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Terror Arrests in London; Obama's Bus Tour in the Rust Belt; West Virginia to Hold Mass Feedings; Zimmerman Bond Ruling Due Today; Final Report on Air France Crash; Romney: Health Care Mandate is a Tax; Iran Threatens U.S. Bases in Middle East; Paralympic Athlete to Run in Olympics
Aired July 05, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: New Orleans, you're going to love it, love it, love it, Soledad. Good morning to you.
Happening now in the NEWSROOM, condition critical, powerless and starving. West Virginia this morning without basic necessities -- food, water. Thousands of emergency meals on their way. We're going to speak with the Red Cross coming up.
In court, George Zimmerman and the money trail all in question this morning. Should Trayvon Martin's shooter be set free before his trial?
Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOMAS LOPEZ, FIRED LIFEGUARD: I'm not going to put my job over -- going to help someone again. I'm going to do what I felt was right and I did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: In hot water, a lifeguard credited with saving a life then getting the boot, fired. Six of his coworkers quitting in protest. And this morning 21-year-old Tomas Lopez tells us his side of the story.
Tablet talk. An iPad mini? A smaller 78-inch version of the popular iPad. Rumors are heating up this morning saying it's already in production. We'll separate fact from fiction. That's straight ahead.
And bladerunner. An amazingly inspirational story to share with you this morning. A South African athlete breaking barriers, becoming the first amputee track star to compete in any Olympic Games.
NEWSROOM starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
LEMON: And good morning, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Carol is off today. We're going to begin with some breaking news. We're talking about terror arrest in London. A city already under heightened security before the Olympic Games.
Police arrested five men and a woman in two separate areas of London today. The six are suspected of being part of a possible terror plot with potential targets in the U.K.
We go now to CNN's Nic Robertson in London.
So, Nic, tell us what's going on.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, counterterrorism police were involved in the raid, and it was -- came about as a result of an ongoing intelligence-led operation according to police. The three arrests in west London, in Ealing, and then the three other arrests in east London where the home of the Olympic Games will be, in Newham. That's where the arrest were made.
Today the police saying that now they've made their arrests, they are now investigating and going through eight different residential properties in London and one business property in London. They say that this isn't a terror threat connected with the Olympic Games. However, these people are being arrested on suspicion of terrorism related offenses.
That's why they've been brought in. The police are saying that they believe this was the right time to bring them in. That they were aware of something that they were doing and that they decided this is the right time, of course.
The backdrop to this, the Olympics coming up, the intelligence police services on hair trigger for any possible terrorist actions. And clearly, it appears right now taking no chances with this potential action that this group of people are arrested for -- Don.
LEMON: Right on, Nic Robertson. All eyes on Monday with the Olympics coming up.
Thank you, Nic. We'll check in with you again.
Now to President Obama's departure this hour for the so-called Rust Belt. His two-day bus tour on ground force one begins in Ohio with three scheduled campaign stops later today and he's going to focus on his handling of the economy, his policies, and his financial rescue of U.S. automakers. Their major employer in the swing states.
Brianna Keilar is at her post at the White House for us this morning.
Brianna, good morning to you. And what is the strategy here?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Don. And I first off have to apologizing -- apologize for all the loud jackhammering that you hear. So I just want to acknowledge that. But, yes, the president will be leaving shortly on this bus tour. It's being called the "Betting on America" bus tour. And really what he's trying to do is tout his economic policies. So expect him to talk about the stimulus, but certainly the auto bailout as you mentioned. Especially in Ohio where auto suppliers are a big employer. It played very well for President Obama, the auto bailout. And he's trying to really capitalize on that because Mitt Romney did not support it.
And what he's also trying to do is paint Mitt Romney -- and this is really nothing new, Don, but as this Wall Street kind of bad guy, I guess, but really a businessman who put money and profit ahead of jobs. And that is going to be his strategy. So, yes, expect to hear some more attacks on Romney's past at Bain Capital.
LEMON: Yes. So more tax on Romney's business experience. Is that going to work? Because a number of Democratic allies of the president's have not supported that particular tactic, that strategy, Brianna.
KEILAR: Yes, that's right, we saw that last month. That was one of the sort of very bad things for President Obama, Bill Clinton among them, sort of splintering from him on his opinion. Romney's business experience.
Look, you know what the Obama campaign and President Obama, they are sticking to it, Don, and it's because they think it's working. And when you look at some polls, for instance, a recent Quinnipiac University poll -- and this is a poll that was done before that Supreme Court case last week, which is really seen as a positive for President Obama -- showed that he is doing pretty well. He's been doing better in these states.
