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Remembering Norway's Victims; Politics of the Debt Deadlock; Gay Marriage Now Legal in New York; Norway's Terror Suspect's Manifesto Emerges; Truth-O-Meter; Talk Back Question; Remembering Amy Winehouse; The History of Cocaine

Aired July 25, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed. It is now 6:00 p.m. in Oslo, Norway.

People are gathering for a march through downtown in memory of the 76 people killed, dozens wounded, in Friday's deadly bombing and shooting massacre. Here's what one survivor remembers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADRIAN PRACON, SURVIVED NORWAY MASSACRE (Through Translator): I was hiding and pretending that I'm not alive. It became quiet. He came to me because I heard his shoes. I held my breath and I didn't move.

I heard a shot and I felt like a kick in my arm. I knew that he shot me, but my body wanted to protect me. I didn't feel any pain. I didn't feel anything. So I could lie calm and not move. So he thought that I was dead and then he walked away.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The man suspected in the deadly killing spree was in court briefly today. The judge said Anders Breivik admitted to the attacks and also claimed he worked with two terror cells. That claim has not been confirmed. The judge order Breivik held for eight weeks in isolation until his next hearing.

The clock is ticking in the debt limit crisis. Looking at live pictures there. No deal by August 2nd means that higher interest rates for all of us and a financial mess for the country. Talks over the weekend essentially went nowhere. Now Republicans and Democrats are working on separate plans to raise the debt limit and reduce spending.

The deadlock over the debt ceiling is giving Wall Street a case of the jitters. Stocks are trading in negative territory today. Right now the Dow Jones down by 54 points. Asian markets closed lower on fears of a possible U.S. default.

Well, a hotel maid goes public with her allegations of sexual assault. She is standing by her claims against the former head of International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Nafissatou Diallo spoke to "Newsweek" magazine and to ABC's Robin Roberts of "Good Morning, America." Now Strauss-Kahn denies assaulting her. Diallo insists that he did.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAFISSATOU DIALLO, ACCUSES STRAUSS-KAHN OF SEX ASSAULT: Stop, stop this stop this. But he won't say nothing, he kept pushing me, pushing me, pushing me to the hallway, back to the hallway, keep pushing me. I was so afraid, I was so scared.

ROBIN ROBERTS, ABC NEWS: What do you want?

DIALLO: I want justice, I want him to go to jail, I want him to know you cannot use your power when you do something like this.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Four teams are badly hurt after being mauled by a brown bear in the Alaskan wilderness. They were taking part in the national outdoor leadership school when they came across bear and her cub at nightfall. They say they were following protocol by calling out to warn the bears but it didn't work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGAN PETERS, SPOKESPERSON, ALASKA STATE TROOPERS: We got on scene, we really, for the first time, saw what we were dealing with and they were mauled, very severely.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Los Angeles fire investigators are looking for a possible arsonist in connection with fires in north Hollywood. Crews put out more than a dozen fires over the weekend, all in the early morning hours. Most of them involved vehicles in carports.

All right. So get ready, get ready for some football. NFL owners and players, they have now agreed on a new labor deal. It's expected to be approved in a vote that's going to happen later today. Facilities could open as early as tomorrow.

Well, Christian Aglen. He was among the first to let the world know what was happening Friday in Oslo. These are some of the first scenes of the bombing that he actually sent to us. He was in the building that was right next door to the targeted government building and right now, he is in the middle of a march for the victims.

Christian, if you can hear us, I want to thank you, first of all, for those amazing pictures that you sent. I know that that was very difficult to do during that time. You were part of this march that is taking place. Give us a sense of what the mood is like today.

CHRISTIAN AGLEN, NORWAY BOMBING WITNESS: Sure. Thanks for being on your show. You know, I've never seen a scene like this before. It really feels like terror has attacked the downtown Oslo. We are now probably tens of thousands, maybe up to 100,000 people here.

People are, you know, supporting one another, talking to one another, giving each other hugs, talking about what happened. You know this feels like a national bonding time right now.

MALVEAUX: Christian, what do you want us to know about your country, about your people in light of this devastating event?

