>> all right. diane, and finally, a horse in kentucky in touch with his inner artist. the horse named justin. there you see him there. throwing around the paint brush a while back, now painting are just, they cannot keep them on the shelves. selling for hundreds of dollars. all the money going to help a local museum which is really nice. he liked to draw shapes in the sand with her whip. gave her a brush and justin started painting. can we get a better name than justin for that horse? three waiting for the same cycling and it is frustrated. a lot of frustrated people coming out. frankly, just want of to get on with it. being called where they're going or what near going or where they should turn up. clearly still some confusion here but they are working very hard to shake this down. the ceo of this company got an absolute grilling yesterday in parliament about the politicians who didn't spare any block. describing this as a shamble and as astonishing $77 million management fee for this whole thing. tinge underlying thing is despite the problems with companies like this, the police and the army they they will step in already 3 1/2 hours to be mobilized to fill in some of the gaps and more are available if needed. it's not a great start but organizers are saying once the medals start being handed out, everyone will forget about it. >> dan rivers reporting live for us this morning. stuck gas pedals on the ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles again and the federal government is investigating whether they played a possible role in one fatal crash. and another crash where the person suffered multiple injuries. nearly 100 reports have been filed by vehicle owners prompting an investigation by the national highway transportation safety administration. more than half a million of the same vehicles all for model years 2001-2004 were recalled eight years ago for speed control cable issues. there are more than 700,000 of these cars still on the road today. jones is live in washington to tell us more about this. is this a new problem? >> well, as you mentioned, good morning. it's not clear at this point whether this is a totally new problem but there are certainly suggestions that it isn't completely new. we're talking about the ford escape and mazda tribute suv models from 2001 and 2004. as you mentioned, 730,000 of these vehicles are being looked at according to the national highway transportation safety administration. now, back in 2004 some of the same vehicles were recalled because the vehicle speed control cables and some of the new complaintses suggest that it was the repairs done back in 2004 that could have led to the problem now. 730,000 of these vehicles on the road. you can see we're standing on a busy street here. people are headed to work. this is something that people are certainly going to be krnd about. we've reached out to ford and mazda, waiting to hear more from them. but as you know, this idea of acceleration problem isn't entirely new one. we know that toyota had problems with this a couple of years ago. carol? >> so what are vehicle owners supposed to do? >> well, they certainly need to be paying attention to the news and if they have vehicles from this model year, again, the ford escape and mazda tribute suv was the v-6 engines from 2001 and 20 2004, unclear at this point whether there's going to be a crawl. but this investigation has begun. certainly they will want to pay attention and see what comes out of this. carol? >> yeah. aveda jones in washington. can't shake calls to release more tax returns. not because they're coming from democrats. the latest poll comes from republican governor rick perry. >> i'm a big believer that no matter who you are or what office you're running for, should be as transparent as you can be with your tax returns and other aspects of your life. people have the appropriate bill to judge your background. >> and it's not just rick perry. the influential national review online writes in an editorial, quote, romney protests that he is not legally only gazed to release any tax returns. of course not. he is no longer in the realm of the private sector, though, where he can come plooi with the letter of the law and with the securities and exchange commission and leave it at that. per spepgss matter. end quote. romney remains firm. two years of tax returns is enough. mr. romney is trying hard to change the discussion from his tax returns. his latest attempt accusing the president of being anti-business. is evidence mr. obama's comments in a campaign stop in virginia on friday. >> if you are successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. there was a great teacher somewhere in your life. somebody helped to create this unbelievable american system that we have that allowed you to thrive. somebody invested roads and bridges. if you've got a business, you didn't build that. somebody else made that happen. >> romney surrogates have rallied around this issue. though one of the surrogates comments seemed offensive. here's what john sununu said about a conference call about the president. >> the president clearly demonstrated that he has absolutely no idea how the american economy functions. the men and women all over america who have worked hard to build these businesses, their businesses, from the ground up is how our economy became the envy of the world. it is the american way, and i wish this president would learn how to be an american. >> sununu then stepped back from that reference in an interview with wolf blitzer but he held fast of his criticism of the president on the economy. >> frankly, i made a mistake. i shouldn't have used those words. and i apologize for using those words but i don't apologize to the idea that this president has demonstrated that he does not understand how jobs are created in america. >> john sununu a liability for the romney campaign? no way, he tells the "washington post," sununu is, quote, not your milk taste metro sexual talking point surrogate, end quote. one of the worst droughts to hit the united states in 100 years is taking a huge toll on this year's crops. in a state that grows the most corn, less than a third of the crops are in good condition. now, farmers and communities across the country are needing to figure out what to do with the potential harvest. this is no longer a corn plant. this is