thanks for watching "new day" today everybody. from michaela, kate and i, always a pleasure. see you tomorrow morning. our emmy nomination pick, carol costello. the best every day at 9:00. >> that is so sweet. made my day. thanks, have a great day. >> bye, carol. happening now in the "newsroom" -- happening now in the "newsroom" -- >> it's hot! >> sweltering heat. >> it's too hot. >> in many places it feels like 100 degrees as the nation's power grid struggles to keep up.

also -- >> this has been a very difficult process and i'm humbled by the opportunity to play baseball. >> a-rod in his own words. >> what happens if there is a suspension. how disappointed would you be if you're not able to come back? >> baseball fans, you'll want to hear this. plus, are you being tracked as soon as you get behind the wheel? >> with technology and with smart, good policing it allows us to keep our public safe. >> i have not been charged with it, i'm not suspected of committing any crimes. and say good-bye to the kernel. >> i'd like to tell you a little bit about kentucky fried chicken. >> colonel sanders dumps kentucky fried chicken. good morning, thank you so much for being with me. i'm carol costello. i know, you hear it all the

time, it is dangerously hot. be careful. but here's why. six people have now died as a result of a blistering heat wave smothering the nation from north dakota to massachusetts. in minnesota, volunteers searching for a missing toddler were carried away in ambulances when the heat became too much. in indianapolis, hundreds were evacuated from an elderly community when power went out. another power outage in chicago, 800 people with no lights and no ac. many went outside for cooler air and did not find it. across the country, people desperate for relief took to beaches and pools and fountains to try to cool off, but here's the good news now, the light at the end of the tunnel, as they say, relief could soon be on the way. cnn meteorologist indra petersons is in central park to tell us when. good morning. >> good morning. i wish i had better news. going to take some time before we see that relief, but that is the good news eventually by this weekend we'll see the relief.

temperatures still 10 degrees above normal and then adding in that moisture. today is expected to be hotter than yesterday with even more humidity. we'll talk about heat indices over 105 and looks like it is spreading. that high pressure is building. the hottest weather of the summer with a heat wave scorching a huge chunk of the nation. officials are blaming this heat wave for at least two death. an elderly woman in maryland and in new york last week a staten island man died because of the sizzling temperatures. >> very hot. >> reporter: in indiana a senior center lost power. hundreds had to be evacuated as it was too dangerous to stay inside. >> it's all old folks. so, you have to take care of them. >> reporter: on average, more than 650 people die each year from the heat. the blistering heat inside a vehicle has already claimed the lives of 21 children this year. a meteorologist from maryland shows us how hot it gets in your car. >> i am drenched in sweat, you can see my shirt.

>> reporter: working outside is unbearable. >> by the end of the day, you're sluggish and don't think as well. >> reporter: in california, a farm was shut down after reports of an employee-heat related death. >> reporter: the culprit a high dome of pressure parked over the ohio valley and northeast. 2:00 p.m. the hottest time of the day, 94 degrees but feels like 100 with the humidity and xwrou ground itself over 130 degrees. 5:00 in the morning, coolest time of the day and still 82 degrees outside and the ground's even hotter, currently 88 degrees. >> this morning when i woke up and wt outside, i couldn't believe how warm it already was. >> reporter: you know, one thing that we look at, carol, not how warm and the high temperature for the day, but how long we have to deal with this. keep in mind, in new york this is now our fifth day of this heat wave. many cities even d.c. being its fourth day and spreading. look at these heat indices. we're talking about the thresholds here from southern new england through d.c. and

spreading farther to the west and i want to point out, connecticut, hartford, connecticut, look for 105 today. philly 105 and spreading to the dakotas. everyone wants to know the ith. relief and coming out towards this weekend all thanks to a cold front, but that does mean severe thunderstorms in the forecast. >> i'm going to arizona for some relief and that's a weird thing to say. indra, thanks so much. in southern california, a wildfire is threatening 4,100 homes now. a new weather front is pushing the fire towards idyllwild just over 100 miles southeast of los angeles. about 6,000 people have been evacuated there and in the fern valley area. joining me now is miguel marquez. good morning, miguel. >> good morning, carol. we're in the town center in idyllwild and all cleared out

but the media and fire crews doing structure protection here. the good points right now is that it has gotten cooler overnight. the crews working up there overnight probably were able to get a pretty good night of work and trying to get that line builto they could contain this fire and the wind has not been very bad. that allows them also to get up there and work. smoky here in town, but we expect to get more information here shortly and we expect to see that containment figure of 15% go up here fairly shortly. carol? >> so, will there be more evacuations you think then? >> well, i think everybody in this area that can evacuate has been evacuated. this fire blew out going directly east as the wind was blowing from the west to the east and then it turned around and that's why they had to do those evacuations overnight and literally every town in the area, idyllwild is the biggest town in this area and it was entirely evacuated overnight out of precaution and they hope to get a hold of this fire.

big resort town above palm springs and the mountains here. a lot of people come here to cool off from palm springs and it will be a happy day when this thing gets open again. >> more than that. more than a happy day. miguel marquez, thanks so much. for the first time since a jury cleared the man who shot their son, trayvon martin's parents are speaking out. on cbs the martins responded to b37 juror assertion that trayvon martin played a part in his own death. >> did you hear that juror that spoke out with anderson cooper and what did you think when you heard her say that she believes that trayvon played a huge role in his own death? >> i don't think she knows trayvon. trayvon is not a confrontational person. so, instead of placing the blame on the teenager, we need to place the blame on the responsible adult. there were two people involved.

we had an adult, that was chasing a kid. and we had the kid, who i feel was afraid. >> joining me now to talk about this is jason johnson, hln contributor and political columnist for "chicago defender." good morning, jason. >> good morning. >> so, tough question to post to trayvon martin's parent. it's something that is really resonating and especially in the black community. we heard attorney general eric holder say that he had to sit down and talk with his 15-year-old son about this. >> i think it's offensive, but it's not new. i think the martin family has dealt for the last year with people trying to blame their son for not running fast enough or not running far enough or somehow not scaring george zimmerman. i think they're used to these questions. it's sad, but not surprising given the jury and given what they heard. >> the martins were also asked what the president should do. should president obama do anything or say anything? it's five days since the verdict came down. >> right. >> the president hasn't vocally, he hasn't said anything.

should he? >> i don't think he will. and here's the thing, i think of cindy shehan, the president doesn't tend to get actively involved in these kind of issues. as far as i'm concerned, they could ask barack obama and maybe meet with him and i don't think the president will say more than the statement he said. >> should he? >> i don't necessarily think he should. unless he wants to take this back to the fight about guns, i don't necessarily think he should. members of congress should be act aive about and senators should be active about and the department of justice. >> michelle obama is in chicago today and talking to kids about urban violence. so, maybe she'll take it on? >> i'm sure she will. this is what is so interesting to me about what is going on in chicago. we had bloody cities before in the history of this country. times in detroit, times in l.a. and suddenly people are talking about chicago like it is unique. this is a larger problem about crime. if she wants to speak about crime, that's great.

