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American Morning
Republicans Walk Out of Debt Talks; Cindy Anthony's Bombshell; North Dakota Floods Get Worse; Cell Phone Clues on Bin Laden?; Streaming Bird's Nest
Aired June 24, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin.
A lot going on this morning. Let's get you caught up. Talks to solve the nation's debt crisis, well, the talks are in crisis. Top Republicans pull out of the vice president's talks, saying they want to talk directly to the real boss, the president.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans.
Casey Anthony's mother dropping a bombshell on the witness stand, telling jurors she was the one doing a computer search for the word "chloroform." What could it mean for the prosecution's murder case -- on this AMERICAN MORNING?
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GRIFFIN: And welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. Friday, June 24th. Friday.
ROMANS: I know.
GRIFFIN: Kiran and Ali are both off. I'm Drew Griffin. Happy to be here.
ROMANS: And thank goodness it's Friday, right?
Talks to keep the nation's checkbook in order, they are on the verge of collapse this morning, though.
GRIFFIN: Yes, with weeks to go before the nation supposedly can no longer pay off its debt, a key Republican walked away from the talks. They are being hosted by the vice president, Vice President Biden.
Dan Lothian following the president, live in Pittsburgh this morning -- Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that key Republican, Eric Cantor, walking out of those talks. You know, this is, obviously, a critical moment in the 7 week old talks and Republicans are blaming Democrats for talking about tax hikes. Speaker Boehner saying that tax hikes are completely off the table.
You heard the president while on the road last night, at several fundraisers, bring up the point that there needs to be a balanced approach in order to reach a solution here. The president also pointing out that over the next several weeks, this whole situation was really going to start heating up and those were the words that the president used.
But, what the administration is also laying out in these talks is that it's critical that a decision be reached. Yes, there will be tough choices that have to be made, but take a look at the consequences. They keep reminding Americans as we have that August 2nd deadline approaching, that if the debt ceiling is not raised, then the country will not be able to pay its bills. And it will just be a catastrophe, will only hurt the economic situation, reverse some of the gains that have already been held -- been made, rather.
So, now, as we look at these talks and how they appear to be falling apart, I think most people look at it as more of political maneuvering, each side trying to force the other. So, we'll be watching closely to see if they can get back together soon there, Drew.
ROMANS: You know, and, Dan, I think it's important -- you mention that August 2nd deadline if they don't figure this out, if they don't raise the debt ceiling, America has to figure out which bills to pay first, its debt gets paid first. That means there's less money to do things like run the country and a reminder, too, that Congress already spent this money, Congress, the same people who are arguing about it right now, they already spent this money. This is simply being able to borrow to pay for it.
Why is the president in Pittsburgh today? He's touting manufacturing there?
LOTHIAN: Right. He's here to talk about jobs and the economy, in particular, as you pointed out manufacturing, the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute.
Why robotics? Well, many believe that, you know, the reason that some of the companies here in the U.S. can't compete is because they are facing countries like China that can produce things much more cheaply. And so, if you have robotics, if you have new technology, then you're able to do a lot more, a lot faster.
We were talking to one business owner, a small business owner yesterday, and he told, listen, if I did not have robotics, if I didn't have technology, then I would be out of business right now.
So, the president will be talking about how the new technologies will create new opportunities for job creation in the manufacturing sector.
GRIFFIN: All right. Dan Lothian in Pittsburgh, with the president -- thanks, Dan, for getting up early with us this morning.
President Obama making headlines, of course, in New York City last night. He received a standing ovation for his comments during a gay rights reception. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I believe that discrimination because of somebody's sexual orientation or gender identity run counter to who we are as a people. It's a violation of the basic tenets on which this nation was founded. I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Same legal rights but the president didn't say the word "marriage."
President Obama has long said that he supports same sex civil union, not same-sex marriage.
And the president's visit to New York and comments on gay rights come as New York state sits on the verge of becoming the sixth and, by far, biggest state to legalize same-sex marriage. Negotiations continued late into the night in Albany as protesters circled the capitol. A vote could come this morning. Tallies show that that bill needs just one more vote to pass.
ROMANS: A surprise move that could help you save at the pump this summer, that's the hope, at least. The government tapping the emergency U.S. oil reserve. The U.S. and about 27 other nations together will release 60 million barrels from their strategic emergency stockpiles. The White House says it's because fighting in Libya has disrupted world oil supplies.
Oil prices already were headed lower because of worries about a weakening economic recovery and then they drop another 4 percent on this news.
