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CNN Saturday Morning News

President and Congressional Leaders to Meet This Morning; Norway Foreign Minister Says Attacks May Have Been Politically Motivated; Same-Sex Marriage Ceremonies to Begin Sunday in New York City; Comic-Con in San Diego Brings Out Sci-Fi Fans

Aired July 23, 2011 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: We are at the top of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes. We're glad you could be here with us.

And we are just a couple of hours away from another big meeting at the White House. This has been already a heated disagreement over the looming deadline on the nation's debt. It might be getting hotter if you believe it could.

Last night President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner essentially went at it in separate news conferences, calling each other out. Almost getting to the point of calling each other names. Let me tell you where we are here though. We passed the debt limit in May. The country has already hit the limit on the debt.

But the Treasury secretary has been moving money around to pay the nation's bills. He says he won't be able to do that after August 2nd. Some bills are just going to have to go unpaid. So Democrats as a part of this debt ceiling deal they wanted to do away with some tax cuts and some loopholes as part of the larger deficit plan.

But Republicans said, no. That's tax increases. We're not going to go along with that. They say spending cuts are the only way to go. Well, it seemed in all the weeks of negotiations that maybe we were close to a deal this week. But then yesterday happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Essentially what we had offered Speaker Boehner was over a trillion dollars in cuts to discretionary spending, both domestic and defense. We then offered additional $650 billion in cuts to entitlement programs, Medicare, Medicaid, social security.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: It's not in the best interest of our country to raise taxes during this difficult economy and it's not in the best interest of our country to ignore the serious spending challenges that we face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So, this is the meeting taking place in just a couple of hours at the White House. The president meeting again with Speaker Boehner. He walked away from talks but was called right back today by the president. He says he will show up. Also the Senate majority leader, Senate minority leader and also the democratic leader in the House, Nancy Pelosi, all expected to be there.

Let me go to the White House right now. Brianna Keilar is there for us. She has been with us this morning. Brianna, is there any reason to believe that this is just another, you know, just another twist and turn in these negotiations? Not the first time we saw somebody walk away from talks.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I would say this was the most dramatic day we've seen yet, T.J.. We spoke earlier about it. You said you felt something was different. I think you are right. That was a very dramatic development. And that is because the clock is ticking so much closer. And I think there was some hope that the House Speaker and the president could come to some kind of an agreement.

You can almost gauge it just by how frustrated President Obama was yesterday. That was a level of frustration we haven't seen before following this collapse. Republicans saying that the White House had moved the goal post, that they, Republicans had agreed to about $800 billion in a way to raise revenue and then the White House came back and said, you know what, we want 400 billion more dollars."

And that was something that the Republicans just couldn't do. Then for their part you heard President Obama, T.J. say, "Can Republicans accept anything? You know we're giving up so much in terms of entitlement reform and they are not giving their share."

So and that's really where it was left yesterday. President Obama saying, T.J., that he's calling his congressional leaders here to explain to him how they are going to increase the debt ceiling and we're several days off from that August 2nd deadline now.

HOLMES: OK. Brianna, one more thing. And you can give me good perspective on this. It is just a detail from yesterday, maybe not the most important point but it might be telling. The president said that the speaker would not return his phone calls. You deal with congressmen and women all the time. When the president calls you, don't you call them back? Give us some perspective on that. Because we heard that tidbit and we go what in the world.

KEILAR: When the president calls or generally speaking, especially under these circumstances when the president calls to you the White House during these debt talks, you go, Democrat or Republican. That's basically it. It was a bit of a - you can almost sense things getting a little bit personal when President Obama said that he thought that they were moving forward until he placed a call and didn't receive anything back from Speaker Boehner.

Well, we also know, though, as they were working towards an agreement there's a certain level of, certainly House Speaker Boehner needed to go back and kind of see where his conference was, if it was something that Republicans could go along with, but one of the details that really rankled the White House, T.J., was that before they received a call from Boehner explaining that he was leaving the talks, Democratic officials say he was talking to reporters and that was something that came out and the White House was very upset about that.

HOLMES: Brianna Keilar, these guys were just playing golf a couple of weeks ago and here we are.

