that's it for us on "new day." our hearts and our minds go out to all of you dealing with the events of 9/11. time for "cnn newsroom" with carol costello begins right now. >> good morning and thank you so much. "newsroom" starts now. happening now, a push for peace. >> i have therefore asked the leaders of congress to postpone a vote. >> president obama 15 minutes in america's place in the world. >> sometimes resolutions and statements of condemnation are simply not enough. >> in the search for clarity moments of contradiction. >> i have resisted calls for military action. >> followed by -- >> i determined to respond to a targeted military strike. >> reporter: a winding some say confusing response, obama

zigzag, his serious struggle, the morning after and a message challenged. ahead what's changed and what hasn't. you're live. it is "cnn newsroom." good morning. thank you so much for joining us. i'm carol costello. on this anniversary of the september 11th attacks, and yes it's been 12 years, a day of remembrance begins with a word of a new explosion. this explosion in benghazi, libya, a powerful blast on the main street tears through a foreign ministry building and a branch of libya's central bank. no one was killed but that same area would have been packed with people just an hour later. this attack comes one year to the day when armed men stormed the american consulate in bengha benghazi. ambassador christopher stevens and three other americans were killed. last month the first criminal charges were filed against the suspects. here at home the focus is on the september 11th attacks.

we're about to mark the moment when the second hijacked plane threw into the world trade center south tower 12 years ago, this comes as the united states looks at the possibility of striking syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons on its own people. in the president's address last night mr. obama reminded everyone we are not in charge of world security. >> that's correct's not the world's policeman. terrible things happen across the globe and it is beyond our means to right every wrong, but when, with modest effort and risk, we can stop children from being gassed to death and thereby making our own safer over the long run, i believe we should act. that's what makes america different. that's what makes us exceptional. >> all right, we'll have more on the president's speech in just a minute but we're going to take you live to new york city. moment of silence is about to

begin to mark the second plane, united airlines flight 175 that hit the world trade center's south tower, in just a moment people across the country will observe a moment of silence. right now, new york city is reading the names of those who died, 2,977 in all four attacks that day. let's listen. [ moment of silence ] >> bell laj.boukhan. >> simid. >> peter alexander efeld. >> william d. bigerth. >> ryan ejune bilcher. >> mark bingham. >> let's head to ground zero and check in with deborah feyerick. the 9/11 museum is still under construction but the freedom tower has been built. it's up, 1,776 feet tall.

good morning, deborah. >> reporter: good morning, carol. you talk about the moment of silence we just observed, it's always amazed me that the second tower, the south tower was the second one to be hit and it was the first and you think about the people who got out when the first plane struck, those who survived and those who did not and that's the feel you get when you're here down at ground zero but as time as passed, there's a sense of rebirth, of renewal, of healing as people flocked to the memorial and as they anticipate the museum. images of those who perished and stories of the lives they led will grace the entry, the scene in this artist's rendering. >> it's a story of people who were sitting at their desks, having a cup of coffee, talking to a colleague, boarding a plane for a vacation, and then the absolute unthinkable happened. >> reporter: families have donated personal mementos, each of them precious in their own way. when you look at all the artifacts, how did you decide which ones to include and which

ones couldn't make it in? >> it was a difficult process. we carefully looked at the ones that could best tell the stories. >> reporter: like the steel that bore the brunt of a plane's impact. more than 10 million people from 188 countries have visited the 9/11 memorial since it opened in 2011. a new transportation hub will open in 2015 and serve a quarter of a million people a day. there are a number of politicians in the audience but it's all about the families and being here where the place their loved ones were last alive. 343 firefighters perished today, and they remember and they, it's always moving to hear the names read and then hear the emotion in the voices of people saying "i love you. i love you. i miss you." carol? >> deborah feyerick live from ground zero this morning. we're still feeling the

repercussions of 9/11 today. president obama appealing to the nation on syria, trying to convince skeptical americans that his strategy will be effective and not pull the united states military into another long conflict like in iraq, like in afghanistan. >> i will not put american soldiers on the ground in syria. i will not pursue an open-ended action like iraq or afghanistan. i will not pursue a prolonged air campaign like libya or kosovo. >> this morning, there is mixed reaction to the president's speech, some say it contained more than a few contradictions. at one point the president called for military action and later offset that by calling for a more diplomatic approach. senior white house correspondent brianna keilar is at the white house this morning with more. good morning, brianna. >> reporter: good morning to you, carol. it was on friday in russia at the g-20 when president obama said he would address the nation last night. at that point, we were expecting and he was expecting that this

would be a speech arguing for a military strike, but being pulled between a war-weary american public and his credibility and the u.s.'s credibility and instead became a speech to buy time. from the east room tuesday night president obama told americans why his administration is certain syrian president bashar al assad's regime is responsible for a sarin gas attack the u.s. government says killed more than 1,400 civilians. >> in the days leading up to august 21st, we know assad's chemical weapons personnel prepared for an attack near an area where they mix sarin gas. they distributed gas masks to their troops. then they fired rockets from a regime-controlled area into 11 neighborhoods that the regime has been trying to wipe clear of opposition forces. >> reporter: he made the case for a military response. >> this would be a targeted

strike to achieve a clear objective. some members of congress have said there's no point in simply doing a pinprick strike in syria. let me make something clear. the united states military doesn't do pinpricks. even a limited strike will send a message to assad that no other nation can deliver. >> reporter: but facing a likely defeat in congress to authorize military strike -- >> however -- >> reporter: the president then argued against taking action, pointing to a new russian-brokered proposal for syria to give up its chemical weapons. >> i have therefore asked the leaders of congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path. >> reporter: it's an extraordinary turn of events, the policy of u.s. involvement in syria's civil war began with one off-the-cuff remark president obama made more than a year ago. >> a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being

utilized. >> reporter: and it has unexpectedly turned on what appears to be another. >> is there anything at this point that his government could do or offer that would stop an attack? >> sure, he could turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week, but he isn't about to do it, and it can't be done obviously. >> reporter: what one u.s. official initially called an off message comment by kerry it bore the proposal from russia that the president has yet to endorse. >> it's too early to tell if it will succeed and any agreement must verify that the assad regime keeps its commitments, but this initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force particularly because russia is one of assad's strongest allies. >> reporter: but still many syria observers doubt that syria will actually give up its extensive chemical weapons