GRIFFIN: Now to a courtroom shocker, possibly a game changer in that Casey Anthony murder trial. On the witness stand, the defendant's mother, Cindy Anthony, dropped one of the biggest bombshells in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you recall in March of 2008 you doing any types of searches for any items that might include chloroform?
CINDY ANTHONY, DEFENDANT'S MOTHER: Yes. I started looking at chlorophyll and then that prompted me to look up chloroform.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Now, the prosecution alleges that it was Casey, her daughter, who did the chloroform Google searches and used it to murder her daughter Caylee.
Joining us to talk about the impact on this case, Sunny Hostin, and a former federal prosecutor and legal contributor for "In Session" on truTV.
Certainly, it shakes the prosecution's allegation, its case, that it was Casey Anthony who was doing those searches.
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, TRU TV: No question. I think it shook the prosecution's case to its core because remember, this is a premeditated first-degree murder case. That's why it's a death penalty case and the premeditation as far as the prosecution is concerned comes from the fact that in March of 2008, Caylee died in June of 2008, that Casey Anthony was performing these searches for chloroform. So, their theory is that Casey Anthony knocked her daughter out with chloroform, then placed duct tape over little Caylee's mouth and nose, suffocated her and placed her in the trunk of her car.
Without the chloroform, premeditation is off the table. Not necessarily the death penalty because they've also charged some other things that could lead to felony murder, which could lead to the death penalty. But I think everyone can agree premeditation would be off the table if even one juror, Christine, believes that Cindy Anthony conducted those searches.
It was a bombshell yesterday. I've got to tell you, my draw dropped. I was absolutely shocked that Cindy Anthony said something like that.
GRIFFIN: I'm just -- I just keep getting surprised. This case gets weaker and weaker as it goes on. I thought this was a slam dunk. After all these years, the prosecution finally had a case, they brought it. All we're hearing about is the smell of this, the residue of that. We're not having any real hard evidence of what I would be on a jury looking for.
HOSTIN: Exactly. And I never thought it was a slam dunk. I will tell you -- having tried circumstantial cases, they are very, very difficult, because it's like putting pieces of a puzzle together.
They don't have any direct evidence against Casey Anthony. I think the most direct evidence they had was this chloroform -- these chloroform searches. And now, that's out the window.
I will say this -- the case for the defense didn't look so great to me because it was almost like a science class, right? A lot of forensics. We don't have molecular Ph.D.s on this jury. This is just a down-to-earth, real-world jury.
And I thought a lot may have been going over their heads but they were leaning forward during this testimony. Four of them were taking notes. They were riveted. This is real emotional testimony. And that really strikes a chord with juries.
ROMANS: But will the jury think that the mother is lying to protect her daughter?
HOSTIN: That's the question. That's the question.
ROMANS: There was also -- wasn't there evidence yesterday that a MySpace account was within 20 seconds of searching for how to make chloroform?
HOSTIN: Yes.
ROMANS: There was an update of a MySpace account, which is something Cindy Anthony said she didn't do.
HOSTIN: Yes, that is true. But in 2009, she said this -- she told the prosecutors during the deposition that she may have searched for chloroform. This isn't sort of a recent fabrication.
ROMANS: They shouldn't have been surprised.
HOSTIN: So, it shouldn't have been a surprise. I mean, they seemed to be thrown off by her answers and I was surprised at that because I went back last night and I read over the deposition and I read over the deposition. It was like 200 pages. And she did say this in 2009.
ROMANS: So, she's been consistent. All right.
HOSTIN: Sort of.
ROMANS: Sunny Hostin -- thank you, Sunny.
HOSTIN: Thanks.
ROMANS: All right. Thirty guns, fake IDs, 800 grand in case, that's what the FBI says they found inside the hideout of the notorious gangster Whitey Bulger. He could be inside a Boston courtroom in hours facing 19 counts of murder after the feds caught up to him in California, after 16 years on the lam.
The arrest is the talk of New England. People who were too afraid to speak out before his arrest are now coming forward. Like one real estate developer who says he would have been a dead man if he didn't pay Whitey $200,000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With a .45 and puts it to my head and he says, "You don't pay me, I'm going to kill you and your family" -- takes the gun out, hits me, says, "Because you're a good guy and a stand up guy, I'm not going to kill you."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Bulger was the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character in the movie, "The Departed," a gangster who was step ahead of the feds because of a corrupt agent he planned inside the force.
One Boston native speaking to KABC-TV questioned whether the FBI wanted to see him get caught because of what he might say.
GRIFFIN: Two U.S. citizens charged with plotting to kill Americans at a military recruiting station in Seattle. FBI officials say Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif and Walli Mujahidh planned to use grenades and guns at the military entrance processing station in Seattle. Authorities say the suspects tried to recruit a third member. That guy confessed to police.
