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New Warning from Obama of Syria's Assad; Syria Rebels in Life- or-Death Struggle; Big Events in Remaining 3 Days for Olympics; Media Asks Holmes Court to Unseal Documents; Presidential Ads War Target Latinos

Aired August 09, 2012 - 11:00   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. Hope you're having a good Thursday.

It's 11:00 on the East Coast, 8:00 out West. There's a lot going on today.

A doctor, father and authority on near-death experiences in children stands accused of waterboarding his own daughter. That story's ahead.

Also, a hot, dry summer translates to pain in farmer's fields and supermarket check-out lanes all over the world.

And Curiosity is out of this world, way out of this world, but it is keeping in touch via tweets. Much of that coming up.

But first, a very tough story. Accusations of waterboarding not against a prisoner of war, but against an 11-year-old American girl. The man arrested, the girl's father who is a pediatrician in Delaware.

This is a mug shot we're showing you here of Dr. Melvin Morse. His daughter accuses him of holding her face under a running faucet and she told police he called it waterboarding.

Dr. Morse has written several books, including two that deal with near-death experiences in children. He has also been interviewed on various national talk shows, including Oprah Winfrey and made an appearance on "Larry King Live" in 1991. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MELVIN MORSE, ACCUSED OF WATERBOARDING DAUGHTER: I have interviewed well over 100 children who have a lack of oxygen to the brain, who are treated with all kinds of medicines, who also are mechanically ventilated and in scary, intensive care units, but were not near death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: I want to get more on this from reporter Corrina Pysa. She's with CNN affiliate WBOC and she is covering this story. Corrina is joining me on the phone. Hi, there, Corrina. So, this is -- the details that we're learning are just very, very troubling. So how did this all unfold? What first grabbed the attention of police?

CORRINA PYSA, WBOC REPORTER (via telephone): Well, Kate, initially, neighbors reported this to police. They reported that they had witnessed Melvin Morse dragging his 11-year-old daughter by the ankle over their gravel driveway, so they alerted authorities and then Melvin Morse was arrested for this. He posted $750 bail, was released.

Well, on August 6th, there was an interview with this 11-year-old child. She was brought in and, according to investigators, this alleged waterboarding that you spoke about earlier happened at least four times over the past two years, starting in May of 2009 and all that based on that August 6th interview with the 11-year-old daughter of Melvin Morse.

Now, police are saying that in that interview she actually told detectives that her father would punish her using what he referred to as waterboarding as punishment and she described that in detail.

She told detectives that he would actually hold her head under the faucet while it was running. It would go up her nose. The water would go all over her face.

And, now, we're learning even more details on this alleged punishment based on court documents. According to the court documents, the girl also told detectives that her father said she could go five minutes without brain damage.

And she says, as well, that sometimes while her father was doing this, he would actually look away. And one of maybe the most chilling details is the girl also told detectives that there were times when her father would become afraid that he would lose track of time and she would die. So, very stunning details.

BOLDUAN: Stunning, absolutely, especially when you think that he's not -- he's a private man, but a relatively public figure and a pediatrician, if can you even imagine it. And, now, we understand that Dr. Morse's wife is also facing charges. What do you know about that?

PYSA (via telephone): That's correct. She's actually facing all the same charges as her husband. She's been ordered to have no contact with the children, no contact with her husband, Melvin Morse.

Melvin's 40-year-old wife, her name, Pauline Morse, she was there actually, according to police during some of these waterboarding incidents. She apparently witnessed this happening, but didn't step in, didn't do anything to stop it, didn't report it to police. So, that's why she's now facing charges.

BOLDUAN: And as I understand it, this 11-year-old girl also has a 5-year-old sister. So, where are they now? PYSA (via telephone): Yes, she does. Now, police do confirm that two children living in the home, the 11-year-old alleged victim, as well as her 5-year-old sister, both of them remain in the custody of the Division of Family Services today.

BOLDUAN: And, so, real quickly, what's the next step here? When's the next court hearing? What are you expecting to happen now?