but that shouldn't be focused at young, black children. crime is an issue all of us suffer from. >> jason johnson, thanks so much. >> thank you. sybrina and tracy martin will talk about how the family is moving forward. the interview airs tonight. the juror has one final thought. in a written statement senlt to cnn she said, "my prayers are with all those who have the influence and power to modify the laws that left me with no verdict option other than not guilty in order to remain within the instructions. no other family should be forced to endure what the martin family." >> what do we want? justice! >> the calling for the repeal of the stand your ground law which

says someone doesn't have to back down from an attacker. george zimmerman's defense lawyers never cited the law in his trial, but jurors were told to consider it during deliberations. victor blackwell is on the phone -- you're live. i thought you were going to follow along with the protesters, but i'm glad to see you in person, victor. >> we'll do that at 10:00 when these protesters go in and mirror what they've done for the last two days. at 10:00 they'll go in and make their appeal. i'll take you back to tuesday when the dream asked to meet the governor. they were told by the receptionist that the governor was not here. they said we'll wait and they have been waiting for 47 hours now inside that reception area and then outside in the hallway. they said that they're prepared to wait for weeks, if necessary. this is why they demand to be with the governor. they want him to reconvene the state legislature pass a trayvon

martin act that includes a repeal of stand your ground. a ban on zero tolerance policies in public schools and they want to have a serious conversation about racial profiling. the governor has not responded to our requests to find out if he's going to speak with them. they say they have not heard from the governor either. i want you to listen to a member of the dream defenders. >> he's not going to meet with us until we show him that he doesn't have a choice. we need to get as many people here as possible. we heard that a lot of people have done protests and haven't met him. this isn't a protest. this is citizens petitioning their rights. we don't plan for him to give in easily. that's why we want people to understand that we're not going to leave until we have shown him that this fight is for real. >> and the governor was in new york on tuesday. he was in panama city and pensacola yesterday. he's in tampa, at least later today. but this meeting is not on the

schedule, at least for today. carol? >> victor blackwell reporting live for us this morning. at 12 minutes past the hour, other stories we're watching right now in "newsroom." north korea is calling on panama to release the ship and crew it detained after weapons were discovered hidden under tons of brown sugar. the missiles were apparently en route from cuba. guidance on the stalemate which reminds many of the cold war crisis half a century ago. the nsa leaker has applied for temporary asylum in russia and his lawyer says snowden is likely to leave the airport in the next few days to legalize papers. snowden would receive a certificate showing the asylum request is being considered which would allow him to leave the airport's transit area. nelson mandela turns 95 today and even more reason to celebrate the milestone given the news that the former south african president is improving.

his health is improving. mandela's daughter said her father is gaining strength and maybe going hole any time now. he's been hospitalized since june 8th for treatment of a recurring lung infection. now, a one-on-one interview with perhaps the most polarizing player in all of baseball. a-rod. alex rodriguez hasn't played a day in a yankee uniform this season. he is under investigation for his ties to an alleged miami steroid dealer and, yes, the yankees still have to pay him a cool $100 million. still, rodriguez could finally make his yankees return next week, maybe monday. as i said, this past nine months have been full of challenges for a-rod. and he's finally talking about the past, the future and the dark clouds hanging over head. jason carroll joins us now. what did he say? >> well, he had a lot to say. took him a while to get him to talk, but, certainly thankful that he did decide to speak. no secret that a lot of yankee fans out there, carol, say that

rodriguez is not worth the money. he had a disappointing season, medical issues and allegations that he used performance enhancing drugs. rodriguez says he's innocent of the allegations and he wants to speak out to those who have been supporting him all along. >> you know, every day is a new day. obviously, in this process, there's a lot of challenges. >> reporter: alex rodriguez knows a lot about challenges. he has recovered from hip surgery, the second of his career. and the new york yankee third baseman is back on the field, for now, with the double-a team the trenton thunder. getting back in the game, the real game may be his greatest challenge, one he hopes to overcome with help from fans. >> i mean, the support has been overwhelming. and it's fueled me. this has been a very difficult process and i'm just humbled by the opportunity to play baseball. i love this game so much. i hate all the noise, but hopefully that grow goes away

>> reporter: part of the so-called noise, into allegations leaking rodriguez and other players to this florida clinic shut down for distributing performance enhancing drugs. rodriguez denies being treated by the clinic. a possible suspension from the team, a $114 million contract and his legacy hang in the balance. >> a lot of pressures, a lot of allegations out there. how are you managing to deal with that while also trying to manage the physical part of trying to come back? >> that's a good question. that's never easy and it's not fun. >> what is harder? the mental or the physical? >> i think in this case, it's both. >> what happens if there is a suspension. how disappointed would you be if you weren't able to come back? >> i'm going to focus on the positive. obviously, that situation i can't calm it at the moment. but i'm really looking forward to coming back to new york. i feel like i owe the yankee fan base my a-game. i don't think they had that last

year. >> no negotiations going on, no sort of plea deals, nothing like that? no deals being made? >> nothing going on right now and that's as far as i'm going to take it. it's important that we have a process. i think we have a good system with major league baseball and let's let the process play out. >> if something is not ruled in your favor, would you want to continue to fight? >> you know, i'd rather just not get into any of that right now. it's premature and i'll let the process play out. that's my responsibility right now. >> the question is now will rodriguez be suspended. that will come once major league baseball concludes. no time period on that yet and an mlb spokesperson telling cnn we're in the midst of an ongoing investigation simply cannot. the rehabilitation period ends this sunday, if he does not get injured he will be ready to play with the yankees this monday. we'll see. >> a question, jason.

so -- >> i'm sure you do. >> i'm a big baseball fan. fans think he's killing time because he wants to collect the $100 million on his contract. >> that's not true. what he says he wouldn't be working this hard, coming back from hip surgery, working in double-a teams and getting out there and doing what he says he needs to physically do to get back in the game. he says simply not true. and he is also worried about his legacy. you know, his father played baseball, as you know. he loves the game. he feels at home out on the field. and he really wants to show fans out there, those that, again, who have been supporting him all along that he can play and the way that he's trained to do and he can have a better season, at least a better season than he had last year. he's really out for proving that. >> we'll see. i know i'm so cynical and i feel so bad about that. but, i know. >> it's not just you.

a lot of fans who feel the same way you do. >> i know, i'm not alone, sadly. jason carroll, thanks so much. >> you bet. coming up at the bottom of the hour, we'll talk to baseball editor for sportsillustrated.com about a-rod's return. 72 hours before the boston marathon attack, one of the suspected bombers was jumping around like he was "on top of the world." more from the man who taught tamerlan tsarnaev how to fight in the boxing ring.

