united nations under growing international pressure to act in syria. opposition groups say more than 13 thun people are dead in what they call a massacre in the damascus suburbs. >> and in egypt former president hosni mubarak is out of prison. that does not mean he is free. >> here is something we did not see coming, bradley manning

sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking military secrets. now he wants to live out the years as a woman. with being to around the world. i am suzanne malveaux. >> i am ivan watson filling in for michael holmes. i would like to welcome viewers in the u.s. and around the world to our program. >> this is a tragedy, rooms full of dead bodies, many of them children and they have been the world demanding action now. these images very difficult to see, very disturbing, they are said to come victims of a nerve gas attack in iraq. these are the bodies of children we're talking about, wrapped in white cloth and lined up shoulder to shoulder outside a makeshift morgue. rebels say it is proof the syrian government used chemical weapons to kill hundreds of civilians near damascus, maybe as many as 1,300. the syrian government denies the claims. officials have yet to allow a u.n. weapons inspectors team access to the site where the attacks allegedly took place.

>> fred joins us from damascus. cnn is one of only a few international news networks reporting from inside the country. i know you just got there. you have already had time to visit a government run hospital. what are people there saying about this alleged chemical weapons attack? >> we're just starting to scratch the surface and find out what happened yesterday. the interesting thing at the mesa university hospital that i visited earlier today, they told us that yesterday around the morning time they got mass casualties and it was clear there was massive fighting going on in those areas where that alleged chemical weapon as tack took place. they said there was lots of bodies in and the loads had severe wounds and none of them showed any signs of being subjected to any sort of chemical agent. it was something i found very interesting. also, we managed to speak to a couple of people that live in neighborhoods adjacent to the ones where the attacks allegedly

took place and also said, yes, there was a lot going on yesterday and war planes over head and artillery raining down on the areas. they said they did not feel any chemicals in the air and did not have any trouble breathe and didn't feel strain. they say they don't believe any chemicals were used. of course that doesn't disprove the images we're seeing, the horrible images that you were talking about before. we are of course reporting from the government controlled side of damascus and therefore a lot of the people are sympathetic to the assad government and certainly from the reports we're getting here they say they don't believe that chemicals were used in those attacks. >> and these are survivors that you have been talking to? >> reporter: these were hospital staff. they didn't let us talk to any of the patients themselves. one of the reasons is they were still seeking further permission for us to be there but they did

allow to us speak and the other people were residents of the areas that are adjacent to the ones where these attacks took place. and consistently all of those people were saying that there was a massive military operation going on and what sorts of agents were used in the military operation is very much unclear. of course all of this is still very circumstantial as we try to dig deeper and see what exactly took place there in very much close to central damascus. >> these alleged chemical attack came almost exactly one year after president obama warned that any such attack would trigger american intervention and he called the use of chemical weapons this red line. this morning senator john mccain told cnn the u.s. needs to hit syrian air fields and planes as well. >> it is obvious from the pictures when you see the dead bodies of children and women and others stacked up and the fact is it is already established that he has used it before, so as i said, it shouldn't surprise us when we use it again.

it is horrific, and outrageous and the president a year ago said they would be -- if they crossed a red line there would be response. we know now of course that they have already used it. i am sure and confident that they are used it again, and that we use it again unless they are rained in and prevented from doing so. >> and you know, ivan, what is so difficult about this is fred was saying they cannot determine first of all who is doing it on either side and don't really understand what exactly happened yet. that is something the obama administration is trying to figure out. before they act. this is a red line that seems to continue to move. >> absolutely. and senator mccain of course one of the most vocal people in washington for the policy coming from washington and of course a big critic of the obama administration as well.

well, our chris cuomo will be talking about president obama and probably asking questions about this and about some thorny u.s. foreign policy issues and his exclusive interview will come tomorrow here on cnn. >> we'll be watching and in egypt hosni mubarak was released from prison today and transferred to a military hospital. this is in cairo. he will be under house arrest. >> mubarak's release is raising questions about whether the arab spring revolution in cairo and egypt was all for nothing. it was the revolution that forced mubarak from power in 2011. the man who replaced him, muhamed morsi was ousted in the july 3rd coup. right now egypt is in turmoil. >> want to bring in nick paton walsh that joins us and first of all explain to us what's happening here. mubarak has been released but in a military hospital and still faces serious charges regarding death of protesters. so what has been the response and the reaction, the fact that he is kind inform this limbo area?

