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Unemployment Edges up to 8.2 Percent; Bill Clinton Praises Romney; Wisconsin Recall Vote Splits State; SunTrust Mortgage OK's $21M Settlement; Eight Grader Wins National Spelling Bee; "I Don't Think God's Through with Me"; Unemployment Rises to 8.2 Percent; Darth Vader gets a Parking Ticket; A Royal Extravaganza
Aired June 01, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Soledad.
Happening right now in the NEWSROOM, all eyes on Wisconsin. What happens there could happen nationwide. The big guns getting called in this morning. Bill Clinton on his way there right now. The recall election hitting unions and politicians and getting red hot.
Sex, lies and campaign cash. The one shining star of Democratic politics now dirty from a fraud trial. He walks free and is now seeking redemption.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think God is through with me. I really believe he thinks there's still some good things I can do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: This morning what's next for John Edwards.
Graduation scare. A bear on the loose in Bakersfield. This 120- pound bear startling students and stopping the ceremony.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a champion of the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Yes, we do. Queen Bee. The spelling ace. A 14-year- old girl from San Diego capturing the national title with the word guetapens. What does it mean? I'm not going to tell you right now.
NEWSROOM starts right now.
Good morning. And happy Friday to you. Let's get straight to the jobs report. Not such great news because it's shaping up to be another brutal day on Wall Street where stock futures point to a huge negative open after some disappointing news on the job market. Just 69,000 jobs were created last month missing expectations of more than twice that number.
And the unemployment rate, well, it rose slightly to 8.2 percent. Jobs were added in the health care and transportation industry while the construction sector lost them.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange and gee, Alison, this job news comes as Dow and Nasdaq posted their worst monthly performance in two years.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and buckle up for it today. It's going to be an ugly one today. This was a huge blitz for this jobs report. There's no other way to say it. One analyst calls it pathetic. Another analyst tells me, you know what? The U.S. just isn't slowing down at this point. It's pulling up the emergency brake. So yes, we are seeing stock futures tumble.
About a half hour before the Opening Bell rings, once again we are looking at 175 drop for the Dow at the Opening Bell. We're also watching oil prices tumble, too. Oil prices. They're down more than 4 percent right now below $83 a barrel. That is on the expectation that demand for oil is going to drop as the economy continues to slow down.
Now keep in mind the jobs data is definitely going to dominate the conversation today. But investors are also pretty darn concerned about data coming out overseas. There are reports of slowdowns and manufacturing sectors in China, in France, in Spain, in Germany and Italy.
This has major implications, Carol, for U.S. businesses and ultimately U.S. jobs. Just to give you an example, look at Caterpillar. It does huge business in Europe and Asia. Its shares lost 14 percent in May on the expectation that its business is pretty much going to lag because of the slowdown globally happening -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. We'll get back to you as you watch numbers on Wall Street.
Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
Now to political stars descending on Wisconsin this morning with the governor's recall election gaining national attention. On the Republican side South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, is campaigning for incumbent, Scott Walker. Haley believes two states' vote is about more than just Wisconsin. Bill Clinton will be stumping for the Democratic challenger, Milwaukee mayor, Tom Barrett. But that's not what people are talking about this morning.
No, it's this. Bill is being Bill. And inadvertently throwing Mr. Obama under the boss by praising Romney's sterling tenure at Bain Capital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think that we ought to get in the position where we say this is bad work. This is good work. I think, however, the real issue ought to be, what has Governor Romney advocated in the campaign that he will do as president? What has President Obama done and what does he propose to do? How do these things stack up against each other? That's the most relevant thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And Bill Clinton also praised Mitt Romney's business record and that's how he kind of threw him under the bus.
Our political editor Paul Steinhauser is here now.
Republicans are pretty happy about that this morning.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: I've gotten three e- mails already this morning, Carol, from the Republican National Committee touting this, shouting this sound out from that interview from "PIERS MORGAN." I guess this is another example of when good surrogates go bad. I mean, yes, you could definitely say that former President Bill Clinton went off message in that interview last night right here on CNN.
