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Six More Days In Jail; End of an Era and Jobs; Space Exploration; "News of the World" to Shut Down; Debt Talks Today

Aired July 07, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: As we start this new hour, I want to show you how four years has now turned into six days.

Orlando, Florida, Casey Anthony's day of reckoning. As you know by now, Anthony was acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, but convicted on four counts of lying to investigators, four misdemeanor counts, which today, just before sentencing, the defense tried to reduce to one. Well, the judge, Belvin Perry, he refused that request and he handed down the maximum for each of those counts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA, CIRCUIT COURT: I will sentence you to one year in the Orange County Jail imposing a $1,000 fine on each count. All four counts to run consecutive to each other, giving you credit for the time that you have previously served.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: OK. It gets a little complicated after that. Yes, he gave her the max on the counts she was convicted of, but still she's getting out in six days. Let me put the math together for you.

She has been locked up for almost three years, but inmates get extra credit for good behavior. So in Casey's case, that apparently worked out to more than 400 days. She's now set for release July 13th. That is six days from today.

Now, after all of that, she better keep her lawyers, though, on speed dial. And this is why. A woman named Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez, the name Casey gave to the non-existent nanny who was supposedly had kidnapped Caylee, she's now suing for defamation. Also the state of Florida wants Casey to repay the cost of investigating Caylee's disappearance and death. Also, a private firm called Texas EquuSearch is considering a suit to recoup more than $100,000 it spent to search for Caylee in July of 2008.

CNN's Martin Savidge was in court for Casey's sentencing. He is there for us in Orlando.

And my, my, my, Martin, what a difference 48 hours makes.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it definitely did, T.J. I mean just take a look at Casey Anthony herself. I mean the way we saw her demeanor and her physical appearance change in that 48 hours. Today she shows up in court. She's very talkative. She's got a smile on her face. She's very relaxed. And her hair is down. And that's a striking image because her hair had been up tight. It had been in a pony tail. It had been in a bun. And that had been the very conservative image that all of us had seen for the six weeks that this trial had been ongoing. But now that she knows what the verdict is, well, a whole different change.

As you say, the judge here threw the book, but the book really wasn't that big that he could throw. He's now got it down to four misdemeanors, essentially. He tried to get the max on all of those, but as you pointed out there, the time that's been served, the good behavior, the game time, which is something unique to Florida. That's something else.

And then also that (ph) comes into this very difficult equation is that they checked with the Department of Corrections and see, well, what's the availability in the jail because there are other more, well, I guess now they'd say dangerous criminals coming in. So all of that came together. She gets out on next Wednesday. And it could be one minute after midnight. It does not have to be sort of during business hours. And given all the concern about her security and keeping public safety in mind, they may take her out of there without much fanfare at all, T.J.

HOLMES: And, Martin, let's turn to another issue that still needs to be resolved. I believe it's going on right now. The judge in this case did not want to release the names of the jurors in the case. Of course we know there's a lot of public interest and the media outlets would like to get a hold of those names so they could try to get those interviews. But now it's possible at least the media outlets are making a plea for getting the names released.

SAVIDGE: Right, they are. And just by listening to the testimony that's being given and listening to the judge as he makes his comments, the judge does not seem willing or desirous to want to do that at all. He says, look, you know, ever since this case has been going on, he can't even walk around without television cameras all over the place trying to follow him. He does not want that for these jurors.

You know, the anonymity of a juror is considered to be one of the vital parts of this whole legal process here. And as you remember, once the verdict was made, the jurors, we anticipated we were going to hear from them in a news conference. It is their choice. They don't have to speak. And they all said, no, they don't want to speak. It's clear that given the -- well, the highly emotional nature of the reaction to this verdict, many of them fear for their own safety, and the judge appears to sympathize with that attitude, no matter what the media would like.

HOLMES: All right, Martin, get back to us when the judge does make a decision, if one does come down here shortly. Martin, we appreciate you, as always. Thanks so much.

Well, about four minutes past the hour now. We take a switch to Washington, D.C. We still don't have any breakthroughs in the debt talks, but the important part is, we don't have a breakdown either. And that's a big deal. These talks going on today between President Obama and leaders of Congress over ways to reduce America's borrowing binge and thus clear the way for an increase in borrowing authority. You may have seen live at the top of the hour last hour the president described today's White House meeting as constructive and said a follow-up is already planned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we decided was that staffs, as well as leadership, will be working during the weekend and that I will reconvene congressional leaders here on Sunday with the expectation that at that point the parties will at least know where each other's bottom lines are and will hopefully be in a position to then start engaging in the hard bargaining that's necessary to get a deal done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the president is said to be pushing for a much bigger deal than was first contemplated. Maybe $4 trillion in spending cuts and tax reforms with Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security all on the table. Now, taxes remain the sticking point here though. Republicans don't want to raise taxes at all. Democrats say closing loopholes and ending certain breaks and deductions are necessary. The Treasury says a hike in the debt ceiling also is necessary no later than August 2nd or we've got a problem.

