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Heads Roll Over News Corp Scandal; Japan Wins World Cup in Women's Soccer; Summer Heat Continues; World Keeps an Eye on World Cup Match; Mistrial in Roger Clemons Case
Aired July 17, 2011 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
We begin with a developing story. A stunning turn of events in the deepening and embarrassing hacking and bribery scandal infecting FOX News Channel's parent company, News Corp.
Today, the woman who headed his British newspapers, Rebekah Brooks, often referred to as Rupert Murdoch's surrogate daughter, is arrested. Then hours later another shocker. The head of the same department that arrested Brooks, London's Metropolitan Police commissioner false victim to the same widening scandal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COMM. PAUL STEPHENSON, LONDON METROPOLITAN POLICE: I have taken this decision as a consequence of the ongoing speculation and accusations relating to the Met's links with News International at a senior level, and in particular in relation to Mr. Neil Wallace, who as you know was arrested in connection with Operation Weeting last week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: What brought Sir Paul Stephenson down? His dealings with a former police department media consultant, Neil Wallace, who had once been an executive editor of "The News of the World" paper. And that brings us to Rebekah Brooks, at the top of the Murdoch food chain, and possibly the linchpin in an unfolding drama already ensnaring Britain's corridors of power.
As CNN's Atika Shubert reports tonight, Brooks is answering police questions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the cozy world of British politics and media, Rebekah Brooks was at its very center. She wined and dined the rich and powerful on behalf of her boss and mentor, Rupert Murdoch.
Brooks first came to News International as a secretary at "News of the World." She quickly developed a reputation for her tenacity as a journalist, reportedly once disguising herself as a cleaning lady to scoop a competitor. Described as both ruthless and charming, she was soon the youngest editor of "The News of the World," and shortly after that, "The Sun" -- both owned by Murdoch's News International.
She spearheaded a controversial campaign to, quote, "name and shame" alleged pedophiles, publishing their names and addresses in the paper.
As the editor of "The Sun," Brooks testified to parliament that her paper had paid police officers for information. And it was under her editorship that "The News of the World" allegedly paid a private investigator to hack into the voicemail messages of Milly Dowler, the 13-year-old girl murdered in Britain whose investigation and court case made front page headlines.
Those allegations did not come to light until almost a decade later, after Brooks had scaled the corporate ladder to become chief executive of News International, a position she resigned last week. Brooks has denied having any knowledge of any phone hacking by her staff.
It was Brooks who cemented a relationship with Prime Minister David Cameron, inviting him to lunches at her country home with the head of News Corporation Rupert Murdoch's son, James.
There have been several arrests in the phone hacking scandal so far, but Rebekah Brooks is the highest profile yet, and the one closest to Rupert Murdoch himself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was Atika Shubert reporting.
I want to bring in an expert to help untangle all the legal implications of the News Corp's scandal. Lisa Bloom is an attorney and the author of "The New York Times" bestseller called "Think: Straight Talk for Women and Stay Smart in a Dumb World."
So, Lisa, in 2003, when Brooks was an editor for "The Sun" newspaper, she admitted to using bugging devices and paying police. I want you to listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll just ask whether they ever paid the police.
REBEKAH BROOKS, THEN-EDITOR, "THE SUN": Excuse me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just the one element of whether you ever pay the police for information.
BROOKS: We have paid the police for information in the past, and it's been --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And will you do it in the future?
BROOKS: It depends on --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will cooperate within the code and within the law and if there's a clear public interest then we will. The same holds for private detectives, subterfuge, a video bag -- whatever you want to talk about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's illegal for police officers to receive payments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. As I said, within the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And that was Andy Coulson there, who succeeded Brooks as editor of "The News of the World" paper, stepping after it seemed like she had said too much, Lisa. And, by the way, Coulson was also arrested earlier this week.
Why wasn't this a bigger deal in 2003?
LISA BLOOM, ATTORNEY, THE BLOOM FIRM: Well, I think we got the answer to that today, Don, because it appears that law enforcement was intimately tied up with this hacking scandal and the corruption scandal at "News of the World" with Britain's top cop now stepping down, saying he should have handled things differently. I think we're really going to see this thing start to unravel. I believe this is the beginning of the U.K.'s Watergate. There's just too much corruption at too high of a level.
