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Weiner Faces New Controversy and Pressure to Quit; Rep. Gabby Gifford's First Public Photos Since Shooting; Republican Presidential Candidates to Face Off at Debate; Cyber Attacks on the Rise; Casey Anthony Trial Focuses on Forensics
Aired June 12, 2011 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Here in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday, June 12. I'm Deborah Feyerick, in for Fredricka Whitfield.
More trouble today for embattled New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. A TMZ web site report said Weiner took partially nude photos of himself in the House of Representatives gymnasium and sent them to at least one woman. The web site showed photos of a man who appears to be Weiner taking pictures of himself in the mirror.
CNN cannot independently verify that the photos were in fact taken in the House gym. CNN has contacted Weiner's office for comment but so far there's no response.
There was one small piece of good news for Congressman Weiner today. Delaware police announced they closed their investigation into his Twitter communications with a 17-year-old girl because they found no evidence of illegal activity. Despite that, Weiner's admission that he sent lewd texts and pictures to several adult women has many people demanding his resignation, including some top leaders of his own party.
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer joined that force today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STENY HOYER (D), MINORITY WHIP: It's my understanding that Mr. Weiner has indicated he wants to take a leave. I would hope he does so. I hope he reflects upon whether or not he can proceed. It seems to me extraordinarily difficult that he can proceed to represent his constituents in an effective way, given the circumstances this bizarre behavior has led -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You - you think he should resign?
HOYER: I think that certainly he's got to consider that option. I don't see how he can proceed and effectively represent his constituents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: A neighborhood community association in Weiner's home district in New York is joining in the demands that Weiner step down. It's holding a protest rally at this hour outside Weiner's district office.
CNN's Jason Carroll will join us a little later with a live report, just a few minutes away.
And today we're getting the first clear photographs of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords since she was shot in the head back in January. They show a smiling Giffords, and give us some indication of just how far she's come since being shot while meeting constituents.
Let's bring in CNN's Lisa Sylvester. She joins us live from Washington.
Lisa, she looks incredibly well, but again these pictures were taken just before she had another operation, correct?
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, that's right, Deb. You know, all of this, you have to keep the context that she was shot pointblank in the head.
And you can see some of the differences, you know, before and after in these two pictures. In the latest pictures, her hair is darker, it's cropped short, and she is wearing glasses. But the most obvious difference is there's an indentation on the left side of her head. But, you know, throughout it all, she still has a sparkle in her eye. She still has that gorgeous smile.
We also have a second photo that we can show you. It's right here, smiling here. And that's actually her mom with her in the picture.
And, you know, to put just some context into this, these pictures were actually taken May 17th. It was the day after the Endeavour launch, but it was the day before she had surgery to replace the skull bone. That surgery was to put in a synthetic bone and a shunt, and her doctor said that surgery went very well, so - so her physical condition has improved above and beyond what these photos show.
And such remarkable progress. I spoke to her press secretary, C.J. Karamargin. He said right now the plan is to have her moved from the Houston rehabilitation center by the end of the month, but she would continue with outpatient treatment, so she'll be most likely in some kind of a home setting.
And one of Representative Giffords' good friends, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz appeared on NBC this morning. Listen to what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), DNC CHAIRWOMAN: I just got to talk to her on Wednesday on the phone for the first time. We really had a wonderful conversation. She spoke to me in - in full sentences, initiated those sentences instead of just responding, which is what she'd really only been able to do recently. And she's making remarkable progress.
We're so proud of her. She's working so hard. She's got a long way to go, but you can just see how beautiful she is, and - and we are longing and looking forward to her coming back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. We'll -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SYLVESTER: You know, on Gabby Giffords' Facebook page, there are hundreds of people who have posted comments, sending her well wishes. I think we're up to about 600 comments and almost 1,600 people liking the new photos - Deb.
FEYERICK: All right. Lisa Sylvester, thanks so much. We're going to check in with you a little later on also to find out what the Facebook page is saying about her condition in general, just for her speaking, her movement, that kind of thing. Thanks so much, Lisa Sylvester.
Well, a protest is planned later today in Oakland, California, this one over the scheduled release tomorrow of a former Bay Area Transit officer. He was convicted of killing Oscar Grant, an unarmed black passenger in 2009. The incident was caught on cell phone video.
Johannes Mehserle testified he meant to use his stun gun instead of his handgun. The victim's family calls it a travesty. Mehserle is getting out of jail early after serving less than a year.
