from graceland because it's elvis week. >> steve: hope solo will stick around for the after the show show. eric, bowling. we'll be watching you later today. >> eric: bye-bye. conduct and a frat house style work environment within the immigration and customs enforcement agency. good morning everybody, i'm martha maccallum in "america's newsroom". gregg: martha, food morning. i'm gregg jarrett in for bill hemmer. i.c.e. is the second largest investigative agency within the federal government. it is tasked with enforcing immigration laws and securing our border. martha: according to several i.c.e. employees, chief of staff, suzanne barr, who you see here, said she based in anything but a professional manner. she made lewd comments and investigation into those

claims is underway. peter doocy is in our washington bureau. what is i.c.e. doing about these claims, martha? >> reporter: they're getting ready to respond in court directly and strongly. meantime public affairs director brian heal i.c.e. referred the allegations to the dhs office of inspector general and i.c.e. office of professional responsibility for review. miss barr voluntarily placed herself on leave pending the you'll come this review. suzanne barr's voluntary leave comes on heels of two brand new affidavits from unnamed employees connected to a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed a few months ago filed against dhs secretary janet napolitano by james hayes, jr., who used to run i.c.e.'s new york office in the field. that she favors her female employees and gives them preference when it comes to promotions. one of the affidavits take us back to halloween 2009 when miss barr was allegedly overheard telling a senior i.c.e. employee, you a sexy

ex-ma tiff before speculating about his manhood. down in colombia in 2009 a drunken suzanne barr offered to perform oral sex at a party and attorney for the man who filed the original lawsuit, people are coming out of the woodwork now because people want to see this agency's mess cleaned up. martha: very shocking allegations when you read through them. what else do we know about suzanne barr? >> reporter: she has been connected to dhs secretary napolitano for a few years since her time as governor of arizona. suzanne barr is from phoenix. she worked as a staff assistant for senator john mccain and legislative correspondent for senator jon kyl. she went to law school at arizona state university before starting at democratic governor napolitano's office but she is on leave for the time-being. martha: lots to hear from both sides on this sorry. peter doocy, thank you very much.

gregg: governor mitt romney is sure fired up these days and setting a new tone in the campaign. the republican candidate with tough words for the president and his re-election team. take a listen. >> so mr. president, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to chicago and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. [cheers and applause] gregg: well those words coming after some controversial comments from vice president joe biden. the vp setting off a campaign firestorm if you will when he told a group of obama supporters in virginia this. >> we've got a real clear picture as tom pointed out. we have a real clear picture what they value. they said it. every republican voted for it. look what they value and their budget what they're proposing. romney wants, said in first 100 days he will let the big

banks once again write their own rules, unchain wall street. [booing]. they're going to put y'all back in chains. gregg: chief washington correspondent james rosen is live in ox ford, ohio where paul ryan is campaigning. went to college there. james, what is congressman ryan's focus today? >> reporter: good morning. congressman ryan returns here to his alma mature, miami at university of ohio to persuade younger voters that he and romney can do a better job than president obama than creating jobs and help the students pay down their $25,000 student debt. 66% of the voters voted for barack obama last time around is part of a new emphasis by the romney-ryan on the middle class. education, central to that appeal. under the obama administration for the first time in american history of the nation's nine million unemployed people, more than half went to college or even got a degree.

that is part of why a las vegas audience last night heard representative ryan speak which isfully by old high school buddies from wisconsin, men in early '40s, forced into retraining programs after a closure of gm plant. obama campaign says the ryan budget would cut pell grants. we'll hear from representative ryan 6:00 p.m. tonight. gregg: seems the gop ticket certainly thrust the issue of medicare reform to the top of the campaign agenda. tell us about that. >> reporter: well, certainly has and now we see both campaigns accusing the other of rank dishonesty on the issue. governor romney sought to diffuse the democrats's familiar attacks on gop medicare policies by i can linking the issue to obamacare. the rollrom ticket is determined before november 6th every senior in america will heard their charge that president obama plans to loot $716 billion from medicare to pay for the president's health care reform law.

the obama campaign says those cuts are made to medicare providers, doctors and insurers, not to medicare seniors. as we saw the president's campaign has released a new video on the subject. governor romney responded on cbs this morning. >> if you look at the ads that have been described and divisiveness based upon income, age, ethnicity and so forth, it is designed to bring a sense of emanity and jealously and anger this is not in my view what the american people want to see. >> reporter: this issue will really heat up when representative ryan heads to central florida on saturday. gregg? gregg: james rosen reporting live in ohio. james, thanks very much. martha: remember that fox news is america's election headquarters. you know that of course. and "america's newsroom" will be live in tampa for the republican convention and then bill and i will head to charlotte for the democratic convention. in prime time join bret baier and megyn kelly alongwith the entire fox news election team for all the night's big speeches,

for all the complete analysis. our coverage gets rolling on august 26. we'll see you there. gregg: results are now in. congressional primary races last night. first from vice presidential candidate paul ryan's home state, former wisconsin tommy thompson winning a fierce four-person republican primary. thompson setting his sights on a seat held by democrats for the past 50 years. long time democratic senator herb kohl is retiring and republicans see an opportunity to switch the balance of power in the senate. martha: in florida veteran republican congressman, john mica defeated a tea party party backed allenger in a lapped slide. he said pundits were right. >> they said this race was about the heart and soul of the republican party. and i'm here to tell you tonight that the heart and

soul of the republican party is doing fine in central florida. this community, the country had some serious economic challenges. we've got to roll up your sleeves and get people working. martha: the congressman enjoyed a beg win last night. he won by more than 20 percentage points. he is favored to beat the democratic candidate in the upcoming november election in his district as well with. >> another florida race we've been following, seen several twists and turns. congressman connie mack scoring a landslide victory in the republican senate primary. the four-term congressman will face off with democratic incumbent bill nelson in november. mack is trying to win back the seat his dad once held. martha: long time republican congressman cliff stearns not yet willing to throw in the towel on his race. this is another florida primary we're looking at now. ted yoho leading by 800 votes so far in this race. he is a veterinarian. never been elected to public

office. sterns not willing to concede the race. they're still counting all the votes. sterns helped to put the white house on the hot seat over the whole solyndra episode. that is one of the things he is most well-known for. gregg: how about connecticut? former world wrestling entertainment executive linda mcmahon winning the republican senate primary in connecticut. >> so from now until election day, i will have a message for every citizen in connecticut. that message is, we will do better. we can. [applause] gregg: you may recall she ran for the senate in 2010 and lost. this time, she is vying for the open senate seat vacated by retiring independent senator joe lieberman. martha: that --, in the meantime. how about this from our, just coming in across the wires in terms of gas prices because they're now spiking. a new consumer report that is showing americans are now

cushing spending a bit to compensate perhaps for higher gas prices that they're experiencing. in fact 2012 will likely be the most expensive year ever for drivers. this year-to-date the average price across the country for a gallon of gas has been $3.61. more than 10 cents above the previous record average that was set last year. so let's bring in our good friend, stuart varney, anchor of "varney & company" on the fox business network. good morning and what do you think about this? >> this one crept on us, didn't it? unlike previous gas spikes were all over the headlines and everybody knew it was happening this thing has crept up very gradually. we've been getting one cent every day for a gallon of regular for a month and a half and the average price now across the country is $3.71 a gallon. a lot of people in america are paying $4 and up all over again. california, for example, and parts of the midwest, that has a $4 average.