As you mentioned, he called Mitt Romney's record, business record sterling. And he said, yes, Mitt Romney is qualified to be president. But in his defense, Bill Clinton also did say that he thinks Barack Obama, the president, will win re-election by about five or six points.
Carol, Bill Clinton now becomes those high-profile surrogate to say these kind of things, to maybe pushback a little bit against the Obama campaign's push against Mitt Romney's time at Bain Capital, the private equity firm that he co-founded.
You remember Cory Booker, the New Jersey -- Newark, New Jersey, mayor, that was a big tempest in a tea pot and then Massachusetts governor, Deval Patrick, also saying similar things, now Bill Clinton.
Hey, Carol, guess what? Monday night in New York City, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama team up for a fundraiser for the president's re-election. Maybe they'll be talking about this -- Carol.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Maybe so. Paul Steinhauser live in Washington for us.
Bill Clinton, as I told you, will be speaking in just about two hours from Milwaukee and just to remind you what this Wisconsin recall election is all about. Last year Governor Scott Walker moved to cut most collective bargaining rights for state workers that not only set off huge protests but ultimately a recall drive.
And as CNN's Ted Rowlands reports, this election is still splitting the state. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Scott Walker shouldn't be campaigning until 2014 but the now second-year governor of Wisconsin made so many people mad in his first few months in office he's facing a recall.
(On camera): Were you surprised that the fact that the recall did go through and what could have you done to prevent it?
GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: Well, eventually I was -- if you would have asked me a year and a half ago, I'd totally been surprised because I just tried to fix what would I have done differently? Simple, I would have spent more time last January and early February making the case for a reform.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Those reforms slashed the power of public employee unions which set off a firestorm. Thousands of protesters were angry that Walker had launched what they saw as a surprise attack against labor unions. Walker's new law which he signed last year also makes employee contributions to the unions optional.
Walker's opponent in the recall, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, says Walker's grand plan from the start was to attack labor unions.
MAYOR TOM BARRETT, MILWAUKEE: I look back at 2011 and Governor Walker -- these are his words. These are not my words. Said he was going to drop the bomb. That was his first phrase.
ROWLANDS: Drop the bomb is from this phony phone call that Walker thought he was talking to billionaire donor, David Coke.
WALKER: Last Monday night I had all my cabinet over to the residence for dinner. Talked about what we were going to do, how we're going to do it. We've already kind of built plans up. And it was kind of the last hurrah before we dropped the bomb.
BARRETT: The second phrase he said was he was going to divide and conquer.
ROWLANDS: Divide and conquer is from this documentary clip showing Walker talking to a supporter shortly after he was elected.
WALKER: The first step is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employees.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
WALKER: Use divide and conquer.
BARRETT: He started this political civil war.
ROWLANDS: He says that you started a civil war in Wisconsin. Is that true?
WALKER: No. If anything, what we did was we said we're going to stand up and take on the special interest that had dominated things at both the state and local level, and instead stand with the hard working taxpayers of Wisconsin.
ROWLANDS: Both candidates agree that Wisconsin voters are split.
BARRETT: You have situations where neighbors don't want to talk to neighbors, where workers don't want to talk to fellow workers.
WALKER: This is not the Wisconsin way. I think we've had passionate debates before. Back in 2000 and 2004, we were the closest blue state in America. And we still got on.
ROWLANDS: With less than a week to go, Scott Walker has a slight lead in the polls. He says win or lose, he has no regrets.
WALKER: I'm doing everything in my power to win in terms of reaching out to voters but then I always said I have never been afraid to lose.
ROWLANDS: And even if he does lose, his new union law will remain in place.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Milwaukee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Prosecutors have not decided whether to retry John Edwards but after yesterday's mistrial the former presidential candidate said, quote, "I don't think God's through with me." Edwards did not testify during his corruption trial but after the verdict he talked to reporters about what he called his sins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDWARDS: While I do not believe I did anything illegal, I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Prosecutors had accused Edwards of using nearly $1 million in illegal campaign contributions to keep his pregnant mistress under wraps during his 2008 run.
