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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Tropical Storm Debby; "Show Me Your Papers" Lives; Health Care Ruling Thursday; Juror: Sandusky Looked "Creepy"; Wildfires Threaten Colorado; "Show Me Your Papers" Lives; Interview with Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois; Turkey To Treat Approach From Syria As Threat; Taking On A Harlem Icon
Aired June 26, 2012 - 05:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: Debby far from done. The tropical storm could dump another foot of rain on Florida before she's through.
ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN HOST: Inside the Jerry Sandusky trial, a juror describes something the courtroom sketches could never capture.
BANFIELD: And both sides claiming victory after the Supreme Court's landmark immigration ruling. So, how the concept of reasonable suspicion played a huge part in the decision?
Good morning, everybody, welcome back to EARLY START. It's nice to have you with us. I'm Ashleigh Banfield.
SAMBOLIN: And I'm Zoraida Sambolin. We're bringing you the news from A to Z. It's 6 a.m. here on the east. So let's get started.
Up first, Tropical Storm Debby packing a punch and moving at the snail's pace across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida. Right now, that storm is stalled in the Gulf just off the panhandle coast.
Florida has been getting a super soaking from Debby with torrential rains, flooding coastal communities there and there's another foot of rain that is still to come.
The governor has declared a state-wide emergency. Take a look at these pictures. CNN's George Howell is live near St. Mart, Florida. My goodness, that is some deep water you're in?
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Indeed it is. This is what people are waking up to. You see this lot covered in at least a foot of water. This is not a surprise.
You can find this in these low lying areas here just south of this Coastal Highway 98. In fact, parts of this Coastal Highway 98 just south of it are all under a mandatory evacuation.
Keep in mind. We are here in Wakulla County. This was one of the hardest hit counties here in the state of Florida as Debby lingers along. This county saw 25 inches of rain here in the last several days.
And they are expecting 10 inches more before all is said and done by Thursday. Keep in mind. So this is what we're dealing with here.
But in Live Oak over in Lake City, they are just now starting to deal with the flooding from the storm as it lingers overhead, dropping just a lot of rain in a short amount of time.
SAMBOLIN: All right, George Howell, reporting live in Florida. Thank you very much.
BANFIELD: And our meteorologist, Alexandra Steele, has been tracking this storm and it's kind of a boring job. I hate to say because this thing doesn't seem to want to move.
You know, you and I have been having these quick hits as we've been watching this thing and the hits don't change because the storm is like a multiday hassle.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right. But, you know, the good news. There is an end in sight, and even for Wakulla County where George is, about 22,000 people live there.
The hardest hit area in Saint Marks where he is and over 21 inches of rain. But the good news, it is finally being progressive. It's finally moving, all be it at a snail's pace as you say at 3 miles per hour.
But see this is the key, it's not stationary anymore. It's 3 miles per hour, eastward momentum. So here it is, Tropical Storm Debby. Now the center of circulation with this is still offshore.
No significant change in strength will occur today until it moves over land, which will be tomorrow. So that is the good news. We're going to watch it finally make its move.
Here's the National Hurricane Center's pace, you can see it moving on land and then it will weaken tomorrow. But then there's a potential when it gets into the Atlantic, into the Gulf Stream to re- strengthen once again, but it will have pushed eastward.
Now certainly flooding will be the calling card of this. No question about it. We even thought so yesterday because of its stationary nature.
Here's how much rain we've seen. South of Tallahassee, this really was the bull's-eye yesterday, 10 inches to 20 inches of rain, but it is progressive.
So it is moving eastward. There are these numbers. You could see Saint Marks all the way to Sanborn, over 16 inches and then here, Southeast Georgia, that's who will really see the heart of it as we head toward today and tomorrow then we'll finally see it move on out.
BANFIELD: All right, Alexandra Steele, thanks so much for that.
STEELE: Sure.
SAMBOLIN: And here is a view a CNN I-Reporter is getting from her home in Pasco County, Florida, stranded by floodwaters as far as you can see. She has been stuck at home since yesterday unable to get to work.
Although she is saying yohoo in the background, she is a nurse. Lucky for her she says there's no water damage to her home yet, believe it or not.
And of course, we're not getting far from the story throughout the show today. Live team coverage for you every half hour right here on CNN.
BANFIELD: Got another big story that we're following for you this morning at 4 minutes past the top of the hour, Arizona claiming victory, so are the feds too after the Supreme Court struck down most of the controversial and very tough immigration crackdown law in Arizona.
Even though most of the law were shutdown, all of the justices upheld that one part of the law that critics said they had the biggest problem with.