And the International Monetary Fund's computer systems have been hacked. FBI agents are investigating. The sophisticated cyber attack is considered a major breach and apparently went on for several months.
The IMF helps manage financial crises around the world. It also maintains confidential information about the fiscal condition of various nations.
Now, such data breaches are becoming alarmingly common. Coming up in less than 10 minutes, we'll talk to a cyber security expert about what these hacks could mean for the security of the United States and how they could be viewed as an act of war.
The countdown is underway for tomorrow's Republican Presidential Debate in New Hampshire. Seven candidates will face off in the state's first debate, co-hosted by CNN and seen only right here on this network.
Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is with the CNN Election Express at the debate site in Manchester. And Paul, this is a pivotal moment for these candidates. Which of them do you think has the most to lose?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I think the one who has the most to lose is the one who's perceived to be the frontrunner, Deb, and that is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. He's making a second bid for the Republican nomination, and he's on top of most of the polls when it comes to the race for the nomination.
Check this out, brand new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation numbers we released this morning. Look at this, we asked Republicans, what's most important for you in a nominee, somebody who can beat President Barack Obama next year or somebody who agrees with you on all the issues? Look at that, no contest. Three out of four say beat the president.
Go to the next number, and this is telling. Well, of the candidates, who do you think is the most likely to beat Barack Obama? Mitt Romney. And I think that's why you're going to see the six other candidates on the stage maybe go after Mitt Romney, possibly over his health care plan that he passed in Massachusetts, which is not so favorable among Republicans.
So I think Mitt Romney maybe has the most to lose, Deb.
FEYERICK: Paul, when you look at all the candidates there, who do you think - is Romney the most moderate of all of them, and is that going to be one of the things that he plays to tomorrow night in the debates?
STEINHAUSER: I wouldn't say moderate. I - I think on health care, yes, you're going to see a lot of criticism of so-called RomneyCare. In fact, Tim Pawlenty, another one of the candidates on the stage went after Mitt Romney earlier today in the Sunday talk shows over that.
Again, when you're perceived to be the frontrunner, you're in trouble, and that's why you're going to be the - the target. You've got a target on your back, and I think that's what some of the other candidates are going to try to do, try to make it a them versus Romney affair tomorrow night - Deb.
FEYERICK: And do you think - does Romney bite back or does he see this as a badge of honor that in fact he's the one that they're all going after?
STEINHAUSER: Oh, I think you're going to see Mitt Romney very forceful, defending RomneyCare and why he did it. And we've seen this over the last couple of months. Mitt Romney said this was an idea for Massachusetts. He doesn't apologize for it. He said it was the right thing for Massachusetts, but he said it wasn't the right thing for the nation and he's very critical of the president's health care plan.
Now, who has the most to prove tomorrow night, Deb? I think that could go to Newt Gingrich. No question there. Remember, it was just Thursday where most of his top campaign staffers and advisers quit. They jumped ship.
The big question now is can Newt Gingrich survive? Does he - is he viable as a candidate? Can he raise money? Can he continue?
I think he really needs to hit a home run in tomorrow night's debate to me (ph), to show Americans, to show Republicans that I am still - I'm still a candidate. I'm still around.
Live pictures right here in advance of tomorrow night's debate. This is Greenfield, New Hampshire. It's about a half an hour from right here and you're going to have Tim Pawlenty speaking a little later today; Herman Cain, another presidential candidate spoke there earlier today, Deb.
Things are getting - heating up right here in New Hampshire even though the weather is pretty cool.
FEYERICK: All right, Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much.
And in 4:00 and 5:00 P.M. Eastern we're going to take a look at all the other candidates of the debate and hear what's at stake for them. And tomorrow night, of course, has the debate live from Manchester, New Hampshire, 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
In Eastern Arizona, relief for thousands of evacuees from a massive wildfire. Evacuation orders have now been lifted for the towns of Eager and Springerville. In other areas the flames are still spreading, and the fire is close to setting a record as the biggest blaze in the state's history. It has burned more than 430,000 acres.
Cyber attacks are causing many companies to hemorrhage sensitive information. Uncle Sam wants to get tough with hackers. How cyber attacks could soon be viewed as an act of war.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Some international headlines now.
Libyan rebels say they confiscated secret military documents, a battle plan to clear the city of Misrata of opposition forces. CNN has a copy of those documents. They spell out a plan to attack Misrata from six different directions with more than 11,000 troops.
Rebels say they've had these plans for a month. No acknowledgment - no comment from the Libyan government.