Some encouraging news in -- in the intense wildfire fight in southwestern New Mexico. Firefighters say calmer winds shifted wind direction and higher humidity are helping them gain more control of the fire. The Whitewater-Baldy fire has already become the largest wildfire in New Mexico's history burning more than 190,000 acres.
And SunTrust Mortgage has agreed to pay $21 million to resolve a discrimination lawsuit. The suit claimed the lender discriminated against African-American and Hispanic borrowers. At 2.5 year Justice Department investigation found that between 2005 and 2009, SunTrust increased loan prices for many qualified minorities.
NASA and Congress are praising the maker of a commercial spacecraft that returned to earth and splashed into the Pacific Ocean. You can see it floating out there. The tip -- that's the tip of the dragon capsule. It's bobbing there in the water.
The founder of SpaceX calls it a grand slam. It is the first time a commercial spacecraft completed a mission to the International Space Station. Space, is replacing this NASA shuttle program as a way to deliver supplies to the international space station.
An eighth grader from San Diego says she knew she would spell the winning word of the Scripps National Spelling Bee correctly because she had seen it before.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SNIGDHA NANDIPATI, SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE WINNER: Guetapens. G-U-E-T-A-P-E-N-S. Guetapens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That's Snigdha Nandipati. Last year she tied for a 27 place in the Spelling Bee, and by the word guetapen is a French word meaning an ambush, snare or trap. She told Soledad O'Brien on "STARTING POINT" that she trained hard for this win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR, STARTING POINT: A tough year. Must have been fabulous, though, when all the confetti starting raining down on you.
NANDIPATI: That's when I realized I actually won.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Now I read that you study something like six hours a day? Is that right?
NANDIPATI: Yes. On the weekdays I study six hours and then the weekends from 10 to 12 hours.
O'BRIEN: So then now that you are the winner, you get to take a break? Cut back to, like, 30 minutes?
NANDIPATI: Yes. Yes. Well, actually I don't -- don't have to do spelling anymore because there are no more spelling bees in the high school.
COSTELLO: Right. Right. You've aged out now.
NANDIPATI: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Good for her. She won $30,000 and gifts from the Merriam-Webster and Encyclopedia Britannica.
A jury deadlocks and now John Edwards is free to focus on his future. But what does his future hold? It's up for debate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Fifteen minutes past the hour.
Checking our top stories:
Campaigning is heating up in Wisconsin ahead of Tuesday's recall election for governor. Incumbent Scott Walker is facing a challenge from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Walker's critics began the recall drive after he pushed through legislation last year to reduce the power of unions representing state workers.
In business news, Subway gets the seal of approval from the American Heart Association. It is the first chain to get the heart check certification. Subway says eight of its sandwiches, nine salads and four kids meals meet the AHA's healthy criteria.
Plus, the certification has its critics. They say some 200 companies already heart check approved have to pay for the seal.
In sports, their 20-game winning streak is over. Oklahoma City Thunder shut down Spurs last night 102-82, making the western conference finals interesting again.
Spurs led the series two games to one over the Thunder.
In weather, today is the official start to the hurricane season. Despite two storms under our belt already, the National Hurricane Center is saying we should see an average number of storms, about 9 to 15.
In the meantime, parts of the Middle East will -- will see some nasty weather today. A string of thunderstorms could bring damaging winds, hail and tornadoes to Raleigh, the D.C. area, Pittsburgh, and Charleston.
If you want to catch the sight of Venus passing between earth and the sun, be on the lookout. The so-called transit of Venus will happen Tuesday, starting a little after 6:00 p.m. Eastern. It will go on for seven hours. The event is rare. It only happens four times every 243 years. The next one will happen in 2117.
With corruption trial behind him, former presidential candidate John Edwards is seeking redemption.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think God's through with me. I really believe he thinks there's still some good things I can do. And whatever happens with this legal stuff going forward, what I'm hopeful about is all those kids that I've seen in the poorest parts of this country and in some of the poorest places in the world that I can help them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But is any kind of redemption possible? Edwards stunning free-fall began with a "National Enquirer" headline. It earned tabloid consideration for a Pulitzer Prize and exposed Edwards' secret lives, specifically the child he fathered with his mistress Rielle Hunter while his wife suffered from cancer.
