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Reports: A-Rod Out for 215 Games; U.S. Embassy Closures Extended; Venice Beach Tragedy; Baseball's Looming Suspension; School Bus Beating; American Journey; NBA Player Uses Racal Slur

Aired August 04, 2013 - 18:00   ET

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

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Anna Coren, sitting in for Don Lemon.

Well, we are awaiting the official word this evening about the professional fate of Alex Rodriguez. I say official word because even though Major League Baseball is being quiet about their decision to suspend the star infielder, multiple media outlets are saying suspensions is coming as early as Monday.

"USA Today" quoting people close to the case as saying A-Rod is out for at least 215 games. That means he'll be watching his Yankees play at least until the 2015 season.

Let's bring in Rachel Nichols now from CNN Sports.

Rachel, please break it down for us. Was A-Rod ever in danger of a lifetime ban as many had predicted?

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS: Well, the lifetime ban was leaked to the media last week when Major League Baseball was trying to get Alex Rodriguez to come to the bargaining table. And you may be saying, bargaining table, come on, this is a suspension. When you were a teenager and your parents grounded, they didn't have a bargain about it ahead of time. But what Major League Baseball was trying to do was reach an agreement with several of these players, to have a suspension that was acceptable enough to them that they wouldn't try to appeal it.

The appeals are going to be messy. It's going to be the kinds of things that's going to make news. All the dirty details were going to come out.

And baseball was willing to give a lesser suspension if they agreed to accept the amount and all done. Well, Alex Rodriguez not agreeing to any of that like several players did. So, instead this is going to be -- well, messy, you reported the amount of games that is projected for Alex to be suspended. Rodriguez on the other hand, he is on the way to Chicago to try to play with his Yankees team tomorrow night.

So, what's going to happen is baseball is going to try to suspend him and then we expect A-Rod's lawyers to file an injunction, trying to stop the suspension. So, this is going to get messy pretty much right now. And it's also going to be interesting to see how they try to suspend him. Usually suspensions related to drug offenses are done under the collective bargaining agreement and players who do appeal can actually play while they are suspended.

That's probably not going to be the case with A-Rod. We are expecting him to be suspended under the commissioner's powers, which means that he would not be able to play he's doing an appeal, which is why the court system might get involved. As you can see, this is the mess that baseball was trying to avoid but it just didn't happen.

COREN: Yes, messy, I should say, indeed. "USA Today" saying he will appeal immediately once that suspension is handed down. Rachel, tell us about the clinic in Florida that A-Rod is linked to. Does this ruling let them off the hook?

NICHOLS: Well, the biogenesis clinic, the founder, Tony Bosch, has been cooperating with Major League Baseball. And that's really how this dominos set started to fall. He handed over tons of records, material, his own testimony, and that is why these players have, quote, "agreed to their suspensions," so many of the other players besides A-Rod, because baseball just sat there with all of this evidence that the clinic's founder has given them saying we got you. So, you might as well agree to it now as opposed to trying to fight it.

Tony Bosch, while he is now clear of Major League Baseball doesn't mean that he is clear of the federal government or the state government in Florida. Initially, those governments said they weren't going to get involve in this, that this is a matter for Major League Baseball. However, when reports came out last week that his clinic, this biogenesis, may have been giving steroids to teenagers that certainly perked up the ears of the government and now, there is talk, there are phone calls being made and investigation being open into whether he gave drugs and steroids to teenagers. If that happens, well, he is not clear of anything.

COREN: Rachel, as we know, Alex Rodriguez isn't the only player facing suspension. Tell us about who else is involved. And will this suspension be as long as A-Rod's?

NICHOLS: Well, we've already seen Ryan Braun suspended for 65 games. We're expecting around a dozen suspensions to be announced tomorrow. We'll have to see how long they are. Fifty games is the initial first suspension for first-time offenders, that was strengthened and punched up.

So, the idea of suspending them starting tomorrow is that players who are on teams that are expected to make the playoffs should be able to be back for the opening rounds of the playoffs if they start their suspensions tomorrow. An example is Nelson Cruz from the Texas Rangers. So, if he is suspended tomorrow, he should be able to rejoin the Rangers before the playoffs.