Ohio, for instance, 47 percent of likely voters polled said they would choose President Obama, 38 percent for Romney, and when you look at Pennsylvania, where he'll be on Friday, 45 percent for President Obama, 39 percent for Romney. So they think it's working and they're sticking to it -- Don.
LEMON: They're installing Brianna Keilar's green room at the White House.
KEILAR: Yes.
LEMON: You can hear the construction right there.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Brianna Keilar, thank you very much.
You know with Ohio potentially playing such a huge role in the presidential election, the GOP is dispatching two of its bigger names to shadow the Obama bus tour. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty are aboard the Romney campaign bus for stops in the same areas of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Both men are considered potential running mates for the apparent Republican vice presidential nominee. It seems like forever but it's been six days, six days since deadly stormed plowed through the nation's midsection and in West Virginia a desperate situation is turning into a crisis right now. Today relief crews will begin mass feedings providing up to 25,000 meals each day. And there's not a moment to waste. Entire communities have been scuffling for even the most basic of necessities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOLAND WILCOX, CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENT: We went to churches and, you know, stuff like that to get some food. You know. But it's been very hard. Very hard indeed because you had to go from place to place and it's hot.
LEMON: How long did you go without food and water?
BLEU PACK, CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENT: About four days.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What was that like?
PACK: Very hard. Very hot. You felt like you were going to pass out. Got trembling, shaking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Wow. Let's get the very latest now from Becky Howard.
Becky is a regional chief development officer for the Red Cross and is helping to oversee relief operations there.
We said there's not a moment to waste here. What are you guys doing to help out here?
BECKY HOWARD, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Good morning. Yes, the Red Cross, we've been responding since the storms hit last Friday night. We've had hundreds of volunteers from all over the eastern United States that are here helping us as well as our local residents who themselves have lost power and they're taking the time to help us serve our communities.
We've been feeding thousands of meals since this had happened. And we've ramped up our capacity several days ago, and the plan is to work with our partners to serve thousands of more meals over the next few days. You know, these people are hot, they're tired, and we're here to meet their need with the food, the water, and the snacks.
LEMON: And this really touches just about everyone. Because you don't expect yourself to be in this sort of situation regardless of your -- your economic statute here. And it appears to be obviously affecting poor people, but this goes across all socioeconomic stratosphere.
HOWARD: It does. And we will get through this. West Virginians are resilient. And we pulled together as a community and we support each other. We have a phenomenal group of volunteers and staff supporting the Red Cross. We've been working long hours in this heat and everyone still continues to work hard serving their communities.
LEMON: We've given it sort of 30,000 feet saying what you guys are doing. I want to know what your -- you and your volunteers, especially volunteers, what are they seeing on the ground there? The stories that they're hearing and the people they're meeting.
HOWARD: People are hot, they're tired. We know that it could be a number of days before their power is restored, and we're closely working with the power companies and we're working with them closely to understand where the needs are and we'll continue to serve those meals and offer the assistance that is needed to help these people.
LEMON: The American Red Cross always there.
Becky Howard from the Red Cross, thank you very much. And of course, you know you can help out, as well. Go to CNN.com/impact to figure out how you can help out in those areas.
You know, and it started out as a night of fun to watch some fireworks. Another story we want to tell you about. But quickly it turned into one of panic and death. Look at this, a boat with 27 people onboard capsized off of Long Island. That was early this morning. The Coast Guard rushed to the scene pulling 24 survivors from the water. Police are reporting three deaths in this situation.
After a grueling two-week battle, finally some good news from the Colorado fire lines to tell you about. That Waldo Canyon Fire that we've been reporting so much about which blazed across nearly 18,000 acres at its height, it is now 90 percent contained. But not before incinerating 346 homes, 50 more were damaged, and the cost of all that destruction, $110 million. Exhausted fire crews worked 16-hour shifts to get the fire under control.
Now we want to turn to a story that you may not believe. A south Florida lifeguard is out of a job today because he saved a life of a drowning man. His bosses say he went beyond his zone and that put the rest of the beachgoers at risk.
We get the details now from Jacey Birch from CNN affiliate WPLG. She is in Hallandale Beach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SZILARD JANKO, FIRED LIFEGUARD: The person was drowning outside our buoy lines. It's, like, it's an unguarded zone.
LOPEZ: So I started running. I didn't see the person at first. We carried him in as fast as possible.
JACEY BIRCH, REPORTER, WPLG: And for that rescue, lifeguard Tomas Lopez was fired on the spot. The reason, he left his zone.
