sarah shourd is a writer and teacher. joshua fattal was reportedly curious about his father's native iran. a fourth american stayed in the hotel. >> he did not go with them. >> he received an alarming phone call from his three friends saying, we are surrounded. are ron accuses the united states of meddling with the nuclear program. one journalist was also recently detained here. >> i think there is a decent chance that these three will be reported as spies. it will be up to the united states to prove their evidence. >> one father wrote that currently we are only concerned about the well-being of joshua and the other two people. we hope they can come home as soon as possible. >>> the pentagon says it has found the remains of a navy pilot more than 18 years after his plan plane was shot down. captain michael scott speicher has been killed but it was later changed to missing in action. last month, an iraqi informants told u.s. officials that his body had been buried in the desert. the news came as a relief to those close to

sarah shourd appears ob a website that mentioned her travels. she's also named on shane bauer's website. he's a still photographer. the american hiker shon meckfessel is now at the u.s. embassy in baghdad according to his grandmother. meckfessel is a graduate student at the university of washington. the state department says it has asked the swiss consulate in iran to try to make contact with the detained americans. so you can see, don, this is going to be going on for some time. >> susan, just so i can get a real clear picture, can you walk us through the people again. sarah shourd. you said we got information from her website and also shane bauer. they are said to be girlfriend and boyfriend, if we can bring their pictures back up. >> certainly friends, certainly friends, and they travel together, and they have evidently worked together according to information on their website. and we have talked to several of their friends who also confirm this and that they have traveled extensively together. >> great. susan candiotti joining us tonight on

iraqi officials identify them as shane bower, sarah shourd and joshua fattal.e is reaction from sarah's home town. >> not being able to communicate with them while they're being detained, that's the scary part. >> another american who traveled with them stayed behind in iraq. he is now at the u.s. embassy there. and remember, switzerland represents american interests in iran because the united states does not have diplomatic relations with iran. >>> you're going to hear more details about the hikers, including whether anyone warned them about hiking near the border of iran. that is less than ten minutes away. >>> new this morning, a continental airlines jet that was forced to land in miami is about half an hour away from reaching its original destination. the airlines says that 37 people were hurt when flight 128 hit severe turbulence and got diverted. nine went to the hospital. the plane was flying from rio to houston. passengers who were able to stay on board should arrive in houston at 9:35 a.m. eastern. >>> michael jackson's mother will fight for control of

iranian state media reports and confirms that authorities there arrested joshua fattal, sarah shourd and shane baur for illegally entering the country. investigators will now decide whether they came to spy. the u.s. state department shot down any insinuations of espionage saying they just aren't credible, and shane baur's boss says he never meant to leave iraqi territory. >> i have to assume he was in an area that he didn't realize was iranian. >> he was a freelance journalist covering the elections in northern iraq. here at home there could soon be a lot more cash for clunkers. that's the program that gives rebates of up to $4,500 if you trade in an old gas guzzler for a new car that gets better gas mileage. as we've been reporting here, it's such a big hit it used up most of its $1 billion budget in one week. now harry reid says he has the support of the senate to get $2 billion more and that the vote will happen this week. critics are arguing that's extra money that the government doesn't exactly have at its disposal. the obama administration says as of today there have been more

shawn bower, sarah shourd and josh pa tal were hiking, while a fourth stayed behind. they have not releaseded any further information. >>> now here's a look at some other stories making news "early today" in america. a philadelphia teenager is lucky to be alive after driving his father's car off a parking deck. the 13-year-old tried to take the car out for a joyride but instead crashed through a concrete barricade and foul four stories. the man who rescued that teen from an suv filmed this video. the empty car that he landed on helped cushion the fall and probably saved his life. >>> in iowa, it was not exactly routine flight for an f-16 when the brakes went out. the pilot told air traffic controllers he lost his brakes ltd. they employed a cable across the highway to catch a hook on the aircraft and bring the plane to a safe stop. >>> in pennsylvania, police arrested 26 people and seized drugs health at a concert at a church. they found marijuana, lsd, and that lose genic mushrooms all being sold and used at this event. the church claims its music event are religious