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anger still raging over the "rolling stones" decision to put the only surviving boston bomb suspect on its cover. the photo glorifies dzhokhar tsarnaev as a rock star. it is the survivors that need to be in the spotlight, not this guy. four retailers are refusing to sell the august 3rd edition of the magazine. the issue is already selling on ebay. yes, you can get five copies right now for $99.99. that's more than four times the newsstand price. in the meantime, the editors of

"rolling stone" are defending their decision. this is what they said on npr. >> we thought it was the image because part of what the story is about is what an incredibly normal kid he seemed like to those who knew him best back in cambridge his fellow students and the teachers there. and we were trying to sort of draw this contrast between the person everyone thought they knew and the person he became. >> well, that statement is not making some in boston feel any better, especially since there are so many mysteries still surrounding the bombing. and then there's this, authorities are not being exactly transparent. officials in florida will not release details of the autopsy of the friend of the dead boston bombing suspect. he was killed by an fbi agent about a month after the marathon attack. law enforcement says that todashev in a triple murder

outside of boston. the investigation into that case has cranked up since the marathon bombing. deb feyerick has more for you. >> reporter: carol, the attack on the boston marathon accelerated the investigation into a triple murder that happened a year and a half earlier. i had a chance to speak at length with one man who knew several players involved in both crimes. his insights may surprise you. with the terror attack on boston, three people in john ala len's world were about to collide. all three are now dead. and key among them is bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev seen working out days before the attack. were you surprised at his demeanor 72 hours before the bo bombs? >> just him entering the ring. i mean, you er b legs, feet sho

height, clearing the ring, hopping in, jumping rope. like, yeah, like he was on top of the world. >> reporter: allen trained both tsarnaev and another russian speaker todashev. >> they were polar opposites as individuals. tamerlan was very flashy and flamboyant and he was hot headed. a few times prayed to mecca in the gym, which wasn't abnormal for him to do it but it was abnormal for tamerlan. >> reporter: so they were getting closer? >> it seemed so, yes. >> reporter: they trained together in 2011, that same year tsarnaev's friend was murdered in a near beheading along with two pals. sources say tsarnaev and todeshev were involved in the murders. do you believe that tamerlan and

maybe ibrihim had anything to do with the murders? >> i don't know. i know for a fact that tamerlan was, if not daily, but several times a week hanging out at his house where he was murdered. >> reporter: tamerlan's reaction was strange, almost dismissing his friend's murder. >> at first i took it for nervous energy. you know, because tamerlan was always, always put up a mask, a front. he always appeared in control. >> reporter: shortly after the murders todashev went to florida and he became radicalized. allan said he gave agents his name. he was shot by an fbi agent after implicating himself in the murders. >> that's a bizarre story and situation. very hard to believe. >> reporter: he was killed may 22nd and his autopsy report was completed six weeks later.

however, the fbi has asked the florida medical examiner not to release details of that autopsy citing a "active investigation." carol? >> deb feyerick, many thanks. when we come back to "newsroom" how police are tracking you, even while you're driving. we'll be right back. ♪ [ male announcer ] wouldn't it be great if all devices had backup power? the chevrolet volt does. it's ingeniously designed to seamlessly switch from electricity to gas to extend your driving range. no wonder volt is america's best-selling plug-in. that's american ingenuity to find new roads. right now, get a 2013 chevrolet volt for around $269 per month.

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as you can see, the bell is ringing on wall street and good morning to you, i'm carol costello and that's one of the stories we're watching in "newsroom" at 30 minutes past the hour. bell ringing, but right now we're not poised to see too much action. many investors still waiting for ben bernanke, the fed chair, to sit down for a second day of questions on capitol hill. christine romans is in new york watching it all. good morning, christine. >> carol, good morning. it matters so much to you what ben bernanke says and i'm not kidding here because ben bernanke is talk about the economy to house members yesterday and today to the senate. he says the job market is improving. he says that the housing market, carol, is strong and with this strength in the economy, you're likely to see mortgage rates continue to rise.

that's how homeowners will feel what this strength of ben bernanke seeing in the economy. also, when will the feds start pulling back on its historic stimul stimulus. ben bernanke giving a timeline for that. that's really important. when the senators start asking the fed chief questions later this morning, that's when you will see the markets start to move. carol, what is really key here, the dow is up 810 points, carol, in just three and a half weeks. that is unbelievable. open up your 401(k) statement, log in, everyone, take a look and, please, if you do one thing this week, take a look and rebalance your portfolio so you have the right mix of stocks, bonds and cash because you had a stellar year. stocks are up 18%, 19% so far this year. you rarely see that happen. it's been a very big move. big moves also in the bond market. it's incredibly important to just not close your eyes and see what's happening here. every single person with a

401(k) should lee lobe looking they have right now. what expectations are for the fed getting out of the game here. i expect you will see mortgage rates continue to rise and housing market that is strong. and stocks, at least for now, the path of least resistance, carol, is higher. >> let me ask you this. i know what the fed says matters, but congress hasn't really done anything pertaining to the economy, oh, in forever. so, does that prove the theory that government can't control the economy? >> you know, that is such a good point. i'm so glad you asked it because the first thing ben bernanke said yesterday when he gave his testimony to the house side. the first criticism he had was that the economy would be doing better, would be doing better if it weren't for all the craziness in washington. he didn't use the word craziness, but that's what he met. the economy would do better if we had a fiscal plan and a budget and we didn't lurch from one washington crisis to another to figure out where the country's books were going to

be. i suspect he could make that point again here today, but it is a very, very good point. the fed chairman said in his testimony yesterday and he said definitely that we would be doing better. the economy would be doing better if it weren't for washington. holding us back. >> they're not going to do anything. >> they're not going to do anything. look, you know, you're right. you're right. let me end on a happy note. stocks up 810 points. >> i'll take it! christine romans, thanks so much. up next in "newsroom" he is the highest paid player in baseball and alex rodriguez is also the most controversial. so, what awaits a-rod and his possible return on monday? should baseball fans welcome him with open arms? clients are always learning more to make their money do more.