I mean, as you say, here's a woman who's virtually admitting: sure, we paid police for information. Now, the police had four years' worth of files of at least 4,000 hacking victims, and they did nothing. They didn't even notify the victims of the hacking.
So, I think this is really just the beginning of an unfolding scandal that's going to get bigger and bigger as each day goes by.
LEMON: Lisa, stay there because I want you to hear from Hugh Grant. He is the actor who helped bust this scandal wide open by secretly recording a former "News of the World" journalist. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: I don't really believe that Tony Blair dared sneeze without consulting Rupert Murdoch first -- and I'm not alone in that thought. And, frankly, it all began with Margaret Thatcher. She was the first pragmatist who thought, "Well, I'm not going to get elected unless I get the Murdoch press on my side. And that's been the case ever since.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So, listen, he is saying that it was all the way up to the prime minister. And the prime minister, the current one, David Cameron, certainly got it on the floor of parliament this week. So what sort of legal ramifications are there for these British leaders as the dominos fall in this case, Lisa?
BLOOM: Well, the first issue is the hacking. What did they know, and when did they know it? Were they participants in terms of covering up the hacking? That is criminal behavior in the U.K. It's criminal behavior here. And if you knew and you failed to act, you could be considered a co-conspirator.
Then, we're talking about other issues, like paying police for stories. Were police on the receiving end of what are effectively bribes for information?
You know, my beef with these tabloids, which I write about in my book, is that they are too big. They're too corrupt. They're too destructive. They're too powerful.
Here in the U.S., there are basically five media companies that own almost all media. And in the U.K., it's no different. Rupert Murdoch and his company simply had too much power. That's why we're seeing high-ranking people, even prime ministers, even the head of Scotland Yard, tied up with this. They had so much power. They had to be kowtowed, too.
LEMON: Yes. Lisa Bloom, we appreciate that. Thank you very much.
BLOOM: Thank you.
LEMON: You know, this scandal is reaching deep now into Rupert Murdoch's inner circle, and you can be sure that the man at the top is feeling the pressure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Murdoch has ads running in seven British papers through Monday saying, quote, "We are sorry for the phone hacking scandal at the 'News of the World'" -- the popular tabloid he just shut down.
And here's what he said in his own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUPERT MURDOCH, CHAIRMAN & CEO, NEWS CORP.: I'm the founder of the company. I was appalled to find out what happened. I apologize. I have nothing more to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The scandal is widening to another Murdoch paper, "The Sunday Times." And now, even the FBI is opening an investigation. The allegations: hacking the personal phones of public figures, and the not-so public, from murder victims to dead war heroes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And there is a firestorm, if you like, that is engulfing parts of the media, parts of the police, and indeed political systems' ability to respond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Murdoch's News Corp, the parent company of the FOX News Channel, also owns 20th Century Fox movie studies, the FX network, "The New York Post," "The Wall Street Journal," HarperCollins publishing, and probably your local FOX affiliate, among many others.
The charges against the company are criminal, and could have dire implications not only for Murdoch and the people under him but for the prime minister himself. David Cameron's former communications director, Andy Coulson, is also a former editor of "News of the World" -- the Murdoch paper at the center of this scandal -- Coulson has been arrested for his alleged role in all of this.
So, the question is, what did his former boss, David Cameron, know and when did he know it?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON: Let me say once more, if I was lied to, if the police was lied to, if the select committee was lied to, it would be a matter of deep regret and a matter for a criminal prosecution.
(JEERS)
MR. SPEAKER: Order. Anybody might think that it an orchestrated noise is taking place.
(JEERS)
Order, order! The house will come to order. And this order -- and these exchanges will continue in an orderly way.
Mr. Ed Miliband.
EDWARD MILIBAND: Mr. Speaker, the prime minister has just made a very important admission. He has admitted that his chief of staff was given information before the general election that Andy Coulson had hired a man -- had hired a man jailed for seven years for a criminal conspiracy who made payments to the police on behalf of "The News of the World." This evidence casts serious doubt on Mr. Coulson's assurances that the phone hacking over which he resigned was an isolated example of illegal activity.
CAMERON: Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? I think the public and the victims of this appalling scandal want us to rise above this and deal with the problems that this country faces.
(JEERS)
MR. SPEAKER: Ed Miliband.