Joining me now is a "Vanity Fair" staff writer, Juli Weiner.
Juli, welcome.
JULI WEINER, WRITER, "VANITY FAIR": Hi. Thanks for having me.
COSTELLO: We're glad you're here. You have written extensively about John Edwards. When he came out after the trial wrapped up and the jury was dismissed, were you surprised he made a public statement?
WEINER: No, I wasn't surprised at all. John Edwards is someone that has continued campaign after campaign to seek the spotlight despite problems in his personal life. I do not think we've seen the last of John Edwards.
COSTELLO: But the part in his statement, you know -- as we all know, Edwards initially lied about fathering that child, the child he had out of wedlock, and one of the things that really got to most of us yesterday, what some people thinking capsulates everything wrong with John Edwards was this very public change of heart about this illegitimate child named Quinn. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDWARDS: My precious Quinn, who I love more than any of you could ever imagine, and I am so close to and so, so grateful for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So he denied her existence before and now he's embracing her. He seemed to come to tears but I don't know. That part of the speech took some courage to say?
WEINER: Yes. Courage is one word for it. Although he is now acknowledging the existence of his out-of-wedlock child, I don't think that's enough to exonerate him in the public eye, to clear the way for another campaign or political office. He alluded to helping impoverished children and I think if he wanted to set up a sort of foundation or be more involved philanthropically, that would be something that he can do. Whether that will satisfy his perpetual need to be in the political spotlight, I don't think so.
But I don't think that with what we've seen the sort of stuff that has come out during the trial that he's in any position to run for public office.
COSTELLO: I was going to ask you. He seems to want public redemption but maybe the best thing for him to do would be just to go away and quietly work for the poor and not talk about it.
WEINER: Absolutely. I think that's completely correct. I feel though that even though he was acquitted of one of the charges against him and a mistrial was called, and he and he wasn't actually found guilty of anything, I think most people still will agree that he is not a great person. Although he's not a criminal in the eyes of the law, I think he's not in a position to run for public office.
And both prosecution and the defense were clear about that during the course of the trial. That this is not a man who made good decisions. This is not a man who treated had his family well. But the defense at least argued that his actions were not criminal.
COSTELLO: Juli Weiner from "Vanity Fair" -- thanks for joining us this morning.
WEINER: Thanks so much for having me.
COSTELLO: After heating criticism that P. Diddy's son should not accept a $54,000 scholarship from UCLA, the university insists he deserves the money even though his dad is a millionaire.
Don't forget if you're heading out the door, you can take us with you. Watch us anytime on your mobile, or computer. Just head to CNN.com/TV.
(COMMERCAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: As I told you at the top of the show, the jobs report came out this morning. And it was less than stellar. The unemployment rate is back up to 8.2 percent. Only 69,000 jobs added to the economy.
The Republican House Speaker John Boehner had a lot to say about that. He's holding a live press conference. This is what he had to say about five minutes ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: It's pretty clear the American people are still asking the question, where are the jobs?
Another month of disappointing job gains. It's pretty clear that the American people are hurting. Small businesses continue to avert hiring any additional people. It's clear that the policies that we've seen are not working.
Now, I would just hope that the president, my colleagues in the Senate, will look at our plan to create American jobs and pass over 30 bills sitting in the United States Senate. We can help the American people at a time of this great need if the Senate would just look at the bills that are before us.
You've watched us for the last year and a half come up here every day and every week and make clear that our focus is focus of the American people. We promised that we'll listen to the American people and focus is on this economy and jobs. That's why that's continued to be our focus each and every day over the last year and a half and it will remain that because the American people are in a desperate spot.
Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, are looking for work and it's time for us to change course and have real policies that will put Americans back to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. Let's head to Washington and check in with our political editor, Paul Steinhauser.
Let's talk about those 30 bills sitting in the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate is controlled by Democrats. It was a little poke to them.