AGLEN: I would say that -- by the way, I'm positively surprised that despite the tragedies like this we are coming together like I've never seen before. You know we are hurt but we're certainly not defeated, and I really think that this is going to make our country and our society much stronger in the long term.

MALVEAUX: Christian, how are people coping? Do they feel any comfort from all this attention that they're getting over this tragedy?

AGLEN: Absolutely. You know, within the country, even abroad, you know, people from all over the world are sending their thoughts and prayers and it's really just giving us a sense of comfort and confidence so we can get through this. So this is really just fascinating. This is I would say revolutionary in many ways too. This is very positive.

MALVEAUX: And Christian, we are seeing some of the pictures of what's taking place on the ground. Can you describe what people are doing right now amidst in that crowd?

AGLEN: Sure. Well, people are still coming into this main town hall area, from the -- you know the main streets in Oslo. It is packed. People are walking, people are holding flowers, roses, holding around each other, smiling. You know this feels a little bit like our independence day. You know unfortunately it's a sad circumstance but we are sticking together and we are -- like I said, we're going to handle this.

MALVEAUX: And Christian, finally what is it that you need? If there's anything that you can say to us and the people on the ground, what is it that they need the most now?

AGLEN: People outside of Norway?

MALVEAUX: People right where you are.

AGLEN: I'm sorry, say that question again, please.

MALVEAUX: What do the people of Norway need? Those people who you're walking with now. What is the most important thing that they need?

AGLEN: Right now, we need time. We need time to come together, talk about these things to deal with it. It has been a tragedy, still a tragedy. Right now, we just need time and support from within the country and from the rest of the world. MALVEAUX: All right. Christian Aglen, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate your time and obviously your perspective and we wish you the very best for those who are there and during this time.

AGLEN: Thank you. Thank you very much.

MALVEAUX: Well, here's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question, should President Obama forget Congress, just raise the debt limit?

Carol Costello, she's got more.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boy, I do ever have more? But please, first, allow me to be crass.

The popular topic on Twitter this weekend was FU, Washington. I doubt you're shocked about that after seven-plus months of scathing political attacks, countless meetings between the president and lawmakers, half a dozen plans, there is still no debt ceiling deal.

Bottom line here, House Speaker John Boehner says if a deal is not in place by Wednesday with, the country could go into default. Something that could cause interest rates to shoot up and stock prices to plummet. So if there is no deal by Wednesday what should President Obama do?

Bill Clinton says he ought to invoke the 14th amendment. Clinton says the 14th amendment gives the president the authority to raise the debt ceiling without congressional approval. President Obama has thought about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have talked to my lawyers. They don't -- they do not -- they are not persuaded that that is a winning argument.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So does that sound like a no to you? Maybe it's not a no. The president ignored the White House lawyers on Libya, so he's done it before, right? He adopted a tenuous interpretation of the War Powers Resolution so why not adopt a tenuous position on the 14th amendment?

So the "Talk Back" question today, should President Obama forget Congress and raise the debt limit? Facebook.com/carolCNN. Facebook.com/carol.CNN. I'll read some of your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.

Here's a rundown on some of the stories we're working on straight ahead.

First, same-sex couples now allowed to marry in New York. So how far does the new law go? We're going to read the fine print on the wedding certificates.

And the carnage in Norway brings back memories of Timothy McVeigh. We're going to examine the threat of right-wing extremism in this country.

And then, Britain mourns one of its most talented singers. We wait to see what killed Amy Winehouse.

Plus, we're going to tell you what's behind this man's crazy decision to ride this way.

And he may sleep on the streets in Denver but one music finds a home for his music on iTunes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Debt ceiling crisis is turning into a real cliffhanger. The outcome determines whether or not you end up paying more high interest rates, whether or not the economy takes a major him.

Well, the talks over the weekend, they stalled. Now Democrats and Republicans are working on separate plans. Senate majority leader Harry Reid's plan calls for $2.7 trillion in deficit reduction. Does not include tax hikes opposed by Republicans.

House Speaker John Boehner, he's expected to propose a two-step plan, $1 trillion in spending cuts while raising the debt limit through 2011, then a second stage tied to tax reforms and entitlement changes.

