Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Obama Blitzing Iowa; Divide And Conquer; Romney Versus Ryan Plans; Rising Star To Deliver RNC Keynote; Three Dead In Shootings Near Texas A&M; Colorado Theater Rampage Records; Wildfires Scorching The West; Prosecutor: Butler Wanted To "Shock" Vatican; More Losses Expected On Auto Bailout; Pregnant Python Found In Everglades; Voting Controversy In Ohio; Reports: Al Qaeda Playing Role In Syria; Inside A War Zone

Aired August 14, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone.

Ahead in the NEWSROOM, it's beginning to look a lot like November, the battleground blitz in full force today. Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado -- just some of the turf being covered.

Plus, Democrats say there's some funny business going on in one of those states and it's all over early voting. Are some Ohio counties being given preferential treatment?

Plus, fire this under the category of major fail. Some top luxury cars unable to pass new safety test just three making the grade.

And imagine jetting from New York to London in under an hour. That is right. A test flight today could make that reality tomorrow. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

And good morning, everyone. I'm Deborah Feyerick in for Carol Costello. Four candidates, five states, 10 cities, it's a jam- packed day in the race for the White House with all the candidates set to give speeches in major battleground states today.

President Obama continues his tour throughout Iowa. He'll be speaking in Oskaloosa in about two hours and follows that up with a stop of Marshalltown and then Water Loo.

Mitt Romney is also focusing on the Midwest. Before the day is over, he will visit three cities in Ohio. His running mate, Paul Ryan hitting two states today with events in Lakewood, Colorado, and Las Vegas tonight.

And Vice President Joe Biden not to be left out making two stops in Virginia including remarks next hour.

Well, now back to the president in Iowa. Our White House correspondent Dan Lothian who is with the president in Oskaloosa. And, Dan, three days in a major farm state that only has six electoral votes. Obviously, the president's team feels it's a state they need to win. DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They really do. You know, look back to 2008. This is a state that the president won by 10 points and you look at the polling now. It's a very tight race here.

So Iowa along with a handful of other key battleground states could really hold the tickets to winning in this election, but in addition to that, there's sort of the symbolism behind the state.

Iowa is essentially launched the president in to the White House in 2008. The president has been talking over the last day, 24 hours or so about the importance of this state, what it means to him. He feels like he is a son of Iowa.

So this is critical for the president on two fronts, first of all, a state that launched him in to the White House, but also one of a handful of those battleground states that again the president hopes for a repeat performance.

FEYERICK: And Dan, the president is giving two speeches since Representative Paul Ryan was named vice president. We're starting to hear a familiar theme. What is it?

LOTHIAN: Right. And the theme is that you may not know a whole lot about him, but even though the president is running against Mitt Romney, they're trying to paint it as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are one and the same.

And that the Paul Ryan budget plan blueprint or rather plan is something that's bad for Americans, bad for the middle class, bad for Medicare and seniors, even though the proposal or the plan for Medicare would not impact those under 55 years of age.

But nonetheless, they're saying it's bad for seniors and if that's what Paul Ryan stands for then that is also what Mitt Romney stands for. You heard that from the president yesterday during two of his campaign rallies.

Where on the one hand, he was complimenting, saying nice things about Paul Ryan, but also hitting him on his record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: He is an articulate spokesman for Governor Romney's vision, but the problem is that vision is one that I fundamentally disagree with. He's an articulate spokesman for Governor Romney's vision. But it's a vision that I fundamentally disagree with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: Today, the president will continue here in Iowa making three stops as you pointed out, talking about jobs and job creation here in the state focused on wind energy and extension of wind, a tax credit for those companies that are in the wind sector.

But in addition to that, according to a campaign official, the president will continue trying to make that sharp contrast between his policies and the policies of Mitt Romney and to that extent will be talking about Paul Ryan.

FEYERICK: All right, Dan Lothian for us in Iowa, thanks so much. We'll keep an eye on that.