So, does he have a point, John Boehner? Those 30 bills sitting in the United States Senate, would they get the economy moving if only there was action taken?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: And that is the Republican line here, Carol. You've heard it from John Boehner. You've heard it from a lot of other top Republicans who have been speaking this morning, including Congressman Hensarling on CNN earlier today.
They are all saying the same thing -- it's Democrats that are holding things up. That's what their line is. And they say President Obama's policies are not working. You heard John Boehner just now use the word clear a couple times.
Carol, you heard the same word from Mitt Romney, presumptive Republican nominee. He put out a statement just a few minutes ago. Part said, "It is now clear to everyone that President Obama's policies have failed to achieve goals and that the Obama economy is crushing America's middle class."
How does this play into the election? It's very simple, Carol. Mitt Romney says, "I can do a better job creating jobs than President Obama." That's his main story line.
COSTELLO: You know, Paul, I get that from Mitt Romney because he's running against the president. But the House speaker, John Boehner, he has to still work with the president to get our economy moving.
So, is this really the right time to be campaigning for Mitt Romney?
STEINHAUSER: Unfortunately, right now, in an election year with just five months to go, Carol, I think that kind of dwarfs everything else. It's casting a shadow over what's going on here in Washington, as Democrats and Republicans try to work things out in Congress. It's a very bitter climate right now here on Capitol Hill, Carol.
COSTELLO: Paul Steinhauser, live in Washington for us.
We're used to seeing tempers flare in politics. But this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STATE REP. MIKE BOST (R), ILLINOIS: The American way. These damn bills that come out of here all the damn time come out here at the last second, and I got to try to figure out how to vote for my people --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Maybe we need that in the U.S. Senate. I don't know. This is from the Illinois statehouse. This is Representative Mike Bost. He's on fire, after a last-minute vote on a pension bill. Well, he tells us why he lost his cool, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Yet another lousy jobs report causing stocks to tank on Wall Street. The opening bell rang just moments ago.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange and watching the numbers here. They are ugly.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they're ugly. You got a seat belt fastened, right? It's going to be one of those days. Yes, Dow dropping 115 points. We're one minute into the session. This, of course, on the heels of that very dismal jobs report, showing that only 69,000 jobs were added to the economy.
You know, the expectation was that we would have seen at least 150,000. So, it's a clear miss there. Also those in March and in April the revisions are actually lowered meaning the numbers were revised lower for those job additions.
Just all around a bad report. This in addition to bad reports yesterday on economic growth in the U.S. in first three months of this year -- falling from 2.2 percent to 1.9 percent rate. This, of course, the second reading on GDP. We're going to get a third and final reading on that.
But the jobs picture is a good indication, many analysts, say that that GDP number, that economic growth number, when the final one comes out, that's not going to look good either -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
Unemployment rate, it went up to 8.2 percent. It's not the kind of statistic that new college graduates want to hear right now. They're ready for the job market to open up but it doesn't look like the job market is ready for them.
Here's CNN's Richard Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE TESTA, SETON HALL GRADUATE: Check my mail.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Joe Testa is anxiously waiting for a job offer. The marketing and PR major just graduated from New Jersey Seton Hall University.
While in school, Testa worked in the marketing department for three years. But he entered college as the great recession began in 2008.
TESTA: It's a battle. It can get very frustrating. But I think the person that I am, you have to just kind of shrug that off and start again.
ROTH: Testa's university supervisor says she hates to lose him but the class of 2012 has to be creative in their job search.
LINDA KARTEN, SETON HALL MARKETING DIRECTOR: I think they have to be assertive about what it is they want. They can't wait for jobs to come to them in any way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the class of 2012. God bless them.
(CHEERS)
ROTH: Graduates acknowledge they are headed out into the real world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The easiest part of life is over now.
ROTH: If the trend continues, it's estimated one out of two new graduates in this class will not have a job lined up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little scared. I don't have a job lined up. Not sure what I want to do.
JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR, SUPREME COURT: Finding a career in uncertain economic times.
ROTH: Graduation speakers remind the students of unknown challenges ahead. Having a college degree does increase job prospects compared to a high school graduate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally am optimistic. I am employed. So, yes, me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been waiting for this day for four years. I'm so excited. I can't wait to get out there and start working.