It was the part that gave the police the power to say, show me your papers when they pulled someone over. The man who has become synonymous with this law, the Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio told Erin Burnett that this decision changes nothing as far as his department is concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF: We arrest anybody that violates the law. We don't care where they are from. It just happens we're close to the border and a lot of people coming in from Mexico and they are here illegally, that's not my problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Well, kind of is because it's his state, he'll deal with it in his jurisdiction. Anyway, Alino Cho has been working hard on this.
But here's the deal, a lot of people are kind of confused because if there's a police officer pulling you over because you might have run a red light or done something that led him to pull you over.
He can ask you, show me your papers, but if you don't have papers can't do much about it.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Right and really that's why is being so hotly debated right now and that's why it's essentially going to take another year for all of this to pan out.
I mean, I think first it's important to explain exactly what show me your papers is. It's the section of Arizona's controversial immigration law. It was upheld by the high court unanimously.
And it essentially means that police officers can ask for proof of immigration status while enforcing other laws, for example during a traffic stop.
The question is, what do they do after that? While the high court didn't tell Arizona and other states what they could and couldn't do, for example, how long police could hold someone or whether -- I'm sorry how long they could hold someone, the bigger question is, does this amount to racial profiling?
This opinion we should say is essentially guidance going forward. At the heart of the issue is this essential question, what exactly is reasonable suspicion that a person is in the country illegally?
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority, quote, "This is a basic uncertainty about what the law means and how it will be enforced."
It is guidance that our own senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, admits is vague.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: I think this means that as all other states weigh whether to change their laws and then courts weigh the challenges to those laws, we're still in a bit of a mess on this.
I think the guidance from the Supreme Court was less than clear here. So the issue of what's permissible and what's not, it's a little clearer than it was this morning, but it's not totally clear by any means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: That's right. It's not over yet, folks. The Supreme Court is offering essentially a wait and see approach to how Arizona enforces the law. This is all about enforcement which could, of course, open the door to future challenges.
Arizona, we should mention, though it gets the most attention is not the only state that would allow police to ask for proof of immigration status while making a traffic stop.
There are other states including Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Utah. All of those states have similar laws in place. So not just Arizona though it does get the most attention, Jan Brewer, of course, the Republican governor of Arizona quite outspoken, she was very happy --
BANFIELD: She called it a win.
CHO: She called it a win. She said it was vindication. She said the heart of the law was upheld, of course, like I said before, there's a little something for everyone politically. BANFIELD: However, what I thought was really fascinating was some of these polling numbers that are coming out. Last week, we were talking about the NALEO Conference, the gathering of Hispanic officials down in Florida and how both of the top candidates wanted to vie for their attention. It turns out immigration may not be a big deal --
CHO: You know, it is interesting because there's a new USA- Gallup poll that polled both U.S. registered voters in general and U.S. Hispanic voters.
And in both cases immigration was nearly at the bottom of the list, a dead last among voters in general and near the bottom of the list for the Hispanic population.
What's interesting is we talk so much about unemployment and the economy and so forth, health care actually moved to number one on the list.
SAMBOLIN: Wow, I was surprised for that because I thought it would have been education.
CHO: Well, it is interesting, but you know, you talk about health care and the economy is second.
BANFIELD: I would have thought economy would have moved to number one but fascinating, excellent reporting. It's worth staying up all night to do that, right? Never gets any sleep. Thank you.
Also ahead this morning, we're going to let you know that Congressman Luis Gutierrez, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Immigration Task Force is going to join us at 6:30 Eastern Time. Lots to talk about with him.
BANFIELD: The most anticipated Supreme Court decision in years is now set for Thursday when the Supreme Court is expected to rule on president Obama's health care law.
The decision will have an immediate and long-term impact on all Americans, both in how they get medicine and health care. It could shape the 2012 race.
The court could toss the individual mandate part of the law, which requires almost every American to have health insurance or pay a penalty.
BANFIELD: Two jurors in the Jerry Sandusky trial are opening up about what they witnessed in the courtroom and how they reached their decision in the case.
On "AC 360" last night, they opened up and one of them said that it is the beginning of our time to heal, also talked about the creepy expressions, that was how it's described, creepy expressions that the convicted child molester couldn't hide in court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSHUA HARPER, JUROR NUMBER 5, SANDUSKY TRIAL JUROR: I didn't see anything in the victims that would led me to think that they were not credible.
But then I also took a look at Sandusky while he was watching the victims testify and it seemed to be he was kind of reminiscing of the victims.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: What do you mean by that?
HARPER: Well, he would -- he would kind of lean in towards them and pick his chin up a little bit and just kind of -- like he was thinking about the victims and his behavior with them.
O'BRIEN: That struck you as creepy.
