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Time's Running Out For Debt Deal; DSK Accuser Says 'I Want Justice'; NFL Players Reach Deal; Doubts Raised In Amanda Knox Case; Michael Jackson Pre-trial Hearing; Bears Maul Seven Teenagers; Norway Suspect In Court; Norway Suspect In Court; FAA Partially Shut Down; Clock Ticking Toward Default; Jury Selection In Jeffs Trail; Amy Winehouse Autopsy
Aired July 25, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, no one knows for sure what will happen if the U.S. government suddenly, and for the first time, can't pay all its debts and obligations, but this much we know, that day is just eight days away. Unless, of course, Congress and the White House can agree on a measure that used to be routine, a hike in the debt limit now just under $14.3 trillion. We actually hit that limit in May, but the Treasury says the consequences start August 2nd. House and Senate leaders and President Obama agree on the short-term need to borrow more but they also agree on a long-term plan to borrow less and that's still the hang up.
Having given up on one-on-one talks with the president, House speaker Boehner is said to be working on a plan that would raise the debt limit a little bit now, more in 2012. That increase, supposedly, would be tied to an overhaul of the tax code and entitlements, social security and Medicare.
Now, in the Senate, majority leader Reid is expected to roll out a plan to cut spending by $2.7 trillion while raising the debt by $2.4 trillion. Reid's plan would not include tax increases which Republicans refuse to consider nor would it touch entitlements. My colleague, Dan Lothian, is watching it all from his post at the White House. Dan, what is the president's position first on raising the debt in installments?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well look, he wants whatever is done to go through 2012 and for two reasons, first of all, there is a sense here at the White House and over at the treasury department in particular that even if you had some sort of short-term fix that raises the debt ceiling through the rest of this year, that it still may not be enough to calm the jitters of the financial market, still may not be enough to security the AAA credit rating that the U.S. currently has. So that's the first concern, secondly, it has been so difficult to try and get a deal now, the White House points out how much more difficult will this be to get it done through to 2012 when you're in the midst of this election cycle? That's why the president says any deal that you have has to go through the end of 2012?
KAYE: And Dan, I understand that the president has cancelled a couple of fund raising events, is that to pay more attention to what's happening with the debt ceiling talks?
LOTHIAN: It is, it really is a sense of urgency here, and not only today, obviously, it's been that way for the last couple of weeks. But the president was supposed to be at this -- two fund- raisers in the D.C. area and he has pulled out, instead, Vice President Biden will be taking his place. Now, as far as we know, there are no other meetings that will taking place on this subject today.
Although, I'm told by a senior administration official that the situation is still fluid. So, I wouldn't be surprised if we heard that there was another meeting taking place here at the White House, or if the president himself stepped out and made remarks. What I can tell you is that president is currently speaking to the Latino group, La Raza.
And a few minutes ago, he talked about this impasse and how it's critical, the message we've heard before, for wealthy Americans to step up to the plate, if you will, and contribute, this in the form of higher taxes, something that Republicans pushing back on but the president saying that it should be wealthy Americans carrying the burden here, not middle class and poorer Americans -- Randi.
KAYE: And Dan, I know that the deadline -- obviously all eyes are on August 2nd, but the House saying that they actually have to pass something today in order to vote on it by Wednesday, the GOP is saying that. How does the president -- how does the White House feel about this timeline?
LOTHIAN: Right. I think what the GOP has been saying is that they need to get something passed -- some bill passed by Wednesday, but they need to post something online by today, and I think that's timeline. No one really wants to get locked into a timeline here at the White House because then everyone will keep saying, well, you know, you said this day and something didn't happen by that day, you know, what happens next? But that's the timeline that according to GOP sources, John Boehner, laid out to Republicans during a conference call yesterday.
As you pointed out, both Republicans and Democrats have these plans, they still don't appear, at least from the outside, to have enough compromise for there to be bipartisan agreement on either one of these, but certainly, there's a hope that they can find some kind of agreement and have this done in short order, because as secretary Timothy Geithner pointed out yesterday on State of the Union on CNN, they are running out of runway.
KAYE: Any more negotiating sessions on the schedule as far as you know?
LOTHIAN: As far as we know, no additional negotiation sessions. There are still talks ongoing behind the scenes, so there is work that is being done, perhaps even phone calls happening here from the White House. The White House has not been quick to read out every detail, every phone call that has been made. The talks are ongoing but in terms of anything on the schedule at this point, nothing yet. KAYE: All right. Dan Lothian watching it from your post at the White House. Dan, thank you.
