danger at 30,000 feet. the fbi wants to know who put needles on the food on four different delta flights. and who will it be and when? anticipation mounts as mitt romney mulls over his choice for vice president. saved from a terrifying plunge. take a look at this. >> oh, my goodness. >> a bus driver breaks a young girl's fall -- here it cops -- from a third story window. amazing. >> wait until you see the video of this as it's unfolding. it's really incredible. >> he says he's not a hero. good morning and welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> how do you define hero then? >> that guy right there. >> thanks for joining us. it is 5:00 a.m. here in the east. so let's get started. the midnight deadline for jeremy lin, will the nba sensation decide to stay in new york? we'll talk to "sports illustrated's" maggie gray about that. also we'll have depack chopra here about exploring your relationship with the universe. he's using the internet. >> very interesting, i was watching his kids' take on. this first, we'll start with our top story. the fbi and international authorities are working to find out how sewing needles wound up in four sandwiches on a delta airlines flight. the needles were found on four separate flights. all traveling from amsterdam to the united states. officials say one passenger was injured by a needle but declined medical treatment. federal agents have launched a criminal investigation now. cnn's sandra endo is live in washington with the very latest. this is just outrageous. what have authorities uncovered so far? >> a full blown investigation is under way. the fbi and local authorities in the netherlands are trying to figure out how the needles got into those turkey sandwiches in the first place. a spokesperson says the neelds were found in sandwiches on flights from amsterdam to minneapolis, seattle, and two flights to atlanta. two of the needles were found by passengers and one was discovered by an air marshall. when delta found out about the needles in the food, the airline says it notified all 18 flights from amsterdam to stop serving the sandwiches. here's what one passenger who actually bit into one of the contaminated sandwiches said whe he spoke to affiliate ktsp. >> i bit down on it so that i wasn't biting down on the sharp side, but the flat side. it could have been a bad injury orally, but had i taken a big swallow and swallowed that down, i'd have a needle inside. that would be very concerning to me. >> now, gape gourmet provided the sandwiches to delta. a spokesperson for that company says the sandwiches were prepared in amsterdam. she says this is a terribly upsetting situation. first and foremost is the safety of the traveling public. there's nothing more important to us than all the safety of the passengers and crews. now, the transportation security administration says it is closely monitoring the investigation into what happened as well as the security protocols being conducted by the air carrier and the airport authority. >> wow. so gate gourmet says it's fully cooperating with the fbi and local authorities. what we're wondering here, the company that makes these sandwiches says it also provides food to other airlines. is there a concern now? >> well, yeah, that is the big question. but so far, according to gate gourmet, they say that they have received no other complaints or comments about their food, so they are providing food to other airlines, but so far, everything has been okay. and again, they are fully cooperating with the investigation. >> all right, thank you very much. there is fresh new buzz and anticipation this morning. is mitt romney about to announce his pick for vice president? the top campaign advisor says it could happen as early as this week, which would be really early in the election cycle. or it may not happen this week. some analysts are calling all this a calculated move to shift discussion away from the recent attacks on his bain record and personal finances. peter hanby joins us now from washington, d.c. this would be very early in the cycle. but what are the arguments for doing it now or soon? >> well, a lot of people sort of agree on the arguments, if you get a runningmate, you get a fundraiser, you get an attack dog who can command media attention who can travel around the country. they can double up, basically. but the bigger issue for the romney campaign right now is this salvo of attacks from the obama campaign over his record at bain capital, over his tax returns, accusing him of outsourcing. president obama lit into him yesterday. take a listen to what he said yesterday. >> by eliminating taxes on corporation's foreign income, governor romney's plan would actually encourage companies to shift more of their operations to foreign tax haichbs, creating 800,000 jobs in those other countries. >> so the romney campaign is having a hard time sort of changing the subject from these attacks. if they get a running mate out now this week before the olym c olympics start, which will distract from the political campaign season, it would give them a chance to change the subject. because as we know, the minute you pick a vice president, the white heat of the national president comes down on that person. so it could happen. the romney campaign says no decision has been made, despite a report in "the new york times" saying a decision actually has been made, but the romney advisor says no, no, no, that's not the case, john. >> for historical perspective, mccain and obama four years ago, they waited literally just days before their conventions to make the picks. so now would be very, very early. mitt romney traveling to pennsylvania today, which we list as a swing state. but president obama won the state by ten points four years ago. what's mitt romney trying to do today with his keystone stay trip? >> right. well, republican officials at the republican national committee, the romney campaign, they insist that pennsylvania is in play this time, even though obama beat mccain there by a significant margin. romney's campaigning just outside pittsburgh in westmoreland county outside of pittsburgh. this is a county that went for mccain actually by a big margin, even though the state went for obama. it's those white working class voters. when i traveled with sarah palin, we went in this area. i saw some of the most rowdy fired up conservative crowds that we saw in the country. but both campaigns are spending money in pennsylvania. so even though we have a recent poll showing obama beating romney there by six points, the fact that both campaigns are spending money there, that they have staff on the ground in this state suggests that they both see it as competitive. >> that's key not just in pennsylvania, but a bunch of other important states. thanks very much. seven minutes past the hour. deadly wildfires and fears of food shortage. now worry that the nation's most severe drought in decades is spreading. more than half of the continental united states is now in some stage of drought. and most of the roeest of the country is close to it as well, according to a report from the national climatic data center. it is the largest area of land affected by drought since the 1950s. their bikes have been found, but still no sign of the girls. a desperate search resuming this morning in iowa. authorities have now started draining a nearby lake for any sign of 8-year-old elizabeth collins and ten-year-old lyric cook. the two are cousins. they were last seen by their grandmother before they went on a bicycle ride on friday. >> they sme a lot. they're pretty persistent in the things that they want. they're great. they're really great, you know i mean? >> yes, they are. >> we really look forward to what they had to offer in their future and the life that god had for them. >> nearly 1,000 volunteers helped look for clues over the weekend. police have called off the volunteer effort for now. we're going to have a live report coming from iowa on the search, and we will hear from the family next hour. >> it's like they just vanished. terrible. a deadly night on the east end of toronto. two young people killed. 