ROTH: For graduates such as Joe Testa, recruiters offer tips like networking and casting a wide net.
TESTA: This one is really cool.
ROTH: Plus use of social media.
DAN BLACK, ERNST & YUNG RECRUITER: If I'm on LinkedIn, I might look for someone else that graduated from my university and then, hey, maybe I'll find someone who is in the industry I'm interested in. That might be a connection worth exploring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations and God bless you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Richard Roth joins us live now.
So, Richard, some of those grads seemed optimistic. Is it all doom and gloom? It's hard not to be gloomy, right?
ROTH: Well, it's not gloom and doom for everybody. Though today's jobs numbers are certainly going to help people's attitudes. Scary is that word you hear most often from these college graduates.
One study said that for graduates under the age of 25, the unemployment rate over 9 percent. They are taking part-time jobs. That's why things could even be worse. They are taking low level jobs despite having a bachelor's degree -- bartending, waitressing, retail jobs. They don't have that optimism perhaps that previous generations had when accepting those positions that it will get better and they'll move up the ladder later on.
COSTELLO: Richard Roth, live in New York City.
You've seen outburst from lawmakers before but you probably never seen anything quite like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOST: -- the American way. These damn bills that come out of here all the damn time, come out here at the last second. I got to try to figure out how to vote for my people. You should be ashamed of yourselves! I'm sick of it! Every year, we give power to one person. Enough! I feel like someone trying to be released from Egypt. Let my people go!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I like the people sitting around him. No reaction whatsoever. Actually, this is Illinois State Representative Mike Bost enraged over how little time he had to review a bill before the session ended. Bost also referred to House Speaker Michael Madigan as the pharaoh, saying he holds too much power.
A much calmer legislator had this to say later on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOST: It had been an extremely rough day with 300-page bill that changed that we worked on for a year and a half. And, all of a sudden, it was time to vote, and they came in 10 minutes before the meeting and decided that, now, we would hand you a bill brand new, with all of the things that we had not supported. So, yes, there was a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Though the session ended early this morning, the governor plans to call lawmakers back to deal with pension reform.
Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, is there a second act for John Edwards? John Edwards is off the hook. It's likely he'll never have to pay despite prosecutors' belief that he violated campaign finance laws.
But that doesn't matter in the court of public opinion. Take a look at the cover of "New York Post" today. It says John Edwards is still guilty of being a really lousy human being. Right now, it's hard to remember this John Edwards from 2008.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is one man, there is one man who knows and understands that is a time for bold leadership. There is one man that knows how to create the change the lasting change that you have to build from the ground up. There's one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America, not two -- and that man is Barack Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But that was before we found out about the $400 haircuts, the cheating on a cancer-stricken wife and the love child. Still, after court was over, Edwards sought redemption from you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDWARDS: I don't think God's through with me. I really believe he thinks there's still some good things I can do. And whatever happens with this legal stuff going forward, what I'm hopeful about is all those kids that I've seen, you know, in the poorest parts of this country and in some of the poorest places in the world, that I can help them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: By his own admission, Edwards put his family and friends through the ringer. Some say despite his acquittal, the trial alone was punishment enough.
Talk back question for you today: could there possibly be a second act for John Edwards?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
Pop superstar Justin Bieber passes out in Paris. What happened during last night's show that knocked him out cold?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: You know that song. It's the Beatles' "She Loves You." And there's a lot of love for the Fab Four from "Rolling Stone" magazine. It just released its revived list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and the Fab Four have three of the top five albums are the greatest.
Their "Rubber Soul" is number five. Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" is number four. The Beatles' "Revolver" comes in at number three. And the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" is number two. At number one, the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
It's been quite a week for Justin Bieber, the Biebs. The pop superstar was accused of roughing up a photographer, he caused pandemonium in Norway, and now, we've learned he walked into a glass wall into a concert in Paris.
"Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer has the scoop.
Hi.
A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hey, Carol. Yes, he is hurt. I mean, h got a concussion.