now, there has been some limited impact from this recent gas price spike. and that is this. we're eating out less. if you look at mid-scale restaurants, that is where the check per person comes to 10 to $20, business in those restaurants is down two to 3%. and that is being credited to the gas price rise. if you look overall, 30% of us live paycheck to paycheck and that's where the rub comes because when you're paying an extra five or 10 bucks a week for a gallon for a tank of gas you feel it right there if you're at the margin. so you have a gradual spike. that's what we've got and some limited impact thus far. martha: wallet gets a little lighter when more money is going in to fill up the tank. >> sure. martha: we'll see you a bit later on the fox business channel. gregg: busy morning. lots to talk about. we're really getting started. democrats attacking vice-presidential candidate paul ryan's plans for

medicare. now he is responding saying the president is the one who is really damaging the health care safety net for seniors. martha: it was a hot topic that came up at the republican primary debates in the race for the white house. remember this? >> yeah, i hope people understand just how big today is for this country. we all understand that the spending crisis is extraordinary with $15 trillion now in debt. with a pat that racked up as much debt as all previous presidents combined. martha: hear who wants that topic to be off limits when governor romney and president obama face off in their debates? seems odd. we'll be right back. ♪ why not take a day to explore your own backyard? with two times the points on travel,

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martha: new answers this morning to a shocking rash of sudden bird deaths. this is happening in southern new jersey. dozens of bird literally falling from the sky. police were flooded by 911

calls. startled residents were told to stay inside. >> they were dropping everywhere like flies. >> they looked like they were paralyzed and trying to fly but couldn't move. you could see the mouth struggling to breathe. it was sad. >> it was a terrible sound. they quiver a little bit and fall down. that was it. martha: sad and creepy, what is that all about, right? cumberland county officials are tracing the mass death to illegal pesticide. a farmer licensed to spray the chemical has come forward. now there is a big investigation underway. gregg: accusations flying on the campaign trail over medicare. democrats say republican vice-presidential candidate paul ryan is a threat to the program. ryan tells brit hume it is the other way around. >> we're trying to guaranty people in or near

retirement. you have to reform it for the younger generation in order to make it stick for current generation. president obama is, that is a debate we want to have and that is a debate we're going going to win. gregg: ron johnson is a member of the senate budget committee. it is a pleasure to have you this morning. thank you for being here. >> gregg, good morning, how are you doing? gregg: i'm fine. medicare is often described by the metaphor, third rail of politics and the politician ho dares touch it suffers. i'm wondering this time around because paul ryan intimate knowledge on the subject and uncommon he will wednesday -- eloquence, might change all that? >> i think so. listen to what he said. this is incredibly important point this plan, bipartisan, worked out with liberal senator ron wyden of oregon, preserves medicare for current retirees and quite

honestly people 55 and above. medicare doesn't change at all. what paul is talking about he is looking at the numbers. he realizes if we don't do anything, which is the extreme position, medicare goes bankrupt in 202. just 12 years out. so what paul is doing, he is talking about saving medicare for future generations. gregg: sure. >> the young people i talk to, i ask them what do you expect to get out of medicare? they say nothing because they see the numbers too. gregg: right. >> the republican plan is how do we restructure the plan to save it for future generations. gregg: i did read the ryan-wyden plan as you point out last night. over 55 you get to keep medicare. under 55 you get a choice. keep it or opt for a private plan paid for by the government. so when the president says as he did two days ago, that the gop ticket will end medicare as we know it, plus he is also running an ad that would appear to scare seniors or at least it shows seniors who say they're scared, is the president

being dishonest? >> yes. the president is lying. so are the democrats. this is, here's the question. is the media going to start calling democrats when they lie about governor romney and paul ryan's budget. i was on another show and the host was saying, it will be pretty difficult to really have a good debate on this. really, that is up to the media. are you going to allow us to have a good debate so this election is about a mandate about starting to fix and solve the fiscal situation in this country? or are you going to continue to report the distractions this administration, the president's campaign is putting out there because they refuse to run on a dismal, a failed record? gregg: well, senator, the president may be right in one regard when he says medicare will wend as we know it because the trustees say it is going to be insolvent within the next 12 years. does the president's approach to it make medicare problems even worse by

essentially taking $716 million from it and using that money to pay for obamacare? >> that's exactly what the president does. he steals money from medicare to pay for health care plan that we simply can't afford. and gregg, originally we were talking about $500 billion of cuts from medicare. now we're talking $700 billion because the budget window moved forward two years. gregg: right. >> when we move the budget window forward when it really kicks in, we're talking trillion dollars. closer to two trillion dollars in savings or cuts from medicare or something or additional borrowings. gregg: right. >> only thing paid for in the health care law is taxes and fees which is only half a trillion dollars. and --. gregg: in fairness, ryan's budget plan incorporates the very same 716 billion in cuts that president obama has made. mitt romney says those cuts gut medicare. is there a divide on the

ryan -- romney-ryan ticket? >> well there's a difference. what paul is using the basic, where we start getting into policy wonkishness. he is using cbo baseline. you have to start somewhere, that is current law. the president's law, health care law takes that money and steals it from medicare and puts it toward his health care law which in the real spending window of 2016 to 2025, won't cost a trillion dollars. his health care law will cost $2.5 trillion. that is the problem and that is what is going to destroy medicare. gregg: senator ron johnson, thank you for taking the time. good to see you. >> have a great day. martha: a legal challenge over early voting in ohio is now heading to court and military voters are at the center of this big case. what is happening here may surprise you. gregg: and disturbing reports out of syria. a massive explosion striking a hotel where united nations observers are staying.