MILIBAND: Mr. Speaker, he just doesn't get it. He just doesn't get it. I'm afraid, Mr. Speaker, the person who is not getting it is now e leader of the opposition.
(END VIDEO CLI)
LEMON: As we mentioned, this unfolding firestorm brought to light by Hollywood actor Hugh Grant, who secretly taped a former "News of the World" reporter talking about the unsavory practices that he says everyone in his organization condoned and encourage.
Here's Grant in a very awkward looking picture with that reporter. His named is Paul McMullan.
I spoke with McMullan about just who knew what in the News Corp organization.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Were people as high, possibly, as Rupert Murdoch, complicit in any of this? Would Rupert Murdoch know about these sorts of practices? Would people under him know about these sorts of practices?
PAUL MCMULLAN, FMR. NEWS OF THE WORLD JOURNALIST (via telephone): Yes. Well, people under him certainly should have known. I mean, when Rebekah Brooks, who is his right-hand woman in Britain, were doing my job, she was features editor, and I became deputy features editor. So, I was looking at the same books. So, we both had.
And we were spending 4,000 pounds a week on, you know, private investigators doing these kind of practices. And it's just extraordinary, you know, if she was the department boss who then moved up to be editor -- I mean, how could you not notice the spend of over 100 grand a year on this kind of thing and not even ask what it's for.
So, I mean, her position is ludicrous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Rupert Murdoch and his son, James Murdoch, have agreed to testify Tuesday at a parliamentary committee hearing on this scandal.
Stay tuned to CNN for developments on this story.
A key adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai is assassinated near Kabul. It comes on the same day NATO begins handing over security to the Afghan forces. That report is next.
And former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak falls into a coma. A report from Cairo after the break.
And if you want to reach out to us on social media. You can reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, CNN.com/Don. And you can check in on foursquare.
Also, my book, "Transparent," available in e-book and anywhere books are sold.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The Taliban claim a new success in their attempts to weaken the government of Afghanistan. A key adviser to President Hamid Karzai, a former provincial governor named Jan Mohammad Khan, was killed today inside his home today by three attackers. A member of the parliament also died in the attack. President Karzai's half- brother, also a government official, was assassinated less than a week ago.
In Egypt, new signs that the health of Hosni Mubarak is deteriorating. The deposed president slipped briefly into a coma today before regaining consciousness. Hospital officials say his condition is now stable. Mubarak has been hospitalized since April.
The former strongman is said to be dealing with complications from cancer. He faces trial in August on charges of ordering the killing of protesters during Egypt's revolution.
The health of Venezuela's president is in doubt after Hugo Chavez flew back to Cuba for cancer treatment last night. Chavez says he'll receive chemotherapy as part of an aggressive treatment plan. He hasn't revealed what kind of cancer he has. President Chavez spent less than a month in Venezuela after returning an earlier trip to Cuba. He is resisting calls to relinquish power.
Is there a deal anywhere in our future on the debt talks? The White House budget director had drawn another line in the sand. We'll talk about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), BUDGET COMMITTEE: Cut, cap and balance gets us out of debt over a long period of time and we'll have a balance the budget amendment requirement to stay out of debt. I think that's going to be the Republican position.
SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: Republican leaders have made it clear, that if all else fails, if our efforts to adopt legislation to cut the deficit put a straitjacket on it and balance the budget, the so-called "cut, cap and balance."
SEN. JIM DEMINT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: We need to let law enforcement work here. Congress has got a big issue in front of us. We need to handle our own business for a change, and the focus this week is on the only plan we've got, and that's cut, cap, and balance.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
LEMON: All right. Cut, cap, and balance -- the talking points, phrase of the weekend, apparently when it comes to the debt ceiling debate. But what the heck does it mean? And is it just more of the inside Washington jargon that flies over the heads of American people that just want lawmakers to do their jobs and come to some sort of agreement?
Let's bring in now, two of our favorite analyst here, Will Cain, a CNN contributor, and L.Z. Granderson, senior writer for ESPN.com and a contributor to CNN.com.
OK. L.Z., cut, cap, and balance is all the rage among Republicans. Could it be that this -- is this the key to getting a deal done by August 2nd?
L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: I don't think it's the key to getting a deal done, but it's a nice, little cut catch phrase they came up with. They got a great publicist. I'm really happy for them.
