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CNN Sunday Morning
CNN Poll Shows Americans Split Over Sotomayor Nomination; Police Questions Two Persons in Killings of Florida Couple; Thousands Attend Steve McNair's Funeral
Aired July 12, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Sunday, July 12th. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Going to get another of CNN in there somewhere.
NGUYEN: Trying to.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right. Hello...
NGUYEN: There's a bug on the TV. There's one behind us, up above. You know where you are.
HOLMES: You know where she was and know her (ph).
I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 8:00 here in Atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in Chicago -- our executive producer's hometown as we always have that in there. Also, 5:00 a.m. for folks walking up in the San Francisco Bay area. Wherever you are -- thanks for being here.
It's going to be an interesting week of breakthroughs or maybe of break downs. You never know what you're going to see at these confirmation hearings, but she's on the hot seat this week, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. They start tomorrow, those confirmation hearings, and Republicans are expected, as always, in the case here, the opposing party, to grill her pretty good. Democrats expected to support that nomination.
We'll take a closer look at the justice. If confirmed, she would become the first Latina on the highest court.
NGUYEN: We want to give you a live look now at Space Shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad this morning. You know, yesterday's liftoff, apparently was a no-go because we're watching it right now, still on the launch pad. But we're going to tell you why it was delayed and when the next attempt is scheduled.
Plus, the tough economy to take a serious toll on two Boston area zoos. This has been the talker this morning -- without needed funding, these zoos could close and they might even have to euthanize some of the animals. Many of you already sending us your comments, keep them coming -- Facebook, Twitter, you can find us, we'll read them on the air. But that story is coming up in about a half hour.
HOLMES: Now, the president is back in town, back in the U.S., after a week-long trip overseas, got back just after midnight last night. The president's overseas trip included arms talks in Russia as well as discussions in Italy over the global economy. The family's last stop was to a 17th century castle in Ghana that held Africans who were forced into slavery.
So, back to the domestic agenda this week with the president on Monday, and on Tuesday, he'll turn his focus to health care reform. And on Thursday, he'll speak at the NAACP convention in New York, that group marking its 100th anniversary.
The president will also visit New Jersey on Thursday. He'll appear at a reelection rally for Governor Jon Corzine.
NGUYEN: Our Anderson Cooper got exclusive access to the president on this trip. And he was there when the president visited a slave port in Ghana. The president compared it to a concentration camp.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CNN'S ANDERSON COOPER 360)
ANDERSON COOPER, "ANDERSON COOPER 360" HOST: Do you think what happened here still has resonance in America? That the slave experience still is something that should be talked about and should be remembered and should be present in every day life?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you know, I think that the experience of slavery is like the experience of the Holocaust. I think it's one of those things you don't forget about.
I think it's important that the way we think about it and the way it's taught is not one in which there's simply a victim and a victimizer and that's the end of the story. I think the way it has to be thought about, the reason it's relevant is because whether it's what's happening in Darfur or what's happening in the Congo, or what's happening in too many places around the world. You know, the capacity for cruelty still exists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Find out what else the president had to say when he gave Anderson Cooper exclusive access on his African trip. You can catch it on "ANDERSON COOPER 360" tomorrow night at 10:00 Eastern.
HOLMES: Well, the president and his attorney general might not be on the same page on a particular topic. The attorney general, Eric Holder, appears to be considering appointing a prosecutor to investigate Bush administration interrogation techniques. Again, this goes against what the president has said he wanted. He says he wants to leave all that stuff essentially behind, leave some of those policies in the past. Now, this probe by Holder would include or talk about the CIA and whether or not they tortured terror suspects after 9/11. We could get a decision within the next few weeks from the attorney general.
(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: Well, in about 24 hours, Judge Sonia Sotomayor faces the Senate committee that could make her this country's first Latina Supreme Court justice. Now, a majority of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 47 percent of them say the Senate should approve her nomination. However, 40 percent say no, and 13 percent, well, they're still unsure.
Let's get more about public sentiment on the eve of her hearings and check in with CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser.
All right, Paul. First up, how deep is the divide in the Sotomayor support when it comes to party lines?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, our poll, Betty, shows a pretty big partisan divide. Take a look at these numbers, CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll. You can see nearly seven in 10 Democrats think that the Senate should confirm Sonia Sotomayor. Independent voters appear to be split and Republicans only about one in four indicate, in our poll, that they think Sotomayor should be confirmed.
