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Sandusky to Blistering Heat Hitting East Coast; Holder May Face Contempt on Botched CIA operatives; Conflicting Reports on Mubarak's Death; Southern Baptists Make History; Sandusky Could Testify Today; Secretariat's '73 Preakness Time Fixed; Senate Votes to Cut Food Stamp Aid; Miami Heat Leads Series 3-1

Aired June 20, 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, summer swelter. Heat and humidity swamping the East Coast. It will feel like 100 degrees in Virginia and Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. And today is just the beginning.

Plus -- anger and rage. Heckling in the battleground states. Mitt Romney this morning saying he doesn't believe in his words unilateral disarmament. So is staged heckling here to stay?

Groped at the gate, but the tables are turned. This time it's the TSA supervisor getting the enhanced pat-down. The twist, the passenger is actually a former TSA agent.

And swimming sensation. She's London bound for the Paralympics. She's broken two world records, and she is just 17. Already a hero in our book. We introduce you to New Hampshire's own Victoria Arlan.

NEWSROOM begins right now.

And good morning to you. Thank you for joining us. I'm Carol Costello.

After days of gut-wrenching testimony, today could be the day that decides Jerry Sandusky's fate. A source telling CNN the former Penn State football coach is fully prepped and ready to testify if his lawyers want him on the stand. Most legal experts think that would be a disaster for the defense.

Yesterday, jurors heard from Sandusky's wife of 45 years who finally broke her silence about the charges.

Let's head live to the courthouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and Susan Candiotti.

Good morning, Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Do you think Jerry Sandusky will take the stand? What's the buzz around the courthouse this morning?

CANDIOTTI: Well, you can imagine the buzz. I mean this is clearly the witness that everyone wants to hear from. Aside from Dottie Sandusky, his wife, taking the stand. But no one knows for sure. On his way into the courthouse, Sandusky's head lawyer said, you know I can't answer that question. Leaving all of us to wonder what that final decision will be when it comes time to make that decision as to whether to take the stand.

But if he does, I doubt he would be the first witness today. They want to build up the drama, I think -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jerry Sandusky, at the beginning of the trial, he talked to reporters. He made eye contact with them. What has been his demeanor since?

CANDIOTTI: Well, Jerry Sandusky doesn't turn around and interact with the -- with the spectators in the courtroom certainly. But he's been paying strict attention. He looks at the witnesses. In fact, when one character witness left the stand yesterday about saying that he is a wonderful man, she got off the stand and she patted him on the shoulder as she walked away.

Did the jurors see that? It's unknown. I saw it.

COSTELLO: Susan Candiotti, I'm sure you'll keep us posted. We'll check back with you in the next hour of NEWSROOM.

Also this morning on Capitol Hill, an extraordinary showdown is unfolding. In the next hour, Attorney General Eric Holder appears before a House committee. And some lawmakers are threatening him with contempt of Congress. It stems from the botched "Fast and Furious" sting that allowed weapons to reach Mexican drug gangs. Republicans say they want answers. Democrats say it's election year game playing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D), OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE: I believe that -- and the attorney general has said this himself. I think that anything that can be done to I think bring a negative light on the president, that's what this is -- I think that has a large part to do with this. This -- the issue that we boiled down to is one that could have easily been resolved yesterday.

We were on -- we were on the one foot line and fumbled the ball. And I'm telling you, as a lawyer, I just think contempt is going far to far and very unreasonable. We have never held an attorney general, that is the Congress of the United States never held an attorney general in contempt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan is on Capitol Hill.

So how's it looking for Eric Holder? KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, I've just -- I've been checking in with the committee throughout the morning already, and so far I'm told by a committee aide that they have not received any documents from the Department of Justice, which means, as the chairman of that committee, Republican Congressman Darrell Issa said, if they don't get documents he is moving forward with this threat of voting on a contempt citation.

So the assumption is they are moving forward with this vote. Of course, anything can happen up here, and things can happen very quickly. So we'll be continuing to watch that.