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gregg: summer vacation ending early for some students this election season. a tampa bay school moving up the first day of class thanks in part to the republican national convention. the rnc is holding their event just down the street and teachers say this was the best option. >> the other options were either start a week early or to go to all terntive site during rnc. overwhelming response we wanted to come back early and be off the week of rnc. >> no issue whatsoever. we know what wee teach for the kids. we're adding a little bit

for convention down the street because we've got history right there. as far as lesson planning, no, we're professionals. we're ready to roll. gregg: yeah but what about the kids? good thing they can't vote. the republican national convention begins august 27th. martha: we have new reports this morning a bomb has exploded in syria near a hotel used by u.n. observers. this is what we're looking at in this scene right now the blast critically injured several people. comes as u.s. defense secretary leon panetta warning that iran is training local militias to fight the syrian rebels. stair harrigan filed the report from northern syria. >> reporter: the very old and the very young are the only ones left in many syrian towns where the young men have gone off to fight and the children play in the wreckage of battle, turning the turret of a destroyed government tank. families who have money have fled but most can not.

they remain behind, scrapping for bread now distributed by the rebel fighters who control the town. even night the town gets shelled from a government outpost a few miles away. the soldiers fire artillery into buildings filled with civilians, their own people. apparently using the town's water tower as an aiming point. since the hospital was looted the only doctor who remains does what he can. this boy was blown up by an artillery shell he says. when he tried to crawl out of the building, a sniper shot him in the leg. gregg: steve harrigan with that report from northern syria. governor mitt romney fired up, on the offensive now in a new way against team obama. >> his campaign and his surrogates made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency. [applause]

gregg: what about that? is this a new mitt romney? martha: and we've got some new details for you on a seacrest test of an experimental jet that could transform air travel as we know it. this is such an amazing project. the us air force, what are they doing over the pacific ocean? we'll talk about that when we come right back. ♪ . -[ taste buds ] donuts, donuts! -who are these guys? -oh, that's just my buds. -bacon. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] donuts. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? okay. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one

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gregg: this just in. a fox news alert. a pennsylvania judge is refusing to stop a voter identification law from taking effect in that state. now democrats say it will suppress votes among president obama's supporters. republicans say it is there to insure the integrity of the election process. an appeal by democrats expected in the next couple of days. it could go all the way to the u.s. supreme court. eric shawn will be live with us, with the details in the hour. martha: governor romney unloading on the obama team in battleground state of ohio in a way some political experts say we have really not seen before from the governor. he went on the offensive in a very big way after vice president joe biden said romney's policies would put

a group of obama supporters, quote, back in chains. we'll listen to that in a moment. here is romney when he came out firing back in ohio yesterday. watch this. >> this is an election we should be talking about the path ahead. you don't hear any answers coming from president obama's re-election campaign. that is because he intellectually exhausted. out of ideas and out of energy. and so his campaign has resorted to diversions and distractions, to demagoguing and defaming others. it is an old in politics. what is different this year the president is taking things to a new low. his campaign and his surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency. [applause] another outrage just charge just came a few hours ago in virginia. and the white house sinks a little bit lower. this is what an angry and desperate presidency looks

like. president obama knows better, promised better, and america deserves better. [applause] martha: shortly after the statements a lot of buzz on the blogs and on the internet this was sort of a new tone we're seeing from governor romney. joined by david webb, host of the david webb radio show on sirius xm patriot. local founder of a new york city tea party group. alan colmes is host of the alan colmes radio show. >> good to see you, martha. martha: alan, let me go to you first. very strong words from mitt romney and basically folks are saying he writes a lot of what he says himself and that he added at the end the part about this is what a angry and desperate president looks like of the president obama knows better. >> sounds like he is angry and desperate. he also said yesterday that the president wants to smash america apart. he said he demonizes and pannedders and in the same speech romney said he wants to have an issues oriented

civil dialogue but romney himself is not doing that. and when he says that obama and his campaign have no answers he has been very nonspecific. won't even say if he agrees or disagrees with his own running mate. he is guilty of very thing which he is accusing the obama administration. martha: david, a lot of folks are saying we're getting october in august. this has heated up really dramatically over the past 24, 48 hours. what do you think? >> absolutely, martha. what we have a desperate out of idea campaign by an obama team, if you will, obama-biden, axelrod, stephanie cutter, the kind would put out the joe soptic septic ad and turn around what they did in 2008. they want to divide americans. here we are in danville, the last capital of the confederacy. 50/50, split of black and white. joe biden slips into the hillary clinton al gore

dialect. put y'all back in chains. this is insulting to americans and certainly will be insulting to many people who look at this and say when we should be talking about the policies, when we should be debating what can be done about medicare and medicaid, when they have been very clear on the ryan-widen plan versus the president or hopefully president romney plan. we get the attacks by the obama campaign. is romney a felon? we heard that attack. is he a racist? >> that wasn't the campaign. martha: gentlemen, i want to show the comments we're talking about here from vice president biden. then we'll get your thoughts. >> romney wants to let, he said in the first 100 days he will let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchained wall street. [booing] he is going to put y'all back in chains. martha: i mean, you can definitely note the dialect that david webb talks about. going to put y'all back in chains. joe biden is from delaware.

not a place where folks generally say y'all. one of the big questions that is raised here what if paul ryan stood on a stage and we'll put y'all back in chains or they're going to put y'all back in chains? alan, if you think paul ryan said that you would be on this channel saying you are outraged by that? >> i think there would be outrage on the left if he did that. i'm sure they would. he came forward and clarified was actually refering to something paul ryan had said when paul ryan used word unshackled. that is what he meant to say. he clearly misspoke. he admitted he misspoke. did romney really say he likes firing people? this is a game that gets played in the political season. every minute of somebody's stage time is dissected by the other side to find anything they can do to --. martha: real question about joe biden. you generally let joe biden off the hook, just another joe bidenism. david, i want to get your reaction. you started to react to it a little bit before we played

it. but let's hear your thoughts. >> first of all, joe biden didn't go off script with the teleprompter. this was practiced. this was well-laid out. it was deliberate. again, where is he? he is in danville. the last capital of the confederacy. you have a 48.9% black population. he can play this to the base in virginia. this follows senator louise lucas who says romney is playing to the fringe racists. alan, there is difference between context and deliberate practiced statement. this is what this was and i hope joe biden continues to do this because i, hang on, alan, i want the american people to see the demagoguery and the distortions and the deflections that will be played by this campaign and that's why the numbers are changing. that is why the energy is changing. >> the numbers are not changing. >> why americans no longer respect this administration as being uniter. we're e plurbusunun.

not many people separated by groups dependent on government. >> do you really think joe biden is racistist? i. >> never called joe biden a racist but nearly did mitt romney. >> that's what you're implying. >> that is hypocritical, alan. >> that's what you're implying. >> i think what he is implying alan, if i could jump in for a second. what i took from what david is implying he playing the card perhaps. joe biden for all the discussion about how he makes these dwafs and everything he is long-time politician. he understands the power of language and he, so, alan are you saying you honestly this -- i think intonation has so much to do with meaning, right? maybe the word should have been something else. maybe it was unshackled and intonation and y'all, all of that seems to be appealing to this group in a way has got david and others upset. >> i can understand on the surface read it that way i think you're not giving really the full context and of course his explanation afterwards. you get very upset when the

right slips up and romney says something like i like firing people. >> difference was, alan that was context wall statement. martha: alan finish, then we'll be done. >> let me finish my remarks. anytime romney slips up and slipped up plenty you want to jump, get very upset when the left jumps on romney but won't give same consideration to the other side. let's be fair and balanced about this. let's not have a double-standard. >> let's have a single standard. i would like to apply it, martha. senator louise lucas from virginia, played to the fringe races. i like the felon remarks. joe soptic lying ad, a man used his dead wife to make a point for the obama campaign we know on audio stephanie cutter went alongwith is false. we now have joe biden and the race card. this is what comes out of this campaign. martha: thank you very much. for a thoughtful discussion and debate. alan, my thanks to you. david webb. >> thank you, martha. martha: thanks, guys.

