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Looking at Debt Backup Plan; Japan Wins Women's World Cup; Sculptor Rebuilds after Stroke; News Corp Exec's Rise and Fall; Murdoch's Battle to Contain Scandal; Checking The Truth-O-Meter; New Cabinet Named In Egypt; Biker Gang Rides For Mandela

Aired July 18, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour now. Drew Griffin in today for Suzanne Malveaux. Let's get you up to speed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brutal. I probably lost 10 pounds today. It's crazy.

SUZANNE NEWKIRK, IREPORTER: We are sweltering and we're just asking for some relief here. Houston is hot as blazes. Stay put. Stay cool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: From Houston to Minneapolis, blistering heat, extraordinary humidity. It's making it feel like 117 degrees across the central U.S. Excessive heat warnings in effect across 11 states. The dangerous hot air will slowly spread to the eastern seaboard. That's going to happen later this week.

The scandal spreading through Rupert Murdoch's media empire cost London's assistant police commissioner his job today. His name is John Yates. He resigned calling his decision not to reopen the phone hacking investigation two years ago, quote, "crap."

Former News Corp executive and tabloid editor Rebekah Brooks still plans to testify before parliament today. Her arrest this weekend out that in doubt. News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch and his son James are expected to appear alongside Brooks.

British Prime Minister David Cameron will delay Parliament's vacation by one day giving lawmakers a chance to respond to the testimony. That happens Wednesday.

A change of U.S. command in Afghanistan. General David Petraeus leaving to become CIA director handed command of the Afghan war to Marine General John Allen. Allen served as a deputy at U.S. Central Command in Tampa before getting the top job in Afghanistan.

Typhoon Ma-on is on track to strike Japan tomorrow. And the workers at the Fukushima plant are building a protective covering over that crippled nuclear plant. The intense storm is forecasts to strike well south of Fukushima, but the plant's owners are taking no chances. Wow. Paramedics say a man injured when that stage collapsed. It happened at Ottawa's Blues Fest. The man should survive. A sudden thunderstorm blew the stage down, driving a piece of metal into his abdomen. The band Cheap Trick was on the stage at the time. At least three other people hurt when that happened.

And look at it this way. If the U.S. women's soccer team couldn't win the championship cup, at least Japan did. Four months after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, Japan needed something to cheer about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: More than a sports team, they carry the prayers and hopes of a badly damaged nation, and moved to tears as they watch.

"I think we witnessed something historic," says this fan. "I was so moved."

DANIEL RADCLIFFE, ACTOR: Come on. Let's finish this the way we started it. Together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Something historic at the box office. "Harry Potter" had the biggest opening weekend of any movie in history. $168 million worth of tickets in the U.S. That put "The Deathly Hollows Part II" ahead of the previous record holder, 2008's Batman film "The Dark Knight." Worldwide, "Harry Potter" took in $307 million, another record.

And best wishes are streaming in for Nelson Mandela. The former South African president marked his 93rd birthday today, surrounded by his family. Mandela urged everyone to spend 67 minutes of today making the world better for someone else. Mandela spent 67 years in public life, 27 of them in prison working against all-white rule in South Africa.

High stakes and high anxiety as the debt ceiling debate drags on in Washington. Discussions over the weekend produced no deal, little progress on any plan to raise the debt limit and reduce the deficit.

As talks continue today, Republicans and Democrats are looking at backup plans like the one Senator Mitch McConnell and Senate majority leader Reid are working on. That plan would give the president authority to raise the country's debt limit. It would be done in three short term increments of up to $2.5 trillion. Congress would have to vote on the increase giving lawmakers a chance to register their disapproval.

They can't agree on an overall debt and deficit plan, so will lawmakers go along with the fallback plan to keep the country from defaulting on its bills?

Let's bring in CNN congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan. Kate, what are Democrats saying about this backup plan?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, in terms of this backup plan, it seems to be the only plan at this point. While I haven't seen the real contours of it, we're getting some framework that both sides seem to at least be open to in terms of it being a backup.

For Democrats, here's why. This is the upside for Democrats. They would get -- if this plan would go through, they would get to see the debt ceiling raised, which they have been calling for. It would also -- Democrats would be able to avoid very deep, deep spending cuts that Republicans say they would be required as part of kind of a big debt deal if they would have ever -- if they would reach that.

