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CNN Sunday Morning
Rebels Take Key Libyan City; "Building the Dream"; Saving the Yasuni Rainforest
Aired August 21, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's August 21st.
Good morning. Thanks for joining us. I'm Alina Cho. T.J. Holmes is off this morning.
Gunfire and explosions rocked Tripoli, as rebel forces say they're taking over parts of Libya's capital. Government officials say these claims are lies. I'll get a live update from Tripoli.
In China, Vice President Joe Biden says the U.S. will never default on its debt. I'll have more on what he's saying about the U.S. economy just ahead.
And for many members of the U.S. Military, returning home is just not complete. Well, until they get a hero's welcome from man's best friend - their dog.
So we want to give a very special welcome to all the servicemen and women who are watching us right now on the Armed Forces Network.
Let's get right to it. We begin with Libya where Moammar Gadhafi's government and rebels are offering very different takes on what's going on in that country. Opposition leaders say they've taken their revolution into parts of the capital Tripoli. But one of Gadhafi sons says the rebels are losing every battle.
CNN personnel in Tripoli say this weekend's fighting seems like some of the most intense yet. Before taking the fight into Libya's capital, the rebels pushed government forces out of the key city, the oil refinery City of Zawiya. That's about 30 miles from Tripoli.
Our Sara Sidner filed this report and we have to warn you that some of the video is graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rebels shouting in jubilation and proclaiming the strategically important City of Zawiya, just 30 miles from Tripoli. The battle over this city and its large oil refinery ended with Gadhafi's army being pushed back several kilometers towards Tripoli on Saturday, but not without claiming lives. When we arrived, two dead bodies lay in the (INAUDIBLE) Square in the city's center. Others died in hospitals or suffered terrible wounds in a fight that lasted about 10 days.
(on camera): To give you an idea of how hard-fought this battle was if you look around the (INAUDIBLE) Square, every single building has massive damage to it. Certainly you can see there's been what appears to be bombing from the sky. There is collapsed building. There's also this hotel and several other buildings in this area that have taken heavy artillery fire, but the rebels say they have been able to push out Gadhafi forces and for that they have NATO to thank.
Was this some of this damage by NATO? Like some of these buildings here that fell down?
MOHAMMAD, REBEL FIGHTER: Yes, by NATO. And this place by NATO bombed this.
SIDNER: So NATO bombed the City Center?
MOHAMMAD: Bombed this center, yes. Because - because the snipers here, a lot of snipers here and we lost a lot of - a lot of people, a lot of rebels in this place, in this street. What we can do, but now we win.
SIDNER (voice-over): By late afternoon, rockets from beyond the Eastern Gate continued to land in the city, though less and less frequently. Still, rebel fighters were itching to speed towards the retreating army down the Coastal Road that connects this town with Tripoli. They say they're ready to bring the fight to the capital and stake their claim just as they did here.
Sara Sidner, CNN, Zawiya, Libya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: All this while international pressure on Moammar Gadhafi appears to be intensifying. Libya's western neighbor, Tunisia, has now joined other countries in recognizing the rebels' Transitional National Council as Libya's legitimate government. Tunisia had been neutral until now.
U.S. officials say if Gadhafi's forces make a last stand in Tripoli, the fighting could involve a final military offensive against civilians.
Now to Syria where embattled President Bashar al-Assad goes on television today to talk about his country's future.
And this is a look at some of the violence Friday in Damascus. Yesterday, Syrian Security Forces fired on protesters in the City of Palm. The Syrian Arab News Agency says Bashar is expected to address, quote, "continuous steps of the reform process."
Southern Israel is under fire again today from another barrage of rockets and mortars. The military is reporting at least 17 attacks so far today. Defense officials say at least one person died in an attack yesterday. These images are from Saturday's attacks. Israel launched two retaliatory air strikes on targets in Gaza.
Egyptian State Television is reporting a number of rockets fired from Gaza landed in Egypt today near the Israeli Border. And we will have much more on this story later on in the hour.
Meanwhile, game over in Northern Mexico. A soccer match was halted yesterday when gunfire from outside the stadium sent players and fans scrambling for cover. Watch.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon says no one was killed. He made that announcement, by the way, on Twitter. The area like others in Northern Mexico has been dealing with a lot of drug cartel related violence. Reuters News Agency reports that the shooting began after three vehicles with armed man failed to stop at a military checkpoint.
President Obama trying to keep a low profile during his working vacation on Martha's Vineyard. A senior administration official says the president and his top advisers are making progress on a jobs plan with an expected rollout early next month.
As for the job of ambassador to the world's newest nation, the president has nominated Susan Page to be America's ambassador to South Sudan. Her nomination has still has to be approved by Congress.
Meanwhile, Vice President Biden is wrapping up his five-day visit to China where he spent much of his time trying to reassure America's biggest foreign creditor that the U.S. would never default on its financial obligations and never will. Chinese hold roughly $90 billion in U.S. securities. Biden telling China that the money and their relationship are safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: America's focus on this critical region will only grow in the years to come, as Asia plays an even greater role in the global economy in international affairs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Biden stops in Mongolia and Japan before returning home to Washington.
The 9/11 Foundation is marking the upcoming anniversary of the September 11th attacks with a memorial motorcycle ride. It started already in Somerset, Pennsylvania, where participants passed the Flight 93 crash site. Yesterday, riders started at the Pentagon and rode into New York. Today, they will ride to the World Trade Center where they'll lay a wreath to remember the people who died.
The 9/11 Foundation supports first responders and their families through a college scholarship program.
They don't call them man's best friend for nothing. Home videos of soldiers being reunited with their dogs are getting plenty of clicks on YouTube. Take a look at this one. We're going to show you some real "tail-biters" if you will.
Jeanne Moos' story. Can't wait to see that.
But first, our Reynolds Wolf has our Sunday's forecast, watching another tropical storm, right?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Indeed. We're watching at this point is Irene. Kind of hard to keep track this guy. The tropics are alive. There are all kinds of things happening out there and one that may be getting a lot close to the Caribbean, possibly getting a little but too close for comfort, to a few other spots.
You know, it is - it is definitely hurricane season. We're going to be dealing with these storms all the way through November 30th. It is time to get prepared. We're going to tell you what you need coming up. Plus, we're going to show you the latest of what's happening in terms of severe weather around the country. Whew, it's a mouthful. More on that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back. It's nine minutes after the hour. Harvey and Irene, they're not an odd couple really?
WOLF: Yes.