The debt ceiling standoff is equal parts money and politics, and later this hour, CNN's Christine Romans will break document politics that have led us to the brink of default, that is 20 past the hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
To New York now, where it is far from clear whether the sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn will ever go to trial. We should know more a week from today when the former head of international monetary fund goes back to court, but you'll recall his last hearing came with a bombshell admission from prosecutors that the alleged victim may be less than credible.
She's a hotel maid from Guinea, who like most alleged victims of sexual assault, has not been named in media, until now. Our "Sound Effect" is Nafissatou Daillo going public with her side of what happened in suite 2806 of New York's Sofitel hotel on the morning of May 14th. She spoke with ABC news and "Newsweek" magazine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NAFISSATOU DAILLO, MAID, HOTEL SOFITEL: I was like stop, stop this, stop this, but he won't say nothing. He keep pushing me, pushing me, pushing me to the hall way, back to the hallway, keep pushing me. I was so afraid, I was so scared.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, ABC NEWS 06:06: When did you realize that he was one of the most powerful men in the world?
DAILLO: I was watching in the news and then they say he is going to be the next president of France. And I said, oh my god and I was crying. I said, they are going to kill me. I said they are going to kill me. I'm going to die.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: By way of response, Strauss-Kahn's attorney has called Daillo, and I quote, "the first accuser in history to conduct a media campaign to persuade a prosecutor to pursue charges against a person from whom she wants money." That's a reference to Daillo's apparent plans to sue Strauss-Kahn for damages.
Here are some other "Top Stories" that we're following. It looks like there will be a pro football season after all, the national football league and negotiators for its players have agreed on a new labor deal ending a lockout that began in March. The NFL says players are expected to approve the ten-year deal in a vote today that would open the way for formal practice to start this week with preseason games starting on August 11th, and the regular season kicking off on September 8th.
Among other things, the new deal includes a salary cap of $142.4 million per team this year. Owners approved the agreement last week. In Italy, forensic experts are raising doubts about DNA evidence that helped convict American Amanda Knox of murder. The two Italian experts testified today that the investigators who collected the DNA evidence made serious mistakes, including using a dirty glove and not wearing caps. They also said they could find no DNA evidence on the murder weapon. Meredith Kercher was found dead four years ago. Prosecutors claim she was killed by Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend in a sex game. Both Knox and her boyfriend have denied wrongdoing and are appealing their prison sentences.
In Los Angeles, a pretrial hearing today for Michael Jackson's former doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray. Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter Jackson's death two years ago. At issue today, a motion by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributed the Jackson documentary "This Is It." Sony wants the judge to block plans to show outtakes from the film during the trial saying this would reduce the value of the footage.
In Alaska, seven teenage boys taking part in a wilderness education program were attacked and mauled by a brown bear and her cub, one of the boys is seen in these pictures. Officials say two of the boys suffered life-threatening injuries, two more in serious condition now and three others suffered minor injuries. It happened Saturday as they crossed a river. The boys were involved in a national outdoor leadership school program. The students had reached the point where they spend several days on their own practicing the wilderness skills learned earlier in the 30-day program.
As police search for more victims in Norway, the man accused of orchestrating Friday's attacks claims he is didn't work alone. We take you live to Norway for his shocking confession and the latest on the death toll.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Police in Norway are still scouring Utoya Island for victims in what has become the worst attack to its country since World War II. They are revising the death toll from Friday's bombing and shooting. We will get an update on that in just a moment. In the mean time, the self-confessed man behind the massacre Anders Behring Breivik appeared in court today, he admitted to masterminding the attacks and told the judge he worked with two other cells saying it was necessary to prevent the colonization by Norway by Muslims.
Breivik's horrifying admission comes as Norway paused for a moment of silence, grieving over Friday's bombing in Oslo and the shooting rampage at a political youth retreat just 20 miles away. CNN's Diana Magnay is in Norway, she joins us live from near Utoya Island where the shootings took place.
Diana, we are hearing there are fewer victims than previously estimated, some good news in this horrific event. What is the latest number from police?