PYSA (via telephone): Well, all that is expected to happen very soon. I spoke with Delaware state police this morning and they just really expressed the urgency of moving forward on this case.

They take these kind of accusations very seriously. So, the interviews are continuing to take place and, of course, we'll be staying on top of everything.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. All right. Corrina Pysa of our affiliate WBOC, thank you so much for jumping on the phone. Thanks for your reporting.

Melvin Morse is being held now on $14,500 bail. Pauline Morse was released on bail, we should tell you. Both were told, as Corrina has told us, to have no contact with their two daughters. We'll, obviously, be staying on top of this.

And a very different story, heroism and the horror inside the Oak Creek Sikh temple and the latest heroes to emerge from this tragedy are just kids. Nine-year-old Amanat Singh and her 11-year-old brother, Abhay, the two were outside playing when Wade Michael Page began his rampage.

It's interesting to note Abhay's name means "fearless," because what Abhay and his sister did next is truly fearless. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABHAY SINGH, WARNED TEMPLE MEMBERS ABOUT SHOOTING: We ran as fast as we could inside to warn everybody in the kitchen and everywhere else to just warn everybody there's a man outside with a gun.

AMANAT SINGH, WARNED TEMPLE MEMBERS ABOUT SHOOTING: I feel like a hero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Who knows how many people they saved by sounding that alarm.

Right now, funeral preparations are under way for the six victims who were killed.

David Mattingly is in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. He's been following this, really, from the beginning. So, David, we understand funeral services will be held tomorrow for several temple members. What more are you hearing about that? DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's not just several, but it will be for all of those who were slain in Sunday's shooting at the temple. And the city providing the biggest space they have, the biggest indoor venue they have for this, which is the high school gymnasium.

I spoke to the mayor this morning. They're preparing not for just hundreds of people perhaps to come for this event, but possibly thousands. And it's all as people rally around this Sikh community here in this town, this community that felt for so long isolated by their beliefs and by their appearance and now finding that they are being greeted with open arms by so many people outside.

There's been a memorial fund set up and, so far, over $100,000 has been donated to that fund. The Sikh community here finding that they have a lot of friends from multiple faiths and multiple racial backgrounds here and those ties are getting stronger as the days go by.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, you can be sure of that. It sure sounds like also that every day the community has held vigils to honor those that they lost, as well as to pray for the wounded, and the vigils are growing and spreading. What are you hearing?

MATTINGLY: That's right. We've seen them all over the country in some respects. We saw one in Washington, D.C., outside of the White House yesterday. People there gathered, lighting candles, holding up pictures of those who'd been slain or injured, including pictures of the police officer who was shot multiple times, the first officer on the scene as he arrived to help someone there in the parking lot.

Those vigils started right here in Oak Creek and the crowds continue to grow throughout the week. We saw hundreds of people attending a vigil here at a local park.

Again, it's reaching across denominations, across faiths, across racial lines. This is a community, a city, that's really coming together behind the Sikhs here in Oak Creek.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, that entire community remaining in the thoughts and prayers of many all across the country. David Mattingly in Oak Creek. Thanks so much, David.

And meanwhile, the investigation into the shooting continues. Federal and state law enforcement say they've interviewed more than 100 people nationwide, including Page's family members, neighbors, and employers.

Right now, they are still reviewing Page's e-mails and other records and still searching for a motive.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Not sure this would fit on a t-shirt, but President Obama's "vision to restore middle-class economic security" tour carries on today in Colorado. The president is spending two days in the state where he accepted his party's nomination back in 2008 and outpolled John McCain in November of that year.

This year, though, it seems more of an uphill climb. A new poll shows Colorado leaning Mitt Romney's way right now with men among his strongest supporters, so the president is looking to women who favor his positions on health care, reproductive rights and working moms, of course, especially those in his own house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Everybody knows Michelle. You know, the fact that we are partners in this process, this journey of life has been my source of strength and I want to make sure that she has control over her health care choices.

I want to make sure that when she's working she's getting paid the same as men. I've got to say first lady's right now don't, even though that's a tough job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The president speaks next hour in Pueblo, later in Colorado Springs and you will see both of those events live right here on CNN.

