meeting between the president and his top party leaders in congress? >> reporter: as far as we know, the president is meeting right now with senate majority leader harry reid and with leader pelosi from the house, the leader of the minority in the house. and we don't have details on this yet, it's a closed press meeting, meaning we didn't even get our pool cameras inside to get a glimpse of this, but we know from a white house official that they are meeting here at the white house and we're hoping to get at least a notification when that all wraps up. white house officials saying this is to update the president on around these debt negotiations and what we're really seeing, and this is part of it is a flurry of negotiations going on and this all kind of follows some cab book i can theater playing out on the bill. we saw the house vote on the boehner bill and the senate picked it up and the boehner bill failed in the senate and we saw the house vote on the senate bill t reid bill, even before the senate is going to take it up perhaps as early as early this morning and it failed in the house. so right now we're seeing this flurry of negotiations, you've got this meeting going on here at the white house, reid, pell lo pelosi and mcconnell. and the vice president said he -- >> that's what i want to ask you about, how significant is that, brianna, that they have met or spoken with the president in the last couple of hours? >> it's pretty significant because what we know that there have been some open lines of communication and we -- and both the house as well as on capitol hill have been pretty vague about this, it's pretty significant for mitch mcconnell to say i spoke with the president, i spoke with the vice president, it's a sign that he's trying to say that things are moving, that there are discussions going on and we also heard this was also important, confidence coming from both mitch mcconnell and speaker boehner that progress is being made here. >> what about confidence from the white house, what are aides there saying, anything? >> you know, the long standing word from the white house is that they are confident congress is going to act to increase the debt ceiling. i think after this meeting, perhaps we may get some reaction, perhaps not, it's really hard to tell, they play these things close to the vest, but we'll keep you updated. >> brianna keeler, stand by. we'll be coming back to you, i'm sure. and this just happened just moments ago on the senate floor. >> the pundits say that compromise is the mark of an enlightened person. we're trying to compromise, i just offered to pass the leaders bill. i have offered to work with them, i'm from the tea party, they say we won't compromise? i'm willing to raise the debt ceiling. >> all right, that was frahm, rand paul, immediately after he failed to get unanimous consent to tack on a balanced budget amendment to the reid bill, he says he would have voted to raise the debt ceiling if his amendment, if that amendment was included. paul is a tea party favorite as we know and he's rejected not just harry reid's plan in the senate, but also speaker boehner's plan from the house. there you see right there, he's joining us now from the senate office building. i know you guys are real busy, you have a lot going on. but can we do this? let's do this interview without talking points, let's just tuke to each other. both democrats and republicans are pointing fingers at you. so i guess maybe the best question to start with is what will make you and the tea party happy at this point? >> well, the interesting thing is, i mean in your lead in you say that i rejected both plans. i have actually accepted both plans as long as they have an amendment to them that says that we gradually amend the budget over the next seven to eight years. >> how did you vote on those plans? >> well, on the reid plan, we haven't voted on it yet, on the cut, cap and balance, which has had the most of any bill that has been passed so far -- >> on the boehner bill, how did you vote? >> we had 234 votes, we had republicans and democrats. i voted for that plan. on the boehner plan, i voted no because it did not balance the budget before we raised the debt ceiling. so many times up here, we haven't really abided by our own rules and i don't really trust the institution to abide by its rules. >> okay, well, let's talk about the american people, and i'm sure you have to know this, that the american people are, for the most part, except for the dream streams, the people that are really far left and those that are really far right, those in the middle feel there should have been a compromise and feel that you guys should have gotten to that way before this point. >> but compromise means both sides give in. for example, our side, the tea party conservatives don't think we should be adding more debt, we don't think there should be spending financed by debt. we're willing to give n but the president wants over $2 trillion in debt to be added and he wants to get through the election so he has time to fundraise and to campaign. we have been willing to give him that, but what we want in vurn a seven-to-eight year plan to balance the budget. i won't vote for a deal just because it's a deal. i want a solution for our country and i think our country is more important than any deal or scheme that might be hatched. >> the democrats have made many concessions to what's going on here, and even the tea party position it appears to most people remains rigid. the question is, have you made your point? and by continuing to go on with this, do you feel like you're overreaching and that you're going to lose the clout? you have really made your point here and most people will say you have done a good job at it, but do you feel like you're overreaching right now? >> we have 14 trillion in debt and the boehner plan and the reid plan and whatever the mixture of the two will become, we'll add about 7 trillion $7 t $8 trillion over the next ten years. >> hang on, we're going to get to that, let's stick to the -- hold on, please, be respectful here. >> let me finish my thought. >> we'll talk about moodies and all that. >> i'm trying to answer your question, you've interrupted my answer. >> do you feel like -- if you answer the question, i'll give you plenty of time. do you feel like you've made your point and now do you think people are going to think that you're overreaching and that maybe you're going to roulu rui clout that you already have. >> adding $7 trillion to $8 trillion of debt over the