hello again. i'm fredricka whitfield. we start in syria. this is the most senior syrian diplomat to defect and support the country's uprising. nawaf al-fares defected last week and sat down with our ivan watson for his first television interview with the u.s. network. he says the country is a totaltar ian regime. >> reporter: in 2003 after the toppling of the regime the syrian regime felt threatened so they coordinated with al qaeda and had an agreement to keep the road open to iraq.

militants came from all over the world through syrian under the eyes of the syrian police who are responsible for the killing of iraqi and american forces. he trained and provided shelter and built safe havens for al qaeda to hide in. i remember one of the safe havens. the americans raided it in 2008 and captured prisoners. this was a hiding place for al qaeda on the border with iraq. it was under the control of a brother-in-law of the president. >> who is making the decisions in damascus right now? who is directing the syrian government policy facing this uprising? >> translator: the regime in syria is a totaltarian regime. there is one person who gives orders, one person who is the

president. the rest of the regime is people who only obey. >> do they believe they will end? >> translator: they are trapped. they committed crimes and entered into a war of blood and are aware that they are going to pay for it. they are just buying time. >> fares is the second high profile sunni official to break within a week. nawaf al-fares says the government is staging al qaeda style attacks in syrian. i asked retired army general with whether he is surprised to hear about a link between the assad regime and al qaeda. >> they were providing safe haven for al qaeda elements transferring and killing iraqy civilians and u.s. soldiers. >> the former syrian ambassador

to iraq saying they were furioust. does this information spread new light on al qaeda sympathizers? >> it demonstrates that bespite the syrian denunsiation of al qaeda and their suggestion that they had nothing to do with al qaeda that they were directly involved in al qaeda going into iraq adding to the instability. >> so what can the u.s. do with this information if anything? >> i think this and other information can be part of the case file that shouldhis situation end up in the international criminal court it could be used against them in an international criminal court of law. it also demonstrates that the decision made by the syrians to accommodate al qaeda inside their country is becoming a situation where the al qaeda is turning sgens the syrian

government as we warned and predicted it would. >> so outside of international criminal court does this give the u.s. any impetus for being involved in a more direct manner with the unrest in syria right now? >> i think that just adds to the growing consensus that the days of assad and the assad regime are nearing an end. he is trying his best as the ambassador said to maintain control but he is losing control on a day by day basis. >> at least 57 people killed across syria today. tanks are storms into neighborhoods and heavy shelling. u.n. observers have returned to the village where over 200 people were killed last week.

riv era witnessed the violence first hand. >> the other 22 towns and villages i visited it had been the syrian armed forces as opposed to the security forces but syrian government forces that have gone into villages with large contingents, sometimes 70 or 80 tanks had opened fire and taken mostly young men but in some cases older men and children out of their home, executed them in front of their families. on several occasions set fires to the bodies and before leaving set fire to homes and property in each town and villages burning tens and in some cases hundreds of homes. why there was also armed confrontations breaking out regularly between security forces, armed forces on the government side and armed

opposition forces on the other hand overwhelming majority of the war crimes and crimes against humanity that were committed in the area that i visited were committed by government forces. >> and here in the u.s. the presidential election is heating up with both candidates courting voters in key battle ground states. president obama campaigns in ohio tomorrow. he carried that state in 2008 and hoping for a repeat in november. later in the week the president heads to florida. his republican rival is seeking support in the south tomorrow. mitt romney holds fundraisers in louisiana and mississippi. tuesday he travels to pennsylvania and then wednesday it's on to another battle ground state of oohio. sirierious allegations agai the mayor of d.c.

why some are calling for vincent gray to step down. male spirit present.trong it's the priceline negotiator. >>what? >>sorry. he wants you to know about priceline's new express deals. it's a faster way to get a great hotel deal without bidding. pick one with a pool, a gym, a great guest rating. >>and save big. >>thanks negotiator. wherever you are. ya, no. he's over here. >>in the refrigerator?

the homeland security department says it will allow florida access to a database that lists names of noncitizens. supporters of the purging plan said it would have insured a fair vote. critics claimed it was a political move aimed at keeping disenfranchised people from voting. another d.c. mayor is under investigation.

the latest involves current mayor vincent gray. looking into allegations that the 2010 campaign benefitted from $600,000 in illicit money. >> did you know that money for your 2010 campaign -- we are allowed to ask. >> reporter: vincent gray wants to talk about a new 911 service but evades questions about a campaign finance scandal that engulfed his office. federal prosecutors are investigating what they call the mayor's shadow campaign when secret money they say was not reported. an ally of the mayor's admitted she helped steer illicit money from a wealthy businessman to the mayor's campaign. what kind of money are we talking about?