the three, shane bauer from minnesota, a freelance journalist based in the middle east, sarah shourd, a writer and teacher from california also based in the middle east and joshua fattal, an environmental worker from oregon were visiting northern iraq. they had gone hiking in the mountains near the iranian border, an area which has no clear border markings, a region that they had accidentally wandered into. a fourth american who stayed with them stayed behind in the hotel. he sat out the hike and later received a phoning call from the group saying they were surrounded by troops before being detained. on iranian state tv there were reports that the group did not listen to warnings given by border guards ahead of their arrest. swiss diplomats in tehran acting as mediators between the u.s. and iranian governments are working to gain access to the americans, but so far those efforts have not been positive. a meeting that was supposed to take place yesterday was postponed until today. now the worry is that the three will face accusations of spying. earlier this year american journalist rox

. >> reporter: shane bauer, sarah shourd and joshua fattal, all held in iran since hiking in this touristthe iran/iraq border on july 31st. backpacking in the kurdistan region of iraq. >> it was a hike through the mountains to the waterfall that landed the three americans in iranian custody, accused of not heeding warnings from border guards, even possibly spying. >> diplomatic efforts have been fruitless. >> they have not been granted consular access to the three american hikers. iran has also not provided information about their location. >> the lack of progress prompted this recent travel warning from hillary clinton. >> go hiking, have a great time, you know, do journalism, but stay away from those borders. do not put yourself in these positions where you can end up in prison in a country like iran or north korea. >> and here with me right now are alex fattal, who is the brother of josh fattal, shane bauer's sister, shannon bauer, and sarah shourd's brother, chris rapp, all joining me now. thank you, guys, appreciate you being here. shannon, let me start with you. i know all of you ha

these pictures of josh fattal, sarah shourd and shane bauer were taken the day before they went on the hike that resulted in their detention. they've now been held by iran for a month. their supporters say they mistakenly entered it by crossing an unmarked border with iraqi kurdistan. >>> the rebuilding continued in new orleans over the weekend as the city marked four years since it was devastated by katrina. as more homes go up, mayor ray nagin urged rest depths to refledge on thety's progress. it was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever. >>> the fourth and final tennis tournament begins in new york. we have baseball this morning. highlights in jonathan coachman at espnews. >>> good morning. a busy weekend in sports. we'll start on the dime. little league world series championship game. chula vista, california, taking on chinese taipei. vice president joe biden, chris drury inducted into the hall of excellence pregame. top ird, sung crushes it. chinese taipei up 2-0. chin oh, back-to-back jacks. up 3-0. bottom two four, chula vista on the comeback. wild pitch. here comes nick con lynn

today, iranian television showed pictures of joshua fattal of oregon and shane bauer and sarah shourdalso from california. the television claimed that the case is being used as propaganda by western media. friends and family said the americans accidentally stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time. >>> in afghanistan, a scare in the capital of kabul today. just over two weeks before that country's presidential election. officials said at least eight rockets slammed into the city of daybreak, at least one of them heading from fire from the embassy. three civilians were reported wounded. the rockets were fired to show that the government of president hamid karzai cannot guarantee security in the capital. it was believed to be the first rocket attack in the afghan capital in six months. >>> in the city of bethlehem on the west bank, an important meeting today about the future of the middle east peace process and a possible palestinian state. for the first time in more than 20 years, members of the ruling fatah party led by palestinian president, mahmoud abbas. gathered for a party

shane bauer, sarah shourd, and joshua fattal were arrested.-in tv is claiming they purposely crossed the border. a judge will decide who will get permanent control of michael jackson's thies the man appointed by jackson will remain in charge of his financial empire and lead -- until at least october. >>> a pilot is dead in thailand. 10 passengers had to be taken to the hospital. the jet was trying to land in stormy weather when it hit the control tower. >>> a man in d.c. is trying to get his stolen collectnio si silver back. anavuntav amassed a- tioincod f- a-kind collhati tont t includes eces of american history. on thursday or friday, his home was burglarized. thieves stole tvs, computers, and the silver. >> this is a special collection. is someone tries to sell this, they will get caught. >> hoeoee ds not mn eto e go m go toail. j e s wah tthntoemre turn the silver.hetuhe will payay p $20,e collection back. he has sent out countless e- mails. it is a good thing he is getting some publicity. people can keep their eyes open on ebay and craigs