19 others wounded when gunfire erupted at an outdoor barbecue. a 3-year-old child is among the injured. toronto's police chief calls it the most serious crime of its kind ever to hit the city. >> tonight's event is unprecedented. tonight's event is shocking to all of canada because of the number of people injured, the level of violence is something we have never experienced. >> plus say they have a person of interest in custody, but they're looking for more suspects. george zimmerman's attorney and the trayvon martin family are now reacting to a new stunning twist in this trial. this came out of nowhere. a female witness in the case only identified as witness number nine is accusing zimmerman of molesting her when they were both children. the accusations released yesterday in an audiotape from the state's attorney's office. >> it started when i was 6. he's about almost two years older than i am. he would reach under the plan kets and try to do things and i would try to push him off, but he was bigger and stronger and older. >> she also said zimmerman and his family flat-out said they didn't like black people unless they acted like white people. stunning allegations on these tapes. zimmerman's attorney mark o'mara has identified the woman as zimmerman's cousin, and last night he told piers morgan the allegations would not be admissible in court be will complicate things for the defense. >> these allegations, which george contends are untrue, now we need to spend our resources and time rebutting them, and actually, put in a difficult, if not delicate position of deciding how much we attack the source of this story or just leave it be and move on to what really counts. >> an attorney for the martin family issued a statement saying the woman's testimony should be included in the evidence. benjamin krump saying witness number nine would be a rebuttal witness very similar to that in the sandusky trial showing that george zimmerman has a history of violence and manipulation. zimmerman's mentality is very relevant in the trial, he says. also new overnight, word of yet another possible missed opportunity to stop child predator jerry sandusky apparently years ago. this time, it isn't penn state, but state authorities. cnn contributor sara ganim reports that in 1998, the pennsylvania child welfare never reported allegations to the second mile. that's a violation of state law. seven of the ten boys sandusky is conducted of abusing were abused after 1998. a new york city bus driver says he's not a hero, but we're going yes, he is a hero. his actions probably saved a little girl's life. >> no kidding. watch this. >> cell phone video taken by a neighbor. she was dancing on the air conditioner up there and then she fell off this third floor window. that's when 52-year-old steven st. bernard raced underneath the window. he managed to break the fall into the bushs below. she survived without a scratch on her. the "new york daily news" is reporting the little girl is autistic. police don't plan to charge the parents with anything, like negligence or something else. we think this bus driver is definitely a hero. by the way, a great outfielder, too. >> when i was watching this, i thought there's no way that child is okay because you don't see that part of it in the video. but perfectly fine without a scratch. >> not a scratch. an amazing piece of video. >> love sharing that with you this morning. it is 13 minutes past the hour. the question is will he stay or will he go? 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[ male announcer ] the citi thankyou visa card. redeem the points you've earned to travel with no restrictions. rewarding you, every step of the way. the countdown son this morning. a decision will happen before midnight that could mean the end of lynn sanity for the new york knicks. they are weighing whether to weigh an offer from the houston rockets. >> there is an obscure role. maggie gray is here with us. this is all the talk. we were talking about the vice presidential pick, right? no. so will they let him walk? >> it looks like right now -- let me put this caveat. who know what is the knicks could do, because they have made some questionable decisions in the past. if yu look at the evidence of what they've done in the last few days, which was signing raymond felton, a former point guard for the knicks, who's now back with the team. they signed the backup jason kidd, the long-term all-star, it looks like they're pretty set at the point guard position. apparently linsanity is not cheap. it will be very expensive for them in the third year if the knicks decide the fiscal responsibility is important to them, which sometimes it is, sometimes it's not. then that will ultimately determine what they're going to do about jeremy lin. >> how much beyond basketball is factoring into this decision? with linsanity last year, he was an international sensation. marketing, shirt sales. do the knicks have to be thinking about that too? >> i think jeremy lin is actually a global phenomenon at this point. i don't know if he needs new york like some other stars would need the large market. he is everywhere. and he will continue to be because his reach is just so far. as far as merchandise, jersey sales, things like that in the collective bargaining agreement of the nba, the players, the teams, they all share that. so it doesn't matter if you're kobe bryant or jeremy lin, everyone's going to get a cut of that. as far as ticket sales, jeremy lin moves the need. when they would play on the road, the arenas would be filled with linsanity signs. he definitely puts fans in the seats. but he could do that anywhere. >> it looks like right now that he's probably going to walk. but like i said, they have never had a problem paying the luxury tax before in their history. the only problem is by the time it gets to that $15 million that he would get in the third year, there's actually more of a punitive penalty for exceeding the salary cap for teams. so it's going to be even more money. that's never been a problem for the knicks before, but if they're going to really hit them with a big, big ticket, then i don't know. >> the knicks not known for making great decisions always. maggie thanks very much for being here. >> a little bit of a checkered past. >> we'll talk to you tomorrow, maybe. >> thanks for coming in this morning. we're minding your business this morning, checking in on the markets right now. u.s. stock futures trading higher on the opening bell, and european markets are up, too. >> investors worldwide are hoping for science of more stimulus during ben bernanke's testimony on capitol hill, that is today. just that speculation alone is pushing markets higher this morning. >> google's marisa mayer is heading over to the competition. this exploded twitter yesterday. melissa mayer taking over as ceo of yahoo!. she is one of most powerful women in search and she's one of the first two dozen employees ever at google. she's also become yahoo!'s fifth ceo in just five years. that search engine struggles to keep market share. they've been having a lot of problems in search and advertising. according to "the wall street journal," she's just the 20th female ceo in a fortune 500 company. that's a record number. and by the way, she and her husband are expecting their first child. >> oh, my goodness. that's a lot of pressure. >> big news in tech. and big news in business. >> and talk about an odd couple. coming up, president obama's unlikely meeting with a well-known talk show host. and we are not talking about oprah. ♪ why not try someplace different every morning? get two times the points on dining in restaurants with chase sapphire preferred. these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. 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(push button tone) this is stacy from springfield. oh woah. hello? yes. i didn't realize i'd be talking to an actual person. you don't need to press "0," i'm here. reach a person, not a prompt whenever you call chase sapphire. welcome back. it is 24 minutes past the hour. >> we're getting an early look at the early reeds in your local news that will get your attention. this caught your attention and your ierk i would say. in the florida keys, residents are protesting plans to release thousands of genetically modified male mosquitos into the environment. that just sounds like a sci-fi movie, maybe even a scary, ill-fated sci-fi movie. what they're trying to do is reduce the life span of all the mosquitos in the environment there. there was an outbreak of fever a few years ago and they figure if they release these genetically modified mutant mosquitos, it could reduce the life span of all of them. residents saying this is crazy, we don't want to be your guinea pigs. >> it was a mom that started this effort online and she's gotten a lot more names on the petition signed than she expected. she said why are you using my kids as guinea pigs? she says i have no idea what's going to happen. what if some of our kids get sick? what if some of them die? they're totally opposed to that. the numbers are growing. have you ever heard of a green lawn in a can zm. >> i haven't, but i'd like to try it. >> i don't know if i would. the newspaper here is from indianapolis. they're having a problem with the drought. take a look at the lawn on the right versus the lawn on the left. >> one is green, one isn't. >> what this guy did was, he decided to paint his lawn. and that was the outcome. a nice, green lawn. but it used to look like dead grass on the opposite side. so he says you know what's happening now? folks are calling me and asked me to come and do it for them. this is turf paint that he's using. my concern here is that this is bad for the environment. >> my concern is getting on your sneakers when you put it on. >> it dries in one hour. but again, not enough testing done on this. and it something that your kids are going to inhale. your dogs are going to be playing. i don't know. >> not a good mix with genetically modified mosquitos either, i'm told. in ohio, president obama taking time to meet with a talk show host. this time, jerry springer. now, this may sound odd to you. jerry springer with the chairs being thrown on his show. jerry springer, many people forget, was actually mayor of cincinnati. >> and a really nice guy. >> he ran for governor there. other people don't know this. also, jerry springer's political career derailed in 1980 when word came out that he paid a prostitute with a check. he actually had to admit it in a campaign, a