It would also avoid for Democrats any real changes or cuts to Medicare and other entitlement programs which they have been fighting against during this debate. But at the same time, I will say kind of a flip side, maybe the downside for Democrats, though, is that they wouldn't get that new revenue, that -- those tax increases that they have been calling for in terms of shared sacrifice and that balanced approach that we've heard Democrats talking so much about during this debate.

But it seems that if we get to the point where we kind of at the last ditch efforts, Democrats would be able to work with that downside with -- while they get the other up side.

GRIFFIN: Well, I mean, Kate, it seems for both sides, this plan, if it's adopted, it's just kicking the can down the road. I mean are Republicans -- the Republicans who want real change, will they vote for this?

BOLDUAN: Some Republicans are coming out very strongly. We heard over the weekend some conservative Republicans coming up very strongly against it, but I will tell you there is a maybe growing consensus that -- as a last ditch plan this might be either way that they have to go.

And here is why. For some Republicans, this is the upside. It would -- for Republicans it would allow them to escape the blame if a deadline was missed and a default would occur. It would also avoid for Republicans having to vote for some sort of tax increase that was discussed as part of kind of that grand bargain.

And it would allow Republicans to keep this issue, the debt ceiling and fighting for spending cuts, as a campaign issue as this plan would require a separate vote on raising this debt ceiling and asking for raising this debt ceiling leading up to the 2012 election. And if it would also, if you will it, put the responsibility of this debt increase squarely in the lap of President Obama.

So there is an upside for Republicans, but I'll tell you, we're still seeing, and even you said, Drew, they're still working out the contours of this plan. Will it include some spending cuts, how much if it does, and that we're trying to learn a little more about this week and we're hearing that it could be unveiled later this week, but this is all again a fluid situation that we're trying to figure out where it's all going to land -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Kate Bolduan on Capitol Hill, where, Kate, despite the looming crisis, no official work being done on this today, officially, right?

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: Well, they're coming back in. They say conversations are happening. We're trying to figure out what's happening in those conversations.

GRIFFIN: All right. Thanks, Kate. We'll follow your work.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories ahead. First, is there any relief from the sweltering heat? We'll ask our meteorologist Chad Meyers.

Please, Chad, show us some relief.

Plus the dancer in the Silvio Burlosconi sex case appeared in court today in Italy.

And the U.S. women's soccer team, well, let the World Cup slip away, but a nation that's badly needed a break certainly got one. They wake up in celebration in Japan.

And heads continue to roll from the News Corp phone hacking scandal. Is it too late for damage control?

And can these shoes really give you that perfect body? We're going to separate fact from fiction on this one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Three great stories, only one will air. This is your chance to "Choose the News" and here are your choices.

First, it was a tough loss for the U.S. women's soccer team. But nothing can tarnish the sport's new popularity in the United States. We're going to take a look at the next generation of young female athletes ready to take the field.

Second, an unlikely biker game Road Warriors touring South Africa in the name of Nelson Mandela, and doing good deeds along the way.

Or, number three, do you think L.A.'s recent Freeway shutdown made commuting tough? Try planning a wedding in the middle of Carmageddon.

You can vote by texting 22360. Text "1" for U.S. women's soccer surge, "2" for the Mandela bikers, or "3" for Carmageddon bride. The winning story airs at the end of the show.

The Midwest suffering the brunt of the excessive heat wave today with Minnesota feeling like the hottest state.

Chad Meyers, why does it feel so darn hot?

CHAD MEYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Because of a number that weathermen on TV give you all the time that is so misunderstood.

GRIFFIN: Dew point.

MEYERS: Dew point. It's the most important number in weather, and no one at home understands. Because nobody has ever taken the time to tell you what it's all about.

GRIFFIN: I bet you are right now.

MEYERS: If you take a 30-degree bottle of Coke, whatever, Pepsi, and you put it outside, it's going to steam up, right? You see that steam? That's the sweat, that's the dew forming on the bottle. Same thing with the water.

You can see it kind of on the water bottle. This is good. You can kind of see it right there. These bottles are cold, sure, fine. But if you take them, and they'll tell you there's 70 degrees and you put them outside and they still steam up, then it's sweltering.