But, obviously, a lot can happen between now and then, you're talking about some of the better players in baseball. In some of these cases, you've got a couple of all-star on that list. So, maybe those things won't make the playoffs after all. We're just going to have to wait and see.

COREN: Rachel Nichols from CNN Sports, we appreciate the insight. Thank you.

NICHOLS: Thank you.

COREN: Turning to developments on the global terror threat that's keeping the world on edge. Twenty-two U.S. embassies and consulates are closed right now. And CNN has learned the U.S. will keep most of those diplomatic posts closed through to August 10th. Well, concerns are rising that al Qaeda might be on the verge of launching a major attack.

An intercepted message from senior al Qaeda operatives triggered the security concerns, in turn it sparked a worldwide travel alert for Americans.

Well, let's bring in Emily Schmidt from Washington.

Emily, initially, the State Department decided to close those embassies and consulates just for Sunday. Now, they're saying they will extend that through next weekend. What's changed?

EMILY SCHMIDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anna, they had always said when they said it would be on Sunday that there was a possibility for extensions like this afternoon. We saw there would be indeed be extensions. The State Department says it's doing so out of what it calls an abundance of caution. It should not be interpreted as an indication of a new threat stream.

There is word from the State Department about what will happen with these embassy closings. Nineteen posts, 19, will now be closed through Saturday, August 10th. That is next Saturday, this includes a few new additional locations that were not closed. Today, however, nine posts that were closed today are going to be allowed to reopen for business tomorrow.

Meanwhile, we are learning more about what led to the shutdowns. This is coming from Barbara Starr, reporting an intercepted message from senior al Qaeda operatives that came just in the past few days, really caused the concern. CNN agreed to a request from an Obama administration official not to go into details about the message because of its sensitivity. But we know that this intercepted message was a critical factor in leading to the shutdown but not the only factor. Several U.S. officials say they have seen increased in threats from Yemen now for weeks. And what's more, they knew that today was an important day on the Muslim calendar.

There have also been in this region some really major prison breaks recently, leaving some al Qaeda members who had been accounted for behind bars now unaccounted for.

This was really an unprecedented move and on the Sunday morning talk shows, we saw something we don't always see in Washington -- agreement between Democrats and Republicans who said they think the administration did the right thing by shutting down all these embassies and consulates today.

As for President Obama, well, he spent the weekend at Camp David, much of it, celebrating his birthday. But he is back in Washington now. The White House has been telling us he's been briefed about the threat and also that his national security team has met to discuss it -- Anna.

COREN: Emily Schmidt, joining us from Washington -- thank you.

We are also keeping an eye on this developing story coming out of Pakistan. A red alert was issued for the capital city of Islamabad, where two senior Pakistani officials tell CNN they have information about a likely attack on a high valued target.

Well, CNN's Saima Mohsin joins us on the phone from Islamabad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMIA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Anna, just as you're coming to me now, there are helicopters flying overhead in the capital city. What I can tell you from these officials that we have spoken to CNN, they tell us that commandos are currently in the Margallah Hills. Now, this is the set of hills that surround the capital city and they overlook key installations, military installation and, of course, government buildings, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Saima Mohsin joining us from Islamabad.

Well, we'll certainly keep you updated with new developments on that story as we learn them.

We have new video just in to CNN. Watch as tourists at a popular West Coast board walk are run over by a car and police say that it was deliberate. A live report and much more of this new video is next.

Beat down on a school bus -- students throwing punches. A video surfaces just as parents prepare to send their kids back to school.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Well, shock has turned to anger in California, along the horrific hit and run disaster along Venice's famed beach board walk. It happened right before sunset yesterday evening and we just received new dramatic video of the crash.

Let's get straight to Paul Vercammen live in Los Angeles. Paul, we're learning that this was deliberate.

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's go ahead and look at this video. It's from a nearby restaurant and it confirms what all the witnesses have said. And that is, as you pointed out, that this driver was on a deliberate intent to inflect mass casualties. That he drove (INAUDIBLE) as he's around barriers in an effort to try to hit pedestrians. We know now that the suspect is Nathan Campbell. He's 38. He's from Los Angeles. He has been charged with murder.