Well, other stories we are keeping an eye on this hour.

A lawyer for Dominique Strauss-Kahn tells CNN his client will not accept any plea bargain and he won't plead guilty to anything in the sex crimes case against him. The former head of the International Monetary Fund is charged with sexual abuse and attempted rape of a New York hotel maid. His legal team met with prosecutors yesterday, a week after credibility questions about the accuser put the case on some shaky ground. No word yet if any plea deal was offered.

We turn now to Georgia, where a special board of education meeting is taking place today to deal with a system wide cheating scandal that has rocked the Atlanta public school system. A state investigation found that as many as 178 teachers in nearly 50 schools were involved in a large scale cheating scandal. Criminal charges are possible. Teachers are accused of changing answered on standardized tests. The former school superintendent Beverly Hall is accused overlooking the misconduct. The U.S. secretary of education released a statement just a big ago calling this, quote, "an unfortunate incident."

Also, a man hiking with his wife in Yellowstone National Park was attacked and killed by a grizzly bear Wednesday morning. According to the National Park Service, the couple apparently startled a female bear with her cubs. It's believed the bear attacked the man to try to defend those cubs. This is the first bear-caused human fatality in the park since 1986. All trails and back country campsites have been closed indefinitely. Also, a shocker in the British hacking scandal. The British tabloid "News of the World" will shut down after Sunday's issue. Its owner, News International, is telling CNN the development follows accusations that the tabloid hacked into phone messages of murder and terror victims, celebrities and politicians. British police say they have identified nearly 4,000 potential victims of illegal eaves dropping by a private investigator working for the "News of the World." This is a 168-year-old paper. The paper and its parent company are owned by media mogul Robert Murdoch, who also owns "The New York Post," "Wall Street Journal," as well as Fox News.

Well, Casey Anthony gets the maximum sentence for her lies. So how does a maximum sentence translate into her being a free woman in a matter of days? We explain next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, just a few days ago she faced the possibility of life in prison and possibly even the death penalty. But now, in six days, Casey Anthony will walk away a free woman. This is just the latest stunning twist in this case. This morning the judge gave her the maximum now for all the lies she told investigators, sentencing her to a total of four years in jail and the $4,000 in fines.

Keep in mind, she gets credit now for time she's already served in jailed. The court did the math and says Anthony will now be released July 13th. That is next Wednesday.

And now we're also hearing from two jurors who had a hand in freeing Casey Anthony. Juror number three, Jennifer Ford, revealed why they couldn't find her guilty for Caylee's death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER FORD, JUROR NUMBER THREE IN CASEY ANTHONY TRIAL: How did she die? If you're going to charge someone with murder, don't you have to know how they killed someone or why they might have killed something or have something, where, when, why, how? Those are important questions. They were not answered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, juror number two spoke out anonymously to the "St. Petersburg Times" saying, quote, "Everybody agreed if we were going fully on emotions, she was done." He goes on to in saying that "I wish we had more evidence to put her away. I truly do. But it just wasn't there."

Let me bring in now Holly Hughes, who has been here with us throughout this case.

Holly, hello to you once again.

Misdemeanor counts. Four misdemeanor counts. Usually we hear about misdemeanors, they don't get the max usually.

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: No.

HOLMES: The judge going with the max. What was he saying to us?

HUGHES: What he's saying is, the lies that you told cost this county probably hundreds of thousands of dollars, man hour powers. And let's face it, T.J., they could have been out looking for other missing children. And that's what he's upset about. Typically when we see a charge of lying to a law enforcement officer, it's because some guy gets pulled over for smoking or for speeding, he knows he's got an old warrant for smoking some weed and he don't want to get popped. So he lies and he gives you his brother's name.

HOLMES: That's one thing.

HUGHES: That's typically false information, right?

HOLMES: Yes.

HUGHES: That's what we get all the time. Yes, that's a misdemeanor. We give a little probation. Be on your way. Don't use your brother's name.

This lie and these series of lies caused the Orange County investigators, the FBI, there were tons of law enforcement agencies involved in this, and there was a missing child, so we thought.

HOLMES: Yes.

HUGHES: Then her attorney gets up in opening and says, ah, she was never missing, just kidding, which essentially is what he's saying.