And look at that plume of volcanic smoke and ash shooting six miles into the sky from Southern Chile. It's causing major problems, not just on the ground but in the air as well. Most flights to and from Buenos Aires are grounded.
And even in Australia and New Zealand airlines are keeping their planes on the ground for safety's sake. Thousands of passengers are stranded.
And we just can't get enough of the British royal comings and goings with weekend. Yesterday was Queen Elizabeth's birthday celebration. Today is Prince Philip's turn. It's a small church service, 800 people in attendance in honor of Prince Philip's 90th birthday.
Major companies and organizations are being hacked or attacked every day. The IMF, International Monetary Fund, defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Google, Citigroup, Sony, even the New York Stock Exchange, all have been recently targeted.
Now the Obama administration is considering a new policy to up the ante on cyber crime. Any cyber attack on the Pentagon or any Defense Department computer by a foreign country could soon be declared an act of war. Tony Shaffer is joining us. He's the author of "Operation Dark Heart" and an expert on defense intelligence and cyber attacks. Tony's in Washington.
Thanks so much for being here with us today, Tony.
TONY SHAFFER, CYBER PROTECTION EXPERT: Thank you, Deborah.
FEYERICK: First of all, this new DOD proposes policy, is it going to be a deterrent in cyber attacks?
SHAFFER: The most important issue of any deterrent is credibility. Right now, Deborah, they way they've - they propose this is they're talking about going back to the Cold War, basically to turn a force on force. The assumption is that someone values something of their own that you can attack and hold that hostage to something that you value on your side.
Frankly, it - it holds no credibility in the 21st Century by the fact that often we can't even adequately or accurately identify the source of the attack because you can mask attacks, or, as we saw in the IMF attack, there was a certain level of insider access which may have contributed. So how do you trace that back to a - a nation state act? Or it's a - it's a very difficult challenge, and I don't believe the current path is one that's going to let us a really good policy.
FEYERICK: So, really, a new policy but sort of an outdated way of thinking.
SHAFFER: Yes.
FEYERICK: Which is a more conventional way of thinking.
Now, the - the proposed policy doesn't deal with the private sector, so, really, America's financial sector, banking system, power grid, transport and communications systems, all of them are vulnerable and they're not getting the same sort of protection policy-wise from the DOD, the FBI or DHS.
What can they do to identify threats? Is that even possible?
SHAFFER: Well, it's imminently possible and critical. And I - I'm glad you brought that up, Deb, the issue regarding infrastructure. Cyber Command only protects .mil. DHS only protect .gov. So that means 98 percent of the Internet is left unprotected.
That is - there are domains which mean that - commerce, $9 trillion a day transfer around the world on the worldwide web and we don't have a good handle on how to protect that. Obviously, IMF, Wall Street, et cetera.
And, in addition, we understand that there are real threats regarding electromagnetic pulse both to our power infrastructure and to our cyber. Power and cyber are now interrelated, and we cannot walk away from the fact that we have to protect both the power grid and our ones and zeros if we're going to survive and prosper as a society. FEYERICK: And do you feel, for example, is there some sort of a doomsday scenario? What you were just talking about, if there is somebody who attacks the U.S. cyber infrastructure that way, could it shut down important, vital parts? Could we go dark, basically?
SHAFFER: Absolutely, and there's two studies, one of which I will cite right up front from the EMP Commission years ago, talked about the fact that cyber - that issues relating to our power grid could completely devastate cyber. Without an Internet, you couldn't go to an ATM to get money out.
And, worse yet, can you imagine Manhattan going for a month without power? People would literally be killing each other.
So this is why there's things like H.R. 668, that - the Grid Act, trying to find ways to protect our infrastructure against either cyber hacks or electromagnetic pulse attacks. And all the issues relating to the fact that we have to identify critical nodes - most of which are in the private sector, not in the government sector.
FEYERICK: And then, finally, as we lead up to - we're going to be looking at WikiLeaks here on CNN tonight. WikiLeaks - you say that you have some information that, really, U.S. Cyber Command knew where the stolen documents were but did nothing. Why not? What's going on? Are they really aware?
SHAFFER: Well, there's two reasons, I was told, by my - my contact. First is this fear of failure. The idea is that this is new - new territory for a lot of folks. Policymakers and politicians don't like taking risk. They are risk adverse, so, therefore, even though they were told by these techs that they knew where all the documents were, they idea was maybe (INAUDIBLE) get them all. We'll look stupid.
