that's all for us tonight. good morning. time is almost up. we are now under three days away from a possible u.s. default. after a flurry of activity last night. we expect another flurry of activity today in washington d.c. as democrats and republicans scramble to find a way out of a legislative standoff. at the same time, the local

governments are facing a crisis. one alabama government is getting ready for one of the largest municipal bankruptcy in history. why in the world would anybody name their child cheeto or limoncelo. those are all real names. this hour, more names to tell you about. why people do it and whatnot to name your child. good morning. thanks to my parents for naming me t.j. holmes. glad you could be with us. that clock is ticking on the debt ceiling crisis. tuesday is the deadline. the deadline for what? the government may not be able to pay its bills. we will have to decide which ones to pay and which ones not to pay.

here is the rundown on capitol hill. the house is getting to work at noon today after some debate, they are expected to vote from the senate majority leader harry reid. that is expected to fail. on the senate side, they open debate on the same reid bill at 1:00. that debate could go as long as 12 hours or so. it might not be until you are asleep. the senate gets to vote on the reid bill. the senate has moved on after the bill from john boehner last night. >> the bill has passed. a motion to reconsider has been laid upon the table. >> you see where we are. the reid bill and boehner bill. speaker boehner's bill was approved by the house. he had to change it up to get more republican votes. they did approve a debt bill in

the house. they said it was doa in the senate. it was. all of the democrats and some republicans voted against it. listen to the speaker. >> can never say yes. a lot of people can never say yes. this house has acted. it is time for the administration and time for our colleagues across the aisle. put something on the table. tell us where you are. [ applause ] >> that is speaker boehner before that vote. they approved his bill in the house. the boehner bill moved on to the senate and never got any traction there. they are now focusing on harry reid's proposal there. reid has floated a change to his original idea to include elements from republican plans. republican leaders could block any vote. >> the country is in crisis. this is not a time for politics

as usual. i think we have shown that we are willing to give significantly in their direction. we are still waiting for speaker mcconnell -- we are waiting for speaker boehner and mcconnell to move in our direction. >> sources tell cnn that mitch mcconnell wants the white house involved in the discussions. right now, there are no plans for face-to-face negotiations. let's say hello to joe johns. we saw that vote in the house. we knew it would be doa in the senate. another vote in the house which is symbolic. we think something is getting done because they are voting. this is all a matter of symbolism and taking a stand. what is really happening? is anything getting done in the negotiations behind the scenes?

>> first, t.j., i have to say, this is one of the really unusual situations on capitol hill. i spent a lot of time there. the fact of the matter is, you know, these folks usually, you know, you have people on the right and they say what they have to say. the people on the left say what they have to say. the people in the middle get everybody together. that is predictable. this is very unpredictable because it doesn't seem like the middle is speaking out right now. that said, you are right. it is just symbolism as far as people on the floor going through the process. it is almost ritual. the most important thing that could happen and it happens a lot of times on the saturday and sunday morning sessions when there is something big going on. you want the principals to get in the room and figure out how they will work this out. you want reid or his representative or mcconnell or his representatives. somebody from the white house to get into a room and talk this

thing over and figure out what they will do in the next 48 hours going forward. that is the most important thing. our people will comb the capitol to figure out what the meetings are going on. >> good luck with that. we know about the two proposals by reid and boehner. folks on capitol hill said they are not too far apart. >> no. they are not too far apart. there is tricky stuff in there. one of the things that makes reid different from boehner is reid's plan considers cost savings as the winding down of the iraq and afghanistan wars. that is $1 trillion of difference. the boehner plan doesn't consider the winding down of the afghanistan and iraq wars. another thing that is in there that is very different from the democrat and republican ideas is boehner has this balanced budget

amendment in there. it is a requirement for both houses to pass it. the democrats say that is ridiculous. the fact of the matter is, a lot of people out there in the country think it is a good idea until they start having to worry about entitlements being cut as a result of it. that is something that the democrats and republicans disagree on. probably the biggest thing is the idea of the two-step process that boehner has. the republicans, i should say the democrats don't like that at all. they have to work that one out. >> joe johns, you are up and at it for us. we have reporters on capitol hill who are checking in with you in d.c. another interesting day. joe, thank you so much. the president has lost some 30,000 supporters in the midst of all of this.

