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Iraq in Turmoil Again; Israeli Teens Disappeared in the West Bank; Legendary Icon Casey Kasem Dies; George H.W. Bush "41 on 41"; U.S. to Play Ghana in World Cup Opener Monday; Security Increased at U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
Aired June 15, 2014 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Hello again, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
The stories topping our news this hour.
This just in, the U.S. State Department is beefing up security at the embassy in Baghdad. And it plans to relocate some of the staff. But the State Department said most people will stay. And the embassy will be fully equipped to carry out its national security mission that comes amid reports of escalating violence in Iraq.
Today, militant group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria also called ISIS gained control of two villages in the Diyala province. There had also been clashes between Iraqi forces and militants near the province's capital city of Baquba. ISIS has been moving across Iraq leaving a trail of violence and today some of the most disturbing claims yet.
ISIS says they took a group of Iraqi soldiers prisoner and executed them. They also released disturbing pictures online. It shows people that ISIS claimed are Iraqi forces dressed as civilians being held as prisoners in truck and then led by men with guns to their death.
CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the pictures or the claims. Nonetheless, very disturbing. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is live for us now in Baghdad. Nic, what do we know about these latest moves by ISIS?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They still seem to be on the advance, Fredricka, towards Baghdad. That's the stated goal. The Iraqi army was told to pull out of the massive Baquba base last night. They were told to withdraw with their weapons. And within an hour we are told ISIS had moved in.
They're around this Diyala province. You're going to hear a lot about that in the next few days. It's just north of Baghdad. We've seen this group ISIS advance very quickly through the country. One of the reasons is because they're Sunnis and these are Sunni areas and the people there support them. That's why they have done it.
Diyala is different. Diyala has a much greater mix. You got Sunni, you got Shia, you got Kurdish. And the fighting is slowing down. But nevertheless, that's where ISIS is right now. We don't know where these images of the executed Iraqi soldiers were taken. Definitely appears to be Iraq. Very brutal as these pictures are, they're going to really stoke up the sectarian tensions and anger at the moment when people here in Baghdad, cheers here in the city, see what's happened, see what the Sunni militants have done. That is going to make them very angry.
A lot of people here say they just want peace. They want to get on between Sunni and Shia. They say there's no difference but the reality is they're extremists out there on both sides and they look like they were about to get into a really big fight right now, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Nic, it is rather unsettling to hear, you know, the State Department feels that it has to beef up the security at the U.S. embassy and some personnel now might be moved. I guess comforting depending on which point of view you come from and a plan that does offer a plan there but it also says perhaps that there is an imminent fear or danger.
What about the airport? Is it going to be difficult for people if they have to evacuate Baghdad to be able to leave by way of the Baghdad airport? Or will there be some other means of which people are being asked to evacuate?
ROBERTSON: Yes. I think everyone here and certainly at the embassies they have their contingency plans and for most the principal contingency plan is to fly staff out through the Baghdad International Airport. That is a target of ISIS. We have been told that by Saudi intelligence sources. We have been told by the tribesmen who are fighting with these fighters, that that's one of their goals.
This is an airport that's been - and the flights that have been coming in and out over the years have been very resilient to attacks. I think - and most of the time the airport has been functioning. There's barely been a time when it's been closed.
But a few well-placed shells might convince airlines to stop flying and, therefore, the airport would become - wouldn't be viable as an escape route. There are plenty of other options. Driving to the south is one of them, out through the south of country is an option. The south is pretty stable right now. Why? Because it's mostly the Shia population. They don't feel under threat so much further south. So it will be relatively easy to drive out that way but the problem is that airport is a target and it's a target because the insurgents know that will put real political pressure on the politicians here in Baghdad and that's their aim here, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And of course, we also know that aircraft carrier "The USS George H.W. Bush" in the Persian Gulf and we know that aircraft carriers and their fleets often use in emergency evacuations so unclear whether that will also be another route.
Nic Robertson, thanks so much, keep us posted.
In the next hour, our Michael Holmes will be talking to the former Iraq prime minister Ayad Allawi. You want to tune in for that.