HOLMES: But is the judge saying in this, he said, you know what, this -- I'm trying to give her everything I can give her because she is -- he knew she was about to walk out of there pretty soon. Was he trying to get her as much jail time as he could?

HUGHES: Well, I -- honestly, I think that he's doing what he believes is called for in the situation. Because, let's face it, you remember birdman who flipped off Jeff Ashton like last week?

HOLMES: Oh, yes.

HUGHES: He got six days for raising his finger in court. I mean, seriously! Think about it. So this is a judge who has already established on the record he's tough. The lady who hollered out when they were picking a jury, she got a couple of days in jail just for opening her mouth. So when you really think about the magnitude of what Casey Anthony did, the lies she told and the resources she took away from true missing children --

HOLMES: Yes.

HUGHES: Oh, yes, these are the kind of things that deserve the maximum. HOLMES: OK. Let -- you know what? Michael -- to the director, can you re-rack that video of her walking in? I don't have this down and I was really going to ask you, but looking at it, I can't help but ask, what did that say to you when you saw that woman walk into the courtroom today, ever body just went crazy and started talking about this. What did it say to you when you laid eyes on her?

HUGHES: OK, it says to me that now that her lies have worked and fooled this jury, now she doesn't have to put on a show anymore. There's not 12 people in the box judging her. The entire trial, what did we see?

HOLMES: It was all a show. Was it all a show though (ph)?

HUGHES: Absolutely. Are you kidding me? I mean we know for a -- she's a convicted liar. OK, her attorney stood up in opening and said, yes, she's a big fat liar. She didn't kill her kid, but she's a big fat liar. That's what their opening was, OK.

Here's the deal. She walked in there today and she doesn't have to trick anybody anymore. She doesn't have to play to a crowd. So during the trial while they're trying to distance her from that image, from that trampy, vampy pictures that we saw, there, there's no makeup and the hair is pulled back very severely and the prominent ears are out and she's looking all, you know, down in the dumps and, oh, poor me, woe is me. Not smiling. This morning, when nobody is watching that matters, out she comes with the -- and she sat there the whole time, played with that hair the whole time.

HOLMES: Wasn't she just relieved -- she -- the woman's life was on the line here a couple days ago. Can it possibly she was just relieved?

HUGHES: It could be, except that when you're dealing with somebody who has these sociopathic tendencies, it's all about feeling invisible. She won. The lies worked.

HOLMES: All right.

HUGHES: It worked. So she -- yes, she's relieved. I mean, come on, wouldn't you be?

HOLMES: Yes.

HUGHES: I mean, seriously. If I was facing the death penalty, I would have been puking on the table, let's face it, you know. She's done. So, yes, she's relieved, but she also knows she don't have to put an act on for the jury anymore. Now she can play to the media.

HOLMES: All right. In 10 seconds, nothing legally keeps her from making money now on her story, correct?

HUGHES: Nothing at all. And she will do it.

HOLMES: All right, Holly Hughes. We have had you throughout this case. We're probably not done with you just yet. Probably another twist and turn will happen in the next six days.

HUGHES: Probably.

HOLMES: Holly, we appreciate you as always.

HUGHES: Thanks.

HOLMES: Well, coming up, we're a quarter past the hour now. The end of the NASA space shuttle program also means the end of a career for a lot of people. From a rocket scientist, to a t-shirt maker. Tomorrow's historic shuttle launch kind of bittersweet. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Eighteen minutes past the hour now. Give you a look at some stories making headlines.

Time running out for a convicted murder from Mexico who has set off an international legal and diplomatic battle. Humberto Garza is scheduled to die by lethal injection tonight. He was convicted of raping and murdering a 16-year-old girl in San Antonio 27 years ago. But the Obama administration is pushing to delay Garcia's execution because he was not informed of his right to contact the Mexican consulate when he was arrested. Now the U.S. Supreme Court is considering an appeal in his case. Texas Governor Rick Perry could also step in.

And take a look at this. This look familiar? This is the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. I will never understand. Today is just day one of the festivities with hundreds trying to outrun a raging bull. And not just one, several raging bulls. Luckily just a few people were injured and hospitalized. Just a few. This is considered a safe start to this dangerous 400-year tradition which has injured thousands over the years and killed 15 people since 1924.

And another live picture. You know what they're all hanging out for here? This is the end of an era. The Harry Potter era. The world premiere of the eighth -- do I have it right, the eighth movie, I believe, in this whole series that is premiering. "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2." This is the last one. They're all gathered there in London right now. A lot of avid fans. They have been waiting in line in some cases for up to two days to be a part of this big moment and a part of movie and Harry Potter history.