very famous episode in politics. for an expanded look at all our top stories, head to our blog, cnn.com/earlystart. now, if harry reid had his way, we'd burn them. so what to do about -- what do the chinese think over the uproar of u.s. olympic uniforms made in china? find out coming up. and if you're leaving the house right now, you can watch us any time on your desk top, perhaps even your cell phone. just don't do it while you're walking. this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com. did you know honey nut cheerios is america's favorite cereal? oh, you're good! hey, did you know that honey nut cheerios is... oh you too! ooh, hey america's favorite cereal is... honey nut cheerios ok then off to iceland! it's hard to see opportunitys in today's challenging environment. unless you have the right perspective. bny mellon wealth management has the vision and experience to look beyond the obvious. we'll uncover opportunities, find hidden risk, and make success a reality. bny mellon wealth management reunited with their families. two americans kid napd and then released from egypt. saved at sea. the crew of a battered sailboat plucked from the ocean by a passing cruise ship. swimming with sharks. soledad o'brien joins sir richard branson on a deep sea quest for a big cause. >> really big sharks! >> you have some personal experience with these, don't you? >> big, scary sharks. yes. welcome back to "early start," we're happy you're with us. >> it is 31 minutes past the hour. also coming up, the drought of 2012. this is big. almost historic and it is spreading this morning. we're going to talk to rob marciano in a little bit to get information on that. the two americans abducted in egypt are now in israel this morning waiting to return home to the boston area. reverends michelle lewis and lisa alfons tell cnn they are happy and relieved. meantime, egyptian police say they negoated with their captors but did not give into their demands. they were demanding the release of a jailed relative. cnn's ian lee is live with the very latest. how are the victims? we heard a lot about the pastor, who's a diabetic. do you know anything about his condition? >> reporter: right now, he's doing all right. he didn't have his medication, actually, during this ordeal, so he was really lucky. but security officials -- he said that he's doing well. he had a small diabetic episode, but that his health is doing better and that they're in good spirits. they're now in northern israel with their church members, so they're continuing their tour of the holy land before going back to the united states. >> do you know when they're expected to arrive in the united states? >> reporter: well, they're going to finish their tour and go on as planned before they do acally head back to the boston area. they said they were keen on finishing that and doing that and seeing the rest of their trip out before actually heading back. >> that's pretty brave, don't you think? what do we know about the negotiations? what do we know about the kidnappers? are they still free? >> reporter: this is actually the really interesting thing. we've been watching ver closely, and there's been a rise, a spike in kidnappings since the revolution last year. and they are armed to the teeth really, and the security forces are hesitant to really impose their will in the area. so what needs to happen is that there needs to be some sort of comprehensive deal between the tribal leaders and security forces in cairo, a political deal, a security deal. if that doesn't happen, it's likely the kidnappings will continue because they feel that they've been marginalized by the central government in cairo, and that the only way they can get their grievances heard is by kidnapping foreigners. >> let's hope that that does not continue to happen. cnn's ian lee, thank you very much for that. also this morning, hillary clinton is wrapping up her visit to the middle east with a warning about the desert border between egypt and israel. that dangerous area where that kidnapping happened. the secretary of state says the peninsula could become an operational base for jihadists and terrorists. while that danger was discussed with egypt and israel the past few days, mrs. clinton insist it's not just those two nations who need to be wary. >> we have americans as part of the multi-national force that observes the continuation of the camp david accords. we have americans in the cyanide. so it's in everyone's interests that we work together to make sure that security is in place. >> she went on to say the u.s. and israel are on the same page and willing to do whatever it takes to prevent the iranians from building a nuclear weapon. the air force sex scandal, rocking one of the nation's busiest military training centers. the first instructor in san antonio stands trial in a sex scandal implicating a dozen people. staff sergeant lewis walker is charged with 28 counts including rape, aggravated sexual contact, and multiple counts of aggrav e aggravated sexual assault. if convicted, he could get up to life in prison and a dishonable discharge. another salvo on the u.s. olympic uniform controversy. china is accusing the u.s. of hypocrisy for making a fuss over the uniforms that were made in china. a commentary from china's official state news agency ripped american lawmakers for playing politics with the controversy. the uniforms team usa will wear during the opening ceremonies in london were made in china, but designed by american ralph lauren. many lawmakers on both sides flipped out when they found out about this. senate leader harry reid even said burn them. a new mother of twins who was infected with flesh-eating bacteria, she could be leaving the hospital as early as today. can you believe it? l lana has been diagnosed for two months now. she has made a great recovery. lana talked to cnn about the ups and the downs. >> sometimes i cry over, you know, the fact that i'm sick. sometimes i cry over missing the babies. sometimes i've cried over knowing that life will never be, like, i guess, i had always thought it would be. but it will still be a good life. >> that's a great attitude. the new mom has had more than 20 surgical procedures, including skin graphs and reconstruction. here's the good news. no amputations. >> as a mother of twins, she's in for some great days ahead of her. >> that's right, you have twins. >> good luck. a banged up yacht is back home in connecticut this morning after its crew was saved by a cruise ship in a daring rescue that was posted on youtube. the norwegian cruise ship that made the rescue veerd off course on its way back from bermuda after getting a distress call from the coast guard. this is our first look at the video. the cruise ship pulled three men and three women to safety after the sailing yacht's rutter snapped. that can be really scary, leaving the boat drifting in the rough seas. so just the word "shark" is enough to get people running from the water, right? >> me, for sure. >> coming up, soledad o'brien talks about her up close encounter under water with whale sharks thanks to that guy, sir richard branson. s an impact on . how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief, i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city. if you want to make a difference, you have to have the rht education. university of phoenix opened the door. my name is james craig, i am committed to making a difference, and i am a phoenix. visit phoenix.edu to find the program that's right for you. enroll now. would you mind if to be i go ahead of you?omer. instead we had someone go ahead of him and win fifty thousand dollars. congratulations you are our one millionth customer. people don't like to miss out on money that should have been theirs. that's why at ally we have the raise your rate 2-year cd. you can get a one-time rate increase if our two-year rate goes up. if your bank makes you miss out, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. the wife. hey, babe. got the jetta. i wiped the floor with the guy! not really. i would've been fine with 0% for 36 months, but i demanded 60. no...i didn't do that. it was like taking candy from a baby. you're a grown man. alright, see you at home. 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[ male announcer ] at 0% apr for 60 months, no one needs to know how easy it was to get your new volkswagen. that's the power of german engineering. who are these guys? oh, that's just my buds. bacon, donuts. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] waffles. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? rookie. okay. ♪ nutty clusters and almonds, ♪ ♪ almonds. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one nutty clusters and almonds. with 43% daily value of fiber for you. crunchy nutty clusters and real almond slices for your taste buds. good morning, atlanta. it is 41 minutes past the hour. that fine city is now 75 degrees. a little bit later, though, it's going to be hot. 91 degrees. muggy probably as well, because you'll be experiencing some thunderstorms, but you should be really happy about that because of the drought. >> the drought in georgia and all over the country. the nation's most severe drought in decades. it's spreading. more than half of the continental u.s. is now in some stage of drought conditions. in most of the rest of the country, it is close to it. that's according to a new report from the national climatic data center. it's the largest area of land afektded by the drought since the 1950s. rob marciano joins us now from atlanta. what's going on with this? >> 59% of the country under some sort of drought. i think it was back in '56, we had 58%. so very close to that. this is the aerial extent of what we're talking about. the northeast and florida finally out of it as well as the northwest. but everybody else seeing at least some dry conditions. here's what we expect as far as improvement. anywhere you see green here, improvement. just the southwest, a little sliver there and maybe parts of southern georgia, but that is about it. we're in the hot and very dry season, so any pop-up thunderstorm you get, you'll take. will we be a dust bowl again? the thinking is hopefully not. the modern agriculture, we've got different ways we mitigate things, erosion control and certainly the new crops that we have out will hopefully aleve -- make that not happen. but the heat certainly is not helping matters, even in the nonagricultural areas like chicago, cleveland, cincinnati, philadelphia. you're under an extreme heat advisory watch today for a lot of places. the heat and humidity pumping up across parts of the south. all the cool stuff remains in canada where it typically stays this time of year. 98 degrees expected in chicago. 95 in new york city. 101 degrees in d.c. so we are in the thick of it. the middle of july. things don't tend to get very cool there. if you want a cool spot, 57, as mark twain would say, the worst winter i had was a summer in san francisco. john, welcome aboard, man. i've been a fan for a long time. >> you, too. they're telling me i should dress like you. they said look at how rob marciano dresses, you could look like him. i'm like if i could look like rob, i'd have no problems. >> i appreciate it. >> we're trying to get him to get rid of the tie. we don't know if it's going to happen. but we like the look, rob. thank you. >> see you guys. the fbi launching a criminal investigation after sewing needles were covered in sandwiches on four separate delta flights. this was from amsterdam to the united states. the turkey sandwiches were all prepared at the same facility. delta says one passenger was injured, but declined medical treatment. three chicago teenagers are being held without bond after a fatal beating that was recorded and posted on facebook. prosecutors say the victim, the 62-year-old, was targeted by gang members in a game of something called point and punch. they say a 16-year-old delivered the fatal blows while two others taped it on his cell phone and then posted it on a facebook page. critics of the tsa are trying to force the agency to hold public hearings on the use of airport body scanners. they've been pretty controversial. a year ago, the u.s. court of appeals ordered the tsa to schedule hearings promptly in order to adopt rules and regulation for using those scanners. that's because the tsa breeched federal law by adopting them in 2009 without first holding a 90-day public comment period. the tsa still hasn't scheduled the hearings, but says it is a top priority. sarah palin snubbed? the former alaska governor says she's still waiting for an invitation from mitt romney to speak at next month's republican convention. if it doesn't come, she tells newsweek she thinks it is because of her willingness to criticize members of her own party. another possible reason no invitation has come, she hasn't yet formally endorsed mitt romney. may be something you want to do before you get that invitation. so he's noun for his 3-d chalk art pieces around the world. fans are making their way to kurt winter's interactive art drawing at the grand canyon. it spreads over the courtyard floor and up one wall. so visitors can see themselves in a picture perched high above the canyon floor. they can take pictures. it is free of charge. it will be on display through october. we have something really special for you this morning. virgin billionaire boss richard branson wants you to join him in saying no to shark fin soup. soledad o'brien spoke exclusively with the billionaire businessman about his latest venture, saving sharks. >> she didn't just speak with him. she joined him for a swim with a massive whale shark. and she's joining us for a little preview. >> it was so incredible. of course, richard branson is a huge conservationist and really wanted to bring attention to the whale shark and really get people to stop having shark fin soup. really, what we got to do is jump into the water with these whale sharks about 12 miles off the coast of mexico. absolutely amazing. look at some of these pictures. these animals grow about 49 feet. he told me why he thinks it's so important to raise awareness about ecotourism in general. why do you think sharks get such a bad rep? >> because of the film "jaws", people have this dreadful image of sharks. it's very sad that that film ever got made. sharks will only bite people by mistake, and that only happens maybe a handful of times a year throughout the whole world. and i've swum with great whites. i've swum with tiger sharks. i've swum with whale sharks. all kinds of sharks. >> now, whale sharks don't eat people. they have these massive mouths, but you're really not in danger of being eaten, unlike tiger sharks occasionally do eat people and bite people. >> you're good at that. >> i got better. the strategy is swim right for the eyes so that the shark sees you, and then you kind of tuck in behind the gills. you can see the massive gills there. it drags you along and you actually move quite speedily with your snorkel through the water. and you're right. as close as i am to you, next to these massive whale sharks. >> i did it last year. even though they don't eat humans, when they're that big and right next to you, you still get plenty scared. >> i asked richard branson, kind of afraid when they come at you with a mouth that's giant. >> he said oh, yes, you know, but then they just spit you out. i'm like, i'm not really feeling better about that. he does believe, though, that international tourists can keep these animals alive, because if you can get the fishermen to stop fishing for the sharks and instead make more money and create more jobs by the hotels and the rent a car operations and the restaurants that are all needed to support tourism because now people can dive with those sharks or swim with the sharks. when i was there, there were somewhere between 300 and 400 of these animals. >> so no danger to the animal in having so much human contact. >> no, you don't really touch them. and they have censors all up and down their bodies, so they kind of just flick their tails around you. when you accidentally bump into one, they just sort of move out of the way. >> it's like accidentally bumping into a truck. they're big. >> they're gentle. but it is crazy to swim up to something the size of a bus and try to keep up with it. >> when can we see this? >> we're going to air the entire interview with sir richard branson this morning on "starting point" in our 7:00 hour. >> that's really great. thank you. it's the kind of photograph of a milestone moment that you would treasure forever. just a little bit of a problem. the people in the picture may not know that this snapshot right here exists. >> let's find them. >> we're attempting to. it's a really special moment that we're going to share with you, although some people don't like the fact that that picture exists. we'll explain. if you're leaving the house right now, you can watch us any time on your desk top on your mobile phone. just go to cnn.com/tv. nature valley trail mix bars are made with real ingredients you can see. like whole roasted nuts, chewy granola, and real fruit. nature valley trail mix bars. 100% natural. 100% delicious. 100% natural. so what i'm saying is, people like options. when you take geico, you can call them anytime you feel like saving money. it don't matter, day or night. use your computer, your smartphone, your tablet, whatever. the point is, you have options. oh, how convenient. hey. crab cakes, what are you looking at? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. ♪ i want to go ♪ i want to win [ breathes deeply ] ♪ this is where the dream begins ♪ ♪ i want to grow ♪ i want to try ♪ i can almost touch the sky [ male announcer ] even the planet has an olympic dream. dow is proud to support that dream by helping provide greener, more sustainable solutions from the olympic village to the stadium. solutionism. the new optimism.