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Assange Breaks His Silence; Ryan Changes the Subject; Discrimination Case Against Philadelphia Pool Settled; End of Ramadan Celebration Reminds U.S. Muslims They're Vulnerable to Attacks; S.F. Giant's Melky Cabrera Suspended; NFL Starts Season with Replacement Referees
Aired August 19, 2012 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: You're in THE CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Alison Kosik, in today for Don Lemon.
Let's get you up to speed on headlines from around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIAN ASSANGE, WIKILEAKS FOUNDER: The United States must renounce its witch hunt against WikiLeaks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: In London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange breaks his silence. He spoke from a balcony at the Ecuador embassy where he's been granted asylum. Britain plans to extradite him to Sweden to face questions about alleged sex crimes if he tries to leave. More on the story coming up in two minutes.
In China, protesters attacked Japanese-made cars and smashed windows of Japanese-owned businesses today. They are upset that a Japanese group landed on an island claimed by both China and Japan. The island is at the center of a tense territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing.
The United States observer mission in Syria is over. The mission's mandate expired today and was not extended. That means the 300 observers will leave the country and just a liaison office will remain in Damascus. The unarmed observer mission was not very effective one. None of the cease fire terms was followed by the Syrian troops or the rebels.
The mystery thickens over the fate and location of Syria's vice president. He was a no-show at a holiday service today, giving weight to rumors that he defected.
The toll today from street fighting and shelling in Syria, 135 people killed. That's according to an opposition group that tracks casualties every day in Syria. Most of these people died in Damascus and its suburbs. In South Africa, the company at the center of a deadly miner strike says they must go back to work tomorrow or lose their jobs. On Thursday, police opened fire on the striking miners, many of whom were armed with machete. Thirty-four miners were killed in the shooting.
Some good news from firefighters in Washington state today. A wildfire that chewed up more than 22,000 acres is about half contained and will probably be completely out by this time tomorrow, credit lower temperatures and battling on the ground and from the air.
U.S. distance swimmer Dianna Nyad is back in the water, attempting another record swim. With the shout of coverage, the 62-year-old jumped into the waters off Cuba heading toward Florida. The 103-mile trip is expected to take her 60 hours. This is her fourth attempt to complete the swim.
Muslims around the world are celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan. But the holiday is also a time of caution for many Data appeared to show a rise in a number of hate crimes against Muslims. We're going to talk about that later in the show.
The head of the Internet company that's leaked embarrassing secrets of world leaders is trying to stay out of jail. But to do that, he may have to stay locked up in an embassy in London. Julian Assange broke his silence today. He claims he's a victim of a witch hunt, but the Britain says he's wanted in Sweden for questioning about alleged sex crimes.
CNN's Atika Shubert is in London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been two months since Julian Assange sought asylum here in Ecuador. And it's been two years since two women in Sweden brought allegations of sex crimes against him. That's why Sweden wants to extradite him.
But today, he spoke to supporters from that balcony -- still a protective part of the embassy of Ecuador. Scores of supporters came out to hear him, while British police stood guard he told supporters his fight was purely political.
ASSANGE: There's unity in the oppression. There must be absolute unity and determination in the response.
As WikiLeaks stands under threat, so does the freedom of expression and the health of all our societies, I ask President Obama to do the right thing. The United States must renounce its witch hunt against WikiLeaks.
SHUBERT: That's not how Britain or Sweden sees this. They say this is purely a criminal investigation. And if Julian Assange steps out of that door, he will be arrested and extradited to Sweden. And that's why his supporters say they are going to be standing guard here outside the embassy to see what happens next. But the bottom line is, no matter how many protesters, how many colorful rallies and speeches there are, Julian Assange is going nowhere. He's still stuck inside the embassy.
Atika Shubert, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: And the Julian Assange ordeal has kind of taken on a life of its own. It could remind you of a big screen thriller, maybe one of James Bond 007 movie. And as we said, Assange is off limits to the Brits so long as he stays inside the Ecuador embassy. But is a great escape in the works?
CNN's Brian Todd now with some of the possible plots.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's reported to be tense and going a bit stir crazy.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holed up inside the Ecuador in embassy in London. He's been there for about two months. Now that Ecuador's granted him asylum and Britain's refused to honor it, a classic standoff is underway if Assange takes one step outside the embassy.