gregg: very different note. first they conquer the world of gymnastics. now the american women's team is lighting up new york city literally. the fierce five, given the honor of lighting the empire state building and talking about their victory in london. >> all i can say is there is no magic, there is no secret. just talent and takes a lot of effort in the gym, a lot of determination and passion and we're definitely strong. and we're all like sisters. gregg: got to love gabby douglas. she won the women's all around gold medal. they stopped by the late show with david letterman and joking about kayla mironi's reaction to the silver medal and reaction on the podium became viral hit. >> it is pretty funny. [laughter] >> is this an expression that comes to you frequently in life? >> after i did it, the girls

keep pointing out like you're doing the face again. >> every time she does it, there it is. >> can i see it again? [laughter] >> we've all been working on it. >> we can all do it now. [laughter] martha: you know they seem like they all get along very well. gregg: doing the look. she does it so much better. they're all adorable and so incredibly talented. congratulations to the entire team. martha: nice they get along and support each other. that is hilarious. gregg: maroney was favorite to win the gold in the vault. she stumbled on the individual competition. so the face. martha: silver medal is a pretty good accomplishment. she wanted gold and got to give her credit for that. team romney pushing back against a new round of nasty attacks going on the campaign trail. coming up in the next hour. romney campaign co-chair, former minnesota governor tim pawlenty is here to

respond to that. it is one of the top issues on the campaign. why do some democratic leaders make sure it is not discussed during the presidential debates. very interesting. we'll have both sides on this. we'll be right back. people really love snapshot from progressive, but don't just listen to me. listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i was saving big on car insurance. with snapshot, i knew what i could save before i switched to progressive. the better i drive, the more i save. i wish our company had something this cool. you're not filming this, are you? aw! camera shy. snapshot from progressive. test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today.

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>> the deficit cutting super-committee is now getting to work. democrats will demand that savings come from a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. maybe three in cuts for everyone dollar in higher taxes. is there any ratio of cuts to taxes that you would accept? gregg: all right. that was byron york, ames, iowa, hard questions on an impending fiscal crisis. it was front and center in one of the fox news

republican presidential debates. and of course it is part of almost all of them. now there is a group of democratic lawmakers want a similar question barred from the presidential debates upcoming. our next guest was the man asking that question in that fox debate, byron york. he is chief political correspondent for the "washington examiner". it was a great question. byron, here's the deal. a group of four bipartisan senators said to the commission, you know, we would love for you to try to pin the candidates down, on views on simpson-bowles deficit reduction ideas. suddenly you get a response from three democratic members of congress, no, we think you ought to stay away from that question. since when is any question off limits in a debate? >> well, since never. first thing i should say that the question i asked, plus all the other questions we asked were entirely the product of the fox news and "washington examiner" teams that ran that debate. they weren't created by any congressional committees or

any outside activist groups. so, with these big presidential debates coming. everybody knows they will w be hugely important in this presidential race, a group of bipartisan, a group of, by partisan group of senators, lindsey graham, republican, joe lieberman, the independent, mark pryor, the democrat wrote the commission and said we would like to see extensive questioning on the bowles-simpson deficit reducing plan. now some democrats in the house really pretty liberal democrats, jan schakowsky, jerry nadler, have written said, no, no, you can't do that. well obviously the plan to cut the deficit and to get federal spending under control will be a huge part of the debates. gregg: sure. >> there is one devoted entirely to domestic policy. that will be a huge part of it. doesn't matter what the guys outside say. gregg: anybody is free to ask any question here among the moderators. it seems anathema to free speech and democracy to do

otherwise. bob schieffer, candy crowley, has been select for debates. i heard one criticism, that they're liberal leaning and they won't force the candidates to answer the questions posed. what do you think?. >> presidential debate down to two candidates, republican versus democrat, kind of thing where usually the moderator does not play gotcha. is not really trying to favor one side are o the other. gregg: right. >> it is not really, it is not the same as a talk show. you just can't pin them down. they can pin each other down if they choose to try to do that. people can make their decisions and draw their impressions from how they see the people answer the question. if they think both candidates are avoiding questions, they can judge them on that basis. gregg: sometimes it is make-or-break and can really dictate the outcome. september of 1960, nixon versus kennedy, really did dictate the outcome there.

byron york, good to see you as always. >> thank you, gregg. martha: breaking this hour, a pennsylvania judge has just ruled on the state's new voter identification law. we have brand new details coming out on that. a big story for you just a few minutes away. gregg: and a secret test over the pacific. the experimental jet that could transform air travel. the new details on the wave rider.

♪ . martha: i am fascinated by this story. the defense department has completed tests on a hyper sonic jet that could get you from london to new york in less than an hour. it is being called the wave rider because it basically rides its own shock wave

through the sky and it really could ultimately transform air travel as we know it. a whole different jet, a whole different configuration. samantha murphy is joining us. technology reporter. samantha, first of all, they did a test yesterday. it was supposed to be up there for five minutes, fly in the air and land in the pacific ocean. do we know anything how it went? >> we don't. we're talking about organizations like nasa, us air force, pentagon, all organizations that like to keep data very close to their chest. we are still waiting to hear back. i spoke with them last night. no information has been released yet. martha: the jet is extremely novel. it is not like an airplane jet and unmanned. >> right. martha: tell us what you know about the vehicle. >> just to give you a little bit of background, basically yesterday morning off the coast of california a b-52 bomber, the infamous bomber back in the '50s, still

going, it went up and attached to its wing was a missile. basically what they're doing trying to test out new technology to see if they can use it for consumer flight or testing missiles in general. and basically what it does, it has something called a scramjet. it is not like your typical jet engine. basically it's lighter. usually it carries liquid fuel and liquid oxygen. this is very different because it pulls oxygen from the atmosphere to make it go even faster. it rides the name, wave rider, rides on its shock wave, to push it faster and lighter as well. martha: it is fascinating. when you think of the consumer element of it, makes you think of the concord. which was an amazing development when i was a kid. it disappeared. it ultimately was too expensive for people to use as a mode of transport. is there a parallel here? >> i think in the future we might see something like this roll out for consumer

flight. it would certainly change things. you know, you could have a meeting in paris from tokyo and get there in 2 1/2 hours which is crazy. but they're not there yet. basically they're just, they want to see what type of technology this speed and i think in the future we might see implications from that. for right now i think it is just, you know, the air force and military focus. martha: we're almost in the jetsons age. you're too young to remember "the jetsons.". gregg remembers "the jetsons." don't you think it is like "the jetsons". gregg: george jetson. what was the name of the dog? martha: elmo. oh, astro. gregg: astro was the name of dog. martha: it wasn't elmo. that woos a different little kid. gregg: today marks the official start of the president's controversial immigration policy allowing some illegal immigrants to apply for what is being called delayed deportation. how the changes are being implemented. martha: plus major new developments in a dispute over voting rights for our men and women in uniform.

