people in the hot air balloon crash in virginia has transitioned into a recovery operation for two bodies. >> this hour, officials announce they found the body of one of the three missing people who were on board the doomed balloon which burst into flames last night after striking power lines. we will continue to follow this balloon crash throughout the morning and search for other two who are missing. >> thank you for starting your day with us. >> "smerconish" starts right now. good morning. i'm michael smerconish. as you get up this morning, as we all do, you like to check the local headlines and see what is going on. this morning, i'll take the headlines and redefining them for you to bring the you story as i see it behind the headlines. here is our lead headline. donald sterling's pathetic racism excuse revealed in the second recording. that headline on radar online opening to a tale of jealousy

and desire according to the disgraced billionaire. here is some of the secret recording, allegedly, of donald sterling. >> i'm talking to a girl. i'm trying to have sex with her. i'm trying to play with her. what -- you know -- if you were trying to have sex with a girl and you are talking to her privately, you don't think anybody is there. you may say anything in the world. what difference does it make. if the girl tapes it and releases it, my god, it's awful. who thinks anybody's going to tape something? what the hell? i'm talking to a girl. the girl's black. i like her. i'm jealous she is with other black guys. i want her. so, what the hell can i tell her? am i a person?

do i have freedom of speech? >> as far as excuses go, that was lame. i was trying to impress a girl and didn't think my racist heart would be exposed? the nba wants no part of sterling. he is banned for life. it is not that simple. enter sterling's wife shelly. she says she owns 50% and has no intention of selling. here is her attorney. >> her desire is to retain her 50% ownership of the team. and whatever happens to donald's interests. she has been owner for 33 years. she helped build the family fortune. she wants to retain her ownership. >> clippers head coach doc rivers was asked about shelly sterling remaining as owner. he said it would be difficult to remain coach of the team. joining me is diane dimond. he was just trying to talk her

into the sack. >> it is like the hugh grant excuse going awry. this is the oldest mid life crisis i have ever seen. he is a billionaire. a smart man. an older man. before he brings somebody like this into his organization, you think he would check out her background. she has a rap sheet and six aliases. this is the one he wants to impress and get in the sack? >> this is known for street smarts. what are the odds that twice in a row there is a recording that is revealed? i think this second tape is pure set-up. he called a buddy of his and said roll tape on me. i want to tell my side of it and release that. >> you are cynical. i hadn't thought of that. maybe that is true. maybe that is true. i thought to myself, how stupid is this man? he would call somebody and say these things, run the risk of recorded again. maybe it was deliberate.

maybe this is his way of explaining himself. the problem is, michael, he did not say there i liked her. she is black. i didn't want her to be with anybody else. what she said, i didn't want you to be around black people and post it online and embarrass me. >> given the respect for the wife, she is not the one who said the racist things and by virtue of community property, she is about to forego 50% interest in the clippers? >> no, you will not have a difficult time divorcing shelly from her husband. although she came out through her lawyer through her mouthpiece saying i want to distance myself from the comments. i think they are disgusting. there is no place in the nba for someone like my husband. the fact of the matter is, he is your husband. you have been married to him for a lot of years. right after this happened, we saw them together out having

together. they did not look estranged to me. i think it is a ploy, a back-doorway for the sterling to maintain control of the nba team notwithstanding everybody else wanting them gone. >> what about you can't force someone to sell private property in america? >> you know, i think that is an interesting thing to say. i think most americans would agree with that in a general sense of the word. that is true. however, when you own an nba franchise, it is not just like owning a corner bodega or a car or house. this is a different kind of ownership. this is an ownership governed by contract heavily and heavily with his relationship with the league. the league maintains a good deal of control of how he can manage that property and whether he can keep that property. he agreed to that when he signed on to be a member of the very exclusive club of nba owners. >> you are shaking your head yes. you are agreeing he has no

choice when all is said and done. >> this is like owning a mcdonald's. you agree to the franchise rules. ronald mcdonald will be on the wall. people sit in certain chairs. it is governed by the franchise. this is in the name of the sterling family. i would say the family has to go by the rules. this is the bottom line for me. this will not go away. she will fight because she wants 50%. he will fight because he is a lawyer and you cannot force him to sell. this is going to go on longer than the malaysia airline search. >> no offense taken. will the value diminish? >> i agree with you, michael. the irony of the whole thing is that they bought this franchise for dirt cheap back in 1981. it has increased in value

