Transcripts For FOXNEWS Americas Newsroom 20100909

competitive edge? now ranking fourth among 139 countries. the world economic forum citing a trillion dollars decifit, public distrust of government, and rising debt as the reasons for that slide. $13 trillion, that's a lot of numbers. good morning, everybody, i'm bill hemmer. welcome to "america's newsroom". martha: good morning, thank you for starting our morning that way! you don't even get a medal -- a medal in fourth place! you know who has replaced us? switzerland. i kid you not. bill: not even a bronze. we've got brand new jobless numbers in, the labor department reporting $451,000 people filed for first-time unemployment claims in the past week. stu varney, fox business network, first the jobs number tells you what? >> that's a positive number. first time in a long time but it's positive, because it's down 27,000 from the previous week. that was not expected. this could be the start of a new down trend to the number of people going for jobless benefits, down 27,000, stock market loves it. bill: what's with the swiss? we trail the swiss and singapore. >> it's switzerland, it's sweden, it's singapore, it's us. number four in the world rankings, according to competitors, down two notches from last year. we used to be number one until the year 2008. now, what's the problem, according to the world economic forum? well, it's our trillion dollars per year decifits, and the fact that the public does not trust government. of course, this is a european survey, okay? they really trust government over there, so when we don't trust government here, they don't like it, they rank us at number four. bill: clarification, it's a european study. >> the swiss are number one because of innovation, get that, and we're number 87 in terms of big picture economic stability because business people say the government needlessly meddles in the economy in america and because the government in america is a wasteful spender. number 87 on big picture capitalist stability. bill: here's the fine watches this morning. when you talk about debt and decifit, this was the headline yesterday. during a question and answer session with the secretary of state, hillary clinton, talking about our own debt and how it is a threat to our national security, this was off the cuff. roll it from yesterday: >> i think that our rising debt levels poses a national security threat, and it poses a national security threat in two ways. it undermines our capacity to act in our own interest, and it does constrain us where constraint may be undesirable, and it also sends a message of weakness internationally. bill: weakness internationally, undermining our capacity to act. you as an economic guy, how do you react to that? >> i think secretary of state clinton is correct, because of the rest of the world looks at america not just in terms of its military prowess, but also, its economics. if you've got a 13 1/2 trillion dollars debt around your neck, as secretary clinton says, you're not free to act, because you can't afford it, and the rest of the world looks at us and says you know, you don't have the dollars, you can't make your will known in the world because you can't afford it. that's what they're saying. bill: stu, thank you. fifteen minutes away, varney & company, 9:20. she made a headline yesterday. we'll pick up more on it today. thank you stuart. martha: she is very much back in the news these days and here's what else she's saying as america's top diplomat, she ruffles feathers south of the border with comments about the out of control drug violence there, secretary of state clinton saying this, mexico, is, quote, looking more and more like khro*pla looked 20 years ago and that's not all. clinton also said that mexican drug cartels is acting like an insurgency. mexican officials dismiss the comparisons to colombia. clinton's comments came on the same day that mexico saw skwr*ut outbreak of violence, suspected gang hit men killed the third mexican mayor, three mayors, gunned down in one month, and hillary clinton making strong statements about what she sees south of our border. bill: also the man hoping to be the next house speaker vowing to kill the health care reform law, house minority leader john boehner telling a newspaper in cincinnati saying he will repeal or block funding for the new law before it bankrupts the country, his words from yesterday. midterms just around the corner, the republican now putting the unpopular health care law front and center, saying it would not pass today, and if it came up for a vote from congress -- if it came up for a vote from congress. coming up we'll take a look at a new government report on what the law will do to the health care in the coming years. martha: wisconsin is seen as shaping up to be quite an opportunity for republicans who are hope to go seize control of the u.s. senate. incumbent democrat russ feingold is now neck and neck with gop rivals ron johnson. steve brown is covering this race for us in the chicago bureau. steve, what does this overall race look like and it's getting a lot of attention. >> well, it is starting to get a lot of attention because of the chatter about the potential, and right now, there's a potential with a capital p that the republicans might pick up the senate. keep in mind they'd have to go plus 11 on election night, pick up 11 seats in the senate, a really difficult task, but if they pick off wisconsin, it's possible you take a look at the polls, real clear politics, averaging polling in the last two months puts feingold out in front but just by a point. this is an 18-year incumbent, a guy well known in the state of wisconsin and he is just a nose out in front. in fact if you factor in the plus-minus, it's a dead heat. martha: feingold of course is a very known quantity in wisconsin, as you pointed out. why is he struggling in this case? >> well, there's a lot of ways to believe that russ feingold may win this despite the fact that he is struggling. he is an extraordinarily campaign, he has a grassroots to rely on, he's moderate except on social issues where he's a solid progressive, but again, going back to the polling, he hasn't gotten above 50 percent in a head to head polling against ron johnson which really is a startling measure because most undecideds break forel chal -- for the challenger and feingold certainly knows that. martha: he's a modern institution, i would say, over the past years in the senate, everybody in this country is familiar with his name. how does a ron johnson get the recognition to even be as close as he is to russ feingold? who's backing him, who's supporting him? >> four months ago, he wasn't even in the race. that's the really amazing part of this. and the senate campaign, they usually take years to plot out, and years to put together money. johnson is a guy who has stepped in and has immediately become competitive. he's a businessman, makes plastics in osh kosh, which he exhibits to -- exports to, of all places, china, imagine, exporting plastics to china, and he also has been running a very effective campaign. the republican party quickly got in line after he pulled off something of a surprise victory in terms of the endorsement from the state party convention and he has been running a very aggressive campaign, now calling feingold a career politician, johnson has never run for anything in his entire life. a lot of the intangibles in a 2010 race, johnson has, and that's why he's doing as well. martha: making american plastic, how about that. steve brown, thank you very much. you can get all the latest political developments heading into november's mid terms which are right around the corner and get it in the palm of your hand. go to foxnews.com to go to the new