Well, divide and conquer. That might be the plan for the two Republican men who hope to become president and vice president. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is spending the day in the key battleground state of Ohio while his running mate Congressman Paul Ryan starts in Colorado before heading to Las Vegas.

CNN's political director, Mark Preston, joining us now. And Mark, why splitting up the two candidates? Are they simply trying to cover more ground?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. There's no question about that. Not only they are trying to cover more ground, campaigning, trying to rally support for the candidates they are sending in November. They are also raising money.

We're going to see Paul Ryan raising money out in Nevada later today. You know, we heard Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan both say this in the past couple of days. It's no longer two on one, meaning Joe Biden and Barack Obama against Mitt Romney.

It is now two on two and Paul Ryan, that's why he is split off right now, Deb and he is going to be going out campaigning by himself for at least the time being.

FEYERICK: Covering as much ground as he possibly he can now. Congressman Paul Ryan, obviously, the budget plan front and center, but could Romney be backing away from the Ryan plan? Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm sure there are places that my budget is different than his, but we're on the same page as I said before. We want to get America on track to a balanced budget.

There may be, we'll take a look at the differences. Well, the items we agree on I think outweigh any differences that may be. We haven't gone through piece by piece.

Here's a place where there's a difference. I can't imagine any two people, even in the same party, who have exactly the same positions on all issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And that was from yesterday, Mark. But could the Ryan plan upstage the Romney plan, not just now as it's doing, but even closer to the election?

PRESTON: Well, that's certainly what Democrats are trying to do right now. They're trying to affix the Ryan plan directly to Mitt Romney and saying, in fact, he's adopted it.

He has in the past suggested that he liked it and he has said some things, but certainly in the past few days ever since he named Paul Ryan to his ticket to be his running mate he has been very careful not to adopt it.

That's because there are some very controversial parts of that plan, including the idea of making vouchers in to Medicare and overhauling that whole program, especially in the key state of Florida.

Now, Deb, I can tell you in the past 10 or 15 minutes I have spoken to a Romney spokesman and they told me this. They said expect us to go on the offense when it comes to the issue of Medicare over the next couple of days.

We have already heard this so far. But in addition to that, Deb, they said that Paul Ryan will be down in Central Florida this weekend and he himself is going to carry that flag -- Deb.

FEYERICK: All right, CNN political director, Mark Preston, live for us in Washington, thanks so much.

Well, Republican star, Chris Christie getting the spotlight on one of the party's biggest night. The New Jersey governor is now tapped to deliver the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in Tampa later this month.

The outspoken Christie was considering his own presidential run, but instead backed Mitt Romney. The Romney camp and the Republican National Committee are the ones who decide the key speakers at the RNC.

And it started with an eviction notice, now people in College Station, Texas, are mourning three people killed in a half hour shootout. Police say a sheriff's deputy went to a house near Texas A&M University to deliver the eviction notice.

A man opened fire on the deputy. Police responded when the firing ended the gunman, deputy and a bystander were dead. Four other people were injured. A nearby resident spoke of his own close call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just thought it was construction at first because there's a lot of renovation of the building going on right now. And then I kind of ignored it at first.

And then I heard sirens and got me thinking and then I heard two bullets whiz by my room over there. I threw myself out of bed and like I don't think I should be by the window right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, the suspect has been identified as Thomas Kathil. His mother said he had been ill. A judge in the Colorado theatre shooting case has ordered some key records released to the media today despite objections from both prosecutors and the defense.

Those records include crime scene materials, but other records remain seal such as probable cause affidavits. James Holmes is accused of opening fire at a premier of the new Batman movie leaving 12 people dead and 58 others injured.

Both campaigns will tell you every vote matters in this election and there's a ballot battle going on right now in Ohio. Learn why all voters may not get equal access to casting an early ballot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Hello, everyone. I'm Deborah Feyerick. Checking our top stories now.

A wild fire in Central Washington state less than a full day old, yet, it already threatened some 100 homes. Evacuations are under way about 80 miles southwest of Seattle. Fire crews are calling in reinforcements.