I almost spilled my coffee this morning listening to Lindsey Graham talk about this is the only ways, the real deal. I mean, we need to get away from this catch phrase rhetoric that's going to speak to their base and actually talk about real solutions that are tangible and not just kind of mystical.
LEMON: Yes. I got to let Will weigh on this because --
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.
LEMON: -- because, Will -- I mean, if you watch the shows this morning, that's all you heard. Someone asked a question about News Corp, and the guy responded by saying, we'll let that play out. But we got to get this cut, cap, and balance. And I'm like, my gosh, stick to the talking points.
Go ahead, Will.
CAIN: Look, I'm going to crucify talking point as quickly as the next guys. But you guys don't seem to understand -- this is the only plan on the table. You want to talk about tangible, this is the only tangible plan on the table. It will be voted on this week. President Obama has not put forth a plan.
Now, this plan is not going to pass. But it is real. It's the only plan out there.
LEMON: I'm not talking about the plan. I'm just talking about it's the talking points. And you know, someone said, stick to the talking points.
CAIN: They got a cute marketing phrase.
LEMON: Yes, there you go. That's all I'm saying.
All right. So, listen, Will, I know Democrats have their own divisions here. But Obama's opinion is really the only one that matters on that side, on the Democratic side.
Aren't internal divisions among the Republicans are the real reason that we don't have a deal yet?
CAIN: It is a real problem, Don. There's no doubt about that. It's hard to get all the Republicans on the same page behind a plan. This week, you'll probably hear a pretty unified voice behind this cut, cap and balance plan.
That being said, it's not going to pass. It won't pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. It won't pass the president's desk.
What we'll end up with is everybody will fall back on Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid's plan B. That's what will happen. I'm forecasting it a week ahead of time.
LEMON: OK. So, listen, L.Z., why does it seem like every time Congress gets into these big debates and looming deadlines, they start tossing around this inside Washington jargon? And I mean Democrats and Republicans.
GRANDERSON: Because it's jargon, that's what you're saying. It's really basically to confuse voters into just figuring out which person that they like more, versus which plan they like more. If they actually talked plainly that the average American can understand, then we'd able to really separate the wheat from the chaff. (INAUDIBLE) will like to use the jargon, they can tell (ph) each other off and fall back on, well, we got a good feeling about this person or bad feel being about that person.
I think it's absolutely ridiculous that they're even going through this cut, cap, and balance conversation. Will is right. It has no chance of passing. So, why are we wasting our time doing it?
LEMON: All right. Let's move on.
Will, I want to talk to you about Bachmann. Marcus Bachmann, not Michelle Bachmann. He made headlines this week with the counseling practice that claims that he uses a controversial therapy to encourage gay patients to change their sexual orientation.
So, listen, what is -- does this mean anything? What does it mean for the Bachmann campaign?
CAIN: You know, Don, let me say this: (a), this topic is not conducive to a 30-second conversation; (b), I'm not a religious guy and I don't want Michele Bachmann to be president.
But I think the outrage at Marcus Bachmann is misplaced. On this reparative therapy issue, I feel like the proper outrage and what you're really feeling is outrage that religion deems homosexuality wrong. From that premise, it logically follows that you would use some kind of religious counseling to control an impulse that religion says is wrong.
I think you need to refocus this. We all need to refocus into a smarter debate.
LEMON: Yes. And, you know, listen, Marcus Bachmann is certainly getting caught up in it. We showed the video of them dancing, and also comedians like Jon Stewart had a lot of fun with that on "The Daily Show." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, COMEDIAN: I think this man's views are terrible. And he dances and sounds not only gay but center square gay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: I mean, L.Z., is stuff like that fair?
GRANDERSON: I don't know if it's fair to insinuate that Michele Bachmann's husband is gay. But I have to chuckle because there are moments which I don't know if I'm listening to him or Cameron from "Modern Family." I mean, there's definitely some humor to be had here. But there really is a serious subject underlying it, which is how these clinics are sending a very bad message, not just to people who are GOBT, but also people who are allies in the fight for ending homophobia.
I think we need to be talking about what Marcus Bachmann is doing because he's heavily influencing what Michele would do if she were to be president.
LEMON: All right. Let's talk about the bigger picture here, because, Will, I'm wondering if Bachmann and Sarah Palin and others seem to get all the attention nowadays, but the one man with all the money and the name recognition and the resume -- we're talking about Mitt Romney -- he's really off the radar.