That number in the lower right, 65 percent opposing, that is pretty interesting. Our polling director, Keating Holland, indicates -- tells us that that's a lot higher than the number of Republicans back in the 1990s who opposed the confirmation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and its higher than the number of Democrats four years ago who opposed the nomination of Alito and Roberts.
NGUYEN: OK. So, 60 percent of Democrats say yes, 65 percent of Republicans say no.
All right. So, when it comes to those hot-button issues, what are people saying about that?
STEINHAUSER: Well, people feel that if Sotomayor is -- if people that she is qualified, the issues may stand in her way. Take a look at these numbers. Americans are split. If Sotomayor's qualified, senators are justified in voting against her, Americans are split on that.
And what a change from back in the day when the common thought was if a nominee was qualified, the issues really should not matter as much. But, you know, nowadays, things are much more partisan than they used to be, Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, 47 percent saying yes, and then it's almost half, too, saying no. We're seeing it along party lines. Is there anything people agree on when it comes to Sonia Sotomayor?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, our poll indicates there is something people agree on, but it may not be the best thing in the world. Take a look at this: six in 10 Americans say what is likely to happen next week, a major fight between the parties; a little less than four in 10 say there will be some bipartisan agreement. So, they're on agreement there but maybe not the best thing in the world.
NGUYEN: Yes. All right. CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser -- thanks so much for your time today. We appreciate it.
STEINHAUSER: Thanks, Betty.
NGUYEN: And you can see Sotomayor's confirmation hearings right here on CNN. Follow the pointed questions about her background, her rulings, controversial comments and speeches that she's made -- all of it live on CNN all week long.
HOLMES: The parents of 16 children killed. Most of these children were adopted -- now, all of them without their parents. Our David Mattingly picks up the story for us from Pensacola where authorities have a major break in the case, possibly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a critical piece of evidence and investigators are combing through it to see what they can find. They believe this is the same van recorded by a home security camera the night someone broke into the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings and shot them dead.
SHERIFF DAVID MORGAN, ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA: Once we had located the van, developed an address where the van had been registered to, interviews with associated neighbors and friends and family then led us to two persons of interests. As you know, we are looking for a total of three.
MATTINGLY: Three young white men also recorded on the family's security system as they broke into the Billings' home. Investigators won't say if anything was taken from the house or what kind of weapon was used. But the men who did this worked so quickly that authorities believe they had some kind of experience.
MORGAN: We were surprised with the rapidity of the crime. And that's, you know, about the most I could say about it.
MATTINGLY: Investigators will not discuss motive. Byrd and Melanie Billings were known for their kindness. They had adopted a dozen children over the years, many with special needs. Eight of the children were at home at the time of the murders, none was harmed.
But why were the Billings targeted? Was it robbery or? Or was it something else?
The sheriff identified this man as one of the persons of interest. He said his appearance matches one of the men seen by security cameras. At the time he was seen by our camera, he had not been named as a suspect and no arrests had been made.
David Mattingly, CNN, Pensacola.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Officials have exhumed one grave at Illinois' Burr Oak Cemetery as they continue to investigate the desecration of hundreds of graves there. Four cemetery employees are accused of digging up hundreds of bodies to resell the plot. The Cook County sheriff says they found just one body in this exhumed grave despite earlier reports that two bodies were there. Police have declared parts of the cemetery a crime scene.
NGUYEN: Well, it was a massive turnout -- friends, family, fans, all of them came by the thousands to remember Steve McNair. Many, though, are still trying to make sense of the apparent murder-suicide that led to the 36-year-old's death. And our Larry Smith reports on the emotional funeral.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VINCE YOUNG, TENNESSEE TITANS QUARTERBACK: Steve was like, you know, a hero -- a hero to me and heroes are not supposed to die.
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS (voice-over): It was an emotional farewell for Steve McNair. Thousands came to pay their respects to the former NFL most valuable player and what organizers called one of the largest home-going services in Mississippi history.
(MUSIC)
SMITH: For the past week, the sorted details of McNair's murder sent shock waves across the nation. But this was about his legacy on and off the field during a stellar career. When asked how many people had McNair stopped and had given an autograph to, nearly half raised their hands.
RAY LEWIS, BALTIMORE RAVENS LINEBACKER: I find myself in awe when I speak about a man like McNair, in awe being here to speak where it all started from.
SMITH: Opponents called McNair a warrior for his ability to play through pain. And his former teammates say his grit and determination made them better.
DOUG SMITH, WINNING QUARTERBACK, SUPER BOWL XXII: I don't think Steve played a game once he got into the professional ranks totally healthy, but you wouldn't have known the way he performed. So, I've always respected the way he played and he played to win. Every play was to win.