tremendously. right now, would be the best time to sell the franchise because, i think, you are right. if they continue to try to force this issue and force themselves on the league and america when they are not wanted, they will bring down the price of the franchise. it is against their economic interests. i don't know they really care about money right now. it is more about the principle. >> tanya miller and diane dimond, thank you. we talked about the racism revealed in second secret recording. billionaire's wife could lose prize possession because of husband's stupidity. will democrats show up to the table in the benghazi discussion? that might be up to this guy. why the panel set up to investigate the deaths of four americans is nothing more than a political stunt. plus this. opposition research, the

team on the campaign finds the bombshell or knows the bombshell and holds on to the bombshell to deploy it in the election narrative. >> so that monica lewinsky article, was it politically planned? if so, which side planned it? (agent) i'll walk you guys through every step. there are a lot of buyers for a house like yours. (husband) that's good to know. you wouldn't have it she any other way.our toes. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use

helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about experiencing cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. i got this. [thinking] is it that time? the son picks up the check? [thinking] i'm still working. he's retired.

i hope he's saving. i hope he saved enough. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. whether you're just starting your 401(k) or you are ready for retirement, we'll help you get there.

did you see this wall street journal headline this week? house votes to create special benghazi panel. straight forward. there is something missing. missing are the four men who died on september 11th of 2012. ambassador christopher stevens and the three others. these are the men who were killed in the attack on the consulate in benghazi. they are becoming a footnote on the fight on capitol hill as republicans push the idea that the white house lied to the american people while democrats

say there was no plan to deceive. the headline talks about a house committee approved to look into the attack and aftermath. since the gop runs the house, they get to make the rules and one of them is dividing the panel up unevenly with seven republicans and five democrats. democrats feel they are window dressing in the drama, may decide to sit this one out. here is nancy pelosi's take. >> the fact is this is a stunt. this is a political stunt and the fact that -- issa just is damaged goods. they had to move from him with another venue. we have been there and done this over and over again. >> my next guest is the former white house counsel in the clinton administration. "five rules with dealing with

business politics." lanny davis. in one crisis situation after another, they are not telling it early or telling at all or telling it themselves. >> it is a veis very strange wh very facts on your side that are positive facts in answer to the partisan charge which is what this is about as you correctly say. charging the white house with the deception and cover up. from the very beginning, they had the answer in their possession which are 14 drafts of the talking points where the controversial phrase of the horrible tragedy began with a spontaneous demonstration by a protest in cairo which was part of the general reaction throughout the middle east to the anti-muslim video. republicans are on record from the very beginning accusing the obama white house of inventing that phrase spontaneous

demonstration in order to minimize their not seeing that it was a terrorist attack and trying in the middle of a presidential campaign to cover that up. we now know that the cia wrote that phrase from the very first draft of the talking points to the 14th draft. the white house had those 14 drafts, could have put that out immediately. susan rice might be secretary of state rather than letting her twist in the wind. the white house sat on that for months. you don't have the facts and you don't put them out and you sit on them and it looks like you are covering something up. with all due respect, i would say to the obama white house, let's learn that lesson. to my friend nancy pelosi, who i have known for years, let's learn that lesson how we react to the circus-like hearings. >> now the ben rhodes e-mail.

it should have been produced. it is not significant for what it says, but rather for the fact it wasn't produced sooner. do you agree? >> absolutely. it reminds me without criticizing anyone in the white house, sometimes you don't produce things because some lawyer says it is not quite about benghazi and the lawyers get cute. that is one issue in every white house. not just this white house. it was the reason i criticized the white house counsel for not telling barack obama about the irs scandal until after it broke. here you have an e-mail that is general about the widespread reaction to the protests relating to the video. it was put out in the context of trying to brief someone for a talk show on the sunday morning talk shows. of course it related to benghazi, but it wasn't about when benghazi was about the broad reaction to the video. why hold that back? i would make the argument even

