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Facing Dangerous Heat and without Power; Fighting Fire with Fire; Pena Nieto Leads in Mexican Elections; Mississippi Women's Clinic Stays Open; Shrinking the Postal Service; E-Mails Suggest Penn State Cover-Up; Tiger Takes 24th PGA Tour Win

Aired July 02, 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: Good morning, Brooke.

Happening right now in the NEWSROOM, sweltering heat. Nearly two million people still don't have power this morning and 16 states are under heat advisories or warnings. When will things start to cool down? And when will the power come back on?

Plus, cover-up. CNN has seen e-mails from Penn State top brass to suggest a cover-up on Jerry Sandusky's child rape accusations. One of the e-mails from the university's president says dealing with the sex abuse within the school was, quote, "humane." It's a CNN exclusive.

Plus, return to power. The political party that ruled Mexico for 70 years is back. You're looking at Mexico's projected new president, Enrique Pena Nieto. On his agenda (AUDIO GAP) reduce the violence from drug cartels that seem to rule the country, but can he do it?

A rematch is on or is it? This photo finish was too close to call so these two runners are duking it out tonight fighting for that Olympic dream but now reports suggesting one of them might not run.

NEWSROOM begins right now.

And good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining us on this hot Monday. We do begin this hour with the brutal heat smothering millions of Americans. For many of you, it is downright dangerous. A massive weekend storm toppled power lines from Indiana to Maryland. This morning nearly two million people still have (AUDIO GAP) to keep cool and it could be days before power is restored.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hate it. It's horrible. Came -- all our phones are dead right now. In case of an emergency we can't make a call or anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And across much of the country it will be another miserable day. Already the scorching temperatures have set records nearly 2,000 times in the past week. Two thousand records broken. Many of us witnessed the highest temperatures in our entire lifetime. The weekend storm was so big, powerful and fast, it's a phenomenon that has its own name -- derecho. It only happens in the D.C. area about once every four years and this derecho was a doozy. It spanned from northern Illinois all the way to the Delmarva Peninsula, wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour slammed into parts of Indiana and Ohio, killing at least 16 people and that derecho's aftermath is creating problems today.

CNN's Brian Todd is along the D.C. beltway in Montgomery County, Maryland, and better you than me, Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a lot of frayed nerves on the road this morning as we knew there would be. Last night we could see this coming, a nightmarish commute here in the D.C. area. Here in Montgomery County 250 traffic lights out. We're at the corner of a very busy intersection, Viers Mill Road and Randolph Road.

My photojournalist Brian Yacovich (ph) and I are going to show you up Randolph Road about 250 yards. There is a light out over there where those buses are coming through. The cars coming through and some of these intersections they have police waving people through. In other intersections, they do not. You've got to treat it like a four-way stop and it is a real nightmare for (AUDIO GAP).

Down here, down Viers Mill Road about a quarter mile that way another light out. Thankfully they did get this one up a couple of hours ago but you can get a sense here all through the D.C. area that the commute is a real nightmare. Two hundred and fifty lights out here in Montgomery County. Some 70 lights out in the district. Eighty in Fairfax County, we're told.

Here comes an ambulance down the street. So just, you know, kind of a sense that this is just one of those days that people are going to have to slug through in the commute.

Temperatures, as you mentioned breaking all sorts of records. Here in the D.C. area, supposed to get up to about 97 degrees today. It's about in the low 80s right now. And people are advised to try to stay home if you can or go to cooling centers.

Now in Virginia as of yesterday they had about three dozen cooling centers set up where people could go, libraries, some other public venues where people could go to cool off if they didn't have power but, again, there are some 640,000 customers in the Maryland, are D.C. area that are still without power. Dominion Virginia Power has told us they've restored power to about two-thirds of Northern Virginia but still about 160,000 customers without power there.

So, again, they're slugging through all of this, Carol. It's a slow process and now with this pretty heavy morning commute it's complicated even more and possibly, possibly thunderstorms later today may complicate things more, Carol.

COSTELLO: Might cool it down a little bit, though.

Brian Todd, reporting live in Montgomery County, Maryland.