If there are 80 degrees like in Minnesota yesterday and they're still steaming up, it's unbearable. If you too -- you have single pained windows, you turned your air conditioning on on the inside and the outside of your windows are sweating, don't go out there. That means the dew point is higher than the temperature that you have on the inside, it's higher than the glass. That glass is 75 or 76. That means it's oppressive outside.

Dew point is the most important number for heat. When it gets above 80, forget about it. Don't go outside.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: Thanks, Chad. Thanks for the explanation about the dew point.

MEYERS: You got it.

GRIFFIN: Well, even Iceland is feeling the heat this summer. Temperatures got up to 70 degrees over the weekend. A CNN iReporter sent this video.

Look at this, Chad.

MEYERS: Seventy?

GRIFFIN: Iceland. Flocking to the beach. Our reporter says the natives are sweltering under unusually high temperatures. That should give you some perspective. It's normally in the 50s and 60s during the summer.

Iceland. MEYERS: Yes.

GRIFFIN: Indonesia, the big concern a volcano has erupted twice today. Just minutes apart spewing thick ash clouds. One day after the number of evacuees there rose to 5200.

Wow. Amazing pictures there. That could affect some air transportation. Some air travel. We'll keep that advice.

All right, Chad, thanks again.

The United States had never lost a soccer game against Japan, never. Well, this Japan team had been building a reputation as a giant killer, and they did it. They showed the world an example of their fighting spirit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: The U.S. women's soccer team had several opportunities to bring home that World Cup, but they were up against a team that just would not quit.

Our Kyung Lah picks up the story from Japan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (voice-over): From the urban sports bars of Tokyo, to the gymnasiums of rural Japan, the sound, the same, jubilation.

A team of underdogs against a stronger team they'd lost to 25 times. More than a sports team, they carry the prayers and hopes of a badly damaged nation, moved to tears as they watch.

"I think we witnessed something historic," says this fan. "I was so moved."

(On camera): Hours after that incredible win, the game is being replayed across Tokyo. It's not just soccer fans, but an entire nation desperately in need of a feel-good moment, and some heroes.

(Voice-over): Coming four months after the tsunami, Japan continues to reel from the disaster. Fukushima nuclear plant remains a crisis, still spewing radiation and months away from a cold shutdown.

Japan's economy has struggled in the wake of the epic disaster. The lawmakers, locked in partisan bickering and trying to oust the prime minister, while in the tsunami zone, nearly 100,000 remain in evacuation centers of temporary housing with years of rebuilding ahead.

"This game happened at the right time for us," says a tsunami victim. "This victory gives us the strength to keep going."

The morning papers for once blared upbeat news, snatched up by eager readers. "There's been so much bad news from Japan," says this commuter. "This is good news and it encourages us."

The sports world is already calling the women's team the comeback kids for how they refused to yield in the World Cup, but to their home nation, they are a potent symbol, a reminder, to never give up.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Back here in the U.S., let's take a look at the stories our affiliates are covering.

In Upstate New York, two people have died, 35 others injured when that tour bus crashed into the woods some 60 miles from Rochester. The set from Washington. It was going to Niagara Falls. Police believe a tire may have blown out.

Next stop in Iowa, a robber picked the wrong house, that's for sure. Congressman Leonard Boswell was home with his family when a robber pushed his way in at gunpoint. Boswell wrestled the guy, tried to grab the gun, but it was his grandson who went for a shotgun in another room. That was enough to send that robber hightailing it out of the front door. Police say nobody seriously injured.

In Phoenix, a 61-year-old woman is accused of groping a TSA agent. Police say she refused to go through screening and then reached out and grabbed the agent's breasts. She was arrested and charged with a felony.

Kevin Robb is a metal sculptor who by all accounts reached the height of success in the art world, but a stroke in 2004 cost him his career and nearly his life. Now he's creating art again.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has his remarkable story in today's "Human Factor."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kevin Robb's sculptures can be found in museums, parks, and private collections all over the world, but for the past seven years this Denver artist hasn't been able to sculpt.

DIANE ROBB, KEVIN ROBB'S WIFE: I was teasing him about, what, you think that sculpture looks better from the ground up? And then I took a look at him and I could tell that there is something seriously wrong.

