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tv   Happening Now  FOX News  August 16, 2012 11:00am-1:00pm EDT

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gregg: it's like winnie the poo with his head in the honey jar. martha: exactly. gregg: i hate it when that happens. martha: it took the whole crew to pull them out of there. bye, everybody, see you tomorrow. gregg: "happening now" is right now. jon: brand-new stories and breaking news. high profile republicans say the president should think his number two slot on the ticket. an emergency declaration and aircraft at the ready, folks in one state prepare for aerial spraying for the first time in a half century. will it end the west nile crisis? and millions of us use them every day, hand sanitizers, antibacterial soaps. an alarming new study about th about the danger of these common products. we'll tell you what is in it. it's all "happening now."
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jenna: we are going to start off with a little politics now. the president and his re-election team trying to diffuse if you will a few little words uttered by vice president joe biden. he's never got even himself in trouble before. jon: never before. jenna: it's shocking. we are going to talk a lot about that today. i'm jenna lee, we are so glad you are with us. jon: i'm jon scott. in two interviews the president defended mr. biden's, they are going to you y'all back in chains saying it didn't mean anything. critics say it's a new low in this campaign. the president admits the phrasing was a distraction but he insists the tone should not diminish what mr. biden tried to convey, that a romney-ryan administration would rollback wall street reform and hurt consumers. ed henry live at the white house. the president is really taking a stand for biden here. >> reporter: he is, a vote of
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confidence from the commander in chief. we are getting closer and closer to the democratic convention where they are expected to be a ticket together and renominated and all of that. the last thing the president wants to do right now is look like he's separating himself from the vice president. you're right that the president said the context here which clearly was in the statement that the vice president said was that he was talking about how he believes republicans would unchain wall street but then went onto say that they want to put chains on you. this was partially an african-american audience in virginia where the vice president said it. that's what raised some eyebrows. interesting as well beyond the vote of confidence that the president in an interview in iowa with "entertainment tonight" tolls him he's running a positive campaign. >> i don't think you or anybody who has been watching me campaign would suggest that in anyway, you know, we have tried to dived th divide the country. we've always tried to bring the country together. >> reporter: just a few moments
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ago, the president, vice president, secretary of state hillary clinton were all meeting in the oval office, a regular meeting they have, they talked foreign policy, andwhat not and maybe other issues on the agenda no doubt because the president and vice president had not seen each other in a few days since the comments were made. a chance perhaps to talk that over as well, jon. jon: despite the president's protestations the romney camp seems convinced that the president or his advisers, they are running a dirty campaign. >> reporter: that's right. governor romney is furious at the idea that the president is saying in that interview and elsewhere that he's running a positive campaign focused on the issues but then advisers and former white house staffers like bill burton running these outside groups, priorities usa that has this ad that we're talking b the so-called cancer ad that suggests that somebody laid off because of bain capital and mitt romney that that could have led to a steelworkers wife dying of cancer. mitt romney you'll remember a couple of nights ago was pretty stuff in charging that the
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president should be denouncing all of this. take a listen. >> mr. president, take your campaign, your division and anger and hate back to chicago and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. >> reporter: one of the president's top campaign advisers david axelrod said this morning that he doesn't believe that outside ad was suggesting that mitt romney had anything to do with this woman's death. interesting of course because when you listen to the actual ad it says something about how mitt romney doesn't even know the impact he had on people's lives and then it goes onto say that this woman died of cancer. this thing has been debated. david axelrod suggesting that it doesn't lead anyone to believe that mitt romney had anything to do with the death. jay carney, though in a few minutes will be briefing the white house press core you can bet both this as well as vice president biden's comments expected to be big topics of discussion. jon: jay carney has dodged that question. >> reporter: a few times.
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jon: a fair & balanced debate on the latest fallout over the vice president's remarks as the two names on the 2008 g.o.p. presidential ticket, senator john mccain and governor sarah palin says the president should replace mr. biden with another well-known democrat. jenna: fox news alert on massive wildfires out west. dozens of fires burning in several states, including california, idaho, and washington. the wind and heat only fanning the flames as you can see on your screen there. in central washington one of the worst fires already destroying dozen of homes. conditions still dangerous for authorities to come up with an exact count of just how much peace househow many of these houses are gone. people who live there are bracing for the word. the worst. >> we don't know what houses are standing or not. >> waiting and wondering is the worst part. >> we had a lot of good times here and it was a nice place.
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jenna: dan springer is live at a wildfire command center in washington state. >> reporter: we are in washington, jenna, 75 miles east of seattle. crews here are hoping for a day similar to what they had yesterday when the winds died down. they were able to get 25% containment on this wildfire. they are hoping for 50% containment by the end of today. but temperatures are going to soar close to a hundred degrees and the lightning that they expecting for this weekend is a big concern. they are hoping for another day of calm winds and more containment today. it's been a devastating wildfire, with they estimate about 70 homes destroyed, 500 homes have been evacuated. 22,000 acres of ranch land and forest land have burned. it nearly turned deadly the very first night when flames, driven by 30-mile an hour winds, jumped over-the-top of two fire engines. get this. this fire traveled 14 miles in the first two and a half hours, driven by those wind.
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a county commissioner calling it a fire of historic proportions. hundreds, or perhaps thousands of animals have been killed, mostly cattle that were fenced in. but this farming and ranching community has really come together, more than 400 animals rescued so far and are being cared for at a fairground nearby. it feels like the entire west is burning right now. 62 uncontained fires in the u.s. most of them out west. nevada, california, idaho each have at least ten major fires, oregon, washington, montana, wyoming, arizona all have multiple fires. it has already been one of the worst fire seasons on record. those deadly fires in colorado just started this season. there have been 43,000 wildfires across the country reported so far and it's burned 6.4 million acres, that is 10,000 square miles to put that into some perspective. and average wildfire season for the u.s. has been about
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5 million acres burned. we are at over a million acres above that and we still have well over a month to go before the fire season is over. reporting live, i'm dan springer, back to you, jen a. jenna: thank you very much. jon: brand-new developments to report in the shooting at the family research council in washington d.c. a story which broke as "happening now" aired about 24 hours ago. police say the gunman walked into the conservative lobbying organization, blasted the group's policies and positions and then opened fire. it's an attack they are now treating as an act of domestic terrorism. police credit the wounded security guard who first noticed the suspected gunman, floyd lee corkins with preventing the shooting rampage from taking a deadly turn. steve centanni is live in washington now. >> reporter: federal authorities have filed charges against the suspect in this case. they filed one federal charge of transportation of a gun and ammunition across state lines
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and a second one a d.c. charge of assault with intent to kill. now the suspect has been identified as 28-year-old floyd lee corkins of virginia. right now he's being held at an undisclosed location. sources say he bought a gun legally six days ago indicating he had no prior criminal record. his work as a volunteer for the d.c. center for the lesbian, gay, bayh gender community, this organization opposes gave marriage and abortion. police found his car at a virginia metro station, that is a local public transit. they canvassed his neighborhood as well trying to get any information, any clues they can. the security guard who was shot in the arm, leo johnson, underwent surgery and is said to be doing well. he's being hailed as a hero today. >> i would say in this case the security officer here is a hero, as far as i'm concerned.
