there. The biggest hurdle is you want to look good on paper, you've got to have good credit, you shouldn't carry too much debt. And really, the loan officer that you choose has a huge impact on the process. You really need someone in your corner who knows what they're doing, like how to structure a loan -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: What's the most important things that lenders look for when they're going over a person's mortgage application?

KOSIK: You know what? I think there are four things.

First of all, there's your income. You know, these loan officers, they want to know that you have a steady paycheck coming in every month. They look at your assets. They want to see that, as a borrower, that you can document where your down payment is coming from.

Also, credit. They want to see that high credit score. I'm talking about over 720.

And they're also going to be looking at the value of the property. You know, what's the property appraised at though? Suzanne, these days, appraisals are coming in a lot lower than you may expect. These appraisers are being a lot more conservative than they used to be -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Alison. Thank you very much.

Well, we've got three great stories. Only one is going to air in the next hour. "Choose the News" you would like to see. Here are the choices.

First, "Libya's Fighting Women." They say they are answering Moammar Gadhafi's call by training to defend their country. Are they just for show or a legitimate force? That story from inside Libya.

Second, how big is "Your Digital Footprint"? An eye-opening report on how your phone, your car, and other devices are exposing your personal information in the digital world.

And finally, "Distracted Driving Challenge." Drive along as parents and teenager see how well they can get through an obstacle course while texting.

If you're not behind the wheel, you can vote for your favorite story by texting "22360."

Text "1" for "Libya's Fighting Women"; and "2" for "Your Digital Footprint"; or "3" for "Distracted Driving."

The winning story will air in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A British tabloid goes too far to get a story. "News of the World," part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, is being accused of hacking the phone of a missing teenage girl who was later found dead by police.

Dan Rivers is in Scotland Yard with more on this.

And Dan, there seems to be a tremendous sense of outrage over this breach of privacy because of what happened. Tell us what was behind this story.

DAN RIVERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there has been an ongoing scandal here in the U.K. about so-called phone hacking, this example of journalists hacking into the cell phone messages of celebrities and even royals to try and get salacious stories. We all thought this dated or started back in 2005, when Prince Williams' cell phone was hacked into and certain messages were gotten, stories found their way into the press.

There's been a police investigation about all this. A number of people have been arrested. A number have been forced to resign.

Now, though, it has been revealed that those same journalists may have also hacked into the cell phone of a young 13-year-old schoolgirl, Milly Dowler, just after she disappeared in 2002, much earlier than any of the other scandals. The suggestion is that they were listening in to the frantic messages of her family and friends who were trying to find out where she was.

They even, apparently, deleted some of those messages to make more room on the cell phone mail box, giving false hope to the parents that Milly was still alive, when all along, she had been killed by a serial killer. And that's why the news executives from that paper are due here, the police headquarters in London.

They have been summoned to a meeting with senior detectives to explain themselves, and we're waiting to find out really if other people in News International here will be forced to resign as a result.

MALVEAUX: Dan, this isn't the first time that "News of the World" has been accused of hacking a phone. It recently got into trouble with actress Sienna Miller for doing the same thing.

How serious of a problem is this where you are?

RIVERS: Well, it's illegal, for starters. So it is a criminal matter. It's very, very serious.

And you're right, this isn't just a couple of instances. This is almost systematic hacking into celebrities, politicians, even the royal family's phone messages to get salacious stories.

It includes people like Sienna Miller, as you mentioned. Hugh Grant is another one. Members of the government at the time -- it's understood they think that even the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, thinks his phone was hacked into. So it is incredibly wide- ranging. Now, News International, up until now, have maintained the line that this was one rogue reporter who was involved, who has since been imprisoned, along with a private detective that he worked with. But the more this goes on, the more it's becoming clear that this was much more widespread, it appears. Several other "News of the World" executives and journalists have been arrested and not formally charged. Now everyone is waiting to see how high up the company this really goes.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And Dan, the most troubling part of the story is that this really kept a sense of hope alive for the family of this missing girl, that they actually thought that she might be alive because things were changing in her voicemail, her messages. Right?