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is good news, Randi, but it's very surprising, and the police haven't explained why they came to the number they did initially. Let's just listen to what the police commissioner had to say about the latest numbers. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OYSTEIN MAELAND, NORWAY NATIONAL POLICE COMMISSIONER (translator): After all the injureds (ph) and bodies are brought from Utoya, the final count is 68. We are now combing through the island to make sure that there is no left people on the island and we are also searching in the fjords.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MAGNAY: There are around 50 police still searching the island. They are mostly looking for sort of technical evidence, for example, ammunition, to find out how Breivik did what he did and to get clues whether there were any accomplices who could have provided him with the ammunition or helped him in this horrific killing spree. We've actually just been talking to a Red Cross search and rescue officer who is leading the Red Cross' contribution to the effort.
They are doing a lot of the combing of the fjords along with the fire brigade, and they are really trying to explore a huge expanse of water. You know, that fjord behind me 300 meters deep, and the islands around it, and the huge shorelines all have to be combed to see if there's any evidence or any remains of those children, really, who lost their live there -- Randi.
KAYE: And in the days since this attack on the people there in Oslo, in Norway, what more have we learned about Breivik?
MAGNAY: Well, quite a lot, because we have now in the public domain this manifesto, which is believed to be his writing and this is a very long document, 1,500 pages, apparently he wrote it over nine years. It's a manifesto really outlining his extreme right-wing thinking, his belief that Europe has been colonized by Muslims, his belief that European leaders are to blame for having allowed what he phrases as European genocide to happen and that is probably why he targeted the ruling labor party in the way that he did, not just with that explosion in central Oslo, but also going after the labor party youth camp on Utoya, really taking out the future leadership.
And this manifesto isn't just outlining his views, it's also a kind of manual, a how-to guide for anyone who wants to follow his lead. So in that document, he explains how, for example, to buy farms so you can acquire fertilizer, to make bombs, where to get ammunition, guns from, a terrifying insight into the man who commit these atrocities.
KAYE: Diana Magney for us in Norway.
Diana, thank you.
Federal taxes on airline tickets have expired, but don't expect a cheaper flight. We'll explain why, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The FAA is partially shut down after Congress failed to reauthorize the agency's funding on Friday. That means several federal taxes on airline tickets have expired. In some cases, though, this does not mean you are getting away with a cheaper flight. CNN's senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, is at the New York Stock Exchange.
Allan, so explain this. The FAA isn't collecting taxes on tickets right now?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, they haven't been doing that since Saturday. So you'd think that we'd be saving money, but, in most cases, it is not happening. Even though the government isn't collecting some taxes that normally fall on the FAA, many carriers are not passing along the savings. Instead, they've raised fares by the same amount of the tax. Add that to the baggage fees, fuel surcharges and the airlines are doing whatever they can to boost their revenues.
Randi.
KAYE: So what about people who bought their tickets weeks ago and they paid the taxes, will they get a refund on these taxes?
CHERNOFF: In theory, yes. That's according to the Treasury Department. And this would be about $30 on a $300 domestic ticket. The government is still working out the details of how a refund process would actually work. The money should come from the airlines. But we should also point out that not all the carriers raised their fares. Virgin America and Alaska Airlines are touting the savings as a tax holiday. In fact, virgin has a very witty promotion called "evade taxes, take flight."
KAYE: Very creative, as always. What else is being affected, though, Allan, by the shutdown? What about the workers?
CHERNOFF: That's the real impact. Four thousand FAA workers are on furlough. They're not receiving pay. Also, $2.5 billion in airport construction projects are on hold right now and that is hitting both public and private sector workers.
Randi.
KAYE: Allan Chernoff, thank you very much for the update.
In Washington, debt talks collapsed again over the weekend as Democrats and Republicans walked away from the negotiating table to write their own, separate plans. Lawmakers have had months to sort out the problem, but the August 2nd deadline looms a short eight days away and there is still no deal in sight. Christine Romans explains how we got to this point.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, ANCHOR, "YOUR BOTTOM LINE": With the deadline to raise the debt ceiling now only eight days away, we wanted to show you how we got to this point. On May 16th, the U.S. government hits the debt ceiling at $14.294 trillion. The Treasury Department taps other source for the government to cover its bills. Treasury Secretary Geithner tells Congress it has until August 2nd to raise the debt ceiling or face default.
Now in May, Vice President Biden leads bipartisan talks with congressional lawmakers. But in June, those talks break down over Republicans' insistence that there be no tax hikes with the spending cuts.
Now, July sees the president get directly involved in talks of congressional leaders, holding secret meetings and working directly with Speaker of the House John Boehner to reach a deal.
Now, on July 22nd, Speaker Boehner breaks off talks with the president amid disagreements on taxes and entitlement programs. Over the weekend, the president continued talks with congressional leader, but little progress was made.