next seven years is going to hurt the country. >> you were talking about moody's. >> my point is that it's not really just about august 2. many debt agencies are saying even if we raise the debt ceiling that we still may be downgraded, but we're being downgraded for our long-term behavior, not our short-term behavior. many say that our debt is a burden on the economy and costing us about a million job as year. we need growth in the economy again, but we won't get that until we get a handle on our debt. we need some kind of rule that says simply and i think it's very reasonable that we balance our budget very gradually over seven to eight years, i don't think that's too much to ask. >> if you have been criticized here by both sides. but if the u.s. does default, do you know who will be to blame here? will it be the president? the democrats? republicans? who's going to be at fault here? >> i think the president should have taken default off the table. we have the power to require them to pay the interest on the debt, require him to give social security checks and requiring him to pay salaries. the president could put that on the table as a grand, elaborate game of chicken. he can reassure the markets. >> i'm going to ask you again, just a simple answer to my question, if we indeed default, who's going to be to blame, do you feel? >> i don't think we should default, but i would say it's the president's fault for not reassuring the markets. he is reassuring the markets, but publicly he's still playing the game of chicken. there's no reason to default. >> i appreciate you taking your time, and i just want simple answers because, listen, you should know that the public is really frustrated right now, they don't know what's going on, they don't know why you guys haven't come to some sort of consensus and they want some answers. are you feeling that in washington right now. >> we have been continuing to offer compromises. about 30 minutes ago, i was on the floor and i offered to vote for the rebill. >> hang on one second again. >> you're in the middle of my answer. >> i know, but i'm asking you to answer the question -- i don't want talking points, i'm asking you, do you feel the public sentiment in washington. >> this isn't a talking point, i'm trying to tell you what we did 30 minutes ago in the senate. >> i'm asking you if you feel how the public feels in washington. you don't have to tell me what you did, but are you feeling? do you think how people feel about this? >> they want compromise and we're still trying to compromise and many in the media are try ing to depict us that we're not. we have offered up on the floor another chance to compromise, i said i'll vote for the rebill, i'll vote for the entire $2 trillion that the president wants so he can avoid talking about this during his campaigning. but the thing is, that isn't an offer to compromise and it is me hearing the american people that they do want to compromise. >> so you are hearing the american people, you feel? yes? >> i think i have answered the question. i think we're having maybe some trouble understanding each other. but i have answered the question. i do understand the americans want us to find a compromise and i have offered to compromise. i have offered to vote for the democrat plan if they'll agree to balance the budget gradually over a seven to eight year period. >> guys get back to work, because the american people, we want something done, the people who sent you is there. i want to let you know coming up here at 7:00 p.m. eastern, ben carter of maryland is going to join me live. make sure you tune in to hear what he has to say as well. cnn is dedicate to providing you with the most up to date coverage on this debt crisis and tomorrow night we're bringing you a special report, wolf blitzer and i will break down all of the hurdles and options as we near the deadline for reaching a deal to avoid default. get it done, countdown to debt crisis, tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. eastern, right here on cnn, make sure you tune n. meantime, anger over washington's indecision and infighting over the debt crisis. listen. >> i'm saying to washington, let's get it together, let's realize the impact that it's having on the american people, get out of your vacuum, get off your butt. >> and that's from a businessman who needs a resolution right now or his customers may disappear. meantime, while the country tries to figure out how to pay its bills, minorities in america face the same problem and a new report shows it's only getting worse. we're talking with the head of the national urban league to find out what can be done to help. and you don't see this every single day. it is a jet plane that is split in half, the amazing stories of survival, straight ahead here on cnn. congress, would you guys please remember the golden rule? do unto others as you would have them do unto you? it's not do unto others before they do unto you. please go back to sunday school. >> here on our broadcast this evening, you're going to hear from the american people, they're going to hear from you, and we promise you that. if the u.s. doesn't raise its credit ceiling, as sandra endoreports, the mere idea of that has many business owners on edge. >> we have been in business since 1915 and we have certainly seen a lot of ups and downs in the auto motive industry, but nothing anywhere near what we're seeing today. >> a sagging economy, higher gas prices, a tighter supply of parts and paints from tsunami stricken japan. now a stalemate in washington over raising the debt ceiling. that could be lead to higher interest rates and on home and car loans. ron wheeler is closely following the political fight, knowing an impasse would seriously affect his bottom line. >> what would you say to lawmakers in washington who are duking it out, really standing their ground, not coming together on a deal, what would you say to them? >> saying to american people, get out of your vacuum, get off your butts and make the hard decisions, because it's affecting everything that we do, the american people at the grouped level. >> and you describe this fight as what type of feud. >> as a civil war. as a financial civil war. it's a battle over who gets what for their team. and supposedly, we're supposed to all be one team. we have a lot of sacrificial lams out here. >> like car shoppers who have to make decisions if rates do go up. >> we'll have to delay our expectations a little bit until things settle down again after the implosion in washington. >> people