HARPER: Yes, I would say, a little creepy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: The jurors convicted Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach on 45 counts related to child sexual abuse. He is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.
SAMBOLIN: It's 10 minutes past the hour, conflicting emotions this morning in Colorado, hope and dread as a wildfire burns out of control near homes and treasured tourist attractions. We have a live report coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Welcome back. It is 13 minutes now past the top of the hour.
Out of control wildfires in Colorado are growing even more aggressive. They are shutting down major tourist attractions and worst yet, forcing 11,000 people to flee from their homes, flee for their lives.
The weather condition fueling the flames, not expected to get any better at least for a week. Our Jim Spellman is live from Colorado Springs. There are, you know, roughly half a dozen of these major wildfires that are burning right now.
And the weather doesn't look very good at all. Is there any good news on the horizon, Jim?
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is, yesterday firefighters were able to get -- just a toe hold against this fire, 5 percent containment.
They were able to create some fire lines using bulldozers and even just working with hand tools to create a barrier between the active fire and the fuels. So that's good, 5 percent.
They want to add to that today so they can get even -- create more of a sort of the safety margin that will lead towards 100 percent containment.
But the assessment we got yesterday is it would be three weeks before they get this fire completely contained. And before they get to that point, it could double in size. So, they know what they are up against here, it's not going to be easy.
Now, right now here overnight, it's gotten cooler. The winds have died down. It's gotten much smokier here, and they tried to take advantage of that time to really get some work on against the fire, because when the sun comes up and we get into the afternoon, it's going to be another red flag warning day. That means very high winds, very high temperatures and extremely low humidity.
Yesterday afternoon, when the winds picked up, the flames really picked up and huge columns of smoke went up. So, they have to use this sort of life cycle of the fire to try to take advantage of these quiet times to try to hopefully get some more containment. They've got 600 firefighters just on this fire here alone near Colorado Spring and several thousand more across the state, trying to keep these fires in check.
But even yesterday, we saw a couple of new fires pop up. They were able to knock them down. They know what these conditions, new fires could pop up any time, Ashleigh.
BANFIELD: Oh, it's just rough, though, you think about 100 degrees plus they are having to work in then the degrees added to it by the flames as well.
Jim Spellman --
SPELLMAN: Brutal conditions.
BANFIELD: Just brutal, you're absolutely right, brutal.
Jim Spellman, thank you. Good job.
SAMBOLIN: Sixteen minutes past the hour.
Let's get you up to date. Here's Christine Romans with this morning's top stories.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, ladies.
In Florida, it's the other extreme. Tropical storm Debby flooding the Sunshine State. Right now, Debby is parked over the Gulf of Mexico, torrential rains have flooded coastal areas and Florida could see another foot of rain before Debby is done.
The storms also spawned tornadoes which are blamed for one death. Florida's governor has declared a statewide emergency.
Overseas, NATO diplomats meeting today in Brussels, condemned Syria's downing of a Turkish fighter jet last week, calling it unacceptable. Turkey's prime minister says there was no excuse to attack even if the plane strayed briefly into Syrian air space. He accuses Syria of a hostile act.
The former director of a California water agency has been charged with felony child abuse after caught on camera beating his stepson with a belt during a game of catch. Anthony Sanchez quit his post after the video went viral. He'll be arraigned next month. Sanchez's lawyer says his client is a loving father and his actions were misinterpreted.
Critics are accusing Facebook of pulling a fast one after changing users' email addresses in their profile at facebook.com without asking for permission. Facebook said it announced in April that it was updating URLs and e-mail addresses but apparently did announce listed addresses would be changed, too. You can go in and change your default setting if you don't like it -- ladies.
BANFIELD: I don't like having to do something if I don't want to.
ROMANS: I know. That's the whole thing, though. You go on. You know, you open your life to your friends and they have all of that control.
BANFIELD: Good points. Good points. Thanks, Romans.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
BANFIELD: So, speaking of stuff like that, online stuff that annoys you, how about this -- trying to book a bargain trip? It turns out the kind of computer you're on may determine just what kind of bargain you get. Listen up Mac users. You got to hear this after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAMBOLIN: Minding your business.
U.S. stock futures are trading higher after markets closed lower yesterday.
BANFIELD: Dow lost a little over 1 percent, NASDAQ 2 percent -- I hate the three down arrows. S&P 500 down about a percent and a half.
Christine Romans is here to talk the economy, but specifically as it pertains to Hispanic voters.
ROAMNS: A lot of people looked at this Gallup poll that shows that among registered Hispanic voters, the most important issue is not immigration in this country. It is an important issue, obviously, but health care, unemployment -- these are the big things.