CHO: I mean, one is kind of petering out and the other one is just starting up, right?
WOLF: Pretty much. Harvey and Irene sounds like a really bad sit-com like back 1964 or something.
CHO: Hi, Reynolds Wolf. Good morning.
WOLF: Hi. Good morning. Good morning.
We got some good news. We got some bad news. The good news with Harvey's, Harvey is beginning to move off and should have died let's say possibly the next several hours. However, Irene is one that we're really keeping a focus on, and with good reason.
Let's hop over the magic wall. We're going to show you what's happening with this particular storm. It is a strong one, as we speak, only 15 miles per hour of maximum sustained winds trucking off to the west in a pretty decent raid, doing so at about 20 miles per hour. You see the lat and the longitude there.
What it basically is going to mean to you in terms of the systems, that's got plenty of - of - actually minimal shear for the time being. So it may strengthen as it moves its way to the west and the latest forecast path we have from the National Hurricane Center is pretty interesting. And what we mean by that is it has the possibility of moving, if you take a look at this forecast, right past Puerto Rico, perhaps over through the Dominican Republic and then into Haiti.
And then you'll notice we extend out all the way to some five days by early Thursday morning, getting very close to the Florida Keys and just right in the cone of uncertainty it goes very close to Miami.
One thing you need to know. It's going to take a little bit of time when it comes to these systems. This system to remain strong has got to be in place with minimal sheer. That means a strong ripple (ph) of the winds they can tear the systems apart. At the same time, it's very important to these storms to stay away from land.
Well, if you'll notice, you follow that path. This thing is going to be hop scotching near Puerto Rico, right in Port-au-Prince. Very close to Haiti, possibly through Cuba. So I would say the odds of this thing staying together, intact, all the way through these islands and moving to Miami or towards the Florida Keys is - is pretty minimal for the time being.
Now, if you have open sea without any interaction with land whatsoever, I'd say the odds would be pretty favorable. But I have to tell you, though, again, it looks pretty remote for the time being, but still, we have to keep you informed.
And something else that you need to remember that we're in the - really moving towards the peak of the tropical season, in terms of the tropics in the Atlantic for all kinds of weather systems to develop, namely, of course, the depressions, the tropical storms and potential hurricane.
So that being in mind, if you live anywhere along the coast, this is the time to start stocking up on those key things. We're talking about water. We're talking about batteries. We're talking about all the non-perishable goods you need during hurricane season. Just keep that in mind.
Let's hurry up and show you something else we have around the rest of the nation. We have a chance of thunderstorms across parts of the northeast. It was a nice day in New York yesterday. Today what would be different, especially by afternoon, thundershowers possible in the Southeast.
Hazy, hot and humid for much of Texas with high temperatures going into the triple digits again in Dallas, 105; 91 in Denver; 93 in Billings; 89 in Portland. And back up to the northeast, Boston and New York mainly into the 80s.
That's a quick snapshot of the forecast. Let's pitch it right back to you, Alina.
CHO: Reynolds, every time I come down here to Atlanta, I ask you this question on the Sunday that I return to New York. Am I going to have delays today?
WOLF: You might have some delays today. You might be staying a few more days than you would want (ph).
CHO: Oh, come on. Really?
WOLF: Maybe a few hours.
CHO: Then we'll go out to dinner.
WOLF: There you go.
CHO: All right. Reynolds, thank you.
WOLF: You bet you.
CHO: Check back with you later.
Well, there are true heroes' welcomes. Soldiers coming home from deployments to their dogs. The reunions caught on video and, of course, they are YouTube gold.
Jeanne Moos has some of the best.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You know all of those heartwarming two-legged reunions? The military ones that end in -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.
MOOS: Well, this is the four-legged version.
TREVOR CROWDER, SENIOR AIRMAN, U.S. AIR FORCE: Hey, come here! Do you not recognize me?
MOOS: Emmitt Thunderpaws is the Great Dane's name, and for Senior Airman Trevor Crowder arriving back from Afghanistan -
CROWDER: It was the second-best reunion I've had since getting back.
MOOS: The best being the one with his wife, Whitney.
WHITNEY CROWDER, TREVOR'S WIFE: I think he remembers you.
He didn't get out of Trevor's face for probably a solid week.
MOOS: From humongous dogs like Emmitt Thunderpaws to tiny ones, like these two Dachshunds -
-- canine reunions are running rampant on YouTube.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi! Hi! Got get him! Go get him!
MOOS: From baying Beagles to whimpering Molly, crying over the return of her Air Force captain owner --
(on camera): -- the one thing most of these doggie reunions have in common is that they can turn a macho soldier into a baby-talking softy.
MOOS (voice-over): While others talk to their dogs like adults.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I missed you so bad, honey, I'm so sorry I went away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at you and how small you are. You lost so much weight!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aw, you're going to make me cry!
MOOS: Soldiers locked in a canine embrace.
CROWDER: He wanted to have direct eye contact to make sure that I was here.
MOOS: The doggie reunion can even eclipse the human one. When the lady of the house handed her man the camera to show off her welcome home ensemble -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your lovely outfit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!
MOOS: Kodiak kept stealing the show.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yay!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look wonderful. And so do you. Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry, but I -- I need to be the center of attention, so --
MOOS (on camera): Of course, dogs have a pretty short attention span, so after only about 45 seconds of intense petting and a little chasing around -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're done.
MOOS (voice-over): For those of you who think the joy pets bring is just hot air --
(on camera): It's the next best thing to a reunion. Yes. Couldn't you just once be happy to see me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy?
MOOS (voice-over): Happy even when outnumbered. At least a soldier can say things to his dog that he probably shouldn't say to his wife.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's your butt.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Those dogs are taller than me on two legs.
All right. Coming up, it's been decades in the making. Coming up next, we're going to take you on a virtual tour of the amazing Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, a full week before its dedication. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well, Washington is about to get a facelift. A week from today, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will be dedicated, but we're going to give you a sneak peek of what the site looks like right now.
Our Josh Levs is here with a look at that. Hey, Josh. Good morning.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good morning to you.
And, Alina, the countdown begins right now. Right now. It will be one week from this morning that the - that the memorial is at last dedicated, years and years in the making. And there's going to be events all week.
Let me just show you a couple of pictures here. These are renderings of what it's going to look like. And let's do this. Let's jump into the virtual tour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): We're going to keep watching this. I'll tell you some more about it.