JANKO: So while he was off, we had two other guards watching the zones so the beach was secured.
BIRCH: To save somebody outside the buoys in an unprotected part of the Hallandale Beach.
LOPEZ: I'm not going to put my job over going to help someone again. I'm going to do what I felt was right and I did.
BIRCH: And Lopez wasn't the only one. Zoard Janko was also let go this week for going against corporate code.
ZOARD JANKO, FIRED LIFEGUARD: If I see anyone drowning regardless of where they are I'm going to save them because I'm a lifeguard. And, you know, as a human, I'm going to save someone if I see they need help. And they told me I was fired.
BIRCH: An Orlando-based company is contracted by the city and paid to man the beaches, but only certain spots.
S. JANKO: I think we should be able to rescue anybody. Like anywhere.
BIRCH: Szilard Janko quit his job as a lifeguard in solidarity with his three colleagues, all terminated for not following policy.
Does your job actually expect you to let somebody die?
S. JANKO: They want us to call the EMS or 911.
BILL JULIAN, FORMER VICE MAYOR: This young man is a hero. He should not be fired.
BIRCH: Former vice mayor, Bill Julian, is outraged at what's happening in his city.
JULIAN: Looking back at the contract that we approved as a former vice mayor as a cost-saving measure, I think now is the time not to renew and get our guys back under our control.
BIRCH: That contract expires this year. But these lifeguards tell us Hallandale Beach has lost seven lifeguards. Three fired, four quit, all because a man's life was saved.
Z. JANKO: I understand that it's wrong not to leave someone there and they're grown-ups and they don't understand it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was Jacey Birch reporting from a CNN affiliate.
And the company says, "In light of the firestorm, it is reviewing the case." Owner Jeff Ellis told "The Sun Sentinel" newspaper, quote, "If we find our actions on the part of the leadership teal were inappropriate, we will rectify it based upon the information that comes forward."
We're going to keep following this story. And you should tune in tonight to hear more from the lifeguard who was fired for his heroism. Again, Tomas Lopez will be a guest tonight on CNN's "ERIN BURNETT: OUTFRONT," 7:00 Eastern here on CNN. Will the man accused of murdering Trayvon Murder be getting out of jail? We're going to talk about George Zimmerman's second bond request after he lied to the court in his first hearing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Here are the headlines right now.
It is the first bus tour of the 2012 campaign. And on a two-day trip through Ohio and Pennsylvania, President Barack Obama will talk about his efforts to revive the economy in states critical to his reelection. This will be the seventh time the president has visited Ohio this year.
The Red Cross teaming up with the federal government to feed thousands of hungry West Virginians after power outages and storms close grocery stores in several areas and force people to throw out spoiled food. More than 200,000 people are still without power after massive storms tore through the state last night.
In money news, it is a matter of when, not if. That's what some tech experts are saying about the arrival of a smaller and cheaper iPad. Sources say the new tablet will have a screen measuring seven or eight inches compared to the current 10-inch display. The updated iPad could be out by the end of the year.
All right. So that looks like the grand finale for a Fourth of July fireworks celebration, right? Well, it was actually the whole show. The whole show for many people in San Diego. And it only lasted a whopping 15 seconds.
A technical glitch caused all the fireworks to explode at once. Hey, at least they got it in. It was early, and -- oh, well. Some good news there, at least.
A judge will announce his decision today on a second bond request for George Zimmerman. Zimmerman, of course, is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin.
Judge Kenneth Lester revoked Zimmerman's bail just a month ago after learning Zimmerman had misled the court about his finances. The judge released phone calls where it appears Zimmerman was talking in code to his wife. Listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: If the bond is 50, pay the 50. If it's more than 50, just pay 10 percent to the bondsman.
SHELLIE ZIMMERMAN: You don't want me to pay $100.
G. ZIMMERMAN: I don't know.
S. ZIMMERMAN: All right. Well, just think about it.
(END AUDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. CNN legal contributor Paul Callan joins me from New York now.
So you had that him talking in code, Paul. But he actually didn't really lie to the court. He just didn't say anything about it or didn't correct his wife, right?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, yes, it's kind of interesting. Because now that -- what we heard basically was a transcript of a jailhouse conversation between him and his wife. So obviously when he went in to court, he was well aware of what his wife was going to do and what his wife was saying and that it was improper. And he did not correct it nor did he tell his lawyer to correct it. And this made the judge very angry and, of course, the original bond of $150,000 was revoked.