stockpile, and there are many in the administration who are skeptical, who worry that this may just be a stall by the assad regime. we heard from secretary of state kerry yesterday. he said any action taken by syria must be swift, real and verifiable. he said this cannot be a delaying tactic, carol. he is headed today to geneva, switzerland, where he will meet tomorrow with his russian counterpart in geneva, sergei laugh above. >> brianna keilar reporting live from the white house this morning, thanks. also today diplomatic efforts are in focus at the u.n. where talks continue regarding a french resolution on syria. that would reportedly force syria to declare all chemical weapons within 15 days and open all related sites to u.n. inspectors. if syria refuses it could face punitive consequences. senior international correspondent nick paton walsh is at the united nations to tell us more. good morning, nick. >> reporter: ka are ol, whcarol

version was leaked to reuters lace last night, that seemed to run aground because it contained so many elements that the russians have the veto power here at the u.n. certainly weren't going to buy, the russians themselves asked if they could have consultation with the security council at 4:00 yesterday afternoon and out of nowhere seem to have withdrawn that request, now denying they did that. but really i think the diplomatic ball went into moscow's hands when it emerged, they were going to have a meeting with sergey lavrov and john kerry in geneva tomorrow. americans want to see a security council resolution coming out of that and at the same time they're bringing with them the americans a bunch of chemical weapons experts to try and talk about the feasible practicalities of how on earth would you take thousands of liters of toxic nerve agent and try and dispose of them safely. carol? >> that's a tough task. let me ask you this question,

france's prime minister says chemical weaponry makes assad a war criminal and last year then secretary of state hillary clinton made this declaration before a senate committee, quoting here, "based on definitions of war criminal and crimes against humanity there would be an argument to be made that assad would fit into that category." this was long before any talk of any chemical weapons and so why hasn't assad been deemed a war criminal? why isn't he being charged with that and taken to the hague? >> it's an incredibly complex procedure and i have to point out that the united states didn't sign on to the international criminal court. they support some of its activities around the world. it's a complicated issue international law in the first place and you have to have a security council resolution that agrees that bashar al assad should be arrested. remember the russians have veto power as well so it comes back to the same points.

the points by hillary clinton were 18 months from now and since then 5,000 people killed every month, many civilian, many blame the assad regime for those deaths. the french suggestion that international justice should, in fact, come towards the assad regime is the first time we've seen that really as a table as part of a solution here being put down by a member of the security council, a permanent member and that may be about trying to focus people's minds and discussion about what happens eventually to bashar al assad. remember the u.s. congress in their resolution there one of the points they make out is the strategy of the u.s. military could be about trying to push a negotiated settle lmt in many ways trying to get assad to agree leave power. >> senior international correspondent nick paton walsh at the u.n. this morning thanks. the u.s. is hoping for a clearer plan but russia's president putin says the united states may be shooting it self in the foot but keeping the threat of military action on the

table. >> translator: of course all this will only mean anything if the united states and other nations support it tell us that they're giving up their plan to use force against syria. you can't really ask syria for any other country to disarm unilaterally while military action against it is being contemplated. >> jill dough sert in moscow this morning. what exactly does russia want? >> reporter: they want to stop military action, and that's really the overriding concern of president putin, and in just a few minutes ago, carol, the parliament here, the lower house of parliament which would be like the house of representatives passed a statement. it's not a resolution but it's a statement, and they are urging the american congress and parliaments around the world to as they put it not to allow the plan for aggression to go forward, but to press for a peaceful solution while there is still time. so that's certainly the mood here and there's kind of another mood which i guess you could

describe as a type of triumphalism. some here, one lawmaker in the lower house saying that essentially the russian move had boxed president obama in, stopping him from moving forward on any type of military action, but you'd have to say now, step two, which is the challenge for russia at that meeting with secretary kerry on thursday will be to come one some type of workable plan, and that won't be easy, but that's the next mission. they really have to get something that works in order to make this proposal actually bear fruit. carol? >> jill dougherty reporting live from moscow, thank you. still to come in "the newsroom," relying on diplomacy. will it really work? i'll talk to a former defense secretary under president clinton. we'll be right back.

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president obama's pressing the pause button asking congress to postpone a vote on military action against syria while the russians try to work out a diplomatic plan but there's no telling how long it will take for syria to give up its

chemical weapons if it does it at all. >> it's too early to tell whether this offer will succeed. in any agreement, it must verify that at sad regime keeps its commitments. but this initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force, particularly because russia is one of assad's strongest allies. i have therefore asked the leaders of congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path. i'm sending secretary of state john kerry to meet his russian counterpart on thursday and i will continue my own discussions with president putin. >> two other actions the president noted, the united states and france will work on a resolution for the u.n. security council and they'll wait for u.n. inspectors to report findings from the site of the attack in syria. joining me now is william cohen, former u.s. defense secretary under president clinton.

welcome. >> good to be with you, carol. >> what do you suspect will eventually happen? >> i don't know. there have been a series of broken plays, if i can use the football metaphor at this point, of one move to the right. that right side of the line is blocked back to the center, that's blocked, then they move to the left, blocked there, so they throw the all out of bounds. that's about where we are right now because the president has said let's try diplomacy which everyone would agree about but it has to be backed by force. the threat of force that is evanescent, it may not exist. you have time which i don't think will work in favor of the president because as long as this time continues to expire i think more and more opposition will grow to the president's plan to use force so i think the russians at this point are going to make more conditions necessary before they can persuade assad, they've already

called upon the united states to drop any potential threat to attack syria, so the conditions are going to increase, i think the momentum, if there was any momentum, for the president to take military action as little as possible, as second tear kerry said, i think that's a false threat at this particular point, unless the president has the vote to back it up. >> so would it have been smarter, for lack of a term, for the president to perhaps go ahead and let congress vote and however it votes, he would then make the decision to strike syria militarily and keep that threat alive, would that have been a better strategy? >> well, i think once you start drawing lines and i think you should not draw red lines unless you're prepared to enforce them, if they're crossed, or have the ability to enforce them which the president may not have that ability as far as going to congress. i feel the president should have consulted congress but not

forced a vote because it becomes every member of congress insisting upon new qualifications or additions to thes rel the resolution and find yourself negotiating with yourself over a period of time. nonetheless the president is where he is now and if he is forced to tax action because the russians are stalling and assad is not complying, then he should use the desert fox operation that president clinton initiated against saddam hussein with a four-day campaign that did real damage to saddam's capabilities and that's what the president has in mind. next question is would he take action without the consent of congress having gone to congress asking for a vote. that raises all sorts of political questions about his presidency going forward. >> it certainly does. secretary cohen thank you for being with us this morning. we appreciate it. >> glad to be with you. still to come in "cnn newsroom," diana nyad shutting

down skeptics and defending her record swim. what the 64-year-old is saying, she's saying i'm no cheater. we'll be right back.

let's head to washington now. you see the president has just laid the wreath and the remembrance of those who died on

september 11th, at 9:37 in the morning 12 years ago today that american airlines flight 77 hit the pentagon. let's listen. ♪ [ "taps" ] ♪

>> all right, and in just a few minutes the president will make some remarks. you saw defense secretary hagel standing next to him and also the joint chiefs chair, general martin dempsey. we'll get back to that speech in a moment. barbara starr is also live at the pentagon this morning to tell us more about how washington is remembering the fallen today. good morning, barbara.