the president has urged a compromi compromise. he did it on twitter. he had a plea for his followers to tweet their members of congress and it led to a lot of people to stop following the president. we are talking about over 30,000 people in the midst of all of this. the president's campaign twitter handle sent out a flurry of tweets saying tweet your congress member. the president lost over 30,000 followers after making those pleas. make that what you will. also the debt crisis may be hitting the stock market hard. this is a big fear. stocks ended their worst weekly showing in more than a year. according to the financial data company wilshire, $700 billion of market value just gone. the dow fell 2.4% for the week. the nasdaq was down 3.6%. although we are told the deadline to get a deal done is

on august 2nd, that would be next tuesday, they need to try to get something done by this weekend and give the markets confidence before they open on monday. also, listen to this, if the government wants to do something about the deficit, here is an idea. start selling ipads. the treasury department says the company has $7$74 billion. that is according to the latest earnings report. apple is turning a profit with its stock up to $400 a share. 9 minutes past the hour. let's say good morning to our reynolds wolf. reynolds, we have keeping an eye on our tropical depression? >> yes. this is tropical depression don. they weaken a bit before they

make their way onshore. when you talk about texas. it is different. texas has been mired in a drought. they needed the rainfall. they needed a potent system. it just fell apart. everything you see on the screen in the dark red or maroon color is the drought area. we will have an update from rob marciano on the tropical depression. back to you. i hate to say this, reynolds, we are having open tryouts for reynolds position here on cnn saturday and sunday morning. one of the first people to apply for the job. take a look. folks, we will let you see it all. should this guy be the next meteorologist next to me on cnn saturday and sunday morning. reynolds may be in trouble.

♪ ♪ i'm only happy ♪ when it rains ♪ good morning to you. houston, texas. always a hot spot. "only happy when it rains." a lot of people when we report about tropical storms or named storms or hurricanes are hoping it will downgrade before it makes landfall. folks were upset about the downgrade. is it tropical depression? >> yes. it is tropical depression don. >> as i bring in reynolds, you look at the video. the tropical system made landfall in the u.s. the first one? >> in the united states this year. >> people were hoping in texas. this is the third worst drought they experienced there. they were hoping it would bring

a lot of rain. it did not happen. >> the state of texas -- people were praying for a tropical system to come onshore. it looked very promising. unfortunately, as we speak, it continues to fall apart. we have boots on the ground. rob marciano is in padre island. rob, can you tell us how it was received by the people? >> reporter: to keep this in realm with the current events. people want to know how fast the storm died. it died faster than the first boehner debt ceiling plan. it came onshore and completely pooped the pillows. you saw it, reynoldreynolds, i e completely fizzled. the much-needed rain did not materialize. you know, in an effort to bring you tv this morning, we set out

to do what is called a tick-tock in the business. take some video and time stamp it and give you a flavor of what happened as it came onshore. >> reporter: tropical storm don is 40 miles south of here making landfall on the padre island. the winds have picked up. some rain has fallen to the south, but the widespread rainfall that the state desperately needs has been elusive. don has made landfall getting a lot of wind and sand in our face, but no rain. look at the pocket radar here. the storm is dead. radar empty. rain non-existent. that has a lot of folks disappointed. >> reporter: it does. i have never been involved in a tropical cyclone where there is

so much cheerleading going on to bring it onshore with the rainfall. i'll put some good spin on this, reynolds, a lot of farmers changed their crops this year to cotton crops because they are drought resistant. they don't want rain when it is time for harvest. it diminishes the crop. some cotton farmers are happy the rain did not happy. as far as forecasters, i don't know who you have lined up. i hear fabio is in the running for our jobs. at this point, he may get it. >> fabio may get it. no question. let's keep the red jackets handy. we may deal with a tropical

system emily next week. no one wants a destructive tropical storm. to give beneficial rainfall to people who need it, that is all the better. >> reynolds, thank you. what rob was referring to there, yes. there is someone that is after reynolds job and rob's job right about now. we are having open tryouts. i will let you see the first person's tryout. you let me know what you think. should they get reynoln old's j? >> this is a look at portland, oregon. it feels so nice on fabio's skin. >> you see how his hair was flowing? >> this is not working. >> you are trying hard to bring fans to me. i think there is one sprig of hair that may have moved. >> that is fabio making a co

comeback. do you feel threatened at all? >> this is great. i don't have a chance. he is great. he has the nice shirt on. i don't know. it is stiff competition. >> we will see him throughout the morning. 16 minutes past the hour. helium. the same gas used to fill a birthday balloon may also kill a weed that is taking over the south. now spreading up the east coast. >> what is this again? >> this is 96 to 100% pure helium. >> yes, it is helium. >> reynolds wolf will be back to explain how a kid is figure something out that grown folks have not been able to figure out for a long time. you are talking about the debt ceiling and the debate goes on. it has a few more days to go on

where we are in trouble. do you know how many times it has been raised since 1962? we will give you the correct answer in two minutes. ain. ain. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles,

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we asked how many times has the debt ceiling been raised since 1962. you think not many. not really. the debt ceiling has been raised some 74 times and ten of those increases have happened since 2001. as this debt crisis goes on in washington, it certainly has a lot of people worried in the country, but not just here. all over the world people are watching and they are worried. our jonathan mann brings us that. >> reporter: while the debt ceiling debate continues in washington, the world watches. >> i am worried. >> reporter: it is not just the head of the international monetary fund. people on the streets of beijing are aware it affects china's economy, too. >> translator: the crisis is not limited in the u.s., but europe. we cannot say the u.s. is not powerful now. china will for sure be impacted.