>> over $650,000 funneled from a company to ms. harris's company and that money was used to buy campaign materials for the mayoral campaign. it was unreported and unregulated. >> reporter: another source tells cnn mayor gray learned in january of this year that some of the money spent was not properly reported. contacted by cnn gray's attorney wouldn't comment. prosecutor's documents don't indicate whether gray knew of the secret spending at the time it was happening. moalethy says thas. >> i never saw evidence during the campaign that he knew about it at the time. >> reporter: for mary cha that is not good enough. >> people were acting in his name and for his benefit

committed probably the biggest election fraud in the history of the district. i have asked him to resign as an act of public service. >> reporter: she is joined by two other council members. gray says he is not resigning. the swirl of scandal is nothing new in this building. other mayors have been accused of incompetence or outright corruption. forchler forchler -- former mayor was arrested for cocaine use. former mayor was investigated for steering contracts to a friend. he was clear. i asked analyst what has tainted the d.c. mayor's office? >> i think that if we had these higher positions that people could aspire to and attain then the people at the starting level

would be of a different caliber. >> reporter: he is talking about the fact that washington d.c. has no real voting power at the floor of congress and nothing to reach for after the mayor's office. >> disgraced former congressman anthony weiner may be looking for a second chance in political office. you recall weiner tweeted a lewd photo initially denying doing it and then resigning from congress because of it. america's dream team of 2012 version seem destined for olympic basketball gold but an injury has them wondering if they have their work cut out for them. if you have to go out today you can continue watching cnn from your mobile phone. you can also watch cnn live from yor desktop. log on to cnn.com/tv. i don't have to use gas. i am probably going to the gas station about once a month.

drive around town all the time doing errands and never ever have to fill up gas in the city. i very rarely put gas in my chevy volt. last time i was at a gas station was about...i would say... two months ago. the last time i went to the gas station must have been about three months ago. i go to the gas station such a small amount that i forget how to put gas in my car. ♪

nba star jason kidd is charged with drunk driving. police say the u.s. knicks point guard was intoxicated when his car hit a telephone pole and crashed into a wooded area. three days ago kidd reportedly sign ad three year $9.5 million contract. the british government is trying to cln things up on allegations that it may have dropped the ball for security for the olympics. the company announced this week they didn't recruit enough people now the government is filling in the gap by bringing

in troops. the head of the security company admits they fell short. >> clearly, we took on a contract in good faith. we would like a part of securing the games. the military will have to be called in to help us through the process. we know a number of soldiers have had to cancel leave to come back and help us through the process. we feel that we have caused a huge problem. >> the london olympics just 13 days away. one of the highlights of the olympics has got to be the american dream team, 2012 version, that is. the ncaa's quandary with penn state part of the smart sports discussion. fill taylor joining us now. good to see you. the olympic less than two weeks away. one of the hopefuls is obviously

the dream team made up of nba stars mostly. now they have an important injury to contend with. >> the american men in basketball are heavy favorites. they probably should still be. they did lose blake griffin this week to an injury that required knee surgery. it will keep him out for the entire olympics. that is on top of the u.s. team losing other big men. it is not cause for panic yet but cause for a little bit of concern. what is left is a u.s. team quick and athletic but not very tall. >> and then kobe bryant apparently there is trash talk involved saying this dream team can't possibly stand up against the dream team of 1992. >> right. there seems to be almost as much competitiveness between the current dream team and the '92

team as the current team and the teams playing in the olympics. kobe said they could beat the original dream team that featured michael jordan and magic johnson and larry bird. >> when is he saying? taking them up now or like if everyone were back in time? >> larry bird said we are in our 40s and 50s now so maybe they could beat us. the original guys have come back and said with the exception of maybe lebron james and kobe most of the guys on the current team wouldn't have been on the team in '92. it's good natured but both sides are pretty competitive. >> let's talk about penn state. the release of the most recent findings involving louis and the ncaa trying to assess what to do