election headquarters iphone app which bill steered you around yesterday. it is very cool, and now you can be in the know when you are on the go, go, go, mr. bill hemmer. bill: you can be cool, and you got your app, right? martha: got my app, got a map for that. bill: right on. so the white house now brushing off reports that health insurance costs will go up under the new health care law, but does a new government report undercut that argument? you will see the numbers in minutes and you can decide on that. martha: boy, brand new information on this man, the controversial imam behind the mosque that is to be built near ground zero, he is now warning his opponents. what he says will happen if they have to move that mosque to another location. you do not want to miss this. bill: and we'll get a 911 -- a 911 survivor to react to that. flooding, this was all day yesterday afternoon, the images are stunning, the aftermath will break your heart. let's hope it stays away from today. the bad weather, anyway. we'll find out with janice dean in minutes. >> i just try to take care of the people that might still be in danger. that will be it. >> it's just like i'm supposed to be safe in my home. i'm not supposed to be here, iraning all hours of the night. martha: well e. devastating floods thousands of miles away could have a very big impact on our security. that is the message from both pakistan and from the u.s. government. right now, pakistan's military is spread so thin while they are responding to the flooding, the emergency situation that is affecting millions of people there, that it is keeping them from going after terrorists in pakistan's lawless border region with afghanistan. so it's having a lot of devastationful bill: want to get back to the price of health care overhaul. according to a new government forecast, americans will see the cost go up slightly in the next decade, not down, as promised. that report from medicare's actuary, coming the same week as insurance providers said they will raise premiums between 1 percent and # percent, some immediately. now, the white house reacted quickly to that number on your screen. it says the increase has nothing to do with the new law. listen here: >> i do not think there's validity to that. i think if you look at the health bill, that it's going to in many ways reduce cost in all sorts of ways. they've been increasing their rates dramatically every year for the last 15 or 20 years, and each year, they have a different reason. bill: so let's go deeper. president and ceo of america's health insurance plans, good morning to you, karen. >> good morning. bill: we read a lot about this stuff, it seems like every day a poll, a new survey comes out. i don't know what to believe. >> i think people want to know what it means for them and it's hard to sort through that as an individual. so there are three points i think for people to take away. one, cost. health care premiums followed underlie -- follow underlying costs. costs are going up because providers are charging more, number one. a number of our members are seeing 40, 50, 60 percent increases. two, people buying coverage individually in a bad economy have decided for their economic reasons they sometimes is no longer afford it, that means the cost to people in the pool goes up because it's the people who have the highest cost who stay in. and then third, we're adding new benefits, starting september 23rd, under the legislation, and new benefits follow cost. bill: so your organization -- do you support -- you're not for this health care reform law? i mean, just based on that answer i get that impression. >> we've had some very strong concerns about the cost of the legislation. we've been very supportive of the concept of bringing everybody into the system. we have to get everybody covered. but the point is how to do that as affordably as possible. our members are working very, very hard to try to do things as affordably as possible but for people who have coverage now, many of them are going to see increased coverage requirements, new benefits, new requirements, and that will require additional costs. our members are trying to do this as affordably as possible. bill: i got you. now, what you say sounds to me like a contradictions that came out of medicare yesterday, and that is it concludes over the next ten years the impact on cost is moderate. do you challenge that? >> we do challenge that, because we think that there hasn't been enough done to reduce cost. we think more can be done, and we're doing a great deal with providers around the country to try to get our hands around this. but we think more can be done, and we think indeed over time, people will recognize that more needs to be done. right now -- >> bill: let me get to that point in a moment here. so you've got the medicare group saying it will go up but only slightly over the next ten years. that's like a couple hundred buck as person, they concluded. the white house is going the other way, they say total health care spending would drop more than $1000 under the new law. now, who's right there? >> well, the same day this report is out, there's also another report out from mercer consulting where employers are saying their costs projections are going to be increasing by 10 percent next year. now, if they shift costs to individuals, then that will go down to 25.9, so we see a number of different interpretations about what's on the horizon based on underlying costs. so if you have an underlying cost problem that we haven't gotten our hands on, number one, and benefits require new costs, and what people have now, if they have policy that is don't cover first dollar prevention, if they have polices that donn't have that -- that have annual limits and in the future, that we will not have the annual limits, that's just basic economics. so we have to get our hands around how to do this as affordably as possible. that's what we're working hard to do. bill: the basic economics tell me if the bill goes up, then the law that said it was going to bend the spending curve was not right, and if your bill goes down, the white house is right. >> well, and i think if you're adding benefits, you're going to increase cost, and what we need to do , all stakeholders, need to work together to try to do that in the most affordable way. that's what the issue was last year. bill: i want one more thing. rasmussen says 56 percent favor repealing health care. >> they're worried about the cost. bill: is that even -- is that possible? >> i think those people are worried about the cost. we can do more in terms of cost containment. we need to do that. members of congress need to confront that. and we're doing our part, and we're going to continue to do our part to try to do things as affordably as possible. bill: karen, thank you. >> thank you bill. bill: it's a big issue. and it's not going to go away. in fact, tune in tomorrow, because we'll probably find a new survey out there or new study that tells us something else. >> indeed. bill: karen, thank you. >> thank you. martha: we've got new video of a funnel cloud that tore through one statement we're going to tell you where this happened. look at this video. wait until we show you the trail of destruction that that one left in its wake. bill: and new insight into one of the darkest days in our nation's history. some of president bush's closest advisers, now reveal what happened in those chaotic moments following the attacks of 9/11, why condoleezza rice says she raised her voice directly toward the commander in chief in her own words. >> you can not come back here. the united states of america is under attack. you have to go to safety. we don't know what is going on here. and he said i'm coming back. i said you can't. bill: it will be nine years on saturday, nine years since 9/11. now a new documentary revealing some of the difficult, split second decisions that were made that morning. the history channel interviewing some of the people closest to president bush, including condoleezza rice. she says she had a heated phone conversation with the commander in chief, after the first attacks, because he want to come back to washington asap. she felt otherwise. listen: >> i said to him in a raised voice, and i had never raised my voice to the president before, i said you cannot come back here. i hung up. the president was quite annoyed with me, to say the least. i know president bush, and i've known him for a long time, and i knew that he wanted nothing more than to be there at the helm of the ship. bill: you can catch that special tonight on the history channel, 9:00 eastern time and what a history it is, too. saturday, special edition of "america's newsroom" with martha and me, we'll be on the air from noon to 2:00 on september 11th, that day is almost here again. martha: we remember all the back and forth on that day about where the president was, and it was clear he wanted to come back in those words of condoleezza rice. we'll hear a lot more about that as we live through -- through it over the course of this weekend. meantime, let's show you that, a tornado just outside of downtown dallas, take a look at these pictures. this storm was spawned by the remnants of tropical storm hermine. this twister tore right through warehouses near lovefield. the funnel just one of the series of touchdowns yesterday afternoon. at least one truck driver was injured when the twister slammed his rig into a building. wow, look at that! this storm sparked flash flooding as well nearby and we've seen the horrific scenes of that tragedy there. two people were killed in that flooding. and texas also dealing with that flooding, and that continues. crews conducting more than 100 high water rescues alone, at least three people are still missing in this flooding, and the search goes on for them today. the weight of that rain brought down rooftops, leaving some families homeless with no place to turn. >> we just heard a louisiana noise and we thought that something had fallen like from one of the rooms, but when we saw it, it was really our roof had blown to the floor. >> she came to rescue me, and they said they're insured, they have insurance oh well, you know, things happen. and the good thing about it is that my kids are okay. martha: at least it was a good outcome for that woman. very rough situation. many people say the speed and severity of that flooding really caught them by surprise. so where is this rain and potential flooding heading next? janice dean is watching all this for us in the fox weather center. janice, what can you tell us today? >> reporter: that video just breaks your heart and it's amazing, we followed hurricane earl for weeks and this storm really lasted, you know, 24 hours. it was a depression, it became a tropical storm, less than 24 hours, and did incredible amounts of damage and it wasn't even a hurricane, it was a tropical storm. so this gives you an idea that each storm is very different, and this had a lot of tropical characteristics in that a lot of gulf of mexico moisture was tapped in. it just goes to show you that even a trop -- tropical storm can do incredible damage. let's look at the rainfall totals, 15 inches in georgetown, over a foot of rain in less than 24 hours and we saw the damage with high water recent cues and of course we lost two people as well in the floods. let's take a look at the satellite radio in the last 24 hours. you can see that moisture tapped in from the gulf of mexico, austin through dallas, oklahoma, arkansas, missouri, you need to be watching the remnants of what was tropical storm hermine. we still have flood advisories for the dallas area, but you can see flash flooding, very imminent for parts of missouri, even arkansas throughout the day, where we could get several inches of rain, even up to 6 inches of rain. so we're not over yet unfortunately, not out of the woods. we'll keep you posted. martha: so true about a tropical storm, you can see the damage with that one. janice, thank you very much. bill: that storm came out of nowhere, too. boobie traps and armed guards, that is what mexican drug cartels are using to try and keep the government out of the pot farms. in moments, fox cameras get an inside look at how the agents shut these down, or try to, anyway. martha: and several people are missing after historic wildfires ravaged colorado and now, an alarming new warning. >> i believe government should be lean, government should be efficient, i believe government should leave people free to make the choices they think are best for themselves and their families, so long as those choices don't hurt others. martha: but critics say that president obama's economic polices do the exact opposite, and as we head into the election season, wait until you hear what the president says could really hurt democrats, he believes, in the mid terms. that's coming up. martha: all right, let's get you a look at some of the headlines this morning. attention, nfl tparpbgs tom brady, reportedly involved in an early morning car accident in boston today. according to our local fox station there, brady was, quote, shaken, but did not go to the hospital. we've got a live report coming up with the details on his situation. and fidel castro says the communist system is hurting his country. cuba's revolutionary leader telling on american journalist the political model, not working anymore, according to castro, and president obama weighing in on his chief of staff's other job prospects, the president said rahm emanuel would, quote, make a terrific mayor of chicago, how about that, he says if he decides to run. bill: the most destructive wildfire in colorado's history could force more people from their homes yet again today. one hundred thirty-five homes destroyed already, four people said to be missing, heart break for some of the 3500 evacuees with no choice but to run. even some firefighters, battling the flames have watched their own homes reduced to ashes. we stood on this fire, watched firefighters save their neighbors' homes, and that's -- that's pretty damn hard. >> it was maybe standing yesterday but we look on this today and it is destroyed. it's gone. >> we wanted this information, better information than what they're giving us. >> we hope tonight to find out if it was destroyed or damaged or if it's still standing. bill: wow. and the best to those people, too. you see those flames in those homes? one hundred thirty-five, already torched. here's a look at the size of the fire in the foothills outside of boulder. boulder is the bottom righthand corner of the map here and the area is surrounded in red, the area where crews continue to build these containment lines. now there's an alarming warning from the national weather service, the risk that new fires could spread is now considered high. they need moisture and frankly, they don't have it now. alicia acuna, with the latest update, how's it look this morning, alicia? >> good morning, bill. right now, it's relatively calm as firefighters are heading out, and they're going to get the airtankers up in the air this morning. there is some good news to some of the residents here. hundreds of them, of the 3500 who were evacuated will be allowed back into their neighborhood. this is only four of the neighborhoods where people are allowed. and the sheriff did have a warning for those folks that if the winds pick up, and that is highly likely today according to the national weather service, that they may have to reevacuate and they're going to