GUPTA: What Kevin's wife Diane didn't know is that her previously healthy husband had a blood clot which had travelled to his brain and caused a massive stroke.

D. ROBB: He was on life support for 13 days, and then from there, he was in rehab hospitals for seven weeks. GUPTA: When Kevin finally came home, he had lost his memory, his ability to speak and most of his movement, but when he was taken back up into his studio, something inside him lit up.

D. ROBB: He stood here, walked over and touched some of his machinery, and for the first time since his stroke, there was life in his eyes.

GUPTA: Kevin continued his rehabilitation, and over time he learned to walk on his own. Bits of his memory came back and he can now speak more than 100 different words. All of that led him to be able to make art again.

D. ROBB: Kevin sketches, we have staff that understands what he wants, and Kevin is back in full swing in creating sculptures.

GUPTA: None of it has been easy.

Diane and Kevin have to speak in a sort of complicated type of charades.

D. ROBB: You want to go someplace.

KEVIN ROBB, SCULPTOR: I want Tom, keys --

D. ROBB: He wants the keys to the truck so he and Tom can go someplace.

K. ROBB: Yes.

GUPTA: And Diane says Kevin's love for his family and his fierce determination to get better brought him and his art back to life.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Well, she rose from a secretary to a CEO in Rupert Murdoch's media empire, but Rebekah Brooks has fallen on her sword. Arrested over the weekend in the ever growing phone hacking scandal. We're going to look at her rise and fall next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on.

Up next, News Corp in full damage control. More on the fallout on the ongoing PR blitz.

Then getting fit. All you have to do is put on these? Really? We'll see if that's true.

Later, better have a babysitter if you want to dine here. No food here for anybody under 6. Let's go to CNN "In Depth" now. One day after the British phone hacking scandal landed, former News Corp exec Rebekah Brooks behind bars. We look at her stunning rise and fall.

Atika Shubert with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL 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.

(On camera): From ambitious journalist to arguably the most powerful woman in British news media, now arrested by British police investigating allegation of phone hacking and police payment by Murdoch newspapers.

Just how Rebekah Brooks she get to this point?

(Voice-over): 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 voice messages of Milly Dowler, the 13- year-old girl murdered in Britain whose investigation court case made front page headlines.

Those allegations did not come to light until almost a decade a 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.

Atika Shubert, CNN, London. (END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Rupert Murdoch fighting to contain the scandal engulfing his global media empire.

And joining us via Skype from Washington with that side of the story is Howard Kurtz, Washington bureau chief for the "Daily Beast" and host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES."

And Howard, I just want to cut to the chase. I mean, Democrats, liberal Democrats are just salivating at the possibility this scandal could come across the pond and infect FOX News.

Is there any evidence right now that this is anything but a scandal related to tabloid newspapers in the UK?

HOWARD KURTZ, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: Well, you're certainly right that liberal Democrats are salivating, and people who have not liked Rupert Murdoch or FOX News or the "New York Post" for a long time.

But it's completely unfair. There's no evidence at the moment that FOX News and "New York Post" have any involvement in any illegal conduct or any phone hacking or anything like that.

The one place where the Murdoch empire could run into trouble here in the States if it's proven over in the UK that there were some bribes paid to police officials to have them -- let's say conduct the very minimal investigation of the original phone hacking allegations because that could potentially violate the U.S. Foreign Corruption Practices Acts.

GRIFFIN: I watched your show this weekend and it was very interesting to learn that what Rupert Murdoch is trying to save is really -- appeared to me anyway -- the dying end of his business when the revenue source is not linked to the scandal.

KURTZ: Absolutely. The British newspapers that get a lot of attention because they're colorful. The tabloids are in addition to the "Times of London" and the "Sunday Times," you know, are -- you know, like newspapers around the world, not the big revenue generators compared to television and other things that Murdoch owns.

It's very sentimental with him. He is an old newspaper man, started with a newspaper in Australia, and he doesn't want News Corp to give up those papers. Other people in the company are, like, let's get rid of them, who needs this headache, we'll make more money from Sky TV.