Look, Deb, you know, you and I both know, you got to make mistakes to learn and improve. So that's one of the reasons.
Second thing is, I think there was this idea that we would start a cyber war, if you will, between us and the other hackers. Well, that happened anyway. You had anonymous actually doing attacks, no matter what. So we've got to get smarter on this and we're - we got do better with the American people.
FEYERICK: Yes. Still a lot of unchartered territory on this one as we become ever more digital.
Tony Shaffer, thanks so much for your insights on this today.
SHAFFER: Thank you.
FEYERICK: And tonight, go inside the WikiLeaks scandal. CNN Presents "Wikiwars: The Mission of Julian Assange" tonight, 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
Flies and garbage in the car. Next, a look at what experts are saying about the forensic evidence in the murder trial of Casey Anthony.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, parts of the country are getting some rain this weekend. Let's check in with Alexandra Steele for a look at what's happening right now and what's in the forecast as we all head back to work this morning - or tomorrow.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right.
FEYERICK: Sorry, I'm thinking of myself.
STEELE: All right. Of course.
FEYERICK: What do we have?
STEELE: You know, we've got a little bit of everything, if you like. It's steamy. We've got that. We've got cold temperatures, 10 degrees above, 10 degrees below. Dry, steamy skies and some wet weather as well.
So, all right, Deb, let's get you - I want to show you the big picture, and really, what we have is a little bit of everything. So wherever you are, we're going to see it all kind of shake up in the next couple of days.
So here, of course, the steamy conditions of the southwest. A couple of fronts moving through, kind of affording some storms in a couple of areas. I'll walk you through where that wet weather is.
Here's a line of storms, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho. Kind of under the gun, an isolated tornado, but really hail and strong winds kind of the biggest threats there.
Pushing it a little bit farther east, you can see as we get toward Minneapolis, heading of course, moving eastward, down 35, 80, that's where there's some wet weather today. Kind of this line pushing eastward and of course to like kind of just a very unsettled scenario today and even through tomorrow. So as we move it a little bit farther east, if you're Upstate New York, maybe Spoon Lake, Saranac Lake, Lake Georgia, kind of a wet day, so a bit of a bummer traveling here on the New York State north way.
Midland also, from Burlington all the way east, you can see, through Vermont, New Hampshire getting into some wet weather. So lines of rain kind of moving in, kind of keeping it gray and keeping temperatures a little below average to the north.
But the antithesis of that happening to the Deep South, as you know, temperatures 10 to 15, even some 20 degrees above average. High today in Atlanta, 92; 99 in Dallas; 81 in St. Louis; but watch Kansas City, today 77, a few storms rolling through. Tomorrow watch these temperatures go up much warmer. We're going to get to 93.
New York, Boston 60s and 70s, kind of an unsettled day today as well. As we move into tomorrow, things kind of flaring out, but a few fronts (INAUDIBLE) through, kind of keeping it unsettled and keeping the north certainly cool while the south is just steaming it up with temperatures well above average.
FEYERICK: Cool's not bad. I'm going back to New York a little later on. So thanks.
STEELE: All right. So you give us an airport report.
FEYERICK: There we go. We'll check in with you a little later on. Thanks so much.
STEELE: Sure.
FEYERICK: Well, the trial of Casey Anthony enters its fourth week tomorrow. She's the young Florida woman accused of killing her two- year-old daughter. Lately, the testimony has focused on forensics, some of it very graphic.
Prosecutors contend that Anthony drove around for several days with the body of her little girl in the trunk of her car. Yesterday, a bug expert testified about finding hundreds of flies in that trunk, among other things.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ASHTON, PROSECUTOR: What did you recognize the substance on the towels to be?
NEAL HASKELL, FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGIST: Well, I thought it was a good possibility because the flies were there. The larvae were there, obviously feeding and - and completing their life cycles, that it most likely was decompositional fluid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: The case was the number one topic with our legal guys yesterday, and I started by asking them how all this graphic evidence might be affecting the jury.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: It is the crescendo that the prosecution is building to achieve their obligation of proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt. They've done it carefully, methodically, they've done it smart.
But again, the skull, the idea of testimony, even the part about drawing the body into the woods where bones were gnawed by animals, obviously is having an effect. Question, prejudicial versus probative. Probative prevails. It's an appropriate way of prosecuting the case.