Firefighters in Northern California battling two wild fires. Some residents in Lake County about 100 miles north of San Francisco have been forced from their homes.

Turning now to the Vatican, prosecutors say the pope's butler has admitted to leaking hundreds of secret papers. They say he passed them on to a journalist to, quote, "combat evil and corruption everywhere in the church." Paulo Gabriel will be charged with aggravated theft.

Your wallet is a little lighter this morning that's because there's a new update on the cost of the auto bailout. The Treasury Department expects the losses to top $25 billion on the $85 billion bailout. One big reason, GM's plummeting stock price.

Scientists say the largest Burmese python ever caught in the Florida everglades and it was pregnant. The python weigh in at over 160 pounds. It was carrying 87 eggs. It was euthanized. It's being studied at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

So should one state have different rules for voting early? That's the debate going on right now in Ohio. Some counties plan to make early voting hours longer while other counties plan to keep the same hours.

The difference is that those that are staying open longer are predominantly in Republican counties while those closing early are in Democratic counties.

Nina Turner, a Democratic state senator from Ohio joins me now. Thank you so much, Senator, for being here. This fight is clearly far from over. NINA TURNER (D), OHIO STATE SENATOR: Good morning. Yes, Deb. It's tragic that in the 21st Century, 2012, we have voter suppression going on. You know, Jim Crow has been resurrected making repeat performances in the south and it's packed his bags and moved north in Ohio in particular.

FEYERICK: You know, it's interesting because the way this is set up, now, this changed back in 2011 and the way it was set up was that the election's folks wanted to give -- the state secretary to give more power to the counties so you have two Democrats, two Republicans. Why is it that there's pushback when it comes to extending hours in those Democratic counties?

TURNER: It's not by accident, Deb, that Democrats and Republican-leaning counties who serve on boards of elections get it. Democrats have been consistent in terms of us extending the franchise for the citizens of the state.

But when we get to urban counties such as Cuyahoga County, Franklin County, the Republicans on those boards have voted to suppress the vote and the secretary of state sided with them in terms of suppressing the vote in the state of Ohio.

It's not by accident that President Obama in 2008 won Cuyahoga County by about 70 percent. When we get to Butler County, which is Speaker Boehner's county, it is the reverse for John McCain.

As you see the map that you have, you see very, very clearly that Republican-leaning counties the vote has been extended. And in Democratic-leaning counties, the vote has been suppressed.

Even Ray Charles could see what is going on here, flat-out voter suppression in Democratic areas and also areas that are predominantly African-American.

FEYERICK: Now we did reach out to the Ohio secretary of state and we are waiting to hear back from them. He has said, in fact, that he may step in to make this -- to make the change, to extend voting hours across the county. You see it as voter suppression but you what are the answers given? Some might say we're trying to save money.

TURNER: Well, Deb, you know, there's a cost to run a clean and fair election and then there's a cost to run an election that is a debacle that will return us to 2004 that will make a mockery out of the democracy.

Yes, there's a cost and we should err on the side of extending the vote. You know, a lot of people work. They work two, three jobs. Voting hours 8:00 to 5:00 doesn't help folks who work. We have to make sure that people have access to the ballot.

This is United States of America. This is the state of Ohio. We relish in folks having the ability to vote and why should it be suppressed in the state of Ohio? Again, it is not by happenstance this is happening.

Nobody should have to beg to vote. Well, that is what's going on in Ohio. Deb, furthermore, in Cuyahoga County in particular, about 56 percent of African-Americans who live in this county voted early in person, 56 percent.

What does that tell you? They might as well bring back literacy test and the poll tax to keep this up in the state of Ohio.

FEYERICK: All right, Nina Turner, Democratic state senator. I do want to mention you mentioned the 2004 election and a lot of Ohioans were left waiting in long lines and unable to vote by the time the polls closed. We did reach out to the secretary of state there in Ohio, but he did not get back to us. Thank you so much for joining us today.