But, Carol, as you well set this up, this is a culmination of months long battles between the powerful chairman of the House Oversight Committee and the president's top law enforcement officer. They have been going back and forth for months over documents that the chairman wants the attorney general says they have already provided more than 7,600 documents and that they are willing to provide more.

But this back and forth has really reached a stalemate. They met last night in a last-ditch effort to try to avoid this contempt vote. But as both of these men came out of the room, it was pretty clear that they had not made any progress. And that they are really talking past each other. Just listen here to Congressman Darrell Issa and the attorney general.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: Our position is give us the documents. Their position is they'd like to give us a briefing and then documents. Their position is they'd like to give us a briefing then documents supporting their assertion that essentially there was no wrongdoing. And then bring it to a close.

ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The offer that we made is still there. It's still outstanding. And it is one that goes, as I said, far beyond what any Justice Department has done previously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: I should say, Carol, that the attorney general also said in answering one of my questions that he thinks that this has become -- it seems to him that this has become more about political gamesmanship than actually getting the documents on the part of the committee. But this is all coming down to bottom line, the chairman of this committee, he wants additional documents in a specific time frame, between February and December of 2011.

This is relating to this botched gun running operation, "Fast and Furious," and the specific time period to find out more about who knew what, when, within the Justice Department. The attorney general, they said that they are prepared to work with them but they want the contempt citation taken off the table.

As you can see, they are at a stalemate and so we're going to watching to see what happens at 10:00. COSTELLO: Ok. Kate Bolduan, many thanks.

In Texas, a grand jury will not charge a father who beat to death a man he says molested his daughter. Witnesses say the family was at their ranch when they heard the 5-year-old screaming for help. They saw the father saw the man raping his daughter and punched him several times in the head. The local prosecutor says she's never seen a case this clear cut.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEATHER MCMINN, LAVACA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Deadly force is authorized and justified in order to stop an aggregated sexual assault or a sexual assault. All the evidence that was presented by the sheriff's department and by the Texas Rangers indicated that that was in fact what was occurring when the victim's father arrived at the scene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: 911 tapes captured the father's call for an ambulance as he -- he and other family members desperately tried to revive the dying man.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

COSTELLO: Breaking news now. Police in France say a gunman is holding four people hostage at a bank in Toulouse. The gunman claims to be a member of al Qaeda. Police say he fired off at least one shot. And they identify the hostages as the bank director and three employees. Streets now blocked off in the area. People in nearby buildings have been told to stay inside and keep their doors locked. We're keeping an eye on this for you. Will tell you of any new developments.

In Egypt, the rumors are still swirling over whether toppled President Hosni Mubarak has died. Causing growing uncertainty and tension around that country's future.

It's been 16 months since citizens revolted and demanded democracy. For the most part, they are still waiting.

CNN's Ivan Watson is in Cairo. Any movement at all?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. No. And this little bit gives you a hint at how official them works. The culture of secrecy and lack of information which makes Egyptians so suspicious and skeptical about information coming out of the government.

Since last night, more than 14 hours ago when the ruling military council denied reports in the state media that Hosni Mubarak was clinically dead, there's been no real official update. No doctor coming out to give a press release about the health of the man who ruled the country for nearly 30 years and was recently convicted for his role in the deaths of hundreds of protesters in the uprising that overthrew him a year and a half ago -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ivan Watson reporting live for us from Egypt this morning.

Surprise. Senator Marco Rubio is on Mitt Romney's short list for VP, not big news, at least not until yesterday, when some Republicans started casting doubt on whether or not that's actually true, which Mitt Romney then spent the day saying yes, it is true. He is being. Marco Rubio, is being vetted as a potential running mate.

Romney also said that only two people know who is being considered for the number two spot on the GOP ticket, himself and the woman he tapped to lead the search, his former chief of staff Beth Myers.

Heat, humidity, and a summer scorcher. It is the first day of summer today. And boy, can you feel it. It's going to feel like 100 degrees all the way from Virginia to Beantown.

Let's take you live now to Washington, D.C. Already feels like 85 there. And it's only going to get hotter.

