and chips? martha: i'm pretty good right now. bill: "happening now" starts right now. jenna: brimley stories and breaking news. jon: michael bloomberg making headlines again. what happened while she was in custody. also an amazing rescue caught on tape. police pull a man from his car just seconds before blows up. and amanda bynes detained for her antics. we will have the story. a fox news alert concerning the man who spilled some of america's most sensitive secrets

is one big question looms. could the nsa leaker wanted on espionage charges soon be welcomed by another? hello, everyone, i am rick folbaum and fort jon scott. jenna: we are getting reports for what might be next for edward snowden. earlier today it was reported that edward snowden holds a document allowing him to legally enter russia. but now it is said that snowden will remain in the transit zone as russian officials weigh his asylum request. steve centanni has the latest. reporter: he is still in the transit area of the moscow airport, but beyond that we really don't know much about what will happen next. his lawyer did arrive today at the airport and we have pictures of that. as there was that report, he had permission to leave the airport

in the later report that no permission had yet been granted. he arrived at the airport last month after flying out of hong kong and he has applied for asylum and seven latin american countries. the problem is he doesn't have the travel document to leave moscow. the passport has been rescinded that he has. he is wanted on espionage charges after leaking sensitive documents from the nsa. jenna: what effect could this have on the relationship with russia? >> does not help matters. vladimir putin has told him that u.s. relations are more important than the status of snowden. many are interested gates noted back in the u.s. to back you believe mr. edward snowden atta returned to the united states where he faces felony charges in that there is ample legal justification for that. and that president in terms of cooperation with russia would

allow for that. reporter: it is possible to vladimir that vladimir putin will make no decision until edward snowden is out out of the country. jenna: thank you very much, steve. we look forward to some new reactions to the latest developments on what has become and is described as an international showdown of sorts between the united states and russia. this is not the only source of tension between the two countries, many factors including choosing sides. the former u.s. ambassador john bolton joins us to talk about what all of this stands moments from now. >> a brand-new poll on obamacare as individuals and employers start to understand how the sweeping new law mandating coverage will affect them.

take a look according to this abc news wall street journal survey. just 34% think that obamacare is a good idea. that compares to 37% who consider the law a bad idea. the remainder either does not have an opinion and this is certainly not the kind of numbers that the administration wants to see. charlie hearst is a columnist for the washington times. october 1, that is when another rollout takes place. for these numbers come only one third of the country think it's a good idea. that is not good. >> there really is not good. president obama was very careful and he signed this into law. to make sure that none of this stuff took effect before he won reelection in 2012. the problem is beyond 2012, and all this stuff is taking effect and it's proving to be very unpopular and very painful, it

is costing people their jobs or the number of hours that they work. you have democrats in congress are facing reelection and they are saying that okay, he got a modem, what about us? we will actually have to go back and trace voters on the backs of his unpopular legislation. that is why you are seeing unscramble. rick: the same poll shows a majority of voters feel that the law should be left alone. they do not want to see any attempts by republicans in congress to try to kill that. >> i think that looking at this issue is kind of tricky. six hours ago the polls would've been very different. right after law passed, the truth of the matter is a complex piece of legislation. the problem is how you get

there. a lot of them think you're not always sure. the fact of the matter is the reason that most people are suspicious of this vast federal government and social bureaucracy taking over massive chunks of our economy, it is not because they are principally against socialism, it is because this sort of thing just doesn't work. that is what i think republicans have struggled on it they are making that argument. the problem is that it's not unpopular or socialist, but in the end it will not work and we are seeing that with a high number of employers cutting back hours and should not employ survey fall below that 50 employee threshold where they are penalized. >> the white house likes to talk about the number of votes to

kill obamacare. a talking point from the white house is that there is no republican alternative to obamacare. and that is workable, at least. i was trying to think some of the ideas i've heard from republicans. instead of obamacare we hear that tort reform is a big point that republicans made during the vote during obamacare. that didn't come into fruition. now we hear a lot of republicans talk about the need to be able to buy and have insurance across state lines. but do republicans need to do a better job of presenting their vision for health care reform? >> i agree with you, rick. in fairness to republicans, over the years going back a decade, they have come up with some very smart, you know, market-based ideas like health savings accounts and things like that. important point is that none of this has been packaged in recent

times against obamacare as an alternative. republicans have done a poor job of that. it sounds like and it seems like the people like you and me, but it's like if they really don't have an alternative. well, i think they all sat down in a room and came up with an alternative, they could come up with an alternative that would not be nearly as damaging to the economy to people's livelihoods as nursing obamacare. i would argue in the end, to be more effective through things like health savings accounts. i love tort reform, but it only gets you so far. they need to do a better job of that. they need to meet the president told to toe and say that this is the right way to go. i think if they do that, think that they would see their fortunes change very quickly and they would end up advancing some very good helpful pieces of legislation. >> thank you, charlie. charlie is a columnist for the washington times. always good to hear from you. jenna: another big story today.

a natural gas well burning out of control in the gulf of mexico. caught fire overnight following an earlier blowout. it continues to burn his efforts get under way to bring the well under control. steve is live live live with more. one live with more. when do they expect the fire out? >> a higher that prior excited last night at 11:00 p.m. by now the coast guard has set up a command center to deal with the blaze. a specialty ship it uses foam and water will be on scene sometime this evening. of course in this case the 44 members of the crew on board of that were safely evacuated before the explosion. no report on any injuries yet. jenna: this is a little different than the bp oil spill. anything like that? >> guesstimate certainly does. some officials are dealing with

those comparisons are trying and trying to make the point that this is not another bp oil spill. that went on for more than 80 days and they say that this is different. however the fire is still burning. aerial surveillance shows this a large cloud of gas above that rate. the rate itself is still intact structurally. also a sheen developing on the-. also a sheen developing on the water and not sheen is about 50 feet by a half-mile but experts say it is evaporating quickly. jenna: we will continue to watch this story and thank you. rick: coming up next, poisonous letters to the president and the mayor of new york city. and now there is medical concerns. plus, anthony wiener apologizing for yet another set of sexually explicit online messages that he exchanged with another woman that is not his wife after resigning from congress. whether or not he will be forced out of the mayor's race and why

his wife says that she is sticking by him coming up next. what makes your family smile? backflips and cartwheels. love, warmth. here, try this. backflips and camm, ok!s. ching! i like the fact that there's lots of different tastes going on. mmmm! breakfast i'm very impressed. this is a great cereal! honey bunches of oats. i hear you crunching.

