Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Robin Roberts Has Rare Blood Disorder; Seizure Blamed For Bryson's Crashes; Colorado Fire Threatens Hundreds Of Homes; Syrian Regime Shells Cities; Egypt's Mubarak In A Coma; Pew Study: Banks Not Clear On Account Cost; Nadal Wins Seventh French Open Crown; Fans Stunned By Pacquiao Decision; Former Penn State Coach's Trial Begins; Bieber Versus the Beatles; Long-Term Jobless Still Seek Steady Work; Big Announcement from Apple

Aired June 11, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good Monday morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. Just ahead in the NEWSROOM, breaking news on a developing story we've been following. A key member of President Obama's team caused three accidents while driving this weekend. Now we know what may have caused those crashes.

Thousands of acres burned, hundreds of people forced out of their home and dozens of buildings damaged. A runaway wildfire in Colorado is wreaking havoc on parts of the state and the problems could get worse today.

A stunning blow, boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao loses to Timothy Bradley? But no one except the three judges seems to know why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have never been ashamed so often as to be associated with the sport of boxing as I am tonight. These people don't know how to score.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Sports fans are screaming for justice.

But we begin with some sad news to pass along about a colleague of ours in the broadcast industry. Earlier this morning, Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" revealed she has a rare blood disorder and will need a bone marrow transplant.

This latest health threat she says is the result of her battle with breast cancer five years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN ROBERTS, HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": As many of you know, five years ago, I beat breast cancer, and I've always been a fighter. And you, your love, your support, your prayers helped me win that fight, and that's something I will never, ever forget.

Now, sometimes treatment for cancer can lead to other serious medical issues, and that's what I'm facing right now. It is something that is called MDS, myelodysplastic syndrome. If you're looking up doing, what, I was doing the same thing.

It is a rare blood disorder that affects the bone marrow and, the doctor has been holding my hand through this and we'll have a lot more information about MDS on her web site. And the reason I am sharing this with everybody now is because later today I begin what's known at pre-treatment.

I'm going to have -- it's a pic line in my arm, and I didn't want you to be concerned if you saw a bandage tomorrow, and it's going to be there to draw blood that has to be monitored regularly.

And also to administer drugs later today and for the week and for a period of time, and it's all to prepare me for a bone marrow transplant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And joining us by phone is Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society. Thanks for joining us, Doctor.

DR. LEN LICHTENFELD, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY (via telephone): Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: I know you can't speak specifically about Robin Roberts' condition, but tell us about this blood disorder. Is it sort of like pre-leukemia?

LICHTENFELD: Well, it used to be called pre-leukemia, and it's not common. It is rare and there are many different forms. There are some -- many old -- not many, but older folks can get myelodysplastic syndrome, which happens as a function of age for reasons we don't really understand.

But in Ms. Roberts' situation and clearly she's a very special person to all of us. We all feel like we know her, know her well and are in the battle together, in her situation, it is most likely the result -- she said, of the chemotherapy she received five years ago.

With the new treatments that we used for what we call atrovent therapy of breast cancer that is preventative therapy given as for primary treatment of breast cancer to prevent the breast cancer from coming back, that treatment impacts the bone marrow.

It impacts the blood cells of the bone marrow and sometimes there are essentially scarring or long-term effects that happen, and we end up with MDS or myelodysplastic syndrome, and in the situation where we are today with Ms. Roberts.

COSTELLO: Robin said that she is fit. She's young, and this may help her beat this thing. What are her chances?

LICHTENFELD: Well, I think it's -- I don't want to put a number on her chances. The reality is that she is young. She is in otherwise good health. She is very fortunate to have a sibling a sister, I believe, who's a match donor. That puts her in a much better situation.

But we -- we cannot dismiss the fact that bone marrow transplant is a serious process. It has side effects and it will impact her life. And our hope is that she comes through it with all the health and vigor and positivity we all see in her every day.

COSTELLO: Well, the thing is, she's going to be -- this will all play out on television, so to speak. She'd mentioned that, you know, you might see a band-aid on her arm. What do you hope people will take away from her fight against this blood disorder?