LEMON: How -- OK. So if he didn't -- he didn't actually lie here. How much do you think this will play into the judge's decision this time if he feels he was misled? Let's put it that way. How much do you think it'll play into his decision?
And, of course, my next question after that would be: do you think he's going to get bond?
CALLAN: It's a really close question. My gut feeling is that the judge probably will give him bond, but a much higher bond than before. It was $150,000 before. The judge may set a higher bond.
But the judge would certainly be justified in rejecting the bond. And I say that because one of the things that a judge always considers is the integrity of the court process and has the defendant in aiding and abetting in a lie, an important lie, what his resources were, does that undermine the integrity of the court?
So this judge supposedly is quite angry about this situation and he could hang an opinion on that and maybe, maybe be sustained by an appellate court.
But, of course, O'Mara, the defense attorney tried to present in the form of a mini trial a strong self-defense claim for Zimmerman. The judge has seen that evidence. And the other thing he weighs, Don, is it likely that Zimmerman will be convicted in the end if he's looking at a case that's likely to result in acquittal, he's not going to want to see him remain in jail pending trial.
So, there are a lot of factors to be considered here.
LEMON: But you do think he's going to get bond, right?
CALLAN: I think probably he will get bond. But I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. It's a tough prediction to make and a lot of local lawyers think the judge is very angry about this. So it's a hard call.
LEMON: But, of course, the judge is probably going to make every effort, obviously, to be fair here and maybe to grant him a bond because they don't want to seem prejudicial. And many people have said George Zimmerman has been tried, guilty or innocent, in the court of public opinion already. And many believe in the media as well. And I'm sure the judge would want to seen impartial and objective here and that may play into it, will play into it.
CALLAN: Yes, I think you're right about that. And people have to remember also that Florida has a very, very liberal bail law. In a lot of states, you're charged with a murder or manslaughter, very, very hard to get bail. In Florida, there's almost a presumption that you should have bail, unless there's a compelling reason not to have it.
And really, the thing you look for in bail is an insurance that someone's going to come back for their trial. And there's really no proof here that he's about to flee the jurisdiction. And that's usually the most important thing and whether he's a threat to the community.
So those are the factors that the judge will be weighing when he issues this decision.
LEMON: Paul Callan, much appreciated as usual.
CALLAN: Nice being with you, Don.
LEMON: Same here.
Three years after an Air France flight went down in the Atlantic Ocean, killing 228 people, investigators are sharing their conclusions and giving their final report on the disaster.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone.
WikiLeaks is at again -- this time, it has started to release 2 1/2 million e-mails from Syrian politicians, government agencies, and businesses that date back to 2006. The files are said to shine a light so to speak on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but also reveal how the West and Western firms say one thing and they do another.
The e-mails are in languages that range from Arabic to Russian. WikiLeaks admits it cannot verify every single e-mail.
More than three years after an Air France flight went down into the Atlantic, French investigators are now issuing their final report on exactly what happened. Two hundred and twenty-eight people died in that crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAIN BOUILLARD, INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (through translator): An extremely determined crew having clearly understood the situation, the flight envelope. Here, the crew was in the condition of almost complete loss of control of the situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Investigators say they don't want to assign blame, but a series of errors, series of errors led to the crash.
Richard Quest joins us now from London.
So, Richard, hello to you. Break it down for us. What does the report say here?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The report basically says that there was a malfunction of the speed sensor, and that led to a chain reaction in the cockpit which the pilots knew was taking place. The auto pilot and the auto throttle disengaged. And then the pilot flying, the younger pilot in the right-hand seat made several movements with the side stick which the report describes as inappropriate actions. Basically he raised the nose of the plane, he did a variety of other things, all of which ultimately led to the plane being doomed.
And what the report goes into at great length. And we know from the earlier interim reports is why the pilot made the seemingly inexplicable decisions. And this is really -- this report is not about the failure of a speed sensor, although that is part of it. It's about the decisions taken by the crew. The relationship between two first officers, the training, the high altitude stall, high- altitude manual flying of the aircraft, the number of warnings and buzzers and lights that they have to contend with, the human factor.
So, Don, to put this bluntly to you -- what has been told to me by more than one senior training captain is that if the pilots had done nothing at all --
LEMON: Right.
QUEST: When the speed sensor failed, if they'd sat on their hands for two minutes, nothing would've happened. It was the actions of the pilots that ultimately led to what took place.
LEMON: And you know what, Richard? We often hear about this with air disasters, sadly, the pilots or the co-pilots, the crew overcorrecting when the auto pilot could've done it without them doing anything. So how did -- go ahead, go ahead.