Turning to another bit of history now. We are less than 24 hours away from witnessing history. What we think is going to be history. This is a live look at the space shuttle Atlantis. Supposed to take off tomorrow in what would be the final shuttle flight. But we've got some weather issues. It's Florida. It happens. They'll have another couple of possibilities on Saturday and Sunday if they miss tomorrow's launch date. But still, right now we're told only a 30 percent chance that the rain and the weather will cooperate for tomorrow.

But along with all the excitement that's surrounding this final launch, there's some sadness as well. Our Brooke Baldwin met a couple whose livelihood could be blasting off right after this final launch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Through the decades, Brenda and Gerry Mulberry marked major life milestones with the launches of the space shuttle.

BRENDA MULBERRY, OWNER, SPACE SHIRTS: And we watched the launch of STS-1 together from the Titan Complex when I was 21 years old.

BALDWIN (on camera): A match made in space heaven.

B. MULBERRY: Yes.

BALDWIN (voice-over): From one of their first dates, to Brenda opening up her own t-shirt shop, Space Shirts. It's just two miles down the road from Kennedy Space Center. And right now her business is booming. But with the launch of the 135th and final space shuttle mission, Jerry is marking a different kind of memory.

GERRY MULBERRY, FORMER NASA EMPLOYEE/ROCKET SCIENTIST: I started in April of '81.

BALDWIN (on camera): '81.

G. MULBERRY: Yes.

BALDWIN: And so you worked from '81 until --

G. MULBERRY: Until April of this year. With the program shutting down, you know, everybody got cut back and our department got cut back a little earlier than some of the others. So it was time to move on.

BALDWIN (voice-over): Thirty years to the month Gerry was laid off. He's one of 7,000 workers at Kennedy Space Center alone who are already jobless or soon will be. It's eerily familiar to the last time this space coast saw manned space flight at a standstill. That was after the last Apollo mission in 1975, six years before the launch of the first space shuttle. This time around, Gerry says the job outlook is better.

G. MULBERRY: There's (INAUDIBLE) Air (ph), which is going to build a business jet in the -- right at Melbourne Airport. They're going to do their final assembly there. So it's a little different now

BALDWIN: While this area is steeped in space, tourism officials say space tourism makes up just 5 percent of all the tourism here now. Beaches, cruise ships and the visitors center will still bring in the tourists, but that doesn't take the sting out for someone who just lost his dream job.

BALDWIN (on camera): What's worse, the loss of the space shuttle era, or the loss of NASA family? G. MULBERRY: Hmm, good question. I think it really goes together. There's a big tradition out there that you get a picture signed and, you know, you get that and that's it. So it does bother you. It's like when you give your badge in for that last time. It gets to you.

BALDWIN (voice-over): For now, Gerry is helping his wife sell shirts and souvenirs to tourists in town from all around the world. No matter what happens, it will be a bittersweet chapter for a couple who's watched and hoped and loved 134 times and now they wait for their next mission.

B. MULBERRY: So we're going to keep printing and he's going to go find another job and, you know, I mean I love him to death, but he's a rocket scientist, you know, so -- and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to print t-shirts.

BALDWIN: Brooke Baldwin, CNN, Kennedy Space Center.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And you can be sure to join our Brooke Baldwin, our John Zarrella and our Anderson Cooper for our special coverage of the final shuttle flight. It begins tomorrow at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN. Again, we hope the weather will permit that final launch.

Well, we are counting down to that launch, and we also are counting up the billions and billions of dollars taxpayers have poured into the program. Skyrocketing deficits we all have now, we're asking Ali Velshi and Richard Quest if it's time for the government to get out of the space business. That's today's "Q&A."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: "Quest Means Business" and so do I. we're here together in the CNN NEWSROOM around the world.

Hello, Richard.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Ali.

Today we are more than around the world. We're out of this world. Each Thursday, Ali and I come in to you to talk business, travel, innovation. And today it's travel with a difference. All the way into space.

VELSHI: That's right, Richard. With the space shuttle program in the United States winding down, we're wondering about the investment. Billions of dollars, hundreds of billions of dollars go to space exploration, not just in the United States, but around the world. Should governments continue to spend on space exploration? Richard, I'll let you go first. You've got 60 seconds.

QUEST: Should government continue to spend on space? Yes, yes, and a resounding yes. There are a few occasions in the history of man where we have actually gone backwards in scientific development, when Concorde disappeared, supersonic travel was no longer, the first time in aviation we had gone backwards. And now we are about to make a similar misstep with the ending of the shuttle program.