It's designed to invoke the memory and spiritual presence of Dr. King. There's a bunch of different sections here and the wall you're seeing along the left is 450 feet long. With inscriptions all over it carrying more than a dozen quotes from Dr. King. Some of his most famous quotes and sermons, parts of sermons in there.
And the organizers say it's focused on four themes, democracy, justice, hope and love. The centerpiece I'm going to be able to show you right now on our interactive behind me, there's an actual camera that's showing you right where it is. Let's jump to this one.
This right here is the sculpture of Dr. King. It's 30 feet tall. And I was getting some questions yesterday, what's he facing? He's looking out into Washington's Tidal Basin towards the horizon. And organizers say this signifies the idea that he's looking towards a future that he imagined and believed in.
Now, take a look here. There's an inscription on the side of this which says, "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." That's a quote from his "I Have A Dream" speech. And if you take a look at how this whole thing is designed, this sculpture of him is the stone of hope that's being pulled out of, or coming out of, this over here, the mountain of despair. So they're literalizing that metaphor.
Let's do some Google Earth. I want you all to see how significant it is exactly where this is located. I'm putting a triangle on this so you can see. It's across the Tidal Basin, from the Jefferson Memorial, with the Lincoln Memorial on the other side.
And we're going to zoom in a little bit because I want you all to see how central it will be in Washington. The Washington Monument is the best known spot in Washington. The Lincoln Memorial is where Dr. King delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech on those steps you're looking at right there.
And as we zoom around to back of the Lincoln Memorial, what you're going to see is the new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on national side, Memorial side will be off there to the right of your screen, just along the water.
So while you're at Lincoln Memorial, you will be able to see, Dr. King would have been able to see, that day, that exact spot where the memorial to him will now be.
Everything I've just shown you is up online and a lot more including our special section from CNN.com. It's up on my pages right here, @CNN.com/Josh. It's also up on Facebook and Twitter, up @JoshLevCNN.
And I will tell you, Alina, a lot of people expressing a lot of excitement about this, including us right here at CNN. We're certainly looking forward at the events all week long.
CHO: And I want - I know you - you were one of the first to join Twitter -
LEVS: Yes.
CHO: -- back in the day.
LEVS: That's right.
CHO: I want to thank everybody who is now following me on Twitter as a result of me talking about it endlessly on the show yesterday.
LEVS: AlinaChoCNN. Hey, everybody join up.
CHO: Thank you very much, Josh Levs. We'll see you a little bit later.
LEVS: You bet.
And we want to remind you to join us next weekend for the dedication of the MLK Memorial. Our T.J. Holmes will be back from his well-deserved vacation live in Washington for the ceremony.
The Yasuni National Forest in Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Look at that. It's also a haven for oil. We're going to show you why actress Bo Derek is getting involved to in save the area. She is asking for your help and you'll hear from her.
Plus the Dow, S&P and NASDAQ all took a pounding this week. The Dow alone lost 1,300 points in just the first three weeks of August. We'll look ahead to what we can expect in the market next week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back.
Guys, get out your tissues. Kim Kardashian is now officially off the market. The happy bride married basketball player Kris Humphries in a lavish ceremony in a private estate in California yesterday. We are still waiting for the pictures.
More than 400 guests were there. We are hearing that "People" Magazine shelled out big bucks for the exclusive photo rights of her fairy tale wedding. Stay tuned because the new issue hits newsstands on Friday.
We want to take you to the Amazon now in a mission to save the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador. Take a look. It's one of the most biodiverse places on earth, home and sanctuary to dozens of threatened species.
The Ecuadorian government partnering with the United Nations is asking the world for $3.6 billion to keep it unspoiled. $100 million by December.
I recently spoke to legendary actress Bo Derek, who was appointed by the Ecuadorian government. Here's part of our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BO DEREK, ACTOR, MODEL, ACTIVIST: This is one of the last places of Amazon rainforest that's completely untouched and pristine. So many of our conservation programs are trying to - to put back what we've already spoiled. This is unspoiled. There are two indigenous tribes living there in voluntary isolation.
If you were to go there as a tourist, you couldn't even go by motorboat. You have to go two hours by canoe to get to the heart of this park. It's - it's so beautiful, so spectacular. And this is - the way it comes across, it sounds as though Ecuador is looking for dollars and to - to sell this, in a sense, but what they've done is they put this in trust at the United Nations, this project, and by asking for $3.6 billion from the world, to keep this oil in the ground forever, they are contributing $5 million in income that they will never see, by - by presenting this project.
CHO: Bo, you're - you're hoping to raise in partnership with the United Nations $100 million just by December. How much have you raised? How much more is there to go? So what are you doing to raise that money?
DEREK: You know, various countries have already contributed and pledged to contribute for the next 13 years. The project is just now being open to the private sector, to foundations, to the NGOs, and I think this $100 million by the end of the year is a sign of good faith and intent from the rest of the world, that they value this idea and this historic project.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Wonderful person. Wonderful effort.
Ecuador, by the way, needs the money to prevent drilling in the oil-soaked region. Bo made reference to that. They could make billions off of this land and incredibly they're choosing not to for what they feel is a greater cause. Quite a sacrifice, if you think about it, for a struggling, developing nation.
I want to take a look at the markets. Have you had enough of those roller coaster stock market rides? I know I have. It has been crazy, to say the least. So what are we going to see next week? We have a preview, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back and good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us. I'm Alina Cho sitting in today for T.J. Holmes. It's 30 minutes past the hour.
Top stories now: It's back to work tomorrow for some 45,000 unionized workers at Verizon Communications. They have been on the picket lines for the past two weeks fighting the company over diminished holidays, health and retirement benefits. Although both sides haven't agreed to a contract just yet, they have agreed to continue to negotiate.
In Iran, the attorney representing two U.S. hikers found guilty of spying says he hopes the holy month of Ramadan might help lighten their prison sentences. Both Josh Fattal and Shane4 Bauer were slapped with eight-year jail terms yesterday. Their lawyer says he will appeal the sentences while hoping the court shows some leniency for the pair, citing the spirit of Ramadan.
In Libya the sense of jubilation grows among government rebels with each victory over dictator Moammar Gadhafi's military, and the rebels say the capital of Tripoli is next after securing the town of Zawiya, about 30 miles away. But Gadhafi loyalists paint a far different picture saying the rebels are fighting and losing each battle.
I want to find out what's happening right now in the Libyan capital. Our Matthew Chance has been in Tripoli for about two weeks now. Matthew joins us by phone.