™ ♪ this dream i tell mike what i can spend. i do my best to make that work. we're driving safely. and sue saved money on brakes. now that's personal pricing. weome back. time to take a look at what is trending on the web. and a touching marriage proposal caught on camera, except the engaged couple doesn't know that the photos exist. this is one of those stories that i absolutely love, but a lot of people are really mad about this. this woman was snapping this very, very special moment. she's a photographer, also a teacher. she was about a football field away and she said she saw this moment happen, and she captured it on film. and she's trying to find the couple. she's tried everything she possibly can, so she decided that she was going to post the picture to see if somebody could identify the couple. a lot of people are mad at her because they say that she, you know, messed with a really personal moment. how do you feel about that? >> i think it's a really beautiful photo. if that was me there -- >> wouldn't you want it? >> i would want it. >> this is what she said. "he kissed her and her entire body went limp. it was a moment of pure beauty and i could feel the love through my camera lens." >> i'm getting that. >> this is the national war memorial in washington, d.c. so she wants to find the happy couple. she said she's contacted several agencies and hasn't been able to do it. so here you go. >> i have some equally touching and romantic news. a self-chilling beer can. we have some awesome scientists who invented a way for a beer can to get itself cold. it's got a butten the on the bottom. it filled with carbon dioxide and this beer can gets cold. it takes two minutes to cool off. when you take a beer out of the fridge, it's already cold. >> all right. >> just saying. >> i guess we're going to stick to the theme of beer. more beer news that's apparently good for the environment. it is time to head to australia. i think this is your favorite story of the morning. >> from the land down under. >> it's an awesome recycling project. it's called the beer can regata. you really love this story. >> it's hard to explain, except that it's boats made out of beer cans. in australia, they have a lot of leftover beer cans. they've been doing this since 1974. they make these boats that you're looking at right now out of cans. and apparently they float. so good for them down in australia. what will they think of next down there? >> apparently they were rebuilding the town after a cycle, so they drank so much beer to stay cool that the cans literally flooded the streets. that's the story. >> i'm going to use that next time. >> that's kind of cool, actually. look at that. >> it is totally cool. >> beer cans with a purpose. it is 55 minutes past the hour right now. coming up after the break, we have some serious news. our top stories, including a disturbing twist in the trayvon martin case. new accusations against george zimmerman that have nothing to do with the night of the shooting. you're watching "early start." s while balancing the company's bottom line, their very first word was... 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what was he doing? did he leave the bus and run over there? just folks. she's okay. >> good morning welcome to "early start" i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. we'll talk with elizabeth cohen about whether qnexa really works. >> we're going to talk to the man who can do it, deepak chopra will explore relationships and how he's using the internet. >> i could use advice there. the fbi and international authorities are working to find out how sewing needles ended up in four sandwiches on delta airlines flights. they were found on four separate flights. that's the arrow pointing to them traveling from amsterdam to the united states. officials say one passenger was injured by that needle but declined medical treatment. federal agents have launched a criminal investigation now. cnn's sandra endo is live with the latest. what have they uncovered so far? >> a full blown investigation is under way and the fbi and local authorities in the negligent th are trying to find out how the needles got into the sandwiches in the first place. a spokesperson said they were found in sandwiches from a. amsterdam and two flights to atlanta. when delta found out about the needles in the food, the airline said it notified all 18 flights from amsterdam to stop serving the sandwiches. here's what one passenger who got one of the contaminated sandwiches said when he spoke to ktsp. >> i bit down on it so i wasn't biting down on the sharp side but the flat side. it could have been a bad injury orally, but had i taken a big swallow and swallowed that down, i'd have a needle inside, that would be very concerning to me. >> gate gourmet, a spokes person for that company says the sandwiches were prepared in s amsterdam and says this is a terribly upsetting situation. there's nothing more important to us at all than the safety of the passengers and crew u.s. so is the transportation security administration is also saying it's looking closely into this investigation as to what happened as well as a security protocols being conducted by the air carrier and airport authorities. >> so the company that makes these sandwiches says it also provides food to other airlines, is there a concern on other flights as well? >> well, gate gourmet says it's fully cooperating and conducting its own full scale investigation. the company says it does provide food to other airlines but have received no other reports or complaints. >> that's kind of scary here this morning. thank you very much. >> can you feel the buzz? can you feel the anticipation? it must be the veep stakes. mitt romney, is he about to pick his vice president? >> a top campaign adviser says it could happen this week, which would be very, very early or not this week. that clears things up. some anl iflts say this is really about shifting focus from discussion on his record at bain and also his personal finances. pete er hamby joins us live now. what would be the shift in attention? what's the calendar tell us by why he would do it now versus later? >> first of all, john, there's a ton of buzz right now. the buzz for tim pawlenty or rob portman is deafening, who thought i would ever say that but romney, if he does pick a running mate would have somebody he could tag team the country with and demand media attention and raise money. but, you know, do they get this media pop too early? i was e-mailing republicans yesterday about what you would get by naming a running mate this early as opposed to later. you don't run one of your best plays to win in the second quarter. patience obi wan. but the romney campaign as you mentioned might want to change the subject from this constant fuselage of attacks from the aobama campaign about bain capital and his tax returns. romney is only releasing two years of tax returns. >> it would be shocking to see it this early. these attacks on bain and taxes are deafening and there is a new one that we're reporting just this morning and has to do with the swing states that all campaigns are targeting right now. >> that's right, romney is going to be in irwin, pennsylvania, just outside of pittsburgh, white working class voters are who he's targeting. but the obama campaign, look at this tough new ad they just released this hour in pennsylvania only. take a listen. >> tax havens, offshore accounts, carried interest. mitt romney has use the every trick in the book. he admits over the last two years he paid less than 15% in taxes in $43 million in income. makes you wonder if some years he paid any taxes at all. we don't know because romney released one full year of his tax returns and won't release anything before 2010. >> you know what, i put out as much as we're going to put out. >> what is mitt romney hiding? >> that's a really bare knuckle ad from the obama campaign. they are not afraid to take the gloves off against mitt romney and haven't been for a year. that's the first time they've gone straight at his tax returns and pension for secrecy in one of their tv ads. >> the romney campaign not happy we continue to focus on this. one adviser said, all we could do is go, sigh. >> it is six minutes past the hour. deadly wildfires and fears of food shortage. now word that the most vere drought is spreading, more than half of the continental united states is in some state of drought and the rest of the country is close to it as well. that's from the national climatic data center in north carolina. it is the largest area of land affected by drought since the 1950s. >> george zimmerman's attorney and trayvon martin family are reacting to a stunning twist. a female witness, only identified as witness nine is accusing zimmerman of molesting her when they were both children. >> it started when i was six. he's -- he's about almost two years older than i am. he would reach under the blankets and try to do things and i would try to push him off but he was bigger and stronger and older. >> she also said zimmerman and his family flat out said they didn't like black people unless they acted like white people. zimmerman's attorney mark o'mara identified the woman's f as zimmerman's cousin and told piers morgan the allegations would not be admissible in court but may affect the search for truth in the trayvon martin shooting. >> these allegations, which george con tends are untrue, now we need to spend resources and team rebutting them and put in a diffict if not delicate position of deciding how much we attack the source of this story or leave it be and move on to what really counts. >> an attorney for martin's family issued a statement saying that the woman's testimony should be included in the evidence. they say witness number nine would be a rebuttal witness, showing that george zimmerman has a history of violence and manipulation. zimmerman's mentality is very relevant it the trial he says. two young people killed and 19 others wounded when gunfire broke out at an outdoor barbecue. a 