if it is not about benghazi and you are legalistically say we don't need to produce it. for goodness sake, it looks like you are holding it back. it is a good document. put it out. >> three quick things. yes or no, should the democrats participate in the committee on benghazi? >> absolutely yes. does it ever make sense to let the other guy have a one-sided argument while you have the facts? makes no sense. i would be in their face challenging them every time. who wrote the phrase spontaneous demonstration? the white house covering up or the cia and mike moore saying we wrote that because we thought in the early stages we were wrong. that was the message. >> 30 seconds on two other matters. the v.a. hospital scandal. from a crisis management standpoint, what needs to happen? >> the secretary should be in front of congress and every document and every e-mail of not

taking care of our veterans should be put out in an investigation. >> i would be derelict in my duty in not asking for a response in monica lewinsky's essay in "vanity fair." why now? >> i don't know. i don't want to talk about the subject because of respect for the private life of the clintons. this has been dealt with over and over again. i never had anything but sympathy for ms. lewinsky from the very first day. i believe this is a subject in her private life that she should get on with and i don't want to get into it any longer. it has been fully litigated. judgments have been made by the american people to forgive. that is really all i would like to say. >> lanny, thank you. you remember the house votes to create special benghazi panel. i would write it, benghazi is

the new abortion. it is called a prom draft. that is right. high school girls told to wear their best on prom draft day to see if they get picked. all in good fun or objectfying teen girls. you have seen the monica lewinsky article. this was planned and meticulously orchestrated says my next guest. (mother vo) when i was pregnant... i got more advice than i knew what to do with. what i needed was information i could trust on how to take care of me and my baby. luckily, unitedhealthcare has a simple program that helps moms stay on track with their doctors and get the right care and guidance-before and after the baby is born. simple is good right now. (anncr vo) innovations that work for you. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

honestly, the off-season isn't i've got a lot to do. that's why i got my surface. it's great for watching game film and drawing up plays. it's got onenote, so i can stay on top of my to-do list, which has been absolutely absurd since the big game. with skype, it's just really easy to stay in touch with the kids i work with. alright, russell you are good to go! alright, fellas. alright, russ. back to work! mom has a headache! had a headache! but now, i& don't. excedrin is fast. in fact for some, relief starts in just 15 minutes. excedrin. headache. gone. how much money do you think you'll need when you retire? then we gave each person a ribbon to show how many years that amount might last. i was trying to, like, pull it a little further. [ woman ] got me to 70 years old. i'm going to have to rethink this thing. it's hard to imagine how much we'll need for a retirement that could last 30 years or more.

so maybe we need to approach things differently, if we want to be ready for a longer retirement. ♪

time now for headlines redefined. the headlines that got the story half right. number one from the wall street journal. obama's climate bomb. a neutral government report released this week. the title the national climate assessment argues that climate change is here and now. it is not in the distant future. scientists from academia and the government and private sector were involved in the preparation of the report. think of it this way. you know the scorcher in the summer. the hottest day of the summer season. that will become the norm in the not too distant future. that is what they argue in the report. not buying it is the wall street journal editorial page. this 829-page report is all propaganda from the obama administration. i'm trying to be open minded as

i read the editorial. if that is the viewpoint, where is the contrary research. where are the scientists able to rebut the document? no mention of them. here is the headline. obama's climate bomb. i would have written, show me the data. number two from reuters. obama says kidnapping of nigerian girls shows man's deadliest impulses. you know the abduction of the 200 something girls. amnesty international is saying nigeria knew four hours before the kidnapping. for many, it appears social media will give voice and rise to attention to a matter of worldwide concern. to others, like the president,

this is man's worst impulses. i think this is about the jihadist imprisonment of women. forcing them into marriage and not allowing them to be educated or not voting rights or no mobility and mandating their dress. and boko haram is one example of the worldwide phenomena. the headline where the president said the kidnapping of nigerian girls shows man's deadliest impulses. i would have written, social media highlights jihadist subjugation of women. then the register of high school boys hold draft to pick prom dates. this is in newport beach, orange county, california. apparently the selection process has been going on for a period of years. the principal has now condemned

it. it sure does sound borish. i have been paying attention to the comments. it may sound awful, but it reduces the drama of our need to pair up during prom season. they also point out that no one is forced to go. you have the ability to say no if you choose not to go with whomever selected you. more than anything else, it is a formalization of a process that has taken place ad hoc for generations. i will cut slack to the high schoolers. the headline which said, high school boys hold draft to pick prom dates. mine, a truly sophomoric approach to prom. monica lewinsky article, was it the end of its time or