The bottom line, Washington has had months to figure this out, but hasn't been able to reach a deal.
Christine Roman, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And be sure to join Christine Romans for "Your Bottom Line" each Saturday morning at 9:30 Eastern. And don't miss "Your Money" with Ali Velshi, Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and Sundays at 3:00.
It is about 21 minutes past the hour and let's check out some of our top stories.
The dealt ceiling crisis is turning into a real cliff hanger. Talks stall over the weekend. Now, Democrats and Republicans are working on the separate plans. President Obama cancelled two fund- raising appearances today to focus on the talks.
Are you ready for some football? NFL owners and negotiators for the players have agreed on a new labor deal according to nfl.com. Players are expected to give their formal approval today, clearing the way for pre-season training to start this week.
An autopsy is scheduled today for singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse. She was found dead in her London apartment on Saturday at the age of 27. The five time Grammy-award winning artist was acclaimed for her talent but notorious for her erratic public behavior. Coming up in about 10 minutes, we're going to talk much more about drug addiction with Jane Velez-Mitchell and rock star Johnny Colt.
Jury selection is underway in the Warren Jeffs trial. He is the polygamist sect leader accused of sexually assaulting a child. We'll have a live report from Texas.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Jury selection has started in the trial of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs. He's charged with sexual assaulted on a child and bigamy. Police arrested Jeffs after a raid on the ranch run by his church in 2008. The fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a breakaway sect of the mainstream Mormon church. CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman joins me now here in studio to talk about this.
So these are the most serious charges in terms of this trial that he's ever faced?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are the most serious charges. And this is what's amazing. Our viewers have probably heard about Warren Jeffs for a long time. He was on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. He's been in jail for five years. But so far he's convicted of nothing.
He was convicted in Utah of a less serious charge, but it was overturned because of faulty jury instructions. Arizona dropped its charges against him because Utah had convicted him, but that conviction is no longer valid.
But now, very serious charges. Two charges of sexual assault against girls who are 12 and 13 years old. Warren Jeffs accused of having relationships with them and having a baby with the 13-year-old. So it's very serious.
What's very interesting, this is not an attack on religious. This is what prosecutors say. This is a prosecution based on a man who they say sexually molests children. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG ABBOTT, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: The issue for the people of the jury to consider is whether or not Warren Jeffs sexually assaulted a minor. We already have five convictions and two other people who pled guilty for similar crimes, other similar activity and at the (INAUDIBLE) ranch. We believe that we will be able to prove that Warren Jeffs is just another one who assaulted a minor. In the state of Texas, if you assault a minor, sex assault a minor, you're going to be convicted and sent away to prison. We hope the same result will pertain to Warren Jeffs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: What's fascinating, Gary, is that thousands still believe he is a prophet and they stand by him, right?
TUCHMAN: I mean he -- I've talked to you about this for years --
KAYE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Because you and I have been friends for 30 or 40 years now.
KAYE: At least. TUCHMAN: At least. And we've talked about it long time. And that's what's amazing. He has at least 10,000 followers. This is the largest polygamist sect in the United States of America. In North America. And when I go to these communities, Arizona and Utah and these communities in Colorado, and British Columbia, and Texas, when we talk to people, they love this man. They believe he's a prophet to God. He is God's spokesman on earth. And most of them will never do anything to hurt them. And no matter what he does, it is OK with his most fervent followers.
KAYE: How much of -- how much activity does he still have in terms -- with the sect? I mean is he still preaching to them?
TUCHMAN: Well, that's what's amazing. I mean he's been in jail for five years. He's been in three -- four different jail cells of three different states. Right now, he spends thousands of dollars a month on calling cards and he delivers his sermons from inside the jail and he is leading the church and his followers sit inside churches and sit inside their homes in Arizona and Utah and Colorado and they believe that they're hearing the word from God, from this man, who has been accused of being so cruel and terrible to children.
KAYE: So, if he is convicted, how many years is he facing?
TUCHMAN: He faces the possibility of life in prison. If he's convicted in the state of Texas, this could put him away forever.
KAYE: Have you tried to talk with him?
TUCHMAN: I've tried to talk with him before. He does not talk to infidels. I'm beneath him. And so are most people. I've come up to him --
KAYE: I would beg differ with that.
TUCHMAN: Well, thank you, Randi, I appreciate that. But that's the fact, that he has not done any interviews. He believes that if you don't believe what he believes, that you are beneath him. You're not worth being talked to.