In South Dakota a military air tanker has crashed while fighting a wildfire. And this morning we still don't know the fate of the three- member crew. It is the second crash of an air tanker since June and after concerns about the aging fleet of firefighting aircraft.

In the meantime crews have managed to gain the upper hand on the wildfire in Colorado Springs, Colorado. But the toll is staggering. At least two people confirmed dead, 350 homes lost and today more than 36,000 evacuees are returning home after flames swallowed entire neighborhoods.

Listen to this heartwrenching iReport from a woman who was forced to abandon her home and almost all of her belongings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm leaving my house. We're probably (INAUDIBLE). There's smoke in the air so bad. See what is on fire just a second ago. There's flames ,(EXPLETIVE DELETED), oh my god. Oh, my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Subdivisions are just gone.

Let's get the latest on the wildfire from meteorologist Rob Marciano is in Colorado Springs.

I know you're hanging out with firefighters and four strangers to see how they -- I don't know, how much of this fire is controlled right now, Rob?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: With pretty good containment now, Carol, 55 percent contained and the -- a number of evacuees have been allowed back into their homes. The number of evacuees have now -- it stands at 3,000 down from well over 30,000. But there's many, many people that have no homes to go back to. So it's been an emotional week this past weekend and a lot of those people that had burned homes were allowed to at least go back and see what was hafts left of their homes.

This was a monster fire, a mega fire of sorts, and the question lies is, why do we have these huge, huge fire damage not only forests but communities alike. And part of the answer to that is the mismanagement of our forest over the decades. We always would suppress fires as soon as they light up. We would put them out. We didn't thin them out with logging.

(AUDIO GAP) we need to do that. And a couple of weeks ago I went down to Florida to see just exactly what the solution is where down there they're fighting fire with fire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO (voice-over): Wildfires can be frightening.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, Casey, go ahead and light it up.

MARCIANO: But when used properly the Nature Conservancy says fire can be a good thing.

DAVID PRINTISS, NATURE CONSERVANCY, NORTHERN FLORIDA CONSERVATION DIRECTOR: Long wind pine system has to have fire (AUDIO GAP) high diversity, the plants and animals specifies. And just as importantly you need that fire to reduce the fuels to keep our families, our houses and our communities safe.

MARCIANO: To do that they're prescribing fire, intentionally setting a blaze, a portion of Florida's Apalachicola preserve.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to be burning burn unit five --

MARCIANO: Planning a burn is a methodical process. Weather conditions need to be perfect. Fire boundaries must be established and maintained.

(On camera): So what do you call this, a drift torch?

PRINTISS: That's a drift torch.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Some quick dos and don'ts on the drift torch and we start dropping the line.

(On camera): It's amazing to me that, you know, that this is a tool that we use to fight against fire. Literally fighting fire with fire.

PRINTISS: That's exactly right. Fighting fire with fire. This area will not be able to burn with the wildfire for at least a year.

MARCIANO (voice-over): An ATV polls fire across the forest to close up the line and that's when the flames really accelerate. Luckily this is a controlled burn not a wildfire.

(On camera): Winds here are blowing less than 10 miles an hour and this thing is moving incredibly fast. I can't even imagine what it would do if the winds are blowing 20, 30, 40 miles an hour which is (AUDIO GAP) some times. And it's this close, it's incredibly hot.

(AUDIO GAP) going to put this thing out?

PRINTISS: We're not. No matter what the (AUDIO GAP) through the pine community here, it'll go into the hardwood community just downslope and it will go out on its own.

MARCIANO (voice-over): But some controlled burns can get out of control.

PRINTISS: The percentage of prescribed fires that go bad is very minuscule, 1 to 2 percent nationwide. We really don't have a choice. These woods are going to burn. We can burn them now or they'll burn when Mother Nature wants to and we have no expectation of being able to control it.

MARCIANO: There are some challenges controlling burns in Florida. The conservancy state fire manager says it's much more difficult in western states.

ZACHARY PRUSAK, NATURE CONSERVANCY, FLORIDA: The relative humidities are much lower out there. They have steeper terrain out west which does make it more difficult to plan trolled burns.

MARCIANO: Right now this area is charred but in a few weeks that will change dramatically.