shane bauer, sarah shourd, and joshua fattal were hiking through the area when they strayed across the border. iraqi troops then surrounded them. their families are concerned about the safety of the hikers. our only isncn er for the ahethelal wndfa of josh, shane, and sarah. >> a fourth member did not go with them on the hike and he is said to be safe. >>> barack obama will mark the g.i. bill at george mason university. it is the farthest reaching measure of its time since the original g.i. bill in 1944. >>> speicher the family of > is saying -- of scott specicher sas they are getting some solace. we have the story. >> the first american killed during the first operation desert storm will be the last to come home. >> i am calling it out. are you there? >> he did not answer. he had been shot down over the rocky desert. more than 18 years later, his remains have been found. president obama issued this statement. a box of mementos was saved. >> to me, to bring scott home, it does mean something to wasp. i am just sorry we couldn't bring a home alive. >> the wreckage from this f-18 was fou

they are josh what fattal and sarah shourd and shane bauer. the commander in iraq says u.s. troops need to stay the course. general odierno disagrees with the colonel's memo advocating an early withdrawl. army advisor timothy reece wrote that iraqi forces good enough now to defend the government against a weaken the insurgency. in afghanistan, taliban insurge ents fired rockets into kabul today. one man and a child were reported hurt but no one was killed. a taliban spokesman said the attack was to show that militants are in control. afghanistan is preparing for a presidential election in two weeks. why is one world leader who has been openly kit cal of the u.s. receiving this nation's highest civilian award? and guess how many member of congress being investigated for alleged ethics violations? the answer, when we come back. - oh, come on. - enough! you get half. and you get half. ( chirp ) team three, boathouse? ( chirp ) oh yeah. his and hers. - ( crowd gasps ) - ( chirp ) van gogh? ( chirp ) even steven. - ( chirp ) mansion? - ( chirp ) good to go. ( grunts ) timber! ( c

they were identified as shane bauer, sarah shourd and joshua fattal. people home are very worried about this. >> hardest part not being able to communicate with the people detaining them. i think is that the scariest part. >> another american who traveled with them, shon meckfessel, stayed behind in iraq. his grandmother told cfn that he felt too sick to hike on fly day. iran's media says the three were arrested for illegally entering the country and an investigation is under way. switzerland represents american interests there because the u.s. doesn't have diplomatic relations with iran. that's how that comes into play there. >>> 18 years after he was shot down in iraq, we finally know what happened to captain michael scott speicher. speicher was the first american shot down during the 1919 gulf war. the pentagon said the remains have now been identified and recovered from a grave in the desert. the discovery ends years of speculation that speicher was being held captive. >> it's a bittersweet ending. it's great we finally accomplished an ending. but

sarah shourd, shane bauer and josh have a faftal hiked across the border. the state department is in contact with the hikers' families but they do not know where they are. >> you might want to just not be -- the families want them home safe but places to maybe not hike. >> the alaska trail. >> the rockies are always available. >>> also in iran the supreme leader endorsing mahmoud ahmadinejad as president even as protests continue. the ayatollah's blessing clears the way for ahmadinejad to take the oath of office before parliament on wednesday. the obama administration says it will suspend the cash for clunkers auto rebate program unless the senate provides billions in additional funding. despite the program's popularity there is still some debate over whether it's a sign of economic recovery or more government intervention. >> the role of the federal government is not to run the useded car business. it's clear. you can look at amtrak and the mail business, the federal government went bankrupt in one week in the useded car business and now they want to run o