SMITH: Just two weeks ago, McNair hosted a football camp for kids here. And when everyone else was gone, he was the one cleaning up after a day of giving.
CARDELL JONES, MCNAIR'S COACH AT ALCORN STATE: Mississippi has lost a tremendous legend.
(APPLAUSE)
JONES: I truly feel that it would be a long, long time before there'd be another player the caliber of Steve McNair.
SMITH (on camera): Steve McNair was buried later in the day in his hometown of Mount Olive, about 30 miles from here. But his good work will live on. As Vince Young said, the world would be a better place if everybody helped others the way Steve did.
Larry Smith, CNN, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, it is T minus 11 hours now until NASA tries to send up the Endeavour again. It will take a crew of seven to the International Space Station.
HOLMES: And they'll be taking the final piece of a Japanese space lab. But with all depends on whether, the shuttle's electrical system checked out and also weather always plays a role and that kind of played a role in why it's still sitting there in the first place.
NGUYEN: Exactly. They scrubbed it yesterday on the launch pad because of -- well, you're looking at it -- about a dozen lightning strikes near that launch pad. NASA says there's nothing to show that the shuttle was affected by it. So, that's some good news.
HOLMES: Yes, and Reynolds was describing this yesterday. Do you really want a bolt of lightning anywhere close to those fuel tanks?
NGUYEN: Not at all.
HOLMES: It makes sense not to launch. This is the third time NASA delayed this particular launch. It was canceled twice last month because of a liquid hydrogen leak. It sounds bad, as well.
The president's stimulus plan, meanwhile, it's been in effect for about 100 days. How is it working for you?
Josh Levs is following the money.
Good morning, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning to you, guys.
We're going to find out how much of that money is going to any county in the entire country and within that, how many projects are underway there. And this is not a government Web site. We're going to show you how to find it -- Betty?
NGUYEN: And take a look at this. These animals right here, they need a bailout and fast. Their zoos could soon be making life or death choices because of budget cuts. And many of you already are sending us your comments on this story. Keep them coming. We'll have more on it. We're going to be reading them in our next half hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And good morning, everyone. I'm CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis.
What you're looking at is a live picture overcast skies and about a 30 percent or 40 percent chance of showers right around Atlanta. Temperatures are expected in the upper 80s.
I want to point out one thing. Let's look at the left of your screen. The round building that looks it has dot on it, those are windows that were knocked out during the tornado that we saw just about a year and a half ago around the Metro Atlanta area.
All right, what about the launch of the space shuttle? It looks a little iffy, there's about a 70 percent chance of a go. However, we're just going to have to take it literally hour by hour. You can see over the next 48 hours, we could see a couple of showers there.
But further north, this is where we're looking at the bulk of the precipitations, the Tennessee River valley. And in the forecast, there could be fairly substantial rainfall, especially right along that Arkansas, also Tennessee border. There is a severe thunderstorm watch out that encompasses the portion of Kansas, also into Missouri.
Right around Topeka, we have some pretty good thunderstorms rumbling around here, as well. Those thunderstorms are moving towards the southeast, but you could see frequent lightning, heavy downpours, and maybe some wind gusts as high as 60 miles an hour.
The big story in the south central United States and the southwest is the heat. The heat has been oppressive. We have heat advisories and excessive heat warnings. Thunderstorms will rumble across the northern Great Plains where temperatures are in the 60s now. If you were to travel to Dallas today, the expected high temperature right around 106 degrees.
We'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. The stimulus plan has been in effect for a while. Now, we keep hearing White House and other administration officials, a lot of folks in Congress as well, talking about all of these projects underway...
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: ... on the way to the rescue for this economy of ours. A lot of people are asking, when it's actually going to get to them, their street, their neighborhood.
NGUYEN: Absolutely, and our Josh Levs -- you've been keeping an eye on all of this money. So, where is it actually going, Josh?
LEVS: I'll show you. This is actually a really great interactive map that we got up at -- well, it's on the Web. I'll show you.
First of all, let's zoom in, because I want everyone to understand the difference here. This is Recovery.gov that you hear the White House talked about a lot. This is not the place to go for it. Instead go to Recovery.org, and you're going to see that show up on your screen. There you go, Recovery.org.
What this does is you can click on any state. It's run by this private company Onvia, that's helping businesses get access to these projects. Within any state, you can click on any county, and it will show you how much money every county is getting.