3-year-old child is among those injured. toronto's police chief said this is the most serious crime of its kind ever to hit the city. tonight's event is unprecedented. it is shocking to every -- to all of canada. because of the number of people that injured, the level of violence is something we have never experienced. >> police have a person of interest in custody but looking for more suspects now. >> he says he's not a hero but if he's not, i don't know who he is. check this out. he saved a little girl's life. this is cell phone video taken by a new york city neighbor. it shows a 7-year-old jumping up and down on the air conditioner before falling three stories when steven saint bernard caught her breaking the fall in the bushes below and survived without a scratch. not a scratch. the little girl is said to be autist autistic. they are not charging the parents for negligence, everyone tlild this man is in fact a hero and catches really well. >> i was reading more about the story. he said he was hoping he could save her. he was so worried about her. he actually sustained a torn tendon in his shoulder. >> really? >> otherwise he's fine. the entire time he was thinking about his 7-year-old girl. his little girl calls him a hero. >> and so do i. drop some pounds by popping a pill. coming up with a brand-new weight loss drug just hours away from fda approval, we ask, does it really work? and is it safe? male spirit present.trong it's the priceline negotiator. >>what? >>sorry. he wants you to know about priceline's new express deals. it's a faster way to get a great hotel deal without bidding. pick one with a pool, a gym, a great guest rating. >>and save big. >>thanks negotiator. wherever you are. ya, no. he's over here. >>in the refrigerator? hey america, even though slisa rinna is wearing the new depend silhouette briefs for charity to prove how great the fit is even under a fantastic dress. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. we invite you to get a free sample and try one on too. mine was earned off vietnam in 1968. over the south pacific in 1943. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. it is 13 minutes past the hour, i'm john berman. >> i'm zoraida sambolin. the fda is expected to approve a brand-new weight loss pill, qnexa, it comes on the heels of another weight loss pill approved last month. elizabeth cohen joins us. how well does this drug work? >> this drug works even better than the one that was just approved. let's take a look at the numbers and the studies that they did of over 4,000 people on average they weighed about 226 pounds and they went down to 204 pounds. so that's a 23-pound weight loss and it lasted for the two years that they were on the drug. >> and elizabeth, what's in the pill? >> there's actually two different drugs in the pill, which is sort of interesting one of them is fentermine and topiramate, people who have epilepsy and migraines take it. one person said i have to remind myself to eat and could say no to things if someone offered a chocolate chip cookie, i could say eh. >> that's interesting, a lot of people lobbied against approval of qnexa, why is that? >> the reason why is because of its side effects. let's go over this, this is really, really important. what they found in the clinical trials some people who went on this drug, their heart rate went up. so there's a concern that that could lead to serious heart problems when taken over a period of years and years. some people had confusion and language problems, which is interesting. and not on this pill but on another pill that includes topiramate, some women gave birth to children with birth defects. they didn't test it out on all that many women that got pregnant. if a woman of child bearing age takes qnexa, they are supposed to be on birth control. as we all know, things sometimes go wrong and there will likely be pregnancies on this pill. >> is this designed for people who are morbidly obese? >> it is designed for people who are obese. doctors are supposed to give it to people who are obese or overweight and have problems like blood pressure or high cholesterol. that's the really interesting point. that's who it's supposed to go to. we know from history with other diet pills that doctors will prescribe it to people who want to lose five pounds to look good at their high school reunion. and that's not supposed to happen because you're not supposed to risk these side effects just to lose five pounds. but doctors can do what we want and we know from fast experience they will. >> elizabeth cohen, live in atlanta, thanks very much. >> having a healthy diet and good fitness is always hard but it's really hard when you're traveling and on the road constantly. you grab whatever is easy at the airport or hotel, but i'm told with planning and will power, you can keep your waistline in check. we have healthy eating tips in this morning's road warriors segment. >> to resist fatty foods apparently. >> snack like nuts and protein bars and granola and chopped vegetables and fruit. if you're worried about the fruit leaking in your bag, which everything always opens in my bag, try dried fruit or apple. that's what i'm advising to all of you. another option is a peanut butter sandwich. >> what if you have to eat at the airport, don't panic, we have options for you as well. how about a turkey sandwich on whole wheat, no mayo, lowfat yogurt. >> i what about it? >> i love it. salad, choose the dressing on the side. >> avoid the mini bar and stock your room with water and carry snacks with you so you won't be tempted, which i always am to eat the junk food during or between meetings, don't skip breakfast, it fuels your body with all of the right foods. >> what if your hotel offers a complimentary breakfast? you're supposed to skip doughnuts and pastries. choose foods high in fiber and protein like oatmeal, hard boiled eggs or fruit. >> good advice, if i could only follow it. all right, it is 18 minutes past the hour. a brand-new banking scandal on capitol hill. lawmakers accusing a major bank of not doing enough to prevent drug cartels from moving their money. we'll have more coming up. this happy couple used capital one venture miles for their "destination wedding." double miles you can "actually" use. but with those single mile travel cards... 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[ all screaming ] watch the elbows ladies. resulting in unexpected power and agility. introducing the all-new, all-powerful gator rsx 850i. sixty-two horsepower, a fully independent multilink suspension and a top spee of 53 miles per hour. it's a whole new species of gator. see just how much the gator has evolved at johndeere.com/gator. i tell mike what i can spend. i do my best to make that work. we're driving safely. and sue saved money on brakes. now that's personal pricing. welcome back, it's 22 minutes past the hour, i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm john berman, we have another day, another banking scandal it seems. regulators are expected to testify on capitol hill following a new senate report charging the global banking giant saying they failed to prevent billions of dollars of money transfers linked to drug cartels and terrorist groups. the 340-page report also places blame on the office of the controller of currency, a key regulatory agency for failing to properly do its job. >> from an oversight perspective, the failure of accountability here is dramatic. it is very, very clear. and it's to me one of the great omissions in our country generally recently is the failure to hold people accountable for their failures, their abuses and their misdeeds. >> joining me now to help sort out what's going on, the phrase being tossed around is money laundering. what hsbc is being accused of, is it illegal or more complicated than that? >> it's good to be here today. i believe what they are being charged with in the senate probe is failure of controls, not doing enough to guard against illegal infiltration of illicit money into the banking system and banking accounts and businesses and banks financial institutions that hsbc does business with. >> in 2007 and 2008, the company's mexico unit shipped $7 billion in cash to the u.s. and now u.s. law enforcement is saying, that could have only happened if those included illegal drug proceeds. so what responsibility would have hsbc had or this government agency monitoring them to stop them? >> it's first important to note that this probe is not revealing new charges. mexican authorities, u.s. officials were well aware that these funds were coming through the hsbc affiliate. however there was not the proper enforcement action by u.s. banking regulators to make sure that hsbc was held accountable for monitoring illicit transactions going on in their own banking institutions and so while this is not new criticism on hsbc, it is renewed criticism for federal banking regulators on making sure that banks are held accountable for wrong doing and failedisk management and failed anti-money laundering controls. it doesn't happen in this case for several years and the problems were allowed to fester worldwide. >> and trouble with banking oversight, not a headline they want to see when everything else going on. nela anderson, thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. >> gone without a