next. what are they trying to contend with? >> well, there are several different possibilities. some have talked about down sizing the program. some have talked about taking the profits from the football program this year or the next few years and donating them to organizations that work with child abuse prevention. the most drastic of the proposals has been the death penalty which is to shut down the entire football program for the foreseeable future. that would be up to the ncaa. i doubt that would happen because that would effect not just penn state program and surrounding businesses but also other schools scheduled to play penn state. that is indicative of the amount of passion that there is about the subject. >> is there a timeline that the

ncaa has to work with? there does seem to be an awful lot of pressure coming from different directions that the ncaa has to do something because doing nothing would be that much more damaging? >> well, in terms of a death penalty or penalties that would effect the team this coming year there is something of the timeline. we are in july. the football season begins in septemr. so the ncaa would have to act very quickly. they don't have a long history of acting with that sort of speed. i tend to think that what they will probably do is let this play out in the criminal and civil courts maybe for this year. we may see ncaa sanctions later on but i don't think anything between now and the beginning of the football season. >> phil taylor good to see you. appreciate it. >> thank you. surprising new revelations.

a former top syrian official defects and is giving cnn new information about syria and al qaeda. i upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. so i can get three times the coverage. [ chirp ] [ manager 2 ] it's like working in a giant sandbox with all these huge toys. and with the fastest push-to-talk... i can keep track of them all. [ chirp ] [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] upgrade to the new "done." with access to the fastest push-to-talk and three times the coverage. now when you buy one kyocera duracore rugged phone, for $49.99, you'll get four free. visit a sprint store, or call 855-878-4biz. [ chirp ]

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visit progressive.com today. according to ford, the works fuel saver package could terally pay for itself. jim twitchel is this true? yes it's true. how is this possible? proper tire inflation, by using proper grades of oil, your car runs more efficiently, saves gas. you could be doing this right now? yes i could, mike. i'm slowing you down? yes you are. my bad. the works fuel saver package. just $29.95 or less after rebate. only at your ford dealer. so, to sum up, you take care of that, you take care of these, you save a bunch of this. that works. . a wildfire underway in california. showing you live pictures of the air assault trying to drop some flame retardant. you can see the smoke there. more than 2,000 acres have

burned thus far. unclear what started or sparked this fire. homeowners in the area have been evacuated and we understand 11 people have been injured. firefighters doing the best they can on the ground and in the air to try to contain the blaze. a top syrian official defects and calls for foreign intervention to topple president bashar al-assad. the former syrian ambassador to iraq, nawaf al-fares is the second to defect in a week. three more people are speeding towards the international space station. >> three, two, one. liftoff. >> it blasted off today fr.

williams holds the record for the longest time in space for a female astronaut. the state of florida is one step closer to purging noncitizens from its voting roles. officials there will now have access to a department of homeland security database on resident noncitizens. florida governor rick scott sued the government for access to database. in the water with an incredible swim with whale sharks. >> reporter: what was your reaction the first time that you were eye ball to eye ball with a whale shark? >> just the sheer beauty of it. it is the biggest fish in the ocean, enormous gentle giant in

the ocean. and i just couldn't bear the idea that people are slaughtering them in their millions for soup. so i decided to devote my time to try to draw attention to it. >> that is on tuesday morning on "starting point" beginning at 7:00 a.m. a mexican newspaper as stopped reporting on drug cartels and says it is simply too dangerous.

the words drug cartel strikes fear among many but for journalists in mexico who have to report on these notorious criminals it gets scary. one mexican newspaper decided to stop reporting on drug cartels all together after someone dropped a grenade on the office. let's bring in nick to talk more about the fear. we are not talk about just among the police forces but now we are talking about members of the press who say we are out. >> this is people like you and me. just imagine we say something that someone at home doesn't like they open fire. this is a serious situation that mexican papers are dealing with. one paper was attacked after doing an expose on department of