(On camera): So this is an area that was burned just a month ago.

PRINTISS: One month ago.

MARCIANO: That's incredible how green it is now.

PRINTISS: Yes, it is. It's a little bit counterintuitive that you think fire is harmful but as you can see everything is greened up. It's really a big rejuvenator of the landscape.

MARCIANO (voice-over): And a protector against the massive fires we too often see today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: The fire that burned through here in Colorado Springs a week ago was not prescribed and it was far from controlled at that point, torching these homes, you seen, in the neighborhood and also scarring the landscape. You can see the black, how that fire just came pouring down that canyon up and over the ridge top. You know this is incredibly dry out here. And on top of that, the terrain is very, very rugged and steep. So it's not nearly as easy to prescribe burns out here out west. The first thing they need to do, Carol, is actually go in and thin it manually, cut some of the younger trees down and then start to do prescribed burns.

You wouldn't do it this time of year because the brush is so dry and so hot, you do it at other times of the year. So they're not doing any prescribes burns here in Colorado right now, that's for sure. But it's part of the grand solution of managing our forests better and try to avoid some of these monster fires that do so much damage to not only our forests but our communities.

COSTELLO: Rob Marciano reporting live from Colorado Springs, Colorado, this morning.

Just days after legendary New York Congressman Charlie Rangel appeared to win his toughest challenge in decades, ballot complaints could threaten that victory. Today MewYork's Supreme Court to old a hearing on the outstanding ballots that have been counted after Rangel was declared the winner of Tuesday's primary.

Those votes show the race now in a virtual dead heat with more ballots still to be counted. A former governor and husband of a soap opera star poised to become Mexico's next president. Enrique Pena Nieto is the projected winner in the election. He's part of Mexico's old guard. His party ruled the country for some 70 years but is now facing serious questions about corruption accusations from within. He says he's looking forward not back.

CNN's Rafael Romo is in Mexico City with more. Good morning.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. He has done it. The polls said that he was 10 to 20 percentage points ahead. Yesterday Rica Pena Nieto said that he is confident that in the end when all the votes are counted he's going to be the next president of Mexico. He is the projected winner, and of he is governor of the most populous state here in Mexico, the state of Mexico right next to Mexico City where I am today.

Now there's still a little bit of controversy here because the second place candidate by the name of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has not conceded yet and so that creates a bit of a problem. He was the candidate back in 2006. He protested and marched because he was not happy with their results and paralyzed Mexico City for 48 days.

Now when it comes to Mexico's relations with the United States, the fact that Enrique Pena Nieto may become the next Mexican president that means it may open up a little bit. He's talked about that. Also, a big focus is what he's going to do in terms of security. One of the messages that he gave last night in his victory speech is that he is not going to make any pacts with organized crime.

As you know, Carol, his party has been accused of doing precisely that in the past. Back to you.

COSTELLO: Rafael Romo reporting live for us this morning.

The abortion battle in Mississippi is at fever pitch. The governor very close to shutting down the only women's clinic in the state that performs abortions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Sixteen minutes after the hour. Checking our top stories now.

Much of the country will endure another day of hot temperatures and stifling humidity. Record temperatures have been broken or tied in nearly 2,000 cities and states across the land. Thousands still sweltering without air conditioning after storms knocked out power from Indiana to Maryland.

Iran says it will test fire short, medium, and long-range missiles during war games that are now under way. The announcement comes on the same day the European Union imposes what could be a crippling embargo on Iranian oil.

In money news you can put your vacation on layaway. Just go to searsvacations.com, a new full service travel Web site. Put down 10 percent and pay it off in full before you take your rip.

Warehouse club Costco also offers vacation packages that you can pay off at a later time.

In endurance sports, (INAUDIBLE) jellyfish stings, but in the end, marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey gave up her quest to swim unassisted from Cuba to Florida. A strong current and the shark infested waters made it impossible for her to continue. Palfrey wanted to be the first to make the 103-mile swim without a shark cage, flippers, wet suit or snorkel.

The only women's clinic in Mississippi that performs abortions is still in business for now. A federal judge blocked the new state law which would have forced the clinic to close. Women's groups call it a victory, but the governor says he will fight to enforce the law.