Well, the White House says that President Obama, he opposes any short-term deal that requires a second vote in the middle of the 2012 elections. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says you got to act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY: Back in January, more than seven months ago, we started this process of working with the Congress to get them to raise the debt limit so we could avoid a default crisis. It's taken us seven months to get to the place we are now. We're almost out of runway. Well, not nowhere, but almost out of runway and we cannot put the American economy through this periodic threat.

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, CNN'S STATE OF THE UNION: Is that a no?

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I want to take a closer look at the politics behind the debt limit deadline. John Avlon is CNN contributor, political -- senior political columnist for "Newsweek" and the "Daily Beast." John joins us from New York.

John, you and I -- I mean, it was amazing to watch when you think about it over the weekend this game of chicken that was played out very dramatic, yet President Obama coming out. You had Speaker Boehner following, both blaming the other for dropping the ball.

Give us a sense why are both sides really digging in over this point about whether or not it's a short term or long term deal in raising the debt?

JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, there seems to be a bit of a denial just about the reality of divided government, which is that a bipartisan plan is all that can pass, people. And I think President Obama has shown good faith in negotiations, particularly by pushing for a long-term plan that would deal with entitlement reform.

That is an historic concession for a Democratic president to make to a Republican Congress. The sticking point has been that some Republicans who realize that any big plan needs to raise revenue are saying that even closing tax loopholes would be counted as a tax increase, and that of course is philosophically forbidden. But that's a fundamental breaking point.

Right now the debate, Suzanne, as you said, is about whether we have a short-term plan and we go back to this again before the presidential elections or whether we try to have a long-term plan that would get us past the presidential election and start to deal with our long-term deficit and debt.

This is high-stakes stuff. And the reality is our politics are being hijacked by hyper partisans with real fiscal consequences on the brink of this cliff.

MALVEAUX: I mean, it seems like it's very political when you think about it.

AVLON: Yes.

MALVEAUX: I mean they're all talking about whether or not this can happen before or after 2012, very important time as we know with the election, whether or not it even gets done.

We saw these competing news conferences, appearance by the president, the speaker, now you've got Reid and others throwing out, you know, their own plans, getting involved in this.

Do you this think that there's real dealmaking that's taking place here or is this primarily for show?

AVLON: Well, you know, certainly Washington has got no shortage of Kabuki Theater but this is Kabuki Theater with real consequences. We have been through rounds and rounds of these negotiations and we've known this deadline was coming up for months and months now.

And when negotiations fell apart on Friday afternoon that sent a really bad sign not just to the markets but people who've been watching these negotiations closely.

I think everyone responsible in Washington realizes that the debt ceiling needs to be raised. You've got some debt ceiling deniers who are saying, don't worry about it, let's go off the cliff.

MALVEAUX: Right. Right.

AVLON: Maybe there's be some political advantage in that for them.

MALVEAUX: Right.

AVLON: Which is a really sick way of viewing politics. But I think at the end of the day people know you've got get the room. The big sticking point now, is do we have a short-term plan, essentially a Band-Aid, or do we try to get a long-term plan pushed forward while raising the debt ceiling as soon as possible?

Because this is -- anyone who's got a credit card bill can understand this. This isn't a sign of fiscal discipline not to pay your bill, it's economic illiteracy. You've got a deeper hole overnight because interest rates get jacked.

MALVEAUX: And John, just take it out of Washington for a bit. You know how fed up are the American people over this?

AVLON: Increasingly and they should be. I mean people should be angry. This is not a fiscal crisis we are facing. This is a political crisis. This is a self-inflicted wound. We are on the verge of implying to ourselves, our economy and our full faith and credit.

So people at home, people who work every day with people with different political believes and know you sit down, you define the common ground and you build on it. You find a way to reason together. Then look at this dysfunctional culture of hyper partisanship in Washington, D.C. And they're concluding that Washington is broken because they can't even do the basic stuff even when we've got a gun to our head, even when we're pedaling towards a fiscal cliff.

MALVEAUX: Yes. And you wonder if they're going to shoot that gun. That's what everybody is wondering, you know?

AVLON: Yes. Exactly.

MALVEAUX: All right. Self-inflicted, I guess, shoot the gun.