have to listen to authorities and get out. right now, they're at 10 percent containment, and firefighters say that they've at least started a line along one of the fires. last night, there was a meeting for members of the public who have been quite frustrated with what they say is a response to communication, they're worried about their financial situation and the sheriff addressed some of those concerns. take a listen: >> i understand that people are angry, they are anxious, they want information, they want to go home. we absolutely, totally understand that. >> reporter: there is still a safety concern, because some residents are saying that regardless of what officials say, they're going to sneak back into some of the areas that are closed off, bill. bill: and where you are today, what's the scene like around you, alicia? >> i'm at the incident command center at the boulder reservoir. the fire is on my shoulder behind that ridge, about 6 miles. but we're going to take you over around, so you can take a look over here to my right. you can see, this is the staging area, all of the firefighters that are involved in this fight are located here. this is where they take off to the front lines of the fire. there are 7-10 states that are participating in this fight. it is the number one fight in the country right now. it's a federal response. back to you. bill: that it is, alicia. thank you for all the folks out there. hang in there. if you're in that area, you can safely take a picture, that's of the wildfire, we'd like to see your pictures. take no chances, though. you report at fox news.com. that's where you can uplink your photos or your video, that's you with the letter u, and include a description of what you are looking at, where you are, your name, and we'll try and put some of those pictures on the air and some of the videotape, too, as we get it from colorado. the story continues yet again today. martha. martha: here is the message: anyone is welcome. that is the message from one south carolina town, that they want to send after shooting down a proposal that would have required renters to prove their citizenship. this is a hot controversy around the country, and this one town of summerville is taking it on. the mayor there cast the tie breaking vote that divided council members on this issue. residents also were split on their decision. >> we don't want a gun to our head to do our job, to do the job you're now asking of us that you're not asking of any other industry. you, landlords, control your customers. you're not telling the schools that is correct the hospital that is. >> there's a violation of the law, to harbor, conceal, from any place, including any building, any area in the united states, it's a violation of law. martha: several council members believe the proposal could trigger unwanted lawsuits there. still, the issue could come up again in the future. council members did okay a measure that would require the town's employers to verify the immigration status of prospective employees. bill: the bell ringing on wall street seven minutes ago. take a look at the markets now, they're up and running. are the bulls back? what do you stph-pbg i don't know. we go up and we go down and it depends on the day. today, we're doing all right, up about seven, eight points, reacting to the the jobs number that came out at 8:30 eastern time. keep an eye on the european markets which caused some early morning jitters, the dow closing up about 46 points on wednesday. as you heard from stu varney, the --o 37 minutes ago, the jobs number was better. not great, but it was better. more on that a little bit later here. thirty-seven minutes past the hour. martha: we'll take better for now. the president is doing sort of a game change. the election is looming, he's doing a bit of damage control out there, but recognizes, as was said in a previous campaign, remember the slogan, it's about the economy, stupid? well, now, here, president obama had this to say during an abc news interview. listen to this: >> my challenge and the challenge of every democratic candidate who's out there is just making sure that people understand there's a choice here. if the election is a referendum on are people satisfied about the economy, as it currently is, then we're not going to do well, because i think everybody feels like this economy needs to do better than it's been doing. martha: maria cordona was senior advising to hillary clinton, as well as communications director for the bfc, and conservative columnist with poll six daily, welcome to you both. matt, let me start with you. the president's argument is they don't have any better ideas, at least that's what it appears to, he's saying republicans haven't come up with anything, what they want to do is go back to the old ways. he's also saying that they need to get on board with some of the tax cuts that he has proposed for small business because many of them are gop-generated ideas. >> well, look, i think first of all give him credit for being a good analyst at least. i think he's right in the sense that if it's a referendum on the economy, democrats will lose. the bad news for him is the election will be a referendum on the economy, unemployment is at 9.6%, it's by far the most -- maybe the only issue that matters, and that's what people are going to be voting on. i do have a problem with this argument he keeps making about republicans don't have new ideas about the economy. the truth is, we're really arguing about hyachi ideas versus keynesian ideas. they're arguing about it's not going to be politicians who come up with new ideas that fix the economy. martha: you're saying -- >> either the government has to get out of the way or the government has to help. it's a basic philosophical argument that's continued for quite some time. maria, i want to play you another sound bite and it kind of goes back to that, it has to do with the president's attitude and take on corporations and the importance of business in this country. listen to this one: >> the idea was that if we just have blind faith in the market, if we let corporations play it by -- polyby their own rules, if we left everyone to fend for themselves, then america will grow and america would prosper. martha: he continues to put this idea out there, maria, that corporations are bad, insurance companies are bad, wall street is bad. i don't know how you turn around the economy unless you in some cases get on the same side with these folks, because they are the ones who do most of the hiring and business generating in this country. >> actually, 80 percent of -- it's actually 80 percent of small businesses, martha, that do the hiring in this country. and that's where this president draws the line. he's absolutely right in trying to make a distinction that if we just completely deregulate the way that the republicans did when they were in power, we're going to have a problem the way that we did in -- >> martha: yeah, but the decisions are hampering small businesses and corporations. they're all making businesses decisions right now based on what they see in the future. >> and here's -- >> and martha: and there's taxes for them and a difficult environment in terms of health care. >> but here's what the president is offering, and has been offering, frankly, he's already given, and democrats have already given, major tax cuts to small businesses, which, again, are the engine of economic growth and job creation in this country. he is trying to propose and democrats are trying to propose additional tax cuts for small business that republicans are trying to block. martha: you know what, i -- >> that's what we need to focus on. martha: i want to stay with what you're on and i want to ask matt this question, because