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he did his job. the person never made it past -- farther than the front door. >> reporter: tony perkins, the president of the council saying he visited johnson in the hospital yesterday. in a statement he said when i told him, johnson that his actions were heroic, he told me he just reacted the way he thought anyone at the frc would have responded. we are grateful for the out pouring of prayers from literally around the world. president obama and mitt romney also expressing their concern for the victim, and condemned the violence that took place yesterday in washington d.c. around 10:45am. jon. jon: could have been a whole lot worst. steve centanni, thanks. jenna: now that governor romney has chosen his running mate, we notice to be congressman paul ryan. congressman's ryan's position on medicare is becoming a flash point for the debate. there have been a lot of
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democratic attack ads. could going negative backfire on the president's campaign? we'll go in depth on that. jon: he's accused of making his own death but police just rearrested him very much alive. what he's charged with now. jenna: if you were his wife you would be a little angry, right? jon: that would need some explaining. jenna: controversy over the fort hood massacre, the 2009 attack the worst shooting ever at a u.s. military base but classified as workplace violence. why isn't this a case of necessary particular terrorism? what is really behind that decision? we'll be live with that story just ahead.
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jenna: a new york man accused of faking his own death is now facing some serious charges. in fact, police are rearresting him. apparently he was at a long island hospital when all of this happened. we need to explain some of this. rick folbaum is live from our new york city newsroom with
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more. >> reporter: try to keep track at home. i'll lay it all out for you. raymond roth had been released on bail but is lack in the slammer now after defying a protection order and calling his estranged wife on the telephone. this is the same wife who thought that her husband was dead after their son reported him missing during a trip to a local beach. the son, 22-year-old jonathan roth said he was watching his dad in the water, he looked down at his phone for a few minutes and when he looked back up his dad was gone. prosecutors say the father and son were in cahoots, all part of a scheme to get the daddy khraeurd dead and collect on his life insurance policy, a payout of 400 grand. at first raymond roth went down to florida to try to keep out of sight. police got a tip that's where he was from his very own brother. at around the same time the cops in florida pulled him over for speeding. roth came become to new york, checked himself into a psychiatric ward but police arrested him there for conspiracy to commit insurance
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fraud. his son has been arrested too but both were free on bail. now raymond roth went and called his wife, now he's back in jail. seems like a very nice family, jenna. we'll continue to follow the developments and keep you posted. jenna: is there a hint of sarcasm in there. >> reporter: just a little. jenna: nice families can have problems. >> reporter: true, sorry to judge. jenna: i think it's okay in this instance that is for sure, rick, thank you. jon: ever since governor romney tapped congressman ryan to be his vice presidental pick there has been a whole lot of focus on congressman ryan's medicare plan. the issue coming up today at a rally at walsh university in north canton, ohio, take a listen. >> this election presents so many clear contrasts, one of those contrasts is this. mitt romney and i will protect and strengthen medicare, leave it intact for our current seniors and save it for the next generation. [applause] jon: there you hear congressman ryan talking about his position on medicare.
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it's become a flash point in the campaign already and is sparking democratic attack ads. but that could only be the beginning especially with the conventions now right around the corner. "the washington post" writes, from what has been reported we should expect nonstop romney attacks at the democratic national convention. consultants will tell that you negative ads work but do negative angry candidates? we will find out. joining us now, the editor of campaigns and elections magazine. some democrats are reportedly gleeful that congressman ryan ha has been added to the ticket because they think they can go after him on this medicare issue. is that going to work? >> well i tell you they are going to try very hard, jon, particularly democratic ad makers who are working for down ballot democrats. democratic members of congress who are going to be in tough election races come the fall. you are going to see paul ryan budget attacks, medicare
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attacks, ad nauseam from now until the fall. the democratic national campaign committee rolled out their first attack on an incumbent republican member of congress today targeting the congressman in michigan for, you know, voting for the ryan plan. so this is what you're going to see. democrats are betting big on this. because frankly they'd rather be talking about paul ryan and medicare than they would about the economy. jon: especially in florida, some democrats have said, by picking paul ryan, mitt romney you have given us the state of florida, because seniors, so many seniors live there, and they are so concerned about medicare. but the rasmussen reports group took an interesting poll, they asked, you know, what scares you more when you're looking at the future, what scares you more, president obama's healthcare law, or paul ryan's proposal? 48% say the president's healthcare law scares them more than the 41% who picked paul ryan's proposal. >> i don't think there is any doubt in florida this makes things a bit more interesting.
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there is concern among senior citizens, and obviously it's a huge population in florida, that republicans are going to have to be very careful when talking about this plan. they have been careful when talking about medicare and entitlements to this point. there is rightfully some republican concern there. i think to suggest that this hands the state of florida to the obama campaign is quite silly. but i think that paul ryan and these medicare attacks are going to make for a much more interesting debate than perhaps we would have seen, and one moving less focused on the economy and more on, you know, talk of entitlements and medicare. there are many republicans that think this is a good thing, but there are some concerns there because, again, like i said before, the white house and president obama, given the unemployment rate, given the state of the economy, i think they feel a little more confident going toe-to-toe with the romney campaign and paul ryan on medicare than perhaps they would about the economy. jon: you've heard critics of governor romney who say, look
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this election ought to be about nothing but jobs and the economy, and the work that president obama has performed in that regard, and medicare and entitlements become sort of a side issue. what do you think? >> well i think there are a lot of heavy weights on the conservative end of the republican party who really are anxious to have this debate, and real he want to have this policy debate. i think the other side of that coin is that some of the republican strategists who perhaps are a little more narrowly focused on winning elections and what might be best in that regard, they are a bit more guarded on this medicare debate. but there is no doubt that there are a lot of conservatives who really want to have and are hungry for this policy debate and there is no doubt listening to paul ryan on the stump that he is very hungry for this debate as well. jon: shane april from campaigns and elections magazine, thank you. jenna: a lot of people use them to try and stay healthy.
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there are no concerns that a certain chemical found in hand sanitizers and a host of different products that you have at home may actually hurt you. we'll talk to a doctor about why that is. plus, one major city about to do major spraying to get rid of mosquitoes. it's the first time they are doing this in 50 years. we'll talk about why and what is at risk next. >> i'm more worried about the west nile. i can always clean off whatever she eats. it doesn't really matter. i'm more worried, you know, about her getting sick.
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jenna: a state of emergency declared in co one of our country's biggest cities. dallas is declaring a state of emergency because of an outbreak of west nile virus. because of that the city is doing some major air yell spraying. you're seeing footage of what
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that will look like on your screen now. this has not done been this this city in a half century. more than 400 cases of west nile virus have been report ned texas alien and 18 people have died because of this. the spraying is expected to begin tonight. some are worried, of course about the pesticides. others say the spraying is long overdue. >> in our zip code we've had a confirmed case of west nile virus, and it doesn't make sense to me that the city is targeting one area and not coming up to our area. >> they are solid months late on this. >> i'm in a tight window. we have people dying, okay. we have to have a sense of urgency to get this done now. that is what is the most important thing. >> i'm concerned about all children and babies. jenna: let's start there. karen williams is a spokeswoman for the texas department of health services. she joins us on the phone. i understand you have three children at home. what risk does this spraying pose for the community? >> the risk with aerial spraying
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are very minimal especially compared to the risk of disease that we're seeing with west nile virus. the aerial spraying will be safe and effective for the people of dallas. we are wanting people just to take some basic precaution, minimize exposure, avoid being outside while the spraying occurs, and, you know, skin or clothes are exposed to the chemicals, wash them with soap and water. jenna: it's hard for us from the outside that aren't in texas to kind of understand what is going on in the city of dallas, for example. when you're out and about do you just see a lot more months coat tows than you normally have? is it visible that there are a lot more bugs around or is this something that the virus is kind of popping up and people aren't necessarily noticing swarms, for example of these bug stph-s. >> people probably aren't really noticing swarms compared to other years. what we are wanting people to do is to drain standing water from around their homes, and also to wear insect repellent every time
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they go outside. what we're seeing now it's a public health emergency in dallas. we are really concerned about what we are seeing and that's why we are stepping up our approach with aerial spraying. jenna: if someone gets bit by a mosquito is there anything they should do right away than they would do differently than other years when they got a mosquito bite when they were out and about. >> nothing different. the incubation period can last up to 14 days, you may not experience symptoms for one time. we want people to wear insect repellent every time they go outside. jenna: that goes for kids too the little bodies out there have to handle so much with the heat of the summer and everything else. if yo they get a mosquito bite, anything to do for your children. >> nothing different for children. drain swimming pools you may have in your backyard for your kids. jenna: this is the first spraying, are others planned? >> the aerial spraying is
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expected to start tonight, but we are looking at weather conditions and trying to prioritize some areas. so stay tuned for more on that. jenna: we hope this works. that's all we hope for as this area has been really struggling with this west nile virus. we are watching this story. thank you so much for the time today. we appreciate it. >> thank you. jon: scary times down there. jenna: you just get a mosquito bite you don't theufp of it. a coupl think much of it. a couple weeks later you can feel sick. jon: one of our nation's top military leaders, a four-star general under investigation accused of misusing your taxpayer dollars to fund lavish trips overseas. sound familiar? what is next for general william kip ward. and president obama defending joe biden after his controversial back in chains comment, with so much at stake this election year is the vice president and asset or a liability to the president's campaign? a fair & balanced debate coming up. in 2008, i voted for president obama with no reluctance.