All right, John, thank you. Appreciate it.

AVLON: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Three great stories, only someone is going to air. Your chance to "Choose the News."

Here are your options. Number one, in a country where women's voices often go unheard, this Afghan mom, she's making a mark in independent journalism.

Number two, wasn't his choice to join the army but it became his life. He served his country for almost four decades, now the last drafty is about to retire.

Number three, you know it as a dangerous drug but century ago, Sigmund Freud was calling it a medical cure for mental illness. Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look at -- back at the strange trip of cocaine.

You can vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Afghanistan's Female Voice," 2 for "Last Drafty Retires," or 3 for "History of Cocaine." Winning story is going to air later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Wedding bells were ringing all over New York this weekend as the state officially began allowing same-sex marriages. The first couple to tie the knot in New York City was 77-year-old Phil Siegal and 85-year-old Connie Cuppola. They had been together for decades and were finally married at the city clerk's office as a crowd of onlookers cheered them on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHYLLIS SIEGAL, NEWLYWED: It was just so amazing. It's -- it's the only way I can describe it. I lost my breath and a few tears and it's indescribable.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Not everyone was celebrating the new marriage law. Thousands in New York marched with the National Organization for Marriage to protest the weddings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's not what the bible says. The bible says that there is a husband and a wife and these how we are to bring up our children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man marrying men, woman marrying woman, we are against that, not only -- not only that we are against it but God is.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: March began on Park Avenue outside the office of Governor Andrew Cuomo who had championed the bill.

Well, whether New Yorkers like it or not, same-sex marriage is the new law of the land in that state. But just how far does the new law go?

Well, I'm joined now by Avery Friedman, civil rights attorney, to take a closer look at the letter of the law here. Avery, thanks for joining us here on NEWSROOM. I want to put this into context. If a couple gets married in New York, say, and then crosses into another state, is the marriage still valid?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: No. And that's actually the big question, Suzanne, because while New York did pass its law and there were many that were married this weekend, 44 other states do not have same-sex marriage laws.

So in the example that you use, if someone gets married or got married in New York this weekend and went to, let's say, Wyoming for their honeymoon, and let's say there was an accident, well, if one is in the hospital that hospital is not going to recognize most likely the fact that the same-sex person that married the injured person is a husband or wife.

Therefore, it's of limited value, at least in terms of one's freedom, to get care or be protected as if they were a spouse in a male/female marriage.

MALVEAUX: So is there any federal law that would protect that same-sex marriage?

FRIEDMAN: Absolutely not. Actually -- you know what's interesting? That's exactly the point. Under Article Four of our Constitution if New York passes a law, every other state is obligated to accept it. Well, if that were the end of the story, then that wouldn't be a problem.

But in 1995, the Defense of Marriage -- so-called Defense of Marriage Law was passed and it said that the Constitution is restricted, meaning if you're Wyoming or Idaho, you don't have to recognize New York's law. So what it really means is that law essentially 15 years ago or 16 years ago invalidates the Constitution.

Many say, Suzanne, that the Defense of Marriage Law is therefore unconstitutional because it interferes with that right guaranteed under the Constitution.

MALVEAUX: And Avery, speak a bit about the New York law in particular, does it compel any priest, minister or clergy to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony or is this just government officials?

FRIEDMAN: Yes, that's a wonderful question because a lot of people think that heading over to church or heading over to some house of worship, the law does not compel a member of the clergy to perform a marriage. You can get married at city hall or by a government official but it would violate the First Amendment freedom of religion for those clergy who don't believe in same-sex marriage.

All in all, New York did a correct job in balancing freedom of religion and freedom of expression in terms of personal relationships.

MALVEAUX: All right. Avery Friedman. Thank you very much, Avery. Appreciate it. Well, the Norway terror suspect left behind plenty of clues as to a motive behind the bombing and mass shooting spree. We're going to take a look at what his manifesto revealed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

The Norway terror attacks suspect's every thought is revealed in his manifesto. Then believe it or not this is not a stunt. A man is dragged as he tries to hold onto a moving car. And in 30 minutes, fans of singer Amy Winehouse mourn her death. We're going to take a look at all the rock stars who strangely, coincidentally, died at the young age of 27.