this is what's going to be laid down, the administration and democrats are going to point to republicans and they're going to say look, we've met you part of the way here, we're putting in tax cuts for research, for entire mentation at companies, writeoffs for buying new equipment and that republicans need to recognize that and say okay, let's get together, because the economy is a priority here, not the election. no indication that that kind of meeting of the minds is going to happen before november, matt. >> well, we'll see. first of all, i think it shouldn't escape anybody that president obama spent the first year and a half or so of his administration pushing through liberal policy agendas not working on the economy, things like passing health care, you mentioned, which actually creates this instability where businesses don't know whether taxes areo what their taxes are going to be or how much health care they're going to have. now that the election is two months away or less, now he wants to all of the sudden cut taxes. look, i think some of the things he's proposed, let's be honest, aren't necessarily bad, like research and development, things like that, that might help spur growth. i would say this, even peter orszag, the budget director, said let's extend the bush tax cuts two more years. that's the simple solution that everybody would agree on. martha: now you have the perspective from michael bennett and others running for office out there. you guys, we got to leave it there. sim other. maria, i will start with you -- i will start with you next time. >> thanks martha. martha: good to have you here. bill: the imam who has become the driving force behind the mosque at ground zero is taking questions. what he says and why he says moving that mosque could actually make things worse now. you'll hear from him and also reaction from a firefighter who responded to the attacks the morning of september 11th. in minutes. bill: a warning not to move the mosque in lower manhattan, coming from the man who's now the public face of that project. imam feisal rauf telling cnn that changing locations would spark anger in the muslim community, especially overseas. here he is with soledad o'brien. >> there's a certain anger here, no doubt. if we don't do this right, anger will explode in the muslim world. bill: he said that last night. tim brown is the former new york city fireman who responded to the attacks at the world trade center the morning of september 11th and good morning to you. you saw and heard him last night, your reaction was what? >> well, i mean, he tried to extort america right there. what it brings up in my mind is that we just paid to fly him around the world, for the muslim world, so that he could come back and threaten us. bill: referring to the state department-funded trip? >> sure. bill: that was his third on taxpayer dollars. >> this guy is not a moderate. he is not a moderate muslim at all. bill: i want to play a clip of -- let me get to the 9/11 families in a moment here but first listen to this aspect of the interview last night, too: >> it is not our intention to create more conflict. this is our intention to say we as muslims, we as american muslims, want to contribute to the building of lower manhattan, we want to enhance relationships with our american nonmuslim fellow countrymen, we want to forge relationships, and we want to be part of the solution. bill: says we are ready and willing to be part of the solution. >> sounds like a -- >> sounds like a moderate. you disagree. >> he sounds like a moderate. he's a tax evading, terrorist sympathizing, armani wearing slum lord who partners with criminals and wants to t*ld a tower of triumph on the great yard of my friends. bill: that is one sentence. >> and it's all true. it's all true. why isn't the irs investigating him now? bill they might be. do you know they're not? >> i don't know that they're not. bill: but you're alleging he's a tax evade stkpwhraoer sure. running the apartment as a church, your tiny, one bedroom apartment, fits 500 worshipers. bill: he is also saying he's making a concerted effort to reach out to the families of victims. first i'll get your reaction on that: >> i understand the sensitivity of the people. i really do. i'm very, very concerned about it. we've reached out and still are reaching out to 9/11 families. bill: have you talked to 9/11 families who have spoken to him about this outreach? >> we met with him in the beginning and he lied to us in the beginning. bill: how so? >> he lied to us about the money more than once. deborah burlingame and i met with him, we met with sharif el-gamal, they lied to us, they told us five different answers about the money, and he's -- oh, boo hoo, more imam, i feel sorry for him. are you kidding me? these families lost their innocent loved ones, their fathers and sons and daughters that just went to work that day and the hero fire policemen, those are the victims. bill: one thing he conceded is he said the money will democrat domestically, not from overseas. that's what he said last night. [laughter] bill: he said that last night, and we're going to be able to see the paperwork. >> sure we are. just like they told us about the 4.8 million, where that came from. sharif el-gamal, owner of the property, already said the money might come from iran. he already said that. bill: i wonder if this bring is -- thing is ever going to be built. the guy who bought the property said if you give me a better offer, i'll sell it. >> that's right, and he doesn't want the spotlight on him, either. he wants to a-- to avoid it. bill: you mentioned deborah burlingame, he's on with megyn later on "america live". good luck saturday. >> thank you. bull bill 9/11, again. >> to all the families, i'm sorry. bill: thank you tim. martha. martha: well, back to politics in washington, and the president and john boehner, in a smackdown of wars, folks, the gloves coming off. this could change the tide in washington. is the president helping or hurt hurting these democrats' cause? bill we're used to restaurants saying no shirt, no shoes, no service. now it's adding the no screaming children to that list, and that policy sparking heated debate. we want to know what you think, too. check out our website. martha: tom brady was driving his car in boston at 6:22, it's believed he was most likely on his way to practice. here's a first shot at his adui, which has jersey plates. not sure why. but it's banged up in the front as you can see, but the word is he got out of the car, he was shaken but not injured, patriots fans, you can breathe a huge sigh of relief, the game against the bengal, i believe, this weekend. they cannot breathe a sigh of relief because it appears tom brady is okay and on his way to practice. the statement is he was in an dozen, not hospitalized and is on his way to the stadium today. that is for all of the patriots fans out there, good news about tom brady. laura ingle joins us live from the newsroom with more on this story. >> reporter: we certainly are keeping on top of this. we've got calls out to the boston tv waiting for calls back from the patriots right now. according to local reports, the quarterback refused to be taken to the hospital this morning and is headed to see his team's doctors at gillette stadium, and fox four, where his team is getting ready for the season opener this weekend. here's a look at the accident site at the corner of commonwealth and glauster in boston, the collision happened at 6:30, brady was driving this black audi, new jersey plates, still working on that, the other vehicle, reportedly a red mini van, no word this hour if brady will be able to play on sunday as the patriots host the cincinnati bengals in the season opener. though it looks