LICHTENFELD: Well, I think number one that all of us, our prayers go out to her and her family at this time. The message for everyone is that we have made substantial progress in treating breast cancer.

Ms. Roberts is an example of that. On the other hand, she's also an example of the serious side effects that come along with that treatment.

About 1 percent of the women who get atrovent therapy for breast cancer come down with this condition, and the treatment, the only treatment is a bone marrow transplant.

She is going to go through, as I mentioned, going to go through serious treatments over the next several months. It will take time, and with good medical care and prayers and support, she will come through this.

The other message I think is critically important, she mentioned this herself. She is African-American. She's fortunate that she has a matched sibling a donor, who has the exact cell type that she has, and that's a good thing.

And she herself mentioned that I think it's important to reinforce, in the African-American community, it's sometimes difficult to find donors, and all of us would hope that people who are listening take her wish seriously that members of the community consider registering to become bone marrow -- donors for transplant purposes.

It's a serious issue we have in this country. As I said, she's fortunate, but she has reached out with that message and I think that's an important message for us to reinforce during these conversations.

COSTELLO: Doctor, thank you so much for being with us this morning and helping us to understand. We appreciate it. Dr. Lichtenfeld from the American Cancer Society.

LICHTENFELD: Thank you. COSTELLO: Robin Roberts also released a statement on abcnews.com. On it she says, quote, "I received my MDS diagnosis on the very day that "Good Morning America" finally beat the "Today" show for the first time in 16 years. Talk about your highs and lows," end quote.

We're also learning more about a bizarre story unfolding in Southern California. A key member of President Obama's economic team is facing felony hit-and-run charges this morning.

We've just learned that Commerce Secretary John Bryson had a seizure while driving in Los Angeles on Saturday. Witnesses say he hit a parked car, and then struck it again as he pulled away.

Then he hit a second car minutes later a few miles down the road. He was found passed out behind the wheel. Brianna Keilar live at the White House with more information. Hi, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Carol. I should say, we don't actually know necessarily that this seizure happened while Secretary Bryson was driving.

Because the statement from the Director of Public Affairs, Jennifer Friedman for the Commerce Department says that he was involved in a traffic accident in Los Angeles over the weekend, and it says he suffered a seizure.

He was taken to the hospital for examination and remained overnight for observation. So it seems like maybe you could infer that he was driving while that seizure happened.

But actually, we're inquiring to figure out exactly the timing of the seizure vis-a-vis the accident. But Secretary Bryson was cited while in the hospital for felony hit-and-run charges, a couple of really -- three bizarre accidents involving two cars besides his.

He was in the L.A. area in San Gabriel. According to the sheriff's department, the L.A. Sheriff's Department press release that was put out early this morning, he hit a car that was stopped at a railroad crossing as it was waiting for a train to pass.

Then he got out actually, talked to the three guys inside of the car, and after talking to them, left. Again hitting their car as he left, and then minutes later, according to the sheriff's department, they found him after what appeared to be another accident involving a second car and found him alone and unconscious in his vehicle.

But, again, the Commerce Department saying that he did suffer a seizure, we're still trying to piece all of these pieces together, Carol, but we understand that the white house was notified last night according to an administration official.

COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar reporting live from the White House.

Hundreds of people in Northern Colorado are waiting in shelters this morning praying that a runaway fire spares their home. So far 20,000 acres west of Fort Carson burned since Saturday. Eighteen structures have been damaged or destroyed so far, but that number is expected to jump and that news is excruciating for evacuees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't imagine that my house is there right now. I can't imagine how close the fire was. I knew I'm not going to have a home and I have no place to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Alexandra Steel has been following this fire. The strange thing about this fire is it's jumping in every direction.

ALEXANDRA STEEL, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, just let me lay the groundwork. You know, we're talking about what's happening in the southeast with 20 inches of rain. Well, the antithesis of that scenario, the atmospheric scenario in the inner mountain west, it has parched, it is dry.

We are in an incredible drought, actually a D-3 drought, which is one level from the highest. So it is extreme. The ground is dry, it is parched. Temperatures have been well above average, and, of course, what we're seeing now, though, with temperatures coming down from this move through.