TURNER: Thanks, Deb.

FEYERICK: Well, in the middle of the civil war you don't think about lights at an intersection. You worry about gun fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's saying you want to go back and drive fast through the intersection because there's a sniper. He said, get down. He said get down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: CNN's Ben Wedeman and his courageous crew reach the besiege city of Aleppo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: We have a new account today of how the Syrian regime is losing control of the country. This version of events comes from someone who is part of President Bashar Al-Assad's inner circle until last week.

Former Prime Minister Riad Hijab spoke to reporters in Jordan today. He says the Syrian regime is collapsing and only controls about 30 percent of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIAD HIJAB, FORMER SYRIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It is my obligation to announce my defection from this corrupt regime. As God says in the Holy Koran, those who are shown to be enemies of God separate from them. I'm now only on the side of the people, a loyal soldier defending the people's rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And CNN's Nic Robertson joins us with a new and potentially alarming development in the civil war. And Nic, what you're discovering is that al Qaeda might be playing a role here. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly they claim an expectation that al Qaeda would exploit it. It's certainly got a lot of experience just across the border in the east to Iraq and there is certainly is evidence that it has come across the border.

That it does have organizations operating or cells rather operating within Syria. The former ambassadors who we talked to earlier in this year said they were already seeing indications of it and the fighting on the ground does seem to begin to bear that out.

Al Qaeda taking the evidence of bomb making, roadside bombs that target Bashar Al-Assad's forces on the highways. Suicide bombings have been used as well. So the evidence does seem to be there now.

FEYERICK: And Nic, when is the suggestion, though, if al Qaeda then is helping the Syrian rebels, what does that suggest for future relations with that country?

ROBERTSON: Well, it's one of the very problematic parts of the sort of mosaic of opposition forces that there are. You have a lot of people in the opposition. Remember, it began as street protests and it was only because Bashar Al-Assad's regime cracked down that they began to pick up and take up weapons.

So this is something that has grown from a street protest into an armed uprising that al Qaeda has tried to take advantage of. Al Qaeda that's sort of core level Pakistan, Afghanistan. But its core level wants to exploit the Arab spring in any way possible.

So they at an institutional level, they want to exploit, but how does that affect relations? Well, it is going to complicate relations because when you support the opposition, how do you know some of that support, whether it's technical or communications equipment, whether it's military equipment is going to end up in the hands of al Qaeda?

What happens after Bashar Al-Assad is gone? How deeply rooted how these organizations become? But when you talk to those people who were involved in the grass roots protest at the beginning, they've for one do not support having al Qaeda in the country.

They don't want them. They see this is a very worrying and troubling development. And for all the people sitting in the middle of the fence that sort of call people in the middle in Syria who don't know which way to jump right now.

This makes them very afraid and more likely to side with Assad and more likely to make the war last longer and give al Qaeda the chance to exploit the situation further -- Deb.

FEYERICK: It's fascinating. Also, just quickly, Nic, we know that al Qaeda was coming, they were in Afghanistan. They went in to Iraq. Is there any suggestion as to where they're coming from to get in to Syria, for example? ROBERTSON: Well, the expectation is that some of them will have crossed the border from Syria -- from Iraq, which is on the easterly border of Syria. They would have crossed over that way.

But there's also a sense among many people that Assad encouraged al Qaeda to transit through his country to sort of set up on the fringes of it as long as they didn't destabilize Syria in order to sort of undermine U.S. efforts in Iraq.

So in some senses some of those al Qaeda members if you will have been lying low on the ground in Syria so coming across the border of the east Iraq, Syria and likely drawing in. We have seen some coming from Europe. Londoners reported al Qaeda sympathetic cells in Syria so far, as well.

FEYERICK: All right, Nic Robertson for us live in Saudi Arabia, thank you so much.