ROMANS: All right. Floodwater now is rushing deeper and faster than expected into North Dakota's fourth largest city. Twelve thousand people have been warned to get out of their homes in Minot. The Souris River is expected to crest Monday, six feet higher than a record set a century ago. No new evacuations have been ordered yet.
GRIFFIN: Only in California, actress Lindsay Lohan won't be going back to jail, but listen to this -- a judge has ordered her to stop having parties while she's under house arrest. Yes. Lohan was summoned it to court after failing an alcohol test. The judge said that didn't violate her probation, but she said Lohan was guilty of extremely poor judgment by having rooftop parties during her home confinement.
ROMANS: But home -- house arrest is supposed to be like instead of going to jail --
GRIFFIN: It sounds like a new MTV reality show, you know?
ROMANS: All right. Anxious moments, but I wouldn't watch it, it's too true. All right. Anxious moments overnight after an earthquake struck near Alaska. Coming up, we're going to tell you where it hit and how powerful it was.
GRIFFIN: Yes.
And putting more of the war in his hands, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai is reacting to the president's announcement that the president wants to bring back a lot of those surge troops. It could be out of the way in Afghanistan. Well, what does he think his troops are going to do? Are they ready? We'll find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Afghan's President Hamid Karzai says he's welcoming President Obama's plan for a troop withdrawal. Karzai says it's now Afghanistan's job to defend his country and keep its citizens safe.
President Obama announced Wednesday he's going to bring back the troops used in the surge, 10,000, leaving Afghanistan this year, 33,000 by 2012. That will still leave 70,000 American troops in the country. Karzai admits, though, security forces can't stop suicide bombers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMID KARZAI, PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN: These are incidents, not attacks of the kind that would enable anybody to take a village or -- or a road. These are IED attacks and suicide attacks, which we cannot stop unless you have addressed the root cause of all of this trouble. So in terms of overall security of the country, in terms of the mobility of the forces, the mobility of the people, things are better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: And this Sunday, you can hear more of that exclusive interview on Fareed Zakaria's show, a rare interview with the President Karzai. Hear what's next for Afghanistan. And "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS" is on Sunday morning at 10:00 Eastern.
ROMANS: All right. Nearly 12,000 Syrians have reportedly fled to Turkey to escape the crackdown of anti-government protests. The Turkish News Agency says some 1,500 Syrian refugees crossed over yesterday. A serious (ph) army massed along the border, Drew.
GRIFFIN: And meantime, we're getting our first look inside Syria since the crackdown began. CNN has been allowed into the country, not easy to do.
ROMANS: No.
GRIFFIN: Government minders close by.
CNN's Arwa Damon is live on the phone this morning in Damascus. Arwa, can you just tell us, not only what you've seen, what's you're reporting, but potentially what you can't tell us?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Drew, we arrived here early yesterday morning and we were able to go into the heart of Damascus bearing in mind that this is not an area that we see significant anti-government demonstrations. And certainly it would seem whether it's authentic or not and it's (INAUDIBLE) in this specific part of the capital was supportive of the presidency of Bashar al-Assad.
People were selling all sorts of government paraphernalia, anything from party hats to t-shirts with the president's photo printed on them. They're not anti-west sentiment (ph) and anti- American sentiment. People coming up to us saying that it is absolutely not America or the West's business to be meddling inside Syria.
Now, we had put in a request yesterday to specifically go to some of the neighborhoods that historically have seen clashes according to activists between anti-government demonstrators and the security forces following Friday players.
We were just informed that we would very shortly be heading out into an area that, again, is in the heart of the capital, (INAUDIBLE) that that was in part for our own security, because the government is continuing to maintain that it is these armed gangs that are the ones that are surmounting unrest and they're also saying that it's specifically because of these armed gangs and so-called terrorists that they were forced to conduct the military crackdown, the most recent one being that one in the northwestern part of the country that caused that refugee influx from Syria into Turkey.
But most certainly every single time we're out on the streets when we want to be filming something the government minders are most definitely with us -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: All right. Arwa Damon live in Damascus this morning. We'll look forward to your reports, I guess, when you get out of there, Arwa.
ROMANS: Yes. She's done an amazing reporting from there. And her reporting on the border, I said this yesterday, to her reporting on the border of the refugee crisis is just really compelling stuff. So to be in the country now even with the government minders to try to get a view inside the country is -- is really a great reporting from Arwa.