QUEST: Well, the Airbus is designed so the auto pilot switch disengaged, the auto throttle disengaged, but the plane is designed to keep flying. It will just keep in a straight line at the same power.
What the pilot did was intervene, take back full control and make a series of maneuvers which to every pilot I've spoken to, they can all come up with some reason why and possibly, but ultimately all Airbus pilots I've spoken to say the overall actions were inexplicable. And that's what this -- and it's not a Boeing or an Airbus, a fly by wire, or a manual. It's not a protections -- it's none of those issues.
And I know some of your viewers will probably be saying, oh, it's all about Airbus planes with their protections. It's not. This was about training of pilots, a culture in the cockpit and the way two first officers behaved with the captain, why a more senior officer didn't take back the controls. That's what this report's about.
LEMON: Richard Quest in London, thank you very much, Richard.
Taxes, penalties, and politics -- why Mitt Romney's team is struggling to stay on message after the candidate and a member of his staff seemed to disagree on the health care mandate?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Good morning, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
Let me give you a look at some of the top stories we're watching right now for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The opening bell, there it is right there. You can hear the applause. You can hear the bell on your end, as well. There it is.
Stocks are set to open higher today. Investors are encouraged by rate cuts announced by the European Central Bank and the Bank of China. Of course, we'll follow it for you today on CNN.
Scary moments for many in London. Police arrested six people in raids today. They are suspected of possibly planning some kind of terrorist act. Scotland Yard says it has been picking up extreme chatter among extremism groups and describes the threat level as substantial.
But so far, there's been no specific plot linked to the Olympics in London later this month.
Mexico began individually recounting more than half the ballot boxes from last weekend's presidential election. Enrique Pena Nieto got more votes and claimed victory, but his challenger says there were irregularities at many polling stations and he's refusing to concede. A final vote is expected on Sunday.
A tax is a -- tax unless, of course, it's a penalty -- whatever, I don't know. That's the conclusion surrounding Mitt Romney's stance on the health care mandate after a top adviser said one thing while Mitt Romney said another.
And our senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash tried to clear it up during Romney's Fourth of July stop in New Hampshire.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first, the ever-disciplined Mitt Romney refused to answer.
Earlier, Romney taped an interview with CBS to give a carefully crafted response to a thorny question for him, whether the health insurance mandate is a tax.
(CROSSTALK)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I told you. Take a look at it.
BASH: But, finally, he gave CNN the news.
ROMNEY: The Supreme Court is the final word, right? Isn't that the highest court in the land? And they said it was a tax, didn't they? So it's a tax, of course. If that's what they say it is.
BASH: The main reason the already cautious Romney was especially careful here is because the GOP message on the mandate is already muddled.
Earlier this week, a top Romney adviser said the candidate did not think the insurance mandate is a tax, but rather a penalty, what Democrats call it.
ERIC FEHRNSTROM, SENIOR ROMNEY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: The governor believes that what we put in place in Massachusetts was a penalty and he disagrees with the court's ruling that the mandate was a tax.
BASH: That infuriated Republicans in Washington, preparing to pound the president for imposing what they call the biggest tax in American history.
Democrats here shadowing Romney's event didn't miss a beat.
RAY BUCKLEY, CHAIRMAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: I think people see the president as being a strong leader standing up for his principles. And moving forward, you know, we will let Mitt Romney argue with himself.
BASH: Romney's news came during a brief bit of Independence Day action in an otherwise quiet week with his family at their New Hampshire vacation home.
(on camera): Here comes Mitt Romney down the parade route. This is exactly the kind of scene you see from politicians all over the country on July 4th. But there's nothing more important than a Republican presidential candidate on July 4th before Election Day. It's very clear watching Mitt Romney working this crowd.
ROMNEY: Happy Fourth of July, guys. How are you?
BASH (voice-over): But the large Romney family, 30 counting grandchildren, hardly had the parade route to themselves.
CROWD: Barack Obama all the way. Happy Birthday, USA!
BASH: Team Obama was there in full force, since New Hampshire's four electoral votes are critical for the president's prospects for reelection.
Dana Bash, CNN, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: OK. Romney team's mixed message on health care is reportedly causing irritation among Republicans who have said the Supreme Court ruling meant that President Obama is breaking his pledge to not raise taxes on the middle class.
So what does this mean for Romney's campaign and perhaps his staff going forward? Really, it should be what does it mean for the American people? And I'm sure these guys will agree with me somewhat there.