>> good morning, carol. you know, i think it's one of those days just like in new york and in shanksville when it's that fabric of remembrance, never forgetting, and so many years later knowing that so many people have moved on. you know, here at the pentagon, constantly people always talk about remembering the troops, but i think one marker of how many years have passed, i was looking, there was a notice recently that a young soldier had been killed in afghanistan, and he was 24 years old, and of course if you think about it, this young man was 12 years old on the morning of 9/11, perhaps just one marker of how many years since that day, carol. >> it's just unbelievable. it's been 12 years already and we're still dealing with the repercussions. barbara starr live at pentagon. at the same time president obama was laying the wreath at the pentagon the new york stock exchange was honoring the victims so let's take you back to new york and look at that moment of silence.

[ moment of silence ] [ moment of silence ] [ mome [ moment of silence ]?

all right, let's head back to washington now because secretary of defense chuck hagel is go to speak to those remembering the fallen at the pentagon. >> from the depths we have called to you, we call to you again for courage, for strength and wisdom on this anniversary of our nation's tragedy. we know that there is no prayer with the power to change the past, and so we pray that our pain would not cloud our hopes or crush our spirits. as we remember help us to return not only to our hurt but also to divine providence and inspirati inspiration. the hour source of strength and healing and comfort, even as our wounds still ache. the hour source of hope and guidance, and renew in us the guidance to serve well and faithfully, the hour source of peace, make us instruments of

your peace, and where there is hatred we may sow love, where thisis injury, pardon, where there is doubt, faith, where there is despair, hope, where there is darkness, light, where there is sadness, joy, this we pray holy and blessed name, amen. >> amen. >> all right, we're going to take a quick break. when we come back, of course the principals will be talking and we'll bring their remarks to you live. we'll be right back.

12 years ago today at 9:37 in the morning american airlines flight 77 hit the pentagon. we're honoring those who fell that day, this is the joint chiefs chair general martin dempsey, he's speaking to the

crowd, speaking next will be secretary of defense hagel and then president obama, and at 9:37, of course, everyone will observe a moment of silence. let's listen in. >> -- to the man who spoke those words and who lives them steadfastly every day, ladies and gentlemen our nation's secretary of defense, chuck hagel. >> general dempsey, thank you. mr. president, distinguished guests, family members, survivors and first responders, i'm honored to share this podium today with the distinguished leaders that accompany me and who represent the best of our country, and you, who represent the character and the fiber and the strength of america. 12 years ago at this hour, in this place a hosh risk act of terror claimed 184 innocent

lives. today we come together to honor the fallen, surrounded by those who loved them. we remember each of those taken from us. we remember them as individuals with their own story. we comfort the loved ones they left behind, who still mourn and grieve despite the passage of time. on our thoughts turn to others, whose lives were affected by the fateful events that clear september morning, the first responders and survivors whose heroism we celebrate. the pentagon personnel who came to work the next day with a greater sense of determination and the men and women in uniform who have stepped forward to defend our country after 12 long years of war, bearing incredible sacrifices along with their families. in all of these men and women, in all of you, we see the strength, the resilience, and the sense of purpose that have

always defined the united states of america and that, too, is what the american people reflect upon today. it is in these timeless qualities that we find hope for a better world and a better future. we're honored president obama is here to help commemorate this anniversary. is my privilege to introduce our commander in chief, a man who leads our country with compassion, with strength, and wisdom. ladies and gentlemen, president barack obama. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> from scripture we learn the miracle of restoration. you who have made me see many troubles and calamities will

revive me again. you will bring me up again, you will increase my greatness and comfort me again. secretary hagel, general dempsey, members of our armed forces and most of all the survivors who bear the wounds of that day and the families of those we lost, it is an honor to be with you here again to remember the tragedy of 12 septembers ago, to honor the greatness of all who responded and to stand with those who still believe and to provide them some measure of comfort once more. together we pause and we give humble thanks, as families and as a nation for the strength and

the grace that despair has brought us up again, has given us strength, we pray for the memory of all those taken from us, nearly 3,000 innocent souls, our hearts still ache for the futures snatched away, the li s lives, the parents who would have known the joys of being grandparents, the fathers and mothers who would have known the pride of a child's graduation, the sons and daughters who would have grown, maybe married, had been blessed with children of their own, those beautiful boys and girls just beginning to find their way who today would have been teenagers and young men and women looking ahead, imagining the mark they'd make on the world, they left this earth,

they slipped from our grasp but it was written what the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose. where your family's lost in the temporal, in the here and now, is now eternal. the pride that you carry in your hearts, the love that will never die. your loved one's everlasting place in america's heart, we pray for you, their families who have known the awful depths of loss and in the quiet moments we have spent together and from the stories that you've shared, i'm amazed at the will that you've summoned in your lives to lift yourselves up and to carry on and live and love and laugh again, even more than memorials of stone and water your lives are the greatest tribute to those that we lost, for their

legacy shines on in you, when you smile just like him, when you toss your hair just like her, when you foster scholarships and service projects that bear the name and of those we lost and make a better world, when i join the firehouse, put on the uniform or devote yourself to a cause greater than yourself, just like they did, that's a testimony to them and in your resilience, you've taught us all there's no trouble we cannot endure and there's no calamity we cannot overcome. step forward in those years of war, diplomats who serve in dangerous posts as we saw this day last year in benghazi, intelligence professionals often unseen and unheralded who protect us in every way, and those in uniform who defend this country that we love.

today we remember not only those who died but a solemn tribute -- >> we apologize we're having some in new york and in shanksville, pennsylvania, we are going to take a break. >> hayes host forever. >> and my father, christopher edward lauden, we love you and are working every day to make this world a place you dreamed it could be. >> randall l. drake.