wait until you hear what is going on with that. we'll be right back. chances are, you're not made of money, so don't overpay for motorcycle insurance. geico,

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martha: today is day one of the president's new immigration program. thousands of illegal immigrants now are able to apply for the president's defered deportation program. you remember this of course. it was a controversial initiative that will allow illegal immigrants to work legally in the united states if they fit a number of criteria. that is how we're starting a brand new hour right now of america's newsroom. we're glad to have you with us at home. i'm martha maccallum. gregg: i'm gregg jarrett in for bill. the homeland security department starts accepting application. the line is forming nationwide. look live at downtown los angeles. 7:00 a.m. there. officials believe close to two million illegal immigrants may be eligible for the program. martha: of course many immigrants say it is a dream come true for them. but others are remaining skeptical about this program. here is some of that. >> waiting for a passport.

we want to get our passport because obama might be asking for them. we don't know what the requirement requirements are but we're trying to get ahead of time and have all our documents ready. >> what if they want to deport us after they have all the information, where do we live and everything? martha: our chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge joins us live on this from washington. the catherine, you heard them speaking about what the requirements are. what are they? >> reporter: martha, good morning. this is the first day of six page form consideration for after childhood arrival for immigrants that came to the u.s. as minors. lines began forming earlier this morning. this video, the most recent video is from los angeles. on tuesday federal officials released a list of 33 types of documents that would qualify for the program that effectively is a reprieve from deportation for two years. they included individuals enrollment in public or private school. that they have a high school degree or they are taking

vocational training. immigration officials say the documents will be closely scrutinized given the potential for fraud. there is no ion form standard for these documents, martha. martha: how is all this playing out? we know when the president announced it was a huge political issue. how does it stack up now, catherine? >> reporter: when the announcement was made, martha, the president blamed republicans for blocking a law that he said had bipartisan support. >> a year and a half ago, democrats passed the d.r.e.a.m. act in the house but republicans walked away from it. it got 55 votes in the senate. but republicans blocked it. the bill hasn't really changed. the need hasn't changed. it is still the right thing to do. the only thing that has changed apparently was the politics. >> reporter: two leading republican senators, grassley and lamar smith responding in a statement, quote, potentially millions of illegal immigrants will be able to compete for

american workers for job there seems to be little if any mechanism in place for vetting fraudulent applications and documentation. they go on to describe how this defered action in their opinion a sign the administration plans to press what they call the replay button for large-scale fraud during the amnesty of 1986, martha. martha: hot issue. catherine, thank you very much. >> you're welcome. gregg: fox news alert. a pennsylvania judge just ruling on a controversial voter i.d. law, one republicans say is needed to protect the integrity of the election process but democrats claim will suppress votes from some minorities, elderly and the poor. eric shawn is live with with the latest on this. eric? >> a stunning decision from the pennsylvania court. the state's new tough voter i.d. law will not be stopped. this is the 70-page opinion issued by commonwealth court judge, robert simpson. in this he refused to grant a preliminary injunction to stop the law. he says those in pennsylvania against voter

i.d. did not prove their case. he also ruled that voter i.d. is not quote, an undue burden and the judge beliefs it will be carried out in a nonpartisan, even-handed manner. the aclu and other groups filed a lawsuit against the law which has been a contentious, politically charged lightning rod in pennsylvania. they wanted an injunction to block enforcement of the law before november's presidential election. lawyers for the state though argued requiring voter identification at the polls is a rational step. judge simpson said the voters without photo i.d., they can always vote with absentee or provisional ballot. in his ruling he noted, quote, i'm not convinced any qualified elector need to be disenfranchised. i'm not convinced any of the potential petitioners or other witnesses will not have their votes counted in the general election. recent study by a election commissioner found recent fraud in the 2012 presidential primary.

he said noncitizens voting and double voting and people voting not even registered. there are no firm numbers for exactly how many pennsylvania voters lack a required photo i.d. the state review of a database found out of more than eight million voters, 759,000 people, 9% of registered voters might to the have a government issued photo i.d. lawyers arguing against the voter i.d. law claims the number is closer to a million. the aclu is expected to appeal the ruling. the state gives out photo i.d.'s for free. the justice department is investigating the way the pennsylvania election officials are administering the new law. they want to see if it complies with federal law. if you suspect voter fraud or problems at the polls where you live we want to know. there is our address. voter fraud@fox news.com. gregg: eric shawn, thank you very much.

now a challenges a law that gives special voting status to members of the u.s. military by eliminating three days of early voting for everybody except servicemembers. now the obama campaign wants that option available to all voters. the romney campaign siding with 15 military groups opposing the legal challenge. martha: all right. let's get you back to the campaign trail now where president obama is in the key battleground state of iowa. he is wrapping up a three-day tour. as we get new word that the president's re-election campaign is mobilizing a army of staffers and volunteers to go after congressman paul ryan's budget plan in key swing states. this is clearly becoming one of the central issues of this campaign. both sides are working it hard. chief white house correspondent ed henry riding alongwith the obama campaign. he is live in dubuque, iowa. new strategy on medicare in terms of what the campaign is deploying today, ed. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, martha, you're right. look the obama campaign

believes that paul ryan is a target-rich environment basically. they will pick off individual pieces of the ryan budget plan. as you say medicare focused in states like florida and say he will turn it into a voucher program. you will hear the romney campaign push back and say they're trying to save medicare. obama camp saying they will go into more battlegrounds here in the midwest like ohio. focus on vet rans benefits being cut. focus on education cuts. here in iowa we saw the president over last couple days focusing on a wind energy tax credit that he supports. governor romney, congressman ryan do not support. it will be expiring soon. there are high-profile republicans in iowa who do support this tax credit. so the president decided to beat up on the ticket, the republican ticket yesterday and for good measure throw in a little swipe at that old story about governor romney putting his dog seamus on top of the car. take a listen. >> during a speech a few months ago governor romney even explained his energy policy. this is what he said.