But Bieber kept a sense of humor about what happened. He's actually been joking about it on his Twitter feed. He's telling everybody he is all right. So, all concerned believers shouldn't worry too much.
He did explain how it happened to TMZ. He told them that he was walking off stage and he didn't realize there was a glass wall between him and a railing so as he reached for the railing he hit his head on the wall. I'm thinking that has to have been one very clean piece of glass.
But he went to do one more song in the show. He says his adrenaline helped him finish and then passed out for a few seconds and was examined by a doctor. And while he admits to moving slower today but he's been feeling better. He's been tweeting about how he's a tough Canadian, how he plans to get his revenge on glass.
In a Las Vegas fight, it will be Bieber versus glass 2013, Carol. And he also posted a picture of a glass house on Twitter that he joked how that could never be his house and tweeted he's preparing for his next appearance, which is happening today.
Obviously, he's well enough to perform and he'll sing from a Parisian balcony. So, hopefully, Carol, he'll stand a few feet back from railing of said balcony.
COSTELLO: Did you really say believers?
HAMMER: I believe I said believers. I believe I did.
COSTELLO: A.J., thank you.
HAMMER: It's Friday.
COSTELLO: Yes, I know.
It hasn't happened in 115 years but now, Britain is once again rolling out the royal red carpet. The preview of Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee, straight ahead.
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COSTELLO: Forty-six minutes past the hour. Checking our "Top Stories" now.
Yet another lousy job report is causing stocks to tank on Wall Street this morning. Only 69,000 jobs were added to the payroll last month, edging unemployment back up to 8.2 percent. Right now the DOW has dropped 178 points.
In other news, in money news, government regulators are widening their investigation into the $2 billion trading losses at JP Morgan Chase in May. "The Wall Street Journal" reporting investigators are issuing subpoenas requesting the bank's internal e-mails and documents.
In weather, today is the official start of the hurricane season and despite two storms already under our belt, the National Hurricane Center is saying we should see an average number of storms about 9 to 15.
In the meantime, parts of the eastern United States will see some nasty weather today. The string of thunderstorms could bring damaging winds, hail and tornadoes to Raleigh, the D.C. area, Pittsburgh and Charleston.
In sports, their 20-game winning streak is over. The Oklahoma City Thunder shut down the Spurs last night 102-82, making the Western Conference Finals interesting again. The Spurs led the series in two games to one over the Thunder.
And it turns out even the power of the dark side cannot help you get out of a parking ticket. Just watch how Darth Vader does it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You put a ticket on my car. I paid for parking. I had the tag. It was on my dashboard. I got a ticket on my car. The tag was on the dashboard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It looks like a setup, doesn't it? This happened in Brooklyn. But the video is going viral now. Darth Vader even had a team of storm troopers with him as you see but they didn't seem to help much either. They were all dressed up for a family fun festival.
It's an event 60 years in the making, the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Officials going through final rehearsals for the four day celebration, which will include a carriage processions through the streets of London, a 1,000-boat flotilla on the Thames, plus a concert featuring Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Elton John.
Joining me now from London is the royal commentator, Richard Fitzwilliams. Hi, Richard.
RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Hello, as you say a historic, a wonderful and a varied weekend of celebrations to commemorate a truly remarkable person.
COSTELLO: So -- so tell us a little bit about the pomp and circumstance. It sounds like it's going to be amazing.
FITZWILLIAMS: It is indeed. The ceremonial day, you mentioned that 2,000 troops were rehearsing in the streets of London early this morning. And some of those are the household cavalry. They will be escorting the royal procession back from Westminster Hall to Buckingham Palace and then they will appear on the balcony. And this, of course, is always a terrific crowd pleaser. This particular anniversary it will be the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry only.
So the focus is very much on the succession and it's going to be so spectacular, an array of (inaudible) and so absolutely glorious. And on the river a flotilla the like of which have not been seen for 350 years.
COSTELLO: Wow. So what about poor Prince Charles and Camilla? Will they be anywhere in sight?