>> reporter: and in australia, too. >> it makes it extensipenspensi tourists. we spent a lot of money promoting australia overseas. we will not benefit. >> reporter: in tokyo, some experts see history repeating itself. >> it is what we went through in japan 10 or 15 years ago. >> reporter: however it plays out in washington, the financial ripples will be felt around the world. >> it is an issue that is lurking in the background of the economy. >> reporter: jonathan mann reporting. >> what will it take to find a debt crisis solution? we will break it down for you. "get it done, the countdown to

debt crisis" here on cnn on sunday night. mobsters in a famous italian jail upset and outraged. why? because the new governor has banned designer clothes in the jail. we'll explain. a beauty contest and one of the requirements? you have to be at least 220 pounds. our morning passport is next. it is 22 minutes past the hour on this cnn saturday morning. ooo. sounds pricey? nah, with the hotels.com summer sale, you can find awesome deals for places nearby. interesting... wow, i'm blown away. you look great. hotels.com summer sale, save up to 30%. and get a free kindle. hotels.com. be smart. book smart.

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what did you bring? >> all right. bread. >> good. >> i got your peppers and onions. cheese and salami. >> what else? >> nice. >> some red wine. >> okay. now we can eat. >> 25 minutes past the hour now. life on the inside can be good, sometimes. if you are a mobster. that was a scene from "good fellas." those guys were serving time. they got what they wanted

inside. you have a story now. the guys in italy are upset because they can't dress the way they want to dress? >> at the prison in italy, they were wearing armani suits. >> in prison? >> yes. this is ridiculous. no longer can you wear the armani suits and gucci. you have to wear ordinary clothes. when the wives come in and bring the clothes, they are allowed 20 kilograms at a time. the guards check through them to make sure there are no labels. some wives are furious. they say our husbands don't have any other clothes. >> here in this country, you go to prison and you are issued clothes. not over there. >> not in italy.

some of the women say my husband doesn't have anything else to wear. do you expect me to go to the market to buy clothes? this is causing disparity between the inmates. one wants to remove the disparity between the inmates. let's go to beauty in italy. >> you have a pageant of a two-piece suit here. >> you have to be at least 220 pounds for this competition to enter miss cicciona. that translates into miss chubby. that is all about celebrating your body and beauty in its largeness. some of the categories include miss sweetness and miss sympathy. miss smile and miss elegant. >> this is something where they get into it. they are celebrating these women. >> yes. they are saying why do you have to be skinny to be in a beauty

pageant? you can be large. we have something similar in america. miss plus america. it celebrates the larger woman. >> you said 220 pounds. if you are 218. >> you will not qualify. the last miss cicciona was 224 pounds. this is miss plus america. they are larger, but very beautiful. >> you know what? i haven't seen the miss plus america before. i don't know if it aired on television. maybe it should be to give another image of beauty. >> we have spoken about being larger is perceived as much more beautiful. it is all in the eyes of the beholder. >> maybe we should do this again. this is a good topic. interesting video. we don't see that every day.

nadia bilchik. we will see nadia later this morning. coming up, a story i want you to see. we have special guests going to be in studio with me this morning. they served on the frontlines and they have a special place in history, but i'll bet you you have never heard of them. we are coming up on the bottom of the hour on this cnn saturday morning.

we are at the bottom of the hour on this cnn saturday morning. welcome back. so glad you could be here. i'm t.j. holmes. we have a special guest in the studio here with us coming up. let's go to the big story. we have less than three days to raise the nation's debt ceiling or we have a problem. the house and senate are both in session this afternoon. they are planning debates and votes on a democratic proposal from senate majority leader harry reid. >> the bill has passed. without objection, the bill to

reconsider is laid upon the table. >> that is the gavel falling on boehner's plan. it passed by one vote after john boehner made changes to attract more republican support. >> a lot of people can never say yes. this house has acted. it is time for the administration and time for our colleagues across the aisle. put something on the table. tell us where you are. [ applause ] >> now the boehner bill didn't go anywhere in the senate. they are now focusing on senate majority leader harry reid's proposal. he is change the plan from the republican plan. republican leaders might end up blocking that vote. >> what these senators on the republican side are waiting for is a permission slip from senator mcconnell. he told them to hold back until boehner had his chance. hold back until the boehner bill came to the floor. that is all history now. the american people want us to