You can see on the graphic, cold fronts move through, temperatures are down, but instead of the 90s we're in the 80s. But what we've seen, Carol, mentioned kind of the erratic nature. We've seen it grow 20,000 to 30,000 acres just since Saturday alone.

And even these 40 mile per hour wind gusts that are exacerbating these flames have not allowing these flights carrying water to quell this fire. They are being grounded. So that's been a big problem.

But again, weatherwise, things are improving, because the cold front has passed, the temperature is dropping. Humidity is up ever so slightly, but those strong winds that really have been -- you can see, Carol, why this looks so orange.

This cloud of dust is breaking up and moving into the atmosphere and kind of moving over the sun, creating this orange-like cast and even the smell of smoke. Now, this fire's 15 miles west of Fort Collins.

The smell of smoke is making its way into Denver and even as far north of Nebraska. So it's kind of just permeating the atmosphere in the west coast and really no fire we've seen like this in quite some time. So weatherwise no rain, a few isolated storms, but temperatures are coming down.

COSTELLO: At least that's a bit of bright news. Alexandra, thank you. In Florida, as Alexandra mentioned, rain that's the problem there. With the weekend scenarios of the Florida panhandle and Coastal Alabama, as much as 22 inches of rain. One Florida county is expecting damages to go beyond $20 million.

Fight fans, they just can't believe it. They think Manny Pacquiao was robbed. We'll talk about that controversial split decision after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 14 minutes past the hour. A bit of breaking news to pass along to you, these are live pictures out of Syria. The relentless government shelling of civilians ramped up again today.

The opposition says Homs and other cities are being literally barraged by artillery fire. At least 21 deaths reported just today. Shelling comes despite a peace plan that some observers call a fantasy.

The former president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is in a full coma in a prison hospital in Cairo. He was sentenced June 2nd to life in prison for the killing of pro-democracy demonstrators during last year's uprising.

Mubarak went into the prison hospital the same day after his blood pressure spiked. Mubarak is 84 years old. His son and wife have permission to be at his bedside.

In money news, we're still getting hit with unexpected bank fees and not getting clear information about the cost of our bank accounts. That's what the Pew Research Center safe checking in the electronic age project found. The study looked at information on 274 checking accounts at the 12 biggest U.S. banks and credit unions.

In sports, the French Open final is today. Djokovic against Rafael Nadal. Match resuming in the fourth set after a rainout yesterday. Match point. A double fault for Djokovic -- and trying to win his fourth straight major, what a win for Nadal.

He celebrates as you see by going into the stands and hugging family and friends. It's Nadal's seventh French Open title. He passes Bjorn Borje for the most ever in Paris.

Now to another sports story that has caused a huge fan backlash. Carlos Diaz is here to tell us about Manny Pacquiao. I mean, how can you win without ever throwing a punch?

CARLOS DIAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what happened in Vegas on Saturday night would be the equivalent of tomorrow night in the NBA finals if the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-90.

Yet people sit in courts, we think the Thunder won. We're going to give them the game. That's basically what happened in Vegas. Because you had Manny Pacquiao fighting Timothy Bradley for the welterweight title and Manny Pacquiao dominated Timothy Bradley.

Some score cards were as high as, you know -- a blowout win. At the end of the fight, two of the three judges gave it to Timothy Bradley. It was a split decision. They say Timothy Bradley won the fight.

After the fight, Timothy Bradley is in the wheelchair giving his post-fight press conference from a wheelchair, because he broke his foot and twisted his ankle in the fight. So he's sitting in a wheelchair, this is how I won the fight.

I'm in a wheelchair now, but I won the fight. So Manny Pacquiao saying that he feels he won the fight. It is just further proof that boxing and the sport in general is, I don't want to use the word conspiracy, but it is just -- there is no control over this.

There is no control over boxing. There needs to be a better governing body. Imagine, you know, go to basketball what if you had the Heat and the Thunder, and they were the two best teams in the NBA. And they didn't want to play each other?

That's basically what's going on in boxing right now, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. not fighting. It just goes to show that boxing is not what it once was and may never be again.