George Howell is in Jackson.

Good morning, George.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Carol, good morning. This women's clinic here behind me will stay open under a temporary restraining order that it received from a federal judge. It will stay open at least until July 11th, I should say, and that is when a hearing will happen on this case to decide what happens next with it.

But again, it protects the clinic from this new state law that the governor has been very direct in saying would be a first step towards ending abortion here in the state of Mississippi. The law basically does two things. First of all, it makes sure that any doctor performing an abortion here in the Mississippi is a board certified OB/GYN. And, secondly, it enforces that any physician must have privileges, permissions, with the local hospital to admit patients.

Now the director of this clinic joins me, Diane Derzis.

Diane, first of all, I want to ask you -- and good morning to you -- your reaction to this that you're open today.

DIANE DERZIS, JACKSON WOMEN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Pure relief. The women of Mississippi will continue being served through this week and hopefully beyond the 11th.

HOWELL: And talk to me about this temporary restraining order. The hearing is on the 11th. What do you expect to happen next?

DERZIS: Well, I think that what you're going to see on the 11th are both sides presenting their beliefs on why they believe the law is just and why they believe the law is not just. Now, we are asking for a constitutional challenge here. Whether or not they have exceeded themselves because the state has been very clear the only reason in passing this legislation is to close this clinic.

HOWEL: Diane, thank you for your time.

DERZIS: Thank you very much.

HOWELL: And on the other of this, we are also getting a statement from Governor Phil Bryant, a statement from his spokesperson saying, quote, "Governor Bryant believes House Bill 1390 is an important step in strengthening abortion regulations and protecting the health and safety of women."

He goes on it to say the federal judges' decision is disappointing and Governor Bryant plans to work with state leaders to ensure this legislation takes effect as soon as possible."

Keep in mind had this clinic not received the temporary restraining order and had been open for business today, the physicians, the nurses, the management here, they could all face criminal and even civil penalties, Carol, even fines of up to $2,000 per day.

COSTELLO: Just to make it clear, the law requires those performing the abortions to be gynecologists. So, what's wrong with that? And why should it shut down the clinic?

HOWELL: The problem is this. The director of the clinic and the owner of the clinic both tell me they have been trying to get those permissions, Carol, since April when the law was first signed. They've been trying to get permissions of local hospitals but have been unable to do so, and they believe that perhaps some of these hospitals may have had a lot of pressure, political pressure, from people who want to see the clinic close and who do not want these hospitals to help out with that.

Again, in a very socially and religiously conservative state, a lot of people want to see this clinic closed, the politicians here in the state want to is he is it closed. But, again, today, the clinic will remain open under this temporary restraining order.

COSTELLO: So, just to be clear, not only do you have to be a gynecologist, you have to be connected to a local hospital and the local hospitals are balking, right? Is that it?

HOWELL: And that is the problem. And, again, the director and the president both have been trying to get those permissions for several weeks, now several months, Carol, but to no avail. So they hope that under this temporary restraining order they can continue that process.

The president of the clinic says it takes time to get those permissions. She hopes to do so obviously before the hearing but on that day of the hearing on July 11th, this is when a judge will hear the case and can he side whether it will be protected further.

COSTELLO: George Howell reporting live from Mississippi this morning.

Coming up, a Mexican town has long time ties to the United States. That includes a Harlem pizza place. But times are changing and with it the direction of migrants. We'll look at their difficult homecoming.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day, the question for you this morning, is the health care mandate a tax or a penalty?

On the health care law, we're caught in a heated battle over the t-word versus the "p" word, tax or penalty. Yes, the president promise not to raise taxes on middle class Americans but critics of the healthcare law say with the individual mandate the requirement that most Americans buy health insurance or face a penalty -- the president will be doing just that, taxing middle class Americans. After all, the administration used that argument in part to persuade Chief Justice Roberts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: The broken promises and the hypocrisy are becoming breathtaking from the president who says one thing to get this past Congress and then another thing to get it past the Supreme Court. If this was brought to the public as a tax, there's no way it law would have passed in the first place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: To the White House, it's a penalty, though, not a tax. And one that will affect very few people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK LEW, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: And we're happy to have a debate if others want to tax policy because this administration has cut taxes for the middle class, $3,600. This health care law cuts taxes for middle class people $4,000. One percent who choose not to buy health insurance who can afford it will pay this penalty. It's what we call fair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Yes, that "P" word just kind of jumped out at you, didn't it? So, the talk back question for you, what do you think? Is the health care mandate including penalty, a tax or a penalty?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

The corner post office, it is a fixture in many communities, and this week, many Americans could see their local post office go away forever.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: You know this, the U.S. Postal Service has been in trouble for a very long time, and it will begin seriously shrinking operations as early as this week.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Exchange.

