lemmon. this is not good for the president of syria. one of his most senior officials has defected and now he's talking. nawaf was the syrian ambassador to iraq. not anymore, he fled his post and fled to another country and is supporting the rebels trying to throw out president bashar al assad. >> translator: the regime in syria is a totalitarian regime and dictatorship. there is only one person who gives the orders. one person who is the president. >> fares talked to cnn from his secure location in qatar. the syrian capital damascus has witnessed the most intense fighting yet today according to activists. the opposition said 57 people have been killed across the country. activists also have a message for president obama. they say the time for action is now regardless of how it might impact the election. >> translator: with regard to america specifically, we would like to say to president obama that waiting for election to make a move on syria is unacceptable for syrians. it ignores the tens of thousands of syrian civilians. because of an election campaign. >> and an american pastor kidnapped in egypt apparently had no idea that where he was traveling was a very dangerous area. pastor michelle louis was abducted with a parishioner and tour guide. his son talked to randi kaye about their ordeal and how it's taken a toll on all of them especially the pastor's wife. >> it's all undecided, and i just -- she even right now seems like a dream to her. a nightmare. another chapter in the global rate fixing scandal. according to a report today in "the new york times," the u.s. justice department says it is looking into possible criminal activity. authorities around the world are trying to find out if some very big banks manipulated interest rates that impacted consumers right before the financial crisis hit. ten big banks including barclays which had that settlement. citigroup, j.p. morgan chase are all being looked at. police arrested nba star jason kidd early this morning in south hampton, new york. they say the newly signed new york knick was drunk and crashed his cadillac escalade into a telephone pole. doctors treated him for minor injuries to a hospital and kidd signed a three-year deal on thursday. sad news for the entertainment world to tell you about, academy award-winning actress celeste holm died at her home in new york. she starred on broadway, television and film and is best known for her role in "gentleman's agreement" which earned her an award in 1947. she was 95 years old. the state of florida will now have access to a federal law enforcement database to challenge the eligibility of voters. state officials sued last month to get access to that database in an attempt to purge non-citizens from voting rules. a handful of key states have been closely following the legal fight in hopes of pursuing their own voter rules. and florida's lieutenant governor thought she would just be helping out the romney campaign at an event yesterday, but instead she ended up defending herself to reporters, denying rumors of a sex scandal. here is adrian moore from our affiliate wjxt in florida. >> i haven't done anything wrong. it's a total lie. . >> reporter: lieutenant governor jennifer carroll didn't waste any time addressing the sex scandal that's making headlines. >> immediately i've become an individual that's not accused and in america and now i'm guilty until proven innocent. >> reporter: carroll was in orange park to help open a new campaign office for presumptive republican presidential nominee mitt romney? spent much of the day defending allegations she had an inappropriate relationship with an aide. carlit carlitia cole faces felony charges for recording conversations with with the chief of staff. >> i'm the one that's married for 29 years. thea, khaccuser accuser has bee for a long time. not only did she have her husband and son nolan on hand for support, but plenty of the defenders who say the accusations are nothing more than a smear campaign. >> being a public figure, you'll have things like that that come up, and when i heard that i actually giggled about it because you know it's just ridiculous. >> that's so wrong, and i -- i followed her career enough to know that's not in her personality. shieldn't be doing that stuff. >> reporter: as for carroll's focus now, putting what she calls outlandish rumors to rest. serving the state of florida and helping the romney campaign get to the white house. >> under his policies and his leadership, that this entire country is going to be better off. >> thanks again to adrian moore from our filiate wjxt. mitt romney and president obama are neck and neck in the polls except when it comes down to race. romney has a 15-point advantage over the president among white voters, but only 5% of black voters say they would vote for mitt romney. i talked about race and the election with anna navarro, republican strategist and frederick harris with a political science professor and i asked dana about romney's speech and why he said if people knew what was in his heart they would vote for him. take a listen. >> think mitt romney has a problem emoting and i think we all need to hear more of what's in his heart and i don't think that mitt romney went to the naacp to speak to the 5,000 people that were in that room and he knew he was going to get booed. i saw him get booed from south carolina a month before when he spoke in front of a latino audience. what he's chosen to do is i'm going to stay consistent and yoll not hear me pandering and say different things to one audience to another. that's the choice he made and it was courageous to go there and the naacp is a nonpartisan organization and they gave hem a lot more applause than they did boos and they did 25, between applauses. that's what we've all focused on, but, you know, and though they are non-partisan, though, they're members, and can be partisan and most of them are democrats and most are for barack obama. >> he was applauded when you talked about defending traditional marriage and other topics. what do you think, professor? why do you think that -- this he's having such a hard time resonating with black voters. >> i'm not sure how courageous he is. he's been strategic. he's come trying to come off as this compassionate conservative as president obama did in 2000. i don't