move forward. they want us to come up with a bipartisan approach that doesn't have us re-live this scene that we have seen for the past week over and over and over again like the old "groundhog day" movie. >> mitch mcconnell wants the white house involved in any debt ceiling discussions, but there are no plans for that. the work continues on capitol hill. let's give you a look at other stories making headlines. in italy, forensic experts testifying in the amanda knox case. they argue crime scene errors should have made two key pieces of evidence inadmissible. knox and a roommate were accused and convicted of murdering her roommate. the bombing suspect is being

held at an undisclosed location. this is 21-year-old nasser abdo. he has refused to stand at his arraignment on friday. he yelled the name of the 2009 ft. hood assault. abdo was plotting another massacre. he is charged with a registered destructive device. at 33 minutes past the hour now, you probably heard of the tuskegee airmen. the pilots that protected us over world war ii. do you know of the montford marines? they are the nation's first black marines. in june of 1941, the marine corps was opened to black marines. they could not train with others at parris island.

they were shipped off. joining me this morning is one of the originals. ambassador ted britton. so excited to have you here with me this morning. you tell me, you walk down the streets of atlanta this morning and you mention montford point marines. how many would know about them? >> not too many. they are learning quickly. >> why don't we know? >> for some reason it was not widely circulated. the tuskegee airmen got their notice. we did not get notice. in the last year, the commander has come out to sensitize the nation that black marines fought in world war ii and korea. five african-american marines

won the congressional medal of honor in vietnam. >> you did not do this for attention or accolades. is it sometimes hurtful or painful or disappointing that we don't know enough or enough don't know about this part of history? >> no. it is an opportunity to sensitize people. anytime people say they don't know, they are inviting something. they know when they leave me. there is a good opportunity to always help educate them. >> dr. averhart, that is part of your challenge. why did you take up this mission? >> i have a right and obligation. being a marine on active duty and i heard these guys story. it caught my heart. i felt obligated.

they paved my way to be the first black marine when being popular blacks were not allowed in the marine corps. >> you heard the story. you are a marine yourself. i assume you have not heard a lot about them before. in your experience in trying to educate people, are you surprised how little people know? >> i'm surprised. this is american history. it is time for these guys story to reach prominence. >> and mr. britton, you all had to train together. is there any part of you that looked back that is appreciative of that experience that you all were all together or did you always wish you could have been side by side with your white counterparts? >> we were so patriotic, our concentration was on the war. we wanted to fight.

as long as we were together, there was a lot of comradery. we trained together and suffered together. no matter which area of the pacific you served, you always have a certain feeling of a family. you run into people when you are training. training platoon or some other area. we always know other people together. it is a family situation. >> we talk about it and he just mentioned this is part of black history and american history. you did not feel like you were part of a civil rights struggle. you were an american doing a patriotic thing at the time? >> my job was to fight and win the war. >> last thing to you here. you are all here in atlanta for a particular reason this weekend. i guess as that being part of it -- tell me how you are trying to get this message out. >> the purpose of being in

atlanta this year is for these guys to get together for the annual convention and bring about comradery and bring about the association's business. this is to perpetuate the business of the african-american marines. we talk about furthering the cause. our number one priority is to build a monument at camp lejeune, north carolina to honor these men over their legacy in american history. >> it was 20,000. >> 18,062. we are raising $1 million for the monument at camp lejeune. >> i will see you there when the monument gets built. ambassador britton, thank you for being here. gentlemen, thank you for being here. the montford point marines. look them up. it is part of history that a lot of people don't know.

gentlemen, thank you so much. >> thank you. 40 minutes past the hour. i know you have been here before. you met somebody. what was your name? you wonder why did your mom name you that. you won't believe some of the names. a segment of what you should not name your child and the damage it could do. you want to stick around for that. it is kudzu. the destructible plant. we will tell you how to get rid of it coming up. roc multi-correxion. correct what ages you. your nutritional needs can go up when you're on the road to recovery. proper nutrition can help you get back on your feet. three out of four doctors recommend the ensure brand for extra nutrition. ensure clinical strength has revigor and thirteen grams of protein to protect, preserve, and promote muscle health.