It's job issues, 21 percent said health care, 19 percent said unemployment. Why? Because the jobless rate for Hispanics is 10.4 percent. That's something that is an immediate concern right away. Immigration policies come up next at 12 percent.
What's really interesting -- when you look at this overall number, when you look at the general population of voters, 5 percent of them say that immigration is a top policy. So, you can see there's still a disparity between the overall polling and Hispanics.
But when you look at people who have been here a very long time, Hispanic voters who have been here a long time, there's hardly a difference at all between how highly they rate immigration, only 7 percent say that immigration. If you were born here and your parents are born here --
SAMBOLIN: They want it resolved but it's not the critical issue.
ROMANS: You know, a lot of people want it resolved, but jobs is the first thing, no matter what demographic, no matter what group of voters we're talking about, jobs consistently is the big thing.
BANFIELD: Speaking of demographics, can I switch just a little to the computer user? And what kind of demographics, like if you use a Mac.
ROMANS: Are you Mac or PC?
BANFIELD: Well, a little bit of both, right? Mostly PC, though. And it turns out if you're a Mac and I'm a PC, we're going to get different search results if we go looking for hotels and things.
ROMANS: Look, and this is at Orbitz, and it's a really interesting story in the "Wall Street Journal." Orbitz is talking to us this morning. If you're a Mac user, they found that when you're looking for a hotel, you're more likely to go for a boutique hotel.
You're more likely if you're a Mac user apparently to pay 30 percent or 40 percent more for a nicer hotel room than a PC user. And so, the way the search software goes and all of the complicated things they use for search results on Orbitz you're going to get different results if you are a Mac person versus a PC person.
And this is what Orbitz told us about it. They said, "We make recommendations about hotels using a number of variables, i.e., traveling with or without children, just as Mac users are willing to pay more for higher end computers. At Orbitz, we've seen that Mac users are 45 percent more likely to book four or five star hotels as compared to Windows users."
Now, some of you are screaming saying, how dare they steer me to something more expensive.
SAMBOLIN: Based on habit, right?
ROMANS: Based on habit. So, all of these search engines are about, they're about making it easy for you to spend money and knowing what you want.
BANFIELD: Ten seconds or less, one thing I need to know.
ROMANS: There's a new study that shows 28 percent of people, (INAUDIBLE), only about 25 percent of Americans have money saved, enough money to save six months in case of emergency, savings. That's what you need. That's what you need.
About 49 percent of Americans don't even have that kind of money. So, you've got to save a little money. Right now, if you get a little raise this year, put it right into savings.
SAMBOLIN: Great advice. Thanks, Christine.
(CROSSTALK)
BANFIELD: Thank you.
SAMBOLIN: Twenty-four minutes past the hour.
The ruling is in, let the spin again. The Supreme Court's immigration ruling with both sides weighing in. That is coming up.
BANFIELD: You're leaving the house right now? Hey, not to worry. You can take us with you. You logon to CNN.com/TV. You can take us on your mobile phone and your laptop, and your desktop when you get to where you're going.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAMBOLIN: State of emergency in Florida. Wind and rain from tropical storm Debby still pounding the state.
BANFIELD: Police in Arizona will still have the power to say to you, show me your papers. Illinois Democrat Luis Gutierrez weighing in this hour on the Supreme Court decision.
SAMBOLIN: Open lock doors with the wave of your hand. The new security technology that makes it possible.
Welcome back to EARLY START. We're happy you're with us this morning. I'm Zoraida Sambolin.
BANFIELD: Good morning, everybody. It is 28 minutes now past 6:00 on the East Coast. It's great to have you here with us.
Let's start with this. Show me your papers, please -- fair to say that in Arizona, still fair after the Supreme Court ruled that while major portions of Arizona's very tough immigration crackdown violate the Constitution, that part -- that part that angered a lot of people, have critics saying, that's racist. It's still on the books this morning.
Alina Cho joining us now to sort of break down what all of this means and what it means for people in Arizona.
Hi there.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Ashleigh. Good morning.
You know, what's interesting is there was a lot of disagreement on the high court about the other parts of Arizona's hotly debated immigration law, but the justices were unanimous in their decision to uphold the most controversial part. Of course, we're talking about "show me your papers". And critics call it racial profiling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): The Supreme Court struck down three out of four key parts of Arizona's controversial illegal immigration law known as SB-1070. But politically, both sides are claiming victory.
GOV. JAN BREWER (R), ARIZONA: The court unanimously upheld the portion of that section and that is a victory. It's a victory for the rule of law and it was a victory for the people of Arizona and for America and for the Tenth Amendment.