trace. >> thank you, bye. >> we're saying good-bye again to her. a new effort to find two young iowa girls who disappeared after a bike ride. if you are leaving the house right now, you can watch on your desktop or mobile phone, cnn.com/tv. it's hard to see opportunity in today's challenging environment. unless you have the right perspective. bny mellon wealth management has the vision and experience to look beyond the obvious. we'll uncover opportunities, find hidden risk, and make success a reality. bny mellon wealth management ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] what's the point of an epa estimated 42 miles per gallon if the miles aren't interesting? the lexus ct hybrid. this is the pursuit of perfection. where are elizabeth and lyric. they search the lake where the iowa girls were last seen. i crew of a battered sailboat plucked from the ocean by a passing cruise ship. a 10-year-old born with one arm wins a swim championship. amazing. >> i love that story. i'm john berman. >> we're very happy you're with us, i'm zoraida sambolin. the bikes were found but they are gone. it is a desperate search resuming this morning in iowa. authorities have now started draining a nearby lake for any sign of 8-year-old elizabeth colins and 10-year-old lyric cook. they are cousins and last seen by their grandmother before they went on a bicycle ride on friday. jim spellman is live in evans dale, i read the search has included helicopters and dogs and boats and they are saying these girls seem like they just vanished. >> reporter: good morning i'm at this lake they are draining, the level has gone down several feet here. friday it's so mysterious to everybody working on this. friday the two girls go out for a bicycle ride and the bikes are found, one of the purses is found but no sign of where the girls are, no sign of foul play either. then a massive search, almost 1,000 people from the community coming out here to help look for the girls and they found essentially nothing. as every day passes, the family is becoming more and more frustrating. here's anderson cooper 360 hast night. >> it's baffling to understand how someone got off with a 10-year-old and 8-year-old at the same time because it's as those they disappeared in broad daylight. >> reporter: as the standard procedure in any case like this, police have been questioning family members. several of them have told us they've taken polygraph tests and police say they are cooperating. they brought the fbi in to bring their resources in here as well to do everything they can to find the girls. >> you mentioned they are draining the lake. do you know if they used son ar equipment to see if anything was under the lake? >> reporter: i'm not sure if they used sonar, they don't feel there's anything in the lake that will help them but they want to be certain. it's an interesting environment, though this is a small town the lake is not really rural. there's an interstate that goes right by it. there's homes built right up to the lake. there is an island in the middle of the lake with very dense woods. the challenging environment but walking around here in this neighborhood, it's hard to see how two girls 8 and 10 could simply vanish. >> jim spellman, live for us, thank you very much for that live report. news from ohio this morning, a teenager suspected of being a drug king pin. police say a 17-year-old high school student was at the head of a marijuana distribution ring that separated in two cincinnati area high schools. they also say he had six lieutenant selling as much as $20,000 in high grade pot to students every month. authorities seized 600 marijuana plants with a street value of $3 million. the minor was not named and will face charges in juvenile court. a banged up yacht back home in connecticut this morning after its crew was saved by a cruise ship in a daring rescue posted here on youtube. the ship veered offcourse on the way back from bermuda. afte getting a distress call from the coast guard during tropical storm debby, they pulled three men and three women to safety after the rudder snapped leaving it drifting in the seas. 10-year-old ben ramirez making quite a splash in el paso. he was born with one arm. in sunday's city swimming championships, look at him, he blew the competition right out of the water, capturing two gold medals and two bronze medals. >> it gets exhausting and it gets like cold so you have to keep on trying until you get to first. >> remember his name, ben's coach says his star swimmer never complains about having one arm. as for ben, he has a goal to compete for the united states in the paralymics games. >> what's the key to enlightenment? >> i don't know. >> deepak chopra joins us about reaching a whole new generation with the help of his children. i wiped the floor with the guy! not really. i would've been fine with 0% for 36 months, but i demanded 60. no...i didn't do that. it was like taking candy from a baby. you're a grown man. alright, see you at home. [ male announcer ] the volkswagen autobahn for all event. we good? we're good. [ male announcer ] at 0% apr for 60 months, no one needs to know how easy it was to get your new volkswagen. that's the power of german engineering. [romney singing]: oh beautiful, for spacious skies, to get your new volkswagen. i'm barack obama and i approve this message. for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain, america, america, god shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good, with brotherhood... we all know it could be an hectic world between work and home obligations. >> especially when you have 5-year-old boys. >> exactly. >> deepak chopra thinks you can make time to expand your mind and you can do it while online. he launched a youtube channel with his children to reach a whole new generation of meditators. deepak chopra is here with his children. i'm going to start with that little tweeting thing. we were right here, right before we started, he is tweeting away. >> it's the extension of our mind and it regulates the flow of energy and information on a global level. we're creating a global brain for a planetary civilization, i mean it literally because right now people's neurobiology is being stimulated by these ideas and hopefully we can elevate the situation to create a healthy world. >> you want to make a global brand. what better way than bringing in people from "jersey shore." we have a clip of the new channel with you speaking with i believe it's vinnie from "jersey shore". >> my family. >> forgiveness. >> jesus. >> karma. >> the nightclub in jersey. >> that's pretty good. >> are you impressed with the karma of jersey shore? >> well, not quite. that's why i have them on the show. >> malika, i identified instantly with you, a mom trying to help us through this journey of parenting. tell us about that. >> we grew up in this environment influenced by my dad. for me i'm a unique position, a mom with two daughters, 10 and 8. >> good for you. >> for me it's always about balance. i always feel like i'm struggling between work and being a good parent. so i -- for me this channel is about exploring that, exploring balance and how do we kind of as women find that in our lives. >> i've heard it said of your dad and hoping you can lend insight, that he never gets mad. is that true? your father never gets mad is. >> that's not true. it's relatively true though. >> do a close-up on dad's face tries to do that. >> i'm trying right now. >> it doesn't make you mad he says that. >> see i'm not getting mad. >> how do you not get mad? >> it's a waste of energy. >> really, in fairness, though, actually, i think he gets impatient in general because he has an urgency to get his message out, which is one of the things the channel is doing. as a family we are very close and spend a lot of time together. that doesn't mean we don't all get impatient and frustrated like any other family. >> when i was watching the channel, you were rolling your eyes quite often when your dad was speaking. >> that's kind of my role in the family, but it's funny because you open with the "jersey shore" thing, part of why we're involved in this, there is an opening of the audience all of a sudden. it's not necessary because of anything we've done. vinny g. is a fan of my dad. he came to my father. he billed himself as the deepak chopra of the "jersey shore" generation, there's a hunger all of a sudden amongst the younger generation for this type of material, for this type of information. and so certainly my roll is sometimes to question where the rubber hits the road and try to make this philosophy and lifestyle relevant to a new generation that's struggling. >> but the internet isn't about patience. youth in america, not about patience. how can you convince them it's worth taking a break and stepping back? >> that's why we have the meditation videos which voluntary people down. we also have a 21-day meditation challenge at the center where we offer online meditations, which wouldn't be without the internet. people are actually finding it very useful to slow down, to try our channel on youtube. >> i also think we're living in a time, my kids wake up and watch youtube, don't put on the tv, put on cartoons in youtube, we're trying to use the technology and media out there today. we're also doing programming in two to four-minute segments so