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that's a reason to switch. big savings -- it's a good look for you. [ blower whirring ] [blower stops] the safety was off. out there with a better way. now, that's progressive. announcer: when life's this hard, it's no wonder 7,000 students drop out every school day. visit boostup.org and help kids in your community stay in school. 42 minutes pastthehour now on this cnn saturday morning. if you traveled in the south, you have seen this vine. kudzu. it grows everywhere. it fills trees and power lines. reynolds wolf chased this stuff down. you have discovered a way to get rid of it. >> i wish i had.

i found a man who discovered a way to get rid of it. if you walk slow, it will creep up and jump on your feet. walking very slow. still. we found a smart guy. he happens to be a teenager who may have found a way to come up with a solution to the crazy plant. jacob schindler spends his days battling kudzu. >> it is the mile a minute vine. there are tales about ifs don't close your windows, it will climb in your window and take your children. >> it was first used for erosion control by the u.s. government. it is spreading and is almost impossible to control. >> it kills the local growth. the only thing that winds up growing is more invasive species. >> experts have been trying to

get rid of it. jacob, now 17, thinks he may have found the solution. his work started with a sixth grade science project. to grow kudsu on mars. >> what if i grew something fast on a planet where there is nothing. it became how can i eliminate kudzu in an environmentally friendly way. >> his solution is killing it with helium. a vine like this can be killed with a gas that goes into a birthday balloon? >> pretty much. >> he shopped that experiment, but first his mother was skeptical. >> the roots were dead on the helium. they were not dead on the oxygen and co 2. at that point, i thought, he has something. >> now, she is his biggest supporter. he is an exceptional kid. >> yes. in more ways than one. he is a normal teenager.

he has grand ideas. >> here is how it works. jacob invented this special drill. hooks it to a helium tank and that evenly distributes it to the root system. >> we are standing in a place that was covered with kudzu? >> yes. it was about six or seven or ten feet in areas. >> his success in killing kudzu has earned him congressional praise. >> i see myself doing what others do as a scientist. you build on what others have done. >> what is amazing about his work -- remember he say teenager. he has had opportunities to go to school in places like ivy league schools. harvard and yale. the kid will possibly get a free ride at a university for coming

up with the idea. >> this is a kid who will look back and before 30, he will be a billionaire. >> you will tell your kids today, there was a crazy plant called kudzu. >> because i got rid of it. reynolds will be back this morning. he has heat to talk about and the tropical depression now. tropical depression don. we will see you here shortly. we are also going to be talking about this ongoing debt debate in washington d.c. it is going to be an interesting weekend there. congress is in session. we are taking a look at a county in alabama that has problems. a big problem. they have a potential bankruptcy coming up that would be the largest of its kind in this country. stay with me.

♪ ♪ why can't we ♪ be friends that is the question everybody is asking. washington d.c. the folks are talking to you. still waiting. keeping an eye on d.c. another interesting day of developments in the debt ceiling debate. democrats and republicans locked in a stalemate over what to do and running out of time. both houses of congress in session today on this saturday. here is a rundown of what is happening. the house starts debate at noon with a likely vote on a democratic proposal expected some time after 1:00 p.m. it is not expected to pass. on the senate side, they kickoff a debate at 1:00 p.m. eastern. debate there could last 12 plus hours before they even vote on

whether to vote on the plan. they have to take a procedural vote after that. all this while the clock is ticking closer to tuesday. that is when the federal government could start defaulting on loans. much more on this. your way in just a few minutes at the top of the hour. a few hundred miles south of washington d.c., another government is having money problems. jefferson county, alabama. officials were ready to pull a trigger on the chapter 9 bankruptcy proceeding. that would allow them to restructure the debt. the bankruptcy deal is on hold as the county tries to negotiate a settlement with creditors. >> we will take a look at whatever they propose if they propose something. they may not propose anything. fine. then it is our move. >> it would have to be close. it cannot involve a double-digit

rate increase. we are open for a bankruptcy. that is always my last option. we have to have a settlement. >> now, if jefferson county files chapter 9, it is believed it would be the largest municipal bankruptcy case in u.s. history. over 10 minutes to the top of the hour. in the united states, you can name your child almost anything. a lot of people do, as you know. in some countries, naming your child whatever you want is actually illegal. in fact, your name of choice needs government approval. i'll tell you why right after the break. fir this got us thinking about interesting names. you may have heard of celebrities naming their kids here. first up, jermaine jackson actually named his son jermajesty. here is another one.

shannon from "moonlight." named her son audio science. i swear to you. i am not making this stuff up. also actor jason lee named his child pilot inspektor. we have a couple more to tell you about. also, we need to tell you about whatnot to name your child. that is right after the break. stay with me. my grandfather was born in this village. [ automated voice speaks foreign language ] [ male announcer ] in here, everyone speaks the same language. ♪ in here, forklifts drive themselves. no, he doesn't have it. yeah, we'll look on that. [ male announcer ] in here, friends leave you messages written in the air. that's it right there. [ male announcer ] it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say.