something else? >> i have to go public right now. that is not what happened. >> why my next guest thinks the monica lewinsky article has something to do with something nefarious called research. and you want to pray in public meetings, go ahead. if you don't like it, there's the door. hey, i heard you guys can help me with frog protection? yeah, we help with fraud protection. we monitor every purchase every day and alert you if anything looks unusual. wow! you're really looking out for us. we are. and if there are unauthorized purchases on your discover card, you're never held responsible. just to be clear, you are saying "frog protection" right? yeah, fraud protection. frog protection. fraud protection. frog. fraud. fro-g. frau-d. i think we're on the same page. we're totally on the same page. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. fraud protection. get it at discover.com little things, anyone can do. it steals your memories. your independence.

insures support. a breakthrough. and sooner than you'd like... ...sooner than you think. ...you die from alzheimer's disease. ...we cure alzheimer's disease. every little click, call, or donation adds up to something big. alzheimer's association. the brains behind saving yours. tigers, both of you. tigers? don't be modest. i see how you've been investing. setting long term goals. diversifying. dip! you got our attention. we did? of course. you're type e* well, i have been researching retirement strategies. well that's what type e*s do. welcome home. taking control of your retirement? e*trade gives you the tools and resources to get it right. are you type e*?

because the more you know, the more we can help you. cut. lower. shave.

chop. and drop your insurance rates. if you want to save hundreds, talk to farmers. ♪ we are farmers bum - pa - dum, bum - bum - bum - bum ♪ [announcer] the more you know, the more you could save. farmers could help you save hundreds on your auto insurance. call your local agent or 1-800-470-8496 today. this next headline was really the talk of the town this week. from "vanity fair" shame and survival. this was the essay written by monica lewinsky as she burst back in the spotlight. answering the question whatever happened to -- the essay is a good read. she is breaking her silence, quote, because it's time. in the piece, lewinsky talks about the affair and current dating and job status and

feelings on femainism. the fact it is 2014 and lewinsky has come out to tell her story. take a listen. >> this is not a personality story. i don't believe monica lewinsky suddenly had a revelation with her therapist and had a break through and i have to go public right now. that is not what happened. there is something in every campaign called opposition research. in opposition research, the team on the campaign finds the bombshell or knows the bombshell and holds on to the bombshell to deploy it at critical points in the election narrative. mrs. clinton is about to announce her run for the next president of the united states of america. i think was involved with the laudatory campaign biography.

she is clearly trying to position her as, you know, head of state, secretary of state, finder of solutions for new york and conflict areas around the world. of course, the republican national committee wants to change the subject to those messy years where we were dragged through the emotional mud. >> i think she comes out as a sympathetic figure. >> mrs. clinton? >> absolutely. secretary clinton. i was interested to see at the end of your last thought, and here is who dropped the dime or who caused this to be back in the public domain. i happen to think it is secretary clinton's benefit we are having this conversation. what are we doing? i'm reflecting on the '90s and saying it is not fair she had to go through that. >> that is not necessarily thinking of her as the next president of the united states. you are thinking of her as a

wronged wife. not where they solved welfare or created partnerships for the protection of the environment. eight years of peace and prosperity. not thinking about her as secretary of state and conflict areas around the world. you are thinking about her as a wife and wronged woman. it is changing the frame. so it is for that reason that i'm certain it is a strategic decision. >> that presupposes that monica lewinsky is a participant. >> hello? yes. >> do you believe that? >> look, i don't think she is sitting in a smoke-filled room with republican strategists. there are a lot of ways. i worked on two presidential campaigns informally for the election of president clinton and formally for the adviser in gore 2000. there are a lot of ways that are not about direct that are especially not about because you

want denyability. you want direct affiliation with a campaign or election officials. it can be enlisted. here is a consultancy or a non-profit that needs advice or pr work. you know, there is a job in the future that i'm sure you might be interested in. these are -- ms. lewinsky might not even know who the people are. >> that she is being manipulated. >> i don't want to treat her reducktively like that. there is a strategic agenda. my question is why now? why not five years ago, four years ago? >> a year from now. >> it is just so obviously campaign timing. >> monica lewinsky said the tragedy surrounding tyler clemente, that precipitated this desire on her part. you are shaking your head.