Israel's military is now conducting an intense operation to find three missing teenagers. They disappeared late last week while hitchhiking home from school in the West Bank. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now accusing Hamas of kidnapping the teens. Our Ben Wedeman is in the West Bank with details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you all, and god willing we'll all be able to celebrate their return safely.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hopeful words from Rachel Frenkel, the mother of one of the three Israeli teenager abducted Thursday night in the West Bank. Her son, Neftali (ph), reportedly holds U.S. citizenship.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to express the utmost thanks and for the support and work everybody is doing in the security forces, the American embassy in Tel Aviv is very supportive. And we just - we feel waves and waves of prayers and support and positive energy in this direction.
WEDEMAN: The teens were coming home from their school when they went missing. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it's the work of Hamas warning of serious consequences if the boys are not returned safely.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: And this attack should surprise no one because Hamas makes no secret of its agenda. Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel and to carrying out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, including children.
WEDEMAN: Neither Hamas or any other credible organization has made any public claim of responsibility. Today, the Israeli Army continues to search for any clues on the whereabouts of the missing teens. More than 100 Palestinians have also been detained by Israeli soldiers. The search effort is coordinated with Palestinian police.
The kidnappings continue to test the already contentious relationship between the Israeli government and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who recently formed a new government of unity which includes that support of Hamas.
NETANYAHU: Instead of abiding by his international obligation, to disarm Hamas, President Abbas has chosen to make Hamas his partner. Israel holds the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas responsible for any attacks against Israel that emanate from Palestinian- controlled territory.
WEDEMAN: For the parents of the missing they just want to see their sons come home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We trust that they will be with us here and we'll hug them soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much to Ben Wedeman for that report. The U.S. State Department today strongly condemning the kidnapping of the Israeli teenagers and demanding their immediate release. Secretary of state John Kerry called it, "a despicable terrorist attack."
Back here at home, many are celebrating the life of legendary radio host Casey Kasem. Kasem died this morning at the age of 82. The radio and TV icon had been suffering from dementia. Our Nischelle Turner have a look at his very remarkable career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY KASEM, RADIO HOST: I'm Casey Kasem and here we go.
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Radio personality Casey Kasem was best known as the host of "American Top 40." For 39 years his warm and friendly delivery counted down the nation's hit songs.
KASEM: We'll find out as we count down the 40 hottest hits in the USA.
TURNER: His iconic radio show also featured Kasem's long distance dedications that often tugged at America's heartstrings.
KASEM: Now we're up to our long distance dedication.
TURNER: Kasem born to Lebanese parents sharpened his skills serving in the Armed Forces radio network during the Korean War. After his discharge, he worked as a deejay for several stations before eventually landing in Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "American Top 40."
TURNER: In 1970, Kasem co-founded and hosted the "American Top 40" franchise. He was passionate about radio and music. During the countdown, he told audiences fun facts about the recording artists before the songs were played. It became his trade mark.
KASEM: The police with the number one song in the land last week, "Every Breath You Take." It's been at the top now for six consecutive weeks.
TURNER: The radio personality also brought his music countdown to television as the host of the 1980 show "America's Top Ten" which ran for 13 years.
KASEM: Hello again, everybody. Welcome to "America's Top 10."
TURNER: Kasem lent his distinctive voice to countless commercials and several cartoon characters, most noticeably Shaggy in the carton "Scooby Doo."
SHAGGY: Yo, I've been voodoo-ed.
TURNER: He gave back to several charities and never shy about voicing his political views.
KASEM: Peace in the Middle East must be achieved.
TURNER: His final years were not peaceful. Dementia and other health problems and extended battles between his wife and his children over his care. But with a career spanning 60 years, Casey Kasem will be remembered as one of the legendary voices of American radio.
KASEM: My name's Casey Kasem reminding you to keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And a memorial service is planned for Friday.
Coming up next, the debate in the Republican Party. Should they go further right or stay moderate? We got two conservatives here to talk about it next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Oh, a big shake-up on Capitol Hill. Thursday House Republicans are scheduled to choose a new majority leader. All because a Tea Party challenger, a little-known college professor named David Bratt unseated Eric Cantor in the Virginia primary. Cantor, the conservative House minority leader was the second most powerful congressman in this country. His stinging defeat is a big win for the Tea Party.