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he has written a book, "what yonayme yo child." >> sometimes it is innocent. you have a baby. you are in the moment. it is cute. sometimes it just doesn't work out. sometimes they just want their child to be unique and it goes wrong. >> put up the first graphic. we can share these. we are not making these up. all right. pornwadee. somebody named their child espn. the other one is congratulashayla. do people end up regretting this later and does the child suffer along the way? >> i think the child usually regrets it. sometimes they go by and get a legal name change. when the regret comes in is when they join the work force or attempt to join the work force.

a study in 2003 where they put certain names on one side and certain times on the a couple across. give us a few or your favorite. >> my favorite is differently spelled. the name quincy. good name. >> how would you spell it? >> c-u-e-n-c-e-y.

>> it is quincy? >> yes. imagine being a teacher trying to get that right. >> do the parents in your research for your book, do they end up regretting it as well? >> i think they probably see it from when the children start and grow up and get older and come across the hindrances. i know a couple in the book who are successful people. lawyers and teachers. it took a bit of extra work on their part. >> we also found that there are some countries that give you a list, if you will, you can only pick from these names. what countries only allow you to use certain names? >> iceland. denmark. new zealand. new zealand just recently outlawed the name lucifer. i think it is iceland that has a list of 7,000 names.

you cannot go out of the names. they want to save the child embarrassment. they don't want you having a name of a noble family. we are protecting your child from future embarrassment. >> has it gotten out of hand? >> i think so. >> people focus and we hear celebrities name their child. it is not just celebrities. a lot of people are doing this. >> they want their child to be unique. they are going about it the wrong way. it is to the detriment of the child. >> rodney kellum, that is spelled r-o-d-n-e-y. the book is called "what "what yo nayme iz?" good luck. rodney, good to see you. thanks. we are getting close to the top of the hour. coming up here on cnn saturday morning. food and gas prices are going

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all right. top of the hour on this cnn saturday morning. hello to you all. time is almost up. we are now under three days away from a possible u.s. default. democrats and republicans were scrambling on capitol hill where they will be scrambling again today in washington because nothing was okayed last night. i'm t.j. holmes. the clock is continuing to tick on congress. they have been unable to solve the debt ceiling crisis. here is the rundown on capitol hill today. the house gets started first. they get to work at noon. after some debate, expected to vote on a proposal from senate majority leader harry reid.

but it is expected to fail. then on the senate side, they open debate on the same reid bill at 1:00 this afternoon. they could debate that bill for as long as 12 hours. it might not being until we are asleep that the senate gets to vote one way or another on the reid bill. the senate has decided not to move on the bill after the house passed the john boehner bill yesterday. >> the bill has passed. without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. >> yes, to the average american there, it was a good thing. but it will be doa in the senate. it was. the house speaker was able to get enough votes to get it to pass. all of the democrats and some of the republicans voted against

it. they did after the fiery plea from the house speaker. >> i stuck my neck out a mile to get an agreement with the president of the united states. i stuck my neck out a mile. i put revenues on the table in order to try to come to an agreement to avert where we are today. >> that boehner bill never got traction in the senate. they are focusing on harry reid's proposal. reid has floated a change to his original idea to include republican plans. republican leaders to block a vote anyway. >> the country is in crisis. this is not a time for politics as usual. i think we have shown that we are willing to give significantly in their direction. we are still waiting for speaker mcconnell and -- sorry. we are waiting for leader

mcconnell and speaker boehner to move a little bit in our direction. >> all right. sources telling cnn that senate minority leader mcconnell wants the white house involved on the talks. there are no face-to-face talks scheduled. let's say hello to athina at the white house. are they trying to have meetings or are they letting him do his thing on capitol hill? >> good morning, t.j. everyone at the white house is paying close attention there. they are not sitting on their hands. no public meetings. one official told cnn that the president and vice president have been talking to members on capitol hill for the past several days. we expect the conversations to

continue here at the white house and here with staff on the hill. >> okay, athena, we keep hearing less than three days away. you keep hearing members of congress and the president saying we are confident we will get something done. i'm starting to lose confidence. is there a contingency plan in place in case we get to tuesday with no deal? >> you know, t.j., it is the treasury department that is coming up with who will get paid and whether social security checks go out or military checks go out to military families. they say common sense will prevail. i had one official tell me there are different paths to a solution or compromiscompromise. they are not willing to give the idea that it is not going to happen. it will not work. they will not reach a deal by august 2nd. the stakes are just too high.