Aleppo, Syria's largest city remains a battleground between the regime and the rebels. That poses a danger for reporters on the ground. Here's more from our Ben Wedeman in the middle of the fighting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: OK. He's saying you want to go back and drive fast through the intersection because there's a sniper. He said, get down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down. Take this risk? There's a sniper.

WEDEMAN: Get down, get down, get down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just hit the deck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Plug it, mate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't go any further.

WEDEMAN: That's all right. You're fine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come down.

WEDEMAN: Come down. Just keep down. Even if it's uncomfortable, just get down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not because it's uncomfortable. Are you going to do it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're off.

WEDEMAN: All right, OK. We made it, passed that one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You cannot see some of this section.

WEDEMAN: OK. Maybe now's a good time to get out. Get our bearings.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Look Ben gives clearly somebody who's been in a number of war zones. Ben and his crew able to get out of Aleppo and back to the safe house, but that trip also took hours.

And to politics now where people are talking about Paul Ryan's political resume. We'll take a look at the foreign policy portion of that paper trail.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM for you.

More problems for Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. The Middle State Commission on Higher Education is warning the University that it could lose accreditation that could jeopardize federal funds and even membership in the NCAA -- the CAA excuse me.

In Florida, lawyers for George Zimmerman are appealing a judge's decision to not step aside. He claims the judge used disparaging language. Zimmerman is free on $1 million bond as he awaits trial in the murder of an unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.

Thirty-two TSA officers are accusing some of their fellow workers of racial profiling. They say a training program designed to identify suspicious passengers unfairly targets blacks, Hispanics and Middle Easterners. The complaints stem from Boston's Logan Airport. But the TSA says it will look at the problem nationwide.

He was on the VP list but did not get the nod so instead of being running mate, Florida Senator Marco Rubio will be introducing Mitt Romney on the final night of the Republican National Convention.

In the meantime, Senator Rubio is busy campaigning for the GOP ticket. He spent yesterday with Romney on a bus tour of Florida. But if he's disappointed with not getting the VP slot he is certainly not showing it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: I mean he made the right choice. Paul Ryan is incredible. He brings great energy and enthusiasm. One of the first people that endorsed me in Washington when I was running for the Senate. He's a great person. He has a tremendous amount of energy and policy gravitas.

And I think he made an excellent choice, I've been telling people, Mitt Romney is an excellent decision maker and he proved it again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: You'll remember Senator Rubio was the first person the Romney camp confirmed it was vetting for the vice president position.

Of course the man who claimed that number two seat is Paul Ryan. And we know where the seven-term Congressman stands on domestic issues. Now we're asking where does Ryan stand on international ones?

Foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty is live at the State House with some answers -- Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Deb.

Well, you know how it works. Obviously the vice president isn't the final person who makes all of those decisions on foreign policy. It's the president. But their views are very important and just remember Sarah Palin. Issues and views by vice presidential candidates can become an issue in the campaign.

So we took a look at what Paul Ryan thinks about America's role in the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our fiscal policy is on a collision course with the foreign policy.

DOUGHERTY: Paul Ryan lives and breathes domestic policy, not international issues, as he noted in a speech last year.

RYAN: Why would a House Budget Chairman be standing here and addressing a room full of national security experts on American foreign policy?

DOUGHERTY: Obama supporters say Ryan has a thin resume on international issues, a charge Barack Obama himself heard when he ran in 2008 but Mitt Romney brushes that off.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He has the experience and judgment, capacity and character to become -- to become president.

DOUGHERTY: This seven-term Congressman from Wisconsin, chief architect of the Republican plan to balance the budget, sees a link between America's economic policy and its national security.

RYAN: If we fail to put our budget on a sustainable path, then we are choosing decline as a world power.

DOUGHERTY: Paul Ryan has seen some of the world -- Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, several Middle Eastern countries, seven congressional trips, 18 countries in 14 years.