All right. Rob Marciano in the Extreme Weather Center for us this morning. Awful rainy up here in the northeast, Rob. What will you do --
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: What you got last night?
ROMANS: -- about that for the weekend for me?
GIRFFIN: Geez.
MARCIANO: That we'll -- we'll try to dry it out for you. Good morning, Drew. Good morning, Christine.
Some showers, more showers in the forecast for the New York area, actually much of the northeast. This has been the problem. Very slow mover, really not moving at all, and it's going to create -- continue to create the unsettled mess. And, but in spots, I mean, it just came down in buckets yesterday.
Look at the video coming out of Nyack, which saw its share -- its fair share of problems. Flash flooding yesterday through downtown Nyack, New York, a pretty much suburb of New York City, and it's just pouring through the streets there. I mean, 911 calls, people stranded in their cars, swift water rescues being done across this area. A really, really scary moment in spots as -- as this water just rushed through the town in a dangerous fashion.
We can expect similar -- well, not similar scenes like that, but the potential for that especially now since the ground has been so saturated across the Northeast, expect more in the way of showers.
Rough night in Knoxville as well. We had a possible tornado touchdown there and then another cell of thunderstorms rolling through this area right now creating a little bit of a mess for the morning commute there.
All right, thunder and lightning and more thunderstorms expected across parts of the northeast today as this front slowly makes its way down to the South and East. A little bit cooler, a little bit drier behind it, but we are going to see some delays because of the scattered showers in the afternoon from Boston to New York City to Cleveland and Atlanta, Georgia, as well.
As far as daytime highs are concerned, looking at 90s down across the South, although it will be just a little bit cooler with the system moving in; 87 degrees expected across the Southeast, including Atlanta, Georgia.
Want to touch on this, 7.2 magnitude earthquake just off the Aleutian Islands last night and that prompted a tsunami warning for the Aleutian Island Chain. From what we can tell there have been no reports of any sort -- sort of tsunami there. That has since been canceled. But nonetheless, scary situation when you get a 7.2 magnitude quake, guys. That is definitely big enough to warrant a tsunami warning and at this point it looks like all is OK.
Back to you guys in New York.
GRIFFIN: Oh, that is a big quake.
ROMANS: All right. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: Thanks, guys.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Rob.
You know, living in the big city, it can be stressful.
ROMANS: Yes, they can.
GRIFFIN: Now, research to prove it. Scientists found higher activity in the part of the brain that controls stress -- you hear that horn?
ROMANS: I hear it.
GRIFFIN: All night long I hear that horn, and people who live in the city compared to those who live in rural areas. It's the first study that links city living with high levels of stress. No word on how long you have to live where you live for the effects to kick in.
ROMANS: You know, I grew up in the country, then moved to the city.
GRIFFIN: Right.
ROMANS: And when I go back to the country, I'd wake up and say, mom, can you turn off the birds. Turn off the birds and what about these roosters? I mean, come on, give me a cab any day. But I'm changing my view again.
GRIFFIN: Yes. Maybe you should.
ROMANS: Anyway, that leads us to our question of the day. Is city living worth it even if it's more stressful and possibly harmful to your health?
Send us an e-mail, a tweet, or tell us on Facebook. We'll read your comments throughout the morning. Come on, weigh in. City or country, which -- which life is better?
GRIFFIN: I just hear that green acres thing in my head the whole time.
All right. Well, police in Arizona under attack from hackers. We're going to tell you why the group infiltrated the department and released officers' personal information.
ROMANS: Also, a ruling in a nearly 15-year long battle now involving Anna Nicole Smith's estate. Details straight ahead.
It's 21 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Markets closing mixed following news that Greece reached an agreement on austerity measures with the European Union. Dow bouncing back a bit from a steep drop in early trading and closing down about 60 points.
The Obama administration announcing it will tap into emergency U.S. oil supplies. The U.S. and other nations together will release 60 million barrels from their strategic stock piles. The White House says it's taking this action because fighting in Libya has disrupted world oil supplies. Oil prices plunged nearly four percent to a four- month low on that news.
Gas prices are also expected to go down, but it could take some time. The average price for a gallon of gas has already dropped about 18 cents since the beginning of the month.
Lawmakers threatening to issue a subpoena forcing Google's CEOs to appear at a hearing about anti-trust issues. "The wall street journal" reporting that the Federal Trade Commission also opening an investigation of the search engine giant over anti-competitive behavior. No response this morning from Google.
Lexus and Honda topping this year's J.D. Power and Associates best cars list as the best brands in the survey. Ford dropping drastically from number five last year down to 23. The survey citing issues reported with the My Touch communications controls.