Matthew, I know your movements are controlled by Libyan authorities, but has the fighting intensified from where you sit?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Well, since last night, it's become much less intensive. Last night we saw, witnessed, a very ferocious gun battle in the streets of Tripoli. We could hear them from our hotel. You are right, we are not permitted to go out without government minders with us and they are not taking us out at the moment. But last night they couldn't hide from us the fact that there were these ferocious gun battles in various areas across Tripoli.
Indeed, a government spokesperson came out later on in the evening and said, yes, there have been, what he called, small armed gangs, but they've been essentially brought under control and now the situation is stable in Tripoli. That's according to the government. But the situation outside the hotel, from what we can hear, is still very volatile, there is still sporadic clashes, even this morning under way, between various groups.
Clearly, Alina, what we're witnessing here is some kind of uprising. That the government says essentially has been quashed, but we're still hearing sporadic bursts of gunfire which indicating the situation isn't totally under control of the Gadhafi loyalists.
CHO: Matthew, since we last talked 24 hours ago, I'm trying to get a sense whether there's any sense from where you sit, that Gadhafi is losing his grip on power anymore so today than yesterday?
CHANCE: I think so, because at this time yesterday when we spoke last, there wasn't any-there weren't any ferocious clashes in Tripoli. Tripoli has been very quiet for in several months. It has been very stable. We've been talking about the fighting taking place between the rebels and Gadhafi forces in the town of Zawiya, for instance, which is about 30 miles or 50 kilometers to the west of Tripoli. That fighting appears to have subsided somewhat as the rebels consolidate their hold on that strategically important town. And almost virtually as sun went down, the fighting broke out last night inside Tripoli itself. And that, as I say, is highly unusual.
We haven't seen these kinds of clashes since this crisis in Libya began. Earlier on in the crisis, there were protesters, anti-Gadhafi protesters, in the capital, but they were cracked down by the authorities. And since then it's been very quiet in the capital up until now. Even now I speak to you know, Alina, I can hear quite heavy machinegun fire crackling in the streets outside the hotel.
CHO: Even one rebel leader told the "New York Times" if you call any mobile number in Tripoli you will hear in the background the beautiful sound of bullets of freedom. Clearly, as you say, the fighting has intensified.
Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance live for us, by phone, in Tripoli. Matthew, as always, thank you.
We want to turn now to the markets. A rotten week for the stock markets, four straight weeks of losses, to be exact. More than 1,300 points down on the Dow in just the first three weeks in August. This probably won't catch you by surprise. The S&P, the Nasdaq, the Dow, all down. Ron Hart is with me now. He's the managing director at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is with me now.
I asked you this before the break, should we fasten our seat belts? Are we in for another rocky week?
RON HART, MANAGING DIR., MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY: It is very volatile right now. Right now this week has been one of the most volatile weeks in a long, long time. There is unknown contagion in Europe. No one knows exactly what's going to happen overseas, and in America. So there's fear. But within fear there is also always opportunity.
CHO: What is the key factor in terms of what's driving that fear?
HART: The growth rate of global GDP has been lower, we went from 4.2 to 3.9 global GDP. So the market is really repricing risk in the markets for slower growth.
CHO: Key economic indicators that we're looking for next week, that are coming out?
HART: You'd like to see housing numbers better. That would help a good bit. The housing sector has really hurt our economy in the United States, more so than in Europe. Seeing that would be good. We'd like to see employment numbers get better. We are going from 200,000 jobs a month down to 125,000 a month, in our estimate.
CHO: That's, uh,
HART: That hurts (ph) a little bit, too.
CHO: Yes, right. Morgan Stanley says about the U.S. markets, it ain't great, but it ain't 2008. Is that true? Are we not in for another double-dip recession? Or what's your view on this?
HART: I think we get close to recession but we don't think we're going to have one. 2008 was a little bit different. There was a lot more leverage on the battle sheets. Right now there's $1.5 trillion in corporations, in cash coffers. They can weather the storm better than they ever could before. Also the balance sheets of banks are a lot better. Some that were 20-, 30-1 leveraged, are now they're 10-1 leveraged. So, we're better prepared for whatever-.
CHO: So, the bailouts worked, you think?
HART: Well, they did to some degree, probably, by infusing liquidity into the system but also pare back their risk. Right? If you are 20-1 leverage you have to do some things to get back to tender lines. So they had to pare back their own balance sheets as well.
CHO: Well, it is interesting because I saw this piece in "The New York Times" last week, or the week before, I believe, that talked about the luxury of retail market being quite strong.
HART: Right.
CHO: It seems like there's this real disconnect, or is there, just between the haves and have nots?
HART: Well, there is a bifurcation in some ways. But years Wal- Mart and Dollar Tree did well.
CHO: Right.
HART: A the low end. So there's different times in which things do well. The high-end, can be a lot of European buying in the United States. You go to New York, I don't how much time you spend in New York.
CHO: People are bringing suitcases to do their buying.
HART: Exactly. And the dollar is weak. So there is some value there. As a result there is some spending. The amazing thing about economies, you well know, there is a way of bouncing out over time. If the dollar is weak, people come in and take advantage of it, it strengthens it.
CHO: Sure.
HART: So it is a very self-correcting at times.
CHO: For people, all of my friends when I speak to them, they say I'm not even going to look at my 401(k). Is that the right approach? I spoke to somebody yesterday who said, you might want to just sort of stay put. Don't make any big changes. What's your advice on this?
HART: Historically, when the market's down 8 percent, the next year it's is over 20 percent. So people tend to react to what's just happened. If you are nervous about your positions, sell back to the position where you can sleep at night, and listen to your adviser. Listen, sit down and see what your asset allocation is. What's your age is. What your expectations are. And then reallocate based off of that.
CHO: So, you are not even though you think you might be a smart mind, find a smarter mind to help you?
HART: Indeed. Especially in this area.
CHO: Ron Hart, from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, thank you so much for your insight.
HART: Thanks, Alina.
CHO: Coming up, do you know what a man-kini is? What about jeggings? These are just a few of the 400 new words and phrases the "Concise Oxford English Dictionary". We are going to get you the definitions for these words, and much more and a look at some of the new one, too, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: I want to take a look at the weather now, at 39 minutes after the hour.
It is just too early to say whether Tropical Storm Irene will intensify to hurricane status. But certainly our Reynolds Wolf is watching it very closely.