So, you won't see a lot of Mitt Romney today, but it's definitely not a day off for him. The Republican challenger is fundraising in New York and New Jersey. He did take time to call into Bill Bennett's radio show and talk about -- and complain about negative campaigning. Listen here.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm seeing some of the ads out there. I don't know whatever happened to a campaign of hope and change. I thought he was a new kind of politician.

BILL BENNETT, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Yeah.

ROMNEY: But instead, his campaign and the people working with him have focused almost exclusively on personal attacks and not at all on the issues of the day which is how to get more jobs and more take- home pay. It is really disappointing.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And if hasn't already, Romney also, we assume, is working pretty hard to make up his mind about his running mate. One name being bandied about is Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor. He may not be a household name, but as we hear from John King, that could change overnight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tim Pawlenty wants you to know he likes beer.

TIM PAWLENTY, FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: What'd you guys have for lunch? Corned beef?

KING: And corned beef. And he's more than happy to go pub to pub, Ohio and elsewhere, making the case against President Obama.

PAWLENTY: Have you have had enough of sky-high unemployment across America? Have you had enough of runaway federal spending? Have you had enough of ObamaCare?

KING: Why might he share the ticket? Well, Policy-wise, he is very much in sync with Romney.

PAWLENTY: A lot of happy people getting some ice cream.

KING: And personally, he's the anti-Romney. His economic views shaped not by personal wealth, but by a blue collar upbringing on the streets of South St. Paul.

PAWLENTY: The dominant focus, economically, for the town back in the '60s and '70s were these mammoth meatpacking plants. They all suddenly shut down and, as a young boy, I saw this massive job loss, economic dislocation, heartache, worry. It's one thing to talk about it. It's another thing to have lived it and experienced it.

KING: Friends who shared the ice with young Tim Pawlenty or walked the halls of South St. Paul High in the late 1970s say what you see is what you get.

PAUL VOIGHT, PAWLENTY CHILDHOOD FRIEND: He woke up in the morning and delivered papers before school. He bagged groceries to get through college. He's been working hard for a long time.

LAVERNE MEYER, PAWLENTY CHILDHOOD FRIEND: Everybody worked hard in this community. Everybody lived moderately, but not excessively.

KING: Blue collar roots are just one Pawlenty asset. Other pluses? A Catholic turned evangelical Protestant; like Romney, a GOP governor who had to deal with Democrats; a record of holding the line on government spending and no Washington baggage.

His former chief of staff says Pawlenty's skills and interests fit the mold.

CHARLIE WEAVER, FORMER PAWLENTY CHIEF OF STAFF: By the time he left, I think the average increase in state spending over his eight years is 1 percent.

When he talks about education and the challenges of this country keeping up in a global economy, he gets fired up around that.

KING: And the down sides? He raised cigarette taxes which angered conservatives at the time. Like Romney, he has limited foreign policy experience. There is zero evidence he would put deep blue Minnesota in play and a rap that national ambition led to a cautious course as governor.

MAYOR R. T. RYBAK (D), MINNEAPOLIS: People thought he could be a kind of a breakthrough figure who could bring moderate voices from different sides together.

He got into office and became deeply partisan, unable to get much done. And in this case, spent most of his time running for national office.

KING: He said Tim Pawlenty's a nice guy. Tim Pawlenty talks a great game, but Tim Pawlenty did nothing, wasted eight years of government.

PAWLENTY: Well, Mayor Rybak, of course, is a leading spokesperson for the Obama campaign, so I would expect nothing less of him.

KING: Comfort level is a big reason Pawlenty is on the short list. Yes, Pawlenty and Romney sparred at the start of this campaign.

If it was "ObamneyCare" on "Fox News Sunday," why isn't it not "ObamneyCare" standing here with the governor right there?

But when his bid stalled, Pawlenty was quick to endorse Romney.

PAWLENTY: Are you ready for Mitt Romney to be the next president of the United States?

KING: They were governors at the same time and they share a disappointment from the 2008 vice-presidential search.