that aren't able to work together and it's punishing the whole country and i think it's really frightening, what might happen in the next couple of weeks if they're not able to work things out. >> reporter: whether or not lawmakers come together on a deal in time, the political wrangling is already leaving a strong impression in voters minds, especially if the public ends up paying the price. sandra endo, cnn, los angeles. >> we have some info that's just in to cnn. we told you about the meeting with nancy pelosi and harry reid, we're hearing that it's just ended. our reporters are working to find out what took place, if they came to some sort of consensus, some sort of compromise. really most people just want to get it done. we're going to continue to hear your voices tonight on our broadcast, we'll hear from the american people and not just from the politicians in washington and the pundits. surprising comments from the family of singer amy winehouse to tell you about. did her efforts to go sober actually kill her? kids used to be taught to help others, now apparently it's all about fame. wendy walsh is up next. trawberr? chocolate ! chocolate it is ! yeah, but i'm new, too. umm... he's new... er... than you. even kids know it's wrong to treat new friends better than old friends. at ally bank, we treat all our customers fairly, with no teaser rates and no minimum deposit to open. it's just the right thing to do. ♪ he left no time to regret ♪ >> that's a amy winehouse. in her back to black video. more of the singers albums have sold than during the first six months of this year. the sun newspaper quotes family source who is say quitting alcohol was a shock to winehouse's body causing a fatal seizure. but what killed the 27-year-old entertainer? we go to wendy walsh. >> toxicology results are not in, but going cold turkey, this is the first time i have heard that. can going cold turkey kill a person? >> absolutely. especially with alcohol, depending on the level of consumption and your body weight and what else is going on. alcohol is a depress santd, if you suddenly take that depressant away, your heart rate is increase, you can have seizures. i use the sample of it's easy to get addicted to chap stick, as soon as you stop chap stick because your lips hurt so much. because you're not able to make the moisture anymore. however this woman has been in detax before and has detoxed in other ways. so we're still not clear if she went cold turkey on her oesh. because it does appear that she's been through rehab before. >> when you think about harder drugs, you have to go through a process, but you have to do it too with alcohol. >> a new study of tv shows popular with 9 to 11 years, found the tv shows popularized fame above all values. should we be worried about this study? >> we have to think this is also the kind of proliferation of the global media and instant media, whether we're i-reporters or you tubing, where all of a sudden being known is more important to kids thatting a truism or helping each other out, which were different values just 10, 12 years ago. so with all the reality tv, all the youtube stars in these kids' life, being famous seems to be content for all these sitcoms, i see it in disney shows, in i carly, where they have their own internet show. >> so, yeah. >> all these reality shows and you see the wealthy girls on the shows, shopping all the time and they're famous, that sort of adds to it as well? >> frightening. >> let's move on and talk about an arkansas valedictorian is suing her school district because a superintendent named another girl as co-valedictorian. her name is kim wimberley. the district said the -- district didn't want her to be sole valedictorian because she's black and has the highest gpa. the co-valedictorian had a half credit more and the difference in gpa is like .300 of a point. what's your take on this, is it who has the highest point? does she have a point here. >> we're looking at lots of magic math by the school district here. but they did announce her as the sole valedictorian and when it became known that she was an african-american and a teen mom, i think they should have exhaust kmau exalted her to saint status. the important thing about her suit is that she wasn't just discriminated against. the thing about racism is there are individual overt acts of racism that are tragic, but there's this subtle culture of racism. 46% were african-american but black kids were not encouraged to take the a.p. classes. the wealth gap between whites and minorities has tripled over the past three years and it could get even worse if the debt crisis is not resolved. also ahead, a hefty speeding ticket for a man raising his pregnant wife to the hospital and this is one of the stories we're going to discuss with our legal expert holly hughes coming up. 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[ female announcer ] ...or this huge. new fiber one 80 calories. yes, you can actually love breakfast. you should know that what you're doing in washington is affecting everyone on the streets. >> your voices here on cnn in the middle of showdown, a sobering new picture has emerged of wealth in america and it is not pretty. the economic gap between whites and minorities has grown even larger, the median wealth for white households in america is now nearly 20 times more than that of blacks and hispanics. just four years earlier the gap was only a third that amount. national urban league president joins me from boston where the urban league is holding its annual convention. thank you for joining us, sir. >> good to be with you. >> thank you, we're going to get to the nuts and bolts of this particular study. but can't we talk about this debt crisis in washington and who would be affected by it and would possibly be affected by a default? >> well, what's very clear is that the boehner plan having taken a look at what the house passed that would impose extreme budget cuts on programs, help people on education, job training. >> i have to ask you this and i did it with senator rand paul, just the answers to the question, who is it going to be? is it minorities? who would be affected most by a default? >> i think the whole nation would be affected by default. i think that default is an extreme rest. extreme budget cuts like the type that are being discussed, like the kind with the boehner plan, i think it would affect the nation's economy in a dramatic, negative way. >> the debt crisis is a topic there at your national convention? >> the debt crisis