JOHN NEGROPONTE, CHAIRMAN, THE COUNCIL OF THE AMERICA: My understanding is that the British would arrest him and extradite him to Sweden.
TODD: That's where Assange is wanted for questioning over sexual assault claims. With the fugitive inside in what's at the moment considered Ecuadoran territory and with British police outside ready to pounce, scenarios are being debated over a possible escape.
(on camera): Is this an option, getting smuggled out in the trunk of a diplomatic car? A former British diplomat says the car would be considered Ecuadoran domain. British police he says could stop it, but not search it, couldn't necessarily pull Assange out. But there's a hitch in that plan.
The hitch -- apparently there's no garage available to the Ecuadoran embassy. We are told there's only one entrance to the embassy right here and obviously, that is not an option.
The building is completely surrounded by British police. They're in the streets, the alleys, the side streets. If anyone was going to try to take Assange from the building to a waiting car, the police would get him. The police are also reported to be monitoring the so-called communal areas of the building, the hallways and elevators, preventing Assange from taking an elevator up to the roof where a helicopter could pick him up.
(voice-over): Police could monitor the hallways and elevators because the Ecuadorian embassy occupies only one floor, the first floor and not even all of that. It's here right where this window is. And Assange can barely step into a hallway without risking apprehension.
If he did somehow get to a car, there are airports large and small in every direction. But experts say once he got to one of those, he could easily be captured. He could, actually, be smuggled out in a crate or large bag. If it's labeled a diplomatic parcel, the British police can't open it. But --
OLIVER MILES, FORMER BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA (voice-over): I think they could delay it, I think they can hold it, I think they can keep it in a -- in a very cold or very hot place or something like that.
TODD: But former British Ambassador Oliver Miles doesn't see that happening. One thing that could happen, he says, Assange could simply take refuge inside the embassy as he has been, but he could do it indefinitely. It's happened before.
In 1956, when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary, Cardinal Joseph Mensenti, a top Catholic official there, took refuge inside the American embassy in Budapest. The good cardinal was granted asylum and lived in the American embassy for 15 years.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: So, it's been a nice, relaxing day for the presidential candidates today. But after quiet trips to church, things are about to get rowdy.
And former Navy SEALs are slamming the president in a new ad. Why they are taking issue with the commander-in-chief after the daring raid on the bin Laden compound.
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KOSIK: It's a rare day off from the campaign trail for both President Obama and Mitt Romney. And both of them attended church this morning. President Obama and his family made the walk across Lafayette Square to St. John's Episcopal Church. The first family also worshipped at St. John's on Easter Sunday, the last time the president publically attended church.
Meantime, Mitt Romney and his family attended a Mormon sacrament meeting in New Hampshire. Romney owns a lake house in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, and he's scheduled to campaign there with Paul Ryan tomorrow.
Mitt Romney's running mate Paul Ryan has changed the discussion in his one week on the campaign trail, but has he changed it in a way the Republicans really wanted?
Let's bring in our regulars, Will Cain and L.Z. Granderson, both CNN contributors. L.Z. is also a senior writer for ESPN.
But, Will, I want o to start with you. Paul Ryan and his critics in the Obama campaign, both have spent lot of time talking about Medicare.
So, Will, I'm going to ask you, is this a winning issue for Romney and Ryan? Or do they really need to try to stir things back to jobs and the economy? Do they realize this was sort of a runaway train, what it's kind of become?
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know what, Alison? I think they are ready to have this Medicare conversation. I think they're actually excited about it.
Obamacare, in the Romney team's estimation, changed the entire game as far as Medicare debate and conversation. They feel like the $716 billion, that over the next 10 years, that Obamacare transfers over into the new entitlement and thus reducing Medicare for seniors is a winning issue for them, that Romney says he would not take that $716 billion out of Medicare.
Changing this entire Medicare debate for the first time Republicans feel like this is a winning issue for them. So, no, I don't think they are afraid to have that conversation.
KOSIK: OK, L.Z., what do you say? Is the day spent talking about something other than jobs a good day for Obama?