FEYERICK: You know, and Richard, one thing I don't understand, they've spent a lot of time about the garbage that was in the trunk of her case - of Casey's car. First of all, what kind of mother drives around with garbage in her car? It's not even logical.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes. FEYERICK: They find traces of chloroform on it. What is - why do you think they're spending so much time on this?
HERMAN: Well, the key - one of the keys to the prosecution's case is that Casey put the child after she was dead in the trunk and drove around with her about four or five days, deciding what to do with the body. So they're trying to show forensically that, you know, that body was in that car. That was Casey's car, so therefore she had to have killed the child and drove her around in her car.
Problem is, they can't link Casey to driving the car around with the baby. They cannot link it, Deb.
The prosecution has a lot of problems. They went overkill on these forensic crime scene photos. I mean, of course they're admissible in every case, but they went overboard.
FRIEDMAN: I don't think much, if not all, of the prosecution's evidence has been undermined in the least. Again, we're going to hear the defense coming up after - in about a week. But the fact is that - that the evidence has essentially been irrefutable. The defense really has not done much of anything to bias the jury in thinking that maybe there's some justification.
I think the defense is in a world of trouble. That's not a surprise to anyone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: And remember, you can catch our legal guys every Saturday at noon Eastern, right here in the NEWSROOM.
Well, there's new trouble today for Congressman Anthony Weiner as more photos surface. A live report from his home district, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, New York Congressman Anthony Weiner's problems only seem to be getting worse. The TMZ web site reports today that Weiner took partially nude photos of himself in the House of Representatives gymnasium and then sent them to at least one woman. The web site shows photos of a man who appears to be Weiner, taking pictures of himself in that gymnasium mirror.
CNN cannot independently verify that the photos were actually taken in the House gym. CNN has contacted Weiner's office for comment, but so far there has been no response.
And there are growing calls for Weiner's resignation. CNN's Jason Carroll is live in the congressman's home district. Jason, yesterday we learned he was going to go check into rehab, basically.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. And, you know, we're still waiting for more word on that in terms of specifics, in terms of where he went, how long he will be here. But some of those folks who have gathered here today, a small group of protestors. Actually, at this point, if you look behind me, you can see it looks like a large group, but actually the press is actually outnumbering the number of protestors here who are calling for the congressman's resignation.
But, as you know, Debbie, with a story like this, there were two sides to every story, and when you look at some of the recent polling here in the congressman's district, it shows that some 56 percent of voters here actually support the congressman. Thirty-three percent say he should resign.
But those who say he should resign, a very vocal group. I want to bring in one of them right now very quickly. Her name is Jane --
JANE DEACY, WEINER PROTESTER: Deacy.
CARROLL: -- Deacy. Jane, you came out here today. You've got the sign that pretty much says everything here. Give me your perspective in terms of why at this point you think the congressman should go.
DEACY: Well, Monday when the story was broken, he apologized. I was very saddened for the congressman, and I felt after the way he berated the press, it was clear he is a liar. That is the biggest issue for me.
As a constituent, that is the biggest issue. He's a liar. He's not to be trusted. If he just screams and yells with servitude, that makes it right. It doesn't. He admitted now and the only reason he admitted that he was part of the sexting campaign was because he felt the other shoe dropping.
I have to question the numbers of the polls because at the last election it was 41 percent that disagreed that he was doing a good job. I'm sure if those same constituents were polled today, the number would be far greater than the 41 percent that Bob Turner did take.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm sure there will be more polling coming up soon. Jane Deacy, I want to thank you very much.
But again, there are two sides to every story. I want to bring in the other side here. This is Catheryn Cylinder. Katherine, you have a different perspective. Tell us where you're coming from.
CATHERYN CYLINDER, WEINER SUPPORTER: I do not think Anthony Weiner should resign. I think he's been doing a great job. I think he stands for progressive values. He represents people who voted for him voted very well.
I think it's terrible the Democrats are calling for his resignation. I think that they should stand behind him until it's proven he's doing something illegal. If he's broken the law and in that case it's a different story, he'll have his day in court.
But right now, it was a personal thing. It was disgusting what he did, but he's been doing a great job, and I think that the voters should say at the polls whether he should stay in office.
CARROLL: All right, Catheryn, I want to thank you very much. So as you can see, two very different perspectives here. This is the debate that's ongoing now in the congressman's district, obviously people feeling very strongly in the district. Deb --
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Jason Carroll. Thanks so much. We'll check back in with you a little later on. Appreciate it.
Well, the first photos of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords taken since her shooting in January were released this morning. Take a look there she is. There are two of them on her Facebook page.