And Brianna, we'll talk to you again. Great having you with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

And to our viewers you've been hearing a lot of bits and pieces of the news conference last night. Well, we're going to let you hear them in their entirety coming up at the top of the hour. A lot of you were out on your Friday night, doing things with family or whatever you may have been doing and you might have missed it.

Well, it's worth hearing. President Obama who was visibly upset in his press conference as well as House Speaker in their own words from their press conferences last night.

I want to turn what is still a breaking story out of Norway and now the foreign minister in Norway is saying this may have been politically motivated violence. He's talking about two attacks there yesterday that killed more than 90 people. The prime minister said he personally knew several of the victims. Norway's royal family is meeting with victims' families. The first attack, we're talking about, hit the capital of Oslo.

You're seeing the aftermath of it here. A government building was targeted, at least seven people were killed, 90 more injured there. Police have a man in custody. His name is Anders Behring Breivik (ph). You're seeing him there. They believed he carried out the Oslo bombing. And then went to an island about 20 miles away dressed as a police officer and that is where they say he opened fire on a youth camp. At least 84 people killed on that island. Some tried to swim away. The gunman even shot them in the water.

Our Diana Magnay has been on this story for us. She joins me now.

Diana, this is still a fast-moving story. So I keep starting with you by saying give me the very latest because this story continues to change minute by minute.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the prime minister has just been meeting with crisis center at the hotel just a few minutes up the road from a meeting with families, very emotional scenes going on there. He gave a press conference saying that he believed this crime was politically motivated. Of course if we look at the attacks targeting the government corridor in central Oslo and then the youth movement camp, annual camp of the labor party movement, and we've spoken also to some of the people who survived that attack, as you say, some of them hiding behind anything they could or running desperately to swim in the water, being shot in the water.

Let's just listen to what one of those camping on the island had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ESKIL PEDERSEN, LABOUR PARTY YOUTH MOVEMENT LEADER (through translator): We will take good care of each other. We'll make sure everyone get professionals to talk to and follow up on everyone. We will not be threatened to silence. We will continue fighting for what we believe in. This is the best way to honor the memory of those who we lost and we will remain politically conscious and engaged. We will go back to Utoya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MAGNAY: That's really the message that the prime minister too has been trying to communicate - that Norway will not let any kind of violence change the way that the social fabric here functions, the openness of Norwegian society will not be destroyed despite this horrific attack. T.J..

HOLMES: All right. Diana Magnay, we appreciate you. Once again, we'll continue to check in with her this morning.

But at eight minutes the hour now. Coming up. It's hot. Yes, it's summer. It happens but it has been brutally hot and it has been dangerous for a lot of people. They're trying to beat the heat but a lot of people are just not able to escape. Reynolds Wolf is here with us this morning. We'll check in with him about what continues to be a heat wave.

Also this morning - hundreds of people won the lottery in New York. You're looking at two lottery winners right there. But we're not talking about the money lottery, we're talking about the same sex marriage lottery. Yes. You got weddings taking place in New York tomorrow, a historic day. We will talk to these two about being a part of that history.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, it's ten minutes past the hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Big day in New York tomorrow. Big day for hundreds of people who have essentially been living as married couples but tomorrow they get to make it official.

Freddie Zambrano and Marco Chaljub, they won the lottery. The lottery for the first day of legalized same sex marriage in New York. What this means is that they get to skip the 24-hour waiting period that's normally required after couples get marriage licenses and they'll be able to just go ahead and get married on-the-spot. They will exchange vows tomorrow.

Freddie, Marco, gentlemen, appreciate you both being here and I'll let either one of you answer this question as long as you have been together, did you ever think you would get to this day, the day before your wedding day? FREDDIE ZAMBRANO, GETTING MARRIED SUNDAY: Yes today is the day before our wedding day. For many years we've been thinking about doing this. We've been waiting for New York to pass that law. We wanted to get married in our state, in our city of Queens. And it's finally here. Tomorrow is the big day.

HOLMES: Tell me. Why do it immediately? Do you want to be a part of history? Are you concerned there could be some court challenges down the road? Why not just wait and do a big ceremony and plan it all out?

ZAMBRANO: Well, again, just because we did have the idea of getting married already in our heads, we couldn't think of a better time than to do it at the most historical moment for New York for that matter and possibly the world.

HOLMES: Now tell us, how long have you two been together?

MARCO CHALJUB, GETTING MARRIED SUNDAY: We've been together about five years.