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he presented himself as something different. i had hoped that the new president would bring new jobs. not major layoffs, not people going through major foreclosures on their homes. he did get his healthcare through, but at what cost? he said he was going to cut the deficit in his first term. i've seen zero interest in reducing spending. he inherited a bad situation, but he made it worse. i think he's a great person. i don't feel he is the right leader for our country, though. i still believe in hope and change, i just don't think obama's the way to go for that. the president has not earned re -election, in 2012, in my book. i've seen his now definition of hope and change. it's not the hope and change i want, and it's not the hope and change i thought i was going to get. i don't feel that i helped my grandchildren by voting for president obama and i regret that. americans for prosperity is responsible for the content of this advertising. well hello, welcome to hotels.com.
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expected to decide his fate soon. >> reporter: government wide there's been a crackdown on lavish spending, and this time the focus is on four-star general william kip ward, head of the military's u.s./africa command. here's how he described the assignment months ago. >> the continent of africa is important to our security, to stability of the world. >> reporter: defense officials confirm an investigation into ward's spending practices has been going on for 17 months, and inspector general for the defense department has apparently completed the investigation. here's what we know so far. according to a defense official, ward stands accused of misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars of government dollars on unauthorized travel and hotels. if proven true, the conduct could have a significant impact onward's rank and retirement pay. ward stepped down as head of the africa command in march of 2011, even had a retirement-type ceremony with all the bells and
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whistles last year but didn't actually retire because of this ongoing investigation. at the time army spokesman george wright said, quote: as a rule, a general officer may not retire until these matters are finalized. on and off the record a number of personnel who served alongside general ward have sung his praises, including this quote: kip has had a stellar record and did a superb job in his rule. this will mar what has previously been an example of diversity at its best in our military. ultimately, defense secretary leon panetta is the one who will make the decision regarding general ward's rank. that is expected by the end of this month. jenna? jenna: we'll look forward to those detrails about what exactly that spending went to. shannon, thank you. >> reporter: you've got it. jon: well, here we go again. vice president joe biden sparking yet another controversy with those remarks about chains at a campaign event with many african-americans in attendance. critics say trying to make a
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point about wall street reform. the vice president lobbed racially-charged claim, one that 2008 republican vice presidential nominee sarah palin says should cost mr. biden his place on the presidential ticket. >> the strategists there in the obama campaign have got to look at a diplomatic way of replacing joe biden on the ticket with hillary, and i don't want to throw out that suggestion and have them actually accept the suggestion because then a obama/hillary clinton ticket would have a darn good chance of winning. but really, joe biden really drags down that ticket. jon: 2008 republican presidential nominee senator john mccain also suggested the obama campaign should replace mr. biden with secretary of state clinton, but it was said that would never happen. president obama brushing aside the criticism and defending his number two. >> the truth is that what joe biden was talking about, again, is an example of a substantive argument, a substantive issue
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that the american people should be concerned about, and his phrasing is a distraction from what is at stake. jon: so joe biden, help or hurt? angela mcglowan is a fox news political analyst, julian epstein is former legal counsel for the house judiciary committee. let's get a fair and balanced debate underway. julian, you heard the advice there from sarah palin. i'm sure you, as a democrat, are ready to rub out and take it, right? >> i don't think anybody's taking it seriously. look, i think what biden said, i wouldn't have used the language, but he was simply using a metaphor. it's always dangerous when you take a metaphor too literally. to say romney's plan to eliminate much of the oversight on the banks and the financial committee that we know is necessary after the debacle in 2008 would be very bad for most people in this country. and that's simply the point he was making. and, you know, if you want to get into this question of whether this was race baiting or
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not, there are lots of examples we can point to on the other side, the constant question on the president's legitimacy of his birth certificate, the reference to the food stamp president. there's lots of things that aren't metaphors that are said on the conservative side that are not metaphors, they're meant to be racially-coded language, and these are things if you really want to have an objection or discussion about whether minute's trying to insert in kind of an underhanded way race into the, racial issues into this election, we can have that debate. jon: all right, go ahead, angela. >> biden is not a liability to obama because democrats have been using these bamboozling politics to prey on the emotions of our community. and, you're right, both sides have used metaphors. romney wants to unshackle the economy. but then having biden to a predominantly african-american audience say that, basically, that republicans want to put y'all back in chains was absolutely insulting. now, sarah palin and the first
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black governor of virginia both agreed that hillary clinton would probably be better for the obama ticket with biden making these gaffes. but at the end of the day, liberals have used race baiting, class warfare, even the war on women to use advocacy to get out the vote in our community. and both sides need to get back to the issues of what they're going to do to create a better america. jon: julian, wasn't the phrasing, the use of "y'all" that sort of made it so destructive when the vice president used that phrase? >> i think a lot of people use that y'all point in various different communities -- jon: but joe biden? >> i think again, as i said -- joe is a pretty folksy guy. >> but he's not from the south, julian. he's not from the south. and to go to virginia, to a predominantly black audience and change his cadence, but this is nothing new -- >> let's not interrupt each other, angela. >> go ahead. >> if point i was going to make is that, as i said, it's not
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exactly the language that i would have used. and i think, i think that, you know, probably on reflection he could have used other language. i don't think the obama campaign is giving any thought to replacing biden. >> no. >> i think this is a false issue. i think this is an issue that's being stirred up by conservatives largely because there's lots of misgivings about the ryan pick and his medicaid, medicare proposals and budget proposals, and i think this is an attempt to try to distract from all the controversy around that. >> julian. >> but i think -- >> we're giving a monologue here, julian. >> that's accusing president obama of practicing black racism. that's a republican super pac that's being done. you've never seen a president of the united states that has been interrupted in the middle of a rose garden presentation by a reporter. >> it's supposed to be fair and balanced, julian. you're filibustering. jon: yeah. let's give angela one last chance to respond. >> the attorney general recently spoke before a convention of black clergy where he said the
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republicans' plan will talk us back to jim crow. bill clinton was at a fundraiser here in new york that said the first thing, the voter id laws would take us back to poll tax. in my community, especially coming from them, the civil rights movement, that part of that history was pretty bad and pretty painful, slavery was pretty bad and pretty painful, so to compare republicans to slave masters putting us back in chains is insulting. and it just shows and demonstrates that the obama camp is very desperate because they can't stand on the issues. jon: all right. >> do now not think in-person voter id laws will have a disproportionate effect on african-americans? >> we can go and get our state id just like anybody else. >> hundreds of miles away from where people live? jon: we're getting into a side issue there. julian yep steven, angela mcglowan, thank you both. fox news is america's election headquarters. with the countdown on to the republican national convention,