Where are we at? Too soon to tell, right?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: In the very, very early stages. This would be the opening credits, if you're watching a movie. You haven't gotten the popcorn or the drink yet if this were a movie. What we're talking about, of course, is Irene. Irene is fairly strong, winds 50 miles per hour, moving to the west at 20 miles per hour.
The situation of the storm is interesting. It does have the possibility of moving a bit to the west. In fact, the National Hurricane Center is forecasting it to strengthen with winds of 70 miles per hour, as you get into Monday. Still a strong tropical storm then possibly again fluctuating in power, back down to 60, then 60, then to 70 as it moves over the island.
I don't have a lot of confidence in the forecast at the time being. Notice that at the very end of this cone of uncertainty, it is getting very close to Florida, in fact, into The Keys. The reason I'm not very confident in this is very simple. These tropical systems are kind of like, think of, like, a wagon wheel that you would have on a wagon in the old west. You have, of course, the rim of the wheel then you have the spokes. The way these tropical systems work, when they interact with anything that disrupts its circulation pattern. Like say, shear, strong upper level winds, or any kind of land formation, like these islands. What happens is these spokes tend to get knocked out. It compromises the overall structure of the storm and it tends to fall apart.
Again, remember, shear is one thing, the other is its interaction with land. You happen to look at this, take a look. This has the possibility of basically interacting with land across the Virgin Islands, across Puerto Rico, right across the Dominican Republic, into Haiti and then with Cuba. So the odds of it still maintaining any structure and moving all the way to the Bahamas, perhaps into Florida, still pretty early for the time being. The best thing we can do is keep eyes on it. That's what we'll do here at CNN. We're your Hurricane Headquarters.
We are also keeping a sharp eye on the forecast around the rest of the nation. A chance of scattered showers and storms across much of the Northeast, into the Southeast. Back out West, very dry conditions. And warm for you in the Pacific Northwest. A few key places, namely like, well, both in Portland and into Seattle, you'll be into the 80s. Close to 90 degrees in Portland with 89. There you go, 95 in Salt Lake City; 86 in Kansas City; 84 New York and Boston with 85. That's a wrap on the forecast.
Alina, let's toss it right back over to you.
CHO: So this is one of my favorite stories of the day.
WOLF: Oh, boy.
CHO: You know, they come out with a dictionary every year with special words and everything. "The Concise Oxford English Dictionary" is adding some new words; 400 of them, to be exact. Take a look at some of the ones that caught our eye: cyberbullying, denialist, jeggings. You know the definitions of some of these. Mankini, reTweet, sexting and woot.
Now, of course, as I mentioned some of these definitions are obvious. Not so obvious for some of the other ones. So, you know what cyberbullying is, obviously. What about woot? Do you know what woot is?
WOLF: Not too sure.
CHO: Woot I didn't know. An exclamation especially in electronic communication, that is used to express elation, enthusiasm, or triumph. So it's more like, it's not woot, it is woot! You know, something like that. Jeggings. You know what jeggings are? You have a couple pairs yourself. Right?
WOLF: You have to fill me in on. What are jeggings?
CHO: Jeggings?
WOLF: I know, I'm way, way behind on this.
CHO: Come on. They are tight-fitting stretch trousers for women, resembling jean. You know, they're like jeans but they're tight jeans.
WOLF: OK, OK.
CHO: Tight fitting, like leggings and jeans combined.
WOLF: OK, unbelievable. OK, the more you know. Interesting, hmm.
CHO: I wore them when I interviewed Justin Bieber last year. I thought I was really cool.
WOLF: OK?
CHO: Denialist. That's kind of self-explanatory. A person who refuses to admit the truth of a concept or proposition that is supported by the majority of scientific or historical evidence.
You're never a denialist, Reynolds Wolf. I know that. A mankini, this is something you wear in the summer.
WOLF: Unbelievable. Yeah.
CHO: It's a brief one-piece bathing garment for men with a T- back.
WOLF: Do you know what time it is? It is time to apply what we've learned. Let's use some of these in a sentence. I had to woot when I tried my jeggings. But then, all my friends thought I was a denialist when I thought I looked great in a mankini. CHO: Oh, wow.
WOLF: There you go.
CHO: You are good.
WOLF: Coming up on our next break, you'll get to see me wearing a mankini while doing the weather.
CHO: Jim Carrey wore one once.
WOLF: Are you serious?
CHO: Well, as joke.
WOLF: Don't think I'm going to be doing that for you.
CHO: We'll pull up that photo.
(LAUGHTER)
CHO: We'll put your head on that photo.
WOLF: Hey, whatever it takes.
CHO: All right. Reynolds, thank you.
WOLF: See you in a bit.
CHO: Great mind there.
All right. Coming up, for a fresh start in life, thousands are lining up at a temple in Thailand. But listen to this -- just an extraordinary ritual. The monks there are offering the promise of re- birth and rejuvenation to the faithful by burying the person they used to be. That's right. You have to lie in a coffin to get blessed. We'll explain, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Nadia Bilchik joining me again for our "Morning Passport."
Nadia, an unusual ceremony to say the least, in Thailand. What is this all about?
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: This is very interesting, because it is the Wat Promini (ph) Temple, which is about 66 miles northeast of Bangkok, and here what you have is people who literally have mock funerals as a way of erasing bad luck; getting rid of the old and bringing in the new.
So you're seeing them beginning the ceremony. They lie on, notice, a bunch of flowers about 90 seconds. They close the coffin. Now look what's happening. They take the sheet, and they literally say with the sheet going that way, we pull out all the bad luck, and then they bring in all the good luck. And people pay around $6 to do this.
And this is what it gets them.
CHO: They pay to do it?
BILCHIK: It gets them, notice, now they're bringing back, and in all the good luck. What they're paying for is the chanting of the Buddhist priests. So, begin, it's a death chant, and then it's a birth chant.
CHO: Wow.
BILCHIK: What is also interesting is in Thai culture there are two things that determine your fate. One is your name, the other your birth date. So, think about this. If you're having bad luck, let's change your birth date. And have a new birth date.
CHO: Ah, now it's making sense to me a little bit.
BILCHIK: Right. And the concept of beginning again, today is the first day of the rest of your life, some essence of revival is certainly not new one?
CHO: Is this-does this happen annually? Has this been going on for a long time?
BILCHIK: It has been going on for decades. There was a revival though, when there was a horror movie in Thailand, called "The Coffin" based on this ritual.
CHO: No surprised.