COSTELLO: Well, Manny Pacquiao I understand is speaking out. And I think you have a bit of sound from him too.

DIAZ: Yes. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANNY PACQUIAO, FIRST DEFEAT SINCE 2005: I respect the decision. But 100 percent I believe that I won the fight.

BOB ARUM, MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTER: I want to the say for myself that I have never been ashamed as much to be associated with the sport of boxing as I am tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: Bob Arum, he is the promoter of the fight, and basically he's 80 years old. Two of the guys that were judges were in there 70s, OK? So 70-year-olds trying to figure out who's punching whom inside the ring that was something that people had a problem with.

They also had a problem with the fact that Timothy Bradley tweet a picture of the rematch poster two weeks before this fight even happened. So conspiracy theories are now up in arms about that.

It was just a mess for boxing and a mess for boxing in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Now we're looking for Pacquiao to have a rematch, while you know, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is in jail right now on assault charges. Boxing is not in a good place.

COSTELLO: What a proud sport. Carlos Diaz, thank you so much.

It is June. High school seniors are graduating across the country, but not many hearing a speech quite like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MCCULLOUGH JR., WELLESLEY H.S. TEACHER: Yes, you've been pampered, helmeted, bubble wrapped, but do not yet the idea you're anything special, because you're not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Carlos loves this speech as a lot of other people. Why does it resonate, though? We'll discuss in today's "Talk Back."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning -- why does the, "you are not special" commencement speech resonate?

David McCullough, a Wellesley high school English teacher may go down as the only authority figure to speak honestly to our kids today. His graduation speech was a sobering reality check. Kids, you're not exceptional. You're not even special.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCULLOUGH: Yes, you've been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped, but do not get the idea you're anything special because you're not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: McCullough said if everyone is special no one is. If everyone gets trophies, trophies are meaningless. We love accolades more than achievement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCULLOUGH: No longer is it how you play the game, no longer is it even whether you win or lose or learn or grow or enjoy yourself doing it. Now it's, so what does this get me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Although McCullough has his critics, many people even those cuddled high school students are applauding him. On Wellesley student web site there were comments like, quote, "I love this speech having just graduated myself, it's coming from a genuine place. What's wrong with that"?

Or this one, "I graduated in 1976. This was a fantastic message. In 20 years, they will understand it." McCullough's speech clearly hit a nerve, half a million hits on YouTube.

The student web site had to cut off comments to prevent it from crashing. Maybe it's the perfect message to send kids going out into a harsh world. Not only are you not special, they may not even hire you.

But McCullough says his speech wasn't meant to be a buzz kill. The sweetest joy of life he says is recognizing you're not special, because everyone is.

So the "Talk Back" question today, why does the "you are not special" speech resonate? Facebook.com/carolcnn. I'll read your comments later this hour.

Opening statements for Penn State's former football coach Jerry Sandusky now under way. Sandusky faces 52 counts of sexual misconduct involving young boys.

Until today, the alleged victims have only been identified by a number. It's only a matter of time until they're identified by name. As a general rule, CNN will not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.

Let's bring in Susan Candiotti. She's live outside the courthouse. Susan, you just came back from inside the courtroom. What did you hear?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Well, what we heard was after the judge initially gave about 20 minutes of instructions to the jury, swore them in and told them at one point, quote, "You are the conscience of the community" because they were all picked from Centre County where Jerry Sandusky lives.

It was then the moment that everyone had been waiting for, the opening statements beginning about 45 minutes ago, with the prosecutor, one of the lead prosecutors in this case.

He spoke and is still speaking at this time. Unfortunately, the sound system is not adequate. It's very difficult to hear him, unless you might be sitting in the front row. Certainly the jurors can hear him.

But here is what we did hear him say. The prosecutor at one point calling Jerry Sandusky a quote, "serial predator" and he told the jurors that they would be hearing evidence during the course of the trial of alleged abuse that took place not only in some cases days, weeks, months, he said, but in some cases even years.