And of course with Rupert Murdoch being 80 years old, you do have to ask the question, how long he will be in charge and how long his sentimental attachment to those papers will continue to be the driving force at News Corp.

GRIFFIN: Of course, he does have papers here in the U.S., not implicated. But how does he keep, you know, the infection of the cousins from infecting his papers here, at least on a PR scale?

KURTZ: Well, on a PR scale, it's a debacle because the Murdoch brand has been so tarnished by the phone hacking scandal itself, the revelations about the very close relationships he and his top lieutenants have with, for example, prime minister David Cameron and other British politicians, the allegations of paying off police if that proves to be true. And so none of this is helping the Rupert Murdoch brand.

But you know, to the average American who isn't following this that closely and who likes Fox News or who gets on the subway in Manhattan everyday and reads "The New York Post," probably not a lot of impact, unless an FBI investigation, which a couple of members of Congress have asked for or congressional hearings turns up anything here in the United States. At the moment, there's no evidence of that.

GRIFFIN: Let me ask you this. Now that we know what was going on over there with the phone hacking, does it -- does it bring the headlines that his papers generated clearer to you as to where this information was coming from?

KURTZ: I don't think that there's any question. I mean in fact, we kind of knew this is the way the Murdoch tabloids operated. Look at last year, when "The News of the World," since closed by Murdoch in the hacking scandal, had one of its reporters impersonate a shake and get hidden camera video of Sarah Ferguson, you know, offering to sell access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew. At the time, I said, this is not what a newspaper should be doing. It's lying, it's deception.

Most people didn't care. There's a market in the UK and perhaps America, too, for the kind of journalism that these tabloids practice. But there's also a line that you can't cross, a line of illegality when you engage in phone hacking.

And when you turn that, not against an ex-member of the royal family or a celebrity, when you turn it to ordinary people, as they're learning happened in the case of "The News of the World," the reaction is very different.

One other quick point, and that is the "Wall Street Journal," which is also owned by Murdoch, has an editorial today basically saying British newspapers do it all the time, and Murdoch's enemies are just using the crisis as an excuse to trash him. There's an element of truth in that. But it's such a defensive editorial that it does show The Journal being drawn into what is now an international crisis for the company.

GRIFFIN: Yes, I did see that. I thought, mmm, maybe they don't want to go there, but we'll see how this plays out.

Howard Kurtz, thank you so much for joining us. And you watch Howard's show on CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES" on Sunday. Thanks again, Howard.

Rupert Murdoch's testimony in Parliament is set to begin tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. We will take you live to London for the most compelling parts of that testimony. We expect to hear from Murdoch, his son James, and former executive Rebekah Brooks.

Remember we're giving you the chance to tell us which story you want to see. You can vote by texting 22360. Texting 1 for the next generation of U.S. women's soccer stars, two for the South African biker gang riding in the name of Nelson Mandela, and three for the carmageddon wedding. Gridlock almost kept the bride from getting to the church on time. The story with the most votes will air at the end of the hour.

Well, shoes said to tone you while you walk, right? They go by a number of names, but some groups say that claims are way overblown. And our medical unit is taking a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Just in to us, a little story about Nolan Ryan, the baseball great of course, and the chief executive officer of the Texas Rangers. He's apparently in the hospital undergoing some tests. This is what the Rangers have put out, "for what is believed to be a recurrence of the heart condition which he previously experienced." Been in the hospital since Sunday, and he expect to be released in a few days. Nolan Ryan, baseball great, hospitalized, but apparently according to the Texas Rangers, not that serious. Hopefully.

Well, have you ever seen those commercials of people jumping around with strange looking sneakers that rock you back and forth? They're called muscle toning shoes, and people who sell them claim they help your body build muscle. But new studies are questioning whether the claims are accurate.

Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I was just leaning in to show you the planes (ph). I think I was a little quick there.

GRIFFIN: Joe Montana, the San Francisco quarterback, wears these things.

COHEN: Good for him.

GRIFFIN: And considering a comeback. Do they work?

COHEN: Well, what studies have shown is that, yes, they are fine. You know, knock yourself out. Go ahead and wear them, but they are no better, for example, these, which these are the plain-old, you know, flat-bottom shoes. The American Council on Exercise has actually compared them and said, you know, here is a claim that says promises to promote weight loss, tone muscle, improve posture. And they say they are no better than any old sneakers.