as though he's going to be okay for that. brady has an to the hop -- hot topic in the sports world this week with several reports he was getting close to finalizing a contract extension with the patriots, the value of the new contract is said to be around 18-$20 million per season. there's talk of a four-year deal. brady's wife, giselle bundchen is in new york for the start of fashion week and so far has not offered a comment on her husband's collision but we expect to hear from her today. the website is now reporting that one person was extracted with jaws of life, being treated at the hospital for, quote, serious injuries. we'll bring you the latest as soon as we get it. martha: lawyer kwrarbgs thank you very much. bill: a bit of intrigue in boston today, though? martha: sounds like he'll be able to buy a new car if that contract goes through. maybe a few. bill: on the front lines, fighting crime on our southern border, in a moment here. that's hout of housely, mexican drug gangs setting up shop in the u.s. where they're trying to grow pot, and what they're doing to keep the police from shutting down that business, next. most people like to hear they've done a great job caring for their teeth. that's why i recommend a rinse like crest pro health complete. it's a more comple way to a better dental check-up. giving you a clean, healthy mouth. new crest pro health complete rinse. martha: one man's plan to burn the koran sparking reaction from the leader of the free world today, president obama has now weighed in on pastor terry jones, the self-proclaimed pastor is dead set on torching a pile of islamic holy books which unleashed a firestorm around the globe and that is how we start a brand new hour of "america's newsroom." on this thursday morning, good to have you, i'm martha maccallum. bill: good morning, martha, i'm bill hemmer, good morning, first general david petraeus, talk in kabul, afghanistan, saying the ceremony would put american lives at risk on the battlefield and, yesterday, hillary clinton condemned it state side. martha: and now we're hearing from the oval office, mike manuel joins us at the white house with the latest from there. >> reporter: good morning, the president is the latest top official to speak out against the koran-burning planned for saturday, by a small florida church, calling it a recruitment bonanza for al qaeda, as you said the secretary of state, general david petraeus, governor crist among the others to condemn the concept of international burn a koran day and, good, the president spoke directly to terry jones. >> president barack obama: if he's listening i hope he understands what he is proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as american, and, that this country has been built on notions of religious freedom and religious ktolerance and i want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform. >> he says he's praying on it. >> president barack obama: i hope he listens to those better angels. >> reporter: the dove outreach center pastor who has just 50 parishioners says he's planning to go through with the burning on saturday, the september 11th anniversary and he says he's not convinced backing down is right but says a call from the white house, the state department, or pentagon, would cause him to think it over, one complicating factor is the gainesville fire marshal has not given him a permit for the fire. already, there have been protests overseas and shouts of down with america, in burning of the american flag, and, the state department has asked u.s. embassies around the world to assess the security, fearing a potential for anti-american violence. and, a number of world leaders are now calling on president obama to step in, to stop the kwor ran-burning but to be fair, legally it isn't clear entirely what we hand do, martha. martha: mike manuel, the president calling on the pastor to listen to his better eangels bill: breaking news, new intelligence on iran's nuclear program, in a moment, a live look in washington where the iran policy committee says it now has information on the locks an process of a new secret nuclear facility a new one, they say and we are monitoring the news conference and headlines when they happen, here in "america's newsroom," just crossing the wires right now. martha? martha: and a terrorist attack to tell you about in a market in russia. more than a dozen people were killed. look at this horrific scene on the streets in russia, more than 130 were wounded, happened in a city known for ethnic tensions and so far nobody claimed responsibility in the attack. bill: new reports of infighting conspiracy at wikileaks, and remember the web site, an exclusive fox news.com interview, the founder of the web site, known as wikileaks, julian assange, fighting back against calls to step down and one group calling themselves the wikileaks insiders, say that he is a distraction, overshadowing the organization's mission and he says the criticism is part of a wider conspiracy to discredit him and the web site attracted a lot of attention a few weeks back, after it released thousands and thousands of classified u.s. military records from the wars in afghanistan and iraq. martha: we know this, there has been a lot of focus on ohio, these days. and, they have a 10% unemployment rate there, bearing down on the folks of ohio and the senate race between democrat lee fisher, and republican rob portman could indeed boil down to who voters are blaming. for those problems, these days, and the bush administration, or the obama administration, and that is because portman, served as bush's budget director. our chief political correspondent, carl cameron is live in ohio, hey, carl, what is the latest. >> reporter: this is the seat george voinovich, the out going republican senator is giving up and leaving open, and, is a real battle and the unemployment rate and the economic jobs debate across the country really is sort of centralized here in ohio, economically, politically, demographically and rob portman becomes the embodiment of what critics say is a bush administration candidate. he was the director of the white house office of management and budget, during what was politically one of the toughest times of the bush administration, 2006 to 2007 midterms and he was in charge of the budget and he's now the republican nominee and in some -- some polls as a significant lead, largely a toss-up, and lee fisher is the democrat here, and the president was here campaigning for him as well as other democrats, and talking about the economic jobs plan and the second time the president has come out to ohio, campaigning the last three weeks, a very, very tight battle. and, this is the state where, as you said, unemployment is double digits and there's a budge problem of $8 billion and you have a classic situation and and obama backed democrat with spending problems in his state and big budget problems and former bush administration official, and, congressman, battling it out for the u.s. senate. republicans need 10 to pick up the majority and are knocking on the door all over the place. martha: it is interesting how people look back at the bush administration and what their feeling is about it now and how it might reflect on rob portman. tea party, of course, carl, has been an element in a number of these primaries already, any element there, for portman, are they supporting him. >> reporter: sure, portman court the tea party movement, but, it has not been sort of one of these billboard relationships, where the tea party movement has been eager to come out and support him. and, he wasn't just the budget director in the bush administration, he -- before that, he had been the u.s. trade represent. and, trade and jobs and what democrats refer to