And Senator Rand Paul, a Tea Party favorite, says "it's time to expand the party's tent."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: If you want a Republican to be the next president of the United States, we are going to have to be a bigger, better, bolder party. There's a big debate going on, though. Some say for us to be bigger we have to dilute our message. We need to be Democrat-lite. We need to be more moderate to get more electoral votes. I couldn't disagree more. In fact, I think the core of our message, we could be even more bold, more honest, more forthright.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. So let's talk about it. Joining me in the studio is Jenny Beth Martin, the national coordinator of the Tea Party Patriots and in Pittsburgh, Republican strategist, Lenny McAllister. All right. Jenny Beth to you first, so does this defeat for Cantor indicate that there is a, I guess, a newer kind of movement by the Tea Party? What happened?
JENNY BETH MARTIN, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF TEA PARTY PATRIOTS: Well, the message to the Tea Party has been talking about for the last five years, one of personal and economic freedom. A debt free future. That is the message that Dave Bratt talked about and that is the message he won on. And he won because the grass roots Tea Party activists in his district got out and talked about these issues with their fellow voters.
WHITFIELD: And so Lenny, we heard from Senator Lindsey Graham earlier today who won his race in South Carolina, who said, you know what? He had good ground game and he didn't say it directly but is it if case that maybe Cantor lost touch, took too much for granted maybe?
LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think that is exactly what transpired. That's part of where the Tea Party element came from in the first place five years ago was the fact that they felt detached from both democrats and liberals as well as Republicans. It was all about getting back to the grass roots and making sure people spoke with the people on the ground and represented them in a very real, tangible and ongoing way. Eric Cantor forgot about that. That's why he lost.
WHITFIELD: And so when you hear Rand Paul say the answer is not to be more moderate. You know, instead, quite the opposite, it's about being as conservative as you can be. Is this a new, I guess, a reconfiguration of the Republican Party now, now that the Tea Party is digging in the heels and showing tat it really has might?
MARTIN: Well, what we care about is making sure that we have an economic future where we have a debt free country, where we're paying down our debt and where we have more opportunity in this country. And a lot of times the Republicans stray from that message and they start doing things like talking about fixing Obamacare rather than repealing it and restoring health care freedom.
It's time to stick to our message, stick to your principles. Don't waver from them and when you stick to your principles, you can win.
WHITFIELD: And so, whatever happened to a more unified Republican Party, Lenny? I mean, that seemed to have come from the last election, that was the lesson. But it seems like that memory is short.
MCALLISTER: Well, it's because we oftentimes get into these fights among conservatives. What we have to remember, we need relatable, digestible conservatism. I think too often than not the conservative wing and my fellow conservatives forget that ivory tower conservatism is just as bad as ivory tower liberalism.
If it's something that the average voter and the swing voter cannot relate to, we cannot win and if we cannot win, we cannot legislate. If we cannot legislate, we can't lead America out of the depression that we are in right now from an economic standpoint as well as from a morale standpoint. So we have to make sure that we're more united that we just don't get caught up in the philosophy of conservatism. We make sure that it's applicable across the diversity of America. That's something that oftentimes in these primaries we forget about.
WHITFIELD: Another big test of Tea Party power is a week away when long time GOP incumbent Thad Cochran faces a run-off against his Tea Party challengers. So Jenny Beth, what likely could happen? MARTIN: Well, what I know is going on in Mississippi right now is the grassroots are all going door to door making phone calls and talking about how Chris McDaniel is going to stand up and fight for them and how he represents Mississippi values and is not out of touch with the people of Mississippi. I've been on the ground in Mississippi for most of the last month and a half. I'm going back tomorrow and I think we'll see Chris McDaniel win.
WHITFIELD: All right. Lenny, how do you see it?
MCALLISTER: I think you will probably see a change in Mississippi but the hopeful thing with Cochran will be that he'll come in as one of 100 to bring about a new direction in the Senate that will get America back on track. There are certainly things within the Tea Party message that makes sense in regards to being fiscally responsible and getting the debt down and moving forward from there. But if we lead in the type of way that we have seen previously, where it's more divisive than unifying. Then it doesn't matter who we have taking the Senate seat from Mississippi. We're going to have the same old, same old and that's not getting progress for America.