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don't take nexium if you take clopidogrel. relief is at hand for just $18 a month. talk to your doctor about nexium. jenna: let's check with the newsroom. we have pictures of this storm that hit tulsa, oklahoma, just overnight. 100,000 people are without power right now. the severe weather has been very intense. we have no reports that this was a tornado at the time, but i'm sure that you remember the oklahoma city area being ravaged by a tornado several weeks ago. no reportin oklahoma city. as you can tell, it doesn't necessarily have to be a tornado to cause severe damage. what we are hearing is that it

blew until midnight and this is what we are waking up to. we are keeping you posted as we hear more. rick: right now a look at some of the crime stories that we are following for you. she is accused of poisoning her boyfriend went antifreeze. she decided to poison him vice backing his red raspberry iced tea and we will be waiting for the latest we will let you know what we hear. new york city mayor michael bloomberg having a baby prematurely. and former patriots star aaron

hernandez, the latest report on him coming up speech is growing pressure for anthony wiener to drop out of the mayoral race after getting caught in another sexual scandal. just like the one that ended his career. so anthony wiener facing a lot of criticism today. >> yes, he actually still think that he has a shot at winning this thing very at three of his rivals have called him to drop out of the race. an editorial board said that a action proves that he should withdraw, suggesting that he is very evasive and should take his marital troubles and compulsions out of the public eye and away from cameras and off the web and

out of the race. the mayor of new york city. this comes on the heels of news conference yesterday, no one saw this coming. with his wife, he once again asks for forgiveness. >> i am glad these things are behind us. i know that this is a very public thing that we have happened to us the by no means does it change the fundamentals of my feelings here and that is that i want to bring my vision to the people of the city of new york and i hope that they are willing to still continue to give me a second chance. >> it's not an easy choice. not in any way. but i made the decision that was worth staying in this marriage. that was the decision i made for me and for our son and for her family. i do not know how it would work out. but i did know that i wanted to give it a try.

jenna: huma abedin who is pregnant in the original scandal broke and gave birth months later, has played a visible role in his mayoral campaign, even after lewd messages sent by her husband to a 22-year-old woman. she also told the website of the relationship turned on until august 2012. that is well after his resignation in 2011. the website also posted a picture of anthony wiener naked from the waist down. we will not show that picture. jenna: we appreciate that. and he said, there is no indication he's going to drop out of this race. >> yes, he says that he is singing up for the middle class. he was actually leading in some polls. but when he resigned from congress, he vowed to get help and learn from his mistakes.

so if you take a look at the timeline, obvious where the voters are going to have to think about whether they will change their mind. >> thank you. rick: the one coming up, interest rates on student loans still go lower. the senate taking up a bill this fall. but what about 10 years down the road? we will talk about that. and as violence grows in syria, new information on the options and a look at the different scenarios that are being considered in washington. after this.

rick: right now there could be a

deal of lower interest rates on student loans. heather has more in the newsroom. reporter: that's right, the senate is finishing some work on a student loan deal that could impact millions of college students and their parents all across the country. this adds a lot and many are reeling from the doubling of interest rates on federal stafford loans to 6.8%. the new rate took effect on july 1. now, there is good and bad news in the senate deal. the bill. the legislation that's being worked upon would actually tie student loan rates of financial market. that would mean lower interest rates this fall. which is great news for students right now. the secretary of education, army arnie duncan's annual state save students in interest payments. today's undergrads could borrow money at 3.9% if their parents

that the bill, that rate will be 6.4%. those rates would rise if the economy improves. so you may save money today, but then get socked with a much air bill in the future. >> okay, now in the newsroom, breaking it down for us. thank you for the advice. jenna: new information as to how the united states can respond to the crisis in syria after the nation's military officer outlined five different options for the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff revealing this scenario for assisting the rebels in the letter. he said he was using military force in syria and jennifer griffin is live at the pentagon just got done speaking with john mccain.

if you could, could you walk us through what general dempsey said and what he mapped out as far as military options go? >> sure, some have described it as five no good options. here's what the joint chairman of the chief outlined to the chairman services. advise and assist the opposition and that he estimates would cost at least $500 million per year initially. number two is a limited standoff. hundreds of aircraft, ships, other enablers across would be in the billions, according to martin dempsey. and number three, established a no-fly zone in the estimated cost of $500 million initially, averaging as much as a billion dollars per month over the course of a year. and it will also fail to shift the momentum according to the chairman of the joint chiefs. number four is to establish buffer zones and ground forces if needed. number five is control chemical weapons and thousands of special operations forces and other ground forces would be needed to

assure critical coverage. costs could be well over $1 billion per month. jenna: what is the response from senator john mccain? reporter: he announced after receiving the letter that he would no longer block or recommend a hold on general martin dempsey's renomination as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. >> i don't know if it's dishonest or disingenuous, but it's certainly not something that reveals the nature of the threat. reporter: senator mccain said there is a long history of pentagon generals to present

options that are so outlandish that the american public that the american public would likely turn those options down. jenna: jennifer, thank you. we will continue to follow this story. rick: new reports about whether the fugitive nsa leaker edward snowden has been allowed to leave an airport in moscow and whether russia will grant him asylum. we will talk about that here. plus, he has already been called a rat and a killer and some of the grisly as testimony in the murder trial of whitey bulger. we have a legal panel on the dramatic testimony that is straight ahead. the great outdoors... ...and a great deal. thanks to dad. nope eeeeh... oh, guys let's leave the deals to hotels.com.

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jenna: united states is seeking clarification on russia on the status of edward snowden. there's been conflicting reports of his stat thus this morning. first we heard the man wanted in the united states has a documents he needs to enter russia legally. now snowden's lawyers say he'll stay in the transit zone of moscow airport at least for now. snowden is wanted in the united states on charges of espionage and theft of government property. former ambassador to the u.n. is a fox news contributor. what do you mean of the timing of this? >> i think what governs vladmir

putin's approach of snowden is whether he thinks he's gotten all of the information that snowden brought with him from hong kong in his laptop computers and documents in his luggage, what he knows in his own head. i think vladmir putin wants as much of that as he can get and his calculus is, does he have it all already? does he think he'll get more if he lets snowden out of the airport? does he have a deal to get it once snowden is in a third country? venezuela or wherever it may be? vladmir putin is a former kgb agent. i think relations with the united states are obviously important but i think what he really wants is the intelligence which he either has or knows he's not going to get or still playing for. that's dominating his thinking. jon: snowden has been in that area for more than 30 days now. white house is seeking clarification again on these