as outsourcing and blame republicans is also a big deal here and they are arguing about that, the airwaves are filled with attack ads, just here's a sampling. >> congressman portman knows how to grow the economy. in china, he voted for billions of tax breaks for companies that export jobs, and, on his watch, as bush's trade czar our deficit with china exploded, sending 100,000 ohio jobs overseas. as bush's budget chief, portman oversaw spending that doubled the deficit... >> reporter: tough stuff and the lieutenant governor obviously attacking portman fires back that mr. fisher said he should be held accountable as the lieutenant governor and democrat running for the senate and portman and republicans are quick to point out the state lost 400,000 jobs the last few years. martha: another interesting one to watch, thanks for filling us in. carl cameron in ohio and, in stow, ohio and you can get the latest developments in the palm of your hand, folks, go to foxnews.com and get the new america's election headquarters by phone app and you can be cool like bill helper and in the know when you're on the go, folks. bill: and, a long way to go to be cool. martha: you are making a lot of progress, i must say! bill: you're funny. not! relaunching the bill to spark a legendary screaming match here in "america's newsroom," flashback to july 30th. roll it. >> we made the point... we made the point, we support it and your guys don't. bill: and here's my question to peter king... >> we -- >> i got 94% of my colleagues, what did you get, how this is cracker jack peter king whip organization... >> saving lives. >> 94%. bill: gentlemen, this may be why congress today... >> lobbied to -- >> has an 11% approval rating by the american public. thank you both for coming on, and we'll see if the bill comes up again. bill: they say they like each other. martha: a lot of gesticulating. bill: peter king and anthony wiener. bickering like two new yorkers fighting for a taxi. a passionate debate over a 9/11 health care act, said to provide ground zero first responders with medical coverage, a big deal. democrats and republicans are blaming each other for not passing the bill and hence the show down you watched there, from a month ago and democrats say the bill will come up for another vote the week of september 20. no doubt we'll call our two favorite new york congressmen, come on back, 10 minutes past the hour. martha: and in this case it's not just business, folks, it is personal. president obama directly attacking house leader -- minority leader john boehner, was that a wise decision? we'll talk about that. >> the former president bush commenting on president obama and the administration's policy but didn't say what you would expect them to say. and... >> she's an autistic child and you are singling them out and i said, autism is not a word on the sign, ma'am and she looked at me, and she said, i can't even believe you take him in public. martha: quite a fight, folks. a few hours of peace and quiet, maybe, is that too much to ask for, when chow line sparked a national debate. is it wrong to ban screaming children from a restaurant? fox news.com, let us know what you think, we wants to know what you think at home, twitter, facebook. give us thoughts. bill: cell phones. martha: anyway... yeah, any way. this is it, the final days of our summer sales event and your last chance to save. i'm angie everhart, and i lost 34 pounds on nutrisystem. if you've been thinking of starting nutrisystem, there won't be a better time this year. this is your last chance to get our gourmet select line at our lowest price for the rest of the year. i'm marie osmond, and i lost 50 pounds on nutrisystem. i lost over 100 pounds and lowered my blood sugar on nutrisystem d. our summer sales event has a program on sale just for you, but you must act now. that's me 22 pounds ago, and i'm never going back there again. enjoy four perfectly portioned meals a day, including fresh-frozen options. people say i look 10 years younger. i feel 10 years younger. you will not see a lower price for the rest of the year. lose weight and save money, but you must act now. these are the final days. hurry, now's the time, and this event won't last. call... before this limited-time offer ends. martha: rarm does the -- rarely does the president directly challenge the house minority leader but president obama took the gloves off. >> president barack obama: to most of you, i bet it seems likes common sense. but, not to mr. john boehner and his allies. for years republicans fought to keep the corporate loopholes open, in fact when john boehner was here, in cleveland, he attacked us for closing a few of these loopholes. there were no new policies for mr. boehner, there were no new ideas. martha: byron york, chief political correspondent for the washington examiner and a fox news contributor, hey, byron, good morning to you, good to see you. were you surprised at the way the president went directly after john boehner yesterday? >> i was. it is a dangerous, i think, tragedy, for the president. people in the political class, joe him and followed him, but, he is not a household name in america. polls consistently show between 40, 50% of the american people don't know who he is and people do know who barack obama is and by facing off eye-to-eye with john boehner, the president has elevated the stature of congress manage boehner aan -- congressm and, it personalizes, what people hope is a local contest and not a referendum. martha: the president is in a hard spot -- excuse me, he's in a tough spot, because john boehner is going directly at him and says if i'm majority leader, basically i'll make sure health care is repealed. made two -- said cut spending to the 2008 levels and is going after the administration and, perhaps, when they sit around the west wing and discuss these things they say you need to go after him. >> the president spoke in cleveland, yesterday, because john boehner had delivered his economic address. in cleveland, so, there is a kind of a reactive feel to what the president is doing. martha: let's look at this rasmussen poll, it shows what people think about john boehner and it is no secret to anybody, he'd like to be a majority leader and take nancy pelosi's job away, 39% have an unfavorable opinion of him and 24% favorable and 37%, this goes to your point, byron, aren't sure and that leaves open the door, perhaps, they don't know who john boehner is. >> that's why they are not sure, because he's simply not as big a figure in american politics, and i think one thing that is going on, the president has taken a lot of flak for blaming george w. bush for the economy. and, the longer the president is in office, the more difficult that case is to make. john boehner, however, was part of the republican rule, the last many years and is still around. would be speaker of the house if republicans win and he is essentially filling in, in the president's criticisms for the role george w. bush used to play. martha: that is an interesting point, one thing they have been criticized for, as you appointment out is talking about the last 8 years and the president pointing backwards and you are saying what the president is doing is putting a new face, a face that would have more power on his debate, that things would be worse if you don't give us another chance and give us a couple more years to straighten it out. >> exactly. this is what the democrats are doing. i talked to a republican pollster yesterday, talking about the differences between today and 1994 and he said, in 1994, republicans had been out of power in the house 40 years, and nobody remembered a time when they were in charge, and not the case now, the president is trying to say, look, republicans were