L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, it is. I don't know what Will is talking about. This is a side issue.
The only way that Romney is going to beat President Obama is to hammer him on the economy and on jobs. He's not going to do it any other way. He hasn't been talking about jobs since he left on his foreign trip and sort of tumbling over in London.
I really think it's a distraction for the Romney campaign. I'm shocked that they've allowed it to go this far because in my view --
CAIN: Let me --
GRANDERSON: -- what's really going to happen is they are going to start dissecting the rest of Ryan's plan and get further away from the conversation about jobs. Medicare is a conversation for sure.
KOSIK: Go ahead.
CAIN: Let me help L.Z. on what exactly I'm talking about. A, I think we can get back to talking about the economy. There's still like three months left to go before the November election. And, B, I'll help you visualize what I'm talking about.
Stretch back in your memory to the 2010 midterms and picture all those town halls full of seniors upset about the fact that Medicare was being cut back because of Obamacare. I think that Romney's team looks back to that and says that's something we can use again.
KOSIK: All right. OK --
GRANDERSON: You mean, 2010, back when the Tea Party came in and they were supposed to rein the economy and help cut back all the spending and then we had the big budget crunch and the debt ceiling conversation. That 2010? Is that what you're talking about?
CAIN: Yes, I guess.
GRANDERSON: Just making sure.
KOSIK: Let's go ahead and move on now that we've got that settled. This morning on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," Obama's deputy campaign manager fought back against criticism that the president is avoiding the national media.
Here's what she said to our Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANIE CUTTER, DEPUTY OBAMA CAMPAIGN MANAGER: We're going to spend our time talking to media all over this country. And I don't think --
JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: "Entertainment Tonight," "People" magazine, he did that as well. Is that -- are they more important than the national news media?
CUTTER: Yes, he did.
I don't think they are more important, but I think they are equally important. That's where a lot of Americans get their news. I think the president will continue doing that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Well, is this a legitimate argument? Does Stephanie Cutter have a point here?
CAIN: Well, look, I think she might have a point when she says they are of equal value. I mean, I don't know, I mean, news media would have a little more legitimacy and substance than "Entertainment Tonight" and "People".
But that doesn't mean I think the president shouldn't be giving interviews to "Entertainment Tonight" and "People". Feel free, do that. You're right, a lot of Americans watch it. But you might also fit in a press conference or an interview with CNN or some other mainstream news media outlet -- which he hasn't done since May, is it? Hasn't done since May?
(CROSSTALK)
KOSIK: I mean, are you getting the feeling , Will, that maybe he's avoiding the national media?
CAIN: I think it's more than a feeling. I think it's obvious.
KOSIK: L.Z., what do you say?
GRANDERSON: I say Mitt Romney had a photo op with him going grocery shopping. So clearly making sure that the American people feel good about you as a person is just as important in this campaign is what we say is the most substantive kind of conversation to be having.
No one between President Obama or Mitt Romney has ducked the national media more than Mitt Romney. So, I don't think this is a good conversation for the Republicans to be having. Sure, you can criticize him about "People" magazine, but the fact of the matter is, is that Mitt Romney has been using FOX News as his personal P.R. arm.
And as long as he keeps doing that and avoiding what we consider more mainstream or legitimate news sources, then I think that he really is barking up the wrong tree here.
KOSIK: All right.
CAIN: Did he give a press conference on Thursday?
GRANDERSON: I'm sorry?
CAIN: Did he give a press conference on Thursday?
GRANDERSON: Oh, you mean when he said he wasn't going to release anymore taxes. That press conference you're talking about?
CAIN: That one.
GRANDERSON: I guess you can count that one where he said I paid at least 13 percent, I guess we should give him a pat in the back for holding a press conference --
CAIN: He gave one, you didn't like what he said, but he gave one.
KOSIK: I'm holding up the flag here. Hang on. Don't go anywhere.
There's a new ad out there featuring former Navy SEALs slamming the president. We're going to want you to watch them and then show you what CNN found out.
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KOSIK: There's a new ad attacking President Obama in connection with the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. And these attacks are coming from former Navy SEALs.