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with baseball season half hour alax rodriguez could finally rejoin the new york yankees monday after spending the past nine months rehabbing a hip injury. and his off the field problems may overshadow the fact that he's hitting .179 in the minors. just this week a-rod talked with our jason carroll about it all. >> what happens if there is a suspension and how disappointed would you be if you're not able

to come back? >> i'm going to focus on the positive. obviously, that situation i can't calm it down at the moment, but i'm looking forward to coming back to new york. i feel like i owe the yankee fan base my a-game. i don't think they had that last year. >> ted keith is the baseball editor for si.com. so, your prediction, will a-rod be back on the field, a major league field on monday? >> i think he'll be back. he said he was coming back this time and the yankees agreed with him. he first said he was going to start playing again and the yankees said, no, you're not. more colorfully than that. he'll be back. i don't know how much of a difference he'll make. certainly an improvement over the third baseman they had, but expecting him to be the all-star player that they had is unlikely. >> batting .179 in the minors, can he really return to like

a .300 hitter? >> no, probably not. what the yankees are getting right now, equivalent about a .220 hitter. .300 would be a massive improvement for them. what they're not getting is any kind of run production in that spot in the lineup. they're not getting hitters and runners along. he will be an improvement, just not a differencemaker in the way they're used to. >> killing time in the minors because he wants to collect the rest of his, what is owed to him $100 million on his contract and he's not thetruinterested in pl baseball any more. he said he loves the game. he told that to jason carroll. >> no, a rumor a little while ago that was floated in some of the new york papers that he was going to think about retiring as a way to collect his money. he says he wants to come back now. he's owed $114 million. certainly his future is very cloudy mostly because of the ongoing investigation and the possible suspension that he faces. but i don't think retirement is in the future for him, not any

time soon. he is still the competitor and still wants to play and still wants to win, but trying to guess what is going to happen with alex rodriguez is everybody's favorite parlor game in baseball. he'll be back, i think the yankees would love to get rid of him, i just don't think they'll be able to. >> ted keith, thanks for joining us this morning. >> thank you. edward snowden may be on the move. more on that and why russia says they just can't hand him over to the united states. mine was earned in djibouti, africa. 2004. vietnam in 1972. [ all ] fort benning, georgia in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve military members, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote.

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♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ 42 minutes past the hour. time to check our top stories. ariel castro struggled to keep his head up. he has been charged with more than 900 counts of kidnapping and raping three ohio women for

nearly a decade. every after several request booze thijudge to look at her, the judge started to lose her patience. >> mr. castro. >> yes. >> you must look. can you open your eyes, please. at this time it's my duty -- sir. please, keep your eyes open so i make sure you are listening to me and understanding what i'm saying. >> keep your eyes open. >> i'm trying. >> castro pleaded not guilty. the judge set bail at $8 million and prohibited castro from cacking hcac contacting his alleged victims. a tentative agreement on a student loan package to put caps on how high the rates could rise. caps were key in getting chairman of the committee that oversees federal loans to back the plan. harkin persuade uother senators

to vote for the bill. student loan rates double to 8.6% on july 1st. one republican senator said the united states should actually consider boycotting the olympic games if moscow grants asylum to the american accused of espionage. edward snowden leaked details but just hours later on cnn, senator lindsey graham backed down from that boycott threat. >> i don't want to boycott the olympics, but i want a policy that would get the russians' attention. >> the white house has said it's too early to even talk about the 2014 games because it's not clear where snowden will eventually seek refuge and, by the way, the olympics are in russia in 2014. for the past month, snowden has essentially been a man without a country. held up in moscow's airport but not allowed to enter the country of russia itself.

that could change at any time. phil black is in moscow. so, phil, how soon could he get out of that airport and am to russia? >>. >> very soon, carol. within days, we believe. according to the russian lawyer that has been helping him negotiate his options coming to understand asylum law in this country. so, he's put in an application and that could take weeks or months to get back a formal decision on that. we're told in the short term he should be eligible for some official paperwork, which will finally allow him to leave that airport and transit zone and cross the immigration line and actually enter russia officially and actually wait within russia for that formal decision on his short-term asylum. that has the potential to dramatically change the quality of life of edward snowden. no doubt, he would be pretty happy about that after a month camped out somewhere in this airport. it would be a major irritant to the united states, carol. >> certainly so.

phil black reporting live. coming up in "newsroom" the emmy nominations are revealed and, believe it or not, there are two big surprises. nischelle turner will fill us in, next.

just about an hour ago, nominees for the 65th annual emmy awards were announced in las vegas. the streaming sitenetflix got 14 nominations. it isn't even on broadcast or tv. wow. >> wow is right. i think i confused you this morning because i'm in vegas, i'll tell you why in a minute, but the announcements were in los angeles. but i'm here in las vegas pulling double duty. i >> i so appreciate that. >> to bring to you the nominations. it's emmy nomination morning.

i could not join you. it's a big day for netflix. i know they're having a party at 6:50 pacific time this morning. they got 14 nominations. this is the first time a series not designed for broadcast television has made a big splash. "house of cards" and "arrested development. ""house of cards with host of others. game of thrones, there was a snag in that category. boardwalk empire. 30 rock was nominated w ed once again. of course, the final season. "big bang theory." "girls" and a lot of big shows this morgue. yes, the folks at netflix are happy.

jason bateman also got a lead actor in a comedy nomination for "arrested development." so they're very happy. especially the first time out. >> let's go back to the netflix series getting nominated. that doesn't say much for broadcast television. as a person that works in broadcast television, that makes me very concerned. >> well, i wouldn't go as far as to say it doesn't say much. i think it goes to show you how the media are expanding and how there are options out there for platforms. i don't know if you've seen the "house of cards" series "arrested development" they're such good quality. they didn't roll them out week by week like we see on television and kind of make you wait. they rolled out all 13 at once. you could sit down, watch them all in a bunch. watch them whenever you wanted to watch them. that makes it convenient for the

viewers. that's what we're seeing nowadays. a lot of times, i dvr everything and basically what netflix was wanting you to do is watch whatever you wanted with their subscription service. it's the wave the future, carol. >> oh, yeah. we're changing. we'll throw those tvs out and say what -- >> they're telling me we've got to wrap. we can pat cnn on the back this morning as well because cnn got four prime time emmy nominations for mr. anthony bourdain's "parts unknown" this morning. congratulations to cnn and anthony bourdain for emmy nominations. >> you go, cnn. thanks. nice to see you whenever you are. he's known as johnny football but a lot of the attention that johnny manziel is getting it from off the field. we'll have more in "bleacher report."