So, I have reach out to people on Facebook and I said, "OK, send me your counties." These are the first responses I got. San Diego, look at that, it specifically tells you they're getting $219 million, using it on 109 projects.
This one, Johnston County in North Carolina, $35.7 million. Let's do two more here. Texas, Tarrant County -- there you go -- $2.2 billion.
Let's do the last one right here. This is over at -- Georgia, right outside of Atlanta -- no, it's this one, the highlighted one, Gwinnett County, $80 million.
So, what you can see is any county in the entire country is updated and they continue to show how many projects and how much money all right there at Recovery.org. But that doesn't necessarily mean that in every way it's actually reaching you.
What we want to do is hear your story. This is how you can write to us. Let me show you that graphic because we really want to hear your stories.
If you've been helped by the stimulus, let us know. CNN.com/Newsroom, also on Facebook and Twitter, just -- slash JoshLevsCNN. Really easy to get to. And, guys, we would to hear stories from people who say, "Yes, the stimulus has helped me and here's how."
NGUYEN: All right, Josh.
LEVS: All right.
NGUYEN: Well, we do appreciate it.
LEVS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Looking forward to those comments, as well.
And coming up is this, Sonia Sotomayor has President Obama's support, but what will she face on Capitol Hill tomorrow?
HOLMES: And we'll preview the hearings with Wolf Blitzer, the man in charge of this weekend's "STATE OF THE UNION." He's coming up live with us -- next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: Stevie Wonder and "Higher Ground."
HOLMES: Is anybody going to take the higher ground this week on Capitol Hill?
NGUYEN: Yes. We're going to see with those Sotomayor hearings.
All right. Let's get you now to "STATE OF THE UNION," which is coming up at the top of the hour, and -- guess who's in today -- our very own Wolf Blitzer.
Hey there, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Hi, guys. Filling in for John King today.
NGUYEN: Yes, glad to see you.
OK. Let's get to the Senate hearings for Sonia Sotomayor. I mean, what are some of the big issues that they're going to be dealing with?
BLITZER: Well, it starts at 10:00 tomorrow morning, 10:00 Eastern Time, we're going to have extensive coverage here on CNN, obviously, of these historic hearings.
The Democrats pretty much in line -- remember, there are 60 Democrats in the U.S. Senate. So, she looks like she's -- barring some unforeseen development -- she's in very, very good shape to be confirmed. She'll probably get a whole bunch of Republicans eventually vote to confirm her, as well.
But there are all those issues, the controversial comments she made about being a wise Latina woman -- that's going to raise questions about affirmative action. The whole issue of empathy, is that supposed to be part of the Supreme Court justice's decision- making? Whether or not someone feels sorry for someone? Or is it just a matter of what the law specifically says?
So, they'll be a lot of issues. And I'm sure 19 senators, Democrats and Republicans, they're all going to have an opportunity to ask some extensive questions.
HOLMES: And, Wolf, have Republicans found a way? I mean, have they found a good way to go about getting at her? Because there's a risk there if you're too tough on this minority who has its background that everyone's so proud of, they could come off looking really bad.
BLITZER: Right. Jeff Sessions, who's the ranking Republican, the top Republican on the judiciary committee, the senator from Alabama, he says, "You know what? There's not going to be any personal stuff going on at all because she does have a very compelling personal story." But they will get into the substantive issues of her decisions as a federal judge over these many years.
So, it is a tough sensitive political issue because Republicans don't want to alienate Hispanic voters. At the same time, they do want to question her. They have some serious concerns about some of her decisions.
NGUYEN: Let's talk for a minute about the president's trip abroad. We saw yesterday him touring the Cape Coast castle, a slave port there -- the tail end of a really important trip, across the pond, shall we say, to many different countries. But what were some of the successes, maybe some of the stumbles that that he faced during that trip?
BLITZER: Well, he tried to improve U.S.-Russian relations in the first few days of the trip, when he was in Moscow and met with the Russian president and the Russian prime minister. I'm not sure how much improvement in the relationship they got, but certainly, didn't deteriorate during the course of those two days.
It didn't look like there were a whole lot of successes at the G8 summit on some of the global -- on the global warming issues, for example. I'm sure the president didn't get whatever he wanted. He was a little frustrated, I think, on that front.
In Ghana, he did deliver a very important speech underscoring U.S. support for Africa and development in Africa and dealing with famine, HIV/AIDS and he got into his personal history, his family history on his father's side of that whole -- of the whole African connection which, I'm sure, was very well received throughout the continent.