CNN's Brian Todd looks closer at the group sponsoring the ad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a campaign ad, Bill Clinton praises President Obama's courage for ordering the Navy SEALs to launch against Osama bin Laden.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Suppose they'd been captured or killed. The downside would have been horrible for him.
TODD: On the campaign trail, the president emphasizes it himself.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I promised to go after al Qaeda and go after bin Laden, and we did it.
TODD: Now, there's a counterattack.
BEN SMITH, FORMER NAVY SEAL: Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden. America did. The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not.
TODD: That's former Navy SEAL Ben Smith in a new video slamming President Obama. The 22-minute film titled "Dishonorable Disclosures" features former SEALs, Special Forces members, intelligence officers skewering the president for taking credit for the bin Laden raid.
The Obama campaign pushes back, saying the president has repeatedly credited SEALs for the bin Laden operation. The Obama team also points to this interview Wolf Blitzer did recently with the commander of the raid, Admiral William McRaven.
ADM. WILLIAM MCRAVEN, COMMANDER, U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS: At the end of the day, make no mistake about it, it was the president of the United States that shouldered the burden for this operation, that made the hard decisions.
TODD: I pressed Ben Smith on that.
(on camera): Does the president get no credit here? Should he get no credit here?
SMITH: He gets the credit for having Osama bin Laden killed under his watch. If he's -- if he gave the order, wonderful. But taking all the credit with the I, I, I, me, I, I about it and using us as a political ad is wrong.
TODD (voice-over): The film also blasts the Obama administration for allowing classified information on the raid and other security operations to become public.
JAMIE WILLIAMSON: We had tactics, techniques, procedures that were compromised. We even knew the name of the dog that was on the operation.
TODD: The Obama team denies taking part in any leaks and says the Republicans are resorting to Swift Boat tactics -- a reference to the blistering 2004 attacks on John Kerry's Vietnam War record.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kerry cannot be trusted.
TODD: This new film was made by a group called OPSEC, for Operational Security. A spokeswoman for the group says it's completely nonpartisan. But CNN found many links between the group and the GOP.
The president of OPSEC, a former Navy SEAL named Scott Taylor, who appears in the video, once ran for Congress as a Republican. A spokesman for the group has done similar work for the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress.
Ben Smith, that former SEAL, told me he's an independent voter, but says on his Facebook page that he was once a spokesman for the Tea Party.
(on camera): And OPSEC lists its headquarters as being in this building in a certain suite. We found out that also in that suite are two Republican strategy groups and no other groups. We were not allowed to film inside, but we're told by someone in the suite that OPSEC doesn't have much more than a desk there and that no one from OPSEC was there to talk to us.
An OPSEC spokeswoman told us where they're located has nothing to do with the message they want to get out.
(voice-over): Could that message hurt President Obama like Swift Boat damaged John Kerry?
DARRELL WEST, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: It could hurt Obama politically in the sense that it's a very competitive election. It's going to come down to 20,000 or 25,000 votes in a handful of states. So, we don't know now what's going to move those voters. But national security's a very sensitive issue for many people.
TODD: And OPSEC is now one of three groups of former Special Operations members coming out with campaigns against the president over the security leaks. Neither the Pentagon nor the CIA would comment on this latest video or confirm the military experience of those in the film.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: OK. I want to bring back Will Cain and L.Z. Granderson into the conversation.
OK. Fellas, what do you think about this ad? Will, I'm going to ask you first, do you think this ad is fair?
CAIN: I think there's a lot of unfairness in the ad. I think there's also fair questions asked in the ad.
I'll put it this way. First of all, there's three issues. Is it partisan or not? The answer to that question is somewhat beside the point to me. It appears to be partisan, but it's beside the point to me that if there's honest questions being asked, it shouldn't matter where they are coming from.
So, here's the questions that they're asking. Does President Obama deserve credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden? Undoubtedly, clearly the answer to that is yes.
Third, they are asking questions about the leaks. The concerning leaks that have drown bipartisan concern, like Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat from California, who said this is highly, highly concerning the amount and detail of leaks coming out of Washington, D.C.
Where I think this ad went overboard from just asking those questions is they provided conclusions that we do not know the answers to. They were certain it's coming from the Obama administration and certain it was being done for political gain.