The pictures were taken May 17th, the day after the launch of "Endeavour," which is piloted by her husband and the day before she had surgery on her skull.
Up next, Candy Crowley takes a look at the Republicans who are trying to unseat President Obama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Since our contender series began in February, one of the things we followed is the Republican side of the race to the White House.
What we've seen taking shape is a contest without a front runner or a real marquee name. Our Candy Crowley sizes up a wide open field that's moving towards its first real test.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No arguing the field has broadened. There is Mitt Romney, the former Republican governor of liberal Massachusetts who needs to convince primary doubters of his core conservatism.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now we're going to return the responsibility and authority to the states for dozens of government programs. And that will begin with a complete repeal of Obamacare.
CROWLEY: And there is Texas Congressman Ron Paul on his third run at the oval office. Sometimes referred to as the intellectual godfather of the Tea Party, he'll need to convince doubters he's more than a conversation mover.
REPRESENTATIVE RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There are many who would like to belittle this effort, but let me tell you. There is an old saying, three is a charm.
CROWLEY: It is largely a field of formers, not a contemporary marquee name nor a perfect fit in the bunch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When are you going to announce?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At 9:00 tonight.
CROWLEY: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a conservative, big idea guy who often carries a message and carries some personal baggage.
TIM PAWLENTY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we want a new and better direction, we're going to need a new and better president.
CROWLEY: Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, chief executive material. He maneuvered his way through two terms in one of the bluest states in the country. But he'll have to defend some of that record to a conservative base and work on upping his campaign skills to the national level.
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who are you, Mr. President, to say that you and your administration should take 40 cents out of every dollar and borrow it from future generations to prop you up?
CROWLEY: Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, a fave of social conservatives who's first pressing problem is convincing people he has a shot at powerhouse team Obama.
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hope and change is not a solution. Hope and change is not a job.
CROWLEY: And the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, Herman Cain, a conservative radio host dismissed by Republican stalwarts as entertainment. He has nonetheless found some pull traction.
Almost 40 percent of Republicans say they're not satisfied with this field. Critics have called it weak, but a top Republican strategist thinks it's more like wide open, American style.
ED GILLESPIE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: People like to have a lot of choices. When they go to the grocery store and they're looking at cereals, they want a lot of - big array of choices.
The same is true for, you know, activists and other who want a lot of choices and that will be the case, you know, until things are settled.
CROWLEY: Tea Party star, Congresswoman Michelle Bachman and former Utah Governor and U.S. ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman are two of the premier unsettled pieces of the Republican puzzle.
But they need to get in now, if not earlier. People are choosing sides. Campaign money is finite and time is almost up.
GILLESPIE: The AMES straw poll is less than three months away, which is the first, you know, real event of the primary cycle. So, yes, time is beginning to -- the counter is beginning to accelerate.
CROWLEY: Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: And one of the first big tests for the GOP field will occur Monday. That's when CNN will host the New Hampshire Republican presidential debate. Join us Monday night, 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
If you've been waiting to see what the new Wii has to offer, the wait is over. We'll run down some of the top systems at the world's largest video gaming event.
But first, can you guess the first video game console ever made? Was it the Brown Box, the Magna Box's odyssey or the Atari pong? The answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Before the break, we asked you what was the first video console made? Was it the Brown Box, the Magnavox Odyssey or the Atari Pong? Well, it's A, the Brown Box. The Brown Box was invented in 1967.
The world's largest video gaming showcase of the year, the E3 Expo has wrapped up in Los Angeles. Our own gaming and gadgets expert, Marc Saltzman was there.
He's here now to show us some of the highlights. Marc, first of all, let's start off with the new hardware. Nintendo took the rap of its next generation video game console. Tell us about the new Wii U and how it differs from the Wii Wii.
MARC SALTZMAN, SYNDICATED TECHNOLOGY WRITER: Sure, so the Nintendo Wii U, which is coming out probably in the latter half of 2012, is the company's next generation of video game console. It's the one you play on your TV at home.
What makes it unique is you have a six-inch touch screen tablet on your lap as the controller. So not only can you navigate these virtual worlds by tilting it, by tapping on the screen or by pressing on the buttons around the edges of the tablet, but you can also see content on the screen or the controller that complements what you see on this TV.
For example, you're playing a football game against your sibling, your friend, you can draw the plays on the tablet with your finger. You know, the X's and O's and then the character in the football game on the field on your TV will perform that action.