>> athena, did i hear you say common sense will prevail? >> yes, that is what i said. we will see. >> we will put up a breaking news banner if common sense prevails in washington d.c. athena, it is good to have you with us. one of the new members here at cnn. making your cnn debut. a moment you will never forget in your career. good to have you. welcome aboard. >> that's right. thanks, a lot. just what is it going to take to find a solution to the debt crisis? wolf blitzer is breaking it down. "get it done, countdown to debt crisis" here on cnn on sunday night. the president has just lost 30,000 followers. twitter followers, that is. the president sent out pleas to followers to tweet their members of congress about the debt

ceiling debate. apparently, not everybody liked the messages he sent out. according to the twitter counter, 30,000 people jumped ship from his twitter feed after those tweets. this has been the fear. all of this uncertainty in the debt ceiling crisis would effect the markets. it appears it could be having an effect. the stocks yesterday ended their worst weekly showing in more than a year. according to wilshire, $700 billion of market value vanished into thin air. the dow fell 4.2% for the week. the nasdaq was down 3.4%. start selling ipads, federal government. the federal government needs help. they need to call up steve jobs and sees how he does it. apple has more money than the federal government. $76 billion.

that is how much apple reported in earnings. the federal government only has about $74 billion on hand. take it for what it is worth. don was a dud for texas. they wanted a break from the state's drought. they did not get it. reynolds, we usually never see this. everybody hopes for a downgrade. not in this case. >> everybody was hoping for heavy rainfall. we are in a crisis situation in texas. you have crops suffering and animals and livestock that need water. this was expected to be a big rainmaker. 1 to 3 inches in spots. like you said, t.j., a bit of a dud. we have another development across the atlantic. we will talk about that coming up. the heat wave that never seems to end. we will talk about that as well. you are watching cnn saturday

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12 minutes past the hour on this cnn saturday morning. reynolds, they were hoping and praying for rain and a tropical storm and they got one. it was a dud. >> it is incomprehensible to see a tropical storm develop across the gulf of mexico and it is like deflating a balloon.

>> it seems odd to say things look promising because a storm is coming. we want to get out of the way of the storm. >> perspective is needed. deficit rainfall. brutal with the drought. it did not happen for them. while you are here, you check this out. we will go back a few frames. here is how it was. it looked great and it completely disappeared. >> it looked like a monster. >> i would not say a monster, but a rainmaker. they needed it. at this point, people in san antonio and houston and brownsville were saying please make it here. what happened? it ran into an area of dry air. it was a vacuum in the atmosphere. it is gone. we hope to see rain farther back over the mountains and big bend area. they needed a drought buster. you need a drought in place. that was the situation you need here. not just dry and severe, but

exceptional in texas with the dark reds and bright reds you see. it has been brutal. unfortunately, no relief. there is a chance we may be seeing additional development farther back in the atlantic. we have an area where we weather geeks refer to as the inter tropical convergence zone. this may become a named storm. this system could become emily. all right. we have more weather to chat about coming up in the next weather update. that will be coming up in a bit. a bit of a tease. t.j. reynolds, we will see you here in a few minutes. reynolds has a nice segment coming up. we will see if you will be able to get into a car of a particular size. that is coming up. despite the bad economy, the prices are reaching all-time highs. it is nice to get a break. there are items that are

actually getting cheaper. including if you are in a market for a car. volkswagon has lowered their prices and also the price of solar panels. maybe you are not in the market. maybe that is not something are you interested in. still, if you are, now is the time. also netflix has dropped the price of their one-dvd at a time service by $2. that is just a few. there are plenty more. our clyde anderson, our financial analyst. he has things for us. he joins me after the break. but, i have to support my family, so how do i go back to school? university of phoenix made it doable. a lot of my instructors were principals in my district. i wouldn't be where i am without that degree. my name is dr. carrie buck. i helped turn an at-risk school into an award winning school, and i am a phoenix.