>> really? you know, really? i'm not saying really to you, really to -- >> i'm glad to have this conversation with you. we both read the same piece and came to opposite conclusions. i was accepting of what she said. the way i read it, she is taking a look at the political landscape. she is seeing secretary clinton as the presumptive nominee. she is saying, oh, my god. i now have to live with this through the campaign and then for the first term and then the second term. i have most move on with my life. >> live with what? nobody mentions her anymore. she is not facing years of being raked over the coals. >> i don't think i would recognize her. she says she is recognized day in and day out. she is virtually been unemployable. >> i believe that is true. what is your point about that? that is true for the last 20 years. >> i love that conversation.

there is more to it. we will put it up on cnn.com/smerconish. thank you, naomi wolf. you remember the headline we started with, the title of the lewinsky essay. shame and survival. here is a different take. they moved on. why can't i? court mandated prayer at government meetings. if you don't like it, you can leave the room. what my next guest has to say about that and why he says you shouldn't call anyone on the supreme court a judge. do you know this guy? you should. his victory just changed the way the republicans plan to attack the mid-term elections. at od, whatever business you're in, that's the business we're in.

with premium service like one of the best on-time delivery records and a low claims ratio, we do whatever it takes to make your business our business. od. helping the world keep promises. my lenses have a sunset mode. and an early morning mode. and a partly sunny mode. and an outside to clear inside mode. new transitions® signature™ adaptive lenses are more responsive than ever. so why settle for a lens with just one mode. experience life well lit. upgrade your lenses to new transitions® signature™. visit your local visionworks today. to ask about our new transitions® signature™ lenses with chromea7™ technology. and start living a life well lit.

the average person will probably eat something or drink something that is acidic on a daily basis. those acids made over time wear the enamel. a lot of patients will not realize what's happening to the enamel. once it's gone, it's gone away for good. i recommend pronamel. it's designed specifically to help strengthen the teeth. pronamel will actually help to defend the enamel from the acids in our diet. if you know that there is something out there that can help, why not start today? for $175 dollars a month? so our business can be on at&t's network yup. all five of you for $175.

our clients need a lot of attention. there's unlimited talk and text. we're working deals all day. you get 10 gigabytes of data to share. what about expansion potential? add a line anytime for 15 bucks a month. low dues... great terms... let's close. new at&t mobile share value plans. our best value plans ever for business. afghanistan, in 2009. orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, 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 current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

our next headline raised a lot of eyebrows when it happened. supreme court holds prayer at council meetings. the story. the supreme court ruled in the case involving the city council of greece, new york. the council starts the meetings with the prayer. that practice was challenged. the court sided with the city council saying prayer is protected. justice anthony kennedy said if you don't want to hear the prayer, leave the room. four of the nine justices said the prayers should be more inclusive and non denominational. eric segal is fired up about the

decision. he is author of "why the supreme court is not a court supreme myths." what did take place at the meetings? >> good morning. michael. thanks for having me on. starting prior to 1999, the greece town council had a moment of silence before every single session and i think that is a wonderful way to begin. in 1999, they started christian prayers. for eight years, christian prayers. 2/3 of which referred to jesus or explic-pliplicitly christian. this is serious for people who have to go to the town council and ask for zoning permit or variance or debate some other love it local issue. and they were asked to bow their heads to jesus. if you don't want to do that,

that is coercive thing. the low are court struck it down because of the lack of inclusiveness of eight years of only christian prayers. >> i get what you are saying. i'm agnostic or jewish and i am there to get a variance. does it run afoul to the constitution? i have my pocket copy with me. prohibiting the free exercise thereof. does this run afoul? >> government cannot punish you for your religion. they cannot put you in prison. the establishment clause is to stop the government from rewarding religion too much. even the most conservative justices prior to the case. took the position that the government is not allowed to favor one religion over another.