So it was really fun to get my hands on it, and I think they'll have another hit on their hands with the Wii U and good news for the parents who have spent money on existing Nintendo Wii games. They will work with the Wii U system as well.
FEYERICK: OK, great. Now, Sony also showed up a new machine, but one for your pocket. What is this PlayStation Vita?
SALTZMAN: Right, so the PlayStation Vita is Sony's next generation hand-held gaming system to replace the popular PlayStation Portable or PSP. What makes this pen held unique is that the most powerful system to date. It's almost like console-like graphics in your hand.
We've never seen quality like this before in a portable system. It's got a gorgeous, 5-inch screen so amazing contrast and lots of detail and four ways to control the action. The front screen is touch- enabled, the back panel, you can use your fingertips to control the action.
You've got buttons and a stick like the old console and this will also be internet-enabled with both Wi-Fi and 3G versions for cellular connectivity. This is coming out by holiday starting at $249.
FEYERICK: All right, always great when something comes out just in time for the holidays. Well, let's look at some of the games that were also well received at the show. You liked Elder Scroll Sky Rim.
SALTZMAN: Yes, if you're a fan of RPGs, role-playing games and action games, E3 2011 had great stuff. We had Mass Effect 3. We had Bio Shock Infinite and yes, we're looking visuals now for the Elder Scrolls Sky Rim. This is the fifth generation game where you can roam a huge world that's filled with, you know, hundreds of characters you can interact with, tons of missions that can take you months to finish.
You can, you know, fight against ancient dragons and other characters. You can play either from a first person or third person perspective, but it's really one of those epic role playing games, fantasy games you can lose yourself in for a long time and have a blast doing it. It's a single player adventure coming out this November for the PlayStation 3, X Box 360 and the PC.
FEYERICK: All right. Now, for kids, right, Spyro's Adventure. You liked that also.
SALTZMAN: Yes, so everybody knows Activision. They're best known for Call of Duty and yes, they did show Modern Warfare 3 for big kids like myself. But yes, Skylander's Spyro's Adventure is a kid's game coming out this fall for multiple systems.
It's actually part toy, part video game. You get three action figures like the one I'm holding up here in the box with the game, and something called the portal of power. It's kind of like a disk that you plug into the video game console, and when you put these action figures down on the portal of power, it unlocks that character in the game.
There are more than 30 of these action figures, each with their own unique skills that you can trade and collect, and when you go to a friend's house and you put your character down on their system, it remembers the level that you're at in this role-playing game so that if there's some memory built into the action figures. I think Activision has another hit on their hands here.
FEYERICK: OK, and then Sesame Street also getting in on the fun. Tell us about Sesame Street's Once Upon a Monster.
SALTZMAN: Yes, it would be remiss not to talk about Knekt, which is Microsoft's very successful motion control peripheral for Xbox 360. That's where you use your body and your voice to interact with games. So there's some great stuff for kids. Disneyland Adventures is coming out where you can roam around at virtual Disneyland, all 85 acres of it. But here we're looking at Sesame Street Once Upon a Monster.
This is great for the little, little kids where parents and their kids or their siblings can interact with the likes of Elmo and Cookie Monster on more than 36 different activities, really great fun using your body and voice to play with Sesame Street.
FEYERICK: OK, Marc Saltzman, the guy with probably one of the most fun jobs here. Thanks so much. We appreciate it. For more high-tech ideas and reviews, just go to cnn.com/tech and look for the gaming and gadgets tab.
In Eastern Arizona, a massive wildfire gets closer to setting a new record. We'll go live to the fire zone.
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FEYERICK: It's slow going in Arizona as firefighters battle the second biggest wildfire in the state's history. The blaze is in its third week and is inching closer to setting a world record as the biggest ever in Arizona.
But some good news for thousands of people in two evacuated towns, they can finally go home again. CNN's Jim Spellman is with us live from Apache County.
Jim, it's good news for those folks, but what are they going to find when they get there?
JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, fortunately, the folks in those two communities of Eager and Springerville are going to find absolutely no damage to any of their buildings.
The firefighters were able to successfully build a fire line by setting intentional fires and using fire retardants dropped from aircrafts to build a buffer zone between the town and the fire and that buffer zone has held.
Now the numbers here haven't changed much, still 6 percent contained and still, as you mentioned, just a massive fire. But they feel confident with the work that they got done in two days later in the week here.
That weren't windy. They reinforced those lines and really get them setup to the point where they feel like they are now safe to return. Here's what local police officers had to say about it.