Well, people are gathering for a march throughout downtown Oslo in memory of the 76 people killed, dozens wounded in Friday's deadly bombing and shooting massacre.

These are pictures sent to us just moments ago by Christian Aglen. He was an eyewitness to the blast on Friday and he is attending the march with thousands of others to remember those who were killed in the attacks.

Well, we caught a glimpse of the suspect, Anders Breivik, a few hours ago as he was driven away from court. The judge said Breivik admitted to the attacks and claimed he had help from two terror cells. That has not been confirmed.

Police say Breivik will be examined by two psychiatrists. He has been ordered held in isolation for the next eight weeks.

Well, police, they know a about this guy and his alleged motive, mostly because he left behind a 1500-page manifesto.

Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson, he digs into what that manifesto reveals.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): This is how the man accused of being Norway's most notorious mass killer apparently wants the world to know him.

A smiling, Norwegian nationalist, a serious military-style marksman. Not just the cold-blooded killer police say stalked and gunned down innocent young victims on a remote rocky island.

Ander Behring Breivik is believed to have posted these images to YouTube in a 12-minute video imbedded in a 1500-page manifesto just hours before he began his deadly killing spree with a massive car bombing outside government offices.

CNN cannot independently verify their authenticity. Together, the video and manifesto appear to answer how and why the 32-year-old became a mass murderer.

The video reveals an intense fear that Muslims will dominate Europe and anger at what the author calls Marxist European governments he blames for doing nothing and a belief that a Christian crusade is the solution. A belief he hid when he met this mainstream right-wring politician eight years ago.

JORAN KALLMYR, PROGRESS PARTY. I am actually sorry because I didn't -- because if I had said something like that, maybe we could have discovered it.

ROBERTSON: Kallmyr suspects Breivik was attracted to his party's anti-immigration reputation but found them too moderate.

KALLMYR: I probably thought that he would find the people inside our Progress Party that will agree with him or something like that and he wrote in his -- in his manifesto he was disappointed.

ROBERTSON: The manifesto titled "2083, the European Declaration of Independence" rails against such political inaction. "My government and our media capitulated to Islam several years ago. Thousands of Muslims pouring in annually through our asylum institution, or by family reunification. The situation is just chaotic. These suicidal traitors must be stopped."

The author turns his temper on his family, on friends, cruelly discussing sexual diseases he claims they've had, cataloging their failings. He also reveals why he rented a farm outside Oslo, to plot undetected, a mission he describes in graphic detail. "I have just completed the explosives research phase and have summarized several new chapters for the compendium. My rifle application came through and I have now ordered an 800 euro silencer, specifically created for automatic and semiautomatic rifles. Needless to say, this is an extremely vulnerable phase. In fact, it is the most vulnerable phase of them all. If I get through this phase without trouble, I will be very close to finalizing my operation."

ROBERTSON (on camera): The whole ugly episode is so devastating Norwegians are only just beginning to grasp the enormity of it. Breivik's manifesto is like a second hammer blow, too soon to fathom the implications of it. But already the question is being asked, how did he get away with it?

Nic Robertson, CNN, Oslo, Norway.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Well, many people in Norway risked their lives on Friday to try to save others. And among them, a boat owner who raced out of the island of Utoya while it was under attack to rescue anybody that he could reach.

Here is what he told our own CNN's Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's not a huge boat. How many people did you put in there?

KASPAR ILGAUD, RESCUED 15 PEOPLE FROM UTOYA ISLAND: Well, in the first round I believe it was 14.

HOLMES: 14.

ILGAUD: Yes and then I have to address the oldest one of the four and said, you have to stay ashore. I promise I will come back and get you, and they respected that and said, sit down and wait.

I went to the mainland, I went back again and there were, agreed upon, sitting there and then I just waved to them like this, and they waved back and made a contact and got them in the boat and there was another group further out. We picked up two or three more. Went to the mainland and on the third lap I think I picked up eight, maybe, further out. We picked up two or three more. Went to the mainland and on the third lap I think I picked up eight, maybe, further out.