So, what's the most extreme measure that will be taken?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, for the U.S. Postal Service, the most extreme for them is consolidating these mail processing plant and what they're going to do is move this over two phases. So, first, they are going to look to consolidate 48 mail processing plants over the next couple of months and then in the next phase, they'll look to consolidate almost 100 and that will happen more toward early next year.

Now when you think of these plants, they're not the individual neighborhood offices but they are the big facilities where all the mail is sorted. American Postal Workers Union on Friday had had asked the regulatory commission to stop these consolidations but regulators said, no way, let's move forward with this. Now the union wants to appeal the plan which will affect 5,000 employees.

Now we did talk with the Postal Service this morning. They said some of these consolidations are going to begin as early as this week. Most of it will come in August and this time around they're going to see changes in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. I know, we hear the bell ringing and I guess Wal-Mart must be celebrating what? I don't know what 50 means.

KOSIK: They are, yes. They are listed here at the New York Stock Exchange. They are ringing the bell a really long time which is really strange because they usually only do it about 30 seconds but they may take the liberty to go a whole minute. That's why it's ringing and ringing.

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) they had to mention it.

But back to the mail service because it's the story of the day -- what does this mean for daily mail service?

KOSIK: And that is really the money question, isn't it? What the USPS says you shouldn't expect any slowdown during the first phase of the exchange. So, guess what, in the next wave of consolidation that begins in 2014, that is ultimately when you're going to see slower delivery of first class mail which most of us use to that snail mail that we all love to hate -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Whoo, the bell finally stop ringing.

KOSIK: I know.

(VIDEO GAP)

COSTELLO: Ever wonder, though, who pays for the tab once they get to their destination. Most times cities hand over the bill to the campaigns. Sometimes cities pay the security bills themselves. It just depends.

But at times when we can see the candidates on TV, on our computers, our iPhones, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, how important is it that these candidates travel to individual states anyway?

Here to discuss Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Maria Cardona, and Katon Dawson, the presidential campaign adviser for Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich.

Good morning to both of you.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning, Carol. Good to be here.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

KATON DAWSON, RICK PERRY CONSULTANT 2012: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELO: Good morning, Katon. I want to start with you because you worked a lot on Newt Gingrich's campaign and his campaign was more of a national campaign. It didn't exactly -- I mean, he didn't exactly get support by traveling state to state but more he got support on a national level by appearing on television. Is that fair?

DAWSON: It is fair and I think Marie and I are going to agree on most of this segment. These people running for the highest office in the land, exposure is important being in local communities and one thing I watched extremely successful when President Obama came through South Carolina campaigning against Hillary Clinton was he talked to the daily newspapers, the local outlets, and that really does a tremendous job in getting your message out.

So, I think it's certainly fair to say that it's important to be in these battleground states. It's important to have a lot of security. These people are certainly very important to the political process, and I applaud both sides for doing as much retail politics as possible.

COSTELLO: Yes, Maria, but how much is too much? Because President Obama has visited Ohio a lot. I think since the beginning of the year a couple dozen times.

CARDONA: Sure. And that, of course, is because Ohio is going to be a critically important state in this election. We all have heard about the swing states and so we're going to see these candidates in all of these swing states a lot, Carol.

But I agree with Katon. I don't think we'll be in a lot of disagreement in this segment because it is important for these candidates to go out and to talk to real people and to listen to what their concerns are and that they can also talk directly to these folks and get their message out. I mean, how many times have we heard people, Carol, say, oh, I remember when I met President Kennedy on the line and it changed my life.