So, all in all, you know, it was an important trip. I'm not sure that there were so many dramatic changes that were achieved in the course of nearly a week.
HOLMES: All right. And, Wolf, before we let you go -- just tell us what you've got coming up at the top of the hour.
BLITZER: We're going to focus in all of these issues. Also, the huge health care reform debate. The president is coming back to the United States. He's back in the United States right now, and this is his top priority domestically, to get health care reform.
The secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, is going to be here on "STATE OF THE UNION." Also, four senators, two Democrats, two Republicans with very different perspectives. All of that coming up, and more of Anderson Cooper's exclusive interview with President Obama. That's going to be highlighted on "STATE OF THE UNION" as well.
So, we got a lot of good stuff coming up.
NGUYEN: All right. We will be watching. And good to see you again, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you. HOLMES: All right. Thanks, Wolf.
And again, top of the hour, Wolf Blitzer sitting in for our John King on "STATE OF THE UNION." Don't miss that.
Also, we're going to talk about the president's trip to Ghana. We were capturing it here live, most of it yesterday right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. There's too much we got. And he also met with that guy, the Pope -- that was kind of a big deal.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: That's a big meeting. We'll highlight that Vatican meeting in our "Faces of Faith."
NGUYEN: And who would hurt these cute little animals? Those right there that you see -- that's one of many. Would you believe their own zoo? Yes, that story is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Welcome back, everybody.
NGUYEN: Hello, everyone.
HOLMES: It is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
Here are some of the top stories that we are working on this hour.
The current administration might not be too cool with this. But Attorney General Eric Holder may go ahead with an investigation into the Bush administration's interrogation practices. The "Associated Press" reports that Holder may appoint a criminal prosecutor.
HOLMES: Also, the first family is back home in Washington this morning; they returned overnight from a week long trip overseas. Stops included Russia, Italy for the G-8 Summit, also stopped in Vatican City to see the Pope and finally, a visit yesterday to Ghana.
NGUYEN: Well, the president got a very warm reception on that last stop. He praised Ghana for showing the promise of democracy in Africa.
But as Ed Henry tells us, he didn't shy away from the problems plaguing the continent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A day of extraordinary moments, none more powerful than the first African-American president visiting a former slave fortress with his family. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it was particularly important for Malia and Sasha who are growing up in such a blessed way to be reminded that history can take very cruel turns.
HENRY: After touring Cape Coast Castle, which the British used as a slave dungeon, President Obama compared its power to his recent stop at a German concentration camp.
OBAMA: It is reminiscent of the trip I took to Buchenwald, because it reminds us of the capacity of human beings to commit great evil.
HENRY: The president used his personal connection to deliver some tough love in his speech to the parliament of Ghana earlier in the day.
OBAMA: We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans. I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world.
After all, I have the blood of Africa within me. And my family's -- my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.
HENRY: He chastised African leaders over corruption, saying they can't blame the West for their economies winding-up in shambles.
OBAMA: No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top. Or the head of the port authority is corrupt.
No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. This -- that is not democracy, that is tyranny.
HENRY: Mr. Obama's father was from Kenya and he visited that country as a senator. But he chose Ghana as his first stop in sub- Saharan Africa as president because he wanted to highlight its stable democracy and growing economy.
So he mixed the stern lectures with some inspiration, the day having the feel of Mr. Obama taking last year's campaign to a whole new continent. In shirt sleeves playing with babies, working rope lines, even ending his parliament speech with a familiar slogan.
OBAMA: The world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education, to create new wealth and build new connections to the world.
You can conquer disease and end conflicts and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes, you can.
HENRY (on camera): This wraps a week long trip that took the president from Russia for arms talks to Italy for high-level negotiations with the world's largest economy.
But Mr. Obama said he also decided to stop here in Ghana to show that the 21st century will not just be shaped by what happens in Moscow and Rome, but what also happens in tiny capitals in Africa.
Ed Henry, CNN, Accra.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, the president and the Pope disagree on abortion and stem cell research. So when the two met for the first time last week, Pope Benedict seized the moment to make a point and sent his message home in the form of a present.
And I have CNN senior Vatican analyst, John Allen, for his perspective and our conversation is this morning's "Faces of Faith."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: What is it that these two men maybe wanted to talk to each other about, maybe are expected to talk to each other about?
JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Well, you know, T.J., technically these things are called courtesy visits. And from a certain point of view, often they're a little more than a photo ops. That is it's simply an opportunity of -- for a president or a prime minister to meet the Pope and get his or her picture taken with the Pope, pick-up the gifts, the rosaries or key chains that the Vatican hands out and that's sort of about it.