>> patrick joseph driscoll. >> steven patrick driscoll. >> charles a.drose iii. >> all right, we got the technical bugs worked out. let's head back to washington. >> let us have the wisdom to know that while force is at times necessary, force alone cannot build for the world we seek so we recommit to the partnerships and progress that builds mutual respect and deepens trust and allows more people to live in dignity, prosperity and freedom. let us have the confidence and the values that make us americans, which we must never lose, the shining liberties that make us a beacon of the world, the rich diversity that makes us stronger, the unity and commitment to one another that we sustain on this national day of service and remembrance. april above all let us have the courage like the survivors and

families here today to carry on no matter how dark the night or how difficult the day. you, who have made me see many trials and calamityies will revive me again, from the deptsz of the earths will you bring me up again. you will increase my greatness and you will comfort me again. may god bless the memory of those that we lost, may he comfort you and your families. and may god bless these united states of america. >> all right and with that the president concludes his remarks. we'll take a break and be back with more. >> dennis michael edwards. >> michael haroldy edwards. >> christine egan.

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shootings in aurora and newtown, connecticut. state senate president john morse said getting fired though was worth it. >> if passing gun safety legislation in colorado cost me my political career, that is such a small price to pay because the families of gun violence victims pay a huge price every single day. and so the least i can do is stand up and do the right thing. >> the national rifle association, the nra bankrolled the recall campaigns and called the outcome a major milestone. diana nyad is defending her recent shark cage free swim from cuba to florida telling her critics the journey was done in a "squeaky clean and ethical fashion." skeptics raised concerns about her speed during the swim and lack of food eaten during stretches. the ohio man who made the viral video confessing to killing someone while driving drunk is due in court hood. the hearing was delayed tuesday after a judge found out he

planned to plead not guilty. cordle's lawyers said it was regular procedure and said their client would plead guilty. >> i'm sorry but there's nothing unusual, there's no reason to be arraigned here today. run downstairs, take a new judge to get a different sentence from another judge. >> the judge was not happy. cordle was charged with vehicular homicide. after a late start, humberto is the first hurricane of the 2013 atlantic hurricane season. the storm strengthened into a category 1 hurricane early this morning with sustained winds of about 75 miles per hour. this is the latest start to a hurricane season since 2002 when gustav became a hurricane on september 11. things have gone from bad to much, much worse for the cash-strapped postal service. the agency now cannot even

afford the vans it uses to deliver your mail. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. seriously? >> hi. seriously. it it wasn't so sad, it would be funny. right? this is the latest financial problem for the u.s. postal service. they can't afford to buy the vans that actually deliver the mail. it wants to lease these vans. you know what? a first. you've seen them out there. those vans with the steering wheel on the right. also some are fuel-efficient ones on the fleet. here's the thing. they're 12 to 25 years old. they're old. imagine keeping a car that long. so they're breaking down. fixes them is expensive. but buying new ones will cost them billions of dollars because they're custom made. so the usps actually put on and ad soliciting federal contract bids to lease the vans. carol? >> is this a scare tactic, or is the post office in such dire straits -- i mean, whose fault is this? >> look at the usps, carol, it's money problems, they are real.

the usps lost $16 billion last year, exhausted a $15 million line of credit from the treasury and still can't pay its bills. it missed two big payments to the government last year. here's what the problem. fewer people are mailing things. a lot of us doing online banking. an even bigger issue saddling the usps. congress requires the u.s. postal service to pay $5 billion is a year for retiree health care benefits. so you're looking at the u.s. postal service, making cuts where it can, cutting hours for workers. it's been merging processing plants and as far as the vans go, leasing makes sense, at least at a short-term fix. at this point, the usps needs some sort of fix. carol? >> you're not kidding. alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. still to come, george zimmerman detained by police again. his estranged wife called 911, and why a destroyed ipad could be a key to sorting it all out.

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a broken ipad is a key piece of evidence in the latest case against george zimmerman and the police. george found not guilty in the shooting death of trayvon martin walking backwards, surrendering to police, all caught by a squad car's dashcam. it happened after a dispute with zimmerman's estranged wife and her father. victor blackwell has more for us. >> hands up! >> reporter: new dashcam video shows george zimmerman and another man being ordered out of this truck monday by police. police suspected zimmerman was armed after receiving this frantic call from his estranged

wife shellie zimmerman. >> he continuously has his hand on his gun and keeps saying, step closer. just threatening all of us. >> step closer? >> with a firearm. he's going to shoot us. >> reporter: police say they did not find a gun. >> get on your knees! cross your feet! >> reporter: according to police there was a confrontation at the home the zimmerman's once shared. a home owned by shellie's father. >> he took my ipad out of my hand and smashed and cut it with a pocket knife. >> reporter: this is dean after the alleged attack, which police say was not caught on camera. police say mrs. zimmerman was now using the smashed ipad to record video of what was being taken from the home. in this home survaeillance vide, you can see george smash the ipad. now that ipad is at the center of the investigation. >> you've got george zimmerman saying he was struck with the

ipad. and then you have shellie saying that there was some physical contact with george. the ipad's important, because we want to see what's on that ipad. the ipad would have been running while this was going on. >> reporter: everyone questioned and released, no charges filed. victor blackwell reporting this morning. the next hour of "newsroom," after a break. here we honor the proud thaccomplishmentsss.

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"newsroom" a push for peace. >> i, therefore, asked the leaders of congress to postpone a vote. >> president obama 15 minutes in america's place in the world. >> sometimes resolutions and statements of condemnation are simply not enough. >> in the search for clarity, moments of contradiction. >>sisted calls for

military action. >> followed by -- >> i decided to respond to a targeted military strike. >> a winding, some say, confusing response. obama zigzagged. his serious struggle. the morning after and a message challenged. ahead, what's changed and what hasn't? you're live in the "cnn newsroom." good morning. thank you so much for being with me. i'm carol costello. right now all across the nation we pause to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the worst terror attack in our nation's history. >> joseph amatuccio. >> paul w. ambrose. >> christopher charles amaroso. >> in new york city, the names of those killed at the world trade center read by family members just like it's been done every year since 2001.

similar scene at the white house. the president, vice president and their wives gathering on the south lawn for a moment of silence for those killed when the first plane struck the north tower. and last hour, the president traveled to the pentagon. there he took part in a wreath-laying, and a memorial dedicated to the victims killed 12 years ago at the pentagon. >> it is here that we affirm the values and virtues that must guide us. we must have the strength to face the threats that endure, different though they may were from 12 years ago so that as long as there are those that will strike our citizens, we will stand vigilant and defend our nation. let us have the wisdom to know while force is at times necessary, force alone cannot build the world we seek. >> and in shanksville, pennsylvania, at the site of united flight 93 crash, a memorial now under way. let's listen. [ bell tolls ]