On Afghanistan, like the man at the top of the ticket, he's criticized President Obama's planned withdrawal of U.S. troops but Ryan said the U.S. can save a $1 trillion by winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And Congressional Democrats and the administration agree. On China, Ryan's less of a hawk than Romney who wants to designate Beijing as a currency manipulator. He wants more money for the military, less for the State Department. But he got in to hot water when he claimed there was a lot of smoke and mirrors in the Pentagon budget. He later said he misspoke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: Ok. So what would he, for example, advice Mitt Romney to do on Iran or on Syria or some of these other really hot issues of the day? He hasn't been tested on these but he is about to go through that testing.

But Deb, you know, you'd have to say this is really pretty much a domestic election, a lot of domestic issues at the top. So that was why he was chosen and yet he's going to have to be debating with Joe Biden who knows quite a bit about foreign policy so it will become an issue.

FEYERICK: Yes actually Paul Ryan is about to get a crash course in international policy and certainly diplomacy, as well. Jill Dougherty at the State Department thanks so much.

Well, they cost a lot more but the extra money you pay for a luxury car well, it may not go towards safety. We have the startling results of new luxury crash tests.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Your luxury car may not be as safe as you think. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is out with the results of a new test that puts a dent in some cars' stellar safety ratings.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with the latest. Alison, what's going on with all this now?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ok, Deb.

So what the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety did was this front end crash tests where a quarter of the car's front end on the driver's side strikes a five-foot tall wall going at 40 miles-an-hour and what this is really meant to do is test what happens when the front corner of a car hits a tree or a utility pole.

Now, no other independent tests in the U.S. or Europe has done this and luxury carmakers aren't going to like the results of this. Now, 11 models were tested but only two of them got what's considered a good rating. They're the Acura TL and the Volvo S60. One of the 11 got an adequate rating that was the Infiniti G, the rest scored either marginal or poor. And the poor ratings include the Audi A4 and Mercedes C class, both which were named top safety picks by the very group that did these tests this time around -- Deb.

FEYERICK: So why did the -- why did the ratings change? I mean, if you look at that video and it is really disconcerting to see just how bad even when the front-end is -- is caught there, why did the safety ratings change?

KOSIK: Well, what they were essentially doing was testing a smaller portion of the car. So one thing that I have to mention, though, is worth noting that all 11 models did get what's -- what are considered good ratings on these other types of front impact tests where more of the car hit the object.

Now, the safety group does say there are over 10,000 fatalities in these front impact crashes, the smaller sort of portions of the car that are hit in the U.S. each year and about a quarter of those are the most dangerous kind of crash, once again, where just a small part of the front bumper hits an object.

Now, the good news is that the fatalities from these kinds of crashes are down 55 percent since 2001. But what these essentially do, Deb, these tests really point out a potential weakness in otherwise relatively safe cars and some automakers say what they're going to do is they're going to take these results into an account and -- and just see what happened here and keep that in mind when they design new vehicles -- Deb.

FEYERICK: Interesting, Alison. So fatalities are down so that would suggest that other safety measures inside the car are actually more effective. Is that -- is that fair?

KOSIK: We can only assume. One can only assume.

FEYERICK: Ok. Alison Kosik for us at the New York Stock Exchange. Thank you so much.

KOSIK: Sure.

FEYERICK: And New York to London in just one hour. It sounds like science fiction but if a NASA test goes well today, that idea could be one step closer to reality.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Checking our "Top Stories".

We are finding out more about a gun fight that killed three people yesterday afternoon near the Texas A&M campus. A constable who trying to serve this man an eviction notice was shot dead. The gunman was later killed by a police during a half-hour gun fight. During that shootout an innocent bystander was also killed.

Syria's former prime minister says the regime is collapsing. He says even though rebels are running short of weapons and ammunition, they can win but there's no end to the suffering from the civil war or the shelling from government troops. The UN says two million people have been affected.

And help is on the way for cattle ranchers struggling to survive during the drought. The Agriculture Department says it will buy up to $170 million worth of meat from livestock producers, they're being squeezed out by the high cost of corn needed to feed their animals, forcing many to sell off their herds at a loss.