>> reporter: well, there has been limited reaction in many ways. we haven't seen the massive popular protests you may have thought would be provoked by a move like this presumably with military consent. a day of some drama in many ways, prosecutors saying a few hours ago they have authorized his release from the prison where he has been a number of months to the military hospital. we saw a helicopter lift off from the prison. egyptian television showing it land near the hospital grounds and ambulance it seems there to ferry the former president inside the military hospital and talking about an 85-year-old infirm man here. we haven't seen him in any of the pictures but it is almost showing the army taking back into its arms literally the former president of egypt, and you really would have thought that this was a huge gamble for the military and the administration at a time of such

volatility in egypt over the brutality of the crackdown over the last week still fresh in people's minds and it may also have been the reason why they felt safe to make this kind of move and perhaps they wanted to show loyalty to the old guard here. perhaps they wanted to look after their own and felt that maybe people are tired of protests and unrest and have enough of a curfew and security force presence on the streets to deal with any protests and most importantly we're not seeing that at the moment. >> and the timing is astounding here. the military is continuing the crackdown as you said. today the spokesman for the group was arrested and he is just the latest muslim brotherhood member to be taken into custody. is the military trying to send a message it is very much in charge right now? >> absolutely. they have been dominating the past few days. weigh hear from state media repeated arrests and the sunday of the spiritual leader of the muslim brotherhood and since then lower figures, again and again, names popping up and having been arrested and they

are pretty much booted off the political stage here. the government is taking authoritative control and does have i agree of support for what it is doing despite a lot of people dismayed. we're seeing really i think egypt waking up to the fact it may have turned back significantly despite perhaps people aware that the presence on the streets can really bring down governments. >> thanks, nick. reporting from cairo overlooking the nile river there. also in the middle east today, israeli forces say at least three rockets were fired from southern lebanon towards israel and lebanese reported that four rockets were fired towards what they call the occupied palestinian lands. sirens sounded after the missile it is were launched according to channel 2, there are no reports

of injuries. israeli defense forces said one rocket was intercepted between two cities in northern israel. the others fell outside of israeli territory. bradley manning is beginning his prison sentence with a stunning revelation here. the army private says that he wants to live as a woman. he plans to seek hormone therapy behind bars. this is in leavenworth, kansas. >> he made his announcement a day after being sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified military documents to wikileaks. his struggle with gender identity came up during his trial and a picture released by the military shows manning in a wig. >> joining us from washington, chris, explain this for us. we saw manning's attorney appear on "the today show" this morning. he is not asking for gender reainsoment surgery, so he is specifically asking for hormone treatment. is that something that the military system, the prison

system, can actually comply with? >> not voluntarily, suzanne, no, because it is not so much a prison issue as a military issue. the army does not provide hormone therapy much less sex reassignment surgery. so basically even if bradley manning was a soldier in good standing and walked into a regular army base, the medical clinic, they would not prescribe him these hormones. his attorney is basically going to have to sue the army to force them to try to do this. i spoke with army officials that said basically that manning will be treated like any other prisoner and that the assignment to fort leavenworth where he will serve his sentence is based on gender, all male facility and right now this official said manning is still a man in body, and so that's where he will serve his sentence at leavenworth where they do not provide hormone therapy. >> chris, if he was able to get some kind of hormone treatments, who would pay for them?

>> it would be the government and ultimately the taxpayers, if he was able to force the military to change the policy to do so or perhaps down the road if he was able to petition on medical grounds to be transferred to a federal prison because the civilian courts have actually been a lot more lenient on this. there are prisoners in the civilian prison system that have received hormones and actually prisoners who have lawsuits right now trying to argue that the prison system should pay for full sex reassignment surgery, so getting transferred out into federal prison might have a better chance there. >> thank you, chris, a remarkable wrinkle, unexpected turn in this drama around manning. up ahead on "around the world" an american reporter has become the story rather than reporting it. staging a protest, get this, on russian state run tv. >> and here is something you

don't normally see at the beach. check it out there. it is not a pleasure boat. we'll see this in a minute. grrrr ahhh let's leave the deals to hotels.com. oh my gosh this is so cool... awesome! perfect! save up to 30% plus an extra 12% off with coupon... now until labor day. only at hotels.com too small. too soft. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's new creamy alfredo soup. inspired by perfection. [ crashing ] [ male announcer ] when your favorite food starts a fight, fight back fast with tums. heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact and goes to work in seconds. ♪ tum, tum tum tum tums!

heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact "stubborn love" by the lumineers did you i did. email? so what did you think of the house? did you see the school ratings? oh, you're right. hey babe, i got to go. bye daddy! have a good day at school, ok? ...but what about when my parents visit? ok. i just love this one... and it's next to a park. i love it. i love it too. here's our new house... daddy! you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. [ chainsaw buzzing ] humans. sometimes, life trips us up. sometimes, we trip ourselves up. and although the mistakes may seem to just keep coming at you, so do the solutions. like multi-policy discounts from liberty mutual insurance. save up to 10% just for combining your auto and home insurance.

call liberty mutual insurance at... to speak with an insurance expert and ask about all the personalized savings available for when you get married, move into a new house, or add a car to your policy. personalized coverage and savings -- all the things humans need to make our world a little less imperfect. call... and ask about all the ways you could save. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? with odor free aspercreme. powerful medicine relieves pain fast, with no odor. so all you notice is relief. aspercreme.

here are stories making news around the world right now. workers in japan's fukushima nuclear plant say detailed inspections show no additional leaks at this time. there were hundreds of tons of highly radioactive weather that leaked from a tank this week and the water is so toxic a person standing close to it for an hour would be exposed to five times the yearly recommended limit for those plant workers. a level three danger warning has been issued at this point with which is considered serious. that is the highest it has been since the earthquake and tsunami triggered that meltdown at the plant back in 2011. >> the star of the popular tv show prison break is coming out and blasting the russian government. actor wentworth miller revealed he is gay in a letter to organizers at a film festival in st. petersburg. he told organizers as a gay man

he cannot attend because of russia's new anti-gay laws and miller isn't the only person protesting russia's new rules in a very public way. an american reporter appeared on russian's english language tv network russia today. >> he was booked on this show to talk about bradley manning, the american soldier convicted of sending those classified information, the documents to wikileaks, and he had something else in mind. i want you to listen to this. >> i am not really interested in talking about bradley manning. i am interested in talking about the horrific environment of homophobia in russia right now and let the russian gay people know they have friends and allies and solidarity from people all over the world and we're not going to be silenced in the face of this horrific repression. >> he hijacked the show and do the russians get to say this and

hear the protests and what he is saying here? >> not in this case, no. it is really designed for overseas audience and as you heard they broadcast in english there and it is being described by some as a soft power exercise for the russian government and others believe it is a prop gant anetwork and editorially they take a different view from what they describe at mainstream media and what it normally means o air they report critically on alleged hypocrisy on the part of western government and rarely if ever critically on the russian government. they have been reporting on this anti-gay propaganda law and reporting really more on the outrage and the reaction overseas than the law itself and raising questions, asking questions about the reaction and whether or not it is reasonable, justified, and what could possibly be motivating it. >> and remarkable that he came equipped with those rainbow suspenders as props to push the point home. the anti-gay laws in russia, they ban anyone from publicly

supporting gay relationships. you can be jailed or fined. while this is a very controversial around the world, a majority of russians actually support these laws so how effective are the protests in russia? >> it is an important point, ivan. the majority of russians support the laws. it is conservative country and culture and very closely aligned with the russian orthodox church and big parts of the country are muslim as well and independent polls show most people back it. in the short-term, no, the protests will not change the law. gay activists say they know this and appreciate the support and the solidarity and they also say they know that for these attitudes to change in the country russia will have to change from within. >> to follow up here, this is not something you will see in russia and i imagine because of international media attention they will be able to see that on the enter net and would be able to watch in a different forum, yes. >> very true, yes, the internet usage rates are really soaring so all the international

reporting on this issue and any others can be accessed by people in this country and so many people using it, and having a big impact on the political landscape of this country and it is for the moment the one uncensored platform for dissent here. >> all right. phil black, thank you very much. appreciate it. >> it seems like almost every month or so we see the russian police cracking down on attempts, the lgbt pride para s parades. >> you and lived there for a time and you said it wasn't like that before. >> i was there in the late 90s and there were so many problems at this time, enormous problems, but i don't remember this kind of animosity. i do remember seeing pretty on outrageous gay clubs in moscow that were the scene of, you know, center of a lot of night life at the time. >> all right. thank you. james talked to our anderson cooper about his appearance on that russian tv show, and anderson asked him if he