How different it is from the 1960s and Kennedy. We will land a man on the moon and bring him safely back to earth. That had vision. It had imagination. It even gave rise to great horizons for the future. And, incidentally, one of the most famous split infinitives of all, to boldly go from Star Trek.

No, the future is very small-minded when we start thinking about the dollars it costs and the money we spend because we go to these places. We go there because we can. And after this, we won't.

VELSHI: Richard, I have to say, we don't compare our notes, but, unfortunately, we're on exactly the same side on this one. Give me my 60 seconds.

Governments have got to make decisions today about things that you say may not see fruition or bring value for decades in the space programs are those things. There remains a critical role for governments to play in space exploration, but the focus needs to change, as it is. Government should do the things that are not economically viable or safe enough for the private sector, like, for instance, Richard, going deeper into space. This business of sending astronauts and cargo to places like the Space Station, that's being handed over to private players. And around the world there is this temptation to forgo or to scale back on space programs because of these tight budgets.

But the gains, as you have said, to technology and humanity have and will continue to outstrip the costs. Governments should remain committed to these visionary, long-term goals that don't yet justify private investments. Governments can take the risks that companies won't. The private sector can and will get in when it makes sense. But only governments, Richard, can truly push the boundaries of the final frontier.

QUEST: This is very worrying.

VELSHI: We're agreed.

QUEST: Very worrying when we are --

VELSHI: Yes.

QUEST: When we are both in agreement. And not only that, we're in agreement "The Economist" which I find even more worrying.

VELSHI: There are differences between us, and they will become abundantly clear right now -- thanks to The Voice.

Hello, Voice.

THE VOICE: Good afternoon, gentlemen. Let's get this thing off the launch pad. Here's question number one. How many vehicles were launched into space last year? Is it (a), 28, (b), 45, (c) 59, or (d), 70?

Ali?

VELSHI: Fifty-eight, c.

THE VOICE: Incorrect, Richard.

QUEST: Forty-five.

THE VOICE: Incorrect.

Try again, Mr. Velshi

VELSHI: A, 28.

THE VOICE: Incorrect yet again.

OK, Richard?

QUEST: This is actually the one I was going to go for the first time because of space vehicles, 70.

THE VOICE: That is correct. There were 70 vehicles successfully launched into space in 2010. There were also four launches that failed. Russia led the way with 30 successful missions. The U.S. and China each had 15.

On to question number two. The Soviet space agency also built a reusable shuttle for space travel. How many flights did it make? Is it (a), zero, (b), one, (c), three or (d), seven?

Richard?

QUEST: I think it made zero.

THE VOICE: Incorrect.

Ali?

VELSHI: I'm going for three because it's reusable, so you'd have to have more than one to prove that it worked.

THE VOICE: Incorrect.

Richard?

QUEST: That it made -- this was the other one, it made one flight.

THE VOICE: That is correct, Richard. It made one successful flight. It was unmanned, and made a successful remote landing after two orbits and 206 minutes in space.

The program ran out of money shortly after, and the shuttle that flew was later damaged in a roof collapse at the launch site.

On to question number three --

VELSHI: I guess it wasn't all that reusable.

(LAUGHTER)

THE VOICE: According to NASA how high do you have to go before you reach space? Is it (a), 60 miles, (b), 70 miles, (c), 75 miles, or (d), 100 miles?

Richard?

QUEST: Seventy miles.

THE VOICE: Incorrect.

Ali?

VELSHI: Seventy-five miles.

THE VOICE: That is correct.

VELSHI: I'm on the board.

THE VOICE: NASA says it's 75 miles or 122 kilometers. That's their re-entry altitude. Others do say 100 kilometers or 62 miles is the boundary of space. But according to NASA it's 75.

And, unfortunately, for you, Mr. Velshi, you're out of orbit because Richard wins today's round.

VELSHI: Richard, how does it feel, is there difference winning because you get the right answer, and winning because all of the other answers have been eliminated?

QUEST: Absolutely, no. A win is a win is a win is a win.

That will do it for this week. Remember, we are here each Thursday, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," which is 1800 GMT.

VELSHI: And in THE CNN NEWSROOM, 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

Keep the topics coming on our blog, CNN.com/QMB and CNN.com/Ali. Tell us each week what you want to talk about next.

Richard, see you next week.

QUEST: See you next week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. We are hearing -- you're seeing a live picture of shuttle Atlantis having some weather problems. We don't know if it will be able to take off tomorrow. But, now, we're hearing there's a possible lightning strike near the launch pad. This word coming to us from NASA that it's possible is and they are checking this out, that lightning may have struck about a third of a mile or less from that launch pad.