KAYE: Wow. Fascinating and so interesting to see this trial get underway. I know you're going to be following it for us. Gary, thank you. Appreciate it.
TUCHMAN: Thanks, Randi.
KAYE: And even though Warren Jeffs has been in jail, he and his church are still gaining power. New developments in the case may have many scratching their heads. You can turn into "Anderson Cooper 360" for the full story by Gary Tuchman tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. And there's a CNN special you don't want to miss on Sunday night about polygamy. Three amazing stories. One show. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Sunday right here on CNN.
Michael Jackson's family made a huge announcement today. We'll give you the details right after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Past the hour now. Let's check out some of the news and other headlines you may have missed.
The debt ceiling crisis is turning into a real cliffhanger. Have you noticed? Talks stalled over the weekend, now Democrats and Republicans are working on separate plans which they plan to unveil today. President Obama canceled two fund-raising appearances today to focus on the talks. Lawmakers have until the August 2nd deadline to reach a deal.
Are you ready for the football season? The National Football League and negotiators for its players have agreed on a new labor deal ending a lockout that began in March. The NFL says players are expected to approve the 10-year deal in a vote today, that would open the way for formal practice to start this week with preseason games starting on August 11th and regular season kicking off on September 8th.
Among other things, the new deal includes a salary cap of $142.4 million dollars per team this year. Owners approved the agreement last week.
The suspect in the deadliest attack in Norway since World War II has acknowledged carrying out the mass shooting and bombing and claims to have worked with two other cells, a judge said today. Judge Kim Hager said that the suspect, Anders Behring Breivik, acknowledges carrying out the attacks, but said the attacks were necessary to prevent the, quote, "colonization of the country by Muslims." Breivik accused the Labor Party, whose members were the target of the shooting, of treason, for promoting multiculturalism, the judge said.
In Italy, forensic experts are raising doubts about DNA evidence that helped convict American Amanda Knox of murder. The two Italian experts testified today that the investigators who collected the DNA evidence made serious mistakes, including using a dirty glove and not wearing caps. They said there was no DNA evidence on the murder weapon. Prosecutors claim she was killed by Knox and her Italian boyfriend in a sex game. Both Knox and her boyfriend have denied wrongdoing and are appealing their prison terms.
Michael Jackson's mother and four of her children called a news conference in Beverly Hills earlier today to announce a concert, quote, "in honor of one of the greatest and most loved entertainers of our time," presumably, that means Michael Jackson. The show is to be produced in London by a British company. A news release says it will feature the world's most amazing music performers.
Two days after her body was found, an autopsy tries to determine what killed Amy Winehouse. The latest on the five-time Grammy winner, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Five-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse in her hit video "Rehab" from 2007. The 27-year-old singer was found dead on Saturday and there are a whole lot of questions and theories about what killed her. Today, the first steps toward an official answer as an autopsy is performed.
Joining me now, founding member of the Black Crowes, Johnny Colt, and CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. They are here with me in studio. And from New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" on HLN, and author of "Addict Nation: An Intervention for America."
Elizabeth, let me start with you. What is the very latest in terms of the autopsy?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We are expecting those results either later this afternoon or this evening. And autopsy results don't necessarily tell you, oh, someone took this drug, this drug and this drug, you often have to wait for toxicology once they have done all the blood work. So, it's unclear what we'll learn later today.
KAYE: And what goes into that? I mean, how long might we know definitively what exactly happened to her or what might be in her system?
COHEN: Right. It can take several weeks.
KAYE: OK.
Johnny, I know you are a former musician. You have celebrated 15 years of sobriety. What is your reaction first to the death of her?
JOHNNY COLT, ORIGINAL BASSIST FOR "THE BLACK CROWES": First of all, for me, it's incredibly sad because she is a real talent. They would say a powerhouse talent. She is great.
But this is just another of the many musicians that I've known in my own lifetime who passed away. And, of course, 27 seems to be a pretty difficult year for musicians in general, Jim Morrison, so forth.
KAYE: How did you manage to get through it?
COLT: Just -- my wife was the biggest part of it you know, support, community, but just wanted it. I just didn't want my personal story -- you know, rock 'n' roll is something where you invent your own path and I just wanted to have a story that wasn't a cliche, you know?
And that's what I found myself in was living a cliche, as at the time, a total drug addict playing music. And I didn't feel like an artist either, I felt I had given up on my art.