Joining me now is political analyst, Mr. Roland Martin, and CNN contributor, Ms. Dana Loesch.
So, Roland, I'm going to start with you. You say this health care mix-up is evidence that the Romney campaign has what you call a schizophrenic strategy?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, absolutely. It's pretty much, hey, let's throw anything out there and see what sticks. And so, you can't have a senior adviser saying something, very emphatic, and the candidate, he comes back and says something else. The Republicans are sitting here trying to figure out what we can say.
Reince Priebus was CNN just the other day, and even he was totally confused about what to say. The campaign is making it very difficult. So they're totally schizophrenic.
And so, I say it's time for you to get a diagnosis and get some medicine because you need some help.
LEMON: So, Dana, listen, honestly, if you watch -- if you listen to what the spokesman said on CNN and other networks and then you hear what Mitt Romney said, I mean, who needs friends like that?
DANA LOESCH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean, it's understandable they would be a little bit confused about it, especially considering how the White House itself, I think, is confused about it. They said it was a mandate and then when the solicitor general argued it before the Supreme Court, it was a tax and then it became a mandate again.
Now, Eric Fehrnstrom, I don't necessarily agree with his execution -- I mean, of course, he is the individual who came up with the etch-a-sketch comments. But at the same time, when you really look at what he said, he was suggesting and saying what Mitt Romney said was that he agrees wholeheartedly with the dissent, but that wasn't the majority. The majority was that Obamacare or the health care law was a tax.
And so, he agrees that the Supreme Court said it's a tax. So, it must be a tax. But he supported the dissent.
And Eric Fehrnstrom, when you listen to his remarks, was trying to convey that. But I don't think that he's really the best person to put forward for the campaign to articulate what the campaign is saying.
LEMON: Dana, here's what you said, you said it's understandable for the Romney campaign to be confused because the Obama campaign is confused about this.
LOESCH: Yes, don't you think so?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: No, because the Romney people can assess it their own way without assessing it -- hang on. Listen to me. The Romney people should be able to assess the situation without assessing it through the lens of the Obama campaign. That's what you just said. It's OK to be confused because the Obama campaign is confused.
LOESCH: Well, no, I said it's understandable they would think that way especially considering the White House with the health care law was making the law of the land here. They were saying this was a mandate and then arguing it before the Supreme Court said it was a tax.
And then the justices themselves -- even Sonia Sotomayor was a little bit confused as to how the solicitor general, who poorly argued this, by the way, was presenting this towards the court. Then it became a mandate.
Now consider this, the White House is still going out there saying that no, it's not a tax. It's a mandate. Well, if it's a mandate, then that means it's unconstitutional.
So I think we ought to be asking the White House is your law -- is this unconstitutional? Is it a tax? Is it a mandate?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hang on, Roland. That whole thing, there's no other side to this argument. It is constitutional because the highest court in the land said that it's constitutional. So we can't go back and say it's not constitutional.
LOESCH: Romney said it was a tax --
LEMON: You can argue about a tax or penalty or whatever --
LOESCH: We're not, though. We're not.
LEMON: Roland, if you listen to the American people and listen to the polls, we're sitting here on cable television talking about it's a tax, it's a penalty, whatever. Most Americans don't really care whether it's a tax or a penalty. What we should be talking about is whether it's good for the American people going forward instead of he said/she said.
MARTIN: Well, here's my whole deal. I'm not going to waste my time with the back and forth. The bottom line is the Supreme Court has ruled, it's as simple as that.
And if you're the Mitt Romney camp. This is really how simple it is for them, Don. All he has to do is stick to his original message. I believe that the health care bill that I had as a state was fine for the state but not for the country. I don't believe in big government.
But Mitt Romney is desperately trying -- see, this is the problem. The health care law in Massachusetts for them is really their albatross. And so, they're trying to figure it all out when really it's a very clear message you can make. They are -- they are muddying the waters themselves.
But you're right, the person -- the average person out there is saying will I be able to be covered with a pre-existing condition? Will I be able to keep my kids on there? That's what the battle is.
And so, y'all can knock yourselves out with the mandate, not a mandate, a tax, not a tax, penalty, whatever. Bottom line is, do you have health care? Yes, you sure do.
LEMON: Well, I think most people would like to elevate the conversation to what we said. We've got to go for time purposes.
Dana, thank you. Thank you, Roland. Appreciate it.
MARTIN: Dana, I'm going to see you at the Essence Music Festival?
LOESCH: I don't know.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: You guys can talk offline.
MARTIN: Come debate the tax and mandate here, Don.
LEMON: Thank you, let's move on.