Now, there are no indications at this time of any problems this lightning could have caused, but still, they need to go in and check it out and need to check out the shuttle, the launch pad and all the ground support and equipment and make sure that everything is OK.

But still, they haven't been able to do a thorough inspection of all that stuff yet because they continue to have this band of thunderstorms that is causing all kinds of issues right now and kind of causing some delays in what they're trying to do.

Also, as you know, the shuttle is supposed to take off tomorrow for its historic final flight of the entire shuttle program. But it has only a 30 percent chance because of weather that they will be able to take off tomorrow. So, weather causing some fits right now for this historic last launch of space shuttle Atlantis. We'll keep an eye on this for you.

We turn now to really a ground breaking and shocking story today out of Great Britain, where the British tabloid at the center of that phone hacking scandal is closing its doors after Sunday's issue. This is "News of the world," we're talking about. It's one of the oldest and best-selling newspapers in Britain.

The dramatic announcement today follows accusations that the paper illegally eavesdropped on the phone messages of murder and terror victims, politicians and celebrities.

Michael Holmes is here with the details in our "Globe Trekking" today.

Put it into perspective how big a deal this paper is.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It's a big deal. "News of the World" has been around for 168 years. Just think of it that way. It's got a readership of 3 million, nearly 3 million -- 2.8 million. I'm sorry, a readership of 7 million and it sells 2.8 million.

It's a stalwart of the British tabloid newspaper side of things.

I've worked as a correspondent out of London from, I don't know, '86 to '91, and this newspaper every Sunday is like which scandal will it break now? Whose life will it destroy now?

T.J. HOLMES: Oh, wow.

M. HOLMES: Oh, yes. Politicians and sports stars and getting called out for their little peccadilloes.

Well, this phone hacking scandal is the thing that's brought them down. And, yes, you can say while they are being contrite and they're closing it down, they'll say, "We'll end it," it's a business decision. It really is.

T.J. HOLMES: OK. But still, even though, maybe the newspaper is going to go away, this tabloid. This investigation is going to be going on for some time.

M. HOLMES: That's part of the reason why people are saying that Rupert Murdoch decided to close it, which is the name of "News of the World" is going to be dragged through the courts and through the mud for months to come. There's talk that there's going to be arrests coming up over this, inquiry is going to continue, as you say.

And the feeling is that News Corp did not want the name sullied even further by keeping it in existence. And there's speculation already that his other tabloid newspaper there in London, "The Sun," automatically will all of a sudden have a Sunday edition, "The Sun" on Sunday, maybe.

So, he'll keep it.

T.J. HOLMES: Are people talking now? This is how like you said, every Sunday, like a different life destroyed, different celebrity, different politician. But is this how they did business?

M. HOLMES: Oh, yes.

T.J. HOLMES: It seems like this goes back a decade.

M. HOLMES: Yes, they are not the only ones either. I mean, there are several other equally out there tabloids in England, too. And there are in this country, too, for that matter. All around the world, you've got that tabloid thing.

The British press had that ferocity, though, that old Fleet Street tabloid mentality of gunning for people if they figured that they needed bringing down a little bit. And that could be from a politician to a sports star or movie star or whatever, and sometimes to real "B" level people. That's where I really hated the "News of the World" reading, you know, they destroy someone's life by exposing something pretty minor but embarrassing to somebody who wasn't A-list or anything like that. So, they're pretty tacky sort of newspaper in its day.

But, you know, Murdoch has other businesses to worry about, the "Wall Street Journal," "The New York Post," he's got FOX and all of that. So, he's got -- and newspapers apparently account for less than 15 percent of his overall revenue.

So, it's not a big deal, but it's an historic newspaper so a lot of people are going -- a lot of eyebrows were raised when they decided to shut it down.

T.J. HOLMES: A hundred sixty-eight years over just like that.

Michael Holmes, good to see you as always, buddy.

M. HOLMES: Good to see you. T.J. HOLMES: Thank you so much.

Well, we're about 20 minutes to the top of the hour, and the next time you flat-iron your hair, Michael or maybe the next time you hit a couple of golf balls on the back nine, you can maybe thank NASA for that. I'll explain, next.

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HOLMES: All right. What do golf balls, dust busters and curling irons all have in common? They all have benefited from space technology.

Over the years, NASA research has taken us into outer space, but that same technology has also improved our daily lives right here on earth. NASA calls these spinoffs, and they are commercial products that came about due to space research.