And he also said that in this case, Second Mile, he said, is not on trial. That's the charity that Jerry Sandusky founded and from which some of these victims came. Instead he said, Jerry Sandusky is the one on trial here, and then a very compelling moment. You talked about names.

For the first time, we heard the first names of eight of the 10 victims in this case, and prosecutors showed a photograph of each of them when they were little boys. Again, he identified them by first name only.

We will not share those names with you because of our policy of not identifying alleged sexual abuse victims -- Carol. COSTELLO: I know you're going to spend all day there and have reports throughout the day. Susan Candiotti reporting live for us this morning.

She had a crush on Obama, but now, the Obama girl says she's just not into him anymore, maybe, kind of, sort of. Is that a sign of how young people feel about President Obama? Actually, why do we care? We'll hatch is out on "Political Buzz."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 30 minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories, a runaway wildfire in Northern Colorado was forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. At least one person is missing. That fire has already burned 20,000 acres and it's spreading. Firefighters say they need more crews and equipment to get a hold of it.

We're learning more about a cabinet member's bizarre accident in Los Angeles. Commerce Secretary John Bryson faces felony hit-and-run charges after crashing his Lexus into a couple of cars. We just learned he may have had a seizure while driving. He was found passed out behind the wheel.

Apple is carefully orchestrating another unveiling of its latest product. Later today at the company's developer conference in San Francisco, the public -- you and I -- expected to get a first look at new operating systems for Apple iPhones and iPads. Insiders say Apple could also debut a 3D map service.

"Political Buzz" is your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day -- three questions, smart answers. Playing with us today, CNN Contributor Will Cain, he leans right; and CNN contributor and former Democratic strategist, Maria Cardona. Welcome to both of you.

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Ladies.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: How are you, Carol?

COSTELLO: I'm great today. First question, it's still all the buzz. Republicans call it Obama's McCain moment, and they've whipped up a Web ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now the private sector is doing fine. Where we're seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Hmm, there you have it. In case you don't remember when McCain ran for President in 2008, he declared, quote, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong," end quote. And was kind of all downhill from there. So question, is this Obama's McCain moment -- Will?

CAIN: Well, I think it could be. I think McCain's moment came with a -- came within the context of a month and a half of election and making it possible to be McCain's moment. This one's five months out. Still, it speaks to the number one issue that voters are concerned and that is the economy.

And it bothers me from an ideological standpoint, because it seems to suggest that Barack Obama thinks you can divide how the private sector is doing from how the economy is doing. They are one in the same in that respect.

If the private sector is doing well the economy will do well. If the private sector is not doing well, the economy will not do well. So I think he needs to understand the private sector is the engine of jobs and growth.

COSTELLO: I got that, I think -- Maria.

CARDONA: No, it's not going to be a McCain's moment, Carol and Carol -- and Will pointed out at one reason for that. It's not a month out from the election. It's early June. And not a whole lot of people are paying attention. But I think more importantly, it's because as in-artfully as he said it, he was not saying that the economy was doing fine, which is what McCain was saying.

And I think that anybody who tries to pin that on him is going to have a hard time because it doesn't have any credibility. The President has always been the first to say we need to do a lot more for job creation. We need to do a lot more to make sure that our jobs are growing and our growth is expansive.

So -- and most people think that he's the one who gets what middle-class workers are going through, anyway.

COSTELLO: Ok onto question number two. Onto question number two -- not to it be outdone, the Obama camp fired back with its own Web ad intimating Mr. Romney doesn't value teachers and firefighters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He says we need more firemen and more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message in Wisconsin? The American people did. It's time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So did Mr. Romney make a boo-boo? I couldn't find a more clever way to say it. Maria?

CARDONA: Well, it certainly wasn't a good statement for him to make, but, again, will it stick? It's five months out. But I think what it does do is underscore what the narrative of what a lot of people already believe about Mitt Romney. That he doesn't care about middle class.

Guess what? Firefighters, cops, teachers, the people who protect our communities who keep us safe, who invest in the education of our children are important pieces of the economy.

And for Mitt Romney to basically saying that they're not -- they don't matter, that he doesn't care about them is not something that is very presidential for somebody to say.