conflicting reports. what are our options here, ambassador? >> i think we have one option.io vladmir putin we want snowden returned. there's no extradition treaty between russia and the united states but we've lifted his passport, accused him of felonies, we want him back. this is at one level very easy and if vladmir putin were concerned about relations with the united states as his primary objective, he would give snowden back in a heart beat. we've been playing blue smoking mirrors for 30 days, transit airports are not international space. he's in russia, under russian control and could be delivered to the united states if that's what putin wanted to do. jenna: what about just going and getting him? >> i don't think there's any chance that is going to happen. whatever space he's in, whatever transit lounge he's in or hotel, very, very well protected by

russian security officials so i don't think that's an option. i think making it unmistakable ji clear to putin that the united states wants him back. they should pay a price for not handing him over. jenna: exactly what type of area is he hanging out in, right? one of the ways we've looked at the russia-united states relationship and something we'll talk about later on in the show is how it's impacted our foreign policy in the middle east, specifically when it comes to syria. how do you see snowden's actions and the fact that he's in the airport and all this back and forth taking place between the two countries, how do you stee affecting our relationship if at all with russia and some broader issues we're facing? >> i don't see any evidence it's affected the broader relationship yet. i think that's part of the problem. i think the fact that the obama administration hasn't taken steps, steps that they should take regardless of snowden but which this little drama we're

engaged in gives them a pretext to launch is one reason why he's been in that airport for a month now. the russians do not feel under pressure. and if you take the syrian situation as an example, they have a fundamentally different view of the outcome they want to see in syria than the obama administration has had, the russians want the asad regime to stay in power. that's been the view for the last 2 1/2 years and the obama administration still hasn't figured that out yet. jenna: also russia wants to gain -- to talk to iran yet again on the nuclear program in the next few weeks and that's a topic for another day. we'll weigh in on that, i'm sure. we have some breaking news about the president today announcing that yes, indeed, the united states is holding back on the sale of some of these f-16 fighter jets to egypt. there's four jets. this was part of a deal we had with military aid that's been going on for years but now we're getting news from the pentagon

spokesman that the president and his national security team have decided to delay delivery of these planes. what do you think about that? what's the significance? >> it's hard to say what's going through the obama administration's mind since they took a statute and tried to finagle their way around it. maybe they're having trouble doing that. i think the policy ought to be clear. we ought to continue military assistance to the government of egypt, to the military of egypt. that gives the united states leverage on points that are critically important to us, maintaining the peace accord with israel, keeping the suez canal open and traffic flowing through it. i think this back and forth, on and off, i can't make up my mind attitude the president displays on military assistance isn't winning us friends. it's showing a lack of attention and a lack of strategic thinking. jenna: thank you. >> thank you. rick: dramatic new testimony in the james whitey bulger

testimony going on right now. mobster's former partner back on the stand for a fifth day to testify about the killings and other crimes bulger is accused of killing. steven already dropped a bomb shell saying that bulger is not only a cold blooded killer but also a pedophile. the former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and some real characters that we're all being introduced to in this trial. dan, you first. i'm wondering about the testimony from the so-called rifleman. how damaging is that do you think to the defense? >> in terms of the actual charges that whitey bulger is facing, it's not that damaging. murder charges are going to be proved. there's overwhelming evidence. however, this case is unusual. it seems like the defense is more focused on stopping the prosecution from proving things that ruin his reputation like he's a rat or kills women or he's a pedophile and in that sense, that means a lot to the defense. in terms of whether he'll be

convicted of murder, it probably won't make a difference. rick: what do you think of that point, the defense strategy here? could this be some kind of a preventative strategy before this guy goes to prison? >> definitely. i think they've had the conversation and bulger has told his attorneys, look. i'm going down. i know i'm going to prison but i at least need to be protected. i can't go to prison labelled a rat, labelled a pedophile. those are the worst things you can do. at this point, it's control so he can live the rest of his life out in peace. rick: the worst thing you could do because you would face retribution from fellow inmates. why is there even a trial if this is the defense strategy? >> i'm sure whatever was offered to him would ultimately result in spending the rest of his life in prison. he has no reason to cop a plea in this case. this trial is probably fun to him. he's going to spend the rest of

his life in prison. he's not gaining anything by taking a plea. you have to understand at this point a lot of it is control. he's lost a lot of control by entering the criminal justice system. what kind of control can he pay back? he can force the prosecution to prove their case. he can force witnesses to come and testify against him. this is entertainment for him. that's what this is about. not necessarily about winning or losing but about control. rick: from a former prosecutor's standpoint, shouldn't the prosecution have more control over this rather than let the defense, if this is, in fact, their strategy, this is what they're trying to do and you both seem to agree to that, why would the state let the charade go forward? >> the witnesses for the prosecution are going to be unsavory characters because they're the ones who witnessed these crimes. so when you have this witness testify, his background is fair game for the defense to cross-examine him on. in this case, he admits to murders with whitey bulger.

he admits to having a sexual relationship with his teenage stepdaughter and in his version of events, he actually disposed of his stepdaughter's body, pulling out her teeth so she couldn't be identified after bulger killed her. there's no way the prosecution can prevent the defense from cross-examining him on that. that's an issue at trial. rick: and we could learn later today the autopsy results of a guy named steve inriggs who turned up dead recently. he was on the list of possible witnesses to be called by the prosecution and was prepared to talk about how his liquor store was basically extorted by whitey bulger so that bulger could use it as sort of his criminal headquarters there in south boston. this guy turns up dead before he could ever take the stand. what do you make of it, sort of a side show here? what do you make of the whole thing? >> you kind of wonder when you have a mob trial going on and one of the key witnesses turns up dead, everybody is going to suspect something. and i wonder if this is -- this

may be payback. maybe somebody else is doing this on the outside and they're saying, hey, we're going to pin more on you, bulger, or maybe bulger does not want this person to testify because there's something else this person knew so he wanted to make sure he wasn't going to testify. definitely throws another kink into this trial. rick: ashley and dan, we'll continue to follow the goings on in the courtroom. thank you both for coming out today. >> thank you. jenna: we have amazing dash cam video of deputies risking their lives, pulling a man from a burning car seconds before it explodes in flames. we'll show you the full video. plus a move that the government says could save lives. what you need to know about alternative remedies that claim to treat diabetes. the f.d.a. has a new stance on these products. dr. garner breaks it down and tells us how it might impact other, quote, natural options. doc is in next.