motor vehicle stealing license plate. the next day they have a grenade thrown into their office. it sits right next to the state of texas, right on our border, they were attacked multiple times. two years ago they had people, unidentified gun men storm in and open fire against their staff. one staffer was paralyzed. i want to read a statement put out that is sort of unusual to address this publicly. saying we ask for the public comprehension and will refrain for as long as needed from publishing anying information related to the violent disputes our city and other regions of the country are suffering. >> it is interesting. it sends another message it seems. >> the fact that riwere publicly commenting saying they are

staying away from reporting on public disputes. there was another story asking as the defacto leaders we ask what do we do? how do we cover this? they didn't stop covering the events. a prominent paper is saying it is just going to stop. this is an assault on freedom of speech and journalism in the country. >> they are letting them know we have given up in the battle meaning just the fight for having words in the paper to inform people. are they indicating whether this is temporary? is it a temporary cease fire or is there permanency here? >> i think a lot of people want to know when the drug war is going to end. i was asked a question like what is the government doing to help these papers? if you ask the journalists in mexico a lot will tell you it is

suspected that people are on the payroll for the car tells. there is little if anything that can be done right now. even with the shift in leadership in mexico there is very little optimism. this is an attack on the freedom of speech, information that mexicans are getting. people are just scared for their lives and not covering incidents that they should. >> thanks so much. appreciate it. now to egypt where negotiators are working furiously to win the release of two kidnapped american tourists. they are 62-year-old pastor michel louis and lisa alfonsi. unlike similar kidnappings where they want one this time they

want a release of a relative from jail. >> we understand it is a little bit different from the normal cases and that's what puts a twist on everything. usually there is a window of 24 hours to 48 hours that this certain negotiations are resolved. and because they are not asking for money this makes it a little bit more complicated. a lot of answers to our questions cannot be answered. again, we are faithful people. we have a lot of people praying for our father. and the people with him. and we're praying also and we are staying resolved in our faith. >> this is the third kidnapping of american tourists in the region this year. the family of the late penn state football coach joe paterno

will still benefit from his contract. before he died paterno got a new deal worth $5.5 million in payment including payments to his wife for the rest of his life. paterno reportedly negotiated it while the jerry sandusky's investigation got away. and joe paterno's likeness got changed. the halo was painted above his head and has since been removed. the artist felt he had to remove the halo after the report that found that puturn skpaterno and officials buried allegations against former football coach jerry sandusky. mitt romney is being slammed

for bain capital and tax records. >> loss of life as you know. >> if he is responding is mitt romney losing the message battle? >> these baseless charges on moving jobs overseas and a reckless and unfounded allegation of criminal activity and so it is sad to see we know this president will say or do anything to keep the highest office in the land even if it means demeaning the highest office of the land. >> the limited disclosure that he made that governor romney takes advantage of this. i'm not suggesting that based on what we know that he has done anything illegal. i'm not suggesting that. i'm suggesting that he is taking advantage of every single conceivable tax shelter and loop hole that we can see. >> is it your position that mitt

romney was still technically the ceo, the sole owner and chief share holder of pane but he had nothing to do with any day to day decisions with bain after he left for the olympic snz. >> he was not involved in the management and day to day decisions. he left a life he loved to go to salt lake city to see the olympics for a country he loves more. somehow in chicago the obama campaign is trying to make this something sinister. >> if you are signing a document with your own signature that you are chairman of the board and 100% owner of the company in what world are you living in that you are not in charge? if you are telling the fcc that you are in charge but the american people that you bear no responsibility one of those things is not true. >> no reason not to put it out

there. why not just do it? >> we are putting out there his tax returns more than is required by the law. the reason we are talking about these things is because he put those tax records out there. >> if he didn't gain tax advantages from having investments in the kayman islands, bermuda and a swiss bank account. >> he is considered one of the greatest boxing promoters in the world, don king. >> this is don king, greatest nation in the world. >> always smiling, sometimes controversial. don king is not pulling punches about how he made it to the top. i'm feeling a very strong male spirit present. it's the priceline negotiator. >>what? >>sorry. he wants you to know about priceline's new express deals. it's a faster way to get a great hotel deal without bidding. pick one with a pool, a gym,