And take a look at this, a record-breaking giant Burmese python is found in the Everglades. The biggest one ever found in the park. Nearly 18 feet long and, worse yet, pregnant with 87 eggs. Pythons brought here from Southeast Asia and released by owners are now thriving in the everglades.

And NASA and the Pentagon are set for a key test of the unmanned experimental aircraft known as the Wave Rider. The test will take the hypersonic plane 50,000 feet over the Pacific where it will detach from a bomber and try to hit speeds over 4,500 miles-per-hour.

Joining me now is CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, this is incredible in that it can fly so fast and may someday fly passengers from New York to London in an hour.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: You bet. Talk about the need for speed. This is it. This is the Wave Rider. It's going to be tested by the Air Force as you say today over the Pacific off the coast of California.

And I think we have a simulation to show you, a video that's been put out. It's going to come off a B-52 bomber. It's that test article vehicle hanging under the wing that will be fired off and what the Pentagon hopes is they can fly this at hypersonic speeds, mach 6 -- 4,500 miles-an-hour for about 300 seconds. If they can do it, it's a huge step forward.

Some of the previous tests we know have failed. They haven't really talked about the reasons. They're trying it again.

The implications for the military are huge, of course, because if you could turn this technology into a missile, into a plane, you could put troops, you could put weapons on a target halfway around the world within minutes -- Deb.

FEYERICK: You know, it really is remarkable in the way it was sort of stationary under that wing. It almost looked like a missile itself. Now the flight will end with Wave Rider crashing in to the Pacific and this is intentionally being done. I presume the data will be evaluated during the flight?

STARR: That's exactly right. What you are looking at there, when we call it a test article, that's a bit of Pentagon jargon. It's a test vehicle. It's not really an airplane, of course, yet. No one's on board.

It's basically holding all the sensors, all the technology and the Pentagon will analyze it as it goes through flight and then it deliberately does crash into the ocean. They don't really go ahead and recover it. That's certainly not the plan.

But all those sensors on board will be sending back data to all of the, you know, to the Air Force at the Pentagon and analyze it and to see what they have achieved and then make a determination what their next step will be and whether this is something that's really feasible to carry out in a practical fashion -- Deb.

FEYERICK: Well, it looks very James Bond-like. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us, thank you so much.

STARR: Sure.

Well, the Republicans, the Democrats; both sides are giving late- night comics easy material and, of course, there are so many more months to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: So in comedy, it is all about timing. And thanks to the presidential election it is a great time to be a late-night comic. They're getting a lot of material. Just listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: Usain Bolt won the gold for the men's 100 and 200-meter dash for the second Olympics in a row. You know, he has been running since he was in elementary school. Kind of like Mitt Romney. You know? Same thing.

JIMMY FALLON, TALK SHOW HOST: Mitt Romney is hoping to energize Republicans by announcing Paul Ryan as his running mate. Seriously? That's like trying to spice up a bowl of oatmeal with more oatmeal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, President Obama, Mitt Romney, Joe Biden, Paul Ryan; all four men are likely going to find themselves the punch line for a lot of late-night laughs so how will the political campaign fuel the late-night comics?

Dean Obeidallah is a political comedian and he joins me now. And Dean, is there any topic that is just off limits or not when it comes to presidential elections?

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, POLITICAL COMEDIAN: Absolutely right. Not when it comes to politics. If people are seeking power, they're in power or they're espousing views to try to get power, we can make fun of them. And that's it.

I think the hardest thing, honestly, in the clubs and I perform in New York City a lot, is having the audiences following the details of the campaign. The last few nights I asked the crowds if they know who Paul Ryan is and probably 30 percent or 40 percent did. The rest did not yet.

So that's more of a challenge, it's not going too far. The audience knowing the campaign and the politics so we make fun of it.

FEYERICK: Yes, absolutely. It's got to be relatable. People have to know -- people have to be part of the inside joke.