But obviously in this case, when you have the leader of the world's most important hard power that is, the most important source of economic and military strength, which is the United States and the world's most important soft power, that is -- that the biggest bully pulpit in global religion and of course, that's the Papacy. When you have those two figures in the same room, there is going to be some meat on the bone. And certainly in this 35-minute conversation on Friday between the Pope and the president that was the case.
In addition to talking about a wide variety of international issues, things like the peace process in the Middle East, restructuring the global economy, what happened in the G-8 Summit, immigration, there also was a great deal of conversation about what would be the most obvious sort of clash between the Obama White House and the Vatican and that would be the bundle of issues that in the states we call the "life issues:" abortion, embryonic stem cell research and so on.
And in fact, the Pope managed to make his pro-life case, not merely through his words, but even through his gift. Normally popes and presidents exchange gifts and that's often quite pro-forma but in this case, Benedict XVI pointedly gave as a gift to President Obama a copy of a Vatican document on bio-ethics the first sentence of which concerns the defense of human life from conception to natural death.
So in the sense this was a meeting in which the two men found a great deal to agree on and obviously found some things that they disagreed on.
HOLMES: Wow. But a significant gift there, as well that the Pope handed over to the president.
John Allen, it's always a pleasure to see you; always a pleasure to have you. Thank you so much.
ALLEN: You bet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: So yes, there was a closed-door meeting with a pretty open-ended conversation. We're told they talked about 40 minutes and the president told the Pope he would read that Vatican document as he travels this weekend.
NGUYEN: Well, California officials could be close to resolving a massive $26 billion budget deficit after bargaining for more than two hours yesterday. Top California lawmakers say a deal could be on the table this week.
Now just a week ago because of the state's financial crisis, thousands of vendors had to be issued IOUs. State workers also had to take three days off without pay.
HOLMES: Along the same lines of budget issues, never thought it would come to this. A couple of zoos in Boston...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ...got some issues, got some budget problems. Now, oftentimes we tell you these stories they might have to lay-off people, might have to cut back on hours. But not just that, they might actually have to not get rid of the animals and find other homes, but even euthanize some.
NGUYEN: Yes, kill the animals, really?
Well, here is the situation. They lost what -- about $4 million in their budget.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: And they can't stay open unless they get additional funding. Now, if they have to close their doors and they cannot find homes for these animals, they're saying they might have to euthanize them and up to 20 percent of the animals.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: They're talking about 1,000 animals total. So...
HOLMES: And we should say there's an "if" right now.
NGUYEN: Yes, big if. HOLMES: Right now, they don't have the money, but if they don't get the money -- this is what they're saying, we'll have to have -- not a done deal yet.
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: But they are -- putting out there that this is a possibility.
NGUYEN: And I'm sure -- I mean, that's going to be a last ditch effort.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: I mean, not anything that anyone wants to see happen, but it is possibly on the table if they don't get the funding because where are you going to put an elephant or a giraffe?
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: Who is going to take that animal? And hopefully people will. But we're getting your responses today and a lot of them. Let's get to some of them.
Markway says, "The situation with Boston Zoo is precisely why animals should not be kept in captivity for our amusement."
Let me quickly go to Facebook.
Kevin Henry is already concerned about it saying, "Hey, I will donate money to keep these animals alive, not to save the zoo, but where do I send the money?"
HOLMES: Wow. Some people have that attitude.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Some people think you're talking about what manager would propose this? Just get rid of some of those folks, get some volunteers in there and maybe you could save some money that way. But that's a big budget gap; $4 million budget.
NGUYEN: $4 million, well, hopefully they'll find a good solution to that. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: President Barack Obama is back home this morning after spending several days abroad. And on Thursday, he will speak at the NAACP National Convention in New York.
HOLMES: That's the oldest civil rights group in the country celebrating 100 years and also dealing with present-day issues like gay rights.
We'll I asked the NAACP president, Ben Jealous why his civil rights organization doesn't yet have a national policy on gay marriage. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Does the NAACP believe that gay marriage should be legal across the land?
BEN JEALOUS, PRESIDENT, NAACP: We don't take a position on that nationally. We have been steadfast advocates for the basic civil rights of gay people; making sure that hate crimes protection is extended to gay people.
We understand that when four black young people were killed not far from here in Newark on a playground last year all four of them were gay. There's a lot made in the press because the guys who shot them were Latino, it was this black and Latino tension.