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he is considered one of the greatest boxing promoters in the world and is known for his signature hair style, don king. he has never held back on speaking his mind. he isn't pulling any punches explaining how he made it to the top. >> reporter: wherever don king shows up a crowd gathers. >> hit the jackpot. >> reporter: at the hard rock casino near fort lauderdale, handshakes and pictures. the most successful boxing promoter ever still shows his hair and red, white and blue collars. it takes a dictionary of adjectives, colorful, controversial to describe how he rubs people like former heavy weight boxing champ, mike tyson.

he calls you an ex pltive and you are friends. >> he is just saying those things because he wants attention. he is still a young boy from the ghetto. >> reporter: we spent a typical day with king. in the drive way three bentleys, three rolls roises. >> it is a 1974. >> reporter: after 57 years of marriage king lost his wife two years ago. a radio interview promoting an upcoming night of boxing. >> we call him twinkle fingers. >> reporter: what drives you? >> america drives me. it's not about money. it is about opening the door for people who couldn'topethen door for themselves. >> reporter: king's office is an entire building including a

cluttered warehouse. >> do you have a museum you would like to open? >> i'm not trying to kill you off. king's life has been brutal and charm. he talks openly of growing up in cleveland, running an illegal gambling operation. >> it was illegal. and then we are going to put lamps on the roads. >> reporter: he talks about the two men he killed. the first ruled justifiable homicide after a man breaks into his home. >> i run into my room to get my gun. >> reporter: he served four years for man slaughter after beating to death a man king says owed him money. do you have regrets? >> you suffer a deep contrition for anytime you are a part of doing something that would hurt human beings. >> reporter: out of his prison

years king says grew esteem. these days he fashions himself a freedom fighter meeting with the troops, presidents, world leaders. >> it's what gives him life, for lack of a better term. it's the art of closing a deal, the art of waving the flags and being something more than just simply a boxing promoter. >> reporter: during a meeting with nelson mandella in south africa king wore a t shirt with mandella's prison number on it. >> that was his number in prison. i got one, too. you never forget it. you don't forget prison. that is why you want to stay the hell away from it. >> reporter: he meets with a boxer and his entourage. >> the negotiator. >> reporter: skypes with a

rapper he is promoting. tries to arrange a fight. don king might never have emerged from inner city cleveland if not for one singular event, signing mohammed ali and george foreman to a fight known as the rumble in the jungle. how many rounds? >> eight rounds. it changed the world. >> reporter: and king's life. he went on to promote a who's who of boxers. and to this day king says he spends millions fighting lawsuits from boxers allegeding he cheated them out of fight money. some settled out of court. are you saying that they are suing you because white people are putting them up to it? >> absolutely. they put them up to do it because some of these guys wouldn't know. >> reporter: king never pulls

punches. the irs failed to get him on inti income tax evasion and says they can't believe he made it going straight. >> a black man can't think that way. >> reporter: much of what don king says is clearly outrageous. at the end of the day you are left wondering how much of it he really believes and how much is just the promoter promoting. >> this is don king. >> reporter: cnn fort lauderdale. >> that had to be a great phone call on the other end. a lot of people don't like to exercise because it feels like exercise. our sanjay gupta has found a way to use video games to have fun and stay fit.

if you are someone who dreads going to the gym to get that workout tech experts have put your full body workout in a video game. does that mean you can stop going to the gym all together? dr. sanjay gupta explains. >> reporter: jogging, lifting weights, perfecting a yoga pose, things you would normally do in a gym. thanks to nintendo's new wii fit platform your gym, trainer and yoga mat are going electronic. it monitors your every move and keeps track of your center of balance, weight and body mass index. you can do weight training and fun stuff like a hula hooping

contest. it isn't the first video game. there is dance, dance revolution, the sony i toy and other games like tennis and baseball. >> it is sort of weird. >> reporter: what do real life trainers think of their virtual competit competitors? >> i'm always looking for ways to introduce fitness to people's lives. since wii is popular and in homes it is a great attachment. >> reporter: nintendo trainers agree the video game should not replace workout in the gym. >> this is just another thing to get you up and moving. >> reporter: robert is not concerned by the competition and plans to buy the $90 video game to use in his fitness studios. >> it is something i would use for people who are skittish. >> reporter: dr. sanjay gupta, cnn reporting.

and the world knew him best as sheriff andy taylor. his biggest achievement may have come years earlier. [ male announcer ] this is sheldon, whose long dy setting up the news starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. every communications provider is different but centurylink is committed to being a different kind of communications company. ♪ we link people and fortune 500 companies nationwide and around the world. and we will continue to free you to do more and focus on what matters.