BILCHIK: Some people will come and literally do it several time as year. They will revive and renew and refresh. Some people only do it, say, once a year. It's certainly become increasingly popular. What you get for around your $6, is the chanting, the bunch of flowers. You also get a little merit bag. And in the bag is a toothpaste, toothbrush and a little food to get you through.
CHO: Oh, so you have a little gift bag when you leave?
BILCHIK: Exactly.
CHO: Like going to a charity dinner?
BILCHIK: Exactly. As you say. But what is wonderful is that you have a psychological sense, and a lot of psychotherapists and psychologists and psychiatrists --
CHO: Is this popular?
BILCHIK: Very popular. They've weighed in on the concept of saying, let us have an opportunity to start again.
CHO: Well that part I can wrap my head around. All right. Nadia Bilchik, thank very much with our "Morning Passport." Coming up, they are high tech and high price but pretty low on performance. Which aircraft is the U.S. military thinking about grounding over sky-high costs? We'll tell you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Their costs -- sky high. Critics say their performance, well, a bit too down to earth. Two of the military's most expensive jets are drawing closer to the congressional chopping block. CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr has the latest.
Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Alina, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta knows full well he has got to cut Pentagon spending. These expensive aircraft programs might just be the place he starts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice over): It's the most expensive weapons program ever, says the Pentagon; $384 billion earmarked for some 3,000 F-35 stealth fighter jets. Testing is resuming after a two-week halt when electrical problems emerged.
Then there's the F-22 Air Force Stealth fighter at more than $140 million per plane. The nearly 200-plane fleet has been grounded since May after oxygen to the pilots kept cutting off. One pilot died. With a half trillion dollar price tag for both aircraft --
ANDREW KREPINEVICH, CTR. FOR STRATEGIC BUDGETARY ASSESSMENTS: The question is, are you really getting the kind of combat capability that justifies that cost?
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: We cannot afford aircraft that double and triple the original estimated cost.
LEON PANETTA, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I think we have to watch it very carefully.
STARR: The F- 22 has never been in combat. The F-35, may go the same way. Both planes have serious limitations.
KREPINEVICH: These aircraft are relatively short range, which means they have to be based fairly close to the area of conflict. What we've seen in recent years, with countries like China, countries like Iran, building ballistic missile forces that can easily target the forward air bases.
STARR: Winslow Wheeler, a Pentagon spending critic, says the planes are too expensive and not stealthy enough.
WINSLOW WHEELER, CNTR. FOR DEFENSE INFORMATION: Against some radars, it's detectable as soon as it comes over the radar horizon, and some of the radars that are best as doing that are quite antiquated technology, from the Soviets. (END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: So the F-35 which hasn't even gone into production yet and has a price tag of about $$00 billion, certainly is likely to be in the crosshairs when Congress begins debating those budget cuts this fall, Alina.
CHO: Well, it is the middle of August, so a musician serenades beach combers in Michigan with a little cool music to help beat the heat wave. Take a listen and watch what his instrument of choice is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC, MAN PLAYING CROSS CUT SAW, "Let me call you sweetheart")
CHO: Well, it is not for everybody. Yes, he's playing a saw. One of our CNN producers found him at a free concert. We're going to show you where you have to go to see him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Just before the top of the hour. In today's "X Country" we want to take you to Michigan, where they found a great way to spend a hot summer day. CNN Producer Karen Waygood (ph) and a photo journalist Jim Gilsen (ph) take in a free concern at Michigan's Ascot (ph) Beach Park, on beautiful Lake Huron.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On behalf of the Ascota (ph) Rotary Club we'd like to thank you for coming out tonight. Tonight we have the Sunshine String Band all the way from Midland County.
ED "CROSSCUT" LARSON, MUSICIAN: I bought a Regal mandolin when I came home from Korea. It was a nice little mandolin and a buddy sat on it, we were out drinking and playing. So I saved the neck out of it and then I rebuilt the body for it. Well, that was back, 45 years ago. I rebuilt it, and I rebuilt it and I rebuilt it. So it's one of the easiest playing instruments I've ever had. And a mandolin sits well. So I'm 83, but I play mandolin, saw, guitar, banjo, harmonica and organ. Whatever's left over, I try to play.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like this one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to watch it. It's a very dangerous instrument. It's cut off three legs already.
(LAUGHTER)
(PLAYS CROSS CUT SAW)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: From CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's August 21st.
Good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us. I'm Alina Cho. T.J. Holmes is off this morning.
Rebels in Libya celebrate gains they say they are making in Tripoli. Government officials say the rebel claims are all lies. I'll get a live update from inside the country.
And two U.S. hikers face eight-year prison sentences in Iran for spying and trespassing. I'll have the latest on U.S. reaction.
Let's get right to the fighting for control of Libya, and new reports this morning about sporadic gunfire in Tripoli, the capital.
Matthew Chance has been inside the country for weeks now. He joins us by phone from Tripoli.
And, Matthew, you told us about a half hour ago about hearing some gunfire outside of your hotel. Is that still happening right now?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Yes. The sporadic clashes are taking place in various parts around Tripoli. We're also hearing some explosions every now and again as well. It's not clear what they are. Yes, but they're certainly not the airstrikes from the NATO warplanes that we've become so accustomed to hearing over the past week or so.
These are different. These are grenades, much smaller explosions. Obviously indicating that there are still clashes under way between these various groups -- the armed forces of Moammar Gadhafi and the rebels who are staging what is, really, an uprising in Tripoli. The question is, is to what extent the Gadhafi loyalists still have control?
Certainly, government spokespeople we've got access to here in Tripoli say that the situation is under control. They say -- we're just talking about few armed groups that essentially infiltrated various parts of the city, but they've been dealt with, in the words of the government spokesperson here. Still, gunfire, we can hear outside the hotel every few minutes or so, Alina.
CHO: But you did say also, too, Matthew, in the last half hour that there appears to be somewhat of a shift in terms of Gadhafi and his grip on power?
CHANCE: Well, I was making a comparison between what the situation is now and situation 24 hours ago when we last spoke. But when Tripoli was very quiet, we were just talking about violence taking place in distant locations, about 30 miles, 50 kilometers or so away from the city. What changed in that period is that violence, that fighting, that uprising has come to the capital that's long been considered, you know, a source of stability for the Gadhafi regime. It's where many of his forces are concentrated.
It's believed that he's got a lot of supporters, his concentration of supporters in the capital as well. And so, it's quite surprising that so quickly these rebels gained in various other parts of the country, away from Tripoli, that the violence should surface in the capital itself. And so, that's what changed.