you can't drive a car with a windmill on it. that's what he said about wind power. you can't drive a car with a windmill on it. i mean, maybe he has tried it. you put other things on the roof. [laughing] [applause] >> reporter: fired up the crowd a little bit with that joke. the romney campaign wasn't laughing. they put out a statement saying this is a new low in middle of all kinds of other negative attacks from the obama camp. they believe those kind of swipes are an attempt on obama camp to focus on side issues rather than bigger issues like economy and jobs, martha. martha: things are clearly heating up out there. the president added a rare guest, we're hearing ed, to some of his appearances there. who is that? >> reporter: the big gun, first lady michelle obama. she is not out here on the trail with the president very often. it has been a couple of months since they have been out here together. she helps draw bigger crowds. her approval ratings and

likeability ratings are better than his. i remember seeing the same thing in the bush administration. george w. bush will bring out laura bush at key moments. look, the first lady can add a softer touch to the president's hard edged rhetoric out here on the trail. also she is just a popular figure out here. it helps like i say, bring in bigger crowds. the fact of the matter he is fighting for the six electoral votes. he won iowa pretty big four years ago. right now he is locked in a 50/50 battle in if you look at local polls with mitt romney. in a close race where you're egg trying to get 270 electoral votes. even the state's six electoral votes warranted for the president to be here tree days. martha: a lot of campaign time spent there. there is history there is awe point out. people tend to like first ladies better than they like presidents. what can i say. ed, good to see you. great job in iowa. gregg: funny how it works like that. me meanwhile governor mitt romney is going on the

offense, speaking out in an interview among other topics congressman ryan's budget plan. take a listen. >> we're very much on the same page. i said at the time his budget came out i thought it was a series and important effort to try and get america on track to have a balanced budget. i get us to a balanced budget faster than the plan he originally put forward. there are some differences but they're very similar and the key is that, i'm running to get america working again. that is my priority. and one thing we must do to get america working again and to get people investing in new enterprises again is to show that we're fiscally responsible. gregg: governor romney says he has his own plan for cutting the deficit and putting the budget on a path to balance. martha: all right. well the medicare battle clearly is at the center of this election right now. so both campaigns just came out with their newest, fiercest ads against each on this whole medicare issue. coming up the co-chair of the romney campaign, tim pawlenty responds to the

recent escalation over medicare. gregg: a day at a amusement park turns into a big headache for hundreds of folks thanks to a power outage. we'll have details next. >> all of a sudden we noticed that the roller-coaster isn't moving. and the octopus isn't moving. oh, i guess we're not moving either. great grains. great grains cereal starts whole and stays whole. see the seam? more pcessed flakes look nothing like natural grains. i'm eating what i kn is better nutrition. mmmm. great grains. search great grains and see for yourself. or annuity over 10 or even 20 years? call imperial structured settlements. the experts at imperial can convert your long-term payout into a lump sum of cash today. @ by what's getting done. measure commitment the twenty billion doars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar

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gregg: well there are just some really bad times to have a power outage, you know like when you're up on top of a roller-coaster or a ferris wheel leaving you stranded hundreds of feet above the ground. well that's what happened at the valley fair amusement park in minnesota yesterday. one woman describes what it was like trying to get down from that roller coaster. >> we waited like, 10, 15 minutes. they finally were like, telling us whether was going on. we got to come down. i was ready for like the fall, like the coaster to go down and slowly declining and came to a stop. i was thinking like, did

they add something into the ride? gregg: no, that was not planned. equipment failure apparently caused the outage. the park is back open again today. martha: so the medicare attacks are escalating really between both of the presidential campaigns right now. the obama team says congressman paul ryan's controversial medicare proposal will destroy medicare for millions of seniors. here is their ad. >> the paul ryan medicare plan turns medicare into a voucher system. >> the cuts in medicare that he is proposing, replacement of medicare by a voucher system would in the end mean that tens of millions of older americans would not be able to afford essential health care. >> meanwhile the romney team accuses president obama of gutting that same entitlement program. here is their brand new ad. >> you said moo medicare for years. every paycheck. now when you need it, obama has cut $716 billion from

medicare. why? to pay for obamacare. martha: so there you have it. those are the very latest salvos i guess you could say in this medicare battle. i'm pleased to be joined by former minnesota governor tim pawlenty who was a republican presidential candidate and co-chair of the romney campaign. governor, good morning. good to have you here today. >> good morning, martha. good to be here with you and your viewers. martha: folks are hearing the back and forth on this. now what a lot of people are being told that both sides want to take out basically the, depending how the numbers roll, between five or 6 or $700 billion from the medicare system. why is the romney way of doing it better in your opinion than the president's way of doing it? >> well, one thing, just to be clear, there is only one candidate in this race who signed into law an actual cut in medicare and that is barack obama. so there is no disputing the fact that he proposed and signed into law a $716

billion cut from medicare to help fund his obamacare initiative unrelated to medicare. as to medicare more broadly, we have one team, the romney-ryan team, is saying we need to save medicare. the way to do that to guaranty anybody on the program or close to eligibility for it, no changes in the program but for the next generation we'll leave medicare as an option but can also choose from other options if you think that is better for you or your family. if you have financial hardship paying for that, obviously we'll give you help. that is an effort to reform and save the program. president obama, on the other hand, just cut medicare as i mentioned but has no plan on the table to save it. and by the way, the hospital part of it runs out of money, becomes financially insolvent, in about 2024 or so. so this is an issue where we need leadership, adult leadership where people are willing to put specific proposals and educate, not inflame. and the president failed to lead on this issue and just criticizes governor romney for his effort to save the

program. martha: stephanie cutter, spokeswoman for the obama campaign, says she is really proud of what they have done to medicare because they believe their proposing would end the abuse and fraud in the system. you know, how do you respond to that? >> well, in addition to the $716 billion cut that the president proposed and signed into law into medicare, he also put into place now review board, a government review board, that will review payments in the future. so now you're going to have a government entity further micromanaging the health care system in medicare and for a lot of conservatives and independents and others who like consumer choice and markets that worries them, that concern concerns them. finally president obama has oppressed a whole host of tax increases, not just generally but within health care. if you look at obamacare, for example, he is burdening the health care system with a truckload of tax increases on medical device providers

and others and individuals. martha: that debate will ring throughout the entire campaign as we move forward. i want to get your thoughts on the big decision this week and of course that was the vice-presidential pick of paul ryan. a story yesterday suggested that there are some conservatives who would not be named who are not happy with that choice. that they're concerned that he will bring to the table these issues about medicare and they wished that governor romney had picked you. do you still wish that governor romney had picked you? >> well, governor whom any made a great choice. i think congressman ryan and he will make a great team not only in the campaign but governing. this brings attention to the need for entitlement reform in our country. that is an important debate, martha. as a country, as people we want leaders who are willing to be bold, who are willing to put specific proposals on the table that is a debate governor romney by this choice is embracing. the country needs that debate. so, i think it is a terrific pick. i'm excited for governor

romney and congressman ryan and happy to help them get elected and hopefully govern. martha: there is a lot of discussion about them together, about ryan and romney. they make each other look better, make each other sound better. that governor romney is tougher on the campaign trail in the past 24, 48 hours than we've seen before. do yo think that is the case? this combination has sort of give the governor some strength of voice that he might not have had before? >> well i think the selection of congressman ryan has energized the ticket, energized the republican party and really animated and energized the debate. you see it not only in their words and speeches. you can see it in the larger crowds. you can see it in the tone and tempo of the ads and speeches and like. yes, i think the pick has energized the ticket and has energized the debate. martha: you've been through the vice-presidential rounds a couple times now. are you disappointed that that is not a role that will be yours this time? what does it tell you about your own future? >> well, i've said all along, martha, i thought i could best serve governor romney

in other ways. it is an honor to be considered. i'm not disappointed because i didn't expect i would be selected for variety of reasons, including my state of minnesota which i love and full of wonderful people but hasn't gone republican in a presidential race since 1972 which is the longest streak of voting democrat for any state in the nation. for my future i'm helping governor romney as a volunteer and enjoying my time in the private sector. martha: we always enjoy talking with you. governor thanks so much. we'll speak with you soon. >> thanks, martha. gregg: some breaking news on the controversial issue of voter fraud. we just record on a decision in the state of pennsylvania. now a lawsuit brought by the white house is going to court in ohio. judge napolitano will be here in just a moment to break it down for us. martha: and wildfires raging in washington state at this hour. firefighters saying that the flames are burning out of control. a live report on all of that coming up next. >> i've been in in business for 35 years and this is certainly one of the significant events of my career.