considers his actions courageous. here is what he said. >> no. i don't consider what i did brave or courageous. i think those are words that should be used for people in russia right now risking their lives to combat these laws. >> kirchick had a lot more to say and you can catch that with anderson cooper 360 at 8 p.m. eastern. >> ahead on around the world, the story of a rising political story and the fall from grace, a scandal in china u that aleve is the better choice for her, she's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with her all day to see how it goes. [ claira ] after the deliveries, i was okay. now the ciabatta is done and the pain is starting again. more pills? seriously? seriously. [ groans ] all these stops to take more pills can be a pain. can i get my aleve back? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap.

. welcome back to cnn. suzanne, we'll take you to china now and the spectacular rise and fall of one of the country's most ambitious politicians. in a city about 200 miles south of beijing. he appeared in courtroom today denying the charges against him, even accusing a prosecution witness of selling his soul. >> bo is on trial for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power. it is a remarkable turn around for a man that once was a party

favorite and once tapped to be president. today his wife sits in prison convicted in the murder of a british businessman, and outside the courtroom there is a heavy police presence. bo's trial is making china nervous. >> we just are here trying to tell the story of this trial, and if you push it aside, we won't be able to do that. i thought it was an open trial. that's what state media said. >> yes. >> you can see david mckenzie dealing with chinese officials and he has more on this extraordinary story from china. >> the mega city of some 30 million in the southwest biggest political scandal in a generation. b xila iran the city, a prince tapped to join the untouchable ranks of the party, a chinese politician that broke the mold. >> he was unique.

he was not a party hack. the way i think 99% of party officials are. >> bo organized massive rallies packing stadiums with communist party faithful in tv friendly spectacles. a throw back to the days that startled friends and enemies. >> he was good at using media to glamorize himself and successfully fooled ordinary people and they weren't able to see his real intentions and political ambition. >> he signaled his ambition by bringing in powerful police chief and together they arrested thousands of criminals in a smash campaign. they had logic unlimited ambition. if you look at this, supposed to be the cloud computing center of the police force. it is enormous cathedral like and his lofty aims and brew tall tactics made him enemies. >> during his four years he

marked his cruelty in history with a number of people he arrested, executed. put in camps and thrown into jail. >> for communist party royalty, bo's downfall began in an unlikely place, the holiday hotel where bo's wife business dealings with a british family friend went horribly wrong. court documents show she lured hayward to this hotel for a late night meeting and plied him with expensive whiskey when he got ill she laid him on a bed like this and poured rat poison down his throat. they tried to cover up the death and surrounding the hotel and kre mating the body and it may have ended there if the police chief had not fled asking for asylum and surrendering to the chinese government and revealing the coverup. >> corruption is so widespread that if they wanted to target

somebody, they can almost always find something to use against a person, and i think that bo had a lot of enemies in beijing and when this came up, it was a god send. >> bo xilai was stripped of party membership and his wife convicted of murder. and from the heights of power he can now face the death penalty. david mckenzie, cnn. >> incredible political thrill inner china. >> unbelievable the turn of fate there. >> ahead, her words have sparked a huge online reaction. one cnn reporter writes a gripping account of her study abroad trip to india last year describing the country as a traveler he is traveler's heaven and a woman's hell. ♪ [ male announcer ] we don't just certify our pre-owned vehicles. we inspect, analyze and recondition each one,

until it's nothing short of a genuine certified pre-owned... mercedes-benz for the next new owner. ♪ hurry in to your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for 1.99% financing during our certified pre-owned sales event through september 3rd. ♪ hooking up the country whelping business run ♪ pre-owned sales event ♪ trains! they haul everything, safely and on time. ♪ tracks! they connect the factories built along the lines. and that means jobs, lots of people, making lots and lots of things. let's get your business rolling now, everybody sing. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ helping this big country move ahead as one ♪ ♪ norfolk southern how's that function? ♪ i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan.

[ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral to see a specialist. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from.

we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands a year in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is.

welcome back. among the stories we're following the partner of the journalist who exposed the nsa surveillance program won a partial victory in court. he was detained and questioned for almost nine hours in london as he was heading home to brazil. authorities confiscated his phone, laptop, and memory sticks and the court ordered them to stop any inspection or disclosure of the information that they actually took from him. the ruling left a loophole and officials are protecting national security and investigating ties to terrorism. >> now, god told me to, that's the reason pope benedict is giving for his surprise resignation earlier this year. the comments were made by a vatican source to a catholic news agency and he went on to say he received the message during a mystical experience and god inspired him to move forward

in a life of prayer rather than continue in his role as pope. and her words sparked a wave of reaction online. an american student has written a gripping account of her study abroad trip to india last year. micayla cross describes the country as a traveler's heaven and a woman's hell. they say she was sexually harassed and worse. >> she says because how do i describe my three months the university of chicago indian civilizations program when it was half dream, half nightmare? which half do i give? she goes to write do i describe the lovely hotel when my strongest memory was lying hunched in a fetal position holding a pair of scissors with the door bolted shut while the staff member of the hotel that tried to rape my roommate called me over and over and breathing into the phone. well, she is joining us from

chicago and also with us from india and you posted a video commentary as well. i want to talk to both of you about this experience. you write an extraordinary account and you talk about really the extremes of your experience and most of it sounds like it was just horrific, that you were really abused. >> yes. yes, we were. a lot of the women on the trip experienced a lot of terrible things that i don't talk about in my essay. it was a day cod mus experience and there was a mixture of adventure that is will make my life much more special because i was in india and have touched my life for the good. >> why do you suppose you were such a target of harassment? >> as a foreigner everything is magnified. the problems are magnified with

the gender dynamics. i happened to stick out as well because i have red hair, blue eyes, really white skin, so stick out in america. >> and what do you think was the toughest part about being there because it sounded like this was something that didn't happen once, twice, but almost like a daily occurrence for you. >> uh-huh. the toughest parts weren't the worst incidents, weren't the groping, the rape attempts, the toughest parts were walking through the street and having to feel dehumanized by stares all the time. that was the toughest part for me. >> i want to just before we go into discussion, just let you know the university has released a statement, the university of chicago, saying that they say nothing is more important to us at the university of chicago than caring for the safety and well-being of our students here in chicago and where they go around the world. do you think there is anything the university could have done

to help protect you more when you were overseas? >> i don't think the university did a perfect job but i certainly don't blame them for most of my experience. however, i will blame them if they don't revamp the program and make it better and safer and inform students of what they're getting into because no one should be getting into this situation blind and that's the state we were? >> it is important to note other students in the same course described similar experiences. you are now on a mental leave of absence diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. >> yes, i am. the university of chicago after a public breakdown basically had me go on a mental leave of absence. i am currently not allowed to take classes until i get my certificate of sanity from a therapist. yeah. >> i want to bring in meira here.

your experience, you grew up in india, and can you relate in some ways to she has gone through here? >> yes, i can, and i am really sorry you faced any sexual harassment here. women's rights is a huge problem here in india, and as a woman here and lives here, i do feel a threat. however, i do think that coming to india nothing can prepare you to come to india unless you talk to indians, and i think that one good piece of advice is you should practice caution and that's how most of us get by here and kind of avoid the experiences. >> when you say practice caution, what do you mean? what do you think possibly could have done just walking in the street to protect herself?

do you think they should ignore the things? should she address these things? you recognize it as a problem. >> some problems which michaela faced are constant and staring at people, it is because she is a foreigner and it is not common for -- it is not common to see foreigners in some of the places she has visited and, yes, it is common to be stared at. sometimes you don't even have to be a foreigner. i get stared at all the time. you should pick and choose what you should worry about seriously and about my words of caution, i for instance carry a bottle of pepper spray wherever i go and i know it is probably not going to be the best way to defend myself, but i am always prepared. >> all right. we wish you both the best and of

course a healthy recovery, really, because it sounds like she has been through something that was quite traumatic for her. >> absolutely. i think it is also worth noting that immediandia is a huge cound massive with an enormous population and i think probably treatment and kind of behavior in different areas fends on what part of the country you are in. >> appreciate it. face-to-face with a gunman, an amazing 911 call from the school clerk who talked down the georgia school shooting suspect potentially saving dozens of lives. a man and his truck... and a broken fence... and a lost calf. ♪ and the heart to search for as long as it takes. and the truck that lets him search for as long as it takes. ♪ the all-new chevy silverado.