It left a bit of a mark on you. Has that had an impact on how you view the thing, view it at this time through?

PAWLENTY: Well, we don't talk about the vetting process in the Romney campaign, but in general, you know, I've been through this before, so it's -- when you've done something before, it's easy and more casual and more relaxed the second time.

So, I don't want to say it's no big deal, but it's a little bit of deja vu or familiar and I think it just becomes a little easier.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Our chief national correspondent John King is joining me now live. It's a fascinating look into the Tim Pawlenty that some of us have never met before, really because he's not really a household name.

But it's interesting, John, because it doesn't seem like there are any hard feelings between Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty. Because Tim Pawlenty was pretty tough on Romney during the primary. It surprised me a bit.

KING: He was. Especially on that healthcare issue. But it is the swiftness with which Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race. After that early debate, his fundraising dried up. He dropped out quickly.

A lot of his advisors were furious at him, Kate. They thought he should stay in to see if he could get another opening down the road. He dropped out. He quickly made the decision to endorse Mitt Romney.

It was not clear at that moment that Governor Romney would emerge as the leading candidate and as the nominee, so he took a bit of a risk. They are grateful for that inside the Romney campaign all the way up to the candidate. And they say he has done anything they asked, gone anywhere they wanted.

And, so, he has built a good reservoir of support, including with the candidate himself who's getting close to making ...

(AUDIO BREAK)

KING: Governor Romney will look for the Olympics to pass and look for this to happen next week.

As to how, look, he's a very methodical guy. Like Tim Pawlenty, he did he not like the way the McCain campaign handled the vetting process back in 2008. Governor Romney was vetted then, as well. So, they have been very quiet, secretive about this.

If you look at what we've learned about the short list, Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota; Rob Portman, the senator from Ohio; Paul Ryan, the congressman from Minnesota, what do they have in common?

Blue collar, Midwestern voters are critical in this campaign and Governor Romney has essentially been testing them out on the campaign trail to see if one of them has any special magic not only in Ohio, maybe in Wisconsin, maybe in Pennsylvania.

So, you see a pattern of looking towards the states in the Midwest, Michigan included, that Governor Romney think could be decisive in this election.

BOLDUAN: At times, it's almost seemed like an "American Idol" of vice-presidential candidates, as they've all been stumping for him out on the trail, once in a while.

You mentioned Rob Portman. You're taking a closer look at some of the men on this short list. You're taking a look at Rob Portman tonight?

KING: Rob Portman tonight. He was a House member. He's now in the Senate. He served in the first Bush administration as a policy aide in the White House. He served George W. Bush as trade representative and as budget director.

He has the most Washington experience, if you will, of anybody on the short list. Some people say that's a great asset. If Governor Romney wins the election, he'd have someone who on day one can help him govern. Others say, boy, that's a Washington insider. It gives you baggage. Here's one little nugget we can tell you, Kate. I'm told by reliable source that the former vice president, Dick Cheney, has told Governor Romney he thinks Rob Portman is the best pick.

Number one, he says you want to pick somebody who will help you govern. Dick Cheney believes Rob Portman is the best in the bunch in that regard. And Vice President Cheney and all of Portman's other friends believe he would give you at least a little bit of a bounce in Ohio. Romney can't win the White House, the math is almost impossible to do, without winning Ohio.

So, if you look at Ohio and governing, you could say Senator Portman. But again, Governor Romney's the one who knows where he's going to go here.

BOLDUAN: That's absolutely right and we will wait and watch. And I'll be looking for an e-mail from you as soon as you get the announcement.

John King, our chief national correspondent. Thanks so much, John.

KING: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Tim Pawlenty is stumping for Romney in Michigan today. And you can learn more about Rob Portman on "The Situation Room," 4:00 p.m. Eastern, right here, only here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: The U.N.'s monthly food price index shows a 6 percent jump in July. Corn prices exploded 23 percent. Not coincidentally, we learned today that 46 percent, almost half of the contiguous United States, is in severe, extreme or exceptional drought.