But we're in the community, so we get the story not just from the national news, but from our local folks. When you (INAUDIBLE) states is that many of them were gay, and that appeared to be a dynamic on the playground. And so, we want to make sure that our children and our family members who are gay, basic civil rights are protected.
HOLMES: Is that not considered then in your estimation a civil right, some would call it that kind of civil right, an issue of equality, a gay person being able to marry who they want to marry.
JEALOUS: That's a very tense debate inside our association. You know, there have been branches and state conferences, like for instance in California and San Francisco, come out very clearly on the issue. There are others, national board members, for instance, the Midwest who have taken entirely opposite positions.
We're a democratic Small D organization, where issues are debated until a consensus is reached and that one is very much still under debate amongst the membership...
HOLMES: So you foresee a time when once that debate is complete that the NAACP could come out on a national level and have an official position on gay marriage?
JEALOUS: I think having an official position on gay marriage is certainly a possibility. When it will happen, you know, we work on issues for decades. So we -- we're quick to point out to younger organizations in the civil rights community that something you think is a sprint may turn out to be a marathon.
HOLMES: What do you think when you hear people -- I know you heard this comparison -- heard out in California plenty of times -- where people would compare the gay marriage debate struggle with the civil rights struggle. What do you think when you hear that? Is that a fair comparison?
JEALOUS: When people say, you know, and this is deeply personal to me. A young man who I grew up with me -- we're the only two black boys our age in town where we were born -- our moms are best friends, we became blood brothers when we were 4. I call him my brother, he calls me his brother, he's transgender, he's gay.
I've seen the homophobia he's been subjected to in the black community. I've seen the racism he's been subjected to in the gay community. And I know that one of those identities he can and has hid when he has had to. Nobody should have to hide their identity, nobody; but when people say gay, straight, black, white, same struggle, same fight -- not exactly, not exactly.
At the same time -- you know, I have been personally very supportive and encouraging of people who are fighting the battle for gay marriage. I was born in a family where my parents' marriage was illegal. They had to the get married in Washington, D.C. Their wedding caravan back to the party in Baltimore was mistaken for a funeral concession. People got off the side and did the sign of the cross. Pull off their caps.
And so I'm very concerned about the children who are treated hostilely on school grounds because people feel licensed to sort of throw hatred at their parents based on the lifestyle decisions that they make.
But the NAACP is like any other democratic organization and we're going to debate this fully internally. I, as the head of it, can't say that we have any position nationally but I can tell you that it's a deeply-held intense debate.
And we -- because we've seen the way it's torn apart other institutions -- I'm an Episcopalian for instance, my church has been torn apart in this issue -- are committed to keeping our body together. Because there's a whole bunch of issues, including issues that are very relevant to gay people that we have to be together on if we're going to win. Whether it's bullying, whether it's hate crimes, for instance; they count on us to stay together, too. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, as the NAACP continues to delve into issues facing black America, so is CNN. "BLACK IN AMERICA 2" is coming your way premiering July 22nd and 23rd. From health care, to the journey for change, the series you will only see here on CNN.
Of course, our "BLACK IN AMERICA 2" got conversation -- excuse me 1. "BLACK IN AMERICA" last year got the conversation kind of going. This one's look again to the pioneers of today and really the leaders of tomorrow; people who have made it to the heights of their professions, the politics.
NGUYEN: Like, Colin Powell
HOLMES: Colin Powell, Tyler Perry is highlighted as well. But then also highlighting those who kind of help the young people come to -- make sure they don't fall by the wayside.
NGUYEN: Yes. We're looking forward to that. And that's coming up.
So why wait for Congress to solve the health care crisis? Coming up here, we're going to take you to a Maryland town that is making medical care actually affordable to those most in need.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Take a look. Shuttle launch tonight, actually 7:13 p.m.; it was scrubbed yesterday due to lightning. But we're looking at the "Endeavour" right now on the launch pad. And if you look behind it, the skies look pretty good, but not last night.
These are some pictures of the lightning show that happened around the shuttle, and for obvious reasons, it did not take off. But again, we're looking what -- a 7:13 p.m. launch tonight. The question is, though, will the weather hold up?
Karen Maginnis has been watching that for us. So Karen, what's the verdict?
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still looks a little iffy; maybe slightly better than it was yesterday. There's about a 70 percent go chance for the evening.
But I want to show you, this is over the next 48 hours; precipitation that we're anticipating across this area. Most of it on the light side, right around here, that's where the Kennedy Space Center is. Not a lot of rain, but the rain chances, as you well know they kind of come and go. During the afternoon we start to see the build-up.