shane bauer, sarah shourd and josh fattal were hiking when they reportedly strayed over the border into iran. they were detained after refusing to head warnings from border guards. >>> the cash for clunkers progra the white house is warning it could putter a stop by friday unless the senate approves another $2 billion for it. that decision could come today. the senate is under pressure. 250,000 trade-ins last week boosted car sales to their highest level in almost a year. skeptics are wary of the rush. >> it ran out of money in a week. prompting the house to rush a $2 billion extension before anybody even had time to figure out what happened with the first $1 billion. >> there are calls to verify clunkers are scraps, not resellables and to tighten fuel efficiency benefits. some dealers stopped offering the rebate because they are not confident the government will issue a refund. >>> we want to see how traffic is moving. to that we go to jerry edwards. >> good morning. >> good morning. unfortunately traffic moving very slowly on the capital beltway in maryland. take you over to the inner

shane bauer, sarah shourd and joshua fattal went hiking last week. they were arrested.ng to iranian television reports, the three americans were detained after refusing to heed warnings from border guards. the state department says it's working with swiss officials who represent american interests in iran. >>> and new today in iran, the country's supreme leader has formally endossed mahmoud ahmadinejad for his second term as president. that's the final step leading up to his inauguration and parliament. the supreme leader endorsed the result of the june 12th election and demanded an end to the protests that followed the vote. at least 20 people were killed in protests following the election. ahmadinejad will be sworn in on wednesday. >> three years ago, someone murdered a d.c. attorney. today the case remains unsolved, but a group of bloggers are not giving up. d.c. police say robert won was murdered inside a dupont circle row house. he was restrained, sexually assaulted and stabbed. no one has been charged in the murder. a group of bloggers who don't know anyone connec

a state department official called the accusations against shane baur, joshua fattal, and sarah shourdidiculous. >> we want this matter brought to a resolution as soon as possible, and we call on the iranian government to help us determine the whereabouts of the three missing americans. >> state department officials are saying that swiss diplomats were unable to obtain any information after meeting with iranian officials of the three americans who have gone missing. >> the hikers have been in iranian custody since friday. >>> bank of america will pay a $33 million penalty in connection with the huge bonuses paid to merrill lynch execs. now securities and exchange economics has charged bank of america with misleading investors about plans for the bonuses. as part of the agreement the bank does not have to admit or deny any wrongdoing. your local post office will soon be on the chopping block looking at consolidating or closing as many as 1,000 post offices across the country that two cent increase back in may not enough to help manage a potential $ billion loss this year. one big reason

meanwhile, iran is also confirm tharg it has in custody three young americans, shane bahher, sarah shourdnd josh fattal. fattal is an environmental worker. they sat out early friday apparently to go hiking into iraq's northern kurdish region. that area shares a really unmarked border with iran. at about 1:30 p.m. local time, they called a friend who was supposed to be with them on that hiking trip, but who at the last minute had come down with a cold and decided not to go. the hikers reportedly told him that they were, quote, surrounded by iranian soldiers. well, iran has confirmed that these three americans are being questioned, that they have been charged with illegal entry. one last sort of strange detail in this story is that the fourth man, the one who got a cold and missed the trip and got the phone call, his name is shaun meckfessel. he's a graduate student studying linguistics. you will also remember when i tell you he was the original bass guitarist for the band cake. i only mention that because sometimes a detail like that is what keeps a story like that on people's minds and th

shane bauer, sarah shourd and josh fattal were detained last week after allegedly straying across. united states are still trying to free them. the details of their talks have not yet been released. >>> for 11 months a vietnam veteran angered sof neighbors in order to keep a promise to his son. yesterday he wu finally able to take it down. justin willis talked with both men. >> reporter: a joyful reunion for military families as the first battalionf the 185th armored regiment returned home after a tour of duty in iraq. of the 80 soldiers returned the home coming was a special honor for corporal paul hariros who w finally able to have his father remove the tattered flag. 11 months ago he promised his son that the old flag they rads together would not come down until he returned from his second tour of duty in iraq. for the time corporal haros was gone, it suffered rips and tears, neighbors were raising eyebrows. some were very supportive and dropped off new ones. >> when he said i'll take it down when i come back, it was a sure thing that god made sure to see he came back alive and