CNN's Alison Kosik is crunching these numbers and much more at the New York Stock Exchange. Alison, I have to tell you, as someone who was born and raised in the great state of Indiana, I have been paying attention to this.

Tell us why corn problems have such an oversized effect on food prices across the world.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know why corn makes such an impact, Kate, is because corn is in everything. I mean, it's in animal feed. It's in corn syrup, in cereal, in soda, in baking powder. The list just goes on and on.

And because corn is so expensive, you're seeing food prices jump 6 percent last month. Look at this. The biggest jump and you probably noticed this in the cereal aisle, cereal surged 17 percent in July. Cereal prices, they're near record highs.

Sugar is up 12 percent because there are heavy rains in Brazil. Brazil is the world's biggest sugar supplier. Even the price of oil and fats, that's up 2 percent and they're we're talking about margarine and peanut butter. And you're seeing prices for fats go up because soy beans are also being affected by the drought. And they're used in those products as well.

But notice this. Notice that meat prices actually fell, but analysts say that's a one-time blip and it's because farmers are selling or slaughtering some cattle to afford the higher prices for corn feed.

So what that does is it floods the market with more meat and lowers the price. So, you know, the bottom line with this is food is a commodity just like crude oil is and it's a very volatile commodity.

BOLDUAN: And the impact on food prices is not only something that we need to care about here in the United States, but it's having an outsized impact in countries across the world in poorer countries, something I want to talk about later, but as usual, we're out of time.

Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. Thanks so much, Alison.

KOSIK: Sure.

BOLDUAN: Normally, Elise Labott, one of my good friends, is reporting for us here out of the State Department in Washington, but when she's traveling around the world with U.S. diplomats and reporting for us, she loves Jerusalem, not just for the international stories, but for one fabulous market.

Here's her "Travel Insider."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Jerusalem's Old City is famous for its history and culture, but I love to come to the Mahne Yehuda market on Jaffa Street. This is where you're going to find the real tastes and smells of Israel.

Outside the market, you have the freshest fruits and vegetables. The produce in this country is really incredible.

And inside the market, they have all these breads and sweets and dried fruits and nuts and all the great nibbly things that they call bisits (ph) here.

There is also a whole alley of different restaurants where people can come and eat lunch.

But the thing that I like the most about this market is you can find Israelis and Palestinians from all walks of life here. No hatter what the divisions are in this country, everyone can agree on one thing -- good food.

Elise Labott, CNN, Jerusalem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: A new warning from President Obama to Syrian President al Assad. Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser says all options remain on the table to help the Syrian opposition, including a possible no-fly zone. John Brennan says this, "The U.S. is looking at scenarios and making contingency plans as the situation evolves in Syria." Asked by a reporter if a no-fly zone was an option, Brennan said, "I don't recall the president ever saying that anything was off the table."

Despite the tough words, Syrian military planes, helicopters and tanks continue heavy attacks on the country's largest city of Aleppo. 20 people have been killed so far today as well as dozens of others across the country. You're seeing in these pictures these amazing pictures horrific. Some sections of Aleppo are nothing but rubble.

For the rebels, it's a fight of life or death for the many civilians there. it's a daily fight for survival.

Here is Ben Wedeman's first-hand look.

(CROSSTALK)

(GUNFIRE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marfis (ph has retrieved what he could from the ruins of his home in what is left of Aleppo's Saladin neighborhood, there is little time to ponder one's loss.

"The situation is terrible," he tells me. "We're taking everything we can. We don't know where we'll go. We've lost everything so we're leaving."

His family of seven is just one of thousands of families who have fled Aleppo. Now one of the main battle fields between government forces and the rebels.

17-year-old Hamzi (ph) as been fighting here for the last two weeks. He says several of his comrades were killed by Syrian army snipers earlier in the day.

These lightly armed fighters have managed to hold off the army. Their most potent weapon is not in their enemy's arsenal, says this elderly fighter who identifies himself simply as Alexander.

ALEXANDER, SYRIA REBEL: This is all we have. We can fight with them and we will win because we have faith. We have faith. We believe in God. They don't believe in God. If they believe in God, they don't bomb his people.