Rob Marciano is here to tell us just how hot it's going to be.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, I think they purposely built those monuments in white so that they would reflect the heat on days like today. D.C. is going to be one of the hottest today. And you're right, summer arrives at 7:09 Eastern Time tonight. So apropos at least for the East Coast.

This is going to be warmest stuff so far and for many the warmest air that we've seen since the middle of July last year. So just to give you an idea of where it's coming from, the Midwest, Nebraska, saw 109 yesterday. A record high. Detroit, 95. And it's all pushing off towards the east. And even into the mid-Atlantic. Temps today will be well into the 90s with the humidity. And you know that's the key.

We've got heat indices that will be pushing 110. Heat advisories and warnings are out for a dozen states from Maine to the mid-Atlantic today. So a dangerous heat wave on tap. Here are some of the bigger cities that will be enduring this stuff. Boston, New York, Philly, D.C., all in the mid of upper 90s. D.C. a chance of touching 100 if not today potentially tomorrow. So some of these big cities are taking action in the form of cooling centers and things like that.

Ironically, across the southeast, things are a little bit less humid. Things are a little bit more comfy. We may not touch 90 degrees here in Atlanta. So --

(LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: If you want to cool off --

COSTELLO: Come to Atlanta.

MARCIANO: Head south. We'd love to have you. COSTELLO: Yes. We're only going to get, what, 95 maybe?

MARCIANO: Not even that. But you know, when the first heat wave of the season, it just -- it kind of takes you by surprise. So for that reason, take it easy out there if you live in the Northeast, mid- Atlantic, and certainly take care of your elderly neighbors and pets, too.

COSTELLO: And it won't last long. So that's good.

Are you a basketball fan?

MARCIANO: Of course.

COSTELLO: I know you are. The Miami Heat, they're proving their metal, aren't they?

MARCIANO: Yes, looks like they're going to take it.

COSTELLO: There's a scary moment for Miami Heat fans during last night's NBA Finals games. They're playing against Oklahoma City. Half way through the fourth quarter, look at LeBron James there. He hurt his leg but he gets back up after that to score of basket. But later he was actually carried off of the court. He has leg cramps.

(CROSSTALK

MARCIANO: He's been carrying that team all season so.

(CROSSTALK)

MARCIANO: The playoffs at least, so, you know, the number of minutes he plays and the way he does on both sides of the court I will excuse a couple of leg cramps here and now. I'm sure he'll be ready for game six.

O'BRIEN: He is going to right on game six, as I'm sure. He's under a lot of pressure, too, right. He would actually get back into the game for a key three-pointer after being carried out, so you're right, he's back. He beats the Thunder, by the way, to leave the series, three games to 1.

A woman getting patted down at the airport got so upset she went up to a TSA supervisor and gave her a pat-down. And an invasive one. And you better believe the TSA is not happy about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Fifteen minutes past the hour.

Checking our top stories now:

Defense attorneys for Jerry Sandusky are expected to rest their case today. But it is not clear if the former Penn State football coach will take the stand. The source telling CNN Sandusky is fully prepped and ready to testify if called. His attorneys will reportedly make that decision after the final witness testifies today.

This morning, London police out to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he claimed political asylum at Ecuador's embassy. Police say he broke the terms of his bail. Assange has been fighting extradition to Sweden where he's been accused of rape but hasn't been charged.

In weather, much of the East Coast is expected to fry in blistering heat today. Forecasters say, you know as in Rob Marciano -- he says it will feel like 105 degrees. At least eight states are under heat advisories. Experts are asking people to stay out of the sun and drink plenty of water. Temperatures are expected to cool down by Friday.

In money news, it is the first day of summer, and some ice cream trucks are already running out of ice cream. The "Wall Street Journal" reports Good Humor factories can't make some treats fast enough. Its main factory is closing, and demand went up during the unusually warm spring.

In sports, Rays Joel Peralta is thrown out of the game against the Washington Nationals. The Nationals manager Davy Johnson asked umpire's to check the pitcher's glove for a foreign substance. Turned out there was pine tar on the glove.