If you're like many people, you end up taking your work home with you and it adds up to a startling amount of overtime. Not surprising. Should you get paid for it?
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LEMON: Can't put down your BlackBerry, your iPhone, even though you're off the clock? You're not alone.
A new survey says Americans put in more than a month and a half of overtime a year just by answering calls and e-mails at home.
Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, tell us something in this business we didn't already know.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I know. You know what this really does? It puts that big fat exclamation point on the fact that work does not end when we walk out the door.
This is actually a survey by a web security firm called Good Technology. And what it found is that, yes, we put in an extra 45 days a year and we don't get paid for it and a big chunk of these people continue working once they've left the office.
You know what? They give different reasons for why they do this. Most say they do it because they want to stay organized. Others say they feel they don't have a choice because their customers are demanding they respond quickly.
And some, they're addicted. They find it hard to switch off.
And here's what's interesting. This has become so common, Don, that a lot of people say it's a complete non-issue with their significant others. Maybe it would be if they knew they weren't getting any money for it -- Don.
LEMON: Yes, and other things.
OK. So, how much money are we talking about people missing out on here?
KOSIK: OK. So not every job offers overtime. But for those that do, standard overtime is time and a half. Let's say you make about $50,000 a year. Well, that comes out to about $13,000 of overtime that you don't get.
So that doesn't seem to change a lot of people's habits, though. About 70 percent say they won't even go to sleep without checking their work e-mails first, and almost as many people check it when they're out with family, and a third say they routinely check their e- mail right at the dinner table in the middle of eating their chicken and whatever else they're eating.
You know, it's kind of a reflection of the times, isn't it? Since the recession, companies have reduced head counts and squeezing more out of the people who are still working there, Don.
LMEON: Oh, I'm sorry. I was checking my e-mail there.
KOSIK: There you go. See, you're pressured to check it continually.
LEMON: Thank you, Alison Kosik. Appreciate it.
You can forget shark sightings. Look what a group of fishermen caught in Marina Del Rey in California. Look at that thing, an 800- pound mako shark.
And don't forget, if you're heading out the door, you can take us right with you. Watch us any time on your mobile or your mobile phone or your computer. Just head to CNN.com/TV.
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LEMON: Let's check your headlines right now.
Colorado's most destructive wildfire ever is just about over. But there is still a threat of more fires in the state. The Waldo Canyon fire is 90 percent contained today. But that news is little comfort to the people of Colorado Springs. The fire destroyed 346 homes and damaged dozens more.
In money, finally shorter, simpler rules about your checking account fees. Major banks and credit unions, among them, Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase are coming out with easy to understand one-page summaries of the fees they charge. Consumers have complained that banks bury charges with complex documents with hard to understand legal terms.
And talk about a huge catch that didn't get away. Look at this thing. A fishermen off Marina Del Rey California caught this 800 pound Mako shark. It was too big to get into the boat so they dragged it to the dock. Where it was too heavy for the scale, my goodness.
Oh I hate that, let the little fellow go. Let it live. Locals say they haven't seen a shark this big in a couple of years.
You know, if you haven't been watching, you know that our Carol Costello has been training for a triathlon with Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Fit Nation crew. But did you know there's a right way and a wrong way to run? And Fit Nation's athletic director, April Gellatly share some tips with Carol in this edition of "Health for Her."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
APRIL GELLATLY, CNN FITNATION ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: I want to run the same way that you would normally run and then just run back towards me, I just want to take a look at what you're doing.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Ok.
GELLATLY: Hey give me that sprint.
COSTELLO: Ok.
GELLATLY: Ok. Not bad, not bad.
COSTELLO: I'm ready.
GELLATLY: Not bad. You look like you have a nice mid foot stride which is good. You want to land mid foot underneath your center of gravity. So directly underneath your body. You don't want to strike with that heel. This is a braking motion. You're also not over striding which is really good. Make sure it's not too wide, you're not trying to step out in front of yourself.
COSTELLO: I run like this. But I've heard you're supposed to run like this. And kick your feet up to your rear end.
GELLATLY: You want to take small, efficient steps. Think about what you're doing and bring that leg up and down. Up and down. Up and down. You don't necessarily have to have that exaggeration of complete butt kick.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. Make sure you check out Carol's tips with April every Thursday morning -- this is all part of the 2012 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge with Dr. Sanjay Gupta right here 9:00 Eastern.
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LEMON: Things are getting tense in one part of the Middle East. Iran says it will strike back against Israel and the U.S. if either country tries to take out its nuclear research program. Is it a serious threat? Here's CNN's Jill Dougherty.