Now, Campbell turned himself into Santa Monica police last night. This is the Venice board walk, which is usually filled with people shoulder to shoulder on a summer's evening. That is the suspect's car right there. It looks to be a Dodge Charger. They say he got in and out of this car repeatedly before driving on to the board walk.

Now, just about two hours after the incident, Campbell reportedly walks into a police station in nearby Santa Monica and says, quote, that's according to a law enforcement source, "I think, officers, you are looking for me."

Now, police say Campbell was absolutely bent on doing evil and by every witness account, he deliberately again ran into and over his victims. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE BLACKBURN, WITNESS: He just drove and took the left turn down the center of the board walk and just started driving and bodies were scattering and bodies were flying in the air and people were screaming and it was absolute mayhem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERCAMMEN: And police also saying this could be far worse in terms of the casualties because on a summer evening around sunset, there are so many people on that board walk. Right now, detectives are not releasing whether they have any sort of motive in this terrible tragedy here in Venice, California on a summer evening -- back to you.

COREN: What a heinous crime.

Paul, and this is really tragic as well, one woman apparently on a honeymoon was actually killed in this hit and run. What do we know about the victim?

VERCAMMEN: Yes, we know that she is from Italy and her name is Alice Gruppioni. She was there visiting the board walk with her fiance. And according to several news reports, Alice is a daughter of Valerio Gruppioni. He is an entrepreneur and former vice president of the Bologna football or soccer club. Police also telling us that her fiance is in the hospital but that his injuries are not serious at this time.

COREN: Absolutely tragic. Paul Vercammen, we appreciate the update. Thank you.

Well, the body of a snowboarder killed on Oregon's Mount Hood has been recovered. Rescuers using chainsaws and ice picks found the body of 25-year-old Collin Backowski, under as much as 10 feet of snow and ice earlier today. He was killed yesterday when an ice tunnel collapsed on top of him. The victims five companions were not injured. An Ohio death row inmate was found dead in his cell just days before he was set to be executed. Well, Billy Slagle was found hanging in his cell this morning in Cleveland. In a rare move, the prosecutor asked the parole board to grant Slagle clemency. Well, the board and Ohio's governor denied the request. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections is now investigating.

Well, Congress heading out of town and doing little to shed a negative nickname. We're talking about that next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This week on THE NEXT LIST: a space age archaeologist Sarah Parcak, she is being called a real life Indiana Jones.

SARAH PARCAK, ARCHEOLOGIST: Oh, I'd take them on the search for archeological sites and I'd win.

GUPTA: Armed with the latest infrared satellite technology, she is shedding new light on ancient Egypt.

PARCAK: This completely invisible world comes to life when you process the satellite data.

GUPTA: And in Guatemala, fashion designers Susana Heisse is transforming her community with trash.

Their remarkable stories on THE NEXT LIST this Saturday, 2:30 Eastern.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back.

Well, just before Congress left town Friday for its summer recess. The Republican House voted for the 40th time to repeal at least a portion of Obamacare. The symbolic vote, critics say, of a do-nothing Congress has no chance in the Senate.

Are the critics right or should the president be reaching out more to make sure things get done?

Well, let's talk about this with our two political commentators, Errol Louis. He's the politics anchor for New York 1. And Ana Navarro is a Republican strategist.

Good to see you both.

Ana, let's start with you. Not much gets done in D.C. these days, does it?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, listen, Ana, when Congress wants to do something, they do. When they want to do nothing, they do. When they want to do things in a hurry and quick, they do. When they want to do things slowly, they do.

So, I think they're going to come back in September. They've got a very full agenda of what they must do and hopefully they're going to get to it.

But I think listen, with the approval ratings that Congress has right now, I would tell you that probably most Americans are breathing a sigh of relief that they're gone and not in Washington doing anything.

COREN: A sigh of relief. But you're going to say they're fed up. I mean, a CNN poll, Errol, gives Congress an approval rating of just 17 percent. The president's approval rating has dropped to 46 percent. I mean, Mr. Obama isn't exactly in a strong position when it comes time to cut a budget deal or avoid a government shutdown, is he?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He is not doing great in those polls. On the other hand, Mr. Obama is never going to run for political office again in his life and Congress has to run in about a year and a half. So, I think that adds a little strength to the president's position.