RIVERS: Right. And that's what the lawyer told me, that the family are actually suing the paper now, because, as you said, they were given the false hope that she could be alive. Somebody was listening to messages on her cell phone, somebody was deleting those messages.

It gave the impression that perhaps Milly Dowler was alive, when in fact all along it was journalists listening into these messages, clearing out the message box to make more room so they could mine other messages, if you like, harvest more information from this girl's cell phone, all the while she had been killed.

MALVEAUX: Dan Rivers, thank you.

Next hour, well, what is Milly Dowler's family planning to do to get justice in this case? I'm actually going to talk live with the family lawyer, live from London, about that.

We are also on verdict watch as jurors deliberate Casey Anthony's fate. Will she be found guilty of killing her little girl?

It is day two of deliberations, and we're going to talk to a criminal defense attorney.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on.

Up next, timing the jurors, what an early or late verdict could mean for Casey Anthony.

Then, one era ends in space flight, but another begins. Commercial space travel, that is the next giant leap for mankind.

And later, how a Hollywood star became the godmother of the Vietnamese nail salon industry.

Awaiting a verdict in Casey Anthony's murder trial. Jurors have been deliberating now for more than about eight hours or so, beginning yesterday, resuming this morning. And they are considering seven charges against the Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter.

Criminal defense attorney Richard Herman, he's joining us from Las Vegas.

And Richard, you know, conventional wisdom says the longer these jurors are out, the better case there is for Casey Anthony. We're on day two of deliberations. What do you think that means? What does it signal for you?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think if we get a verdict this afternoon, late today, which I think is a very good chance, it's going to be for murder. It's absolutely going to be for murder if it comes down today. That would be deemed like a flash verdict, and that would mean everybody is in line and they went for it.

Now, they don't have to find premeditation. They can also find that if Casey chloroformed Caylee and, as a result of that, accidentally, Caylee died, well that would be felony murder, and that would still fall under murder one.

I think that's a likely scenario for the jury, except if there are one or two holdouts. And that also is a very good likelihood. And I will tell you why, Suzanne.

And again, that would extend this deliberation to the end of this week, probably, with the judge coming in and giving them Allen charges. That's when the jury comes back and says we're hung, we can't get a unanimous, and the judge sits there and instructs them: dig down deep, come on, you can do it, you can do it. Go back and deliberate.

But the reason people could hold out, Suzanne, is this -- and maybe jury number four and there may be a couple others.

MALVEAUX: Yes.

HERMAN: Number one, Dr. G., the state's medical examiner, does not have a cause of death. That could be a problem for a lot of these jurors.

Number two, the chloroform searches. The prosecution told this jury there were 84 separate chloroform searches. We know that's ridiculous. And there was testimony there may have been only one which registered 84 times.

There's a tech guy on the jury. He's going to explain it to the jury. And if the jury feels that the prosecution was misleading them, they may not have confidence in the rest of the evidence in the prosecution.

MALVEAUX: Well, Richard, you're sounding pretty confident that this is going to happen today, they're going to come back with a verdict today, this afternoon. Why? Why are you so confident they're going to act so quickly? HERMAN: Well, because, again, as an attorney and as a law professor, when I examined the case, I examined the facts. The prosecution absolutely proved their case beyond the exclusion of any reasonable doubt. They have it. They really did.

And I could see a verdict coming in late this afternoon under the guideline that perhaps -- because everybody seems to think Casey chloroformed her, it was an accident. She didn't intend to kill her, but she chloroformed her, and that's what did it. That's where they're going to come in. I think it's an easy way to get to murder, yes.

MALVEAUX: All right. Richard, we're all going to be paying real close attention to see if your prediction comes true, because we are going to be all over that this afternoon if that is the case. And we're following very closely.