Look at what's happening back over here towards phoenix. Very heavy rainfall amounts anticipated as we go into the next 48 hours; on the order of 2 to 4 inches of rainfall certainly possible.
Take a look at the south central United States -- the other big story -- the heat for about the last four or five days. I think this will be the fifth day in a row. We're looking at temperatures 100 degrees plus. Oklahoma city, looking at 106, just about 100 in Wichita where normally these temperatures would be around 95 to around 99 degrees; so between 5 and 10 degrees hotter than we would typically anticipate.
But this goes all the way down towards Houston. It is going to be oppressively hot. So watch out if you're doing any outdoor activities, you'll be subject to heat exhaustion and heatstroke; and those two things will be very bad. And you'd have to be within medical care.
All right, right across Kansas City, we're watching the huge storms now. There's a new severe thunderstorm watch that has just been added across this area. Topeka earlier this morning, we're seeing pretty strong winds, we'll look at lots of lightning associated with this. So the upper tier that's kind of the focus of the severe weather today.
Also right down here across Arkansas, extending on over towards Tennessee, that's what we're looking at; some iffy weather in the forecast. Frontal system's going to be draped to the south, and that'll trigger a line of thunderstorms across the Tennessee River Valley again tomorrow.
T.J., Betty, lots of weather to talk about today.
NGUYEN: Definitely. Ok, thanks, Karen.
HOLMES: A remedy to the health care crisis that's working in Maryland, could it also work across the country?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: As politicians in Washington argue over plans to reform health care, one county in Maryland is moving forward.
CNN's Kate Bolduan tells us how Howard County created its own health insurance program that one woman said saved her life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You can't tell now, but Henriette (ph) and Jim Neil (ph) they have gone through a tough few years. In 1999, 63-year-old Henriette fought and survived breast cancer only to lose her health insurance when the company she worked for closed.
HENRIETTE NEIL, CANCER SURVIVOR: My concern was the cancer never even thinking that I had a heart problem, none.
BOLDUAN: But it was Neil's heart that almost killed her. She discovered she needed triple bypass surgery just one month after finally finding affordable health insurance.
She got it through a new program called Healthy Howard Access Plan in Howard County, Maryland.
(on camera): You think Health Howard saved your life?
NEIL: Yes and most definitely without question, without second thought, yes because had they not been there for me, again, I wouldn't have gone to the hospital.
BOLDUAN: Because you were afraid you couldn't pay.
NEIL: Yes, exactly. Neil showed us her only bill from surgery.
You saw it; $100.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): How? Healthy Howard is an experiment of sorts. As the national health care debate rages on, Howard County decided to go it alone. Using a combination of public and private funds and pro bono doctor care, the county is trying to offer affordable insurance to every resident. The average premium is between $50 and $85 a month.
DR. PETER BEILENSON, HOWARD COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER: There's no other program in the country that combines primary and preventive care, specialty care, prescription coverage, hospital and emergency room care and health coaching. That's where our program is unique.
BOLDUAN: Patients are also assigned a coach like Maureen Pike to guide each individual health plan.
MAUREEN PIKE, COACH, HEALTH HOWARD PLAN: I think the biggest thing is trying to shift the focus from playing catch-up once people are already sick to increasing their well-being and trying to prevent some of these risk factors from turning into disease later on.
BOLDUAN: The approach may not work everywhere. Howard is one of the wealthiest counties in one of the country's wealthiest states. But officials think they're at least setting an example; 300 participants so far and they've found about 2,500 more who are eligible for existing insurance programs but didn't know it.
As for Neil, she's feeling better than ever and hopes both the uninsured and the policy makers are paying attention.
What do you think Washington and lawmakers can learn from your experience and what you've gone through?
NEIL: That there is a lot of Henriettes out there.
Kate Bolduan, CNN, Columbia, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning with Wolf Blitzer starts at the top of the hour. But right now here are stories making news at this hour.
President Obama and the first family arrived at the White House just after midnight. His overseas trip included arms talks in Russia and discussions in Italy over the global economy. The family's last stop a 17th century castle in Ghana that held enslaved Africans.
Attorney General Eric Holder may go ahead with an investigation into the Bush administration's interrogation practices. The Associated Press reports that Holder may appoint a criminal prosecutor. Now, any probe would focus on whether the CIA tortured terrorism suspects after 9/11.
At the top of the hour, as we mentioned, just seconds away, "STATE OF THE UNION" today, sitting in is WOLF BLITZER and it starts right now.