WHITFIELD: Lenny McAllister, Jenny Beth Martin, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.
MARTIN: Thank you.
MCALLISTER: God bless. Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Former president George H.W. Bush turning 90 this past week and this is what he did, jumping out of a plane again. It's the eighth time now. But family and friends and colleagues are now reminiscing about Bush 41's political career in a film airing right here tonight. We have a preview of "41 on 41."
But first, in the U.S., less than two percent of teenage moms earn a college diploma before they turn 30. This week's CNN hero first became a mom at the age of 19 and now she's helping other teen parents get through college.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was 17 when I was pregnant with my daughter and 19 with my son.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You ready to get up? Go to school.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When being labeled a teen mom, there are certain stigmas that you're lazy, you're going to end up living on welfare and working the system. Everybody has their own opinion on what's going to be the most beneficial for you. Often it can feel like a downgrade from what you want to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When a young person discovers a pregnancy, people stop talking to them about college.
We saw that we could be that voice saying, yes, you can go to college. This doesn't have to be the end of your life.
I knew from my own experience that college had transformed my life as a teen mom. So I wanted that same success for other young parents.
We are going to get the other room set up for the kids.
It becomes imperative for parenting students to have their band of cheerleaders behind them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got my GED after 3.8 and I didn't believe that can happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We offer trainings on various topics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to talk about balancing school and balancing your role as a parent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The most important part of the program is intense one on one mentoring from a caring individual from the community.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I won the College of Science dean's award.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew you could do it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Generation Hope has really helped me believe in my myself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They prepare us to have the skills for the future and we can pass the skills on to our kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm motivated by the potential that's out there that's untapped. I want to be able to help each and every one of them achieve their own success.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. People who know former President George H.W. Bush best are paying tribute just as he reaches a huge milestone. He just turned 90 on Thursday. Among those praising him is his son, Jeb. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH: A lot of people don't remember when my dad was elected president, the Democrats controlled the Congress. And so, working in a bipartisan was essential to get things done.
And from the inauguration all the way through his four years as president, in spite of an increasing harshness of the political debate, he did what he could to build consensus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think George Bush understood and still understands that the way we judge our presidents is on the basis of what elements of their program they get passed through the Congress. And implemented into law.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: The American people await action. They didn't send us to here to bicker. They asked us to rise above the merely partisan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It really is amazing in retrospect now to see how successful George Bush was in getting major legislation passed.
BUSH: Let's work together to do the will of the people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you go back and look at the four years that George Bush was president, you will see more substantive, comprehensive bipartisan pieces of legislation passed than perhaps any four years in a long time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He got a Clean Air Act, the Civil Rights Bill of 1990. He worked hard to get the Americans with Disabilities Act passed. People do remember the budget agreement and that budget agreement was much more significant than people realized. It forced the Congress that worked with his successor Bill Clinton to come up with balanced budgets which really made a huge difference in the economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow. That's an excerpt from a documentary airing on CNN tonight at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific called "41 on 41." Another Bush insider featured in the film joining us right now on the phone, Bush 41, rather's, chief of staff John Sununu. One of the last voices you heard there.
Welcome back to us. So, you know, you are quick to help tout all of those things that President Bush helped get under way. The Disabilities Act, for one. Overall, how do you see the former president's legacy? What do you want people to recall, remember about him that perhaps they've overlooked?
JOHN SUNUNU, FMR. BUSH 41 CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, I think it's beginning to happen. People are understanding that in a very quiet way this man-made a huge difference in the lives of not only Americans but people around the world and I think his legacy is in the context of a phrase that he likes to use, mission completed.
He certainly - people at the time understood that he allowed for and stimulated a worldwide transition with the fall of the Soviet Union in a way that actually looks so easy that people thought it would have happened automatically but that's not true. He had to nurture it through and as the last few clips you've shown said, he passed a tremendous amount of significant domestic legislation with a Congress that was dominated by the Democrats who had absolute control so this was a president that didn't brag about what he did but he performed as well as any post-war president we have ever had.