WEDEMAN: The death and destruction is not restricted to the front lines. Government jets regularly bomb targets around the city. The rebels fire back with their light machine guns.

(GUNFIRE) The rebel-held district of Sitke (ph) further removed from the fighting provides its inhabitants with the illusion of normality a few shops and street vendors are at work. But prices are up. A kilo of tomatoes cost four times what it did a month ago, and that's if you have the money to buy it. There is little work to be had as the city turns into a battleground. Tamath (ph), the baker, is preparing date filled cakes for the breaking of the Ramadan fast. He says he's too busy to worry about the fighting.

(on camera): It's an odd feeling here in the parts of Aleppo occupied by the free Syrian Army. People are out. They're buying vegetables. The bakeries are working. But all the while, occasionally, you hear blasts like that as the area comes under bombardment.

(voice-over): Loah (ph) shows me his son, born 10 days ago to the sound of fighting.

"He cries and is terrified during the bombing, say Loah (ph). "The bombardment appears to be random."

I was told this house was hit in an air raid two days before killing two of its inhabitants. There are no rebel positions in the area.

Cut off from the rest of the city, residents have turned a public park into a temporary graveyard.

Abu Shamu (ph), the fighter, explains that the latest grave contains three bodies no one could identify because they were so severely mutilated.

(CHANTING)

WEDEMAN: The shelling goes through the night. The explosions and the uncertainty about where the next round will fall makes sleep difficult.

Early in the morning around 100 residents line up for bread. This is the only bakery that makes bread in the area. Bread has become the main staple here. Each family member is allowed one flat loaf a day, sold at a symbolic price. The flour is provided by the Free Syrian Army or wealthy benefactors.

Even if more food was available, cooking is a problem. This part of Aleppo has run out of cooking gas.

Omahnan (ph) explains she cooks for her extended family of 16 on firewood she collects in parks and in the street.

And for the children, there's a sense of bewilderment as war turns their lives up side down.

"We're confused," says this 11-year-old Nanla (ph). "We feel that they want to attack us. We left this area before, then we came back. Now we want to leave again but we can't." (GUNFIRE)

WEDEMAN: With an all-out Syrian government offensive looming over his city, Nanla (ph) and others like her can do little but wait and hope the next bomb falls far, far away.

(GUNFIRE)

Ben Wedeman, Aleppo, Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Ben continues to do great work out of Syria. The revolt against the president has been going on now for 17 months. The U.N. says 17,000 people have been killed. The opposition, though, puts the death toll at more than 20,000.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Just three more days of Olympics action left and some big events are being decided today. But don't blink or you might miss it. The fastest men in the world hit the track in the 200-meter dash. Jamaica is in the spotlight here. Usain Bolt and Johan Blake are expected to lead the pack. If Bolt wins, he'll be the first man to win both the 100 and 200 meter races in two straight Olympics. That's something to watch. And the ladies of the U.S. soccer out for revenge. After a heartbreaking loss to Japan last year in the World Cup final, the teams meet again and will be battling out for the gold.

So for more things on all things Olympics, let's bring in Zain Verjee from London.

Hi, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kate. All things Olympics and revenge. That's really what this is about between the U.S. and Japan. Back in 2011, the U.S. lost. They were so close. They were right there. They gave up the world cup to Japan. The U.S. is physically a stronger team. They play in a more direct way. The Japanese a little bit more technical. They tend to keep possession of the ball a lot more. It really going to be an exciting match. You have 82,000 people that are going to be in Wembley to watch this. That is the biggest crowd ever to watch women's soccer in this country. If the U.S. does win, it will be the fifth Olympic gold of six since the Olympics started.

BOLDUAN: Sounds like it's going to be an absolute battle.

We have to take a quick moment to talk about my favorite sport. It was really fun to watch last night. Women's volleyball, that win by Misty May and Kerri Walsh. It was amazing.

VERJEE: It was, that third Olympic gold. Misty May did a shuffle and dance in the sand. I don't know if you saw that.