the fire behavior is what i would classify extreme.

gregg: welcome back. extreme heat is helping to spread wildfires across the west. and the damage is heartbreaking. this is the scene in california. flames already destroying dozens of homes across several states and threatening even more. one of the fires in idaho also claiming the life of a young firefighter battle the flames. adam housley is live in california. adam, what is the latest on the fires in california? >> reporter: fires are burn across the west. california, washington, idaho, nevada, oregon. every major western state has fires burning. you said about yesterday afternoon which is good news about the fire that is

growing it is remote area hour and a half south and east of los angeles. meantime here in northern california there are three fires burning in this area. one in pluma county in sacramento, threatening homes. two fires in lake county, the worry they would be combined into one. firefighters kept them separate although they're fighting as if it is one fire. the good news while only 70% contained it only burned 8,000 acres and only six structures. they believe they have a good handle on it gregg, at this hour. but it is one of a number of fires that continue to burn the in western u.s. firefighters say they're already spread pretty thin and it is still early august. gregg? gregg: what are you hearing about the young firefighter killed in idaho? >> reporter: she was a volunteer firefighter. some of the firefighters out west are volunteers. they're seasonal firefighters. they come out and work a number of months. usually june to the first part middle of november depending what the rains come. she was one of the seasonal

firefighters. they are college students or people going to school for other things or wanting to become a full-time firefighter. she was out there. they were battling a smaller fire in the area, not one of the large ones. a tree came down and killed her. when they talk to wild land firefighters they will tell you trees are the ones with they fear the most. they call them widow makers and come down and cause someone to be a widow. that is what happened to ann. she had a great spirit and liked among her fire colleagues leagues. gregg: adam housley thanks very much. martha: a judge in a critical battleground with a big decision on voter i.d. laws. judge napolitano is here and will go over the breaking developments to tell what it all means. gregg: it has been a week since touchdown and curiosity has not moved an inch. is that possible? the mars rove -- rover will be on move. mission update next

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>> this is very interesting, gregg. as a lawyer i know you know this. and maybe a lot of the folks watching us done. laws are presumed to be constitutional. and so it is the burden of the challenger to prove that it is unconstitutional. not so with the regulation of voting, with the regulation of voting the state must prove that its regulation is consistent with the federal requirements, that there is a real need to address voter fraud and the state of pennsylvania shall the lawyers for the state of pennsylvania were able to do that here. gregg: one of the arguments for those on the democratic side that challenge the voter i.d. laws is say what you're doing is you're really discriminating against minorities and other individuals from participating in elections, and yet the evidence would seem to indicate otherwise. in indiana and other states minority participation is actually up. >> yes, it actually is up,

because most people discover, it's not that difficult to prove who you are, whether you use a government-issued i.d. or something akin to it it's not that difficult to get it. don't have to have a driver's license, a car, the government will get you the i.d. gregg: a similar says in ohio regarding voting. ohio has cut three days out of the early voting process for everybody, except for members of the military and those ohio citizens who live abroad. the obama campaign has filed out, saying, wait a minute you can't do that. it goes to court today. what is the burden on the obama campaign. >> they must show that it is more likely than not that the outcome of the enforcement of this statute will result in a class of people, usually minorities, not being able to vote. that is a very, very difficult burden to show. on top of that we now have these series of federal cases, the most recent of which we just

finished talking about in pennsylvania in which federal courts are deferring to the decision of state legislatures, as long as they are within the boundaries of fairness when it comes to managing elections. i think the obama campaign has made a political mistake by suing and a legal mistake as well. gregg: in what respect? backlash among voters, what are you trying to do here, especially members of the military? >> exactly. this was intended to help the military. those good folks are going to say, you know what, they don't want my vote. gregg: judge andrew napolitano thank you for being with us. >> pleasure, gregg. martha: nasa is about to begin the next great land expedition. it has to wait a little bit longer to get this thing rolling. it's newest rover, curiosity it landed last week on the planet mars and has yet to make its

first move. they are watching it kind of sit there. the team says they are itching to get the thing moving and find out what is going on mars. they have mapped out driving routes, they've consulted gps, the best way to get from here to there and how to stop at a hotel or gas station along the way i guess. it's going through checkups, the rover is. we are getting new photos courtesy of curiosity, like this one. first test drive over the next couple of days and begin the search for chemical building blocks of life. maybe martians might be a most interesting thing to discover. do you think they'll find any. gregg: i've got even so many emails, people say, come on there are no martians on mars. that's not the point, what they are looking for is was there at one point in time conditions conducive to organic live on mars, that's a fascinating question. martha: i completely agree.

we'd like curiosity to go somewhere, it's not that curious, just hanging out. gregg: just taking a nap. breaking news on the deadly crackdown in syria, the united nations speaking out on the deaths of more than 10,000 civilians, also the troubling warning coming from the pentagon. martha: how about this one, overcharged for 25 years, how a homeowner got stuck with an electric bill for two of the streetlights in front of her house. i kid you not. we'll be right back. ♪ i've got the power. ♪

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streetlights by her home costing her an extra 20 bucks per month. a perspective buyer of the house wanted to see the history of the utility costs and found out about it. the power company has paid back edwards with interest. i wonder at what rate. but they cut her a check for more than $10,000. martha: fox news alert, a united nations panel has just ruled that the syrian government has committed crimes against humanity, they are also saying that those crimes go up to the very highest levels of the government in syria. all of this as the fighting continues there. the u.n. believes that more than 10,000 civilians have been killed over the last year and a half. some of the numbers of course go much higher than that it. it is just very difficult to get accurate numbers out of this awful and volatile situations. the rebel forces have committed crimes as well they say but not

near the brutality as those exercised by the bashar al-assad regime. >> we'll bring in a member of the concerned veterans of america. good to have you here today. >> thank you for having me. martha: the u.n. news that crossed a little while ago, the reaction that the u.n. panel has decided there are atrocities being committed is a little late to the event here. nonetheless they have. does it matter? what will come of it. >> it confirms what we already know. rebels, bad regime worse and the atrocities have been going on. we know bashar al-assad is in full desperation mode, full regime preservation mode. it doesn't matter if they are civilian or fighters, he has got his back against the wall and he is flailing. it gives renewed energy to folks that think we should be doing more to get rid of that regime. there is a debate brewing about