How did Johnson know? Because maybe Peralta pitched for Washington two seasons ago. The reliever could face a 10-game suspension.

Watch this video. An angry airport passenger is seen grabbing the crotch of a TSA supervisor. Fifty-nine-year-old Carol Price was apparently upset after she said she was subjected to an extreme and invasive patdown. She now faces criminal charges. It turns out she used to be a TSA agent, and reportedly has bad blood with the supervisor she grabbed.

The TSA says agents followed all protocol.

Turning now to a history-making moment for the Southern Baptist Convention. He began his career as a street preacher in the Lower Ninth Ward of his native New Orleans. And today, Reverend Fred Luter will officially become the first black president of the nation's largest Protestant denomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. FRED LUTER, JR., PRESIDENT-ELECT, SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION: It was surprising that I was unopposed, particularly because this is such a large convention, and it's a year of the presidential election. And so I was really, really, really surprised that no one stepped up and wanted to run against me. And then to see the support that I got from the floor, it just brought tears to my eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Joining me now is one of Reverend Luter's close friends and the man who nominated him to lead the Southern Baptist Convention, Reverend David Crosby.

Welcome, Reverend.

REV. DAVID CROSBY, SR. PASTOR, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH NEW ORLEANS: Good morning. Good to be here.

COSTELLO: Glad you're here.

So, Southern Baptist was founded by Southern slaveholders. That an African-American pastor will head the convention astounds many people. I know your group wants to diversify, to bring in more black parishioners. But some say they might be attracted because of Pastor Luter. And others might feel a little patronized.

Are you worried about that at all?

CROSBY: Well, I think there will be a wide range of response to his presidency. But I think in large measure, it's going to be positive. People are going to be celebrating like we did last night. I mean, it was a great moment.

So, we may have some detractors. But on the whole, it's a great celebration today in the Southern Baptist Convention.

COSTELLO: What do you hope that your congregation -- and I'm speaking in general terms, you know, the whole congregation, will look like in a year or two after he takes control?

CROSBY: Well, we have been in the process throughout the Southern Baptist Convention of increasing minority membership, increasing predominantly minority churches. So it's been years in the making, this presidency. And really it's part of a historic move in the convention toward greater diversity.

We're excited about it. We think we are going to be more diverse in the future. We need to be if we're faithful to our mission and true to our passion.

So, we expect that we're going to have more and more people of color, language groups, and ethnicities as part of our congregations.

COSTELLO: I know there's been talk about changing the name of the group, taking the "Southern" out of the Southern Baptist. Your membership has been dropping for five years. Why not try that?

CROSBY: Well, we may do that. That's possibly going to happen.

We do have baggage in our history, and we know that. And we don't deny it. We cannot. But we do want a different kind of future for the Southern Baptist Convention.

And Southern Baptist yesterday really spoke loudly to that. We have a chance to shape the future. It's our moment in history. We're not the old convention that we used to be. And we are ready to open our arms very widely and embrace people of all colors, and language groups, and ethnicities.

COSTELLO: Going back to the possible name change, the word "Southern," what does it say to black parishioners do you suppose?

CROSBY: Well, I think it does have some of those connotations from the Jim Crow era and even on back to slavery. It is the Deep South which was most offensive in that regard. However, Southern doesn't work too well in the Northern states of the United States. There are other places where Southern doesn't seem to fit very well.

So geographically even perhaps that term "Southern" has become outdated, at least for some of our churches and our congregations.

COSTELLO: Reverend David Crosby, thanks for joining us this morning.

CROSBY: Great to be here.

COSTELLO: You know how annoying those hecklers are at campaign events?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HECKLERS: Mike check! Chris Christie and Mitt Romney!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You'd love them to stop, but they won't. Well, that's the point. And it's our talk back question today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the stories of the day. The question for you this morning, is heckling disruptive or good political strategy?

Heckling is as American as apple pie. Come on, admit it. When you were in peewee league, you happily heckled the opposing pitcher. Pitcher has a rubber arm! Pitcher has a rubber arm!