Thank you, Richard. We'll see how quickly this all goes down.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office plans to seal off the Anthony street once the jury reaches a verdict. That is because people from all corners of the country have been descending on the Orlando neighborhood. They want to see the Anthonys' home and the swampy spot in the Woods where Caylee's remains were found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since 2008, I have been following the news about this case. And I can't believe I'm here, because I'm from the Bronx. And this means a lot to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I wanted to have a visual of the location. I just wanted to see for myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The jury is deciding Casey Anthony's fate. You don't have to miss a minute of any of the riveting action. Tune into our sister network, HLN, for trial coverage. That is happening throughout the day.

Well, the shuttle is on the launch pad, and the clock is ticking down one final mission. Others though are eyeing a new era in space travel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a reminder about the Choose the News stories for today. You can vote for your favorite story by testing 22360.

Text "1" for "Libya's Fighting Women." Moammar Gadhafi is asking them to defend their country.

Text "2" for "Your Digital Footprint." What information are you unwittingly exposing with your phone, your car, your computer?

Or Text "3," for "Distracted Driving." Parents and teenagers try to drive an obstacle course while texting.

The winning story is going to air in the next hour.

CNN's "In Depth" focus this week, the final mission of the space shuttle program. About 60 hours now and counting to the launch of Atlantis. The crew's being called NASA's final four. Here you see astronauts Chris Ferguson, Doug Hurley, Sandy Magnis and Rex Walheim arriving yesterday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Our John Zarrella, he tells us their mission is by no means the end of space travel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Elon Musk runs Space X. Richard Branson has Virgin Galactic. Both are using their considerable wealth to back bold attempts to make space travel as routine as boarding an airplane.

RICHARD BRANSON, VIRGIN GALACTIC: People used to say, it's impossible to build your own spaceship and your own spaceship company and be able to take people into space. And, you know, that's the kind of challenge I love to sort of prove them wrong.

ELON MUSK, SPACE X: I want to see a future where we are exploring the stars, where we're going to other planets, where we're doing the great things that we read about in science fiction and in the movies.

ZARRELLA(voice-over): There are several companies, some big, some small, who see as NASA moves on to distant planets that weightless region just above the atmosphere. Just out of reach right now becoming quite possibly a good investment.

GEORGE MUSSER, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MAGAZINE: NASA is still in there, still with a heavy lift rocket. But we've also got this hopefully flowering of private space flight and that's what's get us the Hilton and the Hertz or in cars or whatever in orbit.

ZARRELLA: Space X and Virgin Galactic are on the verge of not just opening but stepping through that door to the future.

MUSK: We want to make space accessible to everyone. I mean, that's a revolutionary change and incredibly exciting, and it brings the possibility of space travel to all Americans, which is fantastic.

ZARRELLA: Next year, Musk hopes to begin carrying cargo to the International Space Station, eventually astronauts, a commercial company replacing the space shuttle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Confirmed. Docking is complete.

MUSK: We believe firmly we can send astronauts to the space station within three years of receiving a NASA contract to do so.

ZARRELLA: But unless it's safe, NASA's administrator says no U.S. astronaut will be on board.

CHARLIE BOLDEN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: I cannot allow them to put us in jeopardy by not focusing on crew safety and the like. That's my job.

ZARRELLA: The stakes are high. There is no turning back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome the future of space travel.

ZARRELLA: With the shuttle retired and astronauts left to riding Russian spaceships, NASA is counting on commercial companies to get it right, make it work. And the more who make it work, the more affordable it will become.

BRANSON: That's the end of a particular era. And it's up to individuals like myself if you're in a position to be able to, you know, achieve wonderful things, you know, to not waste that position.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Down and locked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Liftoff. Falcon 9.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: John Zarrella already staking out his seat at the Kennedy Space Center.

Hey, John. Good to see you.

ZARRELLA: Hey, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Do you think this is considered risky to turn the space station over to commercial companies? What do they make of that?

ZARRELLA: Yes, you know, it really is, because what happens if something goes wrong during these development phases with these commercial companies? And there are setbacks. NASA really has no fallback position. They're going to be relying on the Russians for the next several years until these commercial companies are ready and the Russians are going to be taking our astronauts up to the Space Station.