If there's one fair thing from the ad, it is, that they are asking questions e we should know the answers to. What is going on with these high level leaks?
KOSIK: L.Z., what do you think about the ad?
GRANDERSON: I agree mostly with Will. I mean, it asks a very important question is about the leaks. It's unfortunate that they are being disingenuous about the fact that it's clearly a partisan commercial. It's a partisan ad. And to try to frame it as anything other than that, I think it's disingenuous and it undermines the importance of the question that they're asking, which is about the leaks.
One other thing I would just like to point out is the fact that President Obama repeatedly has thanked over and over again, even in the clip that you showed, he said I made the call, but we went in and got him.
KOSIK: L.Z., what --
GRANDERSON: So, to even try to frame this conversation as he's taking the credit is just completely unfair.
KOSIK: So, L.Z., maybe it's the issue of the leaks. I mean, we're talking about the Navy SEALs here and very specific operation here.
GRANDERSON: Absolutely. The leaks are a concern. But again, it's not as if this is the first administration to have such leaks. I mean, do I need to bring up Scooter Libby again, and what happened with that in terms of leak?
Leaking information is a problem in this country, period. As long as we have the Internet and as long as we have things like WikiLeaks, we're continuing to be battling this. But to try to pin this on President Obama or this administration is not only unfair, it's completely inaccurate.
KOSIK: Will, how successful do you think this ad is going to be with voters? Is it going to really resonate enough to really help them choose who they are going to vote for come Election Day? Is it really?
CAIN: You know --
KOSIK: Go ahead.
CAIN: I think, Alison, in the end, we probably overestimate the value and weight of every single little piece of evidence that puts itself forward during a campaign. So, do I think this has the potential to swing this election or have this major impact on the election? Probably not.
But it will impact some people, the extent of which is beyond my ability to tell you.
KOSIK: What do you think, L.Z.?
GRANDERSON: I don't think it will be the people who are on the fence. I think it will make those who despise President Obama just despise them more. I don't think any independent and certainly no Democrat who's on the fence is looking at this as the deciding factor.
At the end of the day, it's about jobs and it's the economy.
KOSIK: All right. L.Z. Granderson and Will Cain, thanks so much.
CAIN: Thanks, Alison.
GRANDERSON: Thank you.
KOSIK: One boy didn't know what racism was until he went to the pool one day three years ago. The story over who could swim in a suburban Philadelphia pool captured world attention then. Now, a settlement.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just enamored with the design of the human body, it's elegance. Nature has often these very powerful principles, if captured in a technological device, can be very, very extraordinary in their capacity to help people move again. So that's the basic thesis of our work. We steal from nature. We apply that and we build synthetic constructs that emulates that functionality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Half past the hour now. Let's look at the headlines.
It happened again in Afghanistan today. A man wearing a policeman's uniform killed a member of the NATO security force. We don't YET know the nationality of the service member or exactly where it happened. Two American troops were killed in a similar attack in Afghanistan on Friday.
It's not the only threat troops in Afghanistan face. NATO says three coalition soldiers in eastern Afghanistan were killed by an IED. NATO isn't giving out any other details at this time.
The West Nile virus has claimed another life. This time, in Illinois. The mosquito-borne virus is blamed for 26 deaths nationwide. Most have come in Texas. In Dallas County, leaders have been forced to spray pesticide from the air for the first time in 45 years. The spike in West Nile infections is the worst in eight years.
The shooting deaths of two deputies in Louisiana are now being linked to an extremist anti-government movement. Seven people are in custody after the shootout at a trailer park near New Orleans. Authorities have revealed -- they have been conducting surveillance on some of those suspects for some time now. They say the group was heavily armed. Stay with us for more on this developing story coming up at the top of the hour.
Sudanese state TV says a Sudanese government minister and several other officials have been killed in a crash of a private plan. They were heading to the south to celebrate the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The crash is blamed on poor visibility as a result of dust.
You may remember this story. In 2009, some African-American and Hispanic kids were swimming at a suburban Philadelphia pool, but a fun day turned ugly when the children began hearing racial comments. This week, a discrimination case against that club was settled.