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the start of the college football season is right around the corner. all everyone wants to talk about heisman trophy winner johnny manziel. andy shoals is here with the "bleacher report." >> good morning, carol. after becoming the first freshman to win the heisman, johnny football has become a

celebrity overnight. it hasn't been for the right reasons always. his latest hiccup was over the weekend where he was sent home from the manning camp because of a hangover. speaking at s.e.c. media day, manziel said he's finally beginning to understand why some people always want to see him fail. >> you look at guys that are the most hated around the league. you look at lebron, i feel like he's the best player in the league. and maybe there's guys like that with college football. i'm okay with it. you do something right and people hate you. nike made a new agreement with tiger woods. tiger's current contract reportedly pays him $20 million a year set to expire at the end of this year. tiger teed off at the opening round in the open championship just a few minutes ago. he's looking for his first major

win sense 2008. and you'll find one of the better alley-oops in backyard sports. take a look. a trampoline, a slide, i don't know if you need much more, carol >> looks fun. >> looks like they assigned the roles properly. the athletic ones doing the sliding and jumping and the less athletic ones just sitting there. the next to the "cnn newsroom" after a quick break.

happening now in the "cnn newsroom" -- it's hot! >> sweltering heat. >> it's too hot. >> i can't take it. >> in many places it feels like 100 degrees as the nation's power grid struggles to keep up also -- >> this has been a very difficult process. i'm just humbled by the opportunity to play baseball. i love this game so much. >> a-rod in his own words. >> what happens if there is a suspension? how disappointed would you be if you're not able to come back? >> baseball fans, you'll want to hear this, plus -- are you being trapped as soon as you get behind the wheel? >> with technology and smart good policing, you know, it allows us to keep our public safe. >> i think they've gone too far because they're -- i have not been champed with, i'm not suspected of committing a crime.

and a good-bye to the burnl. colonel. >> i'm colonel sanders and i'd like to tell you a little bit about kentucky fried chicken. >> kfc dumps colonel sanders. it's going upscale. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." good morning, i'm carol costello, we start with severe weather from coast to coast. stifling heat, struggling america. it claims six lives. hundreds more suffered with no power after it hit chicago. out west, a raging wildfire burning in the mountains of southern california. nearly 6,000 people ordered to evacuate and the fire is now closing in on homes. we are team coverage for you this morning. meteorologist indra petersons is following the heat wave from

new york's central park where it feels like 102 degrees. and miguel is near california d near the epicenter. >> this is the epicenter. this is the area, the fire is over in that direction. all day long, blowing east of here, then the wind changed direction and started blowing back towards this town. this town, fern valley, 6,000 people in total. they did make progress according to the forest service. the fire is growing 22.8 thousands of acres burned. they're hoping that will go up later today. they were able to cut a lot of line and prepare areas that do burnout operations later in the

day. and if the weather holds then they'll be able to do that. but that's the big question. this isn't wind-driven as they say, low humidity. very, very low. and it will help it burn more. and that's what firefighters are dealing with at the moment. people hoping that this town and the towns around here can be protected. so far, a lot of homes protecting those homes, they've been able to do that. if the wind conditions stay in their favor, they believe they'll get their hands around the fire. >> miguel marguez in idyllwild, california, thanks. out west, they want the humidity, out east, they certainly don't. indra petersons is in central park. i know it's 95 degrees but it feels like 102.

>> we're already having temperatures at 88 degrees. and currently 95. it's feeling like 105 in so many places. it's not just about how warm is it. what's the high temperatures. it's also about how long do we have to endure the heat. look at this, talking about the fifth day dealing with the heat wave, as far as where it's extending, unfortunately, looks like it's building. we're talking about places like hartford, connecticut, 105 degrees. going to feel like new york as 103. it's spreading going all the way farther to the west. and minnesota, it's built even further. that dome of high pressure has now expanded all the way into the dakotas. an unbelievable amount of people dealing with this. people forget this is the number one killer of all weather-related events. people do underestimate it. we do have relief on the way. the big question is when is that and when are we going to get it?

we'll see later today and northern portions of minnesota eventually we'll see that spread by the weekend into the northeast. that is something we need. when i say a cold front, yes, a little bit but also severe thunderstorms with 80-degree temperature. >> indra petersons, thanks so much. reporting live from central park. for the first time since the jury cleared the man who shot their son, trayvon martin's parents are speaking out. this morning, trayvon's mom relived the moment she heard the verdict read. >> i was in a bit of shock. i found certainly he would be found guilty of second degree murder. manslaughter at the least. but i just knew that they would see this was a teenager just trying to get home. this was no burglar. this was somebody's son that was trying to get home. >> you were stunned by the

verdict? >> i was stunned. absolutely. i -- i couldn't believe it. >> we'll have more from trayvon martin's parents at the bottom of the hour. plus, tonight, they'll be live with anderson cooper. so stay with cnn throughout the day. the fight against florida stand your ground law goes on. for the third day, student activists are refusing to leave the florida governor's office. they want action following the acquittal of george zimmerman. they want the governor to call a special session of state legislature and repeal that conversational stand your ground law. joining me on the phone, victor, i know you're following the protesters. tell us more? >> well, the dream defenders, the group that's been here since 10:00 a.m. tuesday, they're actually right now in the reception area outside of the governor's office. at 10:00 a.m. sharp, they went

up to the receptionist and asked if they could meet with governor scott. they were told for a third day that he is not here. they said they will not leave until they have that meeting. this again is the start of the third day. but they told me they are prepared to be here for weeks. right now they're starting the third day by telling stories of why they're here. they're here for more than just stand your ground, carol. >> i thought we were going to hear from someone. i apologize, victor. how much outside support is this group getting? because they say they're going to stay in the governor's office for weeks but you know how that goes sometimes. >> reporter: i do. having covered protests before. but i can tell you that there are members of the state legislature who are supporting them. the chair of the legislative black caucus representative allen williams who represents tallahassee was here yesterday. and has been here several times bringing supplies. there have been people who dropped off breakfast. there are people who dropped off meals. the local churches are

supporting them. youth groups from across the state are coming to support them. so there is support. how long that lasts or how long those groups will be here we'll just have to see. but the people who are at the center of this protest have been here since the start and they say they're not leaving until they have that meeting to talk about stand your ground. and also to talk about tolerance policies in schools and racial profiling. jabari nichols said he's going to be here for the long haul. >> all right. we'll get to that sound eventually. victor blackwell. thanks so much. we have to take you to wall street now. the dow jones, it's going crazy again. it just topped a new intra-day record. christine romans, wow, maybe we'll hit 16,000. >> maybe not today, maybe the next couple days if ben bernanke doesn't say anything to kind of knock stock investors for a loop

here. at this point, we're really not expecting that. look, here's what's happening carol. the path of least resistance is still higher in the stock market. we had a jobless claims number better than expected. a housing market that is recovering, a labor market recovering. a new mortgage rate number. mortgage rates fell just a little bit, although as i said, i'm expecting them to climb in the months for-to-come. if you're in the market for refinancing, now is the time to do it. overall, you have a stock market that continues with a slowly healing economy. you can look at your 401(k) and be happy because you should have 11%, 12%, 13% on your 401(k) if you're not close to retirement and mostly in stocks. that's what i see here. i encourage people to look at your 401(k) and make sure you rebalance. if you have too many bonds or stocks for your age and risk,

that's something to sort put. you know carol, a lot of people tell me, i never look at my 401(k). that's good, except you want to make sure that it is balanced appropriately for your age and risk. when i see record highs again, i'd like to point out, it's time to look. look, 3 1/2 weeks the dow is up more than 800 points. that's rare and that's something you will see in your 401(k), carol. >> i always hate when you give me homework assignments. i know you're going to call me later and say did you look at your 401(k)? >> i've been saying that for three years. frankly, if you did something for three year and had a lot of stocks you're all right. >> i pofollowed your advice. thank you. james "whitey" bulger's number two the rifleman is expected to testify. why his testimony could be critical in the case against a former mob boss.