It's quite a touching story because I realized that three of the young people laying there kind of together behind the stone, they actually got shot in the woods and they had transported themselves down to that place and gathered together and I believe they died there, three young people, holding around each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEUAX: About 20 kids are safe today because of the actions of that one man.

Well, could what happened in Norway actually happen here? We are going to compare the threats from right-wing extremists and Islamic extremists. Our CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend is going to join us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We've got some live pictures coming in from Noraway. This is the Rose Parade, this is a memorial parade recognizing the dozens of people who have been injured and killed in the horrific attack that happened in Norway over the - just over the course of a couple of days. First an explosion outside a government building and then a shooting massacre that occurred at a youth camp, a political youth camp. And there are people who are in the streets who are paying tribute, mourning, also coming together during this time of tragedy. Once again, looking at live pictures of Norwegians coming together for a moment of reflection, a moment of mourning, and a moment of unity.

There have been dozens of terror attacks in Europe and the Middle East, mostly from Islamic terrorists. Attacks by right-wing extremists, they are actually more rare. Our CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend is joining us via Skype from New York to kind of get into this and explain it. She is both a member of CIA and Department of Homeland Security Advisory committees.

And Fran, we know with all of the bigotry, quite frankly, against Muslims, if that's the case here in the United States, could a similar attack happen here?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR (via Skype): You know, Suzanne, we at the FBI in particular have spent extraordinary resources tracking sort of right-wing extremist groups. And they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I mean, there are environmental extremists who blow up and burn down developments. We saw the shooter at the Holocaust Museum targeting Jewish-Americans. So -- Timothy McVeigh the one terrorist incident that people, large-scale that people really remember, the Oklahoma City tragedy, was also a sort of white Anglo-Saxon militia member.

And so we have had a history in this country of having these sorts of groups, these sorts of incidents, but the ones that have more recently got the attention, as you point you, are al Qaeda or extremist focused.

MALVEAUX: So, I guess the logical follow-up is, you know, the Department of Homeland Security, they were given a lot of grief for investigating some of those right-wing groups. Do you think they are being overlooked? Is the emphasis in the right place, this effort to go after Muslim extremists?

TOWNSEND: Well, in fairness, if you'll remember, what the Department of Homeland Security got grief over was they put out a bulletin that suggested that there were returning military officers that would pose a threat, and then they didn't really -- there was no real backup to that or nothing that they publicly released. And so they were criticized for that.

I will tell you that the Department of Homeland Security working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, do expend resources, time and attention on these sorts of right-wing extremists. The difficulty, when you look at these groups, they are normally not large groups. It's not an organized structure, which is much more easily detected and thwarted. These tend to be acts like by one individual or small groups that are much more difficult to track down in advance.

MALVEAUX: And this guy in Norway, I mean, he had this manifesto, but that really wasn't released until right before the attack. He basically went under the radar. Is that the danger here essentially? That you might have a lone wolf, a right-wing extremist, who really isn't detected until it is to late?

TOWNSEND: Well, that's right, Suzanne. I mean, an individual acting by himself without the support or knowledge of others, it's very hard to detect until they begin actually to act. One of the things look at in this country, in the wake of Oklahoma City, there were regulations put in place to track the large scales -- sales of fertilizer because that was a fertilizer bomb.

And so, unfortunately, countries learn by their own experience. So you try to track precursor chemicals, fertilizer bombs, you're looking for triggers that will force law enforcement's attention to a particular individual. But absent that, it is almost impossible.

MALVEAUX: All right. Fran Townsend, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

TOWNSEND: Thanks, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: A man takes his own life into his own hands when he decides to grab onto a moving car. Find out why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Time now for our weekly true or false test. We take a look at comments by politicians, pundits, others to see whether or not they are telling the truth. Angie Holan is a reporter for the "St. Petersburg Times" and she and others at PolitoFact.com have been putting those comments, quotes through the Truth-o-Meter,

Angie, want to start with this one from Grover Norquist. He's head of a conservative group, behind the Republicans' pledge against raising taxes. So, here's what he told us on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROVER NORQUIST, PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM: Every time we have cut the capital gains tax, the economy has grown. Whenever we have raised the capital gains tax, it has been damaged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: What do we make of that, angie?