. >> kurdish officials confirm the identity, shane bauer, sarah shourd and josh fat tall. the only woman in the group is an aspiring journalist. fat tall's latest facebook post said he was getting in touch with his roots on this middle east trip. nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel joins us from turkey over the phone. what is the latest? we heard the brief remarks from secretary of state clinton. >> the latest -- let's start -- this trip began for these three -- not exactly accurate to describe them as backpackers. they were people studying in the middle east, visiting the middle east. they wanted to learn more about them. they were aspiring journalists and bloggers. they left from turkey, went to kurdistan. then they were camping along the border with iran between kurdistan and iran on friday. and that's when, according to iran, they crossed the border. it's not clear if they crossed -- they got lost as suggested earlier or they decided for some adventure travel and decided to wander across the border by themselves perhaps to write a blog about it. it's unc

the officials have identified them as joshua fattal, sarah shourd, and shane bauer.re was a fourth that did not go because he did not feel well. this was a very scenic area. apparently, in the midst of all this, crossed into iran. swiss diplomats are acting as a go-between with the u.s. since the u.s. cut off diplomatic relations with iran. trace: more problem with iran. a chilling report said that they already have the resources to create and detonate a nuclear warhead. all it would take is an order from the ayatollah. it was reported that they ended their nuclear program because of threats from the u.s. and western powers, but the report says the real reason the program was and it was because iran reached its goal and developed a way to detonate nuclear weapons. with me now is a senior fellow at the brookings institution. do you buy this report? >> no, i do not. any country that is beginning to develop nuclear weapons is not going to be very good at it first. even if you think you like having -- even if you think you have a good design, it will probably not pass mu

news this morning that the government is investigating whether the three americans, shane bauer, sarah shourdd joshua fattal, were tourists or something more. and friends and colleagued back home, insist the americans took a break from reporting to go hiking along the iran/iraq border. shane bauer sent an e-mail before he left. i'm heading out the door and traveling to iraqi kurdistan. i want to get ideas for deeper stories. his editor said he had no intentions of going into iran. >> my fear was that he would be mistaken or used as some innocent figure and becomes some sort of bargaining chip. >> reporter: that judgment will be up to an iranian regime which is currently facing widespread anti-government protests, which iranian leaders blame on the west, particularly the u.s. one government news service in iran has portrayed the americans as possible cia spies. iranian television is reported that the three americans are being interrogated by lal officials near where they were captured. swiss diplomats who represent u.s. interests in iran have been given no information on them. kate? >> jim sci

on thursday, three of the travelers, joshua fattal, shawn bauer, and sarah shourd took a taxi to the resort of ahmad awa to see a waterfall near the border of iran and iraq. shon meckfessel, the forth member of the group, a linguistic student who studied in seattle, stayed behind. >> he had a cold, so he didn't go with him. >> reporter: according to an iraqi official, mack feeckfessea message saying his friends had been detained. in pennsylvania, joshua fattal's mother is anxiously awaiting news. >> my husband and i, our only concern is for the health and welfare of josh, shane, and sarah. >> reporter: iranian state television has now confirmed that three americans were detained after entering iran illegally. it's even quoting iraqi sources saying they were connected with the cia. now, as you mentioned harry, swiss officials are looking into it. they represent america's diplomatic interests in tehran. they're obviously very keen to find out what the iranians are going to do with the three young americans. >> elizabeth palmer in london this morning, thank you so much. here's russ at t