jenna: the cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for years is in court today. ariel castro's lawyer saying that plea negotiations are still underway. and u.s. postal service moving to end delivery to your front door to save money. the plan would target newly built homes for now but could expand to include everyone. that's next hour. and the prince of cambridge and the future king of england on the move today after spending his first night at home in kensington palace. not a bad place for your first night. right? rick: just like my kids spending the night at kensington palace. a life saving decision right now, a dramatic rescue caught on

tape. sheriff's deputies arriving at the scene of a car crash. driver refusing to get out for some reason, raising fears he mate try to escape. when he saw flames in the passenger seat, they reached in, cut the seat belt, dragged the guys to safety and minute later, the whole car went up in flames. authorities say the 49-year-old driver suffered a medical emergency when he crashed, possibly diabetic shock. jenna: nice to have law enforcement looking out for us but also doctors doing the same and f.d.s. a cracking down on alternative treatments for diabetes. 15 companies are warned they could face criminal prosecution for products that reduce the symptoms of the very serious disease. some of these products are infective and some have ingredients that can be downright serious. dr. gardner is the chief medical

officer at new york medical hospital. you're a doctor that likes to blend traditional methods with some alternative methods as well. what do you think of the f.d.a. making a move like this? >> it's warranted. what does the public know? you have diabetes, you see something cure diabetes, why wouldn't you buy that? >> why not? >> there's not one diabetes. there's type one, we need insulin and there's other diabetes, some where you need exercise and some you need nothing, no treat many. jenna: can the f.d.a. pull the items from the shelf so it's not an option? >> they need to write a strong letter saying we highly disagree with what you're doing. meanwhile, these guys are selling counterfeit medication. jenna: these type of remedies and there's 15 overall but they're the type that you might see in the health food store that say we can do such and such for you the natural way. that's what they're really looking at. how dangerous can the products be? >> very dangerous because they interact with other medications.

if you're taking blood thinner, for example, a lot of these medications interfere and make you bleed. ginger, right? causes your heart to beat irregularly. >> i think about ginger, taking it for an upset stomach. >> right. but meanwhile, there are other products in there. jenna: that's mixed sometimes with natural remedies and as a consumer, you may not know that. >> you don't get a label half the time. jenna: on the screen we have a few products. fish oil, people tell you to take it for all sorts of things, st. john's wort to help you. >> fish oil, new studies are showing it causes deadly prostate cancer. you don't want to take that. if anything, no more than two servings of fish a week. you don't know what's in it. ginseng makes you bleed.

if you're taking medication that thins the blood -- >> it's a further blood thinner. >> st. john's wort is an anti-depress ant. most people are on other medication and they see something to help, makes sow tired that you could fall and break a hip. >> so interesting. as anyone that has tried to navigate, you know, trying to recover from an injury or having to deal with an illness, it seems that often the most traditional treatments are invasive surgery or pharmaceuticals, a prescription for painkillers and the like so how as consumers can we entertain amounter navb options that may be good for us and not instantly go for the traditional routes if that's not what we want to do? >> talk to your doctor. make sure you're not taking medications that interact and you should talk to someone who knows about this. traditional training, we don't get that. >> do you think that doctors are open enough to some alternatives? >> now they're getting more

open. before it used to be like a quackery type thing. jenna: you've heard that term when it comes to alternatives. >> but the problem is you're getting medications that you don't know what you're getting. it can happen with tylenol. we started getting the rat feces in the tylenol. jenna: i don't want any of that stuff in any medication ever. >> at least the f.d.a. can review it. for this type of product, unless it's advertised to treat a condition or to diagnose, they have no control. they can just look at it and say, okay. but as soon as they cross the line and say this is to treat a product, then the f.d.a. can get involved. jenna: f.d.a. is looking at some diabetes alternative medications and other treatments as well. >> we should put our money into doing the studies that are necessary. jenna: you're saying more research is needed here. >> i think look. they worked for ages and ages, right? jenna: sure. we'll have to stay and see you again. this is the first step into the diabetes medication.

we'll see if it goes elsewhere for alternative. >> good to see you. rick: thanks. coming up, new concerns about amanda bynes. we're hearing from people who say they have witnessed some bizarre behavior.

rick: brand new information on stories around the world. at least 22 people killed in shootouts between armed guard and security forces. this is happening in one of mexico's most violent states and we're told that it started when gang members blocked highways using buses and other vehicles to do it. two federal police are among the dead. in china, police arresting a machete wielding father of four accused of killing two government workers and injuring four others. it happened after officials told him his youngest child could not be registered because he didn't

pay the penalty for breaking the strict family planning laws and more than 150 asylum seekers after their boat goes off indonesia. they were headed to australia. many of them coming from iran and iraq. jenna: new information on a troubled hollywood actress following some disturbing incidents. here is more on this. >> hi there. this is just the latest in a string of incidents. numerous episodes of embarrassing and bizarre behavior. amanda bynes is being held by the state of california for 72-hour mental health evaluation. it's what's known as a 5150 hold and it was issued after she allegedly set fire to a small gas tank and possibly herself in the driveway of a suburban l.a. house. witnesses saw it and called 911. >> what's on fire? >> it's like a small piece of cloth and a gasoline tank which

is why i'm calling 911. >> is it in the roadway? >> no. it's in a driveway. jenna: you saw the ariel shots of the driveway here. there was another witness driving by at the time. he tried to help her and listen who that he had to say. >> i just see her laying down, stomach up, and her pant leg on fire. a trail of fire and gas. i pull over and i thought it was her house. i had no idea. i'm like, where is your garden hose? because i'm not thinking like who has the gas can that's on fire? jenna: neighbors put out the fire. bynes is from the area of thousand oaks but we don't know if she has ties to the home and you may remember in new york city, she was in a courtroom

allegedly facing charges for allegedly throwing a bong from her apartment window and she showed up wearing that strange wig. she's known for her role on the popular show nickelodeon that she did a while back. thank you. we'll be right back with more "happening now." [ female announcer ] it balances you...