A lot of people worry if there are setbacks, if there are accidents that NASA should have at least kept one space shuttle in the back pocket, sitting over there in the vehicle assembly building ready, just in case. But that's not in the cards, because not enough money.

MALVEAUX: Right. And, John, Friday's launch, going to join you. Can't wait to see you there. Is it all systems go?

ZARRELLA: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Yes? ZARRELLA: Bring a rain coat, Suzanne. Yes, the weather right now is not looking real good. Only a 40 percent chance of go on Friday. Saturday, Sunday look a little better. Monday looks about the best.

As far as the vehicle, perfect, no problems. But, the weather, it is the summer in Florida. That could be an issue, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Well, maybe I will see you on Friday. Maybe I'll see you later on in the week.

John, thanks. We'll see you.

Also watching the launch from the space center, 150 followers on NASA's Twitter site, they were randomly selected from more than 5,500 people who registered online for the chance to see a shuttle liftoff one last time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENT DANLEY, NASA TWITTER FOLLOWER: I'll be closer than any other human being to the launch, except, of course, the astronauts that are in the orbiter. Even the astronauts in the launch control -- or the astronauts' families in the control center are further away than I will be. So it's a very -- it's an honor to be able to go there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And, of course, Brent Danley and all the others are going to be tweeting their experiences, before, during as well as after the launch. CNN plans special coverage on Friday morning's launch of Atlantis from the Kennedy Space Center. Our coverage of the last shuttle flight, it begins at 10:00 Eastern. The launch is at 11:26.

Well, there is a deadline is that looming. President Obama and Congressional Republicans have less than a month to reach a deal on raising the debt limit, or the treasury is not going to be able to pay the nation's bills. We're live on Capitol Hill and the White House with that showdown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a reminder about your Choose the News choices for today. You can vote for your favorite story by texting 22360.

Text "1" for "Libya's Fighting Women." How they're learning to use weapons to defend their country.

Text "2"" for "Your Digital Footprint." Your personal information and the trail that it leaves behind.

Or, "3" for "Distracted Driving." Who's better at driving while texting? Parents or teenagers. Winning story is going to air in the next hour.

Digging in for a showdown over the debt. A former U.S. Treasury secretary says the U.S. is headed for financial Armageddon if Republicans and Democrats continue digging in their heels and don't deal with America's debt. Now, the Senate is meeting to discuss a deal. The White House is watching these negotiations very closely. All of this, while this deadline is just four weeks away.

We're covering the story from both sides, both perspectives. CNN Congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan, she joins us live from Capitol Hill. And White House correspondent Brianna Keilar, she's also live for us from the White House.

First to you, Kate. Bottom line, tell us, what is the hold up now?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the holdup really is that both sides, Democrats and Republicans, they say they're ready to negotiate, but both sides are sticking very firmly to their positions, especially when it comes to taxes.

Democrats say as part as any deal they would agree to, there has to be added revenue coming in the form of eliminating certain tax breaks, especially to wealthy Americans and certain corporations. But Republicans at the very same time say anything amounting to a tax increase, they believe that would be a tax crease is a no-go as it cannot pass a Republican-controlled House.

So the bottom line, really Suzanne, is that both sides think they have the political upper hand here. Republicans think they have the upper hand in painting the Democrats as holding the debt ceiling hostage as they want to raise taxes in the time of the economy still struggling.

On the flip side, Democrats say they have the upper hand as they are painting the Republicans as sacrificing this debt ceiling, threatening the economy as they're trying to protect what they call special interests for them, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Kate, as you know, Congress has raised the debt ceiling 10 times in the last decade or so. Why do you think it's so much more contentious this go around?

BOLDUAN: Right. It's definitely different this time around. Well, Republicans say they got the message in the last election when the Republicans regained control of the House, that they heard from the American people in that election, that they wanted to cut spending, shrink government, and tackle our deficits and debt.