One thing to keep in mind also is that during this five-week break, while members of Congress are in their home districts, they're going to get an earful and it's important at all, your viewers know that this is your chance if you want to get in on this, if you want to tell your member of Congress, hey, you know, keep blocking progress if that's what you want or tell them, you know, get on the stick and make some deals. You know, this is your chance to do it.

And I'd like to think that aside from, you know, junkets and their fundraising, they really are going to listen during this break.

COREN: One pollster described it and said, quote, "There is a palpable unhappiness with Washington." I think that really sort of sums up their feelings.

But I want to turn now to another story. Ana, your home state of Florida, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson has had tough criticism for Florida in the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict. He called it the "Selma of our time", of course, referring to the civil rights clashes with police back in the 1960s. He also said it was an apartheid state and even called for a boycott.

What's your reaction to his comments?

NAVARRO: You know, I think those are inflammatory comments and I think they are inaccurate, frankly. I think they are unfair towards the people of Florida.

I agree that there is work to be done not only in Florida but in the entire country. We as a nation have to do better in terms of racial relations. We also have to make improvements.

But listen, you either make press or you make progress and I feel these type of incendiary comments by Jesse Jackson are meant to make press headlines, not to make progress. I also think it's unfair to people like Nelson Mandela who served in prison in South Africa and who did live through apartheid. We don't have an apartheid state in Florida.

This is a place where we have African-American Congress people. We have an African-American lieutenant governor. We have African- Americans in every level of state government, they are police chiefs. They are all over the place.

I also think a boycott is a very short-side objective. Look, a lot of the people who work in the tourism industry in Florida happen to be minorities, happen to be women, Hispanics and African-Americans. Those are the folks that are going to hurt the most. Should there be a boycott against Florida? It's not just a smart thing to do.

COREN: Well, the Florida Governor Rick Scott has demanded an apology from Jesse Jackson and he's referred to the comments as reckless and divisive. Jesse Jackson saying, no, he won't apologize.

Errol, do you think that Jesse Jackson is actually hurting his cause by making these sorts of comments?

LOUIS: Oh, yes. I'm surprised that any Southern governor, Rick Scott or anybody else, would fall for what looks to me like a very rudimentary political trap that Jesse Jackson has set for him. Civil rights leaders have been doing this for about a half century with great success. And the governors always say, well, it's an outside agitator, it's inflammatory, they're not helping, we need to do something different.

And, you know, meanwhile, it's not Jesse Jackson who convinced a bunch of young people to sit in at the governor's office in Tallahassee for the last three weeks, and it wasn't Jesse Jackson who got a boycott started by Stevie Wonder. I mean, he's got some real problems.

And Rick Scott who was elected with less than 1 percent of the vote is standing for re-election next year. And he'd better deal with his problem. He's got much bigger political problems than Jesse Jackson.

COREN: All right, quickly, I'm going to squeeze in this third and final question. Two political scandals that won't go away: New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner and, of course, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner accused of sexually harassing nine women.

Why did these men persist? Why did they stay in the public spotlight? Why did they simply go away? Errol, I can start with you --

NAVARRO: Because they are arrogant, because they are stupid, because they don't realize that this would come out, because they think they are above the law, because they have absolutely no common sense, and because they have no respect for women, including their wives, in the case of Anthony Weiner, who's put her out in public to be a lamb led to slaughter. It's irresponsible. It's cringe-inducing for most women to see this going on. And, frankly, it's a distraction from the important issues that should be discussed in an election for New York mayor or the mayor of San Diego should be doing. COREN: It is cringe-worthy. I completely agree. I mean, Errol, is this ego and power?

LOUIS: Well, look, Anthony Weiner I spoke with him. I interviewed him just this last Friday. And he thinks that he's got a chance and indeed he does have a chance. It's not as good as it used to be to actually win a Democratic primary and perhaps become the mayor.

And so, he is taking the best political shot he has ever had in his life to try and become the mayor of New York. That doesn't surprise me coming from any politician. You know, the reality is he is not doing all that well in the polls. He slipped quite a bit because he's gotten so much negative press. So, in the end, it may be the voters who straighten this out.