GRIFFIN: This is the first time I've actually held them. They're rocky. COHEN: They're rocky. Yes, and these companies say they are rocky and that that is helpful and that actually does something for you. In fact they have a statement that says there's simply no evidence to support the claim that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn calories or improve muscle strength and tone. So, that's what folks doing the study comparing them say. They are saying these are no better.

These companies say they are better. Studies show they are better. Others who are unrelated to the company say that's not true.

GRIFFIN: Well, what study -- the folks who make these, obviously, they have done some kind of a study.

COHEN: Right. And they say ours are better.

GRIFFIN: For?

COHEN: For weight loss, muscle tone. But people like the American Council of Exercise on exercise and other say that is simply not true. It doesn't matter. Do your workout in these kind of flat- bottom shoes or in these shoes. They say it just doesn't matter.

GRIFFIN: Doesn't matter if you buy them or not?

COHEN: Right. I mean, the way the experts have put it to us is, if you want to go buy these, knock yourself out. They cost between $50 and $200. Some people love them and say they've done wonders for their body. That's great.

But you don't have to. You can also just get the plain old sneakers.

Now, one note that some experts say - Drew, you pointed this out. This is not terribly stable. That's what the experts are telling us. And they're a little concerned that you might sort of trip or fall when you are wearing these. But again, if you tried them and you like them and you swear by them, that's great.

(LAUGHTER)

GRIFFIN: All right!

COHEN: But the experts say no science says that they are better.

GRIFFIN: Right. Right. So, I mean, motivational gimmick, perhaps.

COHEN: You know what? And if it motivates you, that could be the best gimmick ever.

GRIFFIN: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thanks a lot.

COHEN: Thanks.

GRIFFIN: All right. Well, what if you favorite family restaurant refused to feed your hungry herd of kids? Imagine that, Elizabeth.

COHEN: That would be terrible.

GRIFFIN: As of this past Saturday, a restaurant outside of Pittsburgh banned kids under six. Banned them!

COHEN: How friendly!

GRIFFIN: Here is a report from affiliate WTAE.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You can't miss the signs on the outside, on the inside, printed notices on the tables. The policy is clear: if you are younger than six, please dine elsewhere. The response to this now international story --

MIKE VUICK, OWNER, MCDAIN'S RESTAURANT: Well, we are booked solidly all night. Last night, interestingly, before the ban took place, was the biggest night of our history. A show of support and people giving me the thumbs up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: McDain's owner Mike Vuick says he changed the policy based on customers' requests. He says the support is 11-1 in favor of the child ban. Thousands of letters and e-mails.

VUICK: "We're with you. We are glad you raised this issue. We too have had circumstances that you describe in your various interviews of having meals ruined by improperly supervised children, so we're with you."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The debate has clearly struck a chord all over the world.

VUICK: This is the 61st interview I have done this week. I never imagined -- I did not seek this. I am big in Sidney. We did three radio stations in Sidney, Australia, one in New Zealand. I did a primetime TV show in Canada last night. I did national Canadian radio.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not all the responses are positive. Some parents want to take their whole family out to dinner here, young kids included.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only thing for this particular place -- I do understand that families has been coming here for quite a few years, and now that this is set in place it's a big disappointment for them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: All right. The restaurant's owner says kids are not like a radio. You can't turn down their volume. We know that.

COHEN: Right.

GRIFFIN: But banning kids, really?

COHEN: I mean, it just doesn't sound very community friendly.

GRIFFIN: It doesn't sound very business-oriented, either.

COHEN: No, you're losing this huge chunk of your customers. You have to wonder. But perhaps you'll get more people because they know that they don't have to listen to the children. I don't know.

GRIFFIN: We'll see. Thanks a lot, Elizabeth.

Hey, President Obama says most Republican voters support some revenue increases to reduce the debt. That's what the president said. Well, we put the president's claim to the Truth-o-Meter test.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Just a little bit of time left to tell us which "Choose the News" story you want to see. Send us your vote. You can text us at 22360. And text 1 to see the next generation of U.S. women's soccer stars, 2 for the South African biker gang taking on the teachings of Nelson Mandela, or number 3 from carmageddon wedding, the gridlock that almost kept a bride and groom from exchanging vows. The winning story airs at the end of this hour.