. >> reporter: she said bauer was known to be dating sarah shourd, also a berkeley graduate and freelance writer. writing on the website brave new traveler, she described herself as a teacher/activist/writer from california, currently based in the middle east. it said she loves fresh broksly and anyone who can change her mind. the three detained hiker, berkeley grad joshua fattal, also known for his love of travel and learning. >> fiercely intellectual. voracious reader, and josh and i would have conversations like no one else. >> reporter: the fourth hiker, shon meckfessel stayed behind in iraq. his grandmother says he was sick. three americans known for their sense of adventure, now getting more than they bargained for, because the u.s. has no formal relations with iran, swiss diplomats are now trying to secure their release. dna simon, cnn, san francisco. >>> judge sonia sotomayor may move closer to a seat on the supreme court. we got a preview earlier of the arguments for or against sotomayor's confirmation. >> judge sotomayor is certainly a fine person, with an impressive story and a

oregon, shane bower from minnesota would works as a freelance journalist in the middle east and sarah shourd from california also based in the middle east as a writer and teacher. the three were arrested friday after accidentally crossing into iran while hiking in a mountainous area near the border town of ahmad, awah, a popular resort destination known for his pistachio trees and waterfalls. >> they were in the kurdistan region. >> reporter: fattal wanted to know more about his family's roots. his father born in iraq told abc news "currently we are only concerned about the well-being of joshua and the other two people. we hope they come home as soon as possible." a fourth person, shon meckfessel an english teacher also hiked with the group for part of the time. meckfessel received a phone call from his friends saying "we're surrounded." meckfessel is now at the u.s. embassy in baghdad. these arrests come on the heels of the detention and eventual release of american journalist roxana saberi earlier this year who was accused of spying. the united states and iran haven't had diplomatic ties i

sarah shourd appears on a website that mentions travels and named on shane bauer's website, he's a photographer. the american who stayed behind because he was ill is at the u.s. embassy in baghdad. he is a graduate student at the university of washington. the state department says it has asked the swiss consulate to try to make contact with the detained americans because the u.s. itself has no diplomater relations with iran. >> begin the strained relations between the u.s. and iran, susan candiotti, cnn, new york. >>> joining us now from baghdad with more. ar wa. a lot of people are asking why would anyone want to hike in iraq's northern region. you and i both know it's pretty beautiful there. >> reporter: it is, it is quite stunning. and i'm sure it is strange for people to hear american tourist would have come to iraq given it is constantly in the headlines because of the war that waging here for the last six years. northern iraq, the kurdish north is completely different. it's absolutely beautiful and it's relatively safe. it hasn't been plagued by the levels of violence that we saw ravage t

shane bauer from minnesota, based in the middle east as a freelance journalist, sarah shourd from californiashua fattal, an environmental worker from oregon. they left suleimaniya on thursday hiking in the mountains around the iran-/iraq border until a fourth member, shon meckfessel received a phone call from them saying "we're surrounded." >> i'm worried about his friend. >> for the families it's been a bewildering two days since their arrest. we are only concerned about the well being of joshua and the other two people. we hope they come home as soon as possible. state department say they were in iraq as tourists and accidentally cross iranian territory. iranians are saying they ignored warnings to stay away from the border. earlier this we're nern skrournlist roxannia sabari was detained as well, accused of spying and jailed. sgi think there's a decent chance iran will portray these three as spies and leave it up to the united states or these three individuals to prove they're innocent. >> reporter: their detention is drawing some comparisons to the two american journalists captured by no

shane bauer, joshua fattal and sarah shourd were hiking last week when they reportedly strayed over the border in iran. according to iran television reports, they were detained after refusing to heed warnings from border guards. >>> a developing story in north korea, former president clinton arrived at the capitol of pyongyang this morning. he's expected to lobby for the release of two jailed american reporters arrested and sentenced to 12 years hard labor after crossing the border into that country. some north korean leaders greeted clinton at the airport in pyongyang. it is the only second time a former president has visited north korea. jimmy carter did it last while clinton was in office. >> in neighboring china, the government is working quickly to contain an outbreak of the pneumonic plague. a rural farming town is being diss infected. so far, three people have died. a handful more are sick. doctors say the disease can kill a person within 24 hours if left untreated. it's easily spread through the air. they are keeping a close eye on anyone who's come into contact with the sick. >