think black voters care all that much about what's in his heart. i think they care more about how his policies are going to speak to black america. what is romney's plan for criminal justice reform? what is mitt romney's plan for the high levels of black unemployment? and so, you know, it was mostly rhetoric, and it was mostly him bashing the president again about obama care and so unfortunately, the republican party has provided no new bold initiatives or alternatives when it comes to black america. we have the same, old, tired proposals around vouchers that have been touted around ever since reagan was in the white house in the 1980s. i don't hear anything new as coming from the republicans. >> guys, let's talk about jobs and ana, to you first. even under this president, president obama that has the support of the majority of black voters you've got almost 14.5% unemployment for black americans. it's 7.4% for white americans and it's 8.2% average and for hispanics it's 11%. so when you're -- when you're addressing that group that was just so helpful to the president in 2008 in getting him elected and jobs are the number one issue, once again, the economy and jobs this election, has the president failed voters, black voters when it comes to jobs? >> you know, that's going to be a question that black voters are going to have to answer, but obviously, you're looking at black voters that have been disproportionately affected by this economy under obama. 14.4% is a painful, painful statistic and not only that, but you know, i think one of the problems that barack obama has with the black voters is that there were huge expectations by the african-american community on what having that first african-american president would mean, and i think many of them are disillusioned the same way that latinos were disillusioned and there were many promises years ago that he has not delivered on and that's why, though, he still has the predominant support of the african-american community. it has slipped according to polls seven or eight points and that could make all of the difference, poppy, in states like florida that will be very close. >> for his part, president obama says he's glad mitt romney spoke to the naacp convention saying it shows his rival is willing to speak to all americans. a major defection in syria. one of the president's senior officials jumped ship and is talking. you will hear him in his own words. and secretary of state hillary clinton's trip to reg i want gets ugly. the report on what went wrong coming up next. this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com. mine hurt more! mine stopped hurting faster... [ female announcer ] neosporin® plus pain relief starts relieving pain faster and kills more types of infectious bacteria. neosporin® plus pain relief. for a o dollar coupon, visit neosporin.com. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. >> in syria, a senior government official with 34 years of service now says he's on the side of the fsa, the rebel uprising. he's the highest-ranking diplomat saying to defect saying he can't be part o a dictatorship any longer. nawaf al fares talked with just one network, just one, and that was cnn. here's ivan watson in doha, qatar. >> reporter: nawaf al fares was syria's man in baghdad for nearly four years that is, until a few days ago when he suddenly announced his defection. >> what prompted you to say i've had it. i don't want to work with this government anymore. >> translator: i served sirtian regime for 34 years, but after what happened in the holy revolution, all of the killing, the massacres and the refugees, i don't see how anyone can remain silent so i decided to end my relationship with this regime. >> fares has long been one of the trusted lieutenants, an insider who knows how the syrian government works. >> reporter: who is making the decisions in damascus right now? >> translator: the regime in syria is a totalitarian regime and a dictatorship. there is only one person who gives the orders. that person is the president. >> reporter: in his first interview with the u.s. news organization since his defection fares rejected syrian government claims that the syrian rebels are al qaeda terrorists. instead, he accuses the assad regime of cooperating with al qaeda ever since the u.s. invasion of iraq in 2003 by paving the way for al qaeda militants to transit syria to target neighboring iraq. >> translator: bashar al assad and his security forces are directly responsible for the killings of thousands and thousands of iraqis and coalition forces because he gave al qaeda everything it needed. he trained them and gave them shelter. >> reporter: fares points to a controversial cross-border u.s. military raid in 2008 against the syrian town of al suk ria. fares claims the target was an al qaeda camp run by the brother-in-law of the syrian president. >> reporter: you saw with your own eyes that he was leading this al qaeda in iraq operation? >> translator: one hour after the raid assef was there at the location. a conversation took place between me and him and he was angry about the attack made against al sukariya and he was scared. >> reporr: he is now in doha under the protection of the qatari government. syrian opposition members applaud the ambassador's defection, but tell cnn they don't trust a man who waited 16 months before joining the uprising. >> reporter: what message would you like to send to bashar al assad and to your former colleagues in the government right now? >> translator: my former colleagues, i ask them to join the people and leave this corrupt regime. there is still time. to bashar assad i say you don't know history. two wills cannot be defeated, the will of god and the will of the people. history will curse you for the crimes you committed in syria. >> reporter: a blunt warning from a man who was once one of the syrian regime's top enforcers. ivan watson, cnn, doha. >> great reporting, ivan. nawaf al fares says the syrian opposition is claiming for some time. cnn's fredericka whitfield asked retired army general whether he is surprised to hear about a possible link between the al assad regime and al qaeda. >> they were providing safe haven and sanctuary to al qaeda elements transiting through damascus, going into iraq and killing iraqi civilians and killing american