>> donald arthur peterson. [ bell tolls ] >> jean hoodly peterson. [ bell tolls ] mark david rothenberg [ bell tolls ] christine anne snyder. [ bell tolls ] and, of course, it was in

this pennsylvania field where that plane went down, and the passengers and crew tried to wrestle control of the aircraft away from the hijackers. ah. a reading of the names in shanksville, pennsylvania. and we cannot forget. it's been one year since the deadly terror attack in benghazi, libya, on the night of september 11, 2012, armed men stormed the american consulate. mortar and rocket fire destroyed much of the complex. u.s. ambassador christopher stevens and three other americans were killed, and just last month, criminal charge against the suspects were filed. today a new explosion ripped through benghazi once again. a you positiwerful blast on then street damaging a branch of a bank. no one killed. call for action and diploma diplomacy, two of the president's key elling themes at president obama made his appeal to the nation last night on syria. >> in the days leading up to august 21st we know that assad's chemical weapons personnel

prepared for an attack near an area where they nix saymix sari. distributed gas masks to their troops and then fired rockets from a regime controlled area into 11 neighborhoods that the regime has been trying to wipe three of opposition forces. fighting beyond syria's borders, these weapons could threaten areas like jordan, turkey and israel. a failure to stand against the use of chemical weapons would weaken prohibitions of others with weapons of mass destruction, and assad who ignores building a nuclear weapon or to take a more peaceful path. this is not a world we should accept. this is what's at stake, and i have a deeply-held preference for peaceful solutions. over the last two years my administration has tried diplomacy and sanctions. warnings and negotiations. chemical weapons were still used

by the assad regime. however, over the last few days we've seen some encouraging signs. in part, because of the credible threat of u.s. military action as well as constructive talks that i had with president putin, the russian government has indicated a willingness to join with the international community in pushing assad to give up his chemical weapons. the assad regime has now admitted that had it has he's weapons and even joined the chemical weapons convention, which prohibits think use. mow fellow americans for nearly seven decades the united states has been the anchor of global security. this is men doing more than forging international agreements. it has meant enforcing them. the burdens of leadership are often heavy, but the world's a better place because we have borne them. >> our senior white house correspondent brianna keilar is

live in washington with more on the president's speech. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, carol. you heard president obama make a case both for military action, but also against military action pursuing this diplomatic route. to that point, right now when you talk to white house official, really the focus, although they do continue some consultations of congress, the focus has really turned to this meeting that we're expecting secretary of state john kerry and his russian counterpart sergei lavrov to have in geneva, switzerland tomorrow. kerry is leaving today for that. it's also important to point out a few difficulties in even if syria were to agree in a verifiable way to give up their chemical weapons, it's a process that even under the best of circumstances would take several years, and then you consider, of course, that syria is embroiled in a civil war that doesn't show any real sign of ending at this point. now, i've asked white house officials if this diplomatic channel which a lot of folks and

observers, carol, do doubt ultimately will work. there's just a big deck stacked against it. if that were to fail what, really is the next step? what is the fallback? they say the fallback at this point would then be to go back to military force. as you know, we've seen in the senate, cancelled their vote for tonight, seems like the votes were not there to pass any sort of resolution authorizing military force. so at this point, it's not really clear what the next step is, carol. >> all right, brianna keilar reporting live from the white house this morning. well, we know -- i'm sorry. we are we going now? oh. okay. we were going to nic robertson. apparently we're not until after the break. we're going to take a break bright now. "newsroom" will come back with much more.

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we know that a majority of americans are opposed to military access, but president obama has said we must do something about syria or else america will appear weak to the rest of the world. we wondered how this was all playing out in syria and the rest of the middle east. we head to beirut where we find cnn international correspondent nic robertson. good morning, nic. how is the middle east? i'm sure they're watching this drama unfold in the united states. what do they think? >> reporter: well, there's divided opinion. those that are pro-assad think this is a good time for diplomacy to play out. those that are anti-assad, think it is wrong. he should be accountable for all debts in the region and the majority of people would probably agree here that they're sort of relieved in way, because there was a possibility that

tensions over the strike could have spimed ovlled over at the s and caused outbreaks, explosions here in lebanon, jordan, other places in the region. there is, i think you can safely say, a general feeling that the tension has gone down a notch. no one think's the problem has gone away and everyone know that the real issue is the fighting continues. rebels killed yesterday by convention's weapons. the discussion about chemical weapons, really the fighting on the ground is going on all the time in syria still. carol? >> i was curious how syria, pointing this out to its people. what is syria television telling the people of syria about what's happening? >> reporter: yes. interesting. there are certainly state television that could have run president obama's speech last night. admittedly in the early hours of the morning, but they didn't.

they ran a ticker across the screen saying obama delayed the vote giving the russians diplomacy. saying they will allow weapons inspectors to come in to the country, show where the stockpile of weapons are and give access to them, obviously, and an environment where war is still going on, you can only imagine how difficult that would be. those weapons inspectors in damascus just a few weeks ago when they first went to try to get to the site of the chemical weapons's explosion, they were shot at. one of their vehicles damaged. so all of those concerns while to get inspectors in while the syrians are making it sound really easy. the reality is, it's going to be very, very tough before even the diplomacy of the wording of the language exactly what's going to happen, before all of that is agreed, carol. >> senior international correspondent nic robertson, thank so much. tomorrow, secretary of state john kerry meets with his russian counterpart to hammer out a clear plan for syria. but russia' president putin says

the united states may be shooting itself in the foot by keeping the threat of military action on the table. >> translator: of course, all this won't mean anything if the united states and other nations supporting, giving up a plan to use force against syria. you can't really ask syria or any other country to disarm unilaterally why military action against it is being contemplated. cnn's jill dougherty is with us, i start with you. will russia and the united states really be able to agree? >> that is the question, that nobody really knows that, but what they're going to do is give it a big try on thursday, when secretary kerry and minister lavrov meet in geneva. their task, come up with a workable, concrete plan of how putting these chemical weapons under the control of the international community would actually work in practice, not

just theory, and that's, really, going to be tough, because as we've pointing out in the midst of a civil war, it would be very difficult to do something like that, and it's really up to the russians particularly to put some meat on the bones, to say how their plan was theoretical at that point publicly at least, can actually work. and, carol, you know, to give you an idea of the mood here. really, in the russian media, there is a mood that score one for president vladimir putin and russian diplomacy. they kneel essentially the russian move has really put mr. obama in a box, and that it stopped his forward movement on having some type of vote for military action. >> okay. so that brings up the question. russia wants military action taken off the table. so -- chris lawrence -- will the u.s. military, will the u.s. government, as in president obama, be willing to do that? >> reporter: not if you believe the public statements, which is,

