jim bolden, cnn, whales. >> no matter how precious they are, everybody wants one. >>> thanks very much, ashley. happening now, a dramatic shift in how americans feel about issue number one, the u.s. economy. just ahead, the skyrocketing optimism revealed in our brand new cnn orc poll. and the surprising divide over which candidate they think will do a better job. also, a stunning turn in the strained relationship between the united states and pakistan. the pakistani government reopening a critical supply route for the united states and its allies as the secretary of state, hillary clinton, apologizes for the deadly nato attack that ultimately shut down that supply route. >>> and it's not a hose or shovel, but it's a laptop. why computers are now a cutting edge tool in the battle against the raging colorado wildfires. i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." >>> first to our brand new cnn orc polls. this is issue number one, the economy. and a surprising jump in the number of americans who believe the economy will eventually get better. take a look at this.

jim bolden, cnn, whales. >> no matter how precious they are, everybody wants one. it is time now for

leapt head there now and talk to our reporter jim bolden. how might this affect things?ons have been, a number of unions have been using the olympic games as leverage to try to get new deals from the government and this is an austerity time and so the government has been cutting back on some of the staff and so the unions have been building up and building up on this one. on thursday as you say the uk border agency amongst other parts of the public will strike for the day. union has had this before. they will move other staff to cover it. the union says they will then do work to rule from the day of the opening ceremonies right through august 20th. basically they are using the olympics to say that their staff will not work overtime. they will only work the hours they are expected to work. they won't go the extra mile during the olympic games. i think that's where the pressure will come from. we this buses doing this as well. so the government now has to make a decision as to whether or not maybe have a bit more trouble going through airports and train stations during the

jim bolden is live at cnn's olympic site in london. i hear they had a rehearsal. you were there.re some of the details that are leaking? >> well they don't want anyone to tell what happened last night. they had 60,000 people in the stadium overnight, last night to have the practice of the opening ceremony and there's a hashtag it says, #savethesurprise. >> there's going to be nurses from the national health service and then there's going to be things about james bond. we know the queen is involved somehow. the big question of course is the torch, who is going to light the cauldron? we don't know that one yet, that still hasn't leaked out. there's expected to be fireworks up and down this area when the opening ceremonies kick off on friday. the torch is going to go on the tube. it will be on the part of the district line through cue garden asnd into richmond. the part that's above ground. it's going to be the first time the torch is going to be seen going on the underground. the hope for organizers is to get people in london excited about this. they think getting the torch around