He is making a bet, though, that the voters want to hear about serious issues and when people bring up the scandal during the many, many debates we've been having here, the person who brings it up gets booed, not Anthony Weiner.

COREN: That's interesting.

NAVARRO: Errol, I think I have a better chance at a gold medal in the Winter Olympics than Anthony Weiner has of winning in New York at this point. Thank God for that. New Yorkers are crazy but not that crazy.

COREN: Love it, love it.

Ana Navarro, Errol Louis, great talking to you. Thank you, to brighten up the evening.

LOUIS: Likewise.

COREN: OK. Well, coming up next, new developments surrounding the terror threat that has closed nearly two dozen embassies and consulates.

And a developing story that we are following, word that New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez will be suspended in a matter of hours, and the punishment will be tough. We are going to be talking to the writer who broke this news. That's coming up shortly.

Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: New developments on the global terror threat keeping the world on edge. Twenty-two U.S. embassies and consulates are closed right now and CNN has learned the U.S. will keep most of those diplomatic posts closed through until August 10th.

Concerns are rising that al Qaeda might be on the verge of launching a major attack. An intercepted message from senior al Qaeda operatives triggered the security concerns.

Well, we are also keeping an eye on this developing story coming out of Pakistan. A red alert was issued for the capital city, Islamabad. Well, two senior Pakistani officials tell CNN they have information about a likely attack on a high-value target.

Right now Pakistani commandos are searching for suspected militants in the Magala Hills that surround Islamabad. Key military and government buildings in the capital are being heavily guarded.

Well, back in the United States we are waiting official word from Major League Baseball detailing their decision on whether to suspend one of the game's biggest superstars, Alex Rodriguez.

Well, if some reports coming out now are true he is out for the rest of this season and all of next season. Well, that means no A-Rod in the New York Yankee's lineup at least until spring of 2015.

Well, on the phone with me right now from Chicago, the man who wrote the current front page of "USA Today" article on Alex Rodriguez, Bob Nightingale.

And, Bob, you're certainly keeping your sources close to your chest. But do they tell you about how the terms of these suspensions were actually reached?

BOB NIGHTINGALE, USA TODAY: Well, they wanted to talk about giving him a lifetime suspension, Anna, and told Alex Rodriguez you can either accept this or we may impose a lifetime. They decided not do a lifetime and they still can't reach a compromise. So tomorrow they're going to say this is our penalty, what are you going to do?

And he's going to appeal this thing, so he'll appeal it and will be allowed to play probably another 30 games or so while the appeal process is going on. It probably won't be rendered until sometime early September.

COREN: OK. So he will be allowed to play. Because, as you say, he is expected to appeal immediately?

NIGHTINGALE: Yes, and he is on a flight to Chicago tonight and the New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he has penciled him into the lineup for tomorrow's game against the White Sox.

COREN: OK. He will play in Chicago tomorrow. You are certain of that?

NIGHTINGALE: Yes. He'll play while the appeals process is going on. And Major League Baseball is convinced that he cheated and that he tried to thwart the investigation. So that's why the suspension is so long.

COREN: Rodriguez is obviously not alone. There are other players who've been named in this suspension. Will the penalty be the same for everyone?

NIGHTINGALE: No. All the other players, you know, will just be for 50 games. And there's about 50 games left in the regular season. So that means they won't be able to play for the rest of the year. And lesser team happens to be in the playoffs. So Ryan Braun got 65 games a couple of weeks ago. Everybody else will be 50. Except for Alex Rodriguez.

COREN: Bob, on Friday, A-Rod was shouting conspiracy and asking for some sort of settlement. What happens to that now?

NIGHTINGALE: Well, you know, finally, he's going to lose about $34 million if this case stands up. So he has 20 days to have this heard before an arbitrator. Then the arbitrator, a man by the name of Fredric Horowitz has 25 days to render a decision. So if the suspension stands he will lose about $34 million but still has $61 million owed to him beginning 2015.

COREN: That's a lot of money. Bob Nightingale, we appreciate you speaking with us this evening.

Bob Nightingale there from "U.S. Today."