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jenna: noon here on the east coast and fox news alert with ab eye on the economy as we await the president's speech today. glass you're with us. rick: welcome to the second hour of "happening now" and countdown to another budget showdown. we're live on the road and in illinois. fears of a government shutdown, president obama gears up for a big push on the economy with a pair of speeches. the first at knox college set to start minutes from now. he's expected to turn up the heat on congress to pass parts of his agenda but the g.o.p. pushing back hard, backing budgets that gut many of the signature policies including obama care. we have team coverage.

chief congress jan correspondent live on the hill but let's start with white house foreign affairs correspondent. when are we going to hear from the president today? >> president is headed back to a college where he spoke not long after taking office as a senator to talk about building a thriving middle class that's the main issue that got him into politics in the first place. he said we need to make investments in education and infrastructure where people have job and retirement security and don't have to fear being bankrupted by an accident or illness. aides say a lot of issues republicans have focused on recently like trying to undo bap bam care are only aimed at hurting him politically. >> we need congress to come to washington and focus on the american people and what's been going on for far too long, we've seen short-term political interests and posturing get in the way of unleashing the great potential that the american people want us to unleash. that's what he'll talk about

today. >> valerie says some of the ideas the president has proposed like investments and infrastructures have traditionally had bipartisan support. he'll speak in central missouri after his illinois speech and visit a port in florida tomorrow. rick: what are we hearing from republicans about all of this? >> well, they're calling today's speeches a political road show accusing the president of talking about them instead of with them. senate majority leader said that the president will beemoan the state of the economy. >> instead of taking responsibility for his failure to lead, he'll probably try to cast us as some titanic between those struggling to invest and those who supposedly want to eliminate paved roads or signs or whatever ridiculous thing he invents this time.

give me a break. >> he said those are taking the obvious lessons from tragedy in places like detroit and those that can't face up to the logical end points of their own ideology. rick: thank you. jenna: now for the other side on the budget battle with republicans focussing on spending cuts and obama care could be caught in the cross hairs. we continue with mike emmanuel who is live at the capitol. >> some conservatives believe with 2014 just around the corner, this may be their last chance to stop the president's health care law. utah republican senator mike lee, marco rubio, republican of florida, and ted cruse, republican of texas, with planning to send a letter to harry reid. they noticed the obama's decision to postpone obama care as proof the law is a failure. they write, quote, for these reasons, we will not support any

continuing resolutions or appropriations legislation that funds further comblimplementati enforcement of obama care. here is senator lee. >> he's scared to death of this because he knows he doesn't want to have to force a shutdown so he can defend a law that is so unpopular with the american people, a law that the president said he's not ready to implement. a law that the president has promised to implement selectively. and a law that the author of the bill and the senate recently described as a train wreck. he doesn't want to have that fight because he knows he can't fight that fight and win. >> as for the senate majority leader, he was asked if he would consider defunding obama care as a concession to get republicans to agree to increase the nation's borrowing limit, the debt ceiling. >> we are not negotiating on the

debt ceiling. the press said this. i've said it. and i don't know how many more times we need to say that. >> this sets up a very tense september when congress will be dealing with matters of the budget and debt and bottom line, some conservatives are saying they will vote no. jenna: big story, mike. thank you. rick: we're joined by a fox news political analyst and any time i hear government shutdown, i feel like i've seen this movie before. >> this is a summer spectacular but i'm afraid it's not a blockbuster with the public. what we see, rick, is that people say they're fed up with the president, we have a "wall street journal" poll this morning indicates his numbers are down to about 45% approval rating. 83% of americans disapprove of what's going on with congress. they say partisanship as essentially paralyzing and hurting the u.s. economy. rick: those who see partisanship

that way are mainly democrats and independents in the poll. republicans who were spoken to blame the president for the partisanship. not surprising, i guess, but we're about to hear from the president this hour who is about to deliver a speech and we've been told this is going to be one in a series of speeches from president obama, delivering his sweeping vision for the american future, aggressive new ideas. and dana in "the washington post" today says that these speeches could run the risk of sending a signal that just six months into his second term, obama is fresh out of ideas. what do you think? >> i think that's right. you know, dana and the book about we've seen this turkey before, it's hard to sell it because it's warmed over. i don't think there's any question about it. look. the president points to obstruction on the part of congress or a refusal to do any investment in spending. ben bernanke, the fed chairman said last week, congress, the government has to understand

there's a major engine of economic activity and they need to get in the game. at the moment, the standoff between the white house and congress, and we heard mitch mcconnell saying he blames the president for a lack of leadership and getting people to work with him but that has resulted in absolutely a stale mate with no new ideas, no energy coming from washington. we can see the stock market is doing pretty well. we see consumer confidence doing pretty well. unemployment, it's right there. it's not great but it's not -- it's moving in the right direction the last few months and consumer -- i should say corporate profits have been doing pretty well. but that activity is all outside of washington. when we come back to d.c., we just get frustration, anger and stuck in the mud as you said earlier. rick: we heard mitch mcconnell, mike lee. what about the charm offensive that the president was en gijed in a couple of months back where he was bringing in republicans, having dinner with them, sitting and chatting about a way

forward? what happened to all of that? has that been thrown by the wayside? >> we had some sparks of hopes. we got a senate so some of the nominees can get through. what we're talking about the big ticket items and that's what we're talking about with the economy and the jobs and the upcoming fights over the debt controlling and spending cuts, when it comes to those items, what we're seeing is pure refusal to compromise, to make the deals necessary for good government and i think that's why the american people say they can't count on washington to fire up the economy to get us going. i think people -- that's why i mentioned the polls at the very top. people in the polls are just -- they almost want to cut the district of columbia off and send it to sea at this point. rick: before we wrap things up, back to the budget battle as we take a look at those jobs

numbers that you were -- the approval numbers that you were referring to. do you see this movie having the same ending that they'll sort of take us once more to the brink before cutting a last minute deal to stave off a government shutdown? is that where this is headed again? >> again, it's just tiring. what you have as a matter of a political calculation is everybody saying, who is going to get blimed if we come back to the brink, to the edge of the fiscal cliff? right now you have people like senator mccain saying, d the american people don't want it again and so is there a way that we can cut a deal? so this is some hope that you're going to get a smaller group of republicans and forcing the hand of the president. it's not presidential leadership by any means but forcing the hand of the president to say we'll give you something if you can give us something back and let's avoid the fiscal cliff. that's the only ray of hope that i can offer you, my friend, on this summer day.

rick: i'll talk it. always nice to talk to you. see you soon. >> you're welcome, rick. jenna: d.c. feels like an island sometimes. you need to cut it loose. very interesting imagery there from juan. out of ohio, happening now, cleveland man accused of holding three women prisoner in what's described as a house of horror is back in court today and it will be the last court appearance before his trial starts next month. but his lawyers are telling the judge they're still in talks with prosecutors about a possible plea deal. >> there's the possibility this case may not even go to trial. both sides say they're continuing to negotiate for some sort of a plea deal. his defense team has been very public about their desire for that, maintaining all along that any agreement, though, would not include the death penalty. that's really what is at stake here.