removing bashar al-assad and what comes next. there are those who believe the united states should be more instrumental in ushering along the removal of bashar al-assad. >> all of this is ramped up by leon panetta secretary of defense. let's listen to that. >> iran is playing a larger role in syria in many ways, not only in terms of the irgc, but in terms of assistance, training. there is now indication that they are trying to develop, or trying to train a militia within syria to be able to night on behalf of the regime. martha: so that's what he says about iran's involvement and that escalates this whole decision about what we should do and how much. >> of course it does. this is what iran does. iran gets their tentacles in by training forces, training that

regime and backing them. they did the same thing in iraq where they have blood on their hands of thousands of u.s. troops there. iran's gets its tentacles in, supports nasty regimes to further its goals. it draws the lines even clearer for us about who our friends are on foes are, that's what makes it more puzzling for me why we were so aoeg tkpw-r to get rid of moammar qaddafi in libya and the regime in egypt but we are hesitating in syria with bashar al-assad and iran. martha: they said we had to step in there because of the nato forces and atrocities were going to be committed on a mass scale. and you see this report from the u.n. and it seems to indicate they have already been committed in syria. >> we were preventing them before, now we see them happening, we know they are happening to civilians. we shouldn't under state this. to an enemy of the united states

in syria and iran not only killing our troops on the battle feed but wanting to wipe israel off the map, it's pretty clear. what kind of pandora box are we opening when we invite the rebels in to lead. i want to know more about the makeup of that group. bashar al-assad is not our friend and he's got to go. martha: this comes up in this u.n. report, pete. they are saying that we believe that the actions of the government in syria are more egregious but that the rebels have also carried out torture and some of their own atrocities as well. who -- can you align yourself with them in order to help overthrow this government in think way? >> yeah, it's no good options. and no one is arguing this we should be throwing the 101st airborne on the ground. but the question is can we tip things in a direction -- i would argue on the side of pushing back iranian influence. iranians here what they are seek tog do in that region, against israel, against us. martha: how do you do that? >> you probably do it, there is talk of a no-fly zone to protect

civilians, it's dipping our foot in the water of pushing back the iranian spell. you make sure iran doesn't get nuclear weapons. you can imagine what syria would look like with an iranian state that has nuclear weapons. we couldn't even think about intervening. this will put more pressure on the obama administration to double down on preventing nuclear weapons in iran as well. without that we won't have options in a place like syria in the future. martha: captain pete hexa, good to get your insight, thank you very much. gregg: let's check in with jon scott standing by. what's happening with "happening now" coming up? jon: we will see you in about 13 minutes. the campaign rhetoric is heating up. bitter back and forth charges. in presidential race is turning very ugly very early. what is behind the strategy on both sides? we'll get a fair & balanced debate. plus, could 2012 be the worst wildfire season ever? experts say with 6 million acres already scorched so far that's

where we are headed. we are live on the ground out west. do you know your blood type? you might want to figure it out if you don't, because your blood type could raise your risk of heart disease. a new study you can't afford to miss, all coming up at the top of the hour. gregg: jon scott thanks very much. jon: thank you. gregg: help wanted, crocodile hunter. one community in desperate need of a reptile wrangler. so who has responded to the add? we're going to show you. ♪ atmix of energies.ve the world needs a broader that's why we're supplying natural gas to generate cleaner electricity... that has around 50% fewer co2 emissions than coal. and it's also why, with our partner in brazil,

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gregg: fox news alert just receiving word now from

buckingham palace, principal prince philip has headed to the hospital as what is being described as a precautionary measure. he is 90 years old. there he was during the 60-year jubilation in june, when during the celebration i was taken to the hospital for what was later described as a bladder infection. we do not know why he has been taken to the hospital now. it's only being described as a precautio precautionary measure, but he is 90 years old. martha: let's take a look at some of the stories topping the airlines. lawyers for drew peter soon withdrew a motion for mistrial. it was a third request from the defense. a prosecutor repeatedly questioned a witness on a subject the judge instructed her not to. he pled not guilty to murdering his wife in 2004 and is charged in the 2007 disappearance of his

fourth wife. some 4 million bumbo baby seats are being recalled after two dozen reports of injuries including skull fractures. this is after the same product was recalled in 2007. thousands of elvis presley fans making the pilgrimage to graceland marking the 35th anniversary of his death. he died of heart disease. this is elvis for you. remember him 35 years after. gregg: people still flock to graceland. martha: i've never been. gregg: i've never been there before, i'd love to go. martha: a field trip, a fox news field trip. remembering elvis. gregg: how about this one, can you envision yourself taking on a live crocodile? well, if so you may want to polish up your resume a bit. with the number of crocks on the rise in places like florida, a

job listing for a crock hunter in the keys, actually has already received 150 applications. phil keating is live in key largo. hey, phil. >> reporter: hi, gregg. this couple were sitting in their backyard lounging one afternoon when they heard a bark and splash. when they ran out, well their doing roxie was gone in the mouth of a ten-foot crocodile. >> these are american crocks. >> reporter: inside the lab at turkey point crocodile specialists insert chips into few days old hatchlings. >> one day when he gets bigger he'll try and eat me as revenge. >> reporter: the little reptiles are released back in the wild. back in the 70s the florida crocodile was in the 100s, it was an endangered species. today the numbers are about 2,000. thanks to no more crock hunting they are showing up in south

miami neighborhoods and more often down in the florida keys, concerning residents and the state. roxie a 65-pound dog was on the canal's edge when a crook lept out and pulled him in. after drowning the dog it got away. >> we need a little separation. they are fun to look at. when they get comfortable with humans they view them as a source of true. >> reporter: this man is among 150 people who has a employed to be a florida response agent. frank wants it too. >> you take them by the tail, you grab him by the neck as you climb up the crocodile you bring down the head, clampdown the mouth, and then with duck tape go around at least four times. >> reporter: that's key, at least four times. you don't want to do just three. the job only pays about $25 an hour, but it's deaf tkepbdz in adventure just limitless. gregg. gregg: i'm thinking about wrapping the whole roll of duck

tape around that big old mouth down there. can you imagine there sitting there relaxing in the sun and all of a sudden you could end up like roxie. be careful there, phil, you're standing too close to the water. step away from the water. >> so true, so true. gregg: thanks very much. martha: we are just over an hour away from a campaign event with vice president biden that comes a day after his controversial remarks set a war of words off with mitt romney. live report, we'll be right back. are you okay, babe? i'm fine. ♪ ♪

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martha: how do you spell cheater? a top scrabble player should know he's been kicked out of the game's national championship tournament in florida. they say he was hiding the blank letter tiles. he had two of them. the cheating was apparently spotted by another sharp-i'd player an reportedly admitted to do