COSTELLO: Will?

CAIN: Yes. I don't think that's what he said. I think that what he's fighting back against is two things. Whether or not firemen, police and teachers are the middle class meaning one in the same that that is what you're talking about when you're talking about firemen, policemen and teachers. Are you talking about the middle class?

He might be talking about a segment of them. And the question is do you solve the economy by just hiring more of those people that we have an emotional connection to? That's why it's a political football when you start mentioning it.

The question I think Mitt Romney is saying and the one Barack Obama actually seemed to agree on, is that Barack Obama thinks just by hiring more public servants we pick up the economy. And Mitt Romney is suggesting that's not the solution to our economic woes.

COSTELLO: All right, on to our buzzer-beater, 20 seconds each. The Obama Girl.

(MUSIC)

COSTELLO: Oh. Who could forget? Well, she's not so hot on him anymore, or she's not saying. Quote, this is what she said "At this point I'm keeping that to myself. If I'm not making videos I'm not sure it's anyone's business on who I'm voting for this time around." .

So -- I added the nye part. I'm sorry. So the question, why do we care, Maria?

CARDONA: Carol, this is going to be probably the shortest answer that you'll hear from me on any of these questions. It's very simple. We don't.

CAIN: I care. I care.

COSTELLO: That's all. Nobody cares.

CAIN: I'm going to tell you why. Now I really would love to hear Maria's answer to this. But here's what I'm curious about when I see this statement. Where is Obama girl's criticism or disappointment from Barack Obama coming from? Is it coming from a left perspective, a far liberal perspective? Does she feel he didn't live up to the billing she'd hoped he'd fulfill or is it coming from a sort of independent centrist position where she doesn't like how he ended up governing?

I'm curious because I think in all honesty, no partisanship, you wonder, where does the Barack Obama disappointment lie? On both ends of that spectrum?

COSTELLO: Hmm. I wish we had time to go on.

CARDONA: I'm going to stay -- I'm going to stick with we don't care.

CAIN: Ok, ok.

COSTELLO: Ok. Maria Cardona, Will Cain, thanks so much.

CARDONA: Thanks Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh Bieber fever. It is the hottest ticket in town. Even when you're in Mexico. Fans are camp -- and I mean camped out for a free concert from the Biebs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's the Bieb's versus the Beatles. Word is the teen sensation may actually draw a bigger crowd at his concert tonight than the legendary group the Beatles. Nischelle Turner in Los Angeles. This is crazy.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: I hear you, Carol. I know. There are so many people that are cringing right now, but then there's a lot of those believer's who were saying you're darn right there is. And the thing is, that people started showing up for this concert yesterday.

Of course, the show isn't until later today and it's a crowd that looks a little young to be camping out at a concert, really.

Now, the Bieb has been causing a little bit of trouble around the world with his current concert tour. You remember the free concert in Norway that almost wound up with police declaring a state of emergency?

And this show in Mexico City is a free show. So you can bet there's going to be a lot of people showing up. Some reports are predicting more than 200,000 people, and saying it could draw more than the 230,000 people who were at a recent concert by Beatles legend Paul McCartney.

And Justin actually seems ready for some of this Mexican Bieber mania. He tweeted yesterday, "Mexico City, I heard it's crazy down there. Tomorrow is the big free show for the people. Excited to see you." Now, Carol --

COSTELLO: Wait did you say -- did you say 230,000 people?

TURNER: Yes. But listen, Carol, this may be a little bit crazy, but I'm willing to put a dollar or two on the fact that you slept outside somewhere to get tickets to a show in your day. I'm just saying. I don't know, but I'm just saying.

COSTELLO: Yes, but it was REO Speedwagon. I listen to them now and think, what was I thinking?

TURNER: REO Speedwagon. I was never allowed to. I was that sheltered child. I never got that opportunity.

COSTELLO: You had great parents.

TURNER: I wanted to camp out for Michael Jackson.

COSTELLO: That was a great concert. I saw Michael Jackson -- we could reminisce about this all day long.

TURNER: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about the weekend at the box office, because there were two movies that did very, very well.