Here are some examples of the so-called spinoffs. The memory foam used to lessen impact during landing in aircraft seats, that's used in today's sports, protective padding and helmet and shin guards and baseball, chest protectors, yes. Think NASA.

NASA also inspired the invention of medical devices like the artificial heart and artificial hip joint.

One that many parents may be thankful for, the ear thermometer. It was based off of infrared technology used to measure the temperature of stars.

Also space science has given us better eyesight and straighter teeth and hair as well, a special coating made to protect equipment led to a scratch-resistant eye glass. Eyeglasses, I should say.

Also research into ceramics helped create invisible braces and improve hairstyling tools like the curling iron and flat iron.

Finally, golf balls and dust busters. Back in the '90s, former NASA researcher used aerodynamic technology to design a new golf ball that optimizes both distance and accuracy. Golf ball hasn't helped me at all.

Also, a portable tool used to collect samples from the moon's surface inspired the cordless miniature vacuum that we all know and love.

And be sure to check out our John Zarrella, Anderson Cooper and Brooke Baldwin for our special coverage of the final shuttle launch. It all begins tomorrow, 10:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

Again, everybody's fingers crossed that weather will permit the shuttle to take off tomorrow.

What do you think of this idea? Should we get rid of Social Security as we though it? The "Stream Team" tackling the topic, next.

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HOLMES: President Obama and Vice President Biden, they met with congressional leaders today to discuss the crucial subject of deficit reduction and the debt ceiling. The president called the meeting constructive and announced more talks are coming on Sunday. President seeking $3 trillion to $4 trillion in cuts over the next decade, and Social Security, Medicare, defense spending and tax reform -- all on the table.

But cutting Social Security is always a pretty touchy subject. It's more than just a retirement program. Benefits also paid to the disabled as well as the spouse, a child or dependant parent of a worker who has died.

Millions depend on it, but an interesting argument is being made by now a vocal minority. What if we just get rid of Social Security all together? And that question now -- should Social Security be abolished? -- is the question for today's Stream Team.

Mark Skoda is founder of the Memphis Tea Party joins me now. And also, Roger Hickey, the co-director of the Campaign for America's Future.

Mark, let me start with you. Get rid of it all together? Does Social Security and has it not over time served a lot of good in this country?

MARK SKODA, MEMPHIS TEA PARTY: Well, T.J., it has. But let's be clear -- I'm in my 50s now, and this year, for the first time, I think we're going to spend $29 billion more than taxes actually pay for Social Security. We're sitting on $2.5 trillion of IOUs from the Treasury for Social Security since the monies have been used for other used in the Treasury and in the budget.

So, I think we need to over time move towards privatization and I think it's just a practical matter. Certainly a person of my age looking at 65 and where we are has no real likelihood of having that money be paid.

And indeed the other problem we deal with is this notion of continuing to raise the age limit. We have a demographic problem in this country as well. We have particularly when you look at communities, African-Americans, roughly five-year age difference between whites -- and, in fact, whites less than Hispanics.

So, the notion of fairness comes in, and I suspect that moving towards a rational release of the traditional system towards a private system is going to be a much better solution.

HOLMES: Well, Roger, let me bring you in here now, and I think a lot of people make the same arguments, and I think a lot of people are scared that Social Security is in such dire straits that people like Mark and younger folks will not see that money.

Are you -- do you argue with some of those assertions that he just made? Or do you think Social Security is a good program that needs to continue the way it is?

ROGER HICKEY, CAMPAIGN FOR AMERICAN'S FUTURE: I'm sorry. I think Mark missed the Bush administration. When the Republicans really tried hard to privatize Social Security, and they went around the country and talked to people and -- lo and behold, most people love Social Security. Most people thought the idea of privatizing Social Security was a terrible idea, and that's why it never got anywhere in the Congress, even though Bush pushed it a lot.

Now, it's true that -- that some Republicans still want to do that. That's their secret wish. But for the average American, including Tea Party members, I would say, Social Security is a major, major important program for their retirement -- and the idea of getting rid of it, all you have to do is think about the recent financial crash, and if we had privatized Social Security under Bush, imagine what people's incomes after that crash would have been? They would have lost everything just like the smart guys did in the Wall Street.

SKODA: T.J., with all due --

HICKEY: It's really a bad idea. It's an idea rejected by the American people. We're debating whether or not to cut Social Security benefits a little bit. But most people don't even like the idea of cutting Social Security benefits.

HOLMES: Mark, I'll go ahead and let you respond and then I'm going to let you -- I'll come back to you and let you wrap it up, Roger.

But, Mark, you sounded like you wanted to say something.