i bought the car because of its efficiency. i bought the car because i could eliminate gas from my budget. i don't spend money on gasoline. it's been 4,000 miles since my last trip to the gas station. it's pretty great. i get a bunch of kids waving at me... giving me the thumbs up. it's always a gratifying experience. it makes me feel good about my car. i absolutely love my chevy volt. ♪ most of us knew andy

griffith for his role as sheriff andy taylor and then matlock. but the actor's biggest achievement may have come years before either of those roles. >> imagine you're a baseball player and then in your very first game in your majors you step to the plate for the first time and hit a grand slam home run into the seats at yankee stadium. now, most people will never experience that kind of magnificence the first time out. but andy griffith in his craft, he died at age 86 earlier this month. he did experience that. ♪ the obituaries all centered on the smiling andy taylor on "the andy griffith show," but his crowning achievement came in the movie role. it was called "a face in the

crowd." it was the dark story of loan so -- lone some roads. it's in the new field of coast to coast television. in years later griffith would make audiences love him as andy of mayberry, in "a face in the crowd" he had the courage as a young actor to dare audiences to hate him. lonesome roads would step on anyone to get what he wanted. you couldn't take your eyes off andy griffith. this wednesday night turner classic movies will be airing as part of the tribute to griffith "a face in the crowd." i know that cnn and turner classic movies are classic siblings, i would be urging you to see this if it was being screened in a church basement somewhere. you'll not only be honoring andy griffith's life, but you'll be

doing something that none of us given the chance should ever pass up. witnessing greatness. >> all right. you can read bob's columns and other great opinions on the issues that shape your world at cnn.com/opinion. no crown for the first legally blind woman to compete for miss usa in florida, but she has a genetic eye disease that makes it difficult for her to focus on objects right in front of her. well, she was chosen miss photogenic. she says she feels like a winner even without the overall title. >> i've come to learn it's not about winning the pageants. i'm so glad that my story could be shared and that at least i can inspire one person and if i can inspire one person i feel like i have won. >> the pageant winner earns the right to compete in the miss usa

contest. a texas man is reunited with his beloved car 42 years after it was stolen. robert russell never gave up searching for the 1967 austin healy after it was taken from his home back in 1970. and his tenacity sure did pay off. he recently saw the car for sale on ebay. then russell contacted police and they recovered the car at a los angeles dealership. it is now back with russell in his home state of texas. all right. much more of the cnn "newsroom" straight ahead. poppy harlow, in for don lemon. >> i love that story. good to see you. a lot coming up. we'll talk about the fallout from the jerry sandusky case and focus on joe paterno and his legacy which is tarnished after a release of a report that shows he knew about sandusky's behavior all the way back in 1998. his name has been removed from

the child care center in nike headquarters and there are calls for removing that statue in front of beaver stadium. it made us wonder what moment defines a person's legacy? consider some of tse legacies who have been tarnished. think about sports. pete rose, barry bonds, politics, bill clinton, richard nixon. and then in our 7:00 eastern hour, just a few decades ago, asians in america were rounded up, forced into internship camps and now they're poised to enter the most powerful legislative bodies in record numbers. we'll talk with the first chinese-american woman ever to be elected to congress about the significance of the upcoming election in november. >> fantastic. nice variety. we're looking forward to that. good to see you. good to see you in person this weekend. >> i know. not over the tube. >> yeah. ships crossing in the night. have a good night. that's going to do it for me.

i'm fredricka whitfield. have a great weekend. according to ford, the works fuel saver package could terally pay for itself. jim twitchel is this true? yes it's true. how is this possible? proper tire inflation, by using proper grades of oil, your car runs more efficiently, saves gas. you could be doing this right now? yes i could, mike. i'm slowing you down? yes you are. my bad. the works fuel saver package. just $29.95 or less after rebate. only at your ford dealer. so, to sum up, you take care of that, you take care of these, you save a bunch of this. that works.

good evening. i'm poppy harlow in for don lemon. let's get you up to speed on the news today. this is not good for the president of syria. one of his most senior officials had defected and now he is talking to cnn. he was until