(LAUGHTER) She was so happy. Kerri is like I can't believe this. She said, quote, "It doesn't feel real." She said it was like a dream. "If I wake up tomorrow and have to replay this match, I would be furious." But they won in straight sets. It was a total sellout. It was in one of the most beautiful locations in London. It looked so pretty. It was at the Horse Guard's Parade. It actually used to be the former headquarters of the U.S. Army a long time ago. I'm sorry, U.K. army a long time ago.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: It's a beautiful location. It's been fun to watch.

Back to the track. There is drama this morning involving the South African relay team. What are you hearing about that?

VERJEE: Yes. You know, the focus was on Pistorius, the double amputee. He was going to make history just running the four by 400 relay. Basically what happened, there was some kind of collision between two athletes before Oscar was supposed to run. It was between a Kenyan and one of the South African team. And they kind of crashed. And the South African dislocated his shoulder. Everyone ran on to pass the baton and finish the race. Oscar was just left there standing. He wasn't able to run. So what ended up happening was that they looked at the tape again and it was decided by officials that the Kenyans messed up here. And that collision was their fault. So they were disqualified. And so when Oscar Pistorius thought, gosh, this is the saddest moment of my life, I'm not even going to be able to run this because of this accident. It turned out he is now able to run. He's going to be in the final with the rest of the team and that's tomorrow.

BOLDUAN: I guess it wouldn't be an Olympics without a little bit of controversy. There's been quite a bit, almost every day. It's been fun to watch.

VERJEE: No.

BOLDUAN: I know, Zain. Thank you so much.

Also today, we have the U.S. women's water polo team is hoping to -- hoping that the fourth time is a charm. Since it became an Olympic sport in 2000, the ladies have medaled three times, but no gold yet. So we'll see. They face off with Spain in the final at 3:00 p.m. eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: After the tragic theater shooting that left 12 people dead in Colorado, many of us would like to know more, want to know more about the man allegedly behind the rampage. News organizations are asking a judge this afternoon to unseal court documents related to the suspect, James Holmes. You're seeing him there from a previous court appearance.

Our Kyung Lah is joining me now from Colorado. What are you expecting to happen in court today? Is there any expectation of the outcome?

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point we simply don't know what the outcome is going to be. The judge did seal the court files. What this hearing is about today is the public's right to know, the media trying to get access to the court files. What the judge did seal is the documents related to the investigation. Police files, any official law enforcement documents. But he also did seal James Holmes' record at the University of Colorado. So the argument from the media attorneys is that there has been a large shroud here and that public has a right to know. The judge is expected to hear arguments from the attorneys representing the press asking for access to that -- those documents and that's really today is going to be about. We are also expecting to see the suspect himself, James Holmes. He's not required to be -- to appear. But court officials are telling us that he probably will appear. So we have to see if he is going to make that appearance -- Kate?

BOLDUAN: And real quick, what is behind the judge's order to keep the documents sealed in the first place? Did he give -- did they give any explanation of it?

LAH: Originally, the request was placed by James Holmes' attorney. The defense attorney in this case requesting that there be a seal on those investigative documents. Anything related to the police, law enforcement. But then the judge expanded that to include the University of Colorado documents. I think that's where the focus of the argument by the media attorneys are going to be is that that is perhaps an overreach of this gag order.

BOLDUAN: OK. Thank you so much, Kyung Lah, tracking this in Colorado for us.

Meanwhile, the Arapahoe County district attorney declined to comment on the case. We will be bringing you updates on this hearing and how it is proceeding as we get word.

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BOLDUAN: It is not just the battle for the White House that has turned into the war of presidential campaign ads. The other day it was Romney-Hood and Obama-loney, and then an attack over welfare for Obama, and Romney for his time at Bain. And the rhetoric and finger pointing is everywhere on the airwaves and online.

Watch this latest spot from a conservative group unaffiliated with the Romney group in Nevada that targets the Latino vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AD ANNOUNCER: Don't be fooled by President Obama's words. He is not committed to the immigrants. Obama has deported more people than any other president in this country's history.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BOLDUAN: Some pretty tough stuff. So let's bring in Rafael Romo who has been digging into the ad.