the most fuel-efficient v8 in a pickup. strong for all the roads ahead. humans. even when we cross our "ts" and dot our "i's", we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness with our auto policies. if you qualify, your rates won't go up due to your first accident. because making mistakes is only human, and so are we. we also offer new car replacement, so if you total your new car, we'll give you the money for a new one. call liberty mutual insurance at... and ask us all about our auto features, like guaranteed repairs, where if you get into an accident and use one of our certified repair shops, the repairs are guaranteed for life. so call... to talk with an insurance expert about everything that comes standard with our base auto policy. and if you switch, you could save up to $423.

liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

welcome back to cnn. her family says she fought hard to stay alive. a german tourist bitten by a

shark while vacationing in hawaii has died. she died yesterday a week after she lost her right arm in the shark attack. she was snorkle be about 50 yards after the island of maui when the shark severed her arm. first responders found her unconscious and rushed to the hop. shark experts say attacks are up around the world in recent years. this was the fourth near maui since february. they say it is very rare for someone to die. a typhoon slammed into china and it is triggering more rain and threatening to worsen flooding across the country. almost 80 million are affected. the storm left more than 500 people dead. hundreds now are missing. this is the 12th tropical storm to batter china this year. here in the atlanta area students are back in classes at the ronald mcnair discovery learning academy, the first time

back on campus since a gun man entered the cool with an ak-47 and 500 rounds of ammunition on tuesday. we're hearing now for the first time the dramatic 911 call from the school book keeper who convinced the gunman to surrender. a lot of people calling her a hero. listen to how calmly she handles the situation. >> i can let them know you have not tried to harm or do anything with me but that doesn't make any difference. you didn't hit anybody. okay. let me ask you this, ma'am. he didn't hit anybody, he just shot outside the door. if i walk out with him, if i walk out with him, so they won't shoot him or anything like that? let me tell you something, baby, nothing so scary in my entire life. >> you did great. >> oh, jesus. >> incredible. she said it very well. tonight a special reunion, the 911 dispatcher meets antoinette

tuff. after more than a year the salvage operation is now about to make a major turn. up next. (car horn...ding, ding) how long have i had my car insurance? i don't know, eight, ten years. i couldn't tell you but things were a lot less expensive back then. if you're 50 or over you should take a new look at your auto insurance. you may be overpaying.

actually that makes a lot of sense. old policy. old rates. and thanks to your experience behind the wheel, you might save $350 by switching to the aarp auto insurance program from the hartford. plus, you'll get benefits that reward your driving record. ke our promise that you won't be dropped. wait, you won't drop me? seriously? that's right, you won't be dropped. and, if you know anyone who's been dropped by their insurance company, you know that's a hassle you don't need. especially these days. plus you'll get recovercare, which helps you pay for everyday needs like housecleaning, lawn care and pet services if you're injured in an accident. so my auto insurance is going to help pay the housecleaning if i'm injured? did you say lawn care? and if i can't walk my dog, they'll help me pay someone to do it for me? call the number on your screen to switch to the aarp auto insurance program from the hartford and be rewarded for your experience behind the wheel.

recovercare, auto insurance that helps take care of me. now i've seen it all. you won't drop me, you take care of me as well as my car, and you offer savings to switch. it's unbelievable! if you're 50 or over call now to request your free quote. i'm gonna call. i'm calling. i'm calling. i'm calling! call the hartford with the number on your screen to request your free quote. we'll even send you this free calculator. call: why wait? this is actually kind of a risky and unprecedented operation about to get under way off the coast of italy here. >> the engineers are going to

try to raise one of the largest cruise ships ever built. it is the costa concordia, of course, the 952-foot ship that ran aground in january of last year killing 32 passengers. erin has details on the salvage plan. >> it is 19 months since the luxury cruise liner ran aground off the west coast of italy killing 32 people on board. now news that the crippled ship will be lifted from its side in september. an american and italian company are working around the clock to prepare the infamous wreckage for the junior friday the tuscan island and avoid an environmental disaster. engineers say it is a naval salvage operation like no other in history. >> slow enough to fire with less people and welders joining us and still have 55 coded welders