They say that they're listening and they're responding to the calls of the American people, but at the same time the Senate is back in today at 2:00, canceling their week-long recess. The House is in tomorrow. But still, no meetings scheduled between all the main negotiators, Republican and Democratic leaders and the White House.

So the talking -- they're more talking past each other right now than two each other it seems.

MALVEAUX: Very interesting, Kate.

The president watching these talks or talking by each other very closely. I want to bring in our White House correspondent Brianna.

Brianna, what is at stake, do you suppose, for President Obama now?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What's at stake for President Obama is what is at stake for all the players here if a deal isn't reached, Suzanne. Financial Armageddon, I think you referred to it in the introduction, as one former Treasury secretary has called it. If there isn't a deal and there's huge economic ramifications, obviously the political ramifications would be just -- I mean, they would be gigantic.

But the issue the president has, as he is looking for a deal to really kind of thread the needle, is how does he make his Democratic base and Liberals happy, because inevitably there are going to be so many spending cuts, that is what most of the package is going to be, about $2 trillion or more in spending cuts, and a lot of these are to Democratic priorities.

In the president's agreements that he has had with Congress in the past several months, a lot of Liberals have felt that he has given away too much. And so, certainly, you see as he is taking a really hard line and saying that Republicans need to agree to some tax increases, even if the tax increases he is talking about are pretty small -- corporate jet tax, loopholes as Democrats are calling it -- that's really his way of trying to, I think, have a little bit of what he wants and not just giving away a lot of Democratic priorities.

MALVEAUX: And, Brianna, is it possible that the president could step in and take care of this without a compromise from Congress?

KEILAR: Suzanne, it's interesting. This is an idea that's being talked about in the context of the 14th Amendment. This is an idea some of the Democrats on the Hill have talked about, and they're pointing to a certain part of the amendment that says, "The validity of the public debt of the United State," pardon me, we have a lot of construction going on here at the White House, "authorized by law...shall not be questioned."

I think that -- is this seriously being considered, that the president can increase the debt ceiling without Congress' help if they don't come to a deal? I don't think, at this point, this is seriously being considered. I think it's more an example of this idea floating that maybe you walk softly but you carry a copy of Constitution and the 14th Amendment in your pocket.

I think, right now, Democrats, Republicans and the White House are seeing a negotiation towards an agreement being the remedy for this.

MALVEAUX: A lot of brinksmanship going on there. All right, Brianna, thank you very much and you as well, Kate. Thanks again.

President Obama is going to be answering questions about the economy and jobs, and get it, he's going to be doing it on Twitter, via Twitter. It's the first Twitter town hall meeting ever. So it happens tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. The White House says you can submit the questions via the askObama.twitter.com website or by using the hashtag askObama. Should be interesting.

We are asking all of you to talk back on one of the biggest stories of the day. The question: What does the Dominique Strauss- Kahn case say about our justice system?

Irene says, "The identity of the accused should be protected -- regardless of how guilty he/she looks at first."

Carol Costello, she's got more of your responses straight up ahead.

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MALVEAUX: Now for stories our affiliates across the country are watching.

Almost 300 people are working to clean up oil that seeped from an Exxon Mobil pipeline into the Yellowstone River. Crews have to stay on the river banks, though. It is too dangerous to get in the water because of the strong currents. Montana's governor is worried if the oil is not cleaned up quickly, fish, birds, animals will start dying.

In northern New Mexico, a huge wildfire is threatening ancient sites on Indian land. Last week, it was the town of Los Alamos and the national laboratory there. The lab is supposed to reopen tomorrow. Residents who fled are being allowed back home.

And check out what's being spotted along the Texas coast -- sharks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAMIEN DIAZ, HELPED LAND SHARK NEAR CRYSTAL BEACH, TEXAS: We just happened to be at the right place, the right time, right gear, and hooked up with one of the biggest sharks we've ever hooked up.