soldiers and we told him this must stop. >> the former syrian ambassador to iraq also telling ivan watson that he was furious that an al qaeda safe house was hit in iraq in 2008. does this information shed any new light on overall al qaeda sympathizers? >> well, what it demonstrates is that despite the syrian denunciation of al qaeda and their suggestion that they had nothing to do with al qaeda, that they were actively involved in al qaeda transiting syria, going into iraq and adding to the instability and a saf shakat was involved in that. >> what can the u.s. do with this information, if anything? >> i think this and other information can be part of the case file that should this situation end up in the international criminal court, it can be used against them in an international criminal court of law. >> well, it is a dream musical matchup. bruce springsteen and paul mccartney together live on stage in london, but the music comes to an abrupt halt and we'll tell you why and show you why next. you don't have to be in front of the television to watch cnn. do what i do, stay connected and do it on your cell phone and do it from your computer at work and go to cnn.com/tv. this is the first car that i've been totally in love with in every way, shape, and form. it's my dream vehicle. on a day to day basis, i am not using gas. my round trip is approximately 40 miles to work. head on home, stop at the grocery store, whatever else that i need to do -- still don't have to use gas. i'm never at the gas station unless i want some coffee. it's the best thing ever. as a matter of fact, i'm taking my savings so that i can go to hawaii. ♪ so that i can go to hawaii. you know what's exciting? graduation. when i look up into my students faces, i see pride. you know, i have done something worthwhile. when i earned my doctorate through university of phoenix, that pride, that was on my face. i am jocelyn taylor. i'm committed to making a difference in people's lives, and i am a phoenix. visit phoenix.edu to find the program that's right for you. enroll now. by what's getting done. measure commitment the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar commitment to support scientists studying the environment. and the gulf is open for business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. it's a match made in rock 'n' roll heaven. paul mccartney and bruce springsteen. there you hear them sing the beatles tune "i saw her standing there," but apparently not everyone in london's hyde park was into the superstar duet last night. the two were still singing when local organizers cut off power to the stage completely. they pulled the plug because the show ran past curfew. not fun. no crown for the first legally blind woman to compete for miss florida usa, but conner boss finished in the top five. the 18-year-old college freshman has a genetic eye disease that makes it very difficult for her to focus objects right in front of her. she was chosen miss photo genic and she feels like a winner even without the overall title. >> i've come to learn that it's not about winning the panellingens. i am so glad that my story can be shared and that at least i can inspire one person and if i can inspire one pern i feel like i've won. >> good for her. we were all rooting for her last night watching the pageant in the newsroom. trivia question for you, what is the fastest growing immigrant population in the united states today? here's a hint. it is not hispanics. see how well you did after the break, but first -- >> the best time to start planning for a child's education is as soon as you decide to have a child because it's never too early to start thinking about what you're going to need to do in order for the child to go on to college, not just from a financial perspective, but more importantly, academically, how you at home will prepare your child for college so i want you to start thinking about it in elementary school, but when you get to high school, that's when the real clock starts ticking. i need you to make sure that your child has four years of english, at least three years of math and preferably up to calculus if at all possible and the three years of foreign language and the highest level of science possible. what colleges also of the to know is that your child is involved in extracurricular activities. so they should play at least two sports a year and be involved in at least two activities and they should have a leadership role. they should also participate in some sort of community-based activity. homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief, i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city. if you want to make a difference, you have to have the right education. university of phoenix opened the door. my name is james craig, i am committed to making a difference, and i am a phoenix. visit phoenix.edu to find the program that's right for you. enroll now. to say that hillary clinton's trip to egypt ended on a sour note would be a huge understaple, but despite her ugly farewell, the secretary of state still held very important talks. cnn foreign affairs reporter elise abbott looks at the chaotic end to clinton's trip. >> reporter: the flag raising at one of the u.s. consulate in alexandria, egypt, and she was making some remarks ironically about how the u.s. wanted to support egypt's transition and the fact that the u.s. wasn't picking any winners or losers. there were protesters outside the consulate and it was harrowing for her staff and us journalists. when we left they were throwing bottles of water. they were throwing tomatoes and shoes which is considered a real sign of disrespect in the arab world and they were chants monica. i think it was a reference to monica lewinsky. obviously, they didn't understand that this was a totally new president and maybe it was a reference to bill clinton, but certainly it was harrowing. the secretary, though, never in any trouble, never in any danger, her car and her vehicle were never hit and one of the egyptian officials did get hit in the face with a tomato. ? wow! completely disrespectful and it was interesting, this comes after what seemed like a very welcome reception when she sat down with newly elected president morsi yesterday and she also met with the head military leader there and also with koptic