COHEN: And if you ask doctors what will get someone out of drug addiction, they will say that -- the will to do it.
KAYE: Let me ask Jane.
Jane, I'd like to bring you in from New York. You are also a former addict. I mean, did Amy Winehouse simply have an addictive personality, do you think?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST OF HLN'S "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ- MITCHELL": First of all, this is a horrible tragedy. My heart goes out her family. But I think our song said it all, "They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no." She epitomized the defiance of the addict and her whole persona was wrapped into that defiance.
She was kind of in a bind because she would have had to really change. They say the only thing that has to change is everything. Her whole persona was really celebrating the "I'm going to do it my way" defiance of the addict. And the strut that addiction always wins, it's like the house in Vega, the house always wins.
So, really, what's required in sobriety is an attitude adjustment. And it seems that she couldn't quite make that attitude adjustment. She did go to rehab at least four times but she was a chronic relapser. She went as recently as this past May. And then, in June, when she was doing her world tour, she appeared on stage apparently intoxicated and had had to cancel that tour.
KAYE: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So, she tried but she just couldn't make that change.
KAYE: And, Johnny, you want to weigh in here?
COLT: I think she makes a great point. It was rehab, an attitude change. She won more Grammys than any artist in British history, any female artist in British history because of "rehab." It's a whole change of persona. It's a frightening thing to be defined as she defined herself by her success. At 27, as young people would do being successful, have to change her entire career from the ground up. That's a frightening concept.
And rehab is one thing, but it takes years to get that attitude adjustment. And for her to be walking back on stage that quickly after her fourth rehab attempt just makes a testament to the people around her. It's difficult because when you're a popular singer who makes, you are basically a race horse and that's how you are treated by the people around you.
KAYE: So, Elizabeth, how often do core addicts like Winehouse recover?
COHEN: You know, 2 million Americans spend some time in a treatment facility for drugs or alcohol , and there aren't -- there isn't fabulous research that tells you exactly what the success rate is. But it's very clear that, unfortunately, there is a reasonable chance that after a stint in rehab, that you will not come out clean. You know, it's not like any other disease necessarily -- I mean, you would hope that the treatment would work, but as we can see here, it doesn't always work.
Of course, you know, one round of rehab will work great for some people. But there are other people like her where it takes -- it's not about the treatment so much as in that person's heart and mind.
KAYE: Yes. Jane, think it was even a couple of years ago that her family came out and said they thought she was on the right track. She was doing better.
I mean, was there something they could have done or even we as a society could have done to reach her, to prevent this?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: No. Nobody can get sober except the person themselves. Now, you can do an intervention. You can all get together and say, hey, we will show you what you look like, not how you are romanticizing yourself and you try to breakthrough that wall of deny.
But unless the person themselves wants to change, you cannot force them into that surrender, because it isn't ultimately will power. But it's ultimately surrendering to the fact that you are completely powerless over this drug, this substance of choice.
Now, the tough part with Amy Winehouse was that her whole persona was about how unique she was. She was special. She was different.
And that also fed into the addict mentality of "I'm different, I'm special, the rules don't apply to me" and it is called terminally unique. That's the addiction terminology, because, often, it results in termination of your career and even your life and tragically, that may very well be what happened here with her.
KAYE: Jane, we have seen so many, it seems so many artists so many talented people really in a sense crumble before our eyes. I mean, do you think that society, to some extent, enables this?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Totally. Because we have this stereotype of hard-drinking Hemingway, writer, and the tortured artist who has -- the hard-drugging rocker, and it's is all nonsense. In fact, most artists achieve not because of their drug use or their alcoholism but despite that. But the problem is when they get clean and sober, they have to, as your other guest said, reinvent themselves from the ground up.
And so, she would have had to change everything, her beehive hair do her sound even, because it was really drenched in that sort of whiskey sort of persona and was she able do that? Apparently not
KAYE: Johnny, would you stay is harder to be an addict who's in the spotlight than the average person suffering from the same disease?
COLT: I wouldn't say that. I would say under a spotlight, you have a job that condones the behavior. So, if you are an addict and you're in this position, you have two things happening. Everything keeps pointing you toward your special. That's a great term she was discussing -- terminal uniqueness.
The other issue, as an addict, it's a personal decision. But you're responsible for everybody else. And there's another sort of hidden secret. Amy Winehouse -- most of the time, the artist isn't quite sure how they became successful. It's not like a building you can touch that you built, it's sort of a myth and how do you reinvent yourself when you're not exactly sure how you became who you are in the first place, because it's an art, it's not sort of hard facts.