HOLMES: Been together five years almost. So, I guess what is going to be different when you wake up on Monday morning, the first day, your first full day as a married couple, what is going to be different for you that day?

CHALJUB: I don't know that anything will be like necessarily different because we've been living together as a married couple for a while now. But it's more about something that we've dreamed about, we pushed so hard for it. We told our friends on Facebook and told them to call their congressman and tell them to pass this law. You know, we pushed for it. We rallied for it. So it's just a dream come true. I guess that would be the difference.

HOLMES: You're all concerned at all? Because it is. It's a big, big day for you all and many other same sex couples. But it's also a big day for people who are opponents of same sex marriage. We know that there are some protests that are planned for tomorrow. But are you concerned at all about that element taking away from the day, of course, people have their beliefs and they have a right to them. But are you concern that your happy day could also be a hugely controversial day and some of that controversy gets a lot of attention as well?

CHALJUB: I believe it's always going to - there's always going some controversy behind same sex marriage, but, you know, everyone has their own opinions, their own views and, you know, we respect that as we expect people to respect our beliefs as well. And our ways of being. But really that's not anything that we really - that at least I'm too concerned about. Everyone has a right to say something.

HOLMES: You all tell us as well, there was a last lottery. They knew a lot of people would want to get married immediately. And the courthouses wouldn't just be able to handle it. You decided to put your name in the hat to try to go for the lottery to get married on this date. I guess how surprised were you that you found out you actually won that lottery and you get to get married on day one?

ZAMBRANO: We were elated.

CHALJUB: Definitely. I remember getting home and I checked my e-mail and I had an e-mail from the county clerk's office. Freddie was still in the shower and I just ran in there and I said "W got it. We're in the lottery. We're getting married on Sunday." We started crying, laughing, celebrating. A really good moment.

ZAMBRANO: Yes, I almost slipped from the shower.

HOLMES: Last thing, gentlemen. Tell me how this is going to go tomorrow? I mean what are your plans? Do you have suits picked out? Do you have family that's going to be there? I guess just tell me about your particular ceremony.

CHALJUB: Well, we're keeping it very intimate, and just going to be us and our four witnesses. Actually until this is airing right now nobody else knew we were getting married tomorrow, just my sister and his best friends. And it's going to be pretty simple. We have an outfit picked out. We're elated. Very excited.

HOLMES: Well, gentlemen, congratulations. I'm sure we will check in with you again. But, really, it has been a lot of controversy and still it continues in this country that debate but tomorrow for you all, I know it was a special day and congratulations and absolutely you all enjoy it. Thanks so much for taking the time and sharing your story with us this morning.

CHALJUB: Thanks for having us, T.J..

HOLMES: Thank you. All right. New York has become now the sixth state and the largest state to legalize same-sex marriages. It did last month but again tomorrow is the first day that couples could actually get married. Same sex couples can also get married in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Well, good teachers looking for new jobs. They are unable to make ends meet? This is a serious problem going on in the education system right now and it's a shame. We're taking a closer look at 16 minutes the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 17 minutes past the hour. Now we turn to some education overtime. A CNN series on the state of education in this country. Today we're talking about teacher turnover. Our Natasha Curry meets one award-winning teacher who just can't afford to stay in the classroom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LINDA DEREGNAUCOURT, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER: Cosign of an angle is what?

My name is Linda Deregnaucourt. I've been teaching for 13 years. My first year of teaching I got an award called "Rookie Teacher the Year." Later on I got teacher of the year again. I've gotten 100 percent pass rate in the AP calculus for the past seven years.

NATASHA CURRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By all accounts Linda is one of those high performing teachers we all want our children to have.

DEREGNAUCOURT: This was a book in my first year of teaching the students made.

CURRY: But on a salary of $38,000 a year which after taxes leaves her with about 2,400 a month, says she can no longer stretch her paycheck to cover expenses.

DEREGNAUCOURT: When you start taking out rent, utilities, car payment, there's nothing left. It's demoralizing to you. You know, you wonder why you put all this energy into it and yes the kids appreciate you and the kids love you for it. But, if at the end of the day I still have to pay my bills.

CURRY: After five years without a raise Linda has decided to call it quits. She's going back to school to become a nurse and will earn on average about $62,000 a year, 24,000 more than what she makes now.