The pressure is building on Gadhafi's regime here, and that's being shown by the fact that opposition figures opposed to Colonel Gadhafi in the city has taken this opportunity to rise up. The question is: will they manage to follow through this uprising or crushed by the Libyan armed forces.
CHO: Matthew Chance, senior international correspondent, live for us from Tripoli -- Matthew, as always, thank you very much.
Now to Syria where embattled President Bashar al Assad goes on television today to talk about his country's future.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
CHO: That was sniper fire in Homs, the city where opposition organizers report several deaths from Syrian security forces. The Syrian Arab news agency says al Assad is expected to address, quote, "continuous steps of the reform process."
Just last week, the U.S. called on al Assad to step down.
Southern Israel now, again under fire today from another barrage of rockets and mortars. The military is now reporting 20 attacks so far just today. Defense officials say at least one person died in an attack yesterday. These images are from Saturday's attacks.
Israel launched two retaliatory air strikes on targets in Gaza and Israeli authorities arrested dozens of men in surrounding towns.
In Iran, the attorney for two Americans sentenced to eight years in prison is hoping the court will show some leniency to the two.
Our Susan Candiotti tells us how we learned about the sentences.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: News of an eight- year prison sentence came from an Iranian state media Web site and was not announced on Iranian TV. It quoted a judiciary source quoting saying that Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer had been sentenced to five years for spying and three years each for illegally crossing the border into Iran.
Now, the State Department still has no official confirmation of this and issued a statement. U.S. State Department spokesmen said, quote, "We are working to confirm these reports and are in contact with the Swiss to obtain more information. We have repeatedly called for the release of Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal."
The U.S. State Department is also working with the Swiss ambassador, because she is the liaison between the two countries, since the U.S. has no mission in Iran. The families have been silent so far, the families of the hikers. And that's not unusual in a case like this, because often when a major announcement is made, the families get together, wait for official confirmation and then issue a statement or speak out publicly. And so far, the lawyer representing the hikers that was hired by the family tells CNN that he has had no official confirmation from the courts about this sentence.
Now, courts are closed on Saturdays, but they are reopening on Sunday. So, the hope is from the lawyer that he will hear something at that time.
It's interesting to note that last September, when hiker Sarah Shourd was released on humanitarian grounds and then returned to New York, she met with Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who happened to be in New York for a meeting at the U.N. General Assembly. At that time she asked the president for compassion. It would appear now that Iranian courts have chosen a different path.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Tomorrow marks one month since the terror attacks that rocked Norway. A national remembrance ceremony is being held today in Oslo for the 77 people killed. It comes just one day after survivors returned to the scene of the crime for the first time since the shooting. That's where the suspect allegedly gunned down 69 of the victims. Anders Breivik, the suspect who police say has reportedly confessed to the crime, has officially pleaded not guilty in court.
It is seven minutes after the hour. Harvey and Irene, the tropical odd couple, as you will. As Harvey loses steam, Irene is powering up. We want to get to meteorologist Reynolds Wolf who has the latest on both of these.
Harvey sort of petered out and Irene just crept up on us really quickly, didn't it?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Your Harvey's gone, gone, gone -- been gone so long, gone so long. Harvey's going. But the bad news is Irene is beginning to gain strength. Right now, as maximum sustained winds 50 miles per hour. And the forecast holds that it may increase to about 70 just over the next, say, 12 hours or so, perhaps faster than that.
And speaking of speed, it's moving at a pretty decent clip out of the west and moving westerly around 20 miles per hour. The question is where's this thing going to go? That's the big question we have, possibly the answer for you from the National Hurricane Center. Those guys are brilliant and the latest forecast they have for us brings the storm right through the British Virgin Islands, past the U.S. Virgin Islands, possibly through Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti and maybe even into Cuba. You'll get a time frame, too, going from Monday at 2:00 a.m. with winds of 70 miles an hour. So, again, from 50 to 70, that's pretty rapid intensification and more of the same, possibly losing a little bit of strength as it crosses over land and rise through parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti with winds of 60 and then staying about the same, at least for the forecast is holding and then possibly into the Florida Keys, the Bahamas as we get into Thursday.
That being said, if you live in Florida, I want you to be on guard and ready for a long hurricane season, which lasts all the way through to November 30th. Not to say this specific storm, this specific system is going to make its way to you. There are a lot of obstructions in its path. One, there's a chance it's going to interact some shears, strong winds can tear it apart. The other thing is going to interact with land.
And when it moves over land it's away from its primary source, that being the warm water. So, again, there's a lot of loops this things got to jump through before it gets close to the U.S. But, as always, we'll watch it for you very carefully.
Something else you're going to be watching, some thunderstorms that are popping up across the landscape this morning, mainly the eastern half of the U.S. South of Louisville, we're seeing some north of Nashville, along 65. You're making that drive from Nashville, northward to Louisville today, you're going to be seeing some of that rainfall.
And if you look up towards parts of the Northeast, especially east of Buffalo right now, right along parts of 81, some strong storms. We expect those to intensify into the afternoon. If you have any flights, Alina, going towards any major airports in New York, Alina, you might have a few delays. Be advised.
Thunderstorms are also possible along the Gulf Coast and, again, across parts of the Ohio Valley. Out west, not a problem in terms of rain. Very warm and sunny for you.
As we wrap things up fairly quickly, you're going to notice the highs out to the west. Check them out. Going to 83 in Seattle, 89 in Portland, 70 in Los Angeles, 85 in Albuquerque, 80 for Chicago, 92 Atlanta and 84 in New York.
All right. You are up to speed. Come on. There you go. All right. Let's send it back to you.
CHO: Reynolds, I believe you're saying, buy a book at the airport.
WOLF: I think I would be a good idea. You bet.
CHO: Or an "Us Weekly," depending how I'm feeling. All right. Reynolds, thank you very much.
The ripple effects of the recession now spreading to the most vulnerable victims, children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I get my boxing gloves on every day for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: We'll introduce to you that family that's struggling parents, sometimes forced to go hungry so they can feed their four children. That story is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Listen to this staggering statistic. One in five children in this country lives below the poverty line. And the recession is only making it worse.
Athena Jones caught up with a couple in Washington who have fallen on hard times, now forced to make enormous sacrifices to feed their four children.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The ripple effects of the recession can be felt here at the Washington home of Nathan and Keana Wallace. Both have been out of work for more than two years, and their unemployment benefits have run out. The Wallaces live in public housing and don't have to pay rent, but they have struggled to pay utility bills and recently had their power cut off.