You know, it's a life changing experience for many of these folks who never get to be in the same room, let alone in the same city or in the same rope line with a lot of these candidates. And I really do think it makes a difference.

COSTELLO: Yes, but now that each campaign, they're sending hecklers out to these campaign events and really how helpful is that to deciding if you want to meet the guy or not or take some of his message home, Katon?

DAWSON: Well, you know, that's campaigning in elections. It's what we do. It's the visual whether it's (INAUDIBLE) with Romney or Pinocchio with the president. At the end of the day, these guys have a message to put out.

I think one thing to note that's going to be different this time in the last cycle is there's a Republican governor in Pennsylvania, Republican governor in New Jersey, a Republican governor in Virginia. I think the landscape is has changed.

So the president is going to have to spend a lot of time in places that have this 2010 rewarded Republicans with seats. So I think you're going to see him on the ground a lot. Air Force One is going to be pretty -- have a pretty hectic travel schedule and right now, this is a sporty race for the (AUDIO GAP).

COSTELLO: And let's just talk about the cost for just a second. (AUDIO GAP) OK, we'll send you a bill down the line sometime? How does that work? (AUDIO GAP) local security for these candidates' visits?

CARDONA: That's a great question, Carol, and that's sort of a subject of, you know, within the element of sausage making which is something that is not, the unsexy side of campaigning. But it's reality. And the fact of the matter is, and I worked at the (AUDIO GAP) the Secret Service and campaign these towns and into these cities and they actually negotiate what is it going to cost to protect the candidate, to protect the sitting president and they understand are up front.

Normally the cities (AUDIO GAP), Carol. And I think a lot of times it can be negotiated or as we've seen some of the stories (AUDIO GAP) private individuals step up and say I will foot this bill. But normally that is something that the cities take care of.

(AUDIO GAP) they decide they can't either foot the bill, they don't want their (AUDIO GAP). But normally, it is something that is negotiated beforehand. We obviously will see stories where's dispute (AUDIO GAP). But at the end of the day, it's a good thing for the campaigns but it is a good thing for the cities and towns as well.

COSTELLO: I was going to ask Katon that. Is it a good idea, Katon?

DAWSON: Absolutely. I'm the one who's written checks before as chairman of a party when we had George Bush as president. We (AUDIO GAP) the National Republican Committee to pay for part of the expenses. But it's a part of the process that taxpayers I don't think mind. Whether it's Barack Obama, George Bush or Bill Clinton (AUDIO GAP), security (AUDIO GAP). They were elected. Elections have consequences.

So I think people can pick and choose what they want, but it is really important not only economically but for the campaigns to see regular people at cafeterias and bus stops. I mean, it's tough for a president of the United States to get a real feel once he becomes president of what people are (AUDIO GAP) ever had any complaints from my Democratic friends (AUDIO GAP).

COSTELLO: We got to end there. Katon, Maria Cardona, thanks so much.

CARDONA: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Alec Baldwin (AUDIO GAP) anyone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Alec Baldwin married to his yoga instructor bride.

Nischelle Turner is live in Los Angeles. We could say it was a beautiful ceremony but no one really saw it.

NISCHELE TURNER, CNN SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: No, that's true. I love that you get a little chuckle out of it. It's a good way to start our Monday morning with love, Carol. That's what we're doing. Exactly.

Alec Baldwin does have a new bride. He and his yoga instructor girlfriend Hilaria Thoams tied the knot on Saturday in New York City. They were married in a traditional ceremony. We're told at St. Patrick's old cathedral in New York's little (AUDIO GAP).

His "30 Rock" co-star Tina Fey was there, Mariska Hargitay, Woody Allen, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his daughter Ireland and brother Steven. All of them were there.

Alec's rep tells us Hilaria is taking his last (AUDIO GAP) wore a silk magnolia trumpet gown designed by Amsale. It had capped sleeves, had a keyhole back, neckline extend e extended with crystal buttons. I hope you're getting the good mental picture because, yes, we don't have a lot of video of it.

Alec wore a suit designed by Tom Ford. Now he's 54. She's 28. They started dating about a year ago. This is her first marriage, his second.