it is a different world. but -- >> patience for the impatient, right? >> exactly, getting the message across in the media center. >> kpining two generations, right? >> three actually. >> you have this real steady and calm about you but it looks like the two of you have more pep going on, right? >> i think you know, we are a different generation and there's a lot to do. there's a lot to accomplish. you guys cover it every day, a lot going on in the world and i think people are desperate for some sort of clarity. youtube is a great medium because fz on demand. you can go and find it when you want it, it's there. >> thanks so much for being here, author "spiritual solutions", the entire chopra family. it was a pleasure to have you here and very calming i have to say also. >> it's the chopra well on youtube, please subscribe. >> we'll tweet that out as well. soledad o'brien joins us with what ahead on "starting point." jada pink et smith will join us along with willow how they are so inspired talking about human trafficking, they are on d.c. on capitol hill. we'll talk to dick durbin says republicans are sabotaging the economic recovery because they think it will help in november. i had a chance to go on the water with sir richard branson, why we did that and one on one with the original karate kid, current american gypsies executive producer, ralph macchio, go to cnn.com/tv. otherwise, we'll see you right at the top of the hour. it's 7:00 a.m. eastern. short break. back in just a moment. life was hard for me. and becoming a fulltime indoor cat wasn't easy for atti. but we had each other and he had purina cat chow indoor. he absolutely loved it. and i knew he was getting everything he needed to stay healthy indoors. and after a couple of weeks, i knew we were finally home! [ female announcer ] purina cat chow indoor. always there for you. i don't have to use gas. i am probably going to the gas station about once a month. drive around town all the time doing errands and never ever have to fill up gas in the city. i very rarely put gas in my chevy volt. last time i was at a gas station was about...i would say... two months ago. the last time i went to the gas station must have been about three months ago. i go to the gas station such a small amount that i forget how to put gas in my car. ♪ good morning to you, washington, d.c., typically i tell you what the temperature is and what's going to be happening later, but you know what, we're going to get to that. >> i'm going with hot. >> it's a little hot. rob marciano will join us and let us know. >> just how hot. >> just how hot it is. probably hot and muggy, that's pretty much. >> pretty standard when it comes to d.c. the fbi is launching a criminal investigation after sewing needles, look at them right there, that's a sandwich, where it was discovered on four separate delta flights from amsterdam to the united states. the turkey sandwiches were all prepared at the same facility in amsterdam. delta says one passenger was injured but declined medical treatment. >> three more men are coming forward telling police they were abused by jerry sandusky, this time in the '70s or '80. they are the first to accuse him before the 90s that could mean he began preying on children in his early 20s. there's no mention of victims before the 1990s in the report filed by former fbi director louis freeh. >> behind bars this morning. take a look at this man, mark carter allegedly tried to rob an amish couple at gun point in delaware. >> really? >> he pulled his car in front of their buggy and got out and demanded money. they didn't have any. so he ran away. the quick thinking couple managed to get a registration number on his car and the cops tracked him down. >> something apparently is screwy at skype. a system bug is sending private instant messages to the wrong recipients, this could end very badly. users are complaining their contacts are receiving messages from them that they never ever sent. skype says it's working on a fix. >> wouldn't you love to read that and see what is beingterr turning to robots to help tackle the tough cases. these $14,000 giz mos are called recon counts, but s.w.a.t. team members called them throw bots. >> you pull the scout through a window. hands up, walk to the door. gives us audio capabily and video capability and allows us to clear hard areas that we would be exposed to. >> and hopefully keeps them safe. it can climb stairs and has infrared sensors and just $14,000 a piece, a lot of law enforcement agencies are adding them to their crime fighting arsenal. >> i see your throw bot and raise you one incredibly cool sound using fire extinguisher device. this uses sound to extinguish flames. it comes from darpa and they created this state of the art fire extinguishering, electromagnetic radiation and acoustic waves. it's about putting out fires in enclosed places such as cockpits and blow deck on ships. the most severe drought in decades is spreading now. more than half of the continental united states is some some stage of drought and most of the rest of the country is close to it as well. it is the largest area of land affected by the drought since the 1950s. >> rob marciano joins us live from atlanta now. i cannot believe the drought has spread so far. >> it's amazing to see places that were in extreme drought last year are not in drought now and how the tables have turned so quickly, guys. this map illustrated how much is under drout, much of it moderate, a lot of it extreme. the amount that we'll see improvemenover the next couple of months, will really just be across parts of the desert southwest and maybe across southern georgia. florida has been in drought for a really several years but the tropical moisture we had earlier in the spring knocked that out and texas has seen some improvement, either way you slice it, this drought is deepingening and it's the worse since 1955 and rivals the drought back in 1936. any more rain in the forecast? not a lot with the exception of pop-up thunderstorms. this stationary front along the canadian border will dip down from time to time but for the most part in the month of july it's tough to get it far down to the south. that means not only not a ton of rain but more in the way of heat. chicago back through cincinnati, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings for philadelphia. temperatures will be at 95 to maybe 100 degrees in places like d.c., 101. factor in the humidity and it will feel worse than that. 98 expected in chicago. 57 degrees in san francisco. that's the cool spot. bring your jacket, 88 in chicago and the heat builds into new york city tomorrow afternoon with a high of 96 degrees. >> rob is getting parch there it's so hot. >> thank you, rob. >> we always end our show with best advice, what a unique opportunity we have today. our special guest deepak chopra with his thoughts on that coming up. according to ford, the works fuel saver package could terally pay for itself. jim twitchel is this true? yes it's true. how is this possible? proper tire inflation, by using proper grades of oil, your car runs more efficiently, saves gas. you could be doing this right now? yes i could, mike. i'm slowing you down? yes you are. my bad. the works fuel saver package. just $29.95 or less after rebate. only at your ford dealer. so, to sum up, you take care of that, you take care of these, you save a bunch of this. that works. welcome back, we're a few minutes from quts starting point. >> first we'll wrap it up with best advice and we have a special treat, deepak chopra is here. you're always dispensing advice. what is the best advice you have ever received? >> i actually got it from my father. he said, be present, come from true self-esteem and radiate warmth, love, compassion and joy. >> how do you get that true self-esteem? >> you have to be independent of the good and bad opinions of the world. you have to go back to your inner self, why am i here, how can i contribute to the world? >> i always hear you talk about being present. how can you forget the bad things that happen, screwing up in the last segment for me or how can you not look forward to the problems? >> immediately when distracted brg awareness to your body or breath or recognize that you're not present as soon as you recognize you're not present, you're present. >> so you said your father gave you the best advice that you've ever received. what about your mom, what's the best advice she ever gave you? >> she used to read myth cal stories and have us identify with the hero of the story and said this is your journey on a he hero's journey, my brother is now the dean of education at harvard medical school. we were treated by royalty by our parents. >> i love that. we're all on a hero's journey. >> that is very cool. quickly before we go, was there a particular hero you identified with? >> i did with all of the mythical, ideology. >> thanks so much. >> that's "early start." >> i'm john berman, "starting point" with soledad o'brien starts right now. a scare in the air, sewing needles in sandwiches on a number of delta flights. losing weight but at what cost. the fda is on the verge of approving a weight loss drug today. why some people are saying it's too risky. the campaigns are getting nasty as election day edges closer. a brand-new obama ad. swimming with whale sharks the size of