CHO: In a statement, President Obama applauded the court's decision, saying he was pleased the justices struck down key portions of the law. The only provision upheld by the court is also the most controversial, the so-called show me your papers section, allowing police to check immigration status while enforcing other laws.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It probably that person is going to be a Hispanic because that's the whole target of this particular law. It's going to be ethnic profiling on a ground scale.
CHO: Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a big proponent of the law, insists his officers don't use racial profiling, saying those arrested are merely victims of proximity.
JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA SHERIFF: We arrest anybody that violates the law. We don't care where they're from. It just so happens we're close to the boarder and a lot of people come in from Mexico and they are here illegally. That's not my problem.
CHO: The president expressed concern over possible racial profiling, saying, "No American should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like." He then went one step further, canceling arguments that allowed some Arizona police departments to enforce federal immigration laws. Instead, the Justice Department said it's setting up a telephone hot line and e-mail address for the public to report civil rights concerns.
And that prompted an angry response from Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer.
BREWER: They arbitrarily singled out Arizona and sent a bomb -- I guess what he's telling us is that Arizona, you're on your own. Take it or leave it, you know? I guess he doesn't think we're part of the country anymore.
CHO: The "show me your papers" part of the law could face more legal challenges.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: As all of the other states weigh whether to change their laws and then courts weigh the challenges to those laws, we're still in a bit of a mess on this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: All right. So what our Jeff Toobin is essentially saying, it's not over yet. It is all about enforcement, a wait-and-see approach. The questions, of course, how will Arizona and other states carry out the "show me your papers" provision? What is reasonable suspicion, Zoraida? And will it amount to racial profiling?
For now, these are still open questions and court watchers say it will probably be another year before all of this is sorted out -- Zoraida.
SAMBOLIN: All right. Thank you, Alina.
So, to talk more about this, let's bring in Congressman Luis Gutierrez. He is a Democrat representing Illinois. And he's been a vocal opponent of SB-1070 since it was enacted.
It's truly nice to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us.
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ (D), ILLINOIS: Pleasure to be with you this morning, Zoraida.
SAMBOLIN: You know what I want to start with. It's something that you said on NBC Chicago yesterday. So, I'm going to read a little bit of it and then I want you to respond.
You said, "What the Supreme Court says is it's OK to leave a mandate that says if a police officer has a reasonable suspicion that you're not in the United States of America legally, he has a mandate to stop you, and if you can't prove it, to handcuff you and put you in jail."
Is that how you're interpreting this, Congressman?
GUTIERREZ: That's not how I'm interpreting it, Zoraida. That is the law in Arizona.
He has a mandate, a responsibility. If he has a reasonable suspicion that you have an immigration problem, to detain you and to detain you until you can prove otherwise. That is why the statute is so controversial.
Now, we can have a long conversation about how it is that police officers going to arrive at the conclusion that it's -- he has a reasonable suspicion. But if I -- I mean, I look at the Supreme Court and I don't think Justice Scalia will probably have a problem being asked for his papers or whether a police officer is going to have a reasonable suspicion.
is all about targeting and finger-pointing a particular community and scapegoating that community. We know that's what they've done. They did it in California under Pete Wilson with Proposition 187 in the '90s, and now, we have a new version of 1070 in our current time.
So, it's not -- it's pretty old, it's a scapegoat and finger point in order to score political points.
SAMBOLIN: Well, it looks like the Supreme Court was concerned about potentially there being racial profiling, right? So, the Justice Department announced it has set up a telephone hotline and e- mail address for the public to report potential civil rights concerns.
So, doesn't that really address your concern and your issue?
GUTIERREZ: Well, it does, but I just think the Supreme Court -- look, Zoraida, I was sitting in the Supreme Court when the arguments were being made. And I have to say that I was taken aback when the solicitor general said we are not making the argument that 1070 is racial profiling that can violate people's fundamental civil rights. They didn't make that argument. Apparently, they didn't make that argument and so the justices just didn't take in into consideration.
But I and others in amicus brief before the Supreme Court, are making that argument and there are others that you have reported this morning that are going to make their way through the court system. I've got to tell you, when you see the first 100 people stopped in Arizona and they are all Gonzalezes and Rodriguez, Martinez and the like, you're going to see the challenges in court will prevail.
I say in the --
(CROSSTALK)
SAMBOLIN: They are expecting that to happen, the Supreme Court -- I'm sorry for interrupting. But they're expecting that to happen, they're expecting lawsuits to be filed.
GUTIERREZ: Absolutely. One of the things the Supreme Court said was, you know what, we're going to let this provision remain but we're going to monitor it, and we admonish you to be very careful as you implement this.