WHITFIELD: I think I remember hearing you say that it was President Bush's mother who taught him never to boast. Don't brag about yourself. SUNUNU: Well, there's something that I think made a huge impression on the president and it in a way defined his style, which was a style of leading by example.
He was probably the easiest president that any chief of staff has ever had to work for, and I appreciated that. He would let you know clearly what he wanted done. He trusted in you to go out and do it. And you can come back and clarify things with him whenever you wanted.
He never in the conversations he never, never made you feel like he was trying to dominate the process. He was just trying to guide you through it. I think when he got results, he just sat back and let people understand something had been done without him bragging about it.
WHITFIELD: Do you feel like people have gotten to know the president in a different way, as much more affable post-presidency than they ever got to see while he was in office?
SUNUNU: Well, I think so. You know, he had a great sense of humor. He loved to tell a joke. Although as Allen Simpson will point out tonight on "41 on 41", he often forgot the punch lines but he had a great sense of humor and enjoyed life. And the fact that he loves living life is what, you know, certainly prompted him to take the parachute jump last Thursday on his 90th birthday.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Oh my gosh: What's that, like the eighth time? Amazing.
SUNUNU: Yes. And, you know, I saw him -- I went up and watched the jump and saw him right afterwards and he was just bubbling.
And that's his personality. He's an optimist. He's a go forward kind of a guy. He's a sharing kind of a guy. He's a solid leader. And as he once called himself, quiet man and I think that's a great description.
WHITFIELD: Wow. All right. John Sununu, thank you so much.
SUNUNU: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And, of course, I'll be watching your words, listening to your words and many other friends and former colleagues of the president on "41 on 41" tonight 9:00 Eastern and Pacific, right here on CNN.
All right. Two big names joining forces to fight illegal wildlife poaching. What Prince William and soccer superstar David Beckham are doing to help save elephants, rhinos and other animals from extinction.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Britain's Prince William is teaming up with soccer star David Beckham to bring attention to the illegal wildlife trade. They say it's devastating populations of magnificent wild animals, including elephants, rhinos and tigers. We warn you, some of the images you are about to see are graphic and disturbing.
CNN's Max Foster was at the launch of the two men's new campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Fred, Prince William took a strong stand when he called for the ivory here at Buckingham Palace to be destroyed, and he's trying to continue the momentum for his campaign against illegal wildlife poaching by enlisting the support of another famous Brit, coming up with a hashtag, #whosesideareyouon?
(voice-over): They are two of the biggest stars in Europe and it was Prince William who asked David Beckham to get involved in the campaign against wildlife poaching.
PRINCE WILLIAM: The illegal wildlife trade thrives because it's hidden, often invisible, making it easy for criminals to build and expand the violent greed. We wanted to find a way to show the world what was happening. If you're alarmed by this, this is how you can show your support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not just our world. We're sharing it. It may sound obvious but every species that vanishes from our planet is gone. Forever.
DAVID BECKHAM, SOCCER STAR: I started to really find out and examine exactly what was going on and it's devastating.
FOSTER: The illegal wildlife trade is the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, human trafficking and arms, worth between $5 billion and $20 billion a year. The nonprofit organization African Parks estimates that Central Africa has lost 62 percent of its forest elephants in the last decade.
The crime is becoming more rampant all the time. CNN's Arwa Damon joins rangers in Congo to follow the trail of elephant poachers earlier this year. She found rangers risking their lives fighting the ruthless gangs of poachers who have arms and resources.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's elephant meat in the boat.
The men find the poacher's canoe weighed down with fresh elephant meat, still dripping blood, even more hangs off the side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are united for wildlife. Whose side are you on?
PRINCE WILLIAM: Our plea is this: join us and help stop illegal poaching.
FOSTER (on camera): Prince William is dedicating much of this year to conservation in Africa. It's all about raising awareness, so creating a hashtag and bringing in David Beckham can only help out.
BECKHAM: I've quite big following throughout Asia, especially in China, and if it can shine a light on something as important as this, then, you know, then it's job done.
FOSTER: And that's because much of the demand for these animal products is in Asia. And the hope is to raise awareness about poaching there to cut off the market for the illegal wildlife trade -- Fred.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much, Max Foster.