CNN's Susan Candiotti first covered that story three years ago and went back to talk with one of those kids.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marcus Allen will never forget what happened just before we met in 2009. He was 12 years old and visibly shaken after he and his friends arrived at a predominantly white swim club. He said they heard this.
MARCUS ALLEN, SWIM CLUB VISITOR: Why are these black kids here? Then they were saying, I'm afraid they might do something to my children because they might try to steal my stuff or might try to harm my children. And I was amazed they were saying things like this. Because we're just like you. We're just like your kids.
CANDIOTTI: His mom had a signed paid contract to use the pool for her summer camp, but after the first day, the club's director pulled the plug, telling local media the kids changed the, quote, "atmosphere and complexion of the club."
I replayed for Marcus his unforgettable reaction back in 2009.
(on camera): I see tears coming down your face. Why does this make you cry?
ALLEN: Because it's just kind of sad that people are still thinking like this when I thought these days were over.
CANDIOTTI: You touched a lot of people when they saw you that day and they saw your reaction.
ALLEN: Well, yes, I'm glad that people say, like, felt like I felt.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): When it happened, Marcus's mom swung into action. Civil rights complaints were filed with the state of Pennsylvania. And the U.S. Justice Department got involved. The Valley Club was sued, went bankrupt, and the property was sold for over a million dollars. On Thursday, the Justice Department settled the case. Proceeds from the sale will be divided among the children, camp and counselors.
(on camera): What does this mean to you? What should it mean for all of us?
ALETHEA WRIGHT, MARCUS' MOTHER: It should mean never judge a book by its cover. Meaning, don't judge someone by the color of their skin.
GABRIEL LEVIN, PLAINTIFF'S LAWYER: I think it's a great life lesson for these kids. They experienced something terrible, and justice prevailed.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Marcus is now about to turn 15, a running- back hopeful for his high school football team with big dreams for his future.
ALLEN: I think everyone can see things differently and realize, yes, there is still some wrong in the world, but together, we can make a difference and actually make a change.
CANDIOTTI: A change Marcus concedes that isn't guaranteed.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: A view on the water and then something appeared. Out came the cameras, and now we have the amazing video to show you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: More than a half million people were forced to flee their homes as a typhoon ripped through southern China.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(WIND BLOWING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: The typhoon left two people dead and two others have been reported missing. Thousands of homes were flattened in its wake, but it did weaken as it reached the shores of northern Vietnam.
A day of fun on the water turns deadly for a family when a bolt of lightning strikes their sailboat, killing a 9-year-old boy. Authorities in Minnesota say the family of eight was sailing on Lake Superior. They were trying to take refuge in a cove when lightening struck. The boy was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Four others were hurt.
A rare and ominous-looking sight on Lake Michigan this weekend. You're looking at not one but five water spouts. Nine of them formed on the lake yesterday. Winds around this frightening force of nature can reach up to 60 miles an hour. Now time to look ahead to the week's top stories. It's going to be a week packed full of campaign events, big economic news, and looking back at one of Hollywood's biggest weddings of the year. Our correspondents tell you what you need to know. We begin tonight with the president's plans for the week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian at the White House. This week, President Obama heads back out on the campaign trail, flying west to Nevada, a state that has been hit hard by the mortgage crisis. He'll also visit the state of Ohio, a key battleground state where he currently leads in the poll. Both states could decide who wins the White House. Then the president heads to New York City, a fundraiser to raise much-needed campaign cash.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser on the campaign trail in Florida. After campaigning separately for a week, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan reunite. They team up tomorrow for a big rally in New Hampshire, a crucial battleground state. Later in the week, both men held a lot of fundraisers in this crucial last week leading up the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. We have a packed week ahead full of economic news. First off, Wall Street we'll be watching for key corporate earnings. We'll hear from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lowes, and Barnes and Noble. Then on the economic front, we'll get the minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting. That's going to shed some light on economic conditions across the country, where we stand. Also ahead, the latest new and existing home sales report. We'll be looking for any signs of continued recovery in those numbers. Then on Friday, we wrap up the week with the latest durable goods numbers. That's all a head. We'll keep an eye on it for you on "CNN Money."