Well, lately, it seems that President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have dodged the jokes I should say. There's a lot of weight on Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Comedy does have a way of giving everybody equal time. It's very fair that way. So will the political jokes impact the two men in equal weight?

OBEIDALLAH: I think they will have an impact. I think my jokes in particular probably sway this election so both campaigns should be sending me contributions so I'll start telling jokes about the opposite campaign.

I don't think our jokes actually will sway people. I think we in a way just -- there's a stereotype or a perception of the candidate. We play on that and we escalate it for jokes so it's not like we're creating anything.

We are reflecting with people's point of view. I mean If President Bush spoke English better, we could not have done those jokes about him. If President Clinton didn't have affairs, we couldn't have done those jokes. If Anthony Weiner didn't tweet those pictures of himself, we couldn't have done those jokes.

So, you know, the idea that we create the environment or the point of view of the candidates, that's not accurate. We just reflect what people are already seeing, their perceptions.

FEYERICK: Yes, absolutely. And it's sort of a caricature of behaviors and certain patterns; kind of like the gifts that keep on giving.

OBEIDALLAH: Yes.

FEYERICK: Well, Dean Obeidallah, in New York. Thank you so much. Hope to keep your --

OBEIDALLAH: Thanks.

FEYERICK: Hope to catch your act when I'm there and certainly see and get the read on the voters and the audience. Dean, thanks so much.

OBEIDALLAH: Thanks, Deb.

FEYERICK: Well, late night comedian Jay Leno spoke with Michelle Obama last night. And the First Lady set the record straight about, you know, the recent kiss cam incident at a pre-Olympic basketball game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I had just walked in and sat down and I just saw my face on the jumbotron and I'm still a little embarrassed. I didn't see the kiss cam part and didn't know we were supposed to kiss and then Malia came over after we got booed for not kissing and she was just disgusted with us.

LENO: Really? OBAMA: She said, "Why didn't you kiss?" I was like, "Kiss what? What are you talking about?" She said, "You were on the kiss cam. You were supposed to kiss." I was -- we were like, we were not paying attention.

LENO: Well, you know, let's show what happened. Here's your daughter.

There you go. Thank you.

OBAMA: She orchestrated that second try because after the second half, we came back. She said, "I've arranged for you to get another chance on the kiss cam." And then she came and sat with us to make sure we didn't mess it up so, she was like, "Get ready. It is coming." That's when she was like, "Ok, go, now, kiss, do it."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: So you can actually see Malia there encouraging her parents to kiss.

All right. Well, worried about fulfilling that chocolate craving because it may not be a healthy snack. Now we're learning some types of chocolate may actually be really good for you. That's in today's "Daily Dose".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, chocolate lovers might have a reason not to feel guilty finally about satisfying their sweet tooth. Dr. Nicholas Perricone says dark chocolate is actually good for you and he has today's "Daily Dose".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. NICHOLAS PERRICHONE, DERMATOLOGIST: As a dermatologist and a physician, I'm very happy to report to you that chocolate is good for us. It's something we all enjoy.

It's just important to remember that we want dark chocolate with over 70 percent cocoa in that chocolate and then we get all these benefits. Chocolate is a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. It protects us from heart disease, can protect our brain but also can affect the appearance of our skin and make it more radiant and beautiful. It's also a natural stimulant and elevates our mood.

So if you really want to enjoy life, you can enjoy a piece of chocolate. But once again, we're talking about moderation. One square of dark chocolate is all you need to elevate your mood, improve your overall health, decrease our risk of heart disease and have more beautiful skin. Enjoy your chocolate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: All I can say on that is "yay". And finally today, happy birthday to arguably the world's most famous toy. Lego just turned 80 years old and if you can believe that. All told, there 25 different product lines featuring the plastic, colored stacking bricks. Lego is the world's third largest manufacturer of play materials.

Well, I'm Deborah Feyerick in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you for joining us today.

"CNN NEWSROOM" continues right now with Ashleigh Banfield. Go ahead -- Ashleigh.