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JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On edge that Israel might strike its nuclear program Iran is unleashing a threat of its own. Within minutes it says it would fire missiles at Israel and destroy U.S. military bases across the Middle East in countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Bases with tens of thousands of American troops.
"All these bases are within reach of our missiles." A top Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander is quoted as saying, "Meantime the occupied lands of Israel are good targets for us as well."
To drive that point home, Iranian forces are extending their so- called "Great Profit 7 Missile Exercises", boasting they've successfully tested a missile capable of hitting Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY CORDESMAN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: This is in general all bluff and nonsense.
DOUGHERTY: Defense expert Anthony Cordesman tells CNN Iran has only a limited number of long-range missiles and they're not reliable. And the U.S. and its Gulf allies have increasingly accurate missile defense systems but the State Department isn't brushing off Iran's bluster.
VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: We obviously remain deeply concerned about Iran's continued missile development activities.
DOUGHERTY: As international sanctions on Iran tighten Tehran also has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a vital choke hold for the world's oil.
But the U.S. has been beefing up its forces in the region. In spite of Iran's chest thumping Anthony Cordesman says it's playing a weak hand and its target audience may be more the Iranian people than Israel or America. CORDESMAN: To try to convince the Iranian people that Iran is much stronger, that it doesn't have to compromise, that it can ride out the sanctions.
DOUGHERTY (on camera): Meanwhile those on again/off again talks with Iran over its nuclear program are sputtering but still alive and some expert say Iran's missile threats could be its attempt to improve its leverage at those talks.
Jill Dougherty, CNN the State Department.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right Jill.
$40 million, that's how much of your tax dollars the Pentagon wants to spend to run a fiber optic link from Guantanamo Bay Cuba to South Florida. "The Miami Herald" is reporting it isn't clear where the cable would end in Florida. A Navy captain says the base, which houses the war court and prison camp and intelligence unit has stretched its satellite links. Well the proposed fiber optic link would still need congressional approval.
Imagine losing power and it comes back on, but now live downed power lines threaten your life and your home. That's what a family in Silver Springs, Maryland says has happened to them and they say their utility company is giving them the run-around. We're going to talk with them in just a few minutes.
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LEMON: Jeff Fischel is here now. Good morning sir.
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Hello Don.
LEMON: You have an inspirational story about a runner who'll be at the Olympics.
FISCHEL: Yes, Oscar Pistorius who has been fighting to be in the Olympics for years. Not so much with other athletes, right, but with athletic officials. Pistorius runs on artificial legs. He's won five medals at the Paralympics. The guy known as "Blade Runner".
He had to make a case that his carbon-fiber offered no advantage over natural limbs. He's won that case in South Africa. It's put him on the 400-meter as well as the 4 by 400 meter relay. So Pistorius will not only compete in the Olympics, he'll also run in the Paralympics beginning at the end of August, also in London.
CNN's Robin Kerno sat down with Pistorius during his training. Don, I know you'll have that interview coming up next hour, right?
LEMON: I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be great. "Blade runner", I like that.
FISCHEL: Yes. It's a great name. It's a great story. To baseball, now the Cubs against the Braves. Watch Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman tracking the foul ball. So he's running out of real estate and fast. He catches the ball and then his teammates catch him.
LEMON: Nice. Nice catch.
F1: Doesn't count for two out but great concentration, gate balance. Check it out. This time with feeling. Cubs win the game though, 5-1.
A fourth of July tradition if you can swallow this. Nathan's hot dog-eating contest in Coney Island, New York. There's the champ, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut. The technique, of course, is what it's all about. Dipping them in water. He defends his title -- ties his own world record, 68 hot dogs in ten minutes. My gag reflexes being --
LEMON: Right.
FISCHEL: Goodness. On the women's side also defending champ keeps her title. Sonya Thomas, a.k.a. the "Black Widow" set the women's world record by eat 45 hot dogs. She only weighs 100 pounds.
LEMON: I've interviewed both those. She's so little. How does she do it? You're right about the gag reflex. I can only eat 60.
FISCHEL: Right.
Have you heard about the Nitro Circus, by the way?
LEMON: No, no, no, I have not.
FISCHEL: A bunch of friends that go around the world. It's kind like crazy x-game-style stunts. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're dream makers, what can I tell you. Making dreams and nightmares come true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This does not look safe at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is it everything that we do that's sadly also has to be sketchy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is so stupid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FISCHEL: The big name you know as Travis Pastrana. He does crazy --