former school bus driver is facing around 1,000 charges so it's not so much a question of if he's going to spend the rest of his life in prison or not as it is will he face the death penalty. in court, the county prosecutor told the judge, they're ready to start the trial. castro's defense team complains that the state is just now handing over forensic evidence which they didn't even know about until they read about it in a local paper. >> how are we supposed to possibly defend this gentleman when they have the information and we learn about it? it's not right, your honor. that's all i'm going to say. you know our position. >> with less than two weeks left before the trial is set to begin, authorities are continuing to gather, test and examine the more than 10 years' worth of evidence that they've collected since ariel castro was arrested more than three months ago. more than 4,000 pages of evidence along with videotapes and transcripts of interviews

and a house full of items. the judge said if this case does go to trial, jurors have been summoned for the august 5 court date. a plea deal, if it does come, will come within the next 12 days. rick: coming up, relations between the u.s. and russia. souring over the snowden affair as the n.s.a. leaker seeks asylum in that country. lasting impact this could have on reelings with moscow. plus -- listen. a dad who has had to install these baby seats more than once, this is no easy task. i wonder how many times he practiced. jenna: did it look security? rick: yeah. he did a great job. new dad bringing his royal prince from the hospital. will and kate's baby boy getting a special visitor today. we'll talk about that. this could cut down on the junk mail. proposal to end mail delivery as

we know it and what might replace an american tradition. ♪

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jenna: a developing story we've been watching most of the morning here on fox news. drilling rig in the gulf of mexico is on fire. this started last night and we're just getting an update that the natural gas well that's leaking in the gulf of mexico, that well has ruptured but the update is that the beams that are supporting the rig have collapsed. there's been a partial collapse of the rig you're seeing there on your screen. some of the fire fighting vessels have had to move back to safer locations. so again, a lot of questions about just how big this might be, how much damage might be occurring. dozens of workers that were on board this rig were evacuated

and are safe but it's still burning in the gulf of mexico and a partial collapse of the rig is what we're hearing. rick: postal service is proud to boast that rain, hail and heat cannot stop mail delivery but how much debt? heather has more on that. >> well, listen to this one and they mief to change their motto eventually. u.s. postal service continues to push congress to approve the plan to stop saturday mail delivery but they've also come up with another idea and this one has saved them a lot of money. whether or not you agree with this, you've got to agree that you have to give them credit for creativity here. americans moving into newly built homes will not have mail delivered to their doors and will instead have to walk to the curb or one of those neighborhood community mailbo s

mailboxes. this was phased in, in april but it didn't get a whole lot of attention there. now congress is looking at a drastic shift considered by a house committee today. here is part of what they're talking about. in the future americans who currently get mail delivered to their home may no longer get that at all. currently, 80 million of us get mail delivered door to door or curb side mailboxes. post office says that stopping this would cut the delivery price in half. postal service lost $16 billion last year so they're trying to come up with new plans but in that agency doesn't come up with ways to save money, we could be on the hook for close to $50 billion. so we'll let you know what that house committee decides later today. rick: heather, thanks. jenna: future king of england on his first day out after being introduced to the world yesterday. prince william and kate taking their newborn baby boy to see kate's parents but first he had a visit with his great grandmother, the queen.

amy kellogg is live in london with more. >> yes, indeed, he did. and frankly one of the newspapers has described the last 24 hours as the first day on the job for the royal infant because, of course, his very public role began as it was no doubt continue under the glare of flash bulbs. this is a couple that simply does not let the grass grow under their feet. the duke and duchess of cambridge have ended serious speculation about where they might go after the hospital and they've headed right out to bucklebury to the middleton family compound that's a $6 million mansion 50 miles from london. it was long assumed that kate would want to learn the mommy trade from her own mother who loves the rituals of childhood. they made a business around the bits and pieces needed around kids' parties. the fans made the couple happy with prince william joking that

his newborn son has more hair than he does and saying the baby got his mother's looks. speaking of the mother's could beings, when the duchess wears something, it tends to sell out right away. this dress generated so much interest yesterday, it crashed the company website. it's hard to tell who a newborn looks generally like. this one is most famous for his little fingers that almost looked like they were trying to master the royal wave as he was presented to the world last night and we don't know whether we continue to practice his grnd mother -- great grandmother, the queen today, we don't know how long they will be decamped to bucklebury to the middleton manor. there was a lot of concern early on if she went there, it would cost the taxpayer an awful lot of money in security, securing the compound. it's not a royal estate that has its own built-in security or privacy, i should add, but a press officer said they have

they are own dedicated security who go with them wherever they go so it's a mute point. jenna: we'll just let them have their time. the little prince did a nice little job yesterday with his little wave. the kid has style. he's only a day old but he has style. thank you very much. we appreciate it. it's a big story. some of you are asking why it's a big deal. the kingdom is not alone welcoming the future king of england there's many former british colonies. population of the sovereign states totaling more than 140 million people. compare that to the global population and that's a full 2% of the world will be calling this little prince king some day. rick: better start practicing that wave a little more. all right. when we come back, brand new documents. they're not new. they're newly released documents that once belonged to robert f. kennedy. the secrets we're learning plus

we'll speak with a kennedy biographer right after this. hey linda!

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rick: possible new murder charges for former new england patriots player aaron hernandez. he's due back in a courtroom. hernandez pleaded not guilty to killing a former friend and now prosecutors tend to link him to a drive-by shooting. >> prosecutors say this evidence links hernandez to an unsolved double homicide that took place in downtown boston back in june of 2012. two men were killed in their car while they paused as a stoplight after they left the bar that night. 29-year-old daniel day and 28-year-old man were shot to death that night. now, witnesses say they saw gun

fire come from a gray s.u.v. ta had rhode island license plates. our local fox affiliate in boston reporting that investigators believe that hernandez and the two victims were in the very same boston nightclub that night and had an altercation just before that shooting took place. there was a third man who happened to be in the car that evening. that person survived the shooting and he was able to describe the s.u.v. that he saw to authorities. now, that s.u.v., we're told, matches the one that cops recently impounded from hernandez's uncle's home. so there could be a tie-in here. we are told the prosecutors are not in a rush to charge him. in part because he's held without bail in the death of this man, 27-year-old oden lloyd. going before a grand nur jury today, linking him to unsolved murders next year. rick: heather in the news room

with the latest on hernandez. thanks. jenna: edward snowden put the screening surveillance program in the spotlight. now it could become a model for other states looking to do the very same thing. dan springer is here live in montana with more. >> yeah, jenna. states are leading the way. montana passed an anti-spying law a couple of months before edward snowden was a household name. the law in montana states the government cannot access or collect information from the cell phones, tablets and lab tops without first getting a search warrant. maine and texas have similar pr citizens. police in montana get a search warrant before seeking date on from the cell phone providers unlike the security agency that admits to collecting call information from law abiding