in charge, recently and this guy, john boehner was part of it and if you elect him, he'll be in charge again, and will do the same thing, and they are trying to play on recent memories of republican rules. martha: very tight races out there. and if they can move the needle one way, you certainly can't blame them for trying and looks like the tactic they are taking on, right now. byron, thank you, always great to get your in sight. see you soon. bill: here's the follow-up now, one republican who will not criticize president obama, former president bush, talking in texas, saying i don't think it is be fitting to criticize my successor and i don't like it when a predecessor criticized, me, ent quoed and, the ex-commander-in-chief giving a contrasting opinion on domestic policy that avoided any direct attack on the president and lightened the mood, saying the remember the guy who threw a shoe at me? described that's weirdest moment of his presidency, likening the moment to ted williams of the boston red sox being able to see a baseball coming at him in slow-mo and -- >> look at his reflexes. poor dana perino got it in the left eye, i think, that day. not good for her but she recovered nicely. the eyes of the word, watching the debate over the planned mosque near ground zero. and, you may be surprised by one major muslim leader's advice on this. a different take. bill: also, the vice president quitting his day job for a few hours, why the vp is coming a hot dog vendor? you want mustard on that. >> hey, hey, hot dog guy! hot dog guy! hey! >> to you, it is mr. vice president hot dog guy! [cheers and applause]. >> mr. biden, sir, i'm sorry, i didn't expect the vice president to serve hot dogs. >> read your constitution, man, i got two constitutional duties. >> i thought it was breaking ties in the senate. >> no, the other is giving hot dogs to returning warriors. activia's great new taste? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. trust me. it is beyond tasty. mmm. this is really good! new best tasting activia ever! taste it, love it, or it's free! style that lasts a lifetime. what do you say we get the look we want, the soft feel we need, and have it stand up to anything we throw at it. then let's get it installed, and save money on the whole project. we're lowering the cost of going barefoot. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive martha stewart living and platinum plus installed in your whole house for just 37 bucks. martha: massive explosion leveled a house in the middle of a busy colorado neighborhood and it charred the wood an glass, even a couch, flying across the street. look at that. people in nearby homes scrambled to try and figure out what was happening. >> heard something on the roof and i thought it was a plane come down on our house. >> i saw white smoke. >> an extensive explosion and completely leveled the structure and have no idea at this time what it was. martha: they rushed over to the wreckage and the homeowner was trapped beneath the debris and took him to the hospital and energies responders did and no word on his condition and as the firefighter said they are trying to figure out what caused it. bill: a debate over the mosque at the site of -- near ground zero. getting international attention. now in an exclusive interview, a prominent muslim leader is offering his advice to the mosque planners, of new york city and for that interview, greg palkot streaming live in paris. what was said, greg? >> hey, bill, interesting stuff, france as more muslims than any other country in europe and more mosques than the u.s., and the debate about the planned ground zero mosque is resonating here, very strongly. we spent some time with a muslim leader here, the head of the grand mosque of paris, and he is a moderate and does denounce 9/11 terror and he had this to say about the controversial siteing of the controversial center. >> i believe, the americans... [inaudible] i think the reason the wisdom, has to not to be that, but to build it in another place. >> reporter: and, that wasn't with any kind of an anti-u.s. bias and he and others are not generalizing this, to a broader islam phobic charge against america. he and others see this as a specific 9/11 issue, and they also admit that france has a little bit of a problem with islam as well, and has a controversial law on women wearing veils, there are extreme anti-muslim parties here and they even have their own fights about mosques and one person, noted to me, bill, we'd like to teach america something about this one, but, we can't. they are working it through, too. back to you. bill: greg, thank you, greg palkot reporting live in paris, interesting interview, thank you, greg, what is coming up. martha: it is getting tougher to smuggle drugs across the mexican border these days and cartels, figure, hey, let's grow it on american soil. there's an idea and, adam housely, drops in commando style to check out what they're up to and plus... >> it has run us in more customers than it has taken way, if they find it offending, find another restaurant to eat at. bill: booming business, she's not going to take it. no more. is it wrong to ban a screaming child from a restaurant? we report, you decide. foxnews.com/"america's newsroom." tell us what you think. martha: what do you think? bill: um ... are you receiving a payout from a legal settlement or annuity over 10 or even 20 years? call imperial structured settlements. the experts at imperial can convert your long-term payout into a lump sum of cash today. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are... the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, to help you choose the plan that's right for you. as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare, get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. bill: so, -- 103:0 in new york, and thousands are waiting to see if their homes were destroyed in wildfires, and near boulder, whipping winds and fanning flames in the rockies and, superstar and mr. gisele bundchen, shaken but not stirred, tom brady did not go to the hospital after a crash in boston and, he'll be on the practice field later tooth today and sunday against the bengals and, tropical storm hermine, leaving texas underwater and more than 100 had to be rescued from swamped streets yesterday and two died as tornadoes toppled power lines and smashed homes, up around the dallas area. look at that raging water. 10:31. here's martha. martha: mexican drug cartels infiltrating our land, growing marijuana in the u.s. so they don't have to smuggle it across the border, the new idea, and it has been going on in some places for years and is becoming a bigger problem, right now, the development across the country, and, fox news just got to ride along on a mission to clear hundreds of those pot plants, adam housely went along and joins us live in mountainview, california, and looks like an interesting ride, adam. >> reporter: you know, an exclusive ride, we don't normally get the chance to do and the first time a news crew is able to go out with the crew, you talk about the growing on national land and talking about recent busts that happened in california and in texas, and wisconsin and in utah, and in new york, across the country, and, yesterday, we got that first hand look inserted directly into a marijuana garden, by california's air national guard. hundreds of feet above the tree tops, california's air national guard gets a bird's eye view of a growing marijuana problem, plaguing our public lands. >> you see, large amounts of marijuana grows on public lands, throughout the state of california, and, it is a prevalent issue, oftentimes taking up entire hillsides. >>... the only

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