the president basically coming out and saying that it's the military pressure, threat of military action that has brought this to the table right now, and got these parties interested in trying to come up with some kind of deal. but, you're right. there does need to be some sort of decision made in the next few weeks. some defensive officials are telling us there's only so long you can stand in sort of a three-point stance. cheap high level of readiness, and they would need some sort of clarity as to what's going to happen with certain ship deployments. two of the destroyers in the med arrived in the last four weeks. they can stay for a long time, but the other two deployed since february. so at some point in the next few weeks, in the next month or so, you're going to have to come up with some sort of plan to perhaps rotate them out, rotate others in, and i've been speaking to ish tos here at the pentagon who say, when you extend these deployments in today's navy with the limited

assets they have, it can really have a ripple effect over time. >> costing the american taxpayers a lot of money, too, it takes money 20 keep the ships where they are. jill, a lot of people are saying russia is doing this to delay thing, delay tactics, not really serious about this. so what sort of timetable will secretary kerry talk about when talking to the russian foreign minister? >> reporter: well, that's the theory among some people, carol. others think that the russian doss want to have something work so that they can avoid military action. but as far as the timetable, they're not specifically setting one and saying a number of days, this must be done, but they're making it very clear at the white house that they want this to move ahead expeditiously. that they fear that if it drags out and if it gets complicated and bogged down that it really will be just a delays tactic, and that's something that president obama has made clear he's not going to put up with. >> okay. so the last question for you,

chris lawrence, how is the u.s. military -- i mean, how are they taking this all in? i mean, what do you hear? from people who have boots on the ground here in the united states? >> reporter: i -- you know, carol, i spoke with someone who's actually deployed in that region. this is just a few days ago. he said that saturday when everything seemed to be leading up to a strike, he said, we thought we were going. the extra watches were standing, the readiness we were at. everybody thought we going. we were shocked when it didn't happen, and he said the tempo went from go, go, go, to almost nothing. so i think in some ways they're in status quo. maintaining a certain level of readiness, but, again, at some point you would need a clear direction about how long these ships are supposed to stay out there, what, if any, additional assets you're going to bring in. none of this can happen exactly, you know, on a dime. in a moment's notice.

so there needs to be some amount of planning, and i think right now, you know, a lot of the military people who are especially those deployed are just rolling with the political punches. >> chris lawrence, jill dougherty, many thanks. still to come in the "newsroom," anthony weiner is out of the running for new york city mayor, but his exit wasn't exactly what you'd call graceful. flip of the bird, next. just by talking to a helmet. it grabbed the patient's record before we even picked him up. it found out the doctor we needed was at st. anne's. wiggle your toes. [ driver ] and it got his okay on treatment from miles away. it even pulled strings with the stoplights. my ambulance talks with smoke alarms and pilots and stadiums. but, of course, it's a good listener too. [ female announcer ] today cisco is connecting the internet of everything. so everything works like never before. guys, you took tums® a couple hours ago.

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checking top stories at 23 minutes past the hour. new jersey governor chris christie has signed a law giving sick children easier access to edible medical marijuana. he actually sirened a bill to make this law qualifying, children must have parental approval, okay from a doctor and psychiatrist. it stemmed from a father's fight to get medical marijuana for treatment for his daughter's epilepsy. and diana nyad saying her swim was dmun a squeaky clean and ethical fashion. >> never, ever grabbed on to the

boat, the kayak, i'd grab on to another person, but any kind of floatation or support, never, ever get out of the boat, wear slippers. i would never, ever, never did, never would, and go about, any swim i've ever done including the current one from cuba, i'm anything but being adamant about the basic tenants of what we think is fair and square. >> some skeptics raised concerns about her speed during the swim, and the lack of food eaten during certain stretches. anthony weiner's comeback bid for new york city mayor ended the same way hi career in the house did. with a picture he probably wishes no one ever saw. >> this is the type of people you surround yourself with? >> oh, thank you for showing me the finger. >> did you see that? again, he flipped the bird. anthony weiner flipping the bird to reporters, that was supposed to be an election night, instead

he gave a speech withouts with wife there. you know who showed up? hi sexting partner. they didn't get a chance to talk. >> she went to his campaign headquarters and decided to rearrange his schedule because he doesn't think he can handle me confronting in his presence. i thought it only appropriate to make the last stop. >> seriously? okay. it was a better night for bill de blasio. earlier results show him coming in first place in the democratic primary for mayor. de blasio still needs 457 perce -- 45% of the vote. and one california city will try something that has never been done before. it will take over underwater

mortgages so people can stay in their homes. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange to tell us morning. good morning. >> good morning, carol. the city we're talking about a richmond, california, in the san francisco bay area. so the city council there voted last night 4-3 in favor of the controversial plan and basically what this plan is, the city wants to take over some underwater mortgages. that's when you owe more on the loan that you have than your home is worth. so the goal here for the city is to keep people in their homes. now, what richmond did try to do, it tried to buy hundreds of troubled loans from investors who own them, but because prices in california have plunged, the offer was for much less than the loan's value. so investors said, no way. richmond came back and said, wait a minute. since we're a city, we've got the power to take over these mortgages, if we use what's known as eminent domain, and, yes. they won the vote. it's a big victory for the city. especially when you look at what the problem is like in richmond. in 2006, the median home price

there was $460,000. now that same home is $206,000. someone, carol, who bought that home at the peak of the howing boom could owe twice what the house is actually worth. carol? >> really an interesting idea. i mean -- i can't determine whether it's a good idea or a bad idea. tell me. what do you think? >> reporter: i mean, you can see it, sort of see both sides, as you can imagine, critics are lining up for this one. several other cities tried to pass this same thing but it was rejected. this tried to go forward in chicago and san bernardino, california, as well. critics say it could open the richmond area up to the possibility of lawsuits or cause banks to tighten up on how much they lend for mortgages, because what this basically does is forces banks and investors to take a huge financial hit. they've got to swallow their losses. some investors have already sued, but now that richmond is moving in this direction, it very well could open the door for other cities to give it a try. >> it is interesting, because it does help the city of richmond.