on the project 24 hours a day. >> the plan to remove the costa concordia began with steel platforms built under the water. 36 cables will help hoist the ship up right and a series of enormous flotation devices attached to the ship sides will help the cruise liner float away to a nearby port. hopefully all in one piece. >> the 20th of all should be under the bedding of the kop corresponded a. >> what makes the maneuver so risky, engineers say they only have one shot to make the deteriorating costa concordia float again. >> it involves more than 500 workers and will cost at least $400 million. >> huge. >> big bill. >> coming up on around the world, aero mexico airlines is apologizing. a casting call for a commercial

is being called discriminatory and that story is coming up next.

welcome back to cnn. a casting call for a commercial has got people talking. among other things, it asks dark skinned people not to audition. >> this was done by aero mexico airlines in an advertising company and went viral. this is after a mexican blogger

posted the story online. the airline and the ad agency have since apologized. want to get more from rafael. explain to us first of all what was the thinking behind this? how about the airline explain what they were trying to do? >> number one, the story would have gone unnoticed had it not been for this blogger that saw it and posted it and went viral. i was looking closely at the text and it very specifically says the following. it says they should not have an accent, meaning a regional mexican accent. all should have the look, no dark skin people. let me explain to you what the pulanco look is. it is a neighborhood where the percentage of fair skinned people tends to be much greater an that everywhere else. in other words, i do not have the look. i would not have been chosen for this commercial, and so we're talking about a mexican airline catering to all of mexico and so people are saying this is

plainly discriminatory. had it been for a particular project, it would have been a different story, but the airline says we outsource this. we did not write this ourselves. we have taken measures to correct it. >> is this something that would be typical, the airline specifically -- it is a cultural thing, correct, this discrimination? >> it tends to be a cultural thing. if you watch commercials in mexico, you think you are in finland. if you watch soap operas, for the most part the main characters tend to be fair skinned, so it is a case that describes the situation in the entire country and not necessarily an isolated case. >> thank you. appreciate it very much. we'll take a quick break. she's. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with her all day to see how it goes. [ claira ] after the deliveries, i was okay. now the ciabatta is done and the pain is starting again. more pills? seriously? seriously. [ groans ] all these stops to take more pills can be a pain. can i get my aleve back?

♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap.

humans. we are beautifully imperfect creatures living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back, offering exclusive products like optional better car replacement, where if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. call... and ask an insurance expert about all our benefits today, like our 24/7 support and service, because at liberty mutual insurance, we believe our customers do their best out there in the world, so we do everything we can to be there for them when they need us. plus, you could save hundreds when you switch, up to $423. call...

today. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? news here.following breaking - new developments here. this is out of san diego. this of course involving the mayor bob filner and 18 woman have come forward accusing i am had of sexual harassment. casey has new information about a possible deal. what do we know? >> reporter: well, what we know, suzanne, is that a source close to the negotiations that have been going on for the past three days, negotiations over mayor bob filner's future says it is their understanding his resignation is part of the deal the san diego city council needs

to sign off on during tomorrow's closed session meeting. that confirms reports by two local media outlets including cnn affiliate kg tv that filner is prepared to resign if the city council approves the proposed settlement reached yesterday evening after the three days of negotiations. he has not resigned. he is prepared to do so if in fact the city council signs off on the deal. the deal of those negotiations centered around a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the mayor's former press secretary, the first woman to come forward and publicly accuse the mayor of inappropriate behavior. of course 17 other women have since come forward and there have been growing call from throughout san diego for him to resign and as long as the city council goes along with the

deal, looks like that is about to happen. >> you talk about a settlement. so that i am applies that he is going to get something out of the deal as well. do we know what he gets out of it in exchange for resigning? >> we absolutely do not know any of those details. all of the parties were asked to keep this information quiet, keep the information about the proceeds posed settlement quiet by the federal former federal judge that presided over the mediations and so far have done that. what is at stake is who will pay any financial settlement reached with this accuser, mayor filner, the city, or a combination of both. >> do we know where is the mayor now and who has he been talking to when you talk about the settlement? we heard gloria allred was involved and one woman was involved and set the scene and describe what has been happening behind the scenes over the last 48 hours. >> we have been chasing the mayor around the city for a long time. he actually showed