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" Nischelle Turner. Here's what we're watching this week. It's the one-year anniversary of Kim Kardashian's wedding bonanza. We take a look back at the 76-day marriage that had us all trying to keep up with the Kardashians. Plus, as you get ready to pack away summer gear, we're counting down the biggest, most shocking stories of the summer of 2012.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: It's a time to reflect and purify. Unfortunately, Ramadan is also a dangerous month for Muslims in the U.S. We'll look at everything from burned-down mosques to personal attacks, and why the increase of attacks is being called unprecedented.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: It may not be a holiday you have heard of, but it's one that's being celebrated today by about 1.5 billions Muslims around the world. It marks the end of Ramadan and it's usually a happy time. But in the U. S., it's a reminder that Muslims are a minority and a vulnerable one at that.
CNN's International desk editor, Azadeh Ansari, joins me.
First, what is Eid?
AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: Eid is a time to celebrate with friends and family. Muslims gather after the long month of Ramadan and, after fasting for a month, to exchange gifts, share food with friends and loved ones. And really it's a joyful time.
KOSIK: Obviously, Islam is no small religion. It's not just big in the Middle East either, right?
ANSARI: It's not, Alison. According to the Pew Research Center, there's 1.57 billion Muslims around the world, with Indonesia being the most populous nation followed by Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. But even here in the United States, there's about 2.6 million Muslims. That number is expected to double by 2030. It's a growing population, as you can see, by the estimates that we have here and the numbers.
KOSIK: But with the growing, what's being done to keep everybody safe since Muslims seem to be targeted.
AZADEH: In the headlines, when you have -- we hear in the headlines about mosques being built in communities that haven't had large Muslim communities before. The reality is that Muslims, like other minorities, are going to be targets regardless, because if they are not familiar with the culture or their background, they are always going to be a target of some sort.
That being said, after 9/11, there was a spike that a lot of hate crimes were on the rise. This past month, according to the recent crimes statistics, seven mosques and one cemetery were attacked. We saw earlier this month, in Joplin, Missouri, the mosque that was burned down. And in Ontario, California, there were pig carcasses and legs that were cut up in front of an Islamic center. And to add to that, in Illinois, earlier this month as well, a cemetery, tombs of the cemetery were desiccated and -- with black marker, had anti- Islamic sentiments written on them.
KOSIK: What kind of outreach can be done to put an end to it or to at least slow that kind of thing down?
AZADEH: That's an excellent question, Alison. Islamic advocacy groups are calling for heightened security at Islamic centers and mosques. I think it's more about raising awareness about culture because this is not just an isolated incident. This does not just happen to Muslims. We saw earlier this month, with the gurdwara and the Sikh community being targeted. And again, there's a history of minorities being targeted, whether it's Chinese, Irish, Italians. Again, raising that awareness and bringing these causes and everything to light to help prevent situations like this happening in the future.
KOSIK: Right.
Azadeh Ansari, thanks so much. Very insightful.
Starting with the NFL season with replacement referees, we're going to look at how likely this is, and what it could mean for the season and your favorite team.
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KOSIK: One of the best hitters in baseball this season gets suspended. And the NFL prepared to begin the season with replacement retirees. It's been on of those odd weeks in the sport world.
Jon Wertheim is here, back from covering the Olympics in London. He's the senior investigative reporter for "Sports Illustrated."
There's the issue of S.I., previewing the college football season.
Jon, it's great to see you.
JON WERTHEIM, SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Good to see you.
KOSIK: Let's start with baseball and San Francisco Giants outfielder, Melky Cabrera. He was suspended 50 games this week after testing positive for testosterone. He was one of the league's leading hitters, MVP of the All-Star game. How much of a surprise was this?
WERTHEIM: Yes, sometimes when you have these announcements, they are completely shocking. That was not the case here. This had been in social media and speculated and had been in the chatter. And actually, a blogger in the bay area, Ed Bagley (ph), actually confronted Cabrera about these rumors a few weeks ago. Cabrera denied them. But this was definitely in the chatter. The report of this failed test was not a shock.
KOSIK: Cabrera plays for the Giants, the same team that Barry Bonds played for. We all know about the allegations that shadowed Bonds. Is this a coincidence or does the organization have a problem here?