Brother-in-law standing next to me, I handed him the stick. Forty-five minutes later we got an eight-foot, four-inch bull shark on the beach. Best friend, Sparky, here, brother-in-law, brother, everybody helping out. It was a good time, can't beat it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: They reeled this one in near Crystal Beach. Another was found near Matagorda Bay.

You have been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question: What does the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case say about our justice system?

Carol Costello with the question.

Hey, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hi, Suzanne.

Today's question: What does the DSK case say about our justice system?

This from Dawn. She says, "It just makes me so sick to my stomach. I feel so bad for this woman. I know she's not perfect, but obviously neither is he. So she is just killed in the media and he gets to go home. No wonder women do not want to come forward about sexual assault."

This from Skip. He says, "I actually wish our system was closer to the British system, limited or no news coverage of a case till the verdict is in. I think lawyers and the media can create tremendous bias the way we handle it here."

This from Jason, "If a woman says you did, it in the eyes of the media, you did it. The reason everyone was tuned into the Anthony trial is because we're waiting to see some signs of remorse or proof of innocence. The media has already made its decision on DSK or anyone accused of violent crimes. The media can be good at times, but mostly just reckless."

And this from Davidson, "More money, more power. Meaning he will just get a slap on his hand. There is no justice for her. Very sad."

I'll have more of your responses in the next hour, and I'll be back in about 15 minutes. But please keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/CarolCNN.

MALVEAUX: All right, Carol, thank you.

Acclaim for her roles in her movies and as an activist, but only a handful know how Tippi Hedren transformed an industry.

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MALVEAUX: Here's a reminder about your "Choose the News" choices for today. You can vote for your favorite story by texting "22360."

Text "1" for "Libya's Fighting Women," how they're learning to use weapons to defend their country.

Text "2" for "Your Digital Footprint," the personal information and the trail that you leave behind.

Or text "3" for "Distracted Driving." Who is better at driving while texting, parents or teens?

Winning story will air in the next hour. Well, the Vietnamese are world renowned as masters inside the nail salon, but they carved out their outstanding reputation with a helping hand from a Hollywood star made famous by Alfred Hitchcock.

Here's CNN's entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter.

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KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's probably the last thing audiences noticed in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," actress Tippi Hedren's nails. Who would have thought the screen legend's lustrous manicures would help inspire a $6 billion industry with a legion of Vietnamese like Twan Li (ph).

TWAN LI, MANICURIST: She gave me so much hope.

WYNTER: In 1975, after the fall of Saigon, Li and her family fled Vietnam and appeared in this local paper after ending up at a California refugee village with nothing. Hedren, involved in the refugee crisis at the time, became a mentor to Li and 19 other women with poor English skills, but who wanted to work.

One thing caught their eye.

LI: One day, we look at her nail. We said, Tippi, your nail look so beautiful.

TIPPI HEDREN, ACTRESS/ACTIVIST: They loved my fingernails, so I thought I'm going to bring my manicurist. She came up once a week and gave them a lesson. They would all practice on each other. They would practice on me.

WYNTER: An idea was hatched. Hedren convinced a beauty school to train them for free. Li and the others got licensed and started doing business. Some of those families opened their own salons, building their American dream one coat at a time.

HEDREN: When other Vietnamese would enter the country, they learned about this manicuring business and it's become huge.

WYNTER: Today, 40 percent of manicurists in the U.S. are Vietnamese-Americans; in California, it's 80 percent.

Tam Nguyen runs Advance Beauty College geared towards Vietnamese students.

TAM NGUYEN, PRESIDENT, ADVANCE BEAUTY COLLEGE: Today, we attribute a lot to Tippi Hedren. In fact, she's been called the godmother of the Vietnamese-American nails industry.

Everything she did back in 1975 created and paved the path for what I do now.

WYNTER: Nguyen is following in the footsteps of his parents who fled Vietnam in 1975. Three years later, they opened their own salon and then launched beauty schools. His parents' inspiration? Their high school friend, Twan Li, the manicurist who received a helping hand from a Hollywood star.

LI: She gave us love, courage. She showed us the future. She make us feel like we can make it.

WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)