Well, up next, just in time for the start of school, just what parents don't want to see. A video surfaces of a beat down on a school bus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Well, a frightening story for parents as they prepare to put their kids back on a school bus. A student was beaten on a bus by three teenagers and despite his pleas for help the bus driver doesn't break it up.

Well, it happened in Pinellas County, Florida, last month and it was all caught on tape.

Peter Bernard from CNN affiliate WFLA has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN MOODY, RETIRED BUS DRIVER: Somebody try to stop this.

PETER BERNARD, WFLA REPORTER: Feeling helpless to intervene, Pinellas school bus driver John Moody pleas for somebody to stop a three-on-one beat down. He radios in for help.

MOODY: I got a fight. I need help in a hurry. I need help in a hurry. I got a fight.

BERNARD: Gulfport Police say three 15-years-old attacked a 13-year- old after that boy told Lealman Intermediate School officials about their offer to sell him pot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help.

MOODY: Leave that boy alone. Leave him alone.

BERNARD: Two and a half weeks after the beating, he's in retirement.

MOODY: It's a trying time for me. Sleepless nights. It's been tough. BERNARD: John Moody talked about being unable to do anything to stop the violence.

MOODY: The three boys just jumped on him and started pounding on him. And I did all I can. I was looking, it was like -- it was like I was in shock. I was petrified.

BERNARD: In the days after the attack, the Gulfport Police chief said Moody should have assisted the wounded victim.

CHIEF ROBERT VINCENT, GULFPORT, FLORIDA POLICE DEPARTMENT: There was clearly an opportunity for him to intervene and check on the welfare of the children in -- or the child in this case. And he didn't make any effort to do so.

BERNARD: But constrained by district policy, and not trained in the medical field, Moody insists he did what he could.

John Moody says he is ready to move on and enjoy retirement with his two grown sons. His attorney, however, thinks that Gulf Port Police Department owes his client an apology.

FRANK MCDERMOTT, JOHN MOODY'S ATTORNEY: I think if he had touched this children, he would have put more people in danger. He would have to rip them off of these young man, throwing these violent children into other children.

BERNARD: The state attorney says, "It wasn't like he was looking out the window while cleaning his fingernails or something like that. As for helping the victim after the attack, the kid got up and skedaddled out the door."

Moody still wonders, what if?

MOODY: I wanted to help him so bad. I wanted to help him so bad. I wanted to help him.

BERNARD: Eighteen years of driving without a problem. Moody doesn't want people to judge him by what happened on his last day on the job.

Peter Bernard, News Channel 8.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Well, the bus driver policy states the driver's first responsibility is to call dispatch and they should only get involved if they are sure their safety is not at risk. As far as the students involved, well, the victim suffered a fractured arm. The three teenagers who did the beating are charged with aggravated battery.

Well, it's not something that you see often, but check this out. Relentless rain turns to hail and pounds flood waters. We'll reveal all. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COREN: Welcome back. Well, Denzel Washington's new movie "Two Guns" shot to the top this weekend. It ranked number one at the box office with just over $27 million. The action comedy also stars Mark Wahlberg.

"The Wolverine" came in second with nearly $22 million and rounding out the top three, the "Smurfs 2." The kid friendly sequel brought in $18 million.

Well, in Colorado, a day of wild weather residents certainly won't forget. Remarkable pictures out of Windsor. A blanket of hail laying on top of several feet of flood water. It rained for hours when hail started to fall, stones the side of golf balls and yes, baseballs, were reported in some sports.

We'll talk about your money. Planning a family budget can be daunting and sticking with it can be certainly a challenge. But the payoff is rewarding. In this week's "American Journey," Tom Foreman introduces us to a family who met the budget challenge head on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grabbing a pizza on the run is a treat Ellen Moncure and Joe Wong enjoy, but even with modest incomes, a house in Brooklyn and two kids, it's also something they know they can't afford because they are among the relatively rare Americans who have put together and follow a household budget.

ELLEN MONCURE, SETS THE FAMILY BUDGET: I think that I gain from budgeting a sense of security. A sense that I am able to control a little bit of the uncontrollable future.

JOE WONG, SETS THE FAMILY BUDGET: We do try to reevaluate the budget every now and then, every few months to make sure that we're hitting the targets.