TURNER: Yes. And it may have been whichever movie you saw may have been about where you were hanging out. At the middle school cafeterias, Carol it looks like the kids were talking circus afros and "Madagascar 3", right? While the adults online were excited for the aliens and action in "Prometheus".

So really not at shock that "Madagascar 3" did better at the box office than "Prometheus". "Madagascar 3" took home just more than $60 million domestically. That's according to early box office reports. And almost $200 million worldwide.

Now, "Prometheus" also did pretty well. Took in $50 million over the weekend. But this movie is an R-rated movie that runs more than two hours. "Madagascar", of course, PG, runs an hour and a half. That means a wider audience can see it and more show times over the weekend. Plus, it's a family film and it's part of a really successful franchise. The first two films -- the first two "Madagascars" took in more than a billion at the box office.

And I guess I'm hanging out with the middle school cafeterias because I preferred "Madagascar 3".

COSTELLO: You love those funny animals.

TURNER: I do. I like the move it, move it. I can't help it. I love that.

COSTELLO: Nischelle turner -- it was a lot of fun. Thanks so much.

TURNER: All right, Carol.

COSTELLO: And daytime Emmys are coming to HLN. You can watch the Daytime Emmy Awards, live Saturday June 23rd at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN and you could be there in person too by entering our sweepstakes and winning a trip for two to Los Angeles and you'll also get a red carpet makeover. To enter, go to hln.com/daytimeemmyssweep.

We all know ticket prices for sporting events are going through the roof. Well, the second most expensive ticket in the NFL is the New York Giants. You'll pay an average of $240. $240. But that's not the most expensive. It's the second, remember. We'll tell you who has the most expensive tickets, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 45 minutes past the hour. Checking our "Top Stories".

In Alabama police still searching for this man, 22-year-old Desmonte Leonard. He's wanted for the Saturday night shooting deaths of two former Auburn University football players and another man. Police say a current player and two others were injured when Leonard opened fire at a party near campus.

Lawyers for the child rape trial of Jerry Sandusky are giving opening statements right now. The 68-year-old has been under house arrest since being charged with sexually abusing ten boys for at least 15 years. The former Penn State assistant football coach denies the charges.

Check out this crazy video out of China. It shows a driver opening his door and popping out the driver's seat while the car speeds on down the highway. See that? The man following him took the video. He told Chinese media the driver was controlling his car with just his right hand. And he was mad that the careless driver was putting the lives of other drivers at risk. That's some crazy guy. Unbelievable.

A new study reveals the actual cost for a family to go to a professional game. Topping the list is football's New England Patriots, average price for one ticket is $242. Top basketball ticket is in Los Angeles, the Lakers; it will cost you $170 per ticket. And in baseball, a Red Sox ticket is the highest, $88.

Of the 12.7 million unemployed Americans more than 5 million have not had a job in more than six months. If Congress doesn't act, all long-term unemployment insurance will end by the end of the year.

Lizzie O'Leary has this in-depth look at the long-term unemployed -- in this case a group of women now training for construction work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok.

LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With her tape measure and jeans, Michelle Scherer is both hard at work and out of work.

MICHELLE SCHERER, UNEMPLOYED: I believe in God, so something's got to happen here. O'LEARY: She's unemployed like the rest of these women retraining to get construction work. This project, a ramp at a local church is a volunteer job. Scherer is 50. A college grad but she hasn't had full-time work in 18 months.

SCHERER: What else do I need to do to myself? Do I need to get a masters' degree? Do I need a better haircut? What the heck is it about me that I can't get work? Because that feels really bad.

O'LEARY: Reporter: It's painful, and the numbers show, it's persistent. 12.7 million Americans are unemployed, and almost 5.5 million of them have been without a job for more than six months.

(on camera): It's just such a startling phenomenon. Do we know why?

HANNAH SHAW, CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES: Researchers really don't know why. A lot of it is because this recession has just been worse than any recession that we have seen since the Great Depression.

O'LEARY (voice-over): What they do know is that it affects everyone.

SHAW: Having a college degree doesn't protect you. You're more likely to be unemployed for longer if you're older, but it cuts across all races. It cuts across all occupations. It really affects everybody.