COHEN: And somebody thought that the drugs and alcohol had something to do with their success?
KAYE: Right.
COLT: Keith Richards has launched more drug addictions than you can imagine because there's a persona built around that.
KAYE: And he is successful.
COLT: And he's incredibly successful.
COHEN: And in a warped way, that addiction was working for her, right?
KAYE: Right.
COLT: That's the other problem.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: And she was making lots of money.
KAYE: What are the options, though, Elizabeth? I mean, can you force someone to go to treatment?
COHEN: You can force someone. I don't know about in England, but the United States, it only works -- as Jane said, it only works if the person really wants to do it. I mean, she's great example. She went through four times and it didn't -- it seems like perhaps it didn't work for her.
COLT: Incredibly painful to see someone bright and talented. It's like watching them fall from the top of the building. I've watched career as a big fan going, this isn't going anywhere good, it's really sad to watch.
But, again, it is a personal decision. I can tell you something intimately about myself, I don't think I ever said it loud, is there was a time where I believed that the people who worked hard like I did before I was a band, paying $40 a seat deserved and earned through their money and being a fan to get the guy who did everything that they couldn't do for a living. Don't shout at me like -- so I was supposed to drink and behave a certain way and I believed that for a very long time and that was deadly for me.
COHEN: And you thought your fans have that --
COLT: I thought that was being a real artist and that was integrity and took me a little while to get that attitude adjustment she was speaking about.
KAYE: Right. I just want to -- before we let Jane go, I just want to give you, Jane, a final thought before we go.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it is so sad because she is -- I think she was a genius and her songs were unique. They were. And if she could have only separated that uniqueness and kept it in the musical arena as opposed to feeling her whole life had to be an expression of defiance and an expression of "I'm going to do it my way and the rules" don't apply to me, she might have been able to navigate this. But it didn't happen and it is so sad.
KAYE: Jane Velez-Mitchell, Johnny Colt, Elizabeth Cohen -- thank you all. Such an important topic, I'm glad we had some time to discuss it. Thank you.
The little children of Somalia's famine desperate for food, desperate for anyone to help them what is being done to help, coming up next.
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KAYE: As we have mentioned, the suspect in Norway's bomb and shooting rampage appeared an Oslo court today. The judge says Anders Behring Breivik has admitted carrying out the attacks, which killed at least 76 people on Friday. Breivik also says he worked with two other cells; however, police today refused to release information about whether he was aided by others. He had previously said he acted alone.
Breivik is 32 and described as right-wing Christian extremist. Officials say he claims the attacks were necessary to prevent the quote, "colonization of Norway by Muslims." The judge ordered Breivik to remain in solitary confinement for eight weeks until his next court hearing.
They are the young and the innocent who care nothing about politics or Islamic militant groups. They are the little children crying out for food, dying everyday from the ravages of Somalia's famine. Families who can are fleeing to refugee camps in neighboring Kenya, also hard-hit by the worst drought to hit had the Horn of Africa in 60 years.
CNN's David McKenzie in the famine zone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These people are actually from this community. They're called the host community. And they also need food aid desperately. They've been streaming in from the surrounding areas. And what they're doing here is registering people, making sure they'll be on the list for when the World Food Program and others can come into this area and give largescale assistance.
And it's the children here that are also the worst affected in this crisis. Even in the communities that are not coming from rebel held territories, they are struggling.
But what NGO people are telling me is that as people stream in from areas that cannot get aid, this area will be the cracking point in this crisis.
What strikes you when you see the situation of the people here? And why this zone could be so important in the coming weeks.
JOSETTE SHEERAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: Well, we have a situation where we're already reaching 11 million people throughout the horn of Africa, but we have 60 percent of the population of Somalia have not been reached with aid. And so we're seeing people who have traveled a long distance, they're very weak.
MCKENZIE: But ultimately, the UN needs to access the areas that are worst off. And you can't right now.
SHEERAN: Yes. Well, we're reaching 1.5 million people in Somalia right now. We're building up in Mogadishu where we're reaching over 300,000 people, but the World Food Program has lost 14 people since 2008 just trying to give kids food. It's dangerous and it's risky, but we're committed to going to where the people need the food and going where ever we can. We're looking for those windows of opportunity even though access is extremely difficult in many of these places.
MCKENZIE: The problem in this crisis is that the World Food Program can only access less than half the Somali population that needs help, because they are in the areas controlled by Al-Shabbab, the militant group.