Is this the strategy that he is just standing by because it's early on and letting the crazy play out?
CAIN: Yes. I think so, Don. I think it's a smart strategy. Also, I'd add Jon Huntsman to that group as well. We're not hearing their names a lot. They are sitting back kind of above the fray, and letting a lot of the silliness fly.
I'll say this, though -- let's not dismiss Michele Bachmann. She has a serious chance to be the nominee. I hope that she doesn't end up being it.
But I like Romney's strategy better.
LEMON: All right. Will, L.Z., thank you both very much. Appreciate it.
CAIN: See you, fellas.
GRANDERSON: Thank you.
LEMON: "News of the World's" former editor, Rebekah Brooks, is arrested and questioned, and London's police commissioner announces his resignation all in connection with that scandal. That report is coming up next.
And later, got nails? We call her Mama Jazz. And you'll meet her straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's check your headlines right now.
Two major developments in the phone hacking scandal and bribery scandal involving Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Rebekah Brooks, former editor for "News of the World," the paper in the middle of this scandal, has been arrested and is now being questioned. Brooks, who is often called Murdoch's surrogate daughter, was the head of News Corp's British newspapers until she resigned on Friday.
And this London police commissioner also resigning over his connection to a former executive editor of "News of the World" paper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIZE THERON, ACTRESS: Madiba, happy birthday. I wish you everything that is beautiful. He's been a grandfather --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: South African native Charlize Theron wishes one of the world's best known freedom fighters a happy birthday.
Nelson Mandela turns 93 on Monday. And to honor its first black president, the nation is calling July 18th, International Mandela Day. South Africans are asked to volunteer 67 minutes to service representing each year Mandela fought against the segregationist policies of apartheid.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
LEMON: Celebration from Kool and the Gang was the latest wake-up song for the crew onboard Atlantis. It is day 10 of America's last shuttle flight. The song was played for mission specialist Sandy Magnus seen with here with her other crew members. Today, the crew answered questions from middle school students.
Not only was there no carmageddon, as everybody reported, including us. A highway project that was supposed to have caused it, finished 17 hours ahead of schedule. Take that.
Los Angeles area was bracing itself when 10 miles of Interstate 405, it shut down this weekend. But people stayed away, avoiding a monster gridlock. Now, more good news: crews completed the bridge demolition early. So, the 405 opened at noon local time today.
After being under police and public scrutiny for more than three years, Casey Anthony is now free, but we don't know exactly where. Anthony walked out of an Orlando jail just after midnight. Twelve days ago, a jury acquitted her of murdering her daughter, Caylee. About 1,000 people were outside the jail in protest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! Caylee! (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Security was high. Her attorneys say she's had multiple death threats.
Well, it was nail biter in women's -- a nail biter in women's soccer at the World Cup today, just little missing word there. The Japanese beating the U.S. in a shootout. We'll have a live report coming from Germany and New York, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: U.S. women's soccer team was on the wrong end of the score in the thrilling World Cup final today. Japan on penalty kicks after ending extra time at 2-2. The loss, well, it ends a run to the final that won over fans in the U.S. and even abroad.
CNN's Zain Verjee was at the game in Frankfurt, Germany.
Lucky lady, you.
And she joins us now.
Ok, so I'm sure --
(LAUGHTER)
You used to live here on this side of the pond, as you say. And you were sad for the U.S. ladies, I'm sure.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I was. It was really disappointing for the U.S. team, Don. They played their hearts out. They were the strong favorites coming in. They were feeling good and confident about this game, and played really well. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric. There was so much support, with chants of USA constantly. But they missed a lot of opportunities at the beginning of the game, Don. Even in the first minute, they could have been ahead, but they aren't able to do it. Finally, the 22-year-old sub came onto the pitch, Alex Morgan, and managed to score. She is the youngest player on the team. That put them ahead. Minutes later, the Japanese came in, because there was kind of a miscommunication in the American defense line. And Ali Krieger kind of tapped the ball onto the Japanese attacker's foot, and she was able to capitalize on that and knock it back. Abby Wambach, an amazing U.S. striker, known for her powerful headers in the air. She's really called the beast by the coach because she is so good, she put a goal in. And then the Japanese managed, at the last minute, in extra time, to kick it in. The captain of the team did that. And as you know, the U.S. lost in penalties.