sarah shourd and shane bauer were hiking when they were grabbed.ling for them to return because they were in iraq. they were forced to spend the night overnight. secretary wants to know why. held on the tarmac in minnesota for seven hours. ray la hood is looking into whether any laws were broken. he released this statement. brian: as for continental, they have since apologized for the incident. that would not be good enough for me. dari? dari: shocking video. a police officer throws an 84-year-old woman to the ground in a wal-mart parking lot. there it goes. the cop says there was no other option. the grandmother could have killed someone. we warn you this video is quite disturbing. you can see the police officer in ohio tackling virginia dotson and wrestling her to the ground. dotson was waving around a steak knife when she refused to drop the knife, the officer grabs her, dotson's daughter says she left her mother in the car and no one was ever in any danger. the police department is standing by their officer. steve: who has a steak knife at wal-

the americans are shane bauer, sarah shourd and joshua fattal.etary of state hilary clinton is urging iran to provide more info. >> obviously, we are concerned. we want this matter brought to a resolution as soon as possible. and we call on the iranian government to help us determine the whereabouts of the three missing americans and return them as quickly as possible. >> well, a website linked to iran's revolutionary guard says the three americans infiltrated to iran after being warned they were close to the border. >>> look at the flames. that say huge grass fire that broke out in idaho yesterday. county officials say that it burned nearly 600 acres before firefighters were able to contain it. nobody was injured. homes are fine. a fire chief says earlier report said lightning may have started the fire. >>> the cash for clunkers program is still going. but, honey, probably running on fumes. so jennifer westhoven, i guess if people want to take advantage, they better act quickly. >> it might not even be there, frankly. if you go to your dealer, i

and sarah shourd is a teacher from california.vironmental worker from oregon. gretchen: all right, peter, thanks a lot. last year during the presidential campaign, john mccain was in sturges, south dakota. his daughter, meghan, was with him. she said, i'm going there next year as well. meghan joins us from the 69th annual sturges moisture cycle rally. good morning. >> thank you so much for having me on this morning. gretchen: of course. you definitely look the part this morning. and you wrote an article before you arrived in sturgis. here's your first line. you've never been one to men's words. i'll be riding a harley with the very same bad asses with the people who helped reinvigorate my dad's campaign. what? >> yeah. i'll be riding this afternoon at the legends ride. i had such an amazing time last year and it really resonated as totally my favorite campaign stop during the entire campaign. it's just great to be back and it's so gorgeous here. we went to mount rushmore yesterday and i'm glad to ride yesterday. gretchen: you don'

have identified the three americans detained as joshua fattal soon on his facebook as well as sarah shourd and josh. they were seen in a motel before setting off into the mountains in ahmed awa. despite warnings to be careful they strayed into an iranian territory across an unmarked border. a friend stayed behind in a hotel because he was ill said he last heard from them friday. he called to say they were surrounded by iranian soldiers during the hike. the mother confirms captivity but is declining requests for on camera interviews. she spoke with cnn radio by phone. >> my husband and i are eager for the best welfare and conditions for our son josh and the other two companions he's with. that is our only concern. his welfare and best conditions for him. >> josh is a very curious person. he is interested in the world. he wants to -- wants to eat the world whole. >> friends say the three have spent time or lived in western europe and the mideast and are seasoned travelers. it appears on a website that mentions travel. she's also named on shane bauer's website. the american who stayed behind

sarah shourd and shane baeur crossed the border while hiking in iraq. plaxico burress indicted on weapons charges. if convicted the former giant faces a minimum of 3.5 years behind bars. a grand jury decided not to indict his former teammate antonio pierce. pierce drove burres to the hospital after ber rest shot himself. the full senate begins debating on judge sonia sotomayor. she is expected to be easily confirmed. how many will actually vote for her. the national rifle association recently stepped into the debate urging senators to vote no. first time a lobby has argued against a supreme court nominee. top lawyer at the white house in jeopardy of losing his job. craig has become a political liability for the obama administration since leading the effort to close downtown prison at gitmo and releasing national security documents from the bush administration. a white house spokesperson says there are nothing to any of these rumors. lawmakers taking up the cash for clunkers extension on capitol hill today. senate democrats are trying to convince republi