americans in an effort to thwart terrorist attacks. >> there's a huge amount of data being collected. a lot of us don't know what information is being collected. >> the n.s.a. director told congress the electronic surveillance programs helped them uncover more than 50 terror plots around the world and general alexander met with individual members of congress yesterday urging them to vote against the amendment to the defense budget. the business community is pushing back against efforts to force companies that collect and sell user's private information to get consent first. >> we will restrict the ability for enterprises to create and innovate and develop new products and services which all of us consumers benefit from. >> the house is expected to debate that amendment today and vote on it as early as tomorrow so we'll see if the federal

government will follow the lead of the state like montana. jenna: interesting story for us. thank you very much. rick: when we come back, white house responding to edward snowden's latest tammys to leave the airport in moscow. a closer look at the latest tension. that is straight ahead. also brand new housing numbers are out. how much higher do home sales have to go before the market is considered healthy again? we'll talk about that, too.

>> he very clearly violated the law in disclosing classified information. and he, as a citizen, charged in this country, will be afforded all the many rights given to defendants in our country, in our system of justice when he returns. jenna: when he returns. that was the white house press secretary showing some frustration over edward snowden on the run more than 65 days. 31 spent in a moscow airport. his status is still unclear which is certainly creating more tension between the united states and russia. it's been a rough road the last year. take a look at this. you have russia cracking down on human rights organizations and ngo's, not to mention kicking out a u.s. spy. russia is also undermining our

efforts in syria, supporting the asad regime that russia wants to remove and now reports today that russia will be en gijing in iran on the nuclear program. joining us is the former deputy assistant to the vice president for national security affairs. he's the c.e.o. of the advisory. let's start with a trip potentially to iran. we're getting reports out of iran and russia that this is happening and it would happen after the inauguration of the new president in iran and deals specifically with the nuclear program. what is russia up to? >> russia has played an enabling role for many, many years in iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities. they would say it for energy and dealing with the spent fuel and other considerations but really, they have operated as a shield on sanctions and advocate for iran and its international exposure.

so this visit, vladmir putin has not been a frequent visitor to iran. 2007, i believe, was his last time there. it's not a surprise in that russia does have a close, strategic relationship with iran and there's a lot going on in the middle east going on jenna: what do we do with that? >> our options are somewhat limited. president obama doesn't have close, permanent rapport with vladmir putin. vladmir putin has been there, really in charge since 2000. and we have not exactly been effective in trying to use influence over russia in recent years. i think we have to be firm about what our interests are and what our strategy is but really, at this point, the administration needs to be clear what its own strategy is toward dealing with iran. russia will push ahead and fill the void if we don't have a clear message. jenna: there have been a lot of questions raised about russia and the economy and russia is dependent on us and a few

economic ways. one is that we import, i believe, $119 million in goods from russia. should we take economic sanctions of our own? we talked about that in the middle east but what about engaging in russia that way? what about getting tougher? >> i think we need to treat them as a normal nation which is when we have interests and conflict and they rise to a level of serious national priority, and all of those things need to be in play. we've had a great difficulty in dealing with russia and china over the last generation. sometimes treating them as special or unusual. and then the little bit shy about using power. we've done it more with russia than with china but absolutely the economic tools need to be in play. we also have to be mindful those will be in the country but a mistake in that economic relationship that doesn't want to bear a disproportionate amount of pain and they believe it will be done for some good. that's where leadership is really important from the white house. jenna: what is our goal when it comes to russia?

in a best case scenario, what do we want from them? >> i think we would want a clear strategy and go to russia and say we understand you have interests and long standing behaviors that are at odds with our interest areas and this is where we're willing to have some give and take in order to get the greatest good for the greatest number in the region and for our own interests. you have to have a sense of agenda, what you're able to sacrifice and accommodate but absent a clear vision for what we're doing in the region, it's difficult to say how we're going to handle this. jenna: let's talk about russia's intention. what is their agenda when it comes to america? what do they want from us? >> i think they want respect, they want to be able to expand their power to a degree. vladmir putin would like to return a little bit more to the

influence the soviet union had absent some of those problems. their economic vitality at home is important to that but they seem to flex their muscle in trying to push their economic and military movements across the middle east. jenna: how far do you think they're willing to go? we see them giving arms to different groups in syria that we don't want to have arms but how far are they going to push this? >> i think absent any serious pushback on our part, they'll keep going ahead. i don't think they want direct conflict with the united states. i don't think they want an expansive regional war but i think short of that, they're willing to risk a great deal in pushing the envelope until we give signals we and our allies are able to push back. jenna: and that's the question of whether or not they're returning to a second cold war, if you will. a topic for another day but we appreciate your time as always. thank you. >> thank you, jenna. rick: president obama's pick for the number two spot at the department of homeland security

is at the center of an investigation. he is the director of u.s. citizenship and immigration services and he's accused of giving favors to a finance company that's run by a former -- by the brother, rather, of former secretary of state hillary clinton. hi, molly. >> giving favors that may also help the chinese. homeland security department's inspector general's office or i.g.'s office is looking into whether he was using his office, his position to help a chinese national obtain a u.s. investor veez arcs even after an application to obtain the visa had already been denied twice by the agency that he leads. the f.b.i. started picking up countered intelligence service on him and passed that to the homeland security department which started an investigation about a year ago. at this point, there have been no charges and in an email sent to lawmakers on monday, the inspector general said so far, there are no, quote, findings of

criminal misconduct. but the i.g. is probing whether he secured the investor visa which can provide a fast track to citizenship to finance a funding company run by anthony rodham. he's the brother of hillary rodham clinton and part of the problem here, in the intended use of power, in a letter from senator grassley to the f.b.i., i have obtained emails that indicate that one of the investors in gulf coast is a vice president of waway technologies whose connections to chinese intelligence have been documented by the house intelligence committee. in fact, the most routine users of this investor visa program are chinese investors and the i.g. also was looking into whether others in the office obstructed an audit of the visa program by the securities and exchange commission.

and rick, i just want to update real quick. i just got an email from the gulf coast funds management, the company run by hillary clinton's brother. they're saying they have never asked for help in a rejected visa appeal and they are not part of any investigation by the department of homeland security. that's the latest from gulf coast funds management. rick: molly has the breaking details. thank you. jenna: some new information on the economy now. as housing numbers show americans buying new homes at the fastest pace in five years, sales jumping more than 8%. when you buy a home, you have to fill it with things and that's good for the economic recovery. it's worth pointing out new home sales are a small portion of the overall housing market and although they're looking better, new home sales are still below a pace that indicates a truly healthy housing market. some tentative good news on the economy as we await the

president speaking on it today as well. robert f. kennedy you may not have known. new documents, what they say about the biggest developments in american history, including r.f.k.'s years in his brother's white house. joining us on this issue and others, a kennedy biographer behind a revealing book from rose kennedy, who went through the family's most trying times is next.