FOREMAN: That seemingly simple trick can be devilishly hard, in part because economic advisors say so many people find the idea unpleasant.

AMANDA STEINBERG, FOUNDER AND CEO, DAILYWORTH.COM: Just listen to the word "budget." It's not a very appealing word, is it?

FOREMAN: Yet Amanda Steinberg, who started Dailyworth.com, says a good budget does not have to account for every penny. People just need to make sure big important items such as household expenses, insurance and savings are covered, and once they are, the budgeter can confidently spend money on things that he or she simply wants.

STEINBERG: But oftentimes that means we're going to create a life that is a hamster wheel because it is so expensive and hard to maintain. So that if you create a budget you have some visibility into what your life should cost so that you have the freedom to spend money and you're not staying up late at night wondering how you're going to pay the bills.

FOREMAN (on camera): Gallup found some intriguing details on its poll on budgets. For example, wealthier people and conservatives are slightly more likely to track their spending and savings. Those with lower incomes and liberals are slightly less likely.

(Voice-over): Even those who do budget admit it is hard to start. It's daunting. But the reward is peace of mind and guilt-free pizza, too.

Tom Foreman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Well, a big shake-up in Major League Baseball. Reports that superstar Alex Rodriguez is hours away from a seriously long suspension. We'll be discussing it. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Well, new this hour, Tiger Woods just scored a decisive victory. Woods won the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational with this putt for his 79th career PGA tournament victory. Now you see giving his son a huge big hug. Well, he'll play in the PGA championship next week in Rochester, New York.

Well, we're standing by for official word on baseball's all but certain decisions to suspend one of the game's biggest superstars. Two sources close to Major League Baseball say the league will probably move to suspend Alex Rodriguez tomorrow for links to a Miami clinic that allegedly provided him with performance-enhancing drugs.

Well, Terence Moore joins us from Atlanta. He's a sports columnist for MLB.com and sports contributor for CNN.com.

Terence, good to see you.

TERENCE MOORE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.

COREN: We could get official word any time now. How is the future looking for Alex Rodriguez?

MOORE: Well, first of all, if baseball commissioner Bud Selig had his way, Alex Rodriguez would just vanish, disappear. Never play another Major League Baseball game. And I'll tell you what this is all about solely from Alex Rodriguez's standpoint. This is about money and this is about ego. OK?

If he takes this deal that baseball wants him to take right now, which he should take by the way, he wouldn't play again until 2015. And not only that, he would lose about $34 million. Well, what he wants to do now, he wants to play tomorrow in Chicago.

But here's the problem with that, Anna. If he plays tomorrow in Chicago or tries to play tomorrow, at the last minute, Bud Selig still could invoke something called the "best interests of baseball" clause. If he does that, there are some people who feel that Alex Rodriguez cannot play during an appeal and he would lose $100 million. But here's the bottom line. The last five years that Alex Rodriguez did play, he was in steep decline. He knows that. If he waits until 2015 when he's nearly 40, being out of baseball for two years, recovering right now from -- from a bad hip, that could be it for him. That's why he's fighting so fervently to get in there.

COREN: So you think he will fight this, he will definitely appeal the suspension?

MOORE: Yes, I mean, there's no question about that. And I tell you something that's getting lost in the shuffle. There are other players out there who are going to be suspended who are going to be very hurtful to their teams when they're out of the lineup. And the guy that I think of the most is Bartolo Colon who is the top pitcher and maybe the MVP or is the MVP of the Oakland A's who are fighting for a spot to win that division with the Texas Rangers.

That's going to be a huge loss. Texas Rangers, a guy like Nelson Cruz, you go right down the line. So there's more than just Alex Rodriguez, right? Alex Rodriguez is the sexy name.

COREN: This controversy has obviously hurt the sport the way that it hurt cycling. I mean, do you think that baseball will ever be able to rid itself of performance-enhancing drugs?

MOORE: Well, not just baseball. None of these sports is ever going to rid itself of this type of thing because it's been around forever. You know, people got short memories. You know, going back to the time of the ancient Greeks, and I'm sure you probably don't remember the ancient Greeks back then, you weren't around, I wasn't around either.