So, I was kind of like, well why let them do it anyways if you have concerns about the implementation. So, obviously, the concerns that they are, they are going to be taken up through the legal system.
And I have to say, I think, Zoraida, you and I will have a conversation hopefully sometime at 5:30 in the morning one day and we're going to find out unfortunately that it is ruled unconstitutional.
SAMBOLIN: Well, I certainly welcome that conversation if and when that happens.
I want to switch gears and talk about Charlie Rangel.
GUTIERREZ: Sure.
SAMBOLIN: He's facing three Democratic challenges in New York. It's his first reelection run since he was censured for ethics violations.
I know that you are a big supporter of him. What do you think is going to happen in the primary? Do you think he's going to win?
GUTIERREZ: You know, it's a really tough race for Charlie Rangel. I was there last Friday, woke up real early and went out and stood with Charlie Rangel.
Let me tell you why. There are a million young people that the president has ordered not to be deported and set aside their deportation because he doesn't believe as most of us in America that they are a threat to our safety and should be allowed. You know what? Charlie Rangel was there every step of the way from my first meeting.
You know, I took on this administration, Zoraida, time and time again and challenged them to do better on immigration. My first meeting was in January of 2009 and Charlie Rangel stood with me and communities always encouraged me.
So, I look at it from the point of view as here's a friend and ally of the immigrant community. He's running for re-election. He's going to have a tough fight. It's a tough fight. The demographics of the district, Harlem and Manhattan are different. There's a growing Dominican community, it's very vibrant and healthy and forceful --
SAMBOLIN: We're following it closely. We suspect the same thing.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez, thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.
GUTIERREZ: Thank you, Zoraida. They miss you out here.
SAMBOLIN: Thank you very much. I miss you guys as well.
And I just wanted to let you know that at 8:10 on "STARTING POINT", Charlie Rangel is joining Soledad O'Brien. And the impact on the street and on the election, Soledad will also be joined by Carlos Gutierrez, honorary co-chair of Mitt Romney's Hispanic steering committee. Also, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange and former Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce.
BANFIELD: And another big story that is on the radar for us, and literally so. Tropical storm Debby, it is not a fast mover, but it is a wicked rain maker. We're going to have the very latest on the storm's track and why it is making places like this go under water. All coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Good morning, Miami. Nice to see you, 82 degrees, heading up to 86. See those clouds?
SAMBOLIN: Nice and warm and muggy I bet.
BANFIELD: Not so much muggy as raining. It's a real mess that Debby has dumped on your city and the rest of your state as well. So, our apologies to that, but we're apparently thinking about you as you try to slug through these summer days.
Let's do the travel forecast, shall we? Alexandra Steele is at the weather center in Atlanta.
I was worried that that big Miami Heat parade wasn't going to get under way because of rain, but they did. They managed.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
All right. How about -- talk about heat, how about in Hill City, Kansas, 111 degrees yesterday. Denver, Colorado, 105, the warmest it has ever been on a June day. So, the heat is still on wherever you're traveling from the Dakotas to Dallas, 100 to 110, heat indices in excess of that.
So, certainly, the heat is the story, kind of the pinnacle of the heat from Kansas to Colorado, was yesterday. Denver 105 yesterday, today 98. So, kind of temperatures coming down slightly.
In the mid-Atlantic from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore to New York City, really pleasant for you. We're going to see rain in Maine, of course, that Debby certainly doing some damage in Florida and Georgia. Have storms moving into the Pacific Northwest.
Of course, we'll have more on the tropical storm coming up. First back to you, guys.
BANFIELD: The rain -- I thought you were going to say that like a Hepburn, can you that? They never mind, you know what I'm saying. Thanks, Alexandra.
STEELE: Thanks.
BANFIELD: With Debby, by the way, drenching the panhandle and Florida under a state of emergency because of all of the rain that's falling and is still to fall, Florida's governor is going to be live with Soledad coming up at 7:10 Eastern. So, she'll have a chance to talk to him about what that state is doing in light of all of the rain.
SAMBOLIN: Forty-two minutes past the hour.
Let's get you up to date, shall we? Here's Christine Romans with this morning's top stories.
ROMANS: And let's start with wildfires, ladies.
Seven out of control wildfires in Colorado, growing even bigger and more aggressive overnight, shutting down big tourist attractions in the Rocky Mountain and Pike's Peak. Eleven thousand people forced out of their homes and hot and dry and windy conditions are expected to continue through at least mid-week with temperatures now reaching all time highs.
Cracking down on child prostitution, hundreds of FBI agents teaming up with local police officers in operation cross country, 79 kids held against their will as sex slaves were rescued from 57 different cities. Officials say truck stops, casinos, and the Internet are hubs for this type of criminal activity.