in this case, that is what happened. what justice kennedy did on behalf of the other four, read the establishment clause out of the constitution for purposes of prayer. michael, this is a tough and easy issue all at the same time. if we were talking about abortion, affirmative action or guns or campaign finance reform, i would say this is complicated. there is no easy solution. in this case, there is an easy solution. have a moment of silence. >> let me ask you this. what of the argument that says this is a christian community and it reflected the views of the community it was serving? >> it is not a christian community under the united states constitution. >> in other words, there is no such thing. >> all eight of the nine justices believe that. not sure about justice thomas. the point is in the eyes of the

constitution, there is no christian state or country. we are the united states of america where christians and jews and muslims and agnostics and atheists should have the right to go to the town council and be treated equally. >> professor, one other aspect. the american people are accustomed to 5-4 decisions. the question is, which way is kennedy going to swing? the different way of looking at the outcome which to say they broke along religious lines. explain. >> so a lot of people and new poll came out showing americans think the supreme court is more political than legal. my answer to that is it is not more political, but values. not about law. five white catholic men who practice their religion are not used to be in a room where they are in the minority. three jewish justices and justice sotomayer, they know what it feels like to be an

outsider. that's what decides supreme court cases. experience, values, personalities, not the law. that is exactly what happened. >> they broke to say it differently. they broke along religious lines, perhaps in addition to ideological lines. eric segall, thank you. >> thank you, mike. >> the headline from the washington post, supreme court upholds religious prayer at council meeting. i would write, supreme court relegates atheists to non constitutional status. if i told you there are facts to support a rapidly worsening climate change, would you laugh or would you agree? wait until you see who was laughing out loud. okay, listen up! i'm re-workin' the menu. mayo? corn dogs? you are so outta here! aah! [ female announcer ] the complete balanced nutrition

of great-tasting ensure. 24 vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and 9 grams of protein. [ bottle ] ensure®. nutrition in charge™. (agent) i'll walk you guys through every step.

there are a lot of buyers for a house like yours. (husband) that's good to know. mom has a headache! had a headache! but now, i& don't. excedrin is fast. in fact for some, relief starts in just 15 minutes. excedrin. headache. gone. i'm on expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for, because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. ready to plan for your future? we'll help you get there.

our next headline from the charlotte objector. tillet wins and faces hagan. this is the vote. tillis is thom tillis. he won the gop primary. hagan is kay hagan. the vulnerable democrat in

senate. the race is about who is best suited to beat hagan in november. that led to endorsements. tillis had romney and bush on his side. then rand paul was his celebrity guest. and lynn cheney told us, there is room under the tent for the gop tea party. >> you can't say just because someone is really conservative, they should not be part of the party. we have to be ideological. >> kirsten, thank you for being here. this is the right for the national party. if i were to rattle off the names o'donnell and murdoch, the

republican party doesn't control the senate because of the past contests. >> you know what? i think we are looking forward to what now is just last week, the "washington post" said she had the worst week in washington, and she did. we're just excited. we don't get involved in primaries at the republican national committee. it's important that the grassroots voters make those decisions on their own. we've been holding kay hagan accountable this whole time, working on the ground, contacting voters and talking about what it is to be a republican. we've been having a lot of good conversations with people on the ground there. we're just excited, now we can take the gloves off, and tom tillis can take it to kay hagan, and she's vulnerable, and she's one of the democrats that will likely fall, and that means it will come to the republicans. >> i referenced senator paul at the outset. here's today's front-page story. rand paul diverges from his party on voter i.d. senator paul says everybody's

gone completely crazy on this voter i.d. thing. does he have a point? >> you know what, he made those remarks here in memphis where we came together this week and heard from marco rubio, heard from rand paul, a lot of good candidates looking at the white house run in 2016. we'll let them have these discussions. it's important that we do. it's good for our party that we're having these discussions right now. so, you know what, i'm going to let rand paul speak for rand paul and what he means on that. i'm just excited as a person who, you know, is dealing with republican politics all day l g long, really an exciting time for us and we look forward to november. but also the opportunities we have in 2016 with our candidates. >> do you agree with his characterization that the party's position thus far has offended people? truly, you have to acknowledge this. the party is incapable of going after minority voters if they persist with these voter i.d. mo nuvers. >> we've been very clear that we need to really think about how