Who knew that was early practice for the big leagues? That is, politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And when you ask them what specifically is your -- sir, I'm here to speak to these folks.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Families in every place in America have a relative of --

(INAUDIBLE)

MCCAIN: Jerk.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

COSTELLO: That's not to say heckling can't be effective. It can force a candidate to say unfortunate, unscripted things.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to make sure that the promises we make in security, Medicaid, and Medicare are promises we can keep. And there are various ways of doing that. One is to raise taxes on people. That's what --

HECKLER: Corporations --

ROMNEY: Corporations are people, my friend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Yes, corporations are people, my friends. That's what Mitt Romney said.

As for those hecklers at Romney events, Obama's adviser David Axelrod, who's been a victim of heckling, went to Twitter to ask Obama supporters to stop heckling Romney and, quote, "Let voters hear both candidates and decide." Good luck with that.

On FOX Radio, Mitt Romney implied all's fair in war and politics.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BRIAN KILMEADE: Would you urge your people to stop doing it to the Obama people?

ROMNEY: I can assure you that we do not believe in unilateral disarmament.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I mean, really, heckling is now an effective weapon in the political arsenal. Not only at campaign rallies but it dignified events, like the State of the Union. Remember when Republican Joe Wilson shouted at President Obama, you lie?

Heckling is even used at presidential announcements in the Rose Garden. It's shaping up to be one noisy campaign.

Talk back question for you today: is heckling disruptive or good political strategy? Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

And don't forget if you're heading out the door, take me with you. Watch me anytime or watch us, CNN, on your mobile or computer. Head to CNN.com/TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It's 30 minutes past the hour. I'm Carol Costello.

Our top story this morning, after days of gut-wrenching testimony, today could be the day that decides Jerry Sandusky's fate.

A source telling CNN the former Penn State football coach is fully prepped and ready to testify if his lawyers want him on the stand. Most legal experts think that would be a disaster for the defense.

Yesterday, jurors heard from Sandusky's wife of 45 years who finally broke her silence about the charges.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): Dottie Sandusky, nicknamed "Sarge", because she testified, "I'm strict and we expect a lot from our kids," was on the stand for 45 compelling minutes.

The mother of six, grandmother of 12, told jurors, "It was a busy life. We had a family. And it was rough because Jerry was not around a lot, he would travel a lot."

She testified she never saw any inappropriate contact between Sandusky and his accusers.

And when asked by defense attorneys, "Is your basement soundproof?" Dottie answered, "No." Defense attorney, "Did you ever hear someone yelling for help while he, victim nine, was staying there?" Dotty, "No."

When asked why these young men would falsely accuse her husband, Mrs. Sandusky said of victim number four, "He was very demanding and he was very conniving and wanted his way. And he didn't listen a whole lot."

The defense also called a number of character witnesses, including Joyce Porter, a longtime friend of the Sanduskys. In court, she testified that Sandusky showers with the boys were innocent.

JOYCE PORTER, FRIEND OF JERRY SANDUSKY: He was like a father figure to a lot of these kids. You know, he helped them take a shower. Who knows how old this boy was? Where is this little boy that Mike McQueary supposedly saw? Why hasn't he come forward if there's even a witness to say that this happened?

COSTELLO: Word is, Jerry Sandusky is ready to testify. The question is, will he?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That is the big question today. Court is back in session now. And this is the last chance for Jerry Sandusky to testify.

But that's the $64,000 question. Will he take the stand?

Former prosecutor Wendy Murphy is in Boston.

Good morning.

WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. So do you think he will take the stand, Sandusky?

MURPHY: I shouldn't laugh about this, but I think the idea of him testifying is so absurd. You know, I think his lawyer will be sued for malpractice if he puts him up there.

We know he's not a good witness. Even in friendly circumstances, in interviews with the media, which is a lot less vicious than cross-examination in a court of law, he basically implicated himself, and just provided damning statements. It would be foolish.

Plus, the prosecution would get to cross-examine him, repeating every lurid detail from every one of the charges. He'd be on the stand for days, hearing the repetition of what he's been accused of. No defense attorney wants that to be the last thing a jury hears before they go off to deliberate. I don't see it happening.