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saving time by booking an appointment online, even smarter. online scheduling. available now at meineke.com. 13 minutes past the hour. time to check some top stories. we'll find out from a federal judge in manhattan today whether the developer of world trade

center can collect $3.5 billion in damages. the suit was filed by aviation companies whose equipment was used in the 9/11 attack. ariel castro struggled to keep his head up and look the judge in the eyes during his arraignment. he's been charged with more than 900 counts of kidnapping and rape. of course, those charges apply to the ohio women he held allegedly for a decade. after several requests to look at her. the judge, rather, the judge started to lose her patience. >> mr. castro -- >> yes. >> you must look, can you open your eyes, please. at this time, it is my duty -- sir. please keep your eyes open so i make sure you're listening to me and understanding what i'm saying, okay? >> castro pleaded not guilty. the judge set bail at $8 million

and prohibited castro from contacting his alleged victims. the trial is set to start august 5th. anger still raging over the "rolling stone's" to put the only surviving boston bombing suspect on its cover. critics say the photo glorifies dzhokhar tsarnaev as a rock star. at least three retailers are refusing to sell the magazine. in the meantime, the editors are defending their edition. they say it falls within the journalism and long staung commitment to serious and thoughtful cover of the most important political and cultural issue of our day. "" >> and this picture is going viral. he is shoes and tripod on fire. is it real? it is. he said the lava did not like the fires, he did with an

accelerant. the images were captured by his friend. he was known as "the rifleman" a partner to james "whitey" bulger, but stephen flemmi was also a rat, and he's set to testify that bulger was as a rat, too. susan candiotti is in boston following it all. good morning, susan. >> reporter: good morning, carol. we do expect sparks to fly here this day. stephen flemmi, if he's not the star witness, he's certainly one of the star witnesses, and this will be the first time that he's expected to face whitey bulger in at least two decades. okay. why is this such an important with the j witness? we've been hearing his name. it's come up time and time again. a big hitman. the government calls him the worst of the worst. even a defense attorney is calling flemmi, quote, a psychopath without a conscious. as you said, who is he?

his nickname "the rifleman. "he earned that nickname in the korean war because of his precise marksmanship. let's see. in this case, he's known for the government to tell it, killing with precision. he was a partner, as you mentioned of whitey bulger. he was a former fbi informant. he has killed a ton of people. now he's expected to call whitey bulger, an informant, a rat. and that is what whitey bulger does not like to be called in any way, shape or form. now gruesome details are expected to come out through the mouth of steven flemmi, talking about two of his victims in particular. one of them, deborah davis, flemmi's own girlfriend who he killed in 1981 or so. and number one, deborah hussey, his stepdaughter, ordered to make these comes the part that will make your stomach turn,

after he would kill the victims, the government has acknowledged, he would rip out their teeth and cut off their fingertips to prevent the police from identifying them. this is expected to be tough testimony for the jurors to hear, for anyone to hear. >> whitey bulger objects to being called a rat but not a killer? that's just so strange. >> go figure. >> yeah. >> yes, we've seen those sparks fly before, as you said. expletives flying when a previous witness testified, weekes, we saw them together. no mistrial, the trial has gone on. we're waiting to see what will happen this day. >> susan candiotti reporting live. thank you. still ahead in the "newsroom" is the government tracking you while you drive? >> with technology and smart

policing it allows us to be safe. >> i do think the government has gone too far. i'm not charged with or suspected of committing any crime. you can hear god's children. >> most were taken from spiritual gospels. whenever there was a march to be taking place. there was songs that we would use to motivate the people to get in the line. and that's the reason why it was organized. we organized to tell the story of the struggle. ♪ ♪ barn's getting higher >> songs are the movement gave you energy, a willingness, a wantonness to want to be free. with the music that wouldn't

have been in those movements. >> your parents have a civil rights story. how did those struggles impact you?

seems as though every time we turn around lately, somebody's watching us. or at least it feels that way. now we're finding out that more and more police are using cameras to read our license plates. and the data they're collecting may surprise you. cnn's dan simon has more for you. >> reporter: with cameras mounted on a police cruiser -- >> what we're looking at is a license plate directly across the street, >> reporter: cops in california can capture and record license plates as they drive down any street. an efficient method to catch car thieves or pull over vehicles that show up in a criminal database. >> with technology and with smart good policing, it allows us to keep our public safe. >> reporter: but when a low activist petitioned the police department to get ahold. records on his car, he said he was stunned by what he saw. >> i do think big brother's gone too far. i have not been charged with,

i'm not suspected of committing any crime. >> reporter: mark found what he says is an agreesous invasion of privacy, 120 images where police got pictures of his car and more. >> this picture shows my car in the driveway of my house and clearly shows my daughters and myself getting out of the car. >> reporter: anytime a police officer drives a car it's recording. data can be accessed to solving crimes everything from following leads on amber alerts to collecting tickets. >> innocent people should not have their records used by law enforcement. >> reporter: there are three cameras. one on the roof one on the right and one on the side. if a car comes across as being stolen, the officer will be instantly alerted but in this new era of digital rights and privacy, some say there needs to be more transparency and limits on what information can be

gathered and stored on citizens, doing nothing more than driving their cars. dan simon, cnn, san leandro, california. coming up in the "cnn newsroom," they sat there nearly every day of the trial, now the parents of trayvon martin are reacting to the not guilty verdict. we'll be back. [clicks mouse] there's doughnuts in the conference room. there's doughnuts in the conference room. automatic discounts the moment you sign up.

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good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for being with me. checking our top stories, 27 minutes past the hour. more than 4,000 homes in the path of a raging wildfire in the mountains of southern california. it's already torched more than 35 square miles. 6,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. nearly 3,000 fire personnel are at the scene, desperately trying to control the inferno. at least eight buildings damaged. also this hour, rick perry expected to sign a controversial abortion bill. the bill which bans abortions past 20 weeks has inspired protests at the state capitol. perry and other republican lawmakers said the bill is more about protecting women's health than less about abortion. south africa is celebrating a milestone as nelson mandela turns 95. there's even more news for celebration. the south african president is improving. mandela's daughter said her

father is gaining strength and may be going home at anytime. mandela's been in the hospital since june 8th for treatment of a recurring lung infection. the seminole sheriff's office spent an estimated $320,000 during the trial of george zimmerman. $33,000 was sent on sequestering the jury for 22 nights. in addition to hotel costs, the jury had two dinners outside the hotel and one dinner brought in. the group had several evening and weekend excursions which included bowling, shopping, manicures and pedicures and trips to the movies. taxpayers did not pay for all of those costs, however. just two hours ago, parents of trayvon martin made their first comments since the verdict. trayvon martin batted away the claim by juror b-37 that he played a role in his own death.