SKODA: Yes, look, Chile is a very good example, albeit a very smaller country. There are annuities -- in fact, I got some very good friends with the financial community, people who didn't lose any money as a result of crash. There are fundamental ways you can structure the investments to ensure no downside and a reasonable upside.

And, secondly, I think people are much more educated today than even in the Bush years, eight, 10 years ago. They recognize the huge deficits we have and the promise of IOUs only in the current Social Security system.

So, I'm not suggesting a radical departure. But over time educating people to the realities, I think, is a necessary and prudent step.

HOLMES: And to that point, Roger, and I'll let you wrap it up. Those realities -- it seems like a lot of politicians are wanting to educate the public about the realities of this system. But, at the same time, you say you want to change Social Security and immediately you're going to get public rejection of that idea.

HICKEY: Yes. Why is that, T.J.? It's because most people depend on Social Security in their retirement years. The pension system really doesn't function anymore, and so, Social Security is what keeps a lot of people out of poverty, and rightly so.

We've paid into it all of our lives. It's a -- it's a reliable system. It's not in trouble financially for a couple of decades.

We can make simple fixes to Social Security, but -- but it should not be used as a way to get a hold of that trust fund money to use for deficit reduction. That would be a really destructive thing to do, and it would shatter the consensus that Americans have had since the New Deal that we really ought to make sure that people are not destitute in their old age.

HOLMES: Well, Roger Hickey and Mark Skoda, we wonder if this debate is happening in Washington at the White House right now because we're told Social Security is on the table right now in these deficit and debt talks.

Gentlemen, good to see you. I know we'll see you again. Thanks so much.

And as we get close to the top of the hour. Let's say hello. Looky, looky who we have in Atlanta with us. Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser, good friend of ours here.

Good to see you. You got our political update for us today. What do you got?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Always good to see you, T.J.

Let's start with Mitt Romney. He's running for U.S. president, right? So why is he in Great Britain? What's going on with that?

Well, he was over there today meeting with the British prime minister. How did we find out about that? He told us on Twitter.

Take a look at this -- gave us a picture in his tweet meeting with the British prime minister over there. Also yesterday had a fund-raiser.

Listen, this isn't the first television candidate go to Britain -- we saw John McCain, Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani all did this last time around. So, I guess it beefs up their foreign policy chops and it helps them with fundraising, there's a lot of Americans who live in Britain who have a lot of money and maybe want to spend some of it on candidates.

Also, let's talk about some new campaign ads, the ad wars in Iowa heating up. Iowa, of course, is so important, the first caucus state.

Michele Bachmann up with a new ad. What does she do in that ad? She reminds people in Iowa to guess where I was born? Iowa.

How about that, T.J.?

HOLMES: That's a pretty good strategy.

But also, now, we've got one political campaign having to apologize to the other, and Bachmann is in the middle of this one.

STEINHAUSER: Yes, she's getting the apology. Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota governor, running for president, a good friend of his, an adviser of his, talking about Bachmann saying good things about her, but said she's got a little sex appeal.

Well, what did he do apologizing saying I made a respect and disrespectful to my friend, Congresswoman Bachmann. Take it at that, T.J.

HOLMES: I have to apologize it.

And I bet you that's' not the last time that comes up somewhere in this campaign.

Paul, good to see you. As always, thanks so much, buddy.

Well, we're getting close to, like I said, to the top of the hour. Your next political update from "The Best Political Team on Television" is an hour away/

But coming up next, the single most important person in the three-year long Casey Anthony ordeal has probably gotten the least attention. Tell you about it in my "XYZ."

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HOLMES: Well, 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony used to love the song "You are My Sunshine." She would sing it with her granddad who she called Joe Joe. Her grandmother says she was a baby that never woke up crying. She always woke up laughing.

Now, unlike a lot of other kids, Caylee loved vegetables, especially green beans. Go figure.

Caylee was also a movie buff, "Sleeping Beauty" and "101 Dalmatians" among her favorites.

She would also say good night to the stars when she went to bed at night.

Well, it seems like we know just about everything there is to know about Casey Anthony's life. We will only know so much about 2- year-old Caylee's life because, in part, we only have two years of her life to work with. Caylee didn't get a chance to turn 3 years old or 4 years old or 5 years old.

On August 9th of next month, she's not going to get a chance to turn 6 years old.

During this whole case, this whole ordeal, so many people have asked me, why is nobody talking about Caylee? Well, just like so many other things in this case, including her life and also a lot of people now say her mother's jail sentence, simply didn't have enough time.

And that's my "XYZ" for today. THE NEWSROOM continues now with E.D. Hill.

E.D., it's all yours.