COSTELLO: But Sandusky's attorney is not -- well, he does things a little differently than most defense attorneys, doesn't he?

MURPHY: Again, I'm sorry to laugh. But that is putting it mildly. I don't quite get his approach in this case.

On the other hand, you know, it's a tough case. I think it's really a non-defensible case. But yesterday he was joking about whether this case was reflective of a soap opera like "All My Children." And I thought, that's creepy. Who would say that out loud about this sort of case?

So I don't know if he's just off the beaten path or just has tossed his hands up already and, you know, is making jokes.

COSTELLO: Why not put Jerry Sandusky on the stand? The case isn't going well. He must know that. Why not -- like what if Jerry Sandusky breaks down in tears on the stand and becomes very emotional, et cetera, et cetera?

MURPHY: Hmm, no -- I mean, with 50 charges remaining, at most if they feel some degree of sympathy for the guy, maybe they bump him down on a couple of charges. He does not stand to gain much.

Again, the key here is to leave the jury feeling some kind of sympathy. And, look, Dottie Sandusky, I don't think she said it anything credible about the victims at all. And she's the wife. She would have been expected to lie for her husband. So, I don't think the jury weighed what she said very much.

But she at least created an aura of niceness. I'm sure the jury in a theatrically sense look at her and said, well, she seems like a nice enough lady, she's married to that guy, he can't be all evil, all bad all the time.

That degree of sympathy in the room at the end of this sort of case is sort of good for Jerry Sandusky.

COSTELLO: OK. So if Jerry Sandusky doesn't take the stand, the case is expected to wrap up by, when, Thursday? Is this the fastest case of its kind in the history of man?

MURPHY: Yes. You know, that's such a good point. Not a lot of people have been talking about this. I have tried these cases for 25 years. I have never seen a case tried this quickly, this efficiently. And in some ways I think the prosecution under-prosecuted. Perhaps because they know they have such a strong case, it's just an expression of their confidence in their case.

Or -- and they don't want to risk reversal on appeal by gilding the lily. But it's an odd case in that regard. You would have expected this case to take weeks if not longer. So, yes, I'm surprised.

On the other hand, it's such a powerful case to have 10 victims, eight of them take the stand, corroboration by janitors and Mike McQueary and police and reports from years ago in writing, and his odd love letters. There is so much evidence here. It should have gone in quickly. And the prosecution should feel very confident.

COSTELLO: Wendy Murphy, thanks so much.

MURPHY: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Alec Baldwin has just gotten his marriage license, and then he got into a nasty scuffle with paparazzi. The cameraman says he was like a raging bull.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For many years, or many -- almost decades, we kind of talk to ourselves out of being makers. That we're smart shoppers or consumers, and I really want to turn that around and say, we are makers. We make our world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I am sure you've seen the pictures by now. Alec Baldwin, boy did he lose his temper? He lunged at a paparazzi, newspaper cameraman, a paparazzi, and punched him. All this after getting his marriage license with his fiancee.

Baldwin claimed the photographer almost hit him in the face first with his camera. But this isn't the first time Baldwin has lashed out against the paparazzi.

"Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer is in New York.

He has the story.

A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: He does have a history and the truth is, Carol, this is a lot of he said/he said. We don't know exactly what happened here, but we do know he has a history of not having a lot of patience with the paparazzi. So, there's your backdrop.

Alec's publicist says as the "30 Rock" star and his fiancee were leaving city hall, yes, reportedly after picking up a marriage license, a frustrated photographer pushed past a civilian to get a picture of the should-be happy couple. And according to Baldwin's rep, the photographer assaulted Alec with his camera and any physical contact was Alec protecting himself.

Now, Alec went onto his Twitter page to deny that he had punched anyone. And here's what he said. "A photographer almost hit me in the face with his camera this morning." With this hashtag, #allpaparazzishouldbewaterboarded.

COSTELLO: Oh.

HAMMER: Now, to top it all off, he was reportedly photographed outside his apartment covered by a white blanket leaving his apartment later in the day.