>> did you hear that juror who spoke out with anderson cooper and what did you think when you heard her say that she believes trayvon played a huge role in his own death? >> i don't think she knows trayvon. trayvon is not a confrontational person. so instead of placing the blame on the teenager, we need to place the blame on the responsible adult. there were two people involved. we had an adult that was chasing a kid. and we had the kid who i feel was afraid. >> trayvon's father said he'd like to ask the jurors, quote, how could you let a killer of an unarmed child go free? the family's lawyer would not rule out the possibility of a civil suit. benjamin crump said for now the main focus is on the government violations of civil rights and clarifying the laws that the jurors had to consider. tonight, trayvon martin's parents will talk with anderson cooper. that's 8:00 eastern time right here on cnn.

that zimmerman verdict is as one of the reasons these protesters are marching into the florida's governor's office in tallahassee. they want that stand your ground law repealed. and they're not alone. as new questions come up over whether or not this law's being applied fairly. john zarrella has more for you. ♪ >> reporter: the outcry is not going away. at churches in florida's black communities. >> got to change that stand your ground law, that's a must. if you don't like the law, that's why people put in stand your ground. >> reporter: there may be good news for the outrage. the tampa newspaper took a look at stand your ground. the law says if you're in fear for your life, you have no duty to retreat and can meet force with force. between 2005 when the law was enacted and 2012, the newspaper found nearly 200 cases-some of their findings bring into light whether justice was dolled out

evenly. the investigative editor. >> race seems to be a differencemaker. >> reporter: in stand your ground, the paper found 73% of those who killed a black person faced no penalty. 59% of those who killed a white person faced no penalty. >> if there was a clear statistical difference between when a victim was white and a victim was black. and you were much more likely to go free if you killed a black victim than a white victim. >> reporter: one of the bill's original sponsors agrees. >> well, i think we do want to empower law-abiding citizens. >> reporter: civil rights leaders believe it's a travesty. >> it's called stand your ground, that is the worst violation of civil rights of state law in this country. >> reporter: for now, in florida, stand your ground is a standoff. >> john zarrella joins us live

now. so, john, is there enough of a sample size to draw any significant conclusions, though? >> you know, carol, that's skablg exactly what the newspaper pointed out saying, look, 200 is not really very much. they're continuing to update their statistics. they're up to now 235. but that's over the course from 2005 to 2013. put that in comparison to just the numbers of murders alone in the state of florida, in 2011, florida department of law enforcement statistics say there were 958 murders in that one year. so, 200 stand your ground cases is really, really very small sample size. >> john zarrella reporting live. thanks so much. interns get sent to the white house briefings all the time, it's pretty unusual, an intern, a 16-year-old, gets to ask a question at the white house press conferences.

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there has been endless conversation about the verdict in the george zimmerman case. but there is one voice that has been conspicuously absent. president obama. you may remember, he discussed what happened before official charges were filed against george zimmerman. but since then, since the verdict, president obama hasn't said anything. our randi kaye looks at why. >> reporter: when trayvon martin was killed, president barack obama was in the midst of his re-election campaign. he took nearly a month to comment on the teenager's death. and had he did -- >> if i had a son, he'd look like trayvon. >> reporter: his comment became the story. he became the story.

>> this is a president who is very mindful of not wanting to be a lightning rod. he wants to be a facilitator for the discussion. he wants to have the discussion. >> reporter: which may explain the president's reluctance over the years to wade into racial issues. still at times, there was no escaping it. >> i'm the son of a black man from kenya and a white woman from kansas. >> reporter: in 2008 his former pastor jeremiah wright nearly brought down his first run for president, obama had his speech on race. >> this is where we are right now. it's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for four years. >> reporter: joshua dubois was the presidential spiritual adviser at the time. >> it's an african-american man, someone who has faced his own

challenges in his life. the dance between the public and the personal. that's what the president has to navigate. >> reporter: a year after his so-called race speech, president obama found himself in the middle of another race-related firestorm. police had arrested an african-american professor, skip gates, in his own home, after he showed i.d. listen to what the president said. >> i think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. number two, that the cambridge police acted stupidly. in arresting someone when there was already proof that they were in their own home. >> reporter: charges against the professor for disorderly conduct were later dropped. the president tried smooth things over and save his plunging poll numbers by inviting professor henry louis gates and the sergeant who arrested him to what became known as the beer summit at the white house.

and now with the verdict not guilty dividing the country the president may be struggling once again to find his footing. nothing on camera, just a paper statement void of any mention of racial tension. the president wouldn't want to be seen as coming down on one side or the other. but that doesn't mean he won't talk about it in the near future. for now, though, he'll leave decisions about a federal federal case against george zimmerman for attorney general eric holder. the first african-american to hold that post. randi kaye, cnn, new york. >> let's bring in nicole rowberg. she's communications for daily caller. and jason johnson political strategist for the defender. after president obama gave a statement on the verdict. he asked the nation to respect the parents' calm.

"the daily caller" sent a 16-year-old intern to press concerns about security for george zimmerman. >> because of death threats being received by george zimmerman and his parents, is the president bowing to take any action for his security or are they on their own? >> the president has called for echoing the statements of trayvon martin's family for calm reflection in the wake of the verdict. and that continues to be his position. he's certainly -- would oppose any violence of any kind. >> so they're on their own? >> you can editorialize all you want. and i have no doubt that you will, but that is a ridiculous statement. >> let's start. that's pretty unusual for an intern, especially one in high school, to ask a question at the white house briefing. so why did "the daily caller" do this in such a high-profile case? >> well, we didn't know that he was necessarily going to get the

chance to ask the question. he certainly was prepared to ask the question. we've sent several interns in past briefings, and they've gotten -- at least two others have gotten a chance to ask a question at a briefing. it just can't make news because they weren't mocked the way gabe was mocked yesterday. >> so did you have one of your journalists in that briefing? >> yesterday, we did not. our correspondent does go and take one or two interns to the briefings to get a chance to experience it. he had a scheduling in advance. >> what answer did he want, though? did he want the president to send a secret service agent to protect george zimmerman? what answer was he striving to get? >> it's not up to gabe what the president should do. he had an opinion. actually the beginning of jay carney's answer which you didn't play which was interesting he

said he wasn't aware of the story. he wasn't aware that the zimmerman family was getting death threats. >> he did say that. i did hear that. jason, i'll ask you, this intern obviously got under jay carney's skin, right? does that give us a sense of what the white house is really feeling? or was jay carney irritated at a question from a kid? >> yeah, i think jay carney was responding to a on obnoxious stunt. let's be honest. there's no purpose in asking an incendiary question. he didn't know what the situation going on with the zimmerman family. everyone knows perfectly well that barack obama would have no responsibility for protecting him. it was a stunt and it should be something that the daily caller should be ashamed of. >> he tweeted jay carney this,

word. is this the intention to anger the white house? >> i didn't think he expected to get the angry response that he got. he went with a reasonable question that in one else asked. zimmerman's parents were on another network earlier this week saying they were afraid to go back to the house because they've had dozens of death threat. and i would say that this age -- his age has nothing to do with it. he's 16 years old. yes, he's been doing great work for us all summer long. he was prepared with a question. we like to send our interns out to do real things. we don't have our interns making coffee and copies. we have them going to press conferences on capitol hill and writing stories with by lines. >> it's such a sensitive issue for both george zimmerman and the black community. jason, i see you smiling there. >> yeah, i mean, look, it wasn't a sincere question.