a weed. this ear is probably not harvestable. >> got exports. we've got ethanol industry, and we've got the livestock industry. you know, we've got some food industry that uses some corn, too. and we've got all of them competing for that crop. >> the agriculture department has declared natural disasters in 26 states and in about two hours from now president obama will discuss the drought with agriculture secretary tom vilsack. as i said, the drought is now considered the largest and worst since the mid 1950s. take a look at the map. more than half the country is now effected. meteorologist rob marciano is in burnettsville, indiana, where i think the crops there have been worst of all. >> reporter: they have been, carol. and this is pretty much the worst spot as far as the drought, the heat, around being in the heart of the corn field, as well. ironically, about half an hour ago it poured down rain, probably about a third of an inch, 20 minutes. clearly not enough but these plants will take it. this stalk should be over my head that the point. and just to give you an example of what a healthy ear of corn this time of year looks like, these are few and far between right here. this is what most of this corn looks like. this is not a harvestable at this point. some of this is not even pollinated. that's the key. the bulk of the heat and most intense drought came during pollenization. which means what they have now is all they're going to get regardless of the rain shower that comes down, what they have now is what they're struggling to maintain. earlier this morning i spoke with the farmer who actually owns this plot of land. >> just keeps much worse until major rain storms coming through. >> so they need a lot more than what we just had about 20 minutes ago. but putting things in perspective, they have had some good years in the past 10 or so years. so the more conservative farmers have built up a little bit of a cushion, if that's at all possible. and there is some insurance that a lot of these guys have for years just like this. but it goes well beyond just some struggling farmers as we pointed before you came to me, carol, that these little -- these species of corn, you know, they feed the cattle. they feed the pigs. they need you. and they even supply some fuel. so this is a huge industry that's taking quite a beating. and later on today, one of the undersecretaries of the agricultural department will be right here in this spot to take a tour, and tell these folks what he can do and what the federal government can do at least a little bit to help out. carol? >> rob marciano reporting live from indiana this morning. two men caught on camera trying to rob a cafe, but oh, did they pick the wrong place. how a 71-year-old man saved the day. the medicare debate continues in washington... ...more talk on social security... ...but washington isn't talking to the american people. [ female announcer ] when it comes to the future of medicare and social security, you've earned the right to know. ♪ ...so what does it mean for you and your family? [ female announcer ] you've earned the facts. ♪ washington may not like straight talk, but i do. [ female announcer ] and you've earned a say. get the facts and make your voice heard on medicare and social security at earnedasay.org. it is 17 minutes past the hour. checking our top stories now, breaking news out of syria. we just got word syria's defense minister and deputy defense minister were targeted and killed. this is important because it brings the bloodshed well into the president's inner circle. this could be the tipping point. the british foreign minister says, i think it's clear the situation is deteriorating rapidly. the acting chief of the general services administration is freezing hiring and canceling most executive bonuses after a spending scandal two years ago. the agency spent more than $800,000 on a luxurious vegas seminar for 300 employees. in money news, a car buyer sues hyundai claiming he is not getting 40 miles to the gallon as advertised. it's the second fuel economy lawsuit this year against an automaker. a woman successfully sued honda, saying her civic hybrid never did get 50 miles per gallon. the dog from the movie "the artist" was supposed to bring the ball from the pitcher's mound to home plate, but he ran towards the mascot and then dropped the ball. he may need more training to throw out the first pitch, but he sure looked cute. in florida, two would-be robbers storm an internet cafe with a gun and a baseball bat but had the tables turned on them. they told everyone inside, don't move, and that's when a 71-year-old customer in the back pulled out a gun and started shooting at them. he chased them out of the cafe. the suspects were later found and placed under arrest. the anticipation is beyond fever pitch for batman. actually, the buzz surrounding this film is bizarre. first a clip. >> there's a storm coming. >> you sound like you're looking forward to it. >> i'm adaptable. >> hmm. "the dark knight rising," tickets are rising to $100 this morning. the website rotten tomatoes dared to post a bad review on the site. so many fans protested in very vulgar ways the site had to shut down the comment section, the editor-in-chief urging, quote, just take a deep breath, step away from the computer, and maybe go for a walk. have a smoke if you need one. there are plenty of other things to get angry about, like war, famine, poverty, and crime. but not movie reviews. sincerely, editor-in-chief, rotten tomatoes. and then, there's more, there's the political fallout. some conservatives say batman's arch enemy in the film bane, is really bain, as in mitt romney's old company. media critic eric degins is joining me to talk about the strange reaction to this movie that's not even out yet. eric, seriously, why? >> it's amazing. you brought me here to translate comic book fan boy for you. >> please try. >> this is an amazing movie. the reaction in a way is understandable if you understand comic book fan boys like myself. the dark knight series is considered one of the best comic book movies ever made. the "the dark knight" is considered one of the best comic book movies ever made. a lot of fans are on the edge of their seat and are really hoping that christopher nolan figures out a way to wrap up this trilogy in a way that's worthy of the quality of the