we are talking about these issues and the tone with how we're talking about them, and be careful about how we're talking about it. it's very important that we make sure that when somebody goes to the polls that their vote is counted, and it's one vote for one person. but we need to be able to articulate that to people without offending them. so i do agree that we have to have that conversation internally and, you know, be -- you know, choosey with our words. >> final answer, if i can. you're cutting the number of debates. wasn't the problem in the debate season not the number of debates but the crowd reaction? quick response, if you can. >> you know, i don't know about that. i think it's really important that the republican party and our grassroots take back ownership of the primary debates. that is ultimately who will make the decision of who the nominee will be. and i think that what we did with the debates this last week here in memphis is really good for our party, and we're looking forward to what lies -- what lies ahead for us. >> thanks so much for being

here. we appreciate your time. >> thank you. let's look at the original headline again. tillis wins north carolina senate gop primary faces hagan. this may be a better one. gop realizes the role of a political party is to win. you believed in the tooth fairy until you learned the facts, but as it turns out, facts don't seem to faze many of those in one of the prominent parties. we'll get to that. what can i do on a $7 a month android plan from tracfone? check the weather. borrow ted's wheelbarrow. post big tomato pics. buy a birdhouse for sparrows. download gardening apps. answer my wife's texts. search how to sculpt hedges into a t-rex. i can do all that with my android from tracfone for as low as $7 a month. [ male announcer ] unbeatable nationwide coverage, no contract. for a limited time, save $50 on the zte valet. now just 49.99. tracfone. do everything for less.

now just 49.99. you wouldn't have it she any other way.our toes. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about experiencing cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

one last thing. here's my final headline. climate change is here and getting worse. the national climate assessment was released on tuesday and presented analysis suggesting that the perils of carbon emissions are not in the distant

future, but far more immediate than initially feared, and no corner of the country is being spared. said the report, summers are longer and hotter, and extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living american has ever experienced. winters are generally shorter and warmer. rain comes in heavier downpours. now, one day after the release, former utah governor, republican jon huntsman, published an op-ed in the "the new york times" imploring his party to no longer ignore the realities of climate change. huntsman noted something curious. that while evidence of climate change mounts, republican disbelief is rising. he pointed out that according to a pew research poll, whereas in 2006 59% of republicans said there was solid evidence of rising temperatures on earth, that number has now decreased to 50%. huntsman also recounted how when the issue was raised at a north carolina congressional debate last month, well, here's the brief clip.

>> is climate change a fact? mr. harris? >> no. >> ms. grant? >> no. >> mr. brandon? >> no. >> mr. tillis? >> no. >> huntsman noted that all of the republican candidates chuckled about a question about climate change as if they'd been askeds about their belief in the tooth fairy. what drives that disbelief? well, first consider this. last spring, pew research noted something else. that while only 40% of americans said that global climate change was a major threat to their country, more than 50% of canadians, australians, french, and germans gave that answer. more than 60% of italians and spaniards. and more than 70% of japanese. what accounts for the difference in concern? as i tweeted this week, fewer americans worry when climate change than canadians, aussies, french, or germans? hey, do they have talk radio there?

in other words, this all-important matter of global survival has been relegated to the trash heap of our partisan divide fuelled not by scientific debate but by bluster generated by men with microphones. how do we change things? here's a terrific suggestion that came from a letter to the editor of "the new york times." reacting to governor huntsman's anecdote where the north carolina folks chuckled, he said a better question need be asked of candidates. namely, on one climate studies or data is your belief based? what a great idea. but i'd go a step better. let's apply that same standard to those in the media who weigh in. so you remember that headline, report, climate change is here and getting worse, here's what i would have written. show me the science on the tooth fairy. that's it for me. thanks so much for watching. i'll see you back here next saturday. have a great weekend and happy mother's day.

it's what we had witnesses tell us, they may have seen two jump or possibly somehow they got out, whether they leapt on their own or maybe the basket, the condition of it, they fell, we don't know that for certain. but we've also seen video that people have provided us that it does have that appearance as two people exited in whatever fashion the bhas ket. -- basket. >> we have breaking news this morning. a fiery hot-air balloon crash in virginia. i'm anna cabrera in for christi paul. >> i'm victor blackwell. you're in the "cnn newsroom. ". >> we have more on the crash. one body has now been