CURRY (on camera): How hard was it to make that decision to leave?

DEREGNAUCOURT: It's heartbreaking. I thought I could do this. I'm sorry.

CURRY (voice-over): Some educators blame stagnating wages for teaching's high turnover rate. Every year 14 percent of U.S. teachers leave the profession, 46 percent leave before their fifth year on the job.

NINIVE CALEGARI, FOUNDER "THE TEACHER SALARY PROJECT": When you look at high achieving countries their turnover rates are three percent or lower. So they work very, very hard to not only attract teachers that are - that they suspect are going to be successful, but they work incredibly hard to train them and then do whatever it takes to retain them and we don't do that.

DEREGNAUCOURT: I'm not saying I may not find an amazing teacher to replace me who also motivates the kids, who also inspires the kids, who also loves the kids, but what if they don't. Who pays the price? It's those hundred kids that walk in that door every year that over the course of all these years have told me that I changed their life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Coming up, your chance to hang out with "Captain America" or whatever Avenger you can find. Does this scene look familiar? It should. The annual Comic-Con Convention is going on right now. It is huge. And we will take you there, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: 24 minutes the hour. Happening right now in San Diego, California, the annual Comic-Con Convention. You should know about this by now. More than 130,000 people show up to this thing. They are there to exchange news and gossip on everything from movies to comic, CNN entertainment producer JD Cargill is there for me. Button that up for me if I didn't give a good enough description. What is comic-con and just how big is it?

JD CARGILL, CNN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCER: Well, T.J., you did a very good job with that description. But Comic-Con is the world's largest comic book and this genre of entertainment convention. Over 130,000 people as you said are here And every year seems like something rises to the surface as that white hot ticket, that white hot panel, the stars everyone wants to see.

This year I can safely say that is the "Game of Thrones." It is the novel series by George R.R. Martin and it has been turned into an HBO show. And everybody here wanted a ticket. Woke up yesterday to 1,000 people outside the CNN Express lined up for the panel. Well, we were lucky enough to have one of the stars of that series Jason Mimoa, on the CNN Express and at 6'5" he proved that CNN Express can handle a lot. He told me a little bit about his excitement about being a part of this epic series.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON MIMOA, ACTOR/"GAME OF THRONES": I've never read a book where I became so invested. I was reading it and I was hooked. Four days straight. I got kids. I locked myself in the room. Honey, I have to read this for the audition but I was just blown away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARGILL: Yes, so he's so excited about "Game of Thrones." And you know what all the fan boys love it because of dragons and princess and knights and all these. But just as many fan, girls love it. And one of the other things I've really noticed here, T.J., is that there are just as many, not just as many but about four out of 10 people I see are females. So a lot of people are saying that it's the year of the female nerd here at Comic-con and so, of course, we had to invite a couple of the iconic nerds on to CNN Express.

Mayim Bialik who you remember from "Blossom" and now she's on the "Big Bang Theory." And Kari Byron from "Mythbusters," everybody here seems to love them. They came on and gave us a little feedback about what they think is going on with the female nerd and the reaction here at Comic-Con. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARI BYRON, "MYTHBUSTERS": It's sort of a backlash towards the super attractive girls who are gamers and that sort of thing, almost constantly challenging the fact that they are nerds or geeks, that there's no way that that's a possibility. And I don't know if it's a generational thing or if it's just you're always going to want to hate beautiful girls for something.

It's kind of the third wave of feminism. I'm really the second wave of feminists. The third wave of feminist is I can look however I want. I can present myself however I want, you still have no right, right to challenge me about my intellect or about my interest. But I thought it was so funny because I would never think that that would be the image of a nerd girl. But it shifted so much. You know, I feel like an old hag next to her. I'm a true nerd girl. Look at me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARGILL: Those nerd girls are getting more and more beautiful, aren't they? And we're going to be talking to a lot more people today. So keep tuned in here. We'll be at San Diego at the convention center all day, T.J., can't be excited.

HOLMES: That bus sees a lot. Presidential candidates and female nerds, you got to love election express or just the express bus right now.

JD, good to see you as always. Thanks so much.

And if you want to follow all of CNN's coverage of Comic-Con, CNN.com/what'snext is where you can find it. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)