But it really was an amazing match. It was a nail biter. And even though the U.S. didn't make history here tonight, they didn't get what they wanted, but we should give them a two-thumbs-up for making us all feel proud. They did a fabulous job.
LEMON: Zain -- VERJEE: The Japanese --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Zain, I'm going to start calling you to do sports on this show. That was very good sports.
(LAUGHTER)
You knew all the players, all the names, all the moves. You got it. Did the crowd have a clear favorite here, the U.S. or the underdog, Japan? Was there a clear favorite?
VERJEE: Well, Japan were the sentimental favorites. You know, nobody expected them to get here. They were the underdogs in the whole tournament. They knocked out the Germans and the Swedes, who were twice their height. They played with less height and more heart, is what everyone is saying here about Japan. The U.S. were the favorites coming in, because everyone thought they would win. They have more speed, strength, and stamina and really know how to hustle. The Japanese later, in the match, showed off their skill and their poise, and they really did hustle at the end, and they managed to get it. But they were the underdogs of the whole tournament.
LEMON: And making it more of an underdog. I have to ask you this. Did it mean a lot to Japan? I'm sure it did, a country that has been through so much the past several months. And you have been reporting a lot on it as well.
VERJEE: Yes.
LEMON: With the earthquake and the tsunami, Zain.
VERJEE: Yes, it did. The coach was even showing the team pictures right before the Germany game, at least, that we know of, of the devastation of the tsunami just to motivate people. A lot of the women on this team have friends and family who were affected by the tsunami. In fact, one of the players used to play for the team at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that was affected by the earthquake and the tsunami as well. And she also played for Tepco, the local power company in Japan as well. So they really had a lot riding on this, not only to uplift the game of women's soccer around the world, but for their country. And it really gave Japan a feel- good story that they needed. And even the U.S. players were saying, you know, they wanted to win. But Japan also had a heart in this game.
LEMON: I'll be checking my mailbox for a little souvenir from the game.
Thank you, Zain Verjee. Appreciate it. I know it will be there.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: All right. I'll send you one.
LEMON: Now a look at Susan Candiotti reacting in New York before we go to her. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Oh, my gosh. That was funny.
U.S. Soccer fans can only wonder about what might have been, but fans can look back on a tournament that provided plenty of highlights and good moments for people like Susan Candiotti, who watched the game with fans at a bar in New York. And she is joining us now.
You were partying there, Susan. I didn't know you had it in you.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's kind of lonely in here now, Don.
(LAUGHTER)
I think someone let the air out of the room. But now the dinner crowd has come in. The game crowd is outta here.
But like Zain was talking about, an electric crowd. The sparks were flying in here too. Everyone was on their feet for the most part. It was standing room only really in this place. It's called Zoom Snyder's (ph). If you're a soccer fan and you're in lower Manhattan, this is the place to be.
Obviously, the U.S. fans not happy with the outcome. But, you know, they took their licks and also said, hey, it was a great game. Here's how one fan summed it up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's heartbreaking, the result. Congrats to Japan, though. They put away their chances when they needed it the most. So that's really all you can say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Anyway, in the end, everyone agrees, it's good for the game, especially for young people coming up. They like to see soccer become more popular. I know we talk about this every time World Cup games come up. But it's the truth. And everyone loves the game. They really got involved here. And after all, you know, they said next time, four more years, right, Don?
LEMON: Yes. It's good stuff. But we have to remember it's only a game. Susan, in the 1999 players became American heroes and cultural icons. Remember that? Can these players have a similar impact on the game even though they lost? CANDIOTTI: Oh, yes. It's kind of hard to hear because it's so noisy in here. But I know that they were really behind this team. I know it was the last chance, and these fans said, for some of the members of this team, but they said, heck, you know, people will look up to them. They'll want to follow them. You know, especially if they are soccer fans, and get them involved in the game in years to come. So everybody walks away with something.
One of the best things to watch here was that you really had a big contingent of Japanese fans that were here too. And everybody got along with each other. Everybody lifted a beer glass at the end. So everyone leaves as friends, no matter the outcome.
LEMON: All right, Susan Candiotti.
We want to tell that your injury has nothing to do with the people in the bar. You had that little booboo before you went in there.
(LAUGHTER)
All right, Susan, thank you very much.