But "The New York Daily News" claims that Baldwin attacked their innocent photographer. The paper says that Baldwin approached the shutter bug with his angry glare, and as the cameraman tried to move back, Baldwin hit him in the chin. They had published this picture of the incident that has one image of an angry Baldwin, hands extended towards the photographer. We would show you the picture, Carol, but "The Daily News" wants us to charge us to use it, which may say something about the whole incident.

COSTELLO: Can you tell us how much?

HAMMER: You know what? I'm not privy to that information. That was kept from me this morning, for fear that I might reveal how much.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

Let's talk about Charlie Sheen. His new show "Anger Management" has gotten good reviews.

HAMMER: Yes. And it's tracking to do very well. According to "The Hollywood Reporter", Carol, expectations are so high that writers have actually already started working on scripts for season two, and this is before we have seen one episode of the show.

Now, you have to remember one thing about this whole deal for Sheen. FX ordered 10 shows with the agreement to order 90 more shows if ratings were strong enough. So it could be around for a while.

And in another bit of Sheen news that's out there this morning, he just told "The New York Times" that his show "Anger Management" will be his swan song. He will move on from the life of make believe and do something else. Whether or not he actually walks away from it, Carol, is anybody's guess. But Sheen is always keeping things interesting. And that never fails.

COSTELLO: That's certainly true. A.J. hammer, many thanks.

HAMMER: You got it.

COSTELLO: Justin Bieber's alleged scuffle with a cameraman could result in criminal charges. That's the theme of the morning. A.J. will be back with us next hour to talk about that incident.

Thousands of people may go hungry after the Senate decided to cut food stamp funding. Many senators say it's because the program is being abused.

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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Forty-six minutes past the hour. Checking our "Top Stories" now.

In just 15 minutes, Attorney General Eric Holder appears on Capitol Hill for a showdown with the House Committee. Some of those lawmakers are threatening him with contempt of Congress if he doesn't turn over documents in the government's botched "Fast and Furious" sting. That's the sting that allowed weapons to reach Mexican drug cartels.

This morning there are conflicting reports in Egypt on whether toppled president, Hosni Mubarak has died. He's been in failing health since the popular uprising toppled him from power 16 months ago. Since then the country has struggle to establish a true democracy.

In weather, much of the East Coast is expected to fry in blistering heat today. Rob says it will feel like it's 105 degrees. At least eight states are under heat advisory. Experts are asking people to stay out of the sun and drink plenty of water. Temperatures are expected to cool down, though, by Friday.

In sports, a rewrite in horse racing history. The Maryland Racing Commission has changed Secretariat's winning time at the 1973 Preakness stakes. Back then, there were questions about the recording on the track's electronic timer. The panel looked at digital tapes and they listened to expert's testimony before deciding to switch the time to a still standing Preakness record. Secretariat's jockey applauded the move. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON TURCOTTE, HALL OF FAME JOCKEY: Secretariat can now rest in peace they finally give you your record. You are very deserving of the record, and I think I was really pleased.

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COSTELLO: Besides the Preakness record, Secretariat still holds the record for the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont stakes.

In money news, you can now rent your car to complete strangers when you're not using it. One man says he makes $75 a day renting his BMW 5 series. It can be done through rental companies like Relay Rides. But of course there are downfalls. Renters might leave trash or worse crash your car which of course can make for one insurance nightmare.

While the Senate is getting ready to vote on the massive farm bill, there's this question. Should Congress help feed the nation's poorest families or try to save $1 billion? A few billion dollars, I should say. The Senate overwhelmingly decided to cut aid for food stamps as part of the farm bill.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with the ramifications. Good morning.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Carol.

Keep in mind, though, America's poor will still be fed even though that amendment was voted down. But the food stamp program is still going to operate with about $4.5 billion less because that amendment was defeated in the Senate.

But just to put it in perspective for you, that $4.5 billion for the food stamp program is really just a drop in the bucket because it barely covers three weeks of the program anyway. Now cutting the money out it was an effort to close a loophole in the program.