News Corp is once again considering splitting itself into two separate companies, "Dealbook" is reporting that the Murdoch family would still control both companies which would separate its more profitable film and television business from the newspaper and book publishing enterprises.
It sounds like something out of a Jason Bourne movie, but new technology could soon allow you to scan your fingerprints from up to 20 feet away. Technologies from a company called ID Air could make entering your office or going to the gym as simple as waving at the door from the distance. The technology would start at $2,000 is currently being used by the military.
For first time since 2004, Michael Phelps lost in an Olympic trial but he's still qualified for the Olympic team. Ryan Lochte beat Phelps in 400 meter individual medley last night. Setting up what could be a magical rivalry in London this summer.
Even though he lost the race, Phelps still made history of his own, becoming the first American male swimmer to qualify for a fourth Olympics.
And, you know, I talked to his mother recently and she told me this is the last one. She said, if she's going to Rio, it's going to be as a tourist.
BANFIELD: You know, reporter who was interviewing him looked like you.
SAMBOLIN: I did too. I thought it was you. Take a look.
BANFIELD: That's great. Thank you, Christine. Appreciate it.
Soledad O'Brien joining us now with a look at what's happen on "STARTING POINT." We've been promoting stuff all morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN HOST, "STARTING POINT": I know. I appreciate that.
BANFIELD: Huge menu.
O'BRIEN: A check is in the mail to both of you.
This morning, we're going to be live in Florida where Tropical Storm Debby, could dump another foot of rain. Our CNN reporter standing by, literally, standing in the water, in some cases, this morning. Florida governor, Rick Scott, is going to join us to talk about his emergency plans as well.
Split decision in Arizona's immigration law before the Supreme Court both sides now claiming victory. What happens next? How are other laws and other states affected and how will the ruling play into the presidential election? We'll cover all those questions this morning. We're talking to Carlos Gutierrez. He's the honorary co- chair of Mitt Romney's Hispanic Steering Committee.
Also, the Alabama attorney general, Luther Strange, is going to join us to talk about his state specifically now.
And former Arizona state senator, Russell Pearce, you know, he was involved with HB-1070. He's going to be weighing in as well.
Also this morning, Charlie Rangel fighting for his political life. Will he end his four-decade career on his own terms before he casts his own vote even? The Harlem congressman is going to sit down with us.
And Hollywood superstar, Jada Pinkett Smith stops by, tells us how her 11=year-old daughter was the one who inspired her to take action against human trafficking.
Plus, if you have a Mac, and tell you how Orbitz -- we're talking about this earlier.
SAMBOLIN: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: Kind of catching in on you.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Think about. We'll explain. If you didn't get to see that a little bit earlier, don't forger, you can see us right at the top of the hour in just about 15 minutes. We'll see you then.
BANFIELD: Thank you very much, Soledad O'Brien.
SAMBOLIN: And when it comes to utility bills, a decimal point and a few zeros can make a huge difference. One eye popping example, coming up.
BANFIELD: Holy Moly!
SAMBOLIN: Yes. Total amount due, take a look at that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
SAMBOLIN: We do begin with breaking news right now. Turkey changing its military rules of engagement. They will now treat any military approach from Syria as a threat. This is in direct response to Syria shooting down a plane from Turkey that entered Syria's air space. And we are live right now in Istanbul, Turkey with Ivan Watson. Ivan, what else can you tell us? IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Zoraida. Now, we're seeing a response from the Turkish prime minister who was so measured on Friday when the news first emerged that the Syrians shot down a Turkish military jet.
Now, we're seeing him coming out in form, denouncing the Syrian government, calling it illegitimate, saying that this was a hostile attack on an unarmed war plane without any warning shots whatsoever. And also, basically, illustrating the fact that the Turks will not tolerate Syrian military moves along the Turkish border.
And the Turks have proven to be, in the past, very permissive as fighting between Syrian rebels and Syrian security forces has raged just along the Turkish border in the past with cases where the Syrian soldiers have open fire into Turkish territory. And on one case, they've actually shot a Turkish police officer and wounded him in a refugee camp on Turkish soil.
The Turks indicating that the Syrians should expect a response if this type of action happens in the future. And this happening as the Turks have also called on an emergency meeting of their allies in the NATO military alliance to discuss the shoot down of this Turkish war plane -- Zoraida.
SAMBOLIN: Ivan, we know that you're going to continue to monitor this development for us. Thank you so much.
BANFIELD: It is now 51 minutes past 6:00 on the east coast. He's had the seat for 41 years, trying to make it 42, but he is facing one heck of a challenge. Eighty-two-year-old congressman, Charlie Rangel, squaring off against three opponents in today's Democratic primary for his House seat, which represents Harlem. He was once the most powerful of the Democrats in the House, but he's been weakened recently by scandal.