ANGIE HOLAN, POLITIFACT.COM: Suzanne, we rated this one false. Now, capital gains taxes are the taxes on investments, and they are lower than the taxes on a regular paycheck. So, we looked back over 30 years of economic growth rates and compared it to capital gains tax rates and they don't track perfectly and certainly not every time. So we rated this one false.

MALVEAUX: All right, a false.

Let's try out this one. A quote from President Obama on NPR. He said, Ronald Reagan "repeatedly talked about how irresponsible it would be to allow the full faith and credit of the United States to be impaired in any way." What's verdict on that one?

HOLAN: We rated this one mostly true. We dug into the historical documents and we found Reagan did say the U.S. should pay its debts and it should not be in doubt (ph). Now, presidents usually support increases to the debt ceiling, while Congress complains about it. So we know that. We rated it mostly true.

MALVEAUX: OK. And, finally, this one from Victoria Jackson. She's comedian and Tea Party supporter. "A clause hidden in the Obamacare bill, which is now law, gives Obama the right to form a private army." What do we make of that?

HOLAN: This one got the pants on fire. It seemed to be a serious commentary, so we took it seriously and checked it. The health care law does expand the public health service, which has a uniformed commission corps. But they're doctors and nurses. They're not members of the military. So, no private armies in the health care bill.

MALVEAUX: All right. She's a comedian. Maybe she was just joking. I don't know. We'll give her that one.

All right, Angie, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Some of the stories affiliates are covering around the country.

Ten-ton relic left behind the 9/11 attacks was moved to its new home after a ceremony in New York this weekend. Workers lowered their intersecting beam in the shape of a cross into the new memorial and museum set to open later this year.

In Stockton, California, a man was caught on camera doing a Hollywood-like stunt, grabbing onto a moving car. The guy was convinced his friend's stolen purse was in the car. Police stopped them. Ultimately no one was charged and he was OK.

And you can now hear this homeless street musician in Denver on iTunes. The owner of a record label heard the man playing and thought he was talented. So he uploaded a video on YouTube and got the song recorded. It's already brought in $2,000 for the performer. He goes by the name Dred Scott (ph). Still working on getting off the streets.

Deadline on the debt crisis is growing more urgent every day, which brings us to today's "Talk Back" question and Carol Costello, who's joining us from Washington.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Got some interesting responses, Suzanne.

The "Talk Back" question today, should President Obama forget Congress and raise the debt limit?

This from Jack. He says, "yes. If the Republicans cannot learn to say yet to a deal that would be insane not to in any other year, then they should learn that the adults need to stand up and correct their childish ways."

This from G.I. "No, he can't. The president is supposed to take the lead from both houses. Majority rule in a republic. Otherwise it's not a republic democracy at all."

This from Terri. "If Obama doesn't do it, people will say he is weak and unable to hold his own against the strident and largely overblown power of the GOP/Tea Party. If he does do it, the Tea Party will say such action was unconstitutional and grounds for an impeachment. Obama should step in and do it. It's his job to protect to the country, and that includes the economy."

And this from Tom. "Yes. If the NFL can lock-out its players, then Obama can lock-out Congress."

Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And, as always, thank you for your responses.

MALVEAUX: All right, thank you, Carol.

Britain lost a real talent in Amy Winehouse. She was only 27 years old. And an autopsy in London today could reveal what killed her. All the details, next.

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MALVEAUX: Five-time Grammy-award winning artist Amy Winehouse died this weekend. And though there is no denying her talent, reports of her battles with drugs and alcohol are well documented. We are waiting right now to hear if results from a scheduled autopsy will reveal what killed her. Because of her lifestyle, there are a lot of questions and theories but how Amy Winehouse died. Our "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer is here to let us know if there are any answers that we're learning about this.

A.J., you know, there are a lot of conflicting reports, quite frankly, that are out there. Do we have any sense of what actually happened to her?

A.J. HAMMER, ANCHOR, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Not exactly. Not just yet, Suzanne. But as you mentioned, the first steps are being taken right now towards an official answer. The autopsy is apparently underway at this moment, although the toxicology results, as always, won't immediately be available. And, of course, that's the information everybody is waiting on to see if drugs, in fact, did play a direct part in Amy Winehouse's death.