Still to come, it's all about redemption as the U.S. soccer team gets ready to play a very familiar foe. A preview from Brazil, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The anticipation is building for Team USA's opener tomorrow against a very familiar World Cup foe, Ghana.
At today's matches in Brazil, Switzerland came back to stun Ecuador 2- 1. And right now, France is leading Honduras 3-0 late in the second half.
Lara Baldesarra is in Brazil, covering the World Cup for us.
So, Lara, let's talk U.S. versus Ghana. That's coming up on Monday after the huge upset by Costa Rica last night. Does that mean there's now an opening, there's hope?
LARA BALDESARRA, CNN SPORTS: Hi, Fredricka.
Yes. You know, anything can happen in 90 minutes of soccer and that's exactly what we saw with Costa Rica. I guess I'd say that's a good little sign for the USA as they play Ghana. The USA is, of course, the underdogs in their World Cup opener. So, it could be -- it could be something that could go their way if that's what happens.
But I have to tell you this -- this is the ultimate grudge match for the USA. The last two World Cups, they have been -- they have lost to Ghana, the USA, that is. In 2010, the last World Cup, they were knocked out of the World Cup by Ghana. So, there's a lot on the line here and a lot of those guys, they certainly want a little bit of redemption when they meet on Monday.
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes, that's an exciting match. So, Team USA's coach actually said out loud that it's not realistic for his team to win the World Cup. Trying to take some pressure off the players or saying, you know what, I'm a realist, let's call it like I see it?
BALDESARRA: Yes, no. I don't think this is mind games whatsoever. I think that it's honesty. We are not used to hearing this especially with anything that has to do with an American sports team. But, you know, it is true. The USA, they don't really have that great of a chance of winning the World Cup. In fact, the odds at 100-1.
However, that being said, they're going into every single game expecting to win. That's what professional soccer players do. That's what Jurgen Klinsmann is doing. He knows that tomorrow, they're going to face Ghana. It's going to be a tough game. But he expects the USA to win.
But if and interesting to see if they can manage that. This team we are going to be seeing, this team is 17 guys who have no World Cup experience before. Only six of them ever played in the World Cup before and sometimes that inexperience can be a little problematic, especially on the biggest stage in soccer, the World Cup.
But I think that it's going to be very, very interesting. Whenever there's redemption or a grudge match involved in it, that means they're going to try extra hard.
WHITFIELD: Lots of excitement there in Brazil, Lara Baldesarra. Thanks so much and enjoy the game tomorrow night, you lucky dog. You will be in there.
BALDESARRA: I will.
WHITFIELD: She can't wait.
All right. Still to come, the U.S. State Department responds to the violence in Iraq. What it's doing to keep the embassy in Baghdad and thousands of staffers safe.
But first, millions of Americans are still unemployed. But one man is trying to change that. Here's how dirty jobs host and creator Mike Rowe is impacting your world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): During his eight seasons as host of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs", Mike Rowe learned all about the hard working men and women who are keeping America running. But he found there was a disconnect between unemployment and available jobs.
MIKE ROWE, HOST, "DIRTY JOBS": Everywhere I was going, I saw "Help Wanted" signs, and everybody I talked to said how hard it was to find people who were willing to retool, retrain, learn a truly useful skill and apply it.
Micro Works evolved to shine a light on a lot of jobs that for whatever reason were going unloved, and then we set up a foundation and began to award work ethic scholarships.
It's really, really great to be here.
CUOMO: Rowe travels the country to get his message out.
ROWE: This is the biggest STEM event in the country. People love acronyms. And Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are, in fact, the careers that are going to keep the country competitive. It ought to be STEMS, right? Add another S at the end of it because if you take the skill out of any of those disciplines, then what do you have?
You can't promote careers in STEM at the expense of skill, and you shouldn't promote higher education at the expense of trade schools.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We're following developing news on the crisis in Iraq. The U.S. State Department is increasing security at the American embassy there and temporarily relocating some of the thousands of staffers, all a response to insurgents moving closer to Baghdad.
Here's Elise Labott.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER (voice-over): With an Islamist insurgent force moving swiftly towards Baghdad, officials say the State Department is preparing fresh plans for evacuating its staff in the event of total collapse.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our top priority will remain being vigilant against any threats to our personnel serving overseas.