WERTHEIM: Yes, that's interesting. Apart from Bonds, there were other Giants that figured prominently in the Mitchell report a few years ago. I don't think it's an organizational issue. But the fact there is this history, the fact there is this Barry Bonds cloud over the Giants, is certain another component. This is just a strange case all the way. But the fact that this was Giants is certainly another angle to the story, definitely.
KOSIK: There was a report in the "New York Daily News" today that says Cabrera concocted this crazy wild scheme to explain his positive test by creating a fake web site with a fake produce he could claim to have taken by accident. Is he in more trouble than we thought?
WERTHEIM: I don't know. This is definitely a case where the cover-up is going to be clumsier than the crime.
(LAUGHTER) Whether or not this is going to cause more trouble, I think, what this shows is players still think there are loopholes or ways to circumvent the policy. In this case, they were going to create this product and say, hey, look on the Internet, it's mislabeled. I took this innocently. And the fact that somebody would be that bold suggests that players may not be as serious as they need to be about this testing program.
KOSIK: Or there's a lot of ego involved.
Let's switch gears to football. The NFL season just a couple weeks away. The referees in the league are in a labor stand off. We could start the season with replacement referees. How much money are they fighting over?
WERTHEIM: The money is very little. The money is about $2.2 million for this year. This is a $9.3 billion industry. They are really going to have replacement refs over a different of $2.2 million? I'm dumbfounded by this. A year ago, we were talking about a player strike and real labor negotiations and splitting a pie. That made sense. This is pocket change. For a sport where the TV is through the roof and all this success and the franchise values are soaring, the NFL's wildly successful, the one issue they have is player health and safety. There's litigation. This is the one issue that could hurt the league. To have anything other than the best, most highly trained, highly regarded officials is just dumbfounding.
KOSIK: Yes, these replacement guys, they have experience. But one replacement ref reportedly used to work for something called the Lingerie Football League.
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I think -- there you go. Isn't that pretty? But you mentioned that. There's a serious safety issue here.
WERTHEIM: I mean, already we have seen -- you know, one ref called Atlanta Arizona. And there was a call for holding against a punt returner, which -- that's not easy to do. And the lingerie will get a lot of laughs. But the NFL has this very serious issue that's shrouding the whole league. Again, you have this litigation and liability issues. You hate to even go there. But if there's one incident or injury that's a result of having this sort of substandard officiating, it's going to be a disaster.
KOSIK: The people go to the games to watch the players, not the refs. But a bad ref could make a call that decides who wins or loses, right?
WERTHEIM: Absolutely. Anyone that watches football knows it's true. And this is the NFL's -- this is what they keep saying. No one goes to -- no one pays to go to see the refs. But no one pays to go see the owners either. The refs have an indispensable job, and especially for a product where health and safety is really at the forefront. I just can't imagine why they are playing hardball over a couple million dollars.
KOSIK: Yes, I agree.
All right. Jon, it's been interesting. Thanks.
WERTHEIM: Thanks, Alison.
KOSIK: It was a normal afternoon until a couple of horseback riders heard some yelling from below.
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KOSIK: Sure enough, they happened to come across a man stuck in a well.
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KOSIK: "The Tonight Show" has layed off two dozen workers. Host Jay Leno isn't immune to the cost cutting at NBC Universal either. He's taking a pay cut to save the jobs of more staff. This is the statement that was issued today. It says, "Jay's foremost concern is for the wonderful people who work for 'The Tonight Show.' He did what was necessary to ensure their well-being." The payroll purge is said to affect about 200 of its workers.
A California man is lucky to be free tonight --
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KOSIK: -- after almost 24 hours stuck in a well in Little Rock, California. Crews were able to free the man. He apparently fell in while trying to retrieve something that fell down the shaft. Lucky for him, some horseback riders heard him and called for help. He was taken to the hospital and he's expected to be OK.
And how is this for a luxury ride? If you have a spare $2.2 million lying around, you could put your name down for one of these. This is Lamborghini's latest concept car, the Sesto Elemento. But even if you can scrape up the cash, you can't take this one on the road. With the ability to go from zero to 60 miles an hour in 2.5 seconds, this car is one for the racetrack only.