you can tell by his reaction it wasn't a sincere question. this is the second time the daily caller has done this this year. please tell me me where the president of the united states is going to take responsibility for protecting a family box the public doesn't like a jury ruling. it doesn't make any sense. if you had a sincere question, it doesn't make sense. it was a shame to put a 16-year-old -- >> but not that -- >> would you please stop interrupting me because i pointed out that you did something wrong with a 16-year-old? >> i'm sorry. i'm sorry. >> are you okay? >> it was not a stunts. we didn't know that he was going to get called on. the daily caller often doesn't get called on. yes, we've been called on in the past. it is a relevant question. president obama has been vocal about this. it is obviously a state issue. it's an issue that has gripped

america. and it's interesting to know what the president thinks of it. >> but do realize that the president walks a fine line here. he's the president of the united states. he has to be careful and weigh what -- >> that's true -- >> if he says anything to the nation. it's the not just something that jay carney should whip out an answer to in a press briefing, is it? >> no, but jay carney could have said, no, i don't know, i'll ask the question. i'll get back to you. i don't know when the last time news was made at an actual daily briefing. we asked a question. it was a relevant that should have been asked. >> jason johnson, nicole rowburg, thank you for debating the initial. tonight on "anderson cooper 360," trayvon martin's parents will react to the verdict, and life after. that interview tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern. la's known definitely for its traffic, congestion, for it's smog.

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all right. a bit of breaking news to show you right now. take a look at this. as you can see, a small plane has crashed into a modular home in maryland city, maryland. this is the washington, d.c. area. we don't know who the plane belongs to or if everyone got out safely. we don't know if anyone in the modular home was injured. interestingly enough, this is the second plane crash it this year like this. in may, another small plane crashed into an apartment building in herndon, virginia. no one seriously hurt in that crash but was certainly scary. the pilot getting out and telling the apartment owner, hey, i think i crashed my plane. hopefully, it will be the same results here. that no one was injured. but i don't know if they were trying to land the plane. it doesn't look like it. it just looks like they came down into that housing complex. when we get more information, of course, we'll let you know. these pictures courtesy of our affiliate in washington, wjla. in other news, kfc is

ditching the colonel and high-fat fried chicken going after a younger, hipper audience prepared to launch a new restaurant kfc 11. putting the focus on healthier options like salads and flat bread sandwiches. they're not the only ones, lots of americans are making healthy choices. it's a trend you can see in our popular culture. >> i work out every day. >> for how long -- >> reporter: maybe it had something to do with the first lady's let's move campaign and all of those tv appearances showing her toned arms. >> starting very good. basically, the healthiest i've ever seen in my life. >> reporter: but it wasn't long before the new jersey governor and possible presidential candidate underwent lap band surgery to bring his weight under control. and among younger people, weight and health is also a focus, with more of them paying attention to

what they eat. >> newer generation probably has a different relationship with food and availability of food. and so i think because of that shift, you're seeing now, given the obesity rates that we have, a greater awareness around food. and around some of the potential dangers of unhealthy food over time. >> reporter: before brian elbel says dpiet the dunkin' donuts glazed sandwich, many seem to be hosting healthier fare. starbucks, taco bell is test ought a new power protein menu which it says beefs up protein while cutting back on calories. with items like power protein chicken roll. and dunkin' donuts will offer gluten-free muffins. wendy's also has healthier options. these restaurants are offering more choices because more and more people are demanding it. >> generally the biggest factors for them tend to be a variety of

choices. and also customizable items at restaurants. on top of healthier food. this generation is very big on healthy items. people just want healthier options and more choices. >> reporter: it's still unclear whether healthier options or calorie counts really will solve america's muffin top problem, but we could be on to something. according to the robert wood johnson foundation obesity levels in children have finally, finally leveled off. >> another small win in the battle of the bulge. america's no longer the fattest nation in the world. a u.n. report shows we're actually number two after mexico. we'll be back.

55 minutes past the hour. time to check the top stories. miami beach's most famous mansion is heading to bankruptcy auction in september. the home once owned by legendary designer johnny versace went on the market for $125 million a year ago. since then, the price was cut to $75 million. now auction bidding will start at just $25 million. versace bought the home in 1992. five years later, had weighs murdered at the mansion's front gate. a 96-year-old wisconsin

woman proved he's not to be messed with. on monday a masked man tried to use a pocket knife to rob a store in wisconsin but the store's owner would not cooperate. >> i said you can have all the tootsie rolls all you want. but i'm not opening that cash register. >> and she didn't. the would-be robber then noticed the security camera and he left. in the end, he got away with nothing. didn't even take the tootsie rolls. the world waiting and waiting for the royal baby, that is. a contingency plan now in place, just in case catherine gives birth near her parents' buckleberry home. she's been staying there to avoid the heat in london but is looking to give birth at the same london hospital where her husband was born >> we want to end the hour on this. a moment the nebraska cornhuskers football team will not soon forget and espn agrees.

7-year-old jack hoffman a cancer survivor won the award for best home in last night's espys. >> it's super, thanks for the trophy, i'm glad you're now on team jack. i know with you we can't lose. thanks. >> we thought it was super duper awesome, too. hoffman beat out three of the athletes for the honor. the video reached more than 8 million views on youtube. i hope i left you with a smile on that one. that's it for me, i'm carol costello. "cnn newsroom" continues after a break. could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. mmmhmmm...everybody knows that. well, did you know that old macdonald was a really bad speller? your word is...cow. cow. cow. c...o...w...

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ask your doctor about the only underarm low t treatment, axiron. ♪ hello, everyone. i'm michaela pereira. i'm in your ashleigh banfield. we start with a plane crash in maryland. we want to show you the live pictures. we're going to show you the wreckage after it plowed into a mobile home. we're told this is 20 miles northeast of the d.c. no word yet of any injuries. we don't know if there are people inside that home or in that mobile home park. you can see firefighters are on scene now. first responders are there. we don't know who the plane belongs to either. once we get more information, we'll try to pass that along to you. also something we're