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17 minutes past the hour. you know things are not cheap right now. gas prices are up. food prices are up. the cup of coffee is going up. a lot of things going up or are up already. you can buy things that are actually cheaper.

clyde anderson, do tell. why are some things getting cheaper? is it the market? >> it is the combination. the particular market and supply and demand. when some of the things are in demand and some are not. one of the things we talked about, ikea is reducing prices. >> cheap? >> affordable. that is their trend. that is what they do. that is the market they are tapping into because people are staying in their homes longer. >> they want nice stuff. real estate. >> we watched it come down in several markets. we say real estate is local. it depends on the market. you can save $50,000 on properties. i tell people america is on sale. >> america is on sale. who is about to buy us? number three, the amazon kindle. we have seen the commercials. >> they are getting more popular. when they came out in 2007, it

came out at $399. you can buy one for $114. they will have some that will roll out after christmas under $100. the prices are coming down. that is becoming more popular. >> does that appeal to people who don't want to spend $700 on an ipad? >> exactly. >> the 3d television. it hasn't taken off. >> it hasn't. you have seen them come down $300 in price compared to a regular television. that is the power of technology. everybody thought it was boom, but it hasn't taken off as quickly. >> we should keep waiting. explain this to me. the prepaid debit card. >> a lot of people have challenged credit. some people are under-banked where they don't trust banks. they need the debit card. you want to buy things online or over the phone. you need the mastercard card

logo or visa logo. you load money on the card and it takes it and uses it as a debit card. they charge a monthly fee. a lot of the places are reducing the fees. you add more money and they charge a re-load fee. >> how big are the fees? >> sometimes $3 a month. the monthly fee, to load it. just to get customers. >> the last two. these are bigger items. pools. swimming pools. >> a lot of people are not going for the swimming pools anymore. what they have done is cut them 75% for a swimming pool. imagine that. this may be the time for you to go get a swimming pool. >> thank you, clyde. >> that is a huge discount. >> last one here.

we are going off the reservation with this one. space flight. >> who knew? we are at the point -- when this was introduced, it was far fetched. they were talking about $200,000. >> space travel. >> go out in orbit. now they are talking about $100,000 that you can go into space. some people are looking at this and signing up to get seats on the flights. it is happening. now you look at that and we see what happened with the kindle. maybe it will happen with the flight. >> it will cost the same to fly across the country. clyde, good stuff as always. love to see you. >> my pleasure. 21 minutes past the hour. do we have this picture? we will show you something that is downstairs right out front of the cnn center here in atlanta. you recognize that ride? that is actually a fiat. they are making a comeback here in the u.s.

we will tell you how they are trying to corner the market and also if reynolds can even fit in that thing.

in italy, experts are testifying in the appeal of amanda knox. they are ripping the evidence and the way it was collected. knox and her boyfriend and another man were convicted of the 2007 murder of knox's roommate. in killeen, texas, a soldier accused of planning a bomb near ft. hood is being held without

bond. police believe nasser abdo wanted to replicate a second ft. hood massacre. only sunshine ♪ you makes me happy ♪ when skies are grey ♪ you'll never know, dear ♪ how much i love you ♪ please don't take my sunshine away ♪ [ male announcer ] as long as there are babies, they'll be chevy's to bring them home. ♪ [oinking] [hissing] [ding] announcer: cook foods to the right temperature using a food thermometer. 3,000 americans will die from food poisoning this year. check your steps at foodsafety.gov.

all right. you remember the fiat?

the italian car company. they have taken over chrysler. they want you to see the newest model. you remember the tiny car? in the '60s and '70s. they were cheap and filled the streets of europe. a couple have made it to the u.s. we have a couple in front of the cnn center. reynolds, people love these cute cars. introduce us to the fiat. the new fiat. >> it is right here behind us. we have sean evans. can you give us an idea of the focus group? >> they are geared toward everyone. 18-year-old college students to the 80-year-old grandmother. the car is perfect for anyone who wants to get great gas mileage and have a fun car to drive. >> it looks fun, but a lot of times small cars, one of the

biggest things that comes up is safety. >> it is five-star crash rating. seven air bags standard on all models. >> the steering wheel is over there. i'm a big guy. i'm 6'4". i'll hop in here and see how it fits out. surprisingly, there is a lot of room. how has this been received so far? >> nothing but great things to say about it. customers love it. it is fun to drive. it is a very unique car. >> we have talked about rising fuel prices. people are concerned about fuel efficiency. >> it gets over 40 miles per gallon. >> pretty nice. not bad. this is the beautiful white model. it has a top. >> a cabrio model. fully retractable roof all the way back to the rear. >> beautiful. very nice. this pushes up. the trunk pops up. >> you can open the trunk.

>> how about that. it just fell into it. if pops up and this rolls up? >> absolutely. >> pretty nice. you have room for all stuff back there. they come in a variety of colors? >> 14 color options. we have a red one over here as well. >> just beautiful. all right. t.j., you are taking a look at the fiat. this is a beautiful car. we will send it back to you upstairs. >> this is available now and it starts at $15,500. we are competing with mini cooper and yaris. >> reynolds, this works for you. it works for a 6'4" guy like you. you will be comfortable? >> plenty of head room. i'm more of a muscle car kind of guy. this is neat. it seems cool. what engine? >> a