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fox has complete coverage leading up to and right through that event. and do not forget the best political team anywhere will be live in tampa ten days from now. jenna: we're going to turn away from politics now. authorities are treating the shooting at the stanley research council an act of domestic terrorism, that's how they're categorizing it. we first told you about that yesterday. the feds are still not classifying the fort hood massacre that way. that attack, of course, back in 2009 was the worst shooting ever on a u.s. military base. still, it's labeled today as workplace violence. this is despite e-mails between the accused gunman, major nidal hasan, and anwar al-awlaki, the yemeni-based cleric that was linked to al-qaeda. remember him? so why this double standard? apparently, it's a double standard, but we'll see. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge is taking a closer look in washington today. >> reporter: jenna, thank you and good morning. domestic terrorism is defined as an act of violence that is intended to, quote, intimidate
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or coerce is civilian population, to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion or to effect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping. so the shooting earlier this month at the sikh temple where six were killed by a military veteran was publicly described by the attorney general, eric holder, as an act of terrorism motivated, he said, by hate. >> that is precisely what happened here, an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a hate crime that is anathema to the founding principles of our nation and to who we are as an american people. >> reporter: and in a recent hearing on capitol hill, the homeland security secretary was pressed on whether her department considered the massacre at the colorado movie theater where a former neuroscience student is accused of killing 12 and wounding 58 others also as an act of terrorism. >> the awe roar ca tragedy --
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roar rah tragedy, true tragedy, is under investigation, and i don't want to get too much into the comment on that because there's a lot we still don't know. >> is there a federal presence and so torte in an -- forth in an investigation of that type? >> yes. >> reporter: but a recruitment center shooting in the summer of 2009 by carlos bledsoe who described himself as an operative for al-qaeda in yemen was not handled as a terrorism case. it was prosecuted in arkansas state court. and, as you mentioned, the fort hood massacre in november of 2009 where 13 were killed and more than 30 wounded, has never been publicly described by the administration as an act of terrorism even though the alleged shooter shouted "god is great" when he opened fire. >> now, we can have, really, a legal discussion about whether it's a hate crime or an act of terrorism. i just wish there was some consistency here, and certainly to be at fort hood would be the
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classic case of what should be a clear case of terrorism. >> reporter: the defense department is dealing with fort hood in the context of workplace violence and as part of its investigation, one of the soldiers said to fox this was clearly an insult, the inconsistency, jenna. jenna: something we'll continue to take a look at as that fort hood massacre, the trial delayed now, but set to begin. it's something we'll be talking a lot more about. catherine, thank you. >> reporter: you're welcome. jon: no driver likes what's happening to gas prices. we're all paying a lot more, but could the alternative, the green alternative, be worse? the new concerns about using ethanol as fuel. and a new showdown over immigration a day after thousands of young illegal immigrants started lining up for an administration program that allows them to stay here. well, one governor is issuing an order denying public benefits to those same people, including driver's licenses. the argument ahead. are you okay, babe?
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jon: the agriculture department confirming the drought is taking a terrible toll on the farm belt in this country, now projeecting the worst corn crop since 2006. there's a big argument underway right now because so much of the corn our nation grows doesn't go to feed people or livestock, instead it is used to produce ethanol for fuel. and with fears of rising prices and global food shortages, there is new you urgency about somethg called the ethanol waiver. doug mckelway is live in washington with a look at that debate. doug? >> reporter: morning, jon. you know, the use of ethanol for fuel has been controversial for a long time, and the summer's drought is only adding to a great number of questions about its use. the renewable fuel standards or rfs that were parred in the bush administration and later bolstered by the obama administration require refiners to blend ethanol into gasoline ethanol makes up about 10% right now. the percentage will increase in the future. this, though, has had a detrimental effect on food
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prices. more u.s. land is now used to produce corn for fuel than is used to produce corn for food and feed. and with yields down catastrophically from this drought, the detriment el effect on food prices will be compounded. even the united nations is now calling on the obama administration and the epa to relax the ethanol mandate because food prices here will climb dramatically, and in some parts of the world starvation is expected to climb. yet the administration has not yet acted. >> what i can tell you is that the epa has made clear that they're working closely, rather, with the department of agriculture to keep an eye on yields, and they will evaluate all the relevant information when assessing that situation. and i would direct you to them for the latest updates. >> reporter: compounding the administration's indecember, ethanol is a loaded political subject, near and dear to a key obama constituency, environmentalists, even though create -- farmers are reaping
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the benefits of ethanol subsidies, and many states where corn is grown are key swing states in the upcoming election. no easy answers here. jon: doug mckelway, thanks. jenna: for years "the price is right" features a bevy of beauties showcasing big prizes, but no the show is looking -- now the show is looking to change things up. why jon scott is eligible for a new job. jon: i might not be here next week. [laughter] jenna: the male models to come to "the price is right." >> come on down! ♪ hey, i love your cereal there -- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way, right? lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. or annuity over 10 or even 20 years?
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jenna: a startling new study on the possible health risks of products many of us use every
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day. researchers say a chemical found in many personal care products like antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer, deodorants, laundry detergent, well, that chemical may weaken muscles throughout the body including your heart. joining us now, professor and chair of preventive medicine in vanderbilt university medical center. so, doctor, this is what this study said, triclosin has the potential to contribute to heart decide and heart failure. why? >> well, you know, we don't exact he know, but this was done in mice and fish, and i don't know that it pertains to humans. but, you know, it's in soap all the time, this antibacterial agent. simple l plain soap and water with lot of good rubbing is just as good -- jenna: so if you see the antibacterial label, you think, okay, that must be better. but we're also taught to sing "happy birthday" while we wash
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our hands to make sure you do it long enough. which is really better, the antibacterial soap or just singing "happy birthday" with hope is and water? >> happyirthday and lots of rubbing and foam will do perfectly fine. that's what we use in our house. jenna: so you're a dad. that's what you do, you avoid some of these high-tech products? >> well, if you can avoid exposure to a chemical, why not? this is probably a very safe drug, but we'd rather do it the simple way. jenna: i saw that it was introduced in the 1970s, and i'm just curious because, again, you mentioned these are all new studies, they're in mice, so there's some limits to what we can make of them, but what do you think the consequence would be if we had no antibacterial products on the market, would we suddenly get a lot sicker than we are now? >> well, the antibacterial and antiviral hand gels are very, very important, those sani wipes are very, very important. but at home soap and water, lots of rubbing, sing "happy
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birthday" or any other favorite song, and that will do just perfectly fine. jenna: we'll do that. jon scott, i can hear him every once in a while. jon: that's right, in the men's room. [laughter] jenna: doctor, thank you so much for the time today. we appreciate it very much. thank you for the time. >> my pleasure. jenna: little happy birthday. jon: happy birthday while you wash your hands. [laughter] come on down, guys! you may have what it takes to be a model on "the price is right." really? the game show, legendary for its famous barker's beauties is now looking for the right man. [cheers and applause] cbs says the show will hold its first-ever search for a male model. viewers will choose him in an online competition, the winner to be announced in october. he will get a weeklong stint -- is that all, a week? jenna: well, we have to start off a little easy here. it's a brand new thing. jon: i'd like to point to that jeep right there. anyway, drew carey hosts the
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show. jenna: i could see you doing that. i mean, moonlighting. [laughter] jon: i like this job. jenna: we like you too. we'll be right back with more howe.