We heard a lot of statements flying back and forth in this deadlock over raising the debt limit. We want to take a closer look at whether some of the comments are really true. Angie Holan is a reporter for "St. Petersburg Times." She and others at politifact.com have been putting some of the quotes through the Truth-O-Meter.

And, Angie, what about this one from President Obama. During a news conference last week he said "80 percent of the American people support an approach" to federal budget problems "that includes revenues and includes cuts." True or not?

ANGIE HOLAN, POLITIFACT.COM: We rated this one mostly true. Pollsters asked people, how should we deal with the country's debt problems? Spending cuts, tax increases or both? The number one answer is both. About 50 to 70 percent of people favor this mixed approach. Now Obama's pushing the number a little bit at 80 percent, but his broader point is correct. So, mostly true.

GRIFFIN: All right, here's another one from the president. He says "the clear majority of Republican voters think that any deficit reduction package should have a balanced approach and should include some revenues." Republicans. What do they say about that statement?

HOLAN: Drew, we rated this one barely true. Republicans, as a group, when you compare them to Democrats or Independents, they don't like tax increases generally. There's one poll that did show a majority. Other polls show them against tax increases. And another poll showed them split evenly. So a more complicated picture. Barely true.

GRIFFIN: All right. One more for you. Finally, a statement from Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio about the space program. Here's what he said. "From now on, we have to pay the Russians $50 million an astronaut to send Americans to the Space Station." Angie, is it true or is it false?

HOLAN: We rated this one mostly true. Now that the shuttle program is coming to an end, we are going to be working with the Russians. The figure is very close. It's about $63 million. But we have worked with the Russians before and it will actually save us money. But, mostly true.

GRIFFIN: All right, Angie Holan from politifact.com. Thanks so much for joining us and setting us straight.

HOLAN: Thanks for having me.

GRIFFIN: All right. Take care.

Well, they forced their president to resign his post. Now, they've forced their prime minister to name a new cabinet. Is it enough for Egypt's protesters? We're going to have a live report straight from Cairo.

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GRIFFIN: There's a new cabinet in Egypt and new questions about the health of the ousted president, Hosni Mubarak. Let's go beyond the headlines to a nation still in turmoil. CNN's Mohamed Jamjoom joins us live from Cairo.

Mohammed, protesters growing very tired and very vocal about the slow pace of reform in Egypt. Will this new move, this new cabinet, satisfy them?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Drew, we thought we'd take that question directly to the heart of the revolutionary movement. Just over my right shoulder back there, that's Tahrir Square. There's still hundreds of people out there protesting the slow pace of reforms here in Egypt, demanding more change. And we asked about the announcement of the new cabinet and they said it's a good step that a new cabinet be formed, but they don't think that it's going far enough.

Two key issues that they're considering. The fact is that the minister of interior and the minister of justice stay the same. They want those two ministers replaced. They want those ministers replaced as soon as possible. They say if those two ministers aren't replaced, this cabinet reshuffle really isn't as worthwhile as it could have been. Really isn't as comprehensive of a reshuffling as it could have been.

The people back there that we spoke to all say that there need to be more reforms implemented as soon as possible. It is to slow. There aren't enough economic reforms. There aren't enough Democratic reforms. They're becoming very tired of the slow pace and they say they're going to continue to come out until they see more of a change that they want. They say it's good that the prime minister has seemed to be meeting their time lines for demands, but needs to go farther than he's been going so far.

Drew.

GRIFFIN: Mohammed, on the streets of Cairo or anywhere you've been in Egypt, is the economy turning around in any discernable shape, or are things still pretty much the same way they were when Mubarak was in office?

JAMJOOM: Many of the people we've spoken with, Drew, say that right now this is the second phase of the revolution here in Egypt and it's strictly because of the economy. They say the poorer people of Egypt. The people that really aren't benefiting in any way. They're the ones that have started coming out more. They've become more visible in the past two weeks and they're pledging to keep coming out and keep marching. They say that the economy has not changed, that there is no benefit, that they have not seen any more economic advantage, even though they've been demanding it. And because of that, they say more people are going to be hitting the streets and they're going to be doing it as soon as possible.

Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, let me ask you about Hosni Mubarak. We heard over the weekend he was in a coma. Then we heard he's not in a coma. What is his health status? And any truth to the rumors or the facts that he was in a coma?

JAMJOOM: It's been very difficult to try to discern the truth of the situation when it comes to Hosni Mubarak's health. Yesterday there were conflicting reports. His lawyer, at one point, said he'd slipped into a coma. Then an official from the hospital, he's out in Sharm el- Sheikh, said he had slipped into a coma. Then later on, that same official from the hospital said that he'd recovered, he was out of the coma.

We've spoken to health officials today in that hospital. They've said that the president -- the former president's health had stabilized, that he's no longer in a coma. But when you walk throughout the streets of Cairo, when you talk to the people out there, there's so much skepticism being voiced about Mubarak's health. They say they believe that his lawyer, that his doctors are lying to the people of Egypt to try to stall the trial that's set to begin on August 3rd and try to gain sympathy from the Egyptian people, to try to get some sort of amnesty or clemency for the former president. They say the president must go on trial as set August 3rd and they do not believe these health rumors about him.

Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, Mohammed Jamjoom live from just above Tahrir Square there in Cairo. Thanks so much.

Well, you told us what you wanted to see. Your "Choose The News" story finally on its way right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) GRIFFIN: Justin Timberlake has agreed to serve his country by going on a date with a Marine. And she's a toughie. YouTube played matchmaker. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CPL. KELSEY DE SANTIS, U.S. MARINE CORPS: So, Justin, you want to call out my girl Mila? Well, I'm going to call you out and ask you to come to the Marine Corps ball with me on November 12th in Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: All right, here's the back story. Corporal Kelsey De Santis sent in that video calling out Timberlake after Timberlake urged Mila Kunis, his costar in a movie called "Friends With Benefits," to go out with a Marine who sent out a similar video. Well, here's Timberlake's response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, ACTOR: I don't get asked out, ever. So I was very flattered by that. And I hear that she's like trained in martial arts. So I'm hoping we can tussle at some point. That last part was a joke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Yes, it better be. Besides being a black belt karate instructor, De Santis sometimes does cage fights. Their date or tussle is set for November 12th in Washington. And, by the way, we're hearing another Marine just sent out a video asking out Betty White.

Well, you voted. We listened. Here is the "Choose The News" winner. It's the biker gang in South Africa taking the teachings of Nelson Mandela on the road and doing good along the way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Revved up and ready to spread a message of change. These are the unlikely road warriors for Nelson Mandela. A multiracial, multilingual group of South Africans, they've ridden the highways and byways of the country for the past week doing good along the way. Stopping off in forgotten little towns, honoring the most vulnerable with their time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will now be painting also a wall here.

CURNOW: Their gift to Nelson Mandela for his birthday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how you paint a wall.

CURNOW: On this stop, the bikers are painting a small orphanage in a small town called Harrowsmith (ph). Brightening up walls, adding a little color, a little hope to the kids' lives, just like Nelson Mandela would do. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It shows and it demonstrates to him that people are passionate about his legacy.

CURNOW: Mandela's now 93. Too frail for public appearances, his memory is going and he battles with the health problems that come with old age. But many in South Africa want to remind him and others that his sacrifices, his extraordinary life's journey is not forgotten and still relevant to the ordinary person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's opening up my views, you know, when it comes to helping that it's a selfless act.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've come here, we've made a change, we've painted this jungle gym so there's concrete evidence that we were here. So then this can be an example for others in the community what we leave behind to actually do the same as we have done.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mandela's legacy is about people enjoying each other's company and having fun providing service.

CURNOW: Mandela's birthday on July 18 has been branded Mandela Day. His image is emblazoned across the national airline, and on the powerful motor bikes that have crisscrossed the country, to remind people that Mandela's most enduring legacy is to give a little of yourself for the greater good.

Robyn Curnow, CNN, Johannesburg, South Africa.

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GRIFFIN: If your choice did not win or you just want to check out the runners up, we'll have links to them on Suzanne Malveaux's FaceBook page. And that's at facebook.com/suzannecnn.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Drew, thank you.