right? they don't have the problem of vacant houses or the upkeep of those vacant houses, because that cost is often passed along to cities, and they still have a tax base with people who can still live in richmond and don't have the to move out and rent an apartment somewhere? >> reporter: right. this could be considered a short-term fix. in the long-term, you're going to do this. make us take a hit on what we can make on these properties? we're not going to lend any money to you anymore, or people looking to buy houses there, if they know that this very well could happen in the future's they would be very sreticent to lend money. there are two sides to this story. >> area, but the banks are already reticent to the lend money and what are they doing to help people in foreclosure? just saying. >> reporter: okay. >> all right. alison kosik. thanks so much. i love debating that one. still to come in the "newsroom" --

all right. we have to get serious here. did president obama seal the deal with the american public? or will he still struggle with support for a strike on syria? we're going to break down this primetime speech, next. [announcer] there's no hiding the goodness of the latest from

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ask your doctor about xarelto®. once a day xarelto® means no regular blood monitoring -- no known dietary restrictions. for more information and savings options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. good morning. i'm carol costello. thanks so much for joining me. a critical night for president obama with the majority of the nation firmly opposed to a strike in syria. it was the president's turn to make a plea for support from the american public, from you. if the president was going to make a clear and definitive case, some pundits think he has work to do. politico pointing out the president's contradictions in the speech described the remarks as "obama zig versus zag." "time" magazine calling it obama's syria struggle.

and also, obama confusing winding response to syria. stephen colbert also had something to say about this, and why a focus on chemical weapons may not be enough. >> tonight we're stepping away from the conflict syria, because apparently, so is the united states. a lot of details still to be worked out, and we'll get into those tomorrow, but the upshot is that america will not attack syria for gassing its citizens if they give up their chemical weapons. it's like, if you decapitated a co-worker, so they're taking away your ax. but, you get to keep your job, and your hatchet. >> there you have it. i don't think i could have put it better myself. joining me now, cnn political commentators donna brazile and anna. >> good morning, carol. >> so, anna, isn't that in the

minds of most americans opposed to an american strike in syria? >> okay. i think what happened here is that we've had several weeks of confusion and lack of clarity. a policy that incoherent, and it's being made up as we go along. also what happened was that he was ready to give it an entirely different speech when this thing with russia and syria popped up just a few hours before. so he had to change course entirely right before giving the speech and then went through with this speech. i think it was an important speech. i'm glad he gave it. i think it was time that he spoke to the nation on this. i think he made a compelling case when he talked about the children of the effects of the chemical weapons, and he touched the conscience of theamerican people. it may not have been a game-changer, but it was important, nonetheless. >> and donna, that's true. when the president spoke of children, he spoke of the videos coming out of syria and the children dying on the floor and gasping for air.

you know, the picture that brought the mind was heartbreaking. but we're a generous, caring nation, but at this point, is compassion enough? >> well, first of all, i thought the president's address last night was not meant to sway public opinion. it was meant to explain a very difficult situation. the use of chemical weapons was a game changer, and what the president sought to do last night was thread the needle to inform the public in terms of what's at stake for the american people. our national interests. explaining why this matters and why the united states may have to act. look, i don't know if it's zig or zag, or ying or yang, or bright or dark or moon or sun, all of the different opposites, but you know what? he wants democracy to work, he wants diplomacy to work but also understand we have to keep the military option on the table if we are to get the syrians and

russians and allies to come to the table to dispose of she's chemical weapons. >> and, ana, in fairness to the president, i mean, americans like things laid out in black and white, too. easy to understand. they like decisions made right now. shades of gray are more difficult to explain. >> shades of gray -- >> carol -- >> instead of 50 shades of gray. >> don't do it -- >> no gray with donna and me. going down donna's slippery slope. >> yeah. reality's tough. >> seriously, though. this is a complex situation that's going to take place in a complex area of the world that sucked to america before and didn't come out to a great outcome. how do you explain that? >> right now it's very hard to explain, because the bottom line is that we don't know what's going to happen. right now we are holding our breath hoping that what the russians and syrians are proposing will have good results. i will tell you putting our

faith and trust in the russians and syria is a big, big stretch. i think most americans including the president are not whenning to do that, and neither do they trust them and they want to verify. so, you know, we are -- it's up in the air. we don't know when congress is going to vote what they're going to vote on, we don't know what the russian plan is going to end up looking like, we don't know what the timeline is going to be. there's way more questions answer that there are answers. it becomes hard to explain, and that comes on top of two weeks of a lot of fumbling by the administration. i hope they take this time, carol, to develop a policy and a strategy in case this does not work. >> there's no fumbling here. what it is, the russians now have skin in the game. they're willing to go to u.n., get this resolution on the table. we have to verify it, of course, but you know what? the fact that the united states is even pushing this. i mean, if the united states didn't push it, ana, nobody would come to the table and assad would be free to continue

to spread these deadly weapons and kill innocent men, women and children. this is a humanitarian crisis as well. 2 million syrians have been displaced. let's not forget that. let's not forget, though, over 100,000 people that are now dead as a result of it. assad has already started to bomb away at some of the syrians who are fighting them in the civil war. so i'm glad the russians have some skin in the game. i hope we can get the united nations to act this time and the russians will not hold us back, but president obama has put it on the table, if they will not act, the united states will act. and that's important. >> and we'll leave it there. cnn political analyst donna brazile, ana navarro, thanks for being with us. still to come in the "newsroom," more than 80 years, they've been the washington redskins. some say the name is so racists, some journalist, big time sports journalists, won't even honor the name, won't write it in their articles. so --

is it about time washington changed its nickname? we'll talk about that, next. ♪

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wrong insensitive and unacceptable. what a new radio campaign is saying about the name of one of professional sports most popular franchises the washington redskins. >> the commissioner has the opportunity to stand up to bigotry and denounce the racial slur in the team name of the washington redskins. that word redskins is not a term. the name is wrong insensitive.

we do not deserve to be called redskins. we deserve to be treated as what we are. americans. >> it's just not the oneida ind that are upset. writing about the football team, and espn writes simply washington. will the growing pressure be enough to force a name change? joined by leader of the oneida indian nation. good morning. >> good morning. >> so what kind of reaction are you getting from this ad? >> well, we have changed the mascot, wdo, to org and getting supportive comments and a lot of people recognize the significance and importance of this issue. >> you've been fighting this fight for decades, and all of a sudden some big names in sports journalism say, okay.