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>> reporter: hi, everybody, rick folbaum in the control room. some brand new stories we're would being on just for you, including one of the nation's governors is defying the president's executive order to begin allowing some illegal immigrants to stay in the country for the time being. we'll tell you who it is, and we'll tell you what it means. also, wait until you see what's happening to the mighty mississippi. major problems for the river and everyone who depends on it. and how'd you like to fly from new york to l.a. in less than an hour? don't hold your breath. we'll tell you about the latest not so successful attempt to fly at hypersonic speeds. all that and breaking news, the second hour of "happening now" starts right now.
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jon: hour two getting underway with a showdown over president obama's new immigration program. it could have some major consequences when it comes to the presidential campaign. i'm jon scott. jenna: hi, everybody, i'm jenna lee. welcome to a new hour of "happening now." we're talking about the state of arizona. arizona's governor, jan brewer, issuing an executive order denying public benefits to young illegal immigrants in her state despite a new federal program that allows them the stay here temporarily. jon: as thousands of young illegals lined up across the country applying for this temporary protection from deportation, william la jeunesse takes a look at it live in los angeles for us. >> reporter: well, jon, indeed, brewer's action does carry legal and political implications far outside arizona. number one, it could force the administration to defend in court a policy that critics have called an illegal, back-door amnesty. and secondly, this becomes a states' rights issue. while many republicans did not challenge the president's plan, for fear of alienating hispanic voters, brewer may have
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reignited immigration as an election issue. in 2004 arizona voters approved a proposition that denied public benefits to illegal immigrants. because the president's action did not pass congress, did not come from an executive order and does not give illegals a chance at becoming citizens, applicants are not eligible for benefits. >> they will not be entitled to a driver's license, nor will they be entitled to any public benefits in response to the public overwhelmingly voting that no public benefits would be extended to illegal aliens in the state of arizona. >> reporter: now, brewer's opponents marched on the state capitol, they claim she's grandstanding, and the aclu says those who are granted deferred action are authorized to be in the united states and are eligible for a state id and services like subsidizing child care, child's health insurance, unemployment benefits, business licenses, government contracts.
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the question of subsidized state tuition, jon, that is still up in the air. now, only two states allow illegal immigrants to obtain a driver's license which, as we know, typically are good for about ten years or more whereas deferred action is only good for two years, so states are in a bind in terms of who gets these licenses and will they be identical to the ones legal residents or those with visas have? so states have to answer that question. and finally, jon, the question is, what will the administration do? we've tried to ask jay carney this afternoon whether or not they're going to go to federal court and try to clarify what arizona is doing, but obviously for other states this does raise questions as to once you get that piece of paper, that federal piece of paper, what does it mean inside the states? jon: once again arizona in the forefront, taking on this issue. william, thanks. jenna: we're going to have a legal panel on that coming up in just a little bit. we have to work through that story, it is certainly a big one. in the meantime, back to politics now, and there's some
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questions raised about a group involved in voter registration. call it a hunch, but i think our senior correspondent eric shawn is taking a closer look at this story. >> hi ya, jenna. well, this is a voter registration form, this mailing looks official. but it's actually from a private group trying to get people to send it to election officials. it comes from a group called the voter participation center. they're a washington, d.c.-based organization targeting roughly 73 million americans who are not on the voting rolls. the group's mailings are aimed at what it says are underrepresented voting blocs like single or divorced women, minorities and young people. but some of the mailing lists have gone to dead people, noncitizens, children and even pets. it's touted as a nonpartisan organization, but many of the group's officials are former democratic political con consultants and officials. the secretary of state of louisiana, republican tom shidler says, the errors have caused problems in his state, and he questions what they are
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really trying to do. >> they only target a certain demographic group, quite frankly. i mean, this is strictly a democratic situation, and that doesn't mean that a democratic group cannot go out and register democrats any more than the republican group or the mickey mouse party can. but i would ask them to do a little more due diligence. >> reporter: a lawyer for the center says there is no political bias. he notes that washington, d.c. is filled with nonpartisan groups, staffed by former officials of both parties. >> the real key is what do they do. their mailings are strictly nonpartisan, they don't reference political issues or candidates or party committees. and it's up to the individual if they want to fill out the form to do it, and in that sense the process is entirely nonpartisan. >> reporter: the group says it is working to try to correct the errors on the mailing list, and so far they say they've registered more than half a million new voters. jenna: have you gotten a closer look at the mailings for pets, eric? because that --
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>> reporter: well, that one was for mo, morris, so i don't think that little mo -- [laughter] jenna: eric will continue to watch this at foxnews.com. eric, thank you. jon: a deadly police shooting just outside new orleans this morning, two sheriff's deputies are dead, two other officers wounded. rick folbaum with the latest developments on this tragedy. rick? >> reporter: yeah, this is a terrible story, jon. police are investigating the shooting, it involved multiple suspects and multiple officers in st. john the baptist parish, about 20 miles west of new orleans. a total of four officers shot, two of them killed, the other two are being treated for their gunshot wounds. the first of the two shootings happened around 5:30 this morning local time. here is the sheriff's emotional account of what happened at that first shooting. >> this entire tragedy unfolded early this morning as one of my officers was working the traffic detail in this particular
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parking lot. as he was working this detail for some unknown reason at this time, a gunman opened fire on him multiple times. >> reporter: that's the sheriff, and when cops were investigating that first shooting at the home of a nearby resident, a suspect exited the back door of the mobile home they were in, and then another shooting happened. here's the sheriff once again. >> as we were interviewing the two persons, the two subjects, another person exited that trailer with an assault weapon and ambushed -- excuse me -- ambushed my two officers. the investigation is ongoing. >> reporter: very difficult day for law enforcement down there in louisiana. the state police are now taking the lead on this investigation. authorities say they believe that the area is safe, and this is thought to be the deadliest attack on local law enforcement,
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jon, since a sniper killed five new orleans police officers, that was back in the 1973. back to you. jon: just an awful situation. rick, thanks. jenna: well, the historic drought across the united states is really affecting every consumer in this country, and here's just one more way this is happening. the mighty mississippi river is dropping close to record low level,s, and that's choking commerce. that certainly has an effect. mike tobin is life in memphis, tennessee, with more. mike? >> reporter: you know, jenna, it's hard to believe that just a year ago the spot where i am right now would be about 50 feet underwater, but now this year the river is low. it's thin and shallow. so the tow boat operators have to decrease the amount they put in each barge by 25% so they don't draw more water and hit the bottom of the river. they can also push fewer barges with every haul, and considering the mississippi does about $50-$60 billion every year, the transportation of everything
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from food to fuel becomes slower and more expensive. >> freight is so much more expensive, it's going to be passed on. i heard the other day where they're expecting food prices to go up 5-7%, and this'll be part of that increase. >> reporter: now, so far the river levels are just about 2 feet above the record lows of 1988, but there haven't been many complete shutdowns of the mississippi river, only at night or when a barge runs aground. jenna: it's a story that we're really paying close attention to, mike. thank you. jon: well, both presidential candidates are hitting the trail hard, ramping up attacks. which strategy is working? larry sabato next with a look inside his crystal ball. and families in syria racing to save the lives of their children after government airstrikes flatten a residential neighborhood. we have a live report from the war zone coming up.