Coming up, all the stories affecting your week ahead.
And more on World Cup soccer with Pablo Torre of "Sports Illustrated."
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LEMON: Now to the big stories in the week ahead. From Washington to Hollywood, our correspondents tell you what you need to know. We begin tonight with the Pentagon.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. The big news this week, General David Petraeus on Monday will leave Afghanistan as commander of that war, and be replaced by Marine General John Allen. Petraeus will retire from the Army after decades of service, come back to Washington, and head the Central Intelligence Agency.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser. Tomorrow, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty begins a five-day swing through Iowa. Doing well in the state that holds the first contest in the White House is crucial for his hopes of winning the Republican presidential nomination. Wednesday, what's being billed as the first-ever Twitter presidential debate. Six candidates will take part in the event being put on by an online Tea Party group.
POPPY HARLOW, HOST, CNN MONEY: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. A long awaited watch dog agency in Washington opens its doors on Thursday. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will inspect the books of the country's biggest banks to be sure they are abiding by current credit card laws and respond to consumer complaints. But the White House has yet to appoint the CFPB's director due to opposition in Congress. Also key reports this week on the housing market and also earnings from G.E., Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo and Caterpillar. We'll track it all for you on "CNN Money." CARLOS DIAZ, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" Carlos Diaz. Here's what we're watching this week. Casey Anthony aftermath. The frenzy following Casey Anthony's release from jail. Plus, the end is here for "Entourage." We'll talk to all of the stars from the hit HBO show. Catch "Showbiz Tonight" exclusively week nights at 11:00 p.m. eastern and pacific right here on HLN.
LEMON: All right, thank you, guys.
Summertime heat continues to wear people out. This time, it's the middle of the nation. And they are certainly feeling it.
Our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, joins me now from the CNN Severe Weather Center.
The heat is on. It is summer.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know. Everybody is like, it's heat, it's no big deal. But this is a big deal.
LEMON: OK.
JERAS: This is impacting millions of people. And there's two reasons that I think this heat wave is really significant. Number one, the really extreme temperatures are hitting places that normally don't get this high. We are getting close to record levels across parts of the Midwest. Minneapolis, 108. That's the temperature your body feels right now due to the combined effects of the heat and the humidity. Feels like 100 in Chicago, 103 in Kansas City. And it's 105 in Dallas. We're expecting to see this a little bit more in this area. But today is day 15, where you've seen the triple digits. That is a very long period of time. And the heat is going nowhere anytime soon. We have kind of a blocking pattern set up, meaning things will be focused in the plains states. From International Falls, Minnesota, all the way to central parts of Texas, we're expecting to see the heat indices anywhere between 100 to 115 at least through Wednesday. This is a long duration event.
Factor number two, why I think this is a big deal, and this has to do with the overnight temperatures. We always talk about, oh, my gosh, it's going to be 110. What about the overnight lows? Low? 80 degrees. Take a look at that, for a couple of days. So there's no period of time throughout this next couple of days where you have any chance to cool off whatsoever.
All right. We have another thing that's kind of heating up, and that's the tropic. We have tropical depression number two that just formed in the last hour. It's got winds around 35 miles per hour. It's down here just to the north of the Bahamas and off the coast of Florida. The forecast track showing it's taking a turn on up towards the north near the coast, but at this time, we're really no9t expecting it to have much of an impact on the U.S. Don?
Water. That's it. It's all about staying hydrated.
LEMON: Yes. All right. There we go. Thanks (INAUDIBLE), Jacqui.
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JERAS: You did it. Not me.
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LEMON: Much of the country was keeping a close eye on the women's World Cup soccer final, including the Obamas, the first family. I'll be talking about that next with Pablo Torre of "Sports Illustrated." There's he is. We'll see you on the other side of the break.
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JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE: The women's soccer World Cup is going on in Germany right now. Today, France hammered Canada 4-0, and this was the highlight. It's our women's World Cup play of the day.
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KIMMEL: You cannot take your eyes off it for even a second, for even a second.
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LEMON: OK. Jimmy Kimmel wasn't excited by the World Cup soccer, but a lot of the country was. They were very excited today as the underdog, Japan, the team won a thrilling shootout victory over the U.S.
Let's talk about it with Pablo Torre of "Sports Illustrated." There you see the new "Sports Illustrated" cover there, talking about Derek Jeter.