we get it now. we're not going to use the nickname redskins anymore in our articles. what do you think, like, forced that change finally? >> well, i think it's great. i think in this country we've seen different time periods where things have gone along for a certain time, different times in history. slavery, segregation, a lack of women's rights. i mean, times do change, and that's one thing that's really great about this country, that we can come together and make a change for the better and make a better america. >> on the other hand, the redskins team owner, the billionaire, daniel snyder says he'll "never change the name." does that discourage you? >> not really. history is littered with people who say never. i've learned a long time ago, it's better not to say never. look, this is a very important issue. you know, using a name like this especially with our national team. especially at a time like this in our country's history, we want to be unified as america's people. we are americans.

names like that, though, let's be clear. the dictionary defines its is an offensive term towards native americans. what makes it offensive, it's racial. it's a slur, and it's dehumanizing, and trivializes all of the ale really significant issues that american indians face in this country. >> have you appealed directly to daniel snyder? and if you have, do you plan to increase the intensity? >> yes. well, i think that that's, sometimes, what's necessary. we just think that it's important to stand up for ourselves, and hopefully the others will and recognize how important this is to our country. we want to have a country that has unifying language, that has unifying symbols. sports is, can be such a unifying symbol, but in this particular context it represents the national capital, and i think it sends the wrong message to the rest of the world. especially now when the nfl is

thinking to internationalize its brand. >> thank you very much for joining me this morning. i appreciate it from the pochlt hnida indian nation. >> thank you for having me. still to come in the "newsroom"," george zimmerman detained by police once again. it involves an ipad. we'll talk about that, next. [ male announcer ] campbell's angus beef & dumplings. hearty cheeseburger. creamy thai style chicken with rice. mexican-style chicken tortilla. if you think campbell's 26 new soups sound good, imagine how they taste. m'm! m'm! good! a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

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more legal troubles for george zimmerman. that's hill. the man found not guilty of the shooting death of trayvon martin walking backwards surrendering to authorities. this altercation happened earlier this week after a dispute zimmerman had with his estranged wife and her father. now police are trying to piece together a broken ipad that george's estranged wife shellie zimmerman says she used to record the entire incident. in this home surveillance tape, which george zimmerman freely gave to police, you see him toss that ipad on the ground and later you can see him using a penknife to, like, stab the ipad. now, george zimmerman told police shellie used the ipad to hit him and shellie told a 911 operator that george threatened she and her father with a gun, and police said they never found a gun. so no charges have been filed in the zimmerman family dispute, but police are still investigating. joining me now to talk about the latest twist for george

zimmerman is criminal defense attorney page. good morning. >> hi, carol. >> police are looking at the ipad that is broken, but they think it has some sort of evidence. why are they going through all this if shellie zimmerman doesn't want to press charges? >> you don't need the victim to testify to bring a domestic violence case, like in florida. if police look at this ipad and are able to find video evidence or photography of a picture of physical contact between george zimmerman and shellie zimmerman, then they can charge him, even if she does not want to cooperate and testify. >> what about shellie zimmerman's father? we saw a picture of him. he had a cut on his nose. shellie zimmerman said on that 911 call that george zimmerman punched him. isn't that enough to charge george zimmerman with some sort of assault crime. >> it could be. police want to be certain they have sufficient evidence to go forward, because if you have family members who do not want to participate in a prosecution, who don't want to testify, say, look, i don't want to press

charge, it's a personal issue, although they can do it, itic mas it a lot more difficult. >> is this unusual that police are taking this amount of time on this particular case? . i think so. obviously, it's george zimmerman. everyone knows who he is. most of the time the police will investigate a case like this. they'll take statements from the family members. they may look at video evidence. they'll listen carefully to the 911 call, because many times you'll hear them arguing in the background. i think they want to get it right, because if he is convicted of even a misdemeanor and it's domestic violence, he can't possess a firearm. >> that will open a new can of are woulds, huh? >> absolutely. >> thanks so much. appreciate it. still to come in the "newsroom," few nfl players are as scrutinized as this one. it only took a single game r game for the detroit lions defensive tackle to be hit with his first fine of the season, and, oh, boy, it was a doozy. we'll talk about that, next. [ female announcer ] we lowered her fever.

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funny music for our top story, let's check them anyway at 54 minutes past. two colorado states senator supporting stricter gun laws are out of a job this morning. colorado voters kicked them out in the state's first-ever legislative recall. the two lawmakers had voted for

new gun laws following mass shootings in aurora and newtown, connecticut. state senate president said getting fired was worth it. >> if passing gun safety legislation in colorado cost me my political career, that is a small price to pay because the families of gun vile ins victims pay a huge price every single day. and so the least i could do is stand up and do the right thing. the national rifle association, the nra, bank rolled the recall campaign and called the outcome a major milestone. the dfda has gotten 89 reports of getting sick after eating chobani greek yogurt. reports not confirmed. chobani acknowledged some cups of yogurt made at its idaho plant may have mold. they pulled the cups, some of which were reportedly bloated. for the seventh time, the u.s. men's soccer team will play for the world cup.

our sports news anchor with this morning's bleacher report. good morning. >> reporter: a, good morning. not only did they make it, the world cup in brazil, they did it at the expense of their biggest player. the u.s. got on the board in the 49th minute on a header by johnson. about 30 minutes later, landon donovan put the game away. in the 2014 world cup. mexico qualifying for the first time in more than 30 years. read about the $100,000 fine the nfl handed down to ndamukong suh sioux. pennelliz pennellized. one of the dirtiest players in the nfl, once stomped on a player laying on the ground and kicked an opposing quarterback in the groin on thanksgiving. >> that was a mistake. >> uh-huh. >> suh apologized for the latest

low blow and plans on paying the fine. and a future quarterback in his own backyard. check this out, carol. the quarterback from alabama. economic it out. trips the defender here. gets to the outside, and makes a reggie bush-type move, stiff are aed him, running in for the touchdown. the most incredible run you'll ever seen on a pee-wee football field. remember that name, carol. you may see him starting for the crimson tide one day. >> never know. thank you, andy. sure was fun. thank you for joining mere. i'm carol costello, ashleigh banfield after a break. i told my doctor i think i'm... i'm ready. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. i knew that i could smoke for the first 7 days. i knew that i wasn't putting nicotine back into my body to try to quit.

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liberated. released. decongested. open for business. [ inhales, exhales ] [ male announcer ] powerful sinus relief from the #1 pharmacist recommended brand. sudafed. open up. hello, everyone. i'm ashleigh banfield. it is september 11th, the day america pauses to remember those lost in the attacks 12 years ago. today is also a day for diplomacy and diplomacy is front and center of this morning as plans for a u.s. military strike on syria are on hold for now. the president has still laid out his case for military action against that president, bashar al assad, and his regime, if a diplomatic effort led by russia doesn't work. here's part of his national ad