AMERICAN MORNING will be right back right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: It's half past the hour. Time for the morning's top stories.
You know, talks to solve the nation's debt crisis are on the verge of collapse this morning. A key Republican walked away from the talks hosted by the vice president. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says the president -- the president -- needs to be directly involved to salvage talks on raising the debt ceiling and that Democrats are refusing to drop their push for tax increases.
The notorious mobster, James "Whitey" Bulger, could be back in Boston right now, facing 19 counts of murder. His arrest after 16 years on the run stunning that city. He was arrested out in Santa Monica, California.
The FBI says they found him hiding in plain sight there with 30 guns and 800,000 grand in cash.
The U.S. and other nations tapping emergency oil reserves, releasing 60 million barrels collectively. The move expected to save you a few cents at the pump this summer. Oil prices are falling sharply on that news.
ROMANS: And, Drew, let's talk a little bit more about that, because Washington's powerful business lobby, the Chamber of Commerce, slammed the president's move, saying that reserve is intended to address true emergencies, not politically inconvenient high prices.
But the White House says since fighting in Libya began in March, 140 million barrels of oil have been lost in the market supply and tapping America's oil reserves is simply now necessary.
So, what is this?
Let's look at oil prices. After the fighting in Libya, you can see oil prices rose sharply, topping $109 a barrel back in April. But since then, prices have come down, actually slipped below $100 a barrel. Why? Because the economy is weak and there's a worry we're going to be using less oil as the economy weakens further.
With prices already moving lower, the president has decided to tap into that strategic petroleum reserve, injecting 30 million barrels of light sweet crude on to the marketplace. That's about 5 percent of the country's emergency supplies. Some 30 countries have actually agreed to dip into emergency stockpiles and Saudi Arabia, big huge oil producer, of course, and five other Middle Eastern countries say they're going to start pumping more crude as well.
Now, a reminder where all of this crude oil is going -- it's going here. The U.S. is by far the largest consumer of oil, accounting for 22 percent, almost a quarter of all oil demand, Drew. China consumes less, about 10 percent. But it's growing fast and furious.
So, there are some who say, no matter what you do -- China's insatiable appetite and growing appetite for oil is going to keep prices elevated.
Now, only the president can tap America's emergency supplies. The last time was in 2005 when President Bush, after Hurricane Katrina, tapped about 30 million barrels back then, too -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Just confusing but interesting. Let me ask you something, can I ask you something, Christine?
ROMANS: Absolutely.
GRIFFIN: There is no shortage of oil.
ROMANS: Well, people in the markets are saying there isn't a shortage of oil right now. And because the economy appears to be weakening, oil prices were already headed a little bit lower. So, you got oil prices heading lower and the president and these other countries as well dipping at the same time, hoping that by the peak summer season when demand goes up again, they can keep oil prices at a more comfortable level, if you will.
There are also others who say it's really hard for governments to control the oil market. That you can tap into the oil reserve -- but, OK, so, if you're talking about 30 million barrels, 60 million barrels overall with all these other countries, I think we consume about 82 million barrels of oil every single day. So, that's not even a day's worth of oil.
GRIFFIN: And Libya as an excuse, the Libyan price spike was speculation on futures.
ROMANS: That's right. And now, this might send a message, though -- I will say this, send a message to speculators that, hey, if you got governments that are willing to step in every now and then, you don't want to be betting up, buying up oil, speculatively, because you might get burned in the end. So, it might tamp down the speculation a little bit.
GRIFFIN: All right. There's other news this morning. This morning, floods in North Dakota are worse than expected. Federal officials say the river in Minot is on track to break flood records. They were set 100 years ago.
Thousands of residents there already have packed up and left.
Jim Spellman is on the ground there.
Jim, is it as dire as I'm making this out to be?
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's going to be huge, Drew. I mean, listen, take a look at this -- the water has already started rising overtopping the levees in the town here. This water is going to come up about nine more feet. That's going to put it above the first -- into the second story of many houses.
They've given up here, even attempting to protect the whole city. There's no way that the existing four-foot high dikes are going to hold. They need at least 20 feet and in the last couple days, they've kept revising that.
Right now, all they're going to do is try to save vital infrastructure. This is city hall and police station right here. They've built likes like this around selective infrastructure here. And just yesterday, they've got revised numbers and they've had to add three feet to all of these secondary dikes that they've built around this vital infrastructure.
They say they have all the resources they need here. They have bulldozers, almost 700 national guardsmen here. But they're just running out of time. This thing could crest Saturday, maybe into Sunday, and it's going to start going really fast -- another 10 feet to come up in two days.