One of his challenger is Clyde Williams told me last hour that he will not use Rangel's dirty laundry against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLYDE WILLIAMS, (D) CANDIDATE FOR U.S. CONGRESS IN NEW YORK: And to me, it's not about me, it's not about Charlie Rangel. It's really about the future of our community and who has the best ideas to move our community forward, and that's what I focus on. I never bring up the congressman's ethics issues or anything as it relates to him.
BANFIELD: Never?
WILLIAMS: Never. From day one, I never thought that was the way to run a campaign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Voting day today. What's going to happen? Primary voting day and the congressman is going to be here at Soledad's guest at 10 past 8:00 eastern time on "Starting Point." Make sure you tune in for that.
SAMBOLIN: So, we've all heard that everything is bigger in Texas, right? But this is ridiculous. A woman in Abilene opened her electric bill and got the shock of her life when she read it was for $1.3 million, that is for one month. Her previous bill was $100.
A computer glitch or human error mistakenly charged her $1,000 per kilowatt hour instead of one cent. Imagine that. That's enough to give you a heart attack, isn't it?
BANFIELD: I would frame that. That is awesome.
All right. Ever since 9/11, going through an airport and the security has been a real pain in the you know what. The drill is this, grab the empty bin, empty your pockets, take your shoes off, big hassle.
SAMBOLIN: But for some frequent flyers, this process may become a lot faster with pre-check. Christine Romans has the story in today's "Road Warrior."
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And frequent business travelers have been clamoring for these guys, and 16 airports across the country, there's going to be this expedited screening process for frequent flyers called TSA pre-check. Today, U.S. Airways will add the service at Ronald Reagan Washington airport in D.C.
United Airlines will begin this tomorrow at O'Hare International in Chicago. Pre-check lets travelers move quickly through airport security lines without having to take off the shoes, without having to take off the belt. You can keep your jacket on. You don't even need to remove laptops and liquids from carry-on bags.
Here's how it works, passengers must be U.S. citizens and they must belong to a trusted traveler program such as Global Entry, Nexus, and Century. You also may be able if you're a frequent flyer with American, Delta, Alaska Airlines, and now, they just add United and U.S. Airways, but the airline has to invite you to participate.
There's a catch, too. Passengers must be willing to give more personal information about themselves to the government. That's the whole point. They're pre-checking you, right? And it doesn't exclude you from random screenings, that can still happen. But once cleared, passengers can speed through security in their very own fast lane and get right up there through the whole process.
BANFIELD: Let's hope they don't load up the random screenings in that line.
ROMANS: You know, people who've been traveling for the past 10 or 15 years, I mean, they talk about the big changes that they've seen and how difficult it is as a frequent -- I mean, there are people who's travelled three, four, five flights a week.
SAMBOLIN: Is this the first time this is happening or has it happened before -- ROMANS: It's slowly rolling out. Slowly rolling it out. I mean, they have some lines in Houston --
(CROSSTALK)
SAMBOLIN: -- because I saw some people just zip through the line.
ROMANS: I know. You have to go to quite a pre-screening process and a lot of information.
SAMBOLIN: To know everything about you. Thank you, Christine.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
SAMBOLIN: Fifty-four minutes past the hour. Today's "Best Advice" from a former NBA player who plays in life as well as in sports. We're going to have that for you coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: "STARTING POINT" is less than a minute away.
SAMBOLIN: We wrap it up as always with "Best Advice." Here's Christine.
ROMANS: And today comes from NBA player and author, Etan Thomas. Listen up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ETAN THOMAS, NBA PLAYER, AUTHOR: The best advice I ever received is from my grandfather. He told me that things are going to be tough, and, they're not going to be easy, but just not to give up. Playing basketball or in life in general or anything like that, just not to give up. That's the best advice I ever received.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: From his grandpa, don't give up when things get tough, whether it's in basketball or in life, don't give up.
SAMBOLIN: We need to frame that and put it in our offices, right.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: Don't give up. Don't give up.
BANFIELD: Hey, this is one of your first from a grandfather, isn't it?
ROMANS: First from a grandfather. Yes.
BANFIELD: I love that.
ROMANS: For those keeping score at home, grandpa has made his debut in the "Best Advice."
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
BANFIELD: All right, everybody. Thanks for being with us. That's the news from "A" to "Z." I'm Ashleigh Banfield.
SAMBOLIN: And I'm Zoraida Sambolin. "STARTING POINT WITH SOLEDAD O'BRIEN" starts right now.