Now the main thing that needs to happen here, they say, is to get access into those areas, to feed people where they live, otherwise they're going to have streams of people coming into these areas. And so what the UN is trying to do now is create a buffer around the famine zone so people can get out, and if they do then at least they can get some kind of assistance.
David McKenzie, CNN, Somalia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Checking our top stories now.
President Obama today said he's willing to cut spending by historic amounts to reach raising the federal debt ceiling. On Capitol Hill, House speaker John Boehner and Senate majority leader Harry Reid are set to release competing debt cutting plans. The deadline for reaching a deal is August 2nd.
The woman who has accused the former head of the International Monetary Fund of sexual assault says she's telling the truth from her heart. In an interview with ABC, Nafissatou Diallo said she wants Dominique Strauss-Kahn to go to jail. Strauss-Kahn says the encounter was consensual, and Diallo's lawyer says he will file a civil lawsuit this week against Strauss-Kahn.
Did you ever swing back and forth on a rope hanging from a tree to splash into the water on a hot summer's day? Next, how this principle will be the future of all NASA landings. No, I am not kidding. Stick around for some really great video.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NASA ANNOUNCER: Landing gear down and locked. Main gear touchdown. Hurley now deploying the drag chute.
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KAYE: Space shuttle Atlantis landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida last week. Soft, soothe, looks like an airplane landing. But things could be getting a little more wet for NASA astronauts. NASA has spent $1.7 million on a giant hydro-impact basin to prove that their new space modules can safely land by splashing into the water. That's right. No more runways.
The test vehicle weighing more than 20,000 pounds is attached to a special swing, a lot like a person swinging on a rope out over a lake and dropped into one million gallons of water going about 24 miles per hour at impact attachment. Take a look at that.
When the module is finalized and used in flight no earlier than 2017, it will land in the Pacific Ocean. One small step for man, one giant leap into the water.
For more on the future of NASA landings, you can visit my Facebook page slash RandiKayeCNN. And don't forget to tune in tomorrow. Same "Big I" time, same "Big I" channel. The president changing plans and a seven-term congressman under fire over alleged sexual advances. That and more in our Political Ticker, coming up next.
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KAYE: Time for CNN Political Update. Still no deal in place to raise the country's debt ceiling, and it has Washington scrambling.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer joining me now live from Washington. Hi there, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Randi, the clock clearly is ticking right now. They have to come up with something very soon. Exactly in one week, that deadline potentially for default, federal default emerges. They've got to get legislation passed, they've got to post it for a few days before there's votes in the House and in the Senate. They are working feverishly behind the scenes. I expect at some point we'll probably hear from all the key players. Not only speaker of the House, John Boehner, the majority leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, but we'll also probably hear at some point from the president. We heard from him briefly earlier today giving a speech but maybe he'll go into more specifics later. We'll see what's happening.
All the action is on the Hill right now. Different plans emerging. They were close to a deal, but not close enough. And at one point both the president and the speaker were clearly ready to upset to anger their respective bases. The speaker ready to accept $80 billion in additional tax increases or revenues, if you will. The president wanted another $400 billion beyond that. That seemed to have made those negotiations go away. And the president clearly angering his Democratic base, or at least many Democrats, by raising the possibility of cuts and entitlement spending, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
So, it's a complicated situation. We'll see what happens. But they don't have a lot of time.
A couple of other little political nuggets before I let you go. The -- Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty battle is escalating. He criticized her over the past few weeks for lacking any executive experience. Now she's come back saying, you know what, he's not such a great guy himself. Executive experience, she says, is not an asset if it simply means bigger government and more intrusive government. Actions speak louder than words.
And she criticized what she said was his earlier support for cap and trade excessive spending, the T.A.R.P. plan, individual health care mandates. They are going back and forth, two Minnesotans, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, former governor Tim Pawlenty, a big fight in Iowa.
One final note, the former speaker, the Democratic minority leader in the House now recommending an ethics committee investigation of Democratic Congressman David Wu for allegedly engaging in improper sexual advances towards a young woman, the daughter of a campaign supporter. So, it's - that's getting ugly up there as well. Apparently, at least for now, he says he's not going to resign his seat from Oregon.
So, there's a lot going on, as always. We'll have much more coming up at 5 p.m. Eastern, Randi, as you know in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
KAYE: And we'll be watching, Wolf! Thank you very much. Your next update from The Best Political Team on Television is just one hour away.