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what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. see? he's a good egg. [ major nutrition ] ensure high protein... ensure! nutrition in charge! rick: the robert f. kennedy you did not know. for more than 50 years, the john f. kennedy presidential library has kept thousands of papers sealed from r.f.k. days as attorney general during some of the most pivotal moments in history and now they're releasing them. chief white house correspondent live at the j.f.k. library in boston. james? >> rick, good arrive. cuban missile more pivotal

crisis when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war between the u.s. and the ussr. as president kennedy's brother, he wielded an influence on the so-called special group that far exceeded his formal role as u.s. attorney general. 7,500 pages of r.f.k. papers released today reflect bobby kennedy's involvement nl only in super power relations but in early decision making on u.s. policy in latin america, for example. 13 days of the cuban missile crisis when aerial reconnaissance knowledge looked at nuclear weapons close to the land. a top secret memo drafted by a member of the n.s.c. special group on may 31, 1962 recorded that, quote, at the 22nd march meeting, mr. robert kennedy asked a special group what would be an appropriate course of action for the united states to take in the the event the

soviets establish a military base in cuba. unsigned memo continued, since the special group assumed overt military force will have to be used to end communist control of cuba, mr. kennedy's question is particularly pertinent, unquote. so all consuming was the crisis that it disrupted kennedy plans, then underway almost a year, to overthrow fidel castro. that plan, operation mon goose, would encompass fidel castro. as the declassified minutes make clear that the teams should be suspended and instructions were issued to recall the three times already on the way. at that point defense secretary, the brilliant former whiz kid head of the ford motor company chimed in to say that mongoose was now the lower order of priority. quote, mr. mc namara thought that mongoose should be

considered in the text of a, support for action designed at getting rid of weapons. we'll have more as we go through the pages. rick: james rosen in boston, thanks. jenna: speaking of the can en did is, new book is out on the family matriarch. joining us now is barbara perry, the author of rose kennedy, the life and times of a political matriarch. what do you think what james had to share with us? if you had to pull out the significance of these papers, what does it seem like at this early stage? >> the fact that 7,500 pages of formerly classified materials are now available to the public to journalists, historians like myself as i've described it, it's a historian's christmas morning, opening up boxes of

information that will inform us about 50 years ago the depths of the cold war, the cuban missile crisis from the perspective of the man who was closest to president kennedy like no other. jenna: how did you become fascinated with the kennedys? >> it goes back a little over 50 years. i was four years on and my mother packed me and my brother to kentucky to see then senator kennedy campaigning in the home town put us right in front of the podium to see him. this was her political hero. we were catholic and he was going to be the first catholic president and from that point on, i would tease my mother forever more, you turned me into a presidential historian and scholar. jenna: that's a long career. how did you become interested and turned to rose kennedy? you say her role has been somewhat understated with the way her sons and the rest of the family has become. what do you think is her role in

this important period of american history? >> i took this life long interest in the kennedys and combined it with president history that i do at the university of virginia and 2006 i got word from a former student of mine that much like today's news, that robert kennedy's papers had been opened. the student informed me that she had just read that rose kennedy's papers had been opened. 250 boxes at the kennedy library and i determined that very day, i would write the first book based on the papers. jenna: the cliff notes version, if you will, what's the big takeaway for someone so in depth with what rose had to say and what she's done for our viewer snz >> she was the woman behind the power. sometimes it was the men in the family who got all the headlines but it was rose who was out there producing this perfect family and its image that was the great source of its political power. jenna: it's interesting as we look at the royal family overseas, we're versed to talking about royalty in this country but it's an interesting look at our royals. >> the kennedys are the closest

to it and that's why people are interested in it. rick: we're ready for your book and we're back with more "happening now." hey kevin...still eating chalk for heartburn? yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief!

rick: aspiring story of an american entrepreneur transforming lives of orphans living halfway around the world, giving hope to girls facing a bleak future. jonathan is live in atlanta. >> rick, this is an amazing story about how a small business owner in this case, the owner of a mom and pop t-shirt shop, can make a huge difference affecting lives half a world away. during a trip to the region of northeast india, christie met some teenage girls who were about to be forced out of their orphanage because they were passing the maximum age of 16. with limited education, extreme poverty and eye ramp ant sex

trafficking industry in the region, their future seemed bleak. when christie returned to atlanta, she started collecting funds at her small tea shop. listen. >> i put the sign up and within six months, i had enough money to buy a plane ticket back over there and support them for a year. i republicaned a -- rented a flat, i put them in a school, i furnished the flats so that's how the project started. >> to raise money, christie's shop collected funds from used book sales, hosting monthly indian dinners and selling tea from the region. she calls it the learning tea because it helps prepare the girls for college and funds their tuition. in addition to providing them the basic food, shelter and health care they need. she's done this for 11 girls so far and plans to expand by opening a second center in india this fall and she's able to do all of this for less than $100 a month per student. so it's a great example of how a small business that sells tea and other small items can make a

big difference on the other side of the world. you can find more about this project by going to the learning tea.com. rick, back to you. rick: jonathan, thank you so much. >> certainly. patti ann: we're just moments away from the president can i being off a series of speeches on the economy and you're looking at knox college in illinois. it's a very same place that then senator obama gave his first major speech back in 2005. today he's expected to lay out his vision for the economy, specifically focussing on the middle class and how the middle class will be the part of our society that really boosts the nation's bottom line. we're waiting and watching for him. when he steps to the podium, we'll bring you there live. in the meantime, we'll be right back with more "happening now."

>> thank you so much for joining us and we are a few moments from the president's speech. bold news ideas.

>> what are the new ideas and tone set for the speeches. it is a beginning of series. >> six speeches over the next couple of months and we'll follow them for you. thanks so much for joaning us. america live starts right now. >> and we begin with a fox news alert on a case of political dejavu. president obama getting ready to speak about the economy in knox college where the senator obama laid out his vision to the country. i am shannon green in for megyn kelliy. the white house bill it a historic economic address. critics say it is just higher spending and taxes and he's out of ideas. since president obama tock office the economy has struggled. january 20095.7 million people