Right now, 14 states give food benefits to families that also receive government assistance for heating oil payments. And in some cases, those states were just handing out heating oil checks for just $1 to some families making them eligible for about $90 more a month in food stamps.

Now those who voted against this amendment saw this as an abuse of the system. Now this vote didn't just happen along party lines; 22 Democrats voted against the amendment. Four Republicans voted for it. The amendment sponsor says now is not the time to cut any aid to families. But the Senate clearly overwhelmingly disagreed -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.

We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the stories of the day. The question for you this morning, "Is heckling disruptive or good political strategy?" Your responses just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the stories of the day. The "Talk Back" question "Is heckling disruptive or good political strategy?"

This from Daisy. "Disruptive and rude. It's one thing do it when you are on a playing field and a totally different one when you're talking about the possible future of the nation and the millions of people that live in it."

This from George. "The people showing their discontent is played off as heckling when it is way more than that."

This from Alfie. "Heckling the President is disrespectful of the man and the office."

And this from Gary. "Heckling isn't the answer but we need a way to force candidates away from their sound bite speeches to answer our questions and concerns instead of following their own scripts."

Keep the conversation going; Facebook.com/CarolCNN. Facebook.com/CarolCNN. More of your responses in the next hour of the NEWSROOM.

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COSTELLO: Ok. Jeff Fischel and I have been fighting about Lebron James. So I'm not going to fight anymore. He was terrific in that game last night.

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: He was. I realize people in Cleveland, this is hard. I realize that. But he's the best player in basketball. He's proving it night after night in the NBA finals. Last year, his team the Miami Heat, they were up two games to one and Dallas ran off with the next three games for the title.

Heat again, up two games to one in this series against Oklahoma City. The Thunder trying to match him with Russell Westbrook. He was fantastic last night. Hits this jumper. Oklahoma city built a 17-point lead thanks in large part to Westbrook who had 43 points. This is a key play, though.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Lebron drives good defense, here it is, by the Thunder. He goes down. He actually had to be carried off the court with leg cramps. Trainers worked on him at the bench. Four minutes left in the game. Lebron comes back into the game, still not entirely healthy, but he comes through in the clutch. Three-pointers -- the only one in the game but it was crucial.

The Heat win 104-98. Miami leads the series three games to one. No team has ever blown that lead in the NBA finals. So one more win for Miami and Lebron finally gets that title. We will see if they can do it tomorrow night.

Baseball now, Rays reliever Joel Peralta entering the game against one of his old teams, the Washington Nationals. Nats manager, Davey Johnson says not so fast. He asked (inaudible) to check Peralta's glove for a foreign substance. There was pine tar. Peralta gets tossed.

Now, how did Johnson know?

COSTELLO: How did he know?

FISCHEL: Because remember Peralta used to play for the Nats. Peralta, as he goes off the field, he tipped his cap to the Nats and he's like, yes, you guys knew.

After the game, Rays manager, Joe Madden called Johnson's move bush and insider trading. You know later in the game actually Madden tried to do the same thing to a Nats pitcher and didn't work. The Rays won the game. But Peralta could face as ten-game suspension.

After the 2012 summer games wrap up in August another group of world class athletes head to London to inspire us. Among those competing in the paralympic games is 17-year-old swimmer Victoria Arlen from Exeter, New Hampshire. She just broke two world records at the U.S. paralympic trials. She was paralyzed from the waist down six years ago after suffering complications from a spinal cord inflammation. She was near death but fought back. Then a year and a half ago, Arlen got in the pool encouraged by her mom.

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VICTORIA ARLEN, PARALYMPIC SWIMMER: She stopped the car and was like don't you ever let anyone tell you, you can't do something. If you think you can do it, you can do it.

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FISCHEL: You know, as much as you root for her you do truly root for all the athletes. They are accomplishing great things and, again, it is right after the summer Olympic Games in London this summer.

COSTELLO: That's just terrific.

FISCHEL: Yes, she's fantastic. Two world record.

COSTELLO: Good for her, I'd say.

FISCHEL: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you Jeff.

FISCHEL: Ok.