Rafael, this ad really goes after President Obama raising doubts about the stance on immigration. And give us a fact-check, true or false? Has President Obama deported more people than ever before?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT: It is actually true, Kate. We took at look as some numbers by the Department of Homeland security, and, yes, it is in fact true. If you look at the numbers for the deportations for the last three years, you will see that the president's administration has deported shy of 400,000 people every year. And if you go back to 2007, the last year of the Bush administration, there was about 80,000 less deportations under the last year of Bush as compared to the first year of Obama. But it is true. However, the administration will tell you that what they have done is focused on criminals, and focused on felons and really expelling from the country, the undesirable characters -- Kate?

BOLDUAN: And so, when it comes down to it, we know that President Obama supports the dream, act which is a big issue and has been in the headlines, and also has made that announcement, and kind of changing the immigration policies slightly and allowing the preferred deportation for many young immigrants and how does the Romney campaign then respond to that and what are they doing or saying that they are doing to give the Hispanic voters confidence that a Romney administration would do better?

ROMO: Well, that is one of the attacks that appeared in the ad. The reason that President Obama preferred deportations for young people here in the country undocumented is because he is desperate for votes, but when the president addressed the issue at the national association of Latino elected officials conference in June, he said that if Romney were the president, he wouldn't even do something like that. He, in fact, would block any attempt to help these young people.

Let's hear what the president had to say back then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In a speech he said that he makes a promise to you that he will keep it. Well, he has promised to veto the Dream Act. And we should take him at his word.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Now, the other aspect is that candidate Romney has also surrounded himself with people, like the architect of the immigration laws, the laws cracking down on immigration, Kris Kobach, from Kansas, and laws like in Arizona and Alabama, and a lot of people in the Hispanic community, many immigrants really resent that -- Kate?

BOLDUAN: Well, Rafael, something that we need to continue to track in the last three months of the race. Thank you, Rafael Romo.

Hispanic voters, if you need to be reminded, will be an important factor throughout the presidential race, but also an important factor in swing states like Colorado, New Mexico, Florida and Nevada, where this particular ad is airing.

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BOLDUAN: The "Curiosity" rover is up and running on Mars and sending back some pretty amazing pictures of what the Martian surface looks like. And like all tech-savvy folks, it is tweeting every move it makes.

John Zarrella has that report.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may seem like the "Curiosity" rover is your worst friend on Twitter, just sending brag pictures from exotic places. "Me and my shadow and Mount Sharp," its operators tweeted on day one. Now it is begging for more attention. "Head's up, no, really, my head's up," as it beamed another shadow pic back to earth. And then it sent the first 360- degree photo from Mars of, you guessed it, itself.

But "Curiosity's" operators say that it is all for good reason.

JUSTIN MAKI, IMAGING SCIENTIST: We also took panorama of the deck, and we call it the deck pan, and we took this to document the state of the deck after the land in landing.

ZARRELLA: The team is just giving the rover a good look at rover before the science mission, and make sure it functions just as you see in the animation.

And so far, so good.

JENNIFER TROSPER, JPL MISSION MANAGER: You can see the shadow of the arm in the image, and you can also see that the mast is deployed, which is excellent. That is what we are looking for.

ZARRELLA: New photos also show a wide field of gravel and pebbles around the rover. That is the lip of the Gale Crater off in the distance. Dark spots dug out in landing reveal underlying bedrock, a relatively smooth road trip is ahead.

MIKE MALIN, PRESIDENT, MALIN SPACE SCIENCE SYSTEMS: There is some question about can we move the rover? Safe to move the rover? There is nothing around it. So it is safe to move the rover and nothing under it, because we have an image closer in as well.

ZARRELLA: Mission managers say that with the spacecraft, being as healthy as it is, and with the capability it has, all of the options are open for science.

John Zarrella, CNN, at Jet Propulsion Lab at Pasadena.

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BOLDUAN: So you can follow "Curiosity" on Twitter, @marscurosity, to track the latest pictures coming in from the Martian surface.

That's all for us for this hour. Thank you for watching. I'm Kate Bolduan.