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jon: let's take a look inside america's election headquarters now, governor romney's choice of congressman paul ryan to be his running mate sparking some second guessing along the campaign trail. sometimes the bottom of the ticket is designed to get more swing state votes in the electoral college. in this case it appears governor romney chose congressman ryan for other reasons. let's talk about it with larry sabato, the director of the center for politics at the university of virginia. larry, you've looked into the crystal ball, you've looked at some of the polling in, well, less than a week since congressman ryan was announced. does it look like his selection puts wisconsin in play? >> i think it is more in play. i think if you add up scott walker, the governor who won the recall election, paul ryan through his section as vp and now the nomination of tommy
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thompson, the popular former governor of wisconsin, as the senate nominee for the republicans there, you put all these things together and, yes, wisconsin is more in play. exactly how much we'll have to wait and see as this develops. but, you know, on the whole i think mitt romney has been fairly direct about this, this was not an electoral college choice for vp. it was a governing choice for vp. and sure enough, it's changed the conversation for better or worse about the key subjects presented to the people. jon: hearkening back, i guess, to when presidents like, well, candidates like george w. bush chose dick cheney to be his vice presidential candidate. i mean, wyoming is a solidly republican state, has only three electoral votes. that wasn't the kind of pick you make if you're trying to get a state to come your way. >> that's exactly right. and karl rove tells a funny story about that. he, as the political guy, opposed cheney's choice as vp,
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and he had six major reasons why. bush listened to the reasons but made him deliver them with cheney sitting in th room. [laughter] so, obviously, bush went with cheney anyway, and i think candidates often do that. they take seriously the fact that they have a good chance to be president, they want the best possible team with them if they end up governing for four or eight years. jon: well, and sometimes voters look at a choice and say, you know, yeah, that was made not because it's necessarily good politics, you know, not to bring over a florida or an ohio or one of those big states, but it made sound sense from a governing position. do you get the sense that voters are giving ryan, i'm sorry, are giving romney credit for that in this pick? >> i think, i think to this point they have, and the convention is critical, jon, in fleshing this out. that's a four-day infomercial that is absolutely critical for both romney and ryan.
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in fact, the republican convention's a lot more important than the democratic convention which is only three days. they've cut their convention back. and, frankly, everybody knows president obama. they know vice president biden. a lot of people don't have a full sense of mitt romney, and they certainly don't have a full sense of paul ryan. so this is about substance. it was a substantive choice. i think everybody gives credit to romney for that, for picking a substantive, serious vice presidential candidate whether you agree or disagree with his budget plan. jon: all right, larry sabato from the university of virginia gazing into the crystal ball there. always fun to talk to you on a thursday. larry, thanks very much. >> thanks, jon. jenna: well, next we're going to turn to syria. syria's regime launching a bloody attack on a neighborhood held by rebels resulting in dozens of civilian casualties. our very own steve harrigan was in the battle zone. he's going to tell us all about that coming up next. plus, a new fight over
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illegal immigrants, arizona's governor issuing new orders to fight federal plan. we're going to explain ahead. i was teaching a martial arts class and having a heart attack. my brother doesn't look like heart attack patient. i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm a fighter and now i don't have that fear. right? get. out. exactly! really?! [ mom ] what? shut the front door. right? woop-woop! franklin delano! [ male announcer ] there's oreo creme under that fudge! oreo fudge cremes. now in two new flavors. yeah, and i took on all the bigger, tougher ones. but now that mr. clean's got this new select-a-size magic eraser, i mean, he can take on any size job. look how easily he gets things cleaned. it's enough to make you cry. you, specifically. not me. i'm just happy we don't go near rex's mobile home as often. because it's hard to clean or because you're scared of an itty-bitty doggy? [ dog barks ] aah! oh!
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jon: fighter jets and attack helicopters pounding a town near syria's northern border. human rights activists report dozens of civilians were killed with more than 100 wounded. steve harrigan is streaming live from just across the syrian border in turkey. steve? >> reporter: jon, those syrian civilians today are going through the wreckage of their houses, and for some, the wreckage of their lives 24 hours after an airstrike by a syrian military war plane. that strike occurred at 3 in the afternoon on wednesday, finding
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many be women, pregnant women and their children at home. the death toll stands at more than 40, and it comes in a town that was held by syrian rebel fighters, but one that was relatively quiet for the past month taking several of the residents by surprise. >> translator: we heard a very loud sound. at first we thought it was a missile. the windows got broken, the walls of the house collapsed, and we all got together in one room. thanks to god, we were able to get out. the whole neighborhood was destroyed. >> reporter: the attack by the war plane in many broad daylight has really created a sense of panic for many civilians in the town. we saw them fleeing throughout the night, entire families, from syria carrying what they can, sometimes sneaking across the turkish border through fields, across all kinds of hazards to try and make it north really carrying whatever they can. the violence too, now, has already spread across the
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borders in syria into lebanon. there's been a string of kidnappings in lebanon, revenge kidnappings for kidnappings which are already going on inside syria. so the violence spreading as a result of this at least five gulf arab nations are evacuating their own citizens from lebanon. jon, back to you. jon: so hard to fathom, being attacked by their own army, their own government. steve harrigan in syria, thank you. jenna: retired u.s. army major general was meeting with opposition forces, he's a fox news military analyst, chairman of stand-up america and, general, you said you just got some brand new information today. you were there just three weeks ago on the ground, but some new information just came to you that could impact what we're seeing in syria. what is that? >> well, jenna, a lot of the information i just received about an hour ago updates, really validates what steve has just reported. the base that i was privileged
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to meet 20 members of the opposition forces on the turkish border in the crossing points there and view them of what was going on. but this morning's news is there's only a couple migs that are especially equipped and arms with new bombs that have been provided by russia, and that's what they're using to bomb the civilian targets right now. the other information is they have brand new t-82 tanks that have been offloaded on the coast by russian ships, and they're proceeding over to aleppo as we, as we speak this morning. the other information that came in that carriers, transports coming in from iran into the aleppo airport now are carrying supplies and equipment and personnel to support the assad regime. so those are the updates an hour
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ago, but they really validate what steve has just said. jenna: so, general, what we know based on that information is that russia and iran are becoming even more involved in helping the syrian regime. we've known they've been active for months, but now according to what you just told us even more so now. what do you think we should do? you met with the opposition groups, you've met with these people on the ground, you've talked with them face to face. should we be providing arms to those opposition groups? >> well, the word i got about an hour ago, as i said, is that they would like some indication from the united states that we are supporting the opposition to the assad tyrannical regime. so the chess board that's laid out there, you have russia, iran and china to some degree supporting the assad regime, you've got the other part of the chess board of saudi arabia, qatar and turkey trying to support and supporting with
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certain equipment in arms. so the chessboard has to be carefully followed over there, and we have to understand what it is and how we're going to play on this chessboard, if at all. so that's the bottom line as of this morning, jenna. jenna: how should we be playing that? >> well, covertly, i think, supplying and helping with medical supplies as the turks are to the opposition forces. now, you've got to realize there's a multitude of organizations there to include the muslim brotherhood infiltration, al-qaeda infiltration. we are in touch with the free syrian army as well as the syrian liberation army people. they are dedicated not to a government that's controlled by islamic law and sharia. they've told me this personally. they want a secular government over there. they want to support the christians, the sunnis, the shias, thal lo whites over there in control now are part of the
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shia, so it's a difficult chess board. but our people in washington have to look how we're going to play because it effects the whole middle east. if syria's flipped the right way, it's a dagger into the heart of iran and russia, and that's why they're playing hardball. that's what we have to face up to when we look at that chessboard and if we're going to play. jenna: general, do you think we're fighting hard enough to play on this chessboard, do you think we understand the stakes enough or based on your experience being there and coming back here s there a gap of understanding about what this crisis in syria really means? >> there's a gigantic gap of misunderstanding in our intelligence forces. a lot of the information i am picking up i'm providing our government in the special operations area as well as our intelligence-gathering organizations to try and augment and help them coming up with some kind of a position for
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america. what is our strategy, how do we play over there. but at this time i can tell you, jenna, we do not have respect or credibility out of the middle east at all. that's why they're looking at these other groups and countries to support the various factions, and they're playing that chessboard one off of another. so we've got to be on that chessboard because of the dramatic events that can happen in the next 60-90 days. you see the uprising in lebanon now. it's changing lebanon. then you've got israel there, that's a whole different part of the chessboard. so we need to have a forward strategy that is actually going to articulate covertly and overtly how we're going to help or assist certain forces over there. but i can tell you, they're looking for freedom over there. jenna: 17, 18 months of watching this conflict. major general, thank you for that new information, and we look forward having you back. thank you. >> thank you, jenna. jon: in this country thousands of young illegal immigrants lining up for work permits under president obama's new program.