As of now, London's Metropolitan Police are telling CNN that Winehouse's death is being treated as unexplained, but the speedy autopsy does mean that Winehouse's body can be released to her family. And, Suzanne, plans are in the works to have a funeral for Amy tomorrow.

MALVEAUX: I know. You know, a lot of people when they found out over the weekend really thought, God, you know, such a talent -- a waste that this talent died like she did. Has there been reaction from the entertainment community?

HAMMER: Well, the reaction has been incredible, widespread. We're hearing from entertainers all over the world. It's been very passionate. Her fans have gathered outside her home. They've been leaving flowers and mementoes. Winehouse's family actually mingled with the fans at the memorial in what was really an emotional scene earlier today.

Here's what the family told CNN. They, quote, "have been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece. She leaves a gaping hole in our lives."

Russell Brand wrote what I thought was a really touching blog about her passing. He knew Winehouse personally. Russell has had his own battle with addiction. Here's what he wrote. "Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today. We have lost a beautiful, talented woman to this disease."

But considering her troubled past, while there is a lot of sadness, there really has not been a lot of shock over this. And that was my feeling as well, Suzanne. I always rooted for her. I always imagined the day when she would grow into that old soul sound and artistry she had. I really looked forward to greatness from Amy beyond what she left us. I really thought that was possible.

MALVEAUX: A.J., Winehouse, she's not the only troubled singer to die at 27. It's strange, but some of the world's most talented rockers and musicians died at that age.

HAMMER: Yes. And this has become something that has tragically been called the 27 forever club. This is a collection of really extraordinarily talented musical artists who died at the age of 27. Look at this. Jimmy Hendricks, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain. And the first of this group to die was Brian Jones, an original member of the Rolling Stones. Now, Suzanne, Amy Winehouse is quite sadly the latest to be added to this list.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you very much, A.J. I really appreciate it.

Coming up next, you told us what you'd like to see. Your "Choose The News" story is just moments away.

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MALVEAUX: You voted, we listened, your "Choose The News" winner. From miracle drug to dangerous narcotic. Dr. Sanjay Gupta tracks the history of cocaine.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 1884, Vienna, a struggling young doctor, Sigmund Freud, wrote to his fiancee Martha about a new interest, cocaine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): If you are forward, you shall see who is the stronger. A gentle little girl who doesn't eat enough or a big, wild man who has cocaine in his body. In my last severe depression, I took coca again and a small dose lifted me to the heights in a wonderful fashion.

GUPTA: Cocaine comes from leaves of the coca plant. But by the 1880s, big companies, what we'd call big pharma, were distilling the raw leaf into a new drug. In Vienna, Dr. Freud was fascinated. In 1884 he wrote the first major description, 70 pages, "uber coca," about cocaine.

DR. HOWARD MARKEL, AUTHOR, "AN ANATOMY OF ADDICTION": It was the miracle drug. If you had a stomachache, if you were nervous, if you were lethargic, if you needed energy, if you had tuberculosis, if you had asthma, if you had all sorts of things, it was going to cure what you had.

GUPTA: Meanwhile, by the mid-1890s, Sigmund Freud was flirting with disaster as he wrote in an 1895 letter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need lot of cocaine.

MARKEL: He finally probably stopped using it after he and a friend of his used cocaine on a patient and nearly killed her.

GUPTA: By then, other doctors worried too.

MARKEL: Too many people were taking too much cocaine and then they were -- these patients were presenting basically as addicts who need the stuff. They couldn't live without it. And so that's when doctors began to say, huh, we better rethink this.

GUPTA: Today we know addiction is at least in part a physical disease. We understand more.

MARKEL: I would hope that more people are skeptical of grandiose claims of new drugs, new pharmaceutical agents, but we all, in our heart of hearts, want a magic bullet that will cure what ails us.

GUPTA: A magic bullet. The hope that keeps miracle drugs in business time and time again.

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MALVEAUX: You can see more of Sanjay's reporting every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Eastern on his show "Sanjay Gupta, MD." And if your choice didn't win or you just want to check out the runners up, I'll have the links to them on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Hey, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Suzanne. Thank you very much.