LABOTT: The U.S. has some 5,300 personnel in Iraq, about 2,000 of them Americans, at its embassy in Baghdad and consulates in Basra in the south and Erbil in the north. Moving so many people in a war zone will be an extremely difficult task.
Unlike the evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Saigon in 1975, where American negotiated safe passage for 1,200 Americans, here, the U.S. must be able to secure airfields with the U.S. military no longer on the ground and Iraqi forces fleeing as extremists advance. The militants are seizing airfields and have surface-to-air missiles which threaten pilots in an evacuation.
The largest of its kind, ten times larger than any U.S. embassy in the world, the American embassy in Baghdad sits along the Tigris River and cost taxpayers nearly a billion dollars to build. The fortress was designed to sustain a massive long-term U.S. presence.
JIM JEFFREY, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: The embassy is very, very heavily fortified. We have extremely good security personnel and a lot of them. The embassy is set up to be self sufficient and the embassy can take a lot and it has.
LABOTT: The 104-acre compound is bigger than the Vatican with 22 buildings, apartment, and even an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Less than 100 marines along with diplomat security agents and contractors guard the complex but that's a far cry from the thousands of troops that once patrolled the secure Green Zone. Officials say for now, the Americans will stand put. But acknowledge security could deteriorate quickly.
JEFFREY: You do have to consider what would happen if not that the city were overwhelmed by 800 or 1,200 or 1,500 ISIL but what if they're able to cut all of the roads, lines of communication, lines of supply into the city and essentially besiege it?
LABOTT (on camera): Senior State Department officials say the embassy has plenty of food and water for employees to hunker down and ride this crisis out if the situation on the ground starts to deteriorate. The U.S. would start with a drawdown of nonessential personnel on commercial airlines while the airports are still open and only move to a full evacuation if things really get out of hand.
Elise Labott, CNN, the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, many fans of "Orange is the New Black" have already watched every episode of the new season and it was just rolled out. But is there such a thing as orange overload?
Coming up, the science behind TV binge-watching. Is it bad for your health?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.
Now, for a look at the why behind the what, we call it the science behind. Netflix users are clearing their schedules. They're staying up into the wee hours to get their fill of season two of the hit show "Orange is the New Black."
But is binge watching healthy? Why do so many people do it?
Here's Alexandra Field.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hours and hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six, seven-hour days.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ten episodes.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Face it, we've all done it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should be proud of it. You should be proud of binging.
FIELD: I did it once. Thirteen hours of "Orange is the New Black."
UNIDNTIFIED FEMALE: Step off it!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.
FIELD: And I'm not alone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Once Upon Time," "How I Met Your Mother," "The Killing." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Walking Dead", "Arrested Development."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I binge watch most television shows.
FIELD: Netflix found a recipe for success was original hit show "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards", giving people what they want at once. An entire season's worth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I used to be on the edge of the frame. Now, I'm only three feet away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's some hard-core view earl that is devour the show in 13 hours and another in the first 24, and a bigger number than, they will watch it at 48.
FIELD: It's easy to get sucked in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe you and I could partner up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to cook crystal meth.
FIELD: But is binging the best way to watch some of the best television? A New York magazine piece argues against episode binging, urging us to take a stand against it for our own sake.
Research, psychologist and author Sonja Lyubomirsky --
SONJA LYUMBOMIRSKY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-RIVERSIDE: Research suggests that anticipation period is really pleasurable. And if you take that anticipation and the kind of looking forward time out of the equation, then you won't actually generate as much happiness.
FIELD: That's the science behind it and, yes, it makes some sense.
LYUMBOMIRSKY: If you interrupt a positive experience, you actually get more pleasure from it than if you don't interrupt it.
UNIDENTIFEID MALE: There's something to be said for slowing down and letting the episode sink in. Letting yourself process it and then coming back for more later.
FIELD: Letting yourself sleep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or letting yourself sleep.
FIELD: If only there was time for this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're addicting, I guess. Can't stop watching once you start.
FIELD: Alexandra field, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That's going to do it for me. The next hour of the NEWSROOM begins right now. Michael Holmes is right here in Atlanta.