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but arizona's governor is drawing a line of her own in the sand. could other states soon follow? we'll get into it next with our panel. also, it's just a scrap of paper worth hundreds of millions of dollars. somebody won that golden ticket. who is the powerball winner from last night's drawing?
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jenna: for more on our top
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story this hour, arizona governor jan brewer setting up showdown potentially with the immigration. the governor is denying taxpayer-funded benefits to young illegals. preventing from getting driver's license for example. they can get a temporary legal status and work permits under a new administration policy. dan stein, president of the americans for immigration reform. francisco hernandez is immigration attorney the welcome to you both. there are two issues here. the temporary legal status and push-pull between the state and the federal government. first things first, francisco, if someone has temporary legal status, what exactly does that mean? does that mean they can vote? does that mean they can serve or a jury? what does temporary legal status mean? >> that is not really temporary legal status. they don't have any status
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for anything even to work until given a permit. they certainly can not vote and certainly can not represent themselves as a citizen. all it is we're not going to deport them until we figure out something to do with congress like passing the d.r.e.a.m. act. that is what everybody is waiting to happen. so it doesn't mean a whole lot. jenna: dan, what is the, jan brewer saying listen i'm not giving these people a driver's license but if they're in the country and we're waiting, or waiting to figure out where they're going to go and what they're going to do, then why not give them some identification? >> sure. you really got to give brewer some credit. bold decisive effective leader to draw a line in the stand and raise these important issues. the president keeps claiming so-called defered action is not amnesty. if it is not legal status, what is it? that will create years and years of litigation as aclu type groups litigate to get benefits for people in this legal limbo. >> no. >> the reason why the
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president did is illegal and unconstitutional is precisely this. congress has never said the president has the power to do what he is doing. but, states are apparently expected to cough up billions and billions of taxpayer dollars to provide one benefit after another to a group of people here illegally with a defered action document. jenna: that is what the governor is saying francisco, part of why she doesn't want to do this, providing services from the state and using state funds and providing driver's license will cost a lot of money. that is one of the reasons why she said she wouldn't do it. >> we weren't giving them a drivers license anyway. how tough after governor are you to take away something you haven't been giving anyway. everybody that wants a license they have to pay. when the police officers give women and men citations to driving without license and are we going to take the fine of course we are. it makes the states and cities. we're cutting off our nose to spite our face. all we have people driving
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without insurance who get in accidents an can't pay for them because we won't give them a driver's license. it is silly. jenna: dan, what do you think about that? >> man you have to calm down, you sound agitated. the big problem is this, with this status is that it appears to be dependent on the president getting reelected. what is so pernicious here he is using executive authority to try to get an affirmative immigration benefit that depends upon him getting reelected to be continued after two years. that is a gross abuse of his power as an executive. it is violation of the trust that exists between the executives and states. >> it is not. >> that our immigration laws will be enforced effectively and responsibly. one of the reasons why our constitution gives congress the right to make these decisions and not the executive is precisely because the potential to manipulate for partisan gain a program that will cost taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. administration needs to stop this nonsense right now. jenna: to dan's point, francisco, what about that though? we have tension what the
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federal government would like a state like arizona to do and what the arizona governor is willing to do. >> sure. jenna: in between all that we have people caught in the middle, from illegal immigrants and folks born here and are citizens and don't know what said they're on. how do you navigate that? that tension exists and obviously causing problems with implementation. >> the tension is there for different reasons. both sides want the same thing. governor brewer, you remember the past immigration, arizona law, was to force the government, the federal government to act. everybody agrees that the d.r.e.a.m. act is a good idea on both side. we just don't have the guts to pass it. we have to address it at the federal level. president obama didn't do anything that any of his predecessors didn't do before. in fact, did you realize that we have done that to drug dealers and drug traffickers, give them defered status so they cooperate with the government? it is legal what president obama did. absolutely legal but doesn't grant legal status. it is not amnesty. doesn't allow them to
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receive any public benefits but we still collect their taxes and still collect their fines. so we're getting upside of it, guys. we all agree that these kids --. jenna: upside, damage. i gave francisco the first word. i will give you the last. what about the upside as francisco says, they're paying taxes why not give them some of these benefits? >> first of all they have now extended to people 30 and under. now includes middle school dropouts. hear is the problem. there is no potential limit to what the executive branch is doing. no articable legal limit, no judicial review. instead we pay for a system lawless and out of control. it is partisan, politicized. for the next 30 years we'll be doing this, the fallout of this nonsense. very irresponsible. francisco, sorry, buddy. jenna: we will see what happens. this is what governor brewer says today. the new order, if you will, from the department of homeland security started this week. we'll see how this plays out over the next several weeks and months. francisco, dan, nice to have you both with us today. look forward to having you
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back. >> thank you, thank you, mr. stein. >> thank you. jon: well, the next president will be making some much those decisions. let's take you out on the campaign trail now. governor mitt romney just speaking in south carolina as he raises fund's cross the south today. his vice-presidential pick, congressman paul ryan is also hitting the trail but in the critical battleground state of ohio. our chief political correspondent carl cameron is there and joins us live. carl? >> reporter: hi, jon. paul ryan just wrapped up an event in north canton, ohio. very raucous crowd. seemed have something of a rythym going and seemed to bring them to their feet with whole number of applause lines on the subject of medicare which republicans clearly relish. while mr. ryan was holding town hall-style meeting, didn't take questions but theater in the round. mitt romney was not scheduled to make any public appearances and behind
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closed doors for fund-raising summoned press to availability, greenville airport, outline the differences between his and medicare plans. in effect what romney said was, that his plan is different. there would be no substantive change to medicare for seniors now. that there would be a significant difference and is significant difference what the obama administration has done insofar as romney says, the president has raided, excuse me, medicare for some $716 billion in order to pay in part for the affordable care act. obamacare. very tough stuff from mr. romney there at that airport tarmac rally complete with whiteboard as though teaching class to students in the press. there is paul ryan back at the rally. he was talking about this as well. there is no doubt the republican ticket wants a fight over medicare. listen. >> when he passed his signature health care achievement, obama care, he raided $716 billion from medicare to pay for obamacare. president obama's campaign
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calls this an achievement. you think raiding medicare to pay for obamacare is an achievement? >> no!. >> reporter: over the years historically medicare reform, entitlement reform have been issues democrats considered to have an advantage. during the bush administration republicans in many polls argued to draw on social security and education issues because of george w. bush's no child left behind education plan. republicans are counting on this time to be different as well. because of their ability to link the $716 billion in medicare fund to obamacare, and take a very popular program in medicare and suggest that the president is putting it at risk, for the controversial program of the affordable care act. jon? jon: it is game on the campaign trail. carl cameron, thanks. jenna: new details today on a secret military test of an experimental aircraft. we're going to tell you what happened over the pacific ocean just ahead. [ kate ] most women may not be properly absorbing
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jon: some new information now about how often men should get screened for prostate cancer. after so much debate about the benefits of regular screening there is a new study out that suggests yearly tests would add about three healthy weeks to the average man's life. our guest is dr. david benson, professor your lodgic surgery and director for center for surgical quality and outcomes research as vanderbilt medical center. i know you're just out of surgery, doctor, thanks so much for being with us today. there is so much confusion ever since a government board said a few months ago that it find that the psa test, the prostate specific antigen test, is not necessarily worth it for men who don't show any signs or symptoms of prostate cancer. does this study, this new study suggest otherwise?