But back then in the old Olympics, athletes back then were not allowed to have anything in their body except for water. But you have some athletes who are doing stuff like eating the testicles of animals which was their version of steroids. And I'd give you further details but I'm sure people out there are eating.

(LAUGHTER)

COREN: Yes, we don't want to upset people's dinner, exactly.

Terence, before you go, let's talk football. A video made at a concert has surfaced on the Internet showing Philadelphia Eagles' Raleigh Cooper using a racial slur. He has apologized and has been fined. But some teammates still aren't happy. Now he's being excused from the team. I mean, how big is this going to get?

MOORE: You know, I keep thinking every time I hear this, all these people wringing their hands, I think of that line from "Casablanca." It's like, I'm shocked, I'm shocked, there's gambling in this place. You know, there's racial slurs going on all the time. The difference between this one, it was caught on tape, on film. So, you know, that's why people are making a big deal about it. Not to excuse it but it's to tell you that it's only a big deal because he was caught.

COREN: Do you think his career is in jeopardy? MOORE: No. If he can still play -- let's go back to Kerry Collins. Kerry Collins was a quarterback for the Carolina Panthers back in 1997. Not only did he get caught using a racial slur, he did it twice in the same day against two different teammates. OK?

The reason he survived, Kerry Collins, he could still play. He played for another 13 years in the National Football league. Not for Carolina. But it tells you what can happen with this guy just as long as he can go out there and produce as a wide receiver.

COREN: Terence, you're a man who loves his sport. Great talking to you.

MOORE: Thank you.

COREN: Thank you very much.

MOORE: Good to see you.

COREN: Good to see you, too.

Well, coming up, a former crime boss will soon learn his fate. Plus, several embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa will remain closed through until next weekend. We'll catch up on those stories next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: We are awaiting official word this evening about the professional fate of Alex Rodriguez. I say official word because even though Major League Baseball is being quiet about their decision to suspend the Yankees star infielder, multiple media outlets are saying suspension is coming as early as tomorrow.

"USA Today" is quoting people close to the case as saying A-Rod is out for at least 215 games. That means he'll be watching his Yankees play at least until the 2015 season.

The U.S. State Department is extending the closure of embassies and consulates in the Middle East and northern Africa, they will remain closed until August 10th.

Well, many of them would have been closed anyway due to the last week of Ramadan. A suspected al Qaeda plot forced the embassies to beef up security. Right now, 22 are on lockdown. The threat has sparked a global travel alert.

Closing arguments are set to begin tomorrow in the trial of former crime boss "Whitey" Bulger. He is accused of participating in 19 murders plus a number of other charges in Boston. Over the past two months jurors heard sometimes gruesome testimony about those murders and saw a few shall we say lively exchanges between Bulger and witnesses. On Friday, he decided not to take the stand.

Well, here are five other things you need to know for your week ahead. We are calling it our "Weekly Five." (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (voice-over): Monday, rapper 50 Cent appears in a Los Angeles court on domestic violence charges and four counts of vandalism. The charges, filed by his girlfriend, stem from an argument the two had earlier this summer. If convicted, the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

Opening statements get under way on Tuesday in the murder trial of Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan. He is accused of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage in 2009 at Ft. Hood, Texas. Hasan, who is acting as his own attorney, faces the death penalty.

For many Muslims, Wednesday marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, observers fast from sunrise to sunset. It's also a time for self-reflection and personal development. Thursday is Eid, the holiday marking the end of the observance.

Also on Thursday, President Obama welcomes Greece's prime minister to the White House. The men will meet over a number of issues, including getting the Greek economy back on track.

What kind of new magic does Disney have up its sleeve? We'll find out this Friday when the D-23 Expo kicks off in Anaheim, California. This year's buzz, a preview of the new animated movies "Frozen" and "The Good Dinosaur."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: And just before we go, can you imagine running into this on your Monday morning commute?

Well, dozens of piglets go hog wild after the truck they were in gets into a wreck. Well, it happened on an expressway in China. Traffic police moved in to corral the piglets but quickly found themselves outnumbered.

Well, thank you for your company. I'm Anna Coren. "ANTHONY BOURDAIN, PARTS UNKNOWN," starts now.

END