But you know what, even though they got hitched, they didn't go on a honeymoon right away because on Sunday, they were all over New York City, Carol. You could have seen them then. They were shopping and dining and had a couple of run-ins with the paparazzi. But, of course, that is Alec Baldwin.

COSTELLO: I think he does that on purpose now.

TURNER: I think so, too.

COSTELLO: I'm still getting over TomKat because I'm stunned by that maybe we can talk about that --

TURNER: Let's do.

COSTELLO: We'll talk about that next hour. Nischelle Turner, thanks.

TURNER: Sure.

COSTELLO: We're also going to talk about this, Whitney Houston's mother gives (AUDIO GAP) performance at the BET Awards. Nischelle will be back with that and TomKat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 45 minutes past the hour. Welcome back.

It is not over for Penn State. Disturbing e-mails that spell more trouble for former Penn State officials in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case. Contents of the purported e-mails were made available exclusively to CNN and show officials knew they had a problem with the former assistant coach 11 years ago. They also raised new questions on whether Coach Joe Paterno helped cover up the abuse.

Here is CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti.

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SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: CNN has been given details of (AUDIO GAP) reported e-mail (AUDIO GAP) of the case raising new question about what (AUDIO GAP), Vice President Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley discussing the now infamous 2001 shower incident where grant assistant Mike McQueary said he saw Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy.

The first e-mail is dated February 26th, 2001 -- that's 16 days after (AUDIO GAP) McQueary report to his boss Joe Paterno about he's seen in the shower. Paterno testified quote, "It was a sexual nature". By now McQueary testified he's told athletic Director Curley and VP Schultz about exactly what he saw, a boy with his hands up against a wall with Sandusky (AUDIO GAP) behind him. The alleged e- mails don't mention Sandusky by name, instead calling him the subject and person.

In the first exchange Schultz messages Curley about a three part plan to quote, "Talk with the subject, contacting the charitable organization, Second Mile, and contacting the Department of Welfare." That's an agency required by law to investigate suspected abuse.

Yet the next night Curley indicates a change of heart. He allegedly sends an e-mail to Penn State's President Spanier and refers to a discussion they had two days earlier about Sandusky. Curley says he wants to talk things over with Sandusky and work with him before deciding whether to contact Child Welfare. He also refers to Coach Paterno. Did something (AUDIO GAP) he said change Curley's mind? Quote, "After giving it more thought and talking it over with (AUDIO GAP) yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. I am having trouble with going to everyone but the person involved. I would be more comfortable meeting with the person and tell him about the information we received and tell him we are aware of the first situation."

The first situation he's referring to is a separate shower incident Sandusky had with a boy in 1998. Sandusky was not charged at the time. He was convicted of both incidents at trial. Curley plans to tell Sandusky, quote, "We feel there is a problem and offer professional help."

And at some point soon inform his organization, Sandusky's Second Mile and, quote, "maybe the other one" according to a source with knowledge of the e-mails, he's referring to Child Welfare.

If Sandusky is, quote, "cooperative", Curley writes, quote, "We would work with him. If not, we do not have a choice and will inform the two groups." Two hours later Penn State's President purportedly responds and agrees with the approach, quote, "I am supportive", Spanier writes, and adds this. "The only down side for us is if the message isn't heard and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it. But that can be assessed down the road." Spanier calls the plan humane and a reasonable way to proceed.

The next day VP Schultz weighs in with an alleged e-mail to President Spanier and Athletic Director Curley, quote, "This is a more humane and upfront way to handle this," he writes. "We will inform his organization with or without his cooperation. We can play by ear to decide about the other organization," -- another reference a source says to outside authorities.

But that never happened. Authorities say records show suspicions about Sandusky in 2001 were never reported to any outside agency. Victim five was molested by Sandusky in a Penn State shower about six months after the McQueary incident.

And Sandusky later went on to sexually abuse at least three other boys. Years later all testified at trial.

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COSTELLO: Susan joins me now from New York.

So Susan, we learned two important things from these alleged e- mails. Penn State officials appear to have had a plan on handling the 2001 Sandusky shower incident and they dumped it. Someone or something seemed to change their mind. Could it have been Joe Paterno?