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SGT. WEBB HOGLE, APACHE COUNTRY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: As of Sunday, June 12th at 10:00 a.m., residents of the Springerville, Eager and South Fork areas who were evacuated because of the massive wall of fire have been allowed to return to their homes. After consulting with fire officials, it has been determined that the fire risk has diminished enough that it will no longer be a threat to the citizens of the towns.
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SPELLMAN: So that's really good news for all those people. About 7,000 people, Deb, who have evacuated to local communities and maybe even as far as Phoenix to stay with friends. They're definitely coming back. We're already seeing cars streaming back into the city here as people eager to get back to their homes.
Now that doesn't mean that this fire is over far from it. It's going to be weeks or even months until they're done really containing this fire. Even though you don't see flames, there can be fire en route underground when the winds pick up.
They can shoot ambers off so this is far from being over, but definitely better news story today than they've had for at least a week here in Springerville and Eager. Deb --
FEYERICK: All right, Jim Spellman. Thanks so much, and really just an honorable job by the firefighters there who have been working around the clock to contain those fires. Thanks so much.
Jobs and company profit up or down? In a couple minutes, we'll see what's in the financial forecast.
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FEYERICK: From Wall Street to Main Street, it was quite a rough week. What's ahead, our money team takes a look. First, Alison Kosik in New York. Alison --
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Toyota says the earthquake in Japan is hitting its bottom line. The world's biggest automaker expects profits to drop 31 percent this year.
In real dollars, that's $1.6 billion less than last year. This could give room for American automakers to move up. GM could reclaim the title of world's biggest automaker.
Meantime, Ford is ramping up production in an effort to grow. Ford is hoping to sell 8 million vehicles a year by the middle of the decade. That's aggressive plan since Ford currently sell 5 million vehicles a year. Felicia --
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Thanks, Alison. There were new signs this past week that the job market is likely to remain under pressure for a while. IHS Global Insight is expecting state and local governments to cut a record high 110,000 jobs in the third quarter.
The study says teachers are likely to bear the brunt of the job cuts and worst, this could be just the tip of the iceberg. Many states are still dealing with budget problems because tax receipts are still below pre-recession levels. Poppy has a look at what's coming up in business news. Poppy --
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Thanks so much, Felicia. Well, President Obama is heading to North Carolina next week and the job market will be the main topic.
He's scheduled to meet with the Jobs and Competitiveness Council, it's a group the president created to give him nonpartisan advice on how to strengthen the U.S. economy.
Also ahead, the IMF is scheduled to release a short list of the candidates looking to become its next managing director. That job opened up after Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief, resigned after he was charged with sexually assaulting a hotel housekeeper in a New York hotel. He has pleaded not guilty.
On the economic calendar, we'll get reports on retail sales, inflation and housing. A lot ahead, we'll follow it all on CNN Money. Back to you.
FEYERICK: Thanks, ladies and remember, you can get all your financial fixes every day on CNNMoney.com.
Recapping our top stories, there is another damaging report out today about Congressman Anthony Weiner. TMZ reports Weiner took partially nude photographs of himself in the House of Representatives gymnasium and sent them to at least one woman.
The web site showed photos of a man who appears to be Weiner taking pictures of himself in a mirror. CNN is working to independently verify that the photos were taken in the House gym. CNN has contacted Weiner's office for comment, but so far there's been no response.
And the Neighborhood Community Association in Weiner's home district in New York is joining in the calls for him to step down. It's holding a protest rally outside at this hour outside his district office.
We're now seeing the first photos of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords since she was shot in January. Both pictures, one with her mother, appear on her Facebook page. We've also learned the Arizona lawmaker will leave her rehabilitation facility by the end of this month and begin outpatient therapy.
Republican presidential candidates are about to face off in a highly anticipated debate in New Hampshire. Seven White House hopefuls will take the stage at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. The event co- hosted by CNN will air live only on this network, CNN, tomorrow 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Friday was graduation day in Bend, Oregon for a 90-year-old man. Bob Maxwell picked up his high school diploma 73 years overdue. He dropped out of school in the 7th grade to work on his family farm.
He says graduating is an honor and he should know. You see that medal around his neck. Well, that's the Medal of Honor and he received it for saving his platoon in France during World War II.
I'll be back in one hour. Among my guests, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross, an organization in desperate need of your help as it response to one disaster after another, from tornadoes to floods and now wildfires. But first "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.