Pablo, listen, the Japan team, Cinderella story, everybody is behind the U.S. team. There's something true about nobody cares about women's soccer until you get to this point, right?
PABLO TORRE, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: The bottom line is every women's World Cup is a referendum on women's soccer and even women's sports in general. We've learned America can get up for the big game. We can get up for the final and Olympics. It remains to be seen where we can get a bleed-over effect, whether we can get spillover from these big events, going down to the pro level to Division I college level, and hopefully to women soccer fans. This game and this run by the U.S. team and its phenomenal victory by Japan, more importantly at this point, can be something of a foot hold, can be a process of erosion, getting people to care more and more about these games seasonally, but certainly all of the attention goes to the big games and the big stage.
LEMON: Yes. The excitement over this extended to the White House where President Obama and his family were watching as well, Pablo. There was the same excitement as in 1999 when the U.S. women won there and it didn't carry over. So is this just a sport that gets attention during the World Cup and the Olympics?
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LEMON: Again, I'll ask you that in a different way. That going to be -- is that true?
TORRE: Yes.
LEMON: Does the U.S. care about soccer, men or women?
TORRE: There's a big irony here in that the U.S. is so a soccer country when it comes to the youth level. The soccer mom is an American institution. We know everybody, our neighbor's kids, our friends in school. We all played soccer. How do we get Americans to care about the actual games? What you're asking is a question I think that sports fans and observers have wondered about so long. I don't know if the American mentality necessarily just has -- the attention span may be too short for soccer. Maybe that's the case. Maybe they don't understand the nuances of the game. This women's World Cup has shown the greater virtues.
LEMON: Yes.
TORRE: And if you can care about the women's World Cup, you can care about the men's World Cup. And that's what we did certainly when the U.S. made its own run.
LEMON: I have to say this. What, you're in your 20s, 30s. I didn't play soccer.
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LEMON: I didn't know anybody who played soccer. I'm in my 40s. That's a new phenomenon, this whole soccer thing. So I guess it's going to take a while.
TORRE: It has a long way to go.
LEMON: Yes, OK.
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Let's switch gears and talk some baseball. Mistrial this week for Roger Clemens on charges of lying to Congress about using performance- enhancing drugs. Will the prosecution try him again? TORRE: They are going to try. On September 2nd, there will be a hearing to decide whether the judge will allow a retrial, which is in doubt in the first place. Due to double jeopardy rules, Judge Reggie Walton discussed this may not be an option.
Don, let's get this straight. This is a humiliating outcome for the federal prosecutors involved. They had a strong case at least in the court of public opinion against Roger Clemens. They had this guy nailed to a wall with the evidence they had. The judge called this mistake, allowing inadmissible evidence, testimony by Andy Pettitte's wife to be shown to the jury, a mistake a first-year law student wouldn't make. That's a huge blow. So for anybody who questioned spending millions of dollars prosecuting a baseball player was a bad idea, the government just handed you your strongest piece of evidence yet that this could just be a big waste of money in the end.
LEMON: We're close to the end of the NFL lock out. One player took some verbal shots this week, telling "Men's Journal" that he hates Commissioner Roger Goodell and calling him a devil.
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Pablo, what was Pittsburgh Linebacker James Harrison thinking? Will we have an NFL agreement this week as well?
TORRE: Yes. To the NFL lock out agreement, I think all reporters right now are thinking we'll get something before the end of the month, and fingers crossed on that. It's been an almost a five-month long process.
In the meantime, we deal with a guy like James Harrison making statements like this. What was he thinking is what the Pittsburgh Steelers, Roger Goodell and his teammates are thinking. James Harrison, a great linebacker, entertaining on the field, but he has the discretion of a machine gun. This is what we're seeing. The guy was fined $100,000 last year by Commissioner Goodell. The most in the league for illegal hits, and the concussions crisis in the middle of that that the NFL was dealing with to now, of course, he hasn't seem to have learned his lesson, on or off the field. This guy remains the NFL's embarrassing, uncontrollable ig (ph), more or less.
LEMON: All right, Pablo Torre, thank you very much very much.
Take a look at this. Nails as long as 26 inches. We'll talk to the woman known as Mama Jazz. See the faces here in the studio. She will show how she functions with them, all coming up next.
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