CANDIOTTI: That is a key question here, you're right, Carol. For the first time these e-mails are indicating that there was more (AUDIO GAP) conversation (AUDIO GAP) suggest they do, noted in these purported (AUDIO GAP). We learn, that remember, Joe Paterno had always said publicly that when -- after he talked to McQueary, that he reported all of this to his boss and then he left it up to Penn State to handle the matter because he trusted them. According (AUDIO GAP) alleged e-mail we now there was a conversation, (AUDIO GAP). A second one between Paterno and his boss and that after conversation, Tim Curly, the athletic director, changes the plan, no longer going to contact Child Welfare.

So this is something, of course, that investigators because examining.

COSTELLO: Okay. So what's the reaction of these Penn State officials? I mean, what do Curley, Schultz and Spanier's lawyers have to say about these e-mails?

CANDIOTTI: First of all, I'll note that Joe Paterno, the attorney for his family says, Joe Paterno always told the truth, never was involved in e-mails, and we don't have full context here. Spanier's lawyer didn't return our calls, but we do have this from the lawyers representing Gary Schultz and Tim Curley. They say, quote, "For Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno, the responsible and humane thing to do was like Pennsylvania's Governor's Corbett to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague but troubling allegations. Faces with tough situations, good people try to do their best to make the right decisions."

Obviously this is something that Penn State's own independent investigation being run by former FBI director Louis Freeh and state prosecutors are examining -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Susan Candiotti, reporting live for us from New York.

We asked you to talk back on another big story of the day. The question for you this morning, "Is the health care mandate a tax or a penalty?"

You are responding in droves. We'll read some of those responses next.

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COSTELLO: We asked you to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, Is the health care mandate a tax or a penalty?

This from Melissa. "What if I opt out of health insurance and need to go to the emergency room? Who pays my bill? Taxpayers."

This from Melissa. "When you don't pay your taxes, you face penalties. They are part of your taxes and collected by the IRS."

And this from Will. "Justice Roberts called it like he saw it, a tax. Now if Congress or the President wants you to purchase something, they will call it a tax."

Please keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/carolcnn. I'll read more of your responses in the next hour of NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Well, it took a while but Tiger Woods, wow, he's back on top.

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Yes. It's been about three years since we've really seen Tiger being the best player in the world, and I think we're seeing it again. For the first time, in fact, since September 2009 Tiger Woods is on top of the points standings for golf. Tiger got his third tour victory of the season at the AT&T National.

Typical Tiger fashion, outdueling another golfer, in this case Bo Van Pelt in the back nine yesterday. Tiger's approach at 18, the 9 iron. Puts it on the dance floor. Tiger sinks the putt for a win. A two-stroke victory over Van Pelt and an answer to his critics.

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TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I remember there was a time when people were saying that I could never win again. That was I think about six months ago. Here we are.

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FISCHEL: Oh, Tiger. Getting a little saucy. It's his 74th PGA tour win. He passes Jack Nicklaus for number two on the all-time list. Tiger is now eight behind Sam Snead for the record.

Soccer, the Euro 2012 title game. Spain versus Italy. The opening goal. Look at David Silva get free, the great pass with Ces Fabregas (ph) . The goal, the header. The Spaniards scored three more times blanking Italy 4-0 at the soccer game. Spain wins its third major tournament in a row. (AUDIO GAP) 2010 World Cup. Some are calling this team the best ever in soccer history. They have certainly done all they need to do to at least claim the title.

Michael Phelps came from behind to win the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic trials last night. Phelps timed the best in the event all year. He's now qualified for five individual events, three relays which means he could match the 2008 eight gold medals. He could do it again this summer in London.

Two U.S. sprinters, by the way, had the choice to settle a tie, flip a coin or have a runoff. This was the photo finish. You look at the torso, they finished the exact same time. Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix tied for third. Whoever wins today's runoff will go to the Olympics, but the race, this morning -- Tarmoh doesn't want any part of the rematch. She's upset because she thought she won third place originally. We'll see what happens in the next few hours. Refusing to run the race again because she said they declared her the winner so hey. Exactly. Keep you posted.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Jeff. Next hour of CNN "NEWSROOM" begins now.