So, it's -- you're not over-exaggerating anything here, Drew. This is going to be catastrophic for the people of Minot.
GRIFFIN: All right. Jim, we'll watch it with you as this develops over the weekend. Thanks.
ROMANS: OK. Meanwhile, police in Arizona are under attack this morning from hackers because of the state's controversial immigration law. The group LulzSec stole and released private information about officers, their names, addresses, phone numbers and a slew of internal documents. The group says it's against SB 1070, calling Arizona an anti-immigrant police state.
Law enforcement officials say the move puts officers and their families in danger.
GRIFFIN: It's been a big loss to Anna Nicole Smith's estate. The Supreme Court ruling against the nearly 15-year battle for some of her late husband's billion dollar fortune. The actress was only married to J. Howard Marshall for 14 months before he died. The majority of his money was left to his son, even though Smith claimed she was promised $300 million.
Now, Smith died, of course, of a drug overdose in 2007. Legal proceedings continued on behalf of their estates.
ROMANS: It goes on and on.
All right. Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING: what a cell phone could reportedly say about Osama bin Laden's support network inside Pakistan.
It's 36 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: U.S. intelligence officials reportedly looking at a cell phone as they try to piece together bin Laden's time in hiding in Pakistan.
GRIFFIN: Yes. "The New York Times" says this phone belonged to one of bin Laden's trusted couriers.
Zain Verjee live in London with more on this -- Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, guys.
Well, what's significant here is that they have traced phone calls to a group known as Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The question now is, is that militant group in Pakistan responsible for sheltering and protecting Osama bin Laden while he was in Pakistan?
And even more critical question is, did Pakistani intelligence know? Because Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, this militant group in Pakistan, has very, very close ties to Pakistani intelligence. That's because the ISI has basically mentored and grown them for the last 20 years. They set Harkat-ul-Mujahideen up to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan, to fight India over Kashmir. So, they go hand and glove.
Now, "The New York Times," when it talks about tracing the phone calls, it says that Harkat commandos had called Pakistani intelligence officials, but it also says that, quoting officials, that this is not a smoking gun, that the ISI knew that bin Laden was at this compound in Abbottabad and were protecting him. But it does say they're going to investigate this further because there is that crucial link between this Pakistani militant group Harkat and the Pakistani intelligence historically.
ROMANS: We're just still getting so much new information that hopefully that will help investigators as they try to figure out what kind of threats are still out there.
Zain, another question, in other international news -- Desmond Tutu, Michele Obama, sit-ups? Please explain.
VERJEE: Yes, yes. Another important story breaking today, Michele Obama doing sit-ups. Let's go to the video. She is in South Africa and she met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
And here they were playing soccer. You call it everywhere else, it's football. And so, she was playing football and she dribbled the ball around a bit and then, there she goes, fitness first. She's working out there with some of the kids there and one of the stars of the South African football team Bafana Bafana.
And there's Desmond Tutu on the left-hand side of your screen. He's doing the pushups. He's not quite going down. But, you know, there he is. The arch.
Michelle Obama looking pretty good shape there, right, guys?
ROMANS: Yes. She's -- her form for sit-ups and pushups was impeccable, and I can do maybe three pushups.
VERJEE: And the archbishop is being helped up.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Apparently, I don't think he did one -- I don't see him doing one sit-up and I didn't think that was really a pushup. It was more like a --
ROMANS: Oh, come on. Cut him a break.
VERJEE: Drew, come on. How many do you do?
GRIFFIN: I do as many as you want, Zain. I'll go toe to toe with you and Tutu.
VERJEE: All right. Let's see you go. Let's see you go.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: I might give you a run for your money, you know? I'm in the gym every day.
ROMANS: All right. Zain Verjee, thank you. Talk to you again soon.
All right. Speaking of sports, she's one of the greatest Olympians of all time, swimmer Michael Phelps has 16 Olympic medals, 14 of them are gold. And he's not done yet. Phelps will compete in the 2012 London Games. Through his foundation, he's helping kids find that same passion for swimming. You might not know it -- his mom threw him into the pool because she wanted to know -- she got him swimming lessons because she wanted him to be safe in the pool. He brought her home 16 medals.
This week, I sat down with Michael Phelps and asked him about his motivation to succeed.
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ROMANS: A lot of people were telling you that you couldn't do it, or a lot of people were -- kids maybe picking on you a little bit about what, about your ears?
MICHAEL PHELPS, SWIMMER: Ears, shaving my legs, whatever, wearing a Speedo --
ROMANS: You must have had some kind of confidence to get over that.