KEANA WALLACE, MOTHER: We did candles. We just -- you know, some days during a six-week period, the kids eat what we eat. We just have to make sacrifices.
JONES: Both of the Wallaces' cars have been reposed and they'll have to come up with $120 for metro passes for their four children once school starts. They once brought in $5,000 a month and say they're determined to get back on track.
K. WALLACE: I get up with my boxing gloves on every day for them.
JONES: According to a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national charity, one in five children live below the poverty line in 2009. The Wallace family receives food stamps each month, but they run out after about three weeks. Nathan mows lawns and does other odd jobs and Keana sells snow cones, hot dogs candy to get by.
(on camera): Do you just go out outside right here or do you travel somewhere?
K. WALLACE: I go up in the street, I do it on the corner. And then with the candies, I do it all on the metro, I do it at the subway stations. I do it up and down the street. I do what it takes to make sure we can survive another day.
JONES (voice-over): She brings in as much as $145 on a really good day. But that doesn't happen often.
Thirteen-point-nine million people are unemployed in July and nearly half of them are like the Wallaces, who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more. Advocates for children and families don't to want to see the focus on budget cuts hurt programs for the poor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can't forget about children as we make decisions in the fiscal crisis. We can't cut these programs thinking eventually we might put money back into them, because childhood is a very short time.
JONES: Keana's 14-year-old daughter Danielle believes things will turn around for her family and she has a lot of plans for her future.
DANIELLE BEDNEY, 14 YEARS OLD: First, I want to college for designer school. After I graduate from designer school, I want to send in my pictures to be a model. After I'm a model for five years, I want to open my own store called Danielle 101 (ph), a clothing store.
JONES: Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Standard & Poor's sent the markets into a tizzy this month when they downgraded the nation's credit rating. Well, now S&P is under federal investigation for something completely unrelated. Some are calling it political backlash, revenge. But the government says the investigation started long before the downgrade. We'll have details from Wall Street, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well, S&P is a four-letter word in Washington these days -- that's after the firm lowered the U.S. credit rating rocking the markets and angering most of Capitol Hill. Well, now, we learned that Standard & Poor's is under federal investigation for something that apparently dates back to the housing bust three years ago. Or does it?
CNN's Allan Chernoff has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standard & Poor's and Moody's are targets of federal investigations into mortgage securities that went sour during the financial crisis.
According to sources familiar with the inquiries, attorneys from the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have been digging into the rating agency's methodology. In particular, did executives veto credit analysts' efforts to downgrade ratings so as not to lose business on the issuers of securities who were paying to be rated.
REP. SPENCER BACCHUS (R), ALABAMA: The credit rating agencies failed spectacularly in the years leading up to the financial crisis.
CHERNOFF: The rating companies have been getting slammed in Congress and in depositions given on to federal investigators.
One former credit analyst told CNN he had had two interviews in the past six months with federal agents and had shared evidence of what he described as improper management influence in the ratings process. Quote, "They have plenty of ammunition," he said. "There are plenty of people who will squeal on them."
The SEC has been on this issue for some time. A 2008 report quoted one e-mail from a credit analyst saying: "Let's hope we are all wealthy and retired by the time this house of cards falters."
Just several days ago, a former top credit analyst from Moody's filed a comment with the SEC that charged: "The goal of management is to mold analysts into pliable corporate citizens who cast their committee votes in line with the unchanging corporate credo of maximizing earnings."
The SEC said it would neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation, but added: "Cases arising from the financial crisis are among the highest priorities of the enforcement division."
The Department of Justice had no comment.
(on camera): A spokesperson for Standard & Poor's told CNN: S&P has received several requests from different government agencies over the last few years relating to U.S. mortgage-backed securities. S&P has cooperated with this request and will continue to cooperate.
CNN asked Moody's for comment, but did not receive one by deadline.
Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Former President Clinton may have had the most powerful job in the country, the world, really, but he says his touch it job was surviving a heart attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I was lucky I didn't die of a heart attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Yes, he was. Can we really be heart-attack proof? Sanjay is next with details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Top stories now:
The attorney representing two U.S. hikers found guilty of espionage in Iran says he hopes that Tehran will show his client some leniency in the holy month of Ramadan. Both Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were slapped with eight-year jail terms yesterday. Their attorney has 20 days to appeal.
In Libya, the sense of jubilation grows among government rebels with each victory over Colonel Moammar Gadhafi's military. And the rebels say the capital, Tripoli, is next, after they secured the town of Zawiya.
But Gadhafi loyalists paint a far different picture, saying the rebels are fighting and losing each battle.
And new this hour, Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the final mass of World Youth Day festival in Spain. Thousands of young Roman Catholics from around the world attended the four-day gathering in Madrid. The pope urged the young not to be ashamed of their beliefs.
By the time he felt his first symptoms, Bill Clinton's heart disease had been in the making for decades. But doctors say heart disease is now completely, completely preventable, if you undergo the right testing.
Here's our Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: A few months before this happened, I noticed whenever -- not every time, but often when I would do rather strenuous exercise -- there's really hilly areas in the town where I would climb those hills and stop and take a breath. I didn't take it seriously because every time it happened I just lowered the exercise level, got my breath back and it was never painful. It was just tight.
If this isn't good for my heart, I don't know what is.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By the time he felt the first symptoms, that tightness in his chest, President Clinton's heart disease was well advanced. It had been decades in the making.
DR. ARTHUR AGATSTON, AUTHOR, "SOUTH BEACH DIET": You don't die with your first plaque. You develop arthrosclerosis blockages, really your whole life for many, many years before it causes a heart attack or a stroke.
GUPTA: And what Dr. Agatston told me next should ring a bell of hope for just about anyone that's every worried about a heart attack -- it doesn't have to happen.
AGATSTON: One of the best kept secrets in the country in medicine is that doctors who are practicing aggressive prevention are really seeing heart attacks and strokes disappear from their practices. It's doable.
GUPTA (on camera): And you're saying we -- with what we know right now, we don't have to have any more heart attacks in this country?
AGATSTON: I'll never say not any, but the great majority, yes, absolutely.
GUPTA: It's the biggest killer of men and women, heart disease in this country.
AGATSTON: And it's completely preventable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: "The Last Heart Attack" airs tonight at 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
Much more on top stories at the top of the hour when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues. Thanks for joining us. I'm Alina Cho.
But, first, a look how Cuba handles medical care. "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." from Havana begins right now.