first two movies. >> but that doesn't really understand -- >> so if anybody indicates it may not be great -- >> that doesn't explain why people wrote in to rotten tomatoes saying nasty things about critics when the fans haven't even seen the movie yet. >> i think it does, actually. because they are really invested in the movie. they want to believe it's good. and they are very skeptical of anyone who would try to trash it, particularly when they have so many hopes wrapped up in it. i also think that the -- for us fan boys, again, you've got to understand this weird subculture. "the avengers" came out, and i think it set the bar pretty high. it was a really well done comic book movie, and it raised expectations. and now i think fans really want "the dark knight," the final movie, "the dark knight rises," to at least rise to that level or be better, and they are very skeptical and critical of people to want to pull away from that legend. >> ok. let's talk about the, i guess, political fallout. the arch enemy, bane, is it possible that hollywood said, hmm -- >> no. no. >> let's name this arch enemy bane. >> no. no. it's not possible. i mean, number one, the character was picked as the main villain just as the presidential race was getting started a long time ago. so i don't think this was in their minds. and the character itself was created almost 20 years ago. in the batman comic books. also, if you think about the batman legend, bruce wayne is a millionaire who runs a -- or billionaire who runs a very successful company that makes things. he is the hero of the story. so in a way, if they were sending a political message, they would be saying that romney is the hero. i don't understand why conservatives want to feel persecuted here. i mean, in the end, we know batman is going to win. i'm not blowing any spoilers here. and he's the billionaire playboy industrialist. so i don't really understand. >> he's the nice rich guy who gets it, right? >> exactly. now, we do know that there may be some flavors of occupy wall street in the message of the villain bane. we can see that in the trailers that have been released. and there's going to be talk about tension between the classes, between people who don't have feeling sort of persecuted by people who have. and wanting to take a piece of what the ultrasuper rich have. that will be a theme in the movie. but, again, the hero of this piece is a wealthy man. and he's going to win. so i think rush limbaugh should just take a chill pill and wait until the movie comes out. >> eric, thank you so much for sharing. we appreciate it. >> thank you. the federal minimum wage has not increased in nearly three years. now one group is calling for a day of action to pressure lawmakers. but some lawmakers don't want the minimum wage raised. we'll tell you why. 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[ female announcer ] the travelocity guarantee. from the price to the room to the trip you'll never roam alone. a new national campaign is launching today to raise the minimum wage. it's not a popular move. the federal minimum wage has not budged for three years. it remains stuck at $7.25 an hour. and if you don't think this is an emotional issue, just ask voters in wisconsin. this is republican congressman sean duffey, who was confronted by a constituent who said, hey, congressman, let's talk about raising the minimum wage. >> when are you going to hold your next town hall meeting? >> we said we're going to do one every year, and we've done that. >> if you want to come set up an appointment in my office, we'd be happy to have you come on by. >> what i'd like to know is the law to raise the minimum wage. there's a law to raise the minimum wage. >> that youtube video courtesy of credo super pac, a progressive organization. democrats want to raise the minimum wage to nearly $10 an hour, but republicans have blocked the efforts. cory buckner is a waiter. he earns $2.83 an hour. that's the tipped minimum wage in pennsylvania. and i want to explain that to viewers. so $2.85 is the minimum wage in pennsylvania because they factor in tips, et cetera, et cetera. right? >> correct. >> ok. first of all, welcome. we're glad you could join us. we really appreciate you being here and talking about this. so, cory -- >> i appreciate it. >> with tips along with your minimum wage of $2.85 an hour, how much do you earn? >> roughly i can earn anywhere in between $50 a day to $150 a day. it's really based on the generosity of other people. >> and some days you don't get many tips at all or maybe none, right? >> correct. saturday, i didn't make -- i didn't have one table simply because the restaurant was slow. so i didn't make any money -- i made $12 that day about. >> so how much per year roughly do you make? >> well, it's hard for me to say because i have switched jobs recently. but i would say somewhere in between $20,000 to $30,000. >> ok. so some people might say, that doesn't sound so bad. so tell me what it's like to live on that amount of money per year. >> not too well, because at the moment i'm currently over $30,000 in debt due to school. and i can't go back to school because i owe my school $3,000. and i can't transfer my credits to another school if i chose to until i pay that three grand. >> so i'm sure you don't want to be a waiter for the rest of your life since you have that college education. >> no. >> so why are you still doing that? >> it's just a way of living. i mean, i don't even have insurance. i would say most restaurants don't even offer that or benefits to their employees. so at the moment, it's decent money. it's just a way for me to get by at the end of the day. >> republicans say raising the minimum wage would hurt small business owners because they'd have to pay their employees more. and we don't need that right now in the midst of our economic downturn. what do you think? >> i think giving a little bit more to hard working people who don't make enough to begin with is a very good thing. i can recall as a kid, when i say a child, i mean a college student, 19 years old, making $7.25 an hour. and living with my parents. and having insurance. and still struggling. at the end of the day, to pay bills. >> and just the last question for you. have you looked for another job that might pay more? >> honestly, i would say -- here in pittsburgh, it's kind of hard to fin