PHELPS: I got to the point I didn't care and I was happy and love what I do.
ROMANS: Right.
PHELPS: You know, I have goals that I want to accomplish in the sport before I retire and I didn't care what anybody else said. And, you know, when people doubt me now, it just fires me up and gives me more motivation.
ROMANS: Can you tell me what those goals are? Because you have so much medal around your neck and I can't imagine you could hold your neck up. What are those goals?
PHELPS: Everybody wants to know and you'll find out in 15 months after the Olympics if I were successful or not. And it's going to be hard, but, you know, it's something that's doable and something I want.
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ROMANS: Four hundred days of training left, folks. Much more of my conversation with Michael Phelps on "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," Saturday morning, 9:30 Eastern, right here on CNN.
GRIFFIN: Interesting guy.
ROMANS: Yes. You know, he's trying to inspire kids and he's also trying to diversify who's learning how to swim, you know? Like they're going out and trying to get -- not to be such a white sport. They want to go out and get more kids from all kinds of different backgrounds because that's going to make the sport more exciting, too. Something else he's doing, passionate about.
GRIFFIN: Good deal.
Hey, coming up ahead on AMERICAN MORNING: we were glued to our computer screens, 165 million hits if I'm remembering correctly, watching those guys there, bald eagles, about to hatch and then they hatched and grew up. Well, they've flown the coop. We're going to talk with the people behind streaming this bird's nest.
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GRIFFIN: Forty-six minutes past the hour now. Here's a look at your headlines.
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GRIFFIN (voice-over): It's tax fight stalling talks to raise the nation's credit card limit. Top Republicans have pulled out of Vice President Biden's talks saying President Obama needs to step in and settle the issue.
The notorious gangster, James "Whitey" Bulger could be back in Boston this morning. The man who inspired the mob boss in "The Departed" movie is facing 19 counts of murder now that he's caught.
Two U.S. citizens charged in a terror plot. Authorities say they planned to use grenades and guns to kill victims at a military recruiting station there in Seattle.
Explosive testimony that could potentially blow up the prosecution's case at that Casey Anthony murder trial in Florida. Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy Anthony, said she Googled the word chloroform on the family computer. Prosecutors claim Casey made the searches and used the chemical to kill her daughter.
No letting up for the floods in North Dakota. Parts of that state bracing itself for record water levels. 12,000 people in Minot have already been warned to get out.
And President Obama getting a standing ovation at a gay rights reception in New York City after saying he supports equal rights for same-sex couples, but the president still didn't say he supports same- sex marriage.
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GRIFFIN: You're caught up on the day's headlines. AMERICAN MORNING back right after this.
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ROMANS: Fly like an eagle. There's some good music we can use into this segment. This morning, millions of online viewers are experiencing a kind of an empty nest syndrome. Since January, they've been watching live video feed of an eagle's nest 80 feet up in a tree in Decorah, Iowa.
GRIFFIN: Yes. A bird's eye view of three bald eagle chicks hatching, growing, and finally, this week, leaving the nest. The eagle cam is going to go dark. Amy Ries is web master and volunteer with the Raptor Resource Project joining us from Minneapolis. Man, this was a huge hit online. Did you guys know this going in?
AMY RIES, RAPTOR RESOURCE PROJECT: No. We had no idea. This is actually the third year of the cam, and the following that we picked up, it was amazing. We had no idea.
ROMANS: Some 165 million views. I mean, any given moment, there are hundreds of people tuning in to see what these little babies are doing, watching them, you know, tear a rabbit limb from limb, watching them perch precariously trying to figure out if they're going to learn how to fly. I mean, what is it about these three little eagles -- now and are they eaglettes now or they officially now juvenile eagles?
RIES: We still call them the eaglettes. They may now that their on the wing really be juvenile eagles, but we still call them the eaglettes.
ROMANS: So, what are they doing now?
RIES: Right now, I would guess they're probably either up in the tree or flying around. They could also be back in the nest feeding. Mom and dad are still bringing food into the nest. So, they go back to eat, and then, they're usually out in the tree or flying around.
ROMANS: So, they're venturing out. They can fly. They're venturing out further and further, and they're getting closer and closer to being their own little people -- I mean eagles?
RIES: Yes. Yes, they are.
ROMANS: So, you're going to have to close down -- you've closed down the Facebook page for comments on Friday, right?
RIES: Yes.
ROMANS: What happens next for -- I mean, at some point, I mean, they're going to leave the house, I mean, the nest.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: And then, this thing is over?