O'LEARY: And the longer a person is out of a job, the harder it can be to find work. Skills get rusty. Connections fade away.

(on camera): What do you see when those people come through your centers?

KIRKLAND MURRAY, CEO, ANNE ARONDEL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: A lot of those people, they're desperate. They want to get back to work.

O'LEARY (voice-over): Kirkland Murray runs the program where these women were retrained.

MURRAY: You see more and more people coming in the door.

O'LEARY: 70,000 more Americans lose their extended benefits this week. Congress voted to end all long-term unemployment insurance by the end of the year.

EDWINA SPENCE, UNEMPLOYMENT: I don't think there were enough people that actually understand what it does or they would not have cut off unemployment.

O'LEARY: Edwina Spence hasn't worked full time since the end of 2009. She doesn't buy the argument that collecting unemployment kept her from looking for a job.

SPENCE: I've lost everything except my faith and my mind. I've lost everything.

O'LEARY: Now, with three other women from her retraining program, she started a construction company. A gamble, but after more than two years without a steady paycheck, one she's willing to make.

SPENCE: Stay positive, and eventually it has to turn around. It just has to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Lizzie O'Leary joins me from Washington. So Lizzie, long-term unemployment benefits are cut. What should people do?

O'LEARY: Well, one of the most important things, Carol, as counterintuitive as it sounds is to stay busy. Employers know that this recession and this type of long-term unemployment is affecting everyone but there's still a stigma. Even though it is illegal to discriminate against people who had been out of work a while, employers still want to see someone who's busy.

So take a free class. Do work recertification retraining. Those are the kinds of things that show employers that you're still engaged in the work force, that you still want to work, and that even though you may not have steady work right now, you're trying to do it.

COSTELLO: Lizzie O'Leary, live from Washington.

All eyes on Apple this morning. The technology giant is about to unveil its latest, greatest product. We'll take you to San Francisco.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The latest, greatest Apple product. If you think you've got it, think again. The software giant is expected to announce new products just a few hours from now.

Dan Simon is live in San Francisco to tell us more.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Carol. Apple is known for its intense secrecy. So we don't really know what's going to be unveiled later this morning, but from what we understand, they're going to announce a new slate of MacBook computers. The latest and greatest laptops could be coming to an Apple store in the next few weeks.

And Carol, sometimes the software is just as important as the hardware. And we're expecting apple to preview the next operating system that powers both the iPhone and the iPad. Look for better Facebook integration, wide Facebook integration on the iPhone.

I think we're also going to see a whole new mapping experience Apple has gobbled up. Some mapping technology companies are expected to ditch Google maps on the iPhone. And also look for expanded use of Siri, the voice-enabled personal assistant. We're expecting to see some new features with that. The keynote is going to start at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. You can see all the crowds here, downtown San Francisco. 5,000 people from all over the world coming to hear the CEO of Apple speak.

That's coming up in just a couple hours. We'll keep updating our folks throughout the day -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, can't wait to hear. Thanks so much, Dan Simon reporting live from San Francisco.

In our "Daily Dose" today, preventing stroke by getting more sleep. A new study by the University of Alabama in Birmingham says if you get less than six hours of sleep, you could suffer a stroke. Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep and say the same risk applies to those who keep off the extra pounds and do not have any other health factors.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the stories today. The question for you this morning -- why does the "you are not special" commencement speech resonate?

This from Anthony, "Because it's the truth. And truth always resonates. I wish someone had woken me up to this reality when I graduated in '05."

This from Cindy, "Oh come on. There are still some parents out there raising up our children with a balance of messages, you are special and now you have to pay for your own car insurance and gas.

And this from Nia, "As an educator and parent of a teenager I applaud this speech. Sometimes life is just plain hard. Not everyone is a winner. Second place is just that. Second place.

Facebook.com/carolcnn, if you would like to continue the conversation.

And that does it for me. Thank you so much for joining us today. I'm Carol Costello.

"NEWSROOM" continues right now with Hala Gorani in for Kyra Phillips in Washington.