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>> well, i think it does. you have to remember that that government body, the united states preventative services task force, was looking at their opinion of the data for the entire population. what this study shows us is that each man should be making his own decision about whether or not he should be screened. as you said there is a small benefit on average in what we call quality adjusted life years. so life expectancy but also the quality of that life. when you look deeper into this study you can see it varies from a hint of negative 30 years, to a plus of positive 90 years depending how important you find your potency, your countenance, the risk of being cured of cancer. i look at the study. it tells me hey, every guy should think about screening on his own. shouldn't let a government agency make it for them. they should look at the risk and benefits as it affects them and make their own decision. some men will clearly get a
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benefit from screening based on this stud did i. jon: some men who may come down from prostate cancer, prostate cancer can vary widely in its effects and how long it lasts in men, right? >> absolutely. i always say the prostate cans is like the cat family. you have pussy cats and tigers and they behave differently. prostate cancers behave differently as well. for some men it may be a slow-growing cancer they don't have to worry about. those men who choose it get screen and find a cancer they don't wanting a aggressive treatment and avoid the side-effects of treatment. other men get screened and they may find they have the tiger cancers, very aing grist sieve. what will they do? get treated. life benefit of surgery, or radiation may be more valuable than the complications like impotence or incontinence. each man will have to make
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his own decision because each cancer is different and each man is different. jon: in your view getting this psa test is a worthwhile an y'all trek -- annual trek for men. >> this is my opinion based on the evidence. i tell my patients, let me explain the pros and the cons and you make the decision. every man should ask his doctor about the test and explain the pros and cons and make the personal decision, a, whether or not he wants to be screened. and if he is gets screened and found to have cancer and b, whether he wants to have aggressive treatment or what we call active surveillance. the patient has to make his own decision. jon: dr. david penson, from vanderbilt university. some good advice there. thank you. >> thank you. jenna: not such great news for a super sonic jet designed to travel from london to new york in less than an hour. we have the inside scoop on what happened when the wave rider took off. one company is trying to
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get folks off the unemployment line. it has a few jobs for maybe you should think about today. we'll tell you who is hiring just ahead. when you have diabetes... your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger...
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ask. jon: it was supposed to be a dazzling test of a military tool with all kinds of potential called the supersonic wave rider but the test flight didn't go so well. rick folbaum with details for us. rick? >> reporter: apparently third time not the charm for the wave rider, jon. this is the air force's experimental aircraft designed to travel six times the speed of sound. the flight was supposed to last five minutes. about the 15 seconds in and officials spotted a problem in one of the plane's control fin. the cruiser could not maintain control and crashed. thankfully nobody on board this thing. engineers have been working on this for a while now.
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the first flight was back in 2010. it went okay but it didn't last quite as long as they were hoping. a second try last june was a total bust. an air flow problem caused the whole thing to shut down. each time the aircraft crashed into the pacific. they can't be use ad second time. there is one more that has been built. engineers now have to decide when or give it another go. if you're wondering why it is important to get somebody fly at what is called hyper sonic speeds, five times the speed of sound or more? the military says that is crucial to the next generation of missiles, military aircraft, spacecraft and maybe, just maybe, passenger planes as well. that would mean a flight from jfk to lax, jon, would take about 46 minutes. but so far we're not there yet. jon: take you longer than that to get through the tsa line. >> reporter: exactly. jon: rick folbaum. we look forward to that day. hope it works sometime. jenna: we're moving out from new york city to california
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in our next piece here. this is brand new weekly jobs numbers out today showing more americans still applying for benefits. while the national unemployment rate stands at 8.3%, this is very much a topic of conversation. in one state though, the unemployment rate is even worse than what you're seeing on the screen there. several states in fact. california is one of them. here in california you have an unemployment rate of nearly 11%. one company though is hiring. that is tesla motors. that is an electric car company. they're coming out with a brand new model this summer. apparently it is bringing thousands of jobs to california. claudia cowan is on the job hunt from los angeles with more. claudia? >> hi, jenna. it is called the model s and a lot is riding on it. tesla wants to move all electric vehicles into the mainstream. while thousands of northern california auto workers hope this car delivers jobs. >> this is the best car in, in every dimension that matters. whether it is performance,
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safety, handling. [applause] >> reporter: ceo elan musk says tesla plans to deliver 20,000 sedans a year and triple the current workforce of 2,000 employees soon. is being built in fremont. the joint plant with general motors closed a year ago leaving 4700 people out of work. many are making cars again. >> i was one of the lucky ones to get rehired. >> we're proud to employ a lot of ex-numi workers. to show high-tech automotive manufacturing cab on done in california. >> reporter: maybe say auto analysts call this a make-or-break moment for the startup t got a half million dollar startup to get. >> expected 5,000 sales this year. 20,000 next year. these are modest numbers in terms of the car market up a million units per month. not a year.
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>> reporter: california is notorious for costly environmental regulations many blame for driving business away an contributing to the state's 11% unemployment rate. so far reviews of the model s have been pretty good. new owners are very happy but as with any new technology, jenna, the road to mass production and more jobs likely to be a long one. back to you. jenna: basic seed. they can pass on one of those cars to the grandchildren. that could be a new classic car. could be quite a collector item one day the teslas. thank you as you say. you would like one of those, right? jon: or a 57 chevy. jenna: a little different. >> hey, somebody out there maybe somebody watching right now is very rich today. a winning ticket worth $337 million sold in michigan. julie banderas is in our newsroom with more on the search for that lucky someone, julie. >> reporter: the search continues. the michigan lottery confirms though somewhere in their state someone holds the winning ticket.
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we'll have to find out who the winner or winners are since no one has come forward yet. the $337 million ticket was sold at a gas station in michigan, in a town called lapeer, 45 miles north of detroit. so far no word whether anyone stepped forward to claim the prize yet. in case you missed last night's drawing here are the winning numbers again. 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 and the powerball, 21. there were also eight other tickets that happened to match. five of those winning numbers and those prizes are worth one million dollars each. two of those tickets were sold in indiana. the others were sold in kansas, kentucky, new jersey, new mexico, pennsylvania and virginia. there is was also a ticket sold in nebraska that added power play to win $2 million. you have to pay to play. hopefully somebody will come forward soon. of course it is not unusual for the big winner to wait a while before coming forward to claim the biggest prize. when they do, we'll let you
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know, jon. jon: uncle sam get as big chunk of that. >> they do. you know what? 300 plus million dollars, uncle sam, i'll be fine with my cut. jon: we'll be right back. i was teaching a martial arts class and having a heart attack.
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