FITZWILLIAMS: Oh they will be with the Queen and Prince Philip, yes I did mention them. They'll be on the balcony, they'll be in the line of succession. Those particular members of the royal family are being given special prominence. And they're all going together into the Abbey -- into the Cathedral when there is the thanksgiving service, too, on Tuesday.
It's going to be a commemoration of something that is magical and spectacular and remarkable. The only previous diamond jubilee was that of Queen Victoria who at 78 was actually quite lame, and it was conducted on the steps of the cathedral, they had a service. And the Queen listened and then was driven off to see parts of London where there was a great deal of rejoicing.
Well, our Queen, at 86, and her consort, her strength and (inaudible) Prince Philip. I mean what does one say of stamina like that? It's absolutely unprecedented in the past years of monarchy. I can't figure of a word to describe it.
COSTELLO: So -- so are the people of Great Britain mostly happy about this? I mean the economy is bad there, too. And all of this pomp and circumstance is going to be going on. And it must be an expensive party to throw.
FITZWILLIAMS: Well, the thing to emphasize is that recent polls have shown 80 percent of the people are in favor of the monarchy. So Republicanism is down to sort of bedrock 10 to 13 percent. Regarding the spectacle and the difficult economic times, it's worth remembering that when the Queen, as Princess Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, there was a pretty grim post war austerity then. Churchill called it a flash of color on the hard road we have to travel. The coronation, the most magnificent of royal spectacles there too was in those very difficult periods.
And in 1981 when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, then too it was a tough economic time and there have been riots. And this will lift everyone's spirits. It will be a magnificent celebration of pomp and circumstance, yes. But also, people love the Queen. They realize that she is an exemplar of duty and it's that, that feeling that you will get in phenomenal scenes of rejoicing outside Buckingham Palace.
COSTELLO: Richard Fitzwilliams, thank you for joining us.
FITZWILLIAMS: My pleasure.
COSTELLO: I just like the way he says "spectacular".
Celebrations marking 60 years of Queen Elizabeth's reign begin on CNN this Sunday. Join Piers Morgan and Brooke Baldwin live from London for a royal extravaganza, that begins Sunday morning at 11:00 Eastern.
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COSTELLO: We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The question this morning: is there a second act for John Edwards? And frankly, I was afraid for your answers. But let's give it a go.
This from Dhruva. "Of course, after all the adultery and ethics violations he committed, Newt Gingrich had a shot at becoming president. John Edwards is a much better-looking guy."
This from Linda. "He should title his book, 'How I Cheated This Country'. And this is on more than one level."
This from Cindy. "God's work for him should be contrition every day for the rest of his life. His political career is over. Maybe he should sell his mega mansion and give the money to the poor he still contends he cares about."
And this from Mark. "He could run for mayor of Washington, D.C. If they'll re-elect Marion Berry, they'll elect anyone."
Please continue the conversation, Facebook.com/CarolCNN.
Ok, this made me laugh. And since yesterday's "Talk Back" was all about the proposed big soda ban in New York, we thought Steven Colbert's weighing in was pitch-perfect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDY CENTRAL: No more giant sodas. Come on. This is America, the land of plenty. We haven't even achieved Type 3 diabetes yet. We're so close. And I don't know about you -- I don't know about you folks, but I can't drink less than 16 ounces. I need a soda so large that James Cameron wants to go to the bottom of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I so love him. We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Time to get serious. Let's check in first with Joe Johns.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol. We're in Greensboro, North Carolina after the mistrial in the John Edwards case. The government has a big decision to make as jurors in that case start speaking up. We'll have more on that at the top of the hour.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Christine Romans in New York where I'm following a disappointing jobs report for the month of May. We now have three months in a row of sub-par jobs growth, and that's making for some pretty ugly politics and economics. I'll have that story at the top of the hour.
COSTELLO: Also ahead, it isn't your mom's "Snow White".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIZE THERON, ACTRESS: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of them all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are the fairest. But there is another destined to surpass you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ooh. The new "Snow White and the Huntsman" movie hitting theaters and this action adventure flick is all about girl power. In about 40 minutes, I'll talk with two of the movie stars, Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth.
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