RIES: Yes. We're going to probably keep the camera up for as long as they're visible in the tree and on the limb, and then, we'll close it down. We expect that they'll remain in the area until early September, and we will be getting video footage and posting that on YouTube so that our followers can still see the eagles.
GRIFFIN: Now, what happens next year? Do mom and dad, now that the kids are gone, retire and move to Florida?
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Or do they come back to the same nest and you do this all over again?
RIES: Here's what usually happens, although, you never know for sure with wildlife. What usually happens, the kids should leave in about September. Mom and dad will stay at the fish hatchery, although, they won't be in the nest a whole lot. They'll be out flying around.
Maybe in early December, middle December, they'll start to build the nest with sticks again. That's part of their courtship, and then, we'll start all over again in January or February of next year.
ROMANS: And then, we'll do it all over again.
RIES: Yes.
ROMANS: I want to talk about a little bit of the drama along the way. A late spring snowstorm, that was something that people who were watching the E1, E2, and E3 as they're known were very concerned about this snowstorm. There they are.
There was also an owl attack that was -- I mean, I guess, when you're watching minute by minute what's happening in the nest, I mean, this is -- this is the wild. I mean, it was kind of scary, but they survived both of these just fine.
RIES: Uh-huh. It's really engaging to watch because they're wildlife. I have a dog. If something goes wrong, the dog goes to the vet. With wild animals, you get such an intimate feeling with them watching them. You get so close to them, but then, these things happen that you have no control over.
So, it's really amazing to watch them go through, get through everything, and here they are, they're fledgling. They're on the wing. It's just wonderful.
ROMANS: You know, Amy, just one last point, you know, maybe 20 years ago in the 1980s, we were so worried about bald eagles. We were worried because they were having -- the eggs were so soft from the pesticides and the chemicals. And, we were worried about saving these. Now, that the story about eagles is being able to watch three healthy eaglettes, you know, hatch and grow, that's a real conservation success story, isn't it? RIES: Oh, absolutely. I remember, you know, when I was growing up, if you saw a bald eagle, it would have been like a bald eagle! My kids, I go, look, a bald eagle and they're like, oh yes, that's nice. So, that's absolutely a conservation success.
ROMANS: Awesome. Amy Ries, thanks for being with us. We're going to dip in and watch those little eagles. I'm going to watch them again today, because you might not be able to see them for very much longer, because they are flying the nest.
GRIFFIN: I'm going to just say, Amy, you do this again next year. I want names for these things, not E1, E2, and E3. I want real names.
ROMANS: Drew 1, Drew 2, Drew 3.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: No. Joe, Bobby Sally.
ROMANS: Joe, Bobby Sally. That's good. All right. Thanks, Amy.
RIES: Thank you.
GRIFFIN: All right. Here's our question of the day. What could be proof that the pressure of city life can get people pretty worked up? Scientists found higher activity in the part of the brain that controls stress in people who live in the city compared to those who live in rural areas.
ROMANS: All right. That leads us to our question of the day. Is city living worth it even if it's more stressful and possibly harmful to your health?
Lori Stewart on Facebook says, "Well, duh. The people in the country have more peace. I dream every day of moving there, always have. Hate the city and not happy in the suburbs."
GRIFFIN: Joe Calabretta, "It's worth it if it means less travel to work. Commuting is stress in itself, but for me, rural is the only way to go. I see deer. I see bear, not people where I am. I can deal with bear and deer."
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GRIFFIN: Deer and bear.
ROMANS: Sandman1981 says, "I love living in town. I can't sleep without the noise."
GRIFFIN: Paul, how is city living good at all?
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GRIFFIN: I don't know, Paul. Keep your comments coming. Send us an e-mail, tweet us, Facebook us. We'll read some of your thoughts.
ROMANS: Are you city or country? Weigh in.
GRIFFIN: Oh, man. I sound like a Dolly Parton song.
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GRIFFIN: I'm a little bit country, little bit city, girl. I'm a suburber.
ROMANS: Suburbanite.
GRIFFIN: Yes.
ROMANS: All right. I'm still trying them all out and figuring out which one I'm going to end up with. Currently, I'm in the suburbs.
All right. Beginning Monday, CNN's Ali Velshi will be getting up a little bit earlier. That's why he lives in the city, so he doesn't travel too far. You can get a jump start on your day with Ali at 5:00 a.m. Eastern during "THE WAKE UP CALL," 5:00 a.m. That's starting Monday right here on CNN.
GRIFFIN: All right. Still ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the notorious mob boss, James "Whitey" Bulger about to return to the scene of his alleged crimes. The feds planning to bring Bulger back to Boston. And we're learning about his arrest after 16 years on the lamb.
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