violently mauled by two chimps in south africa. ahead, the horrifying details of the attack. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." these numbers just coming in. let's go to the battle for the white house. a brand new cnn o.r.c. poll is just being released right now. take a look at just how tight the race is. among registered voters nationally, nationally. 49% say they are for president obama versus 46% for mitt romney. that's with a 2.5% samplining err error. despite the landmark ruling, there's been no change in the number for either candidate since the last poll that came out in may. look at this, when it comes to voters in the so-called battleground states, about 15 of them, the numbers aren't so close. let's go straight to cnn's joe johns. he's breaking the numbers for us. he's in des moines, iowa, right now. tell our viewers what we're seeing, joe. >> reporter: wolf, there's certainly a lot more to this than meets the eye. the main takeaway is mitt romney is running ahead of the president in some of the states that matter most. conservatives are still shaking their heads. >> it was really a shock. >> i'm dispinted at their position. they came to a position. >> how could one of their own on the supreme court side with liberals onto uphold the institutionalty of the democrat's health care plan. in many ways it was still a conservative decision. >> this was a conservative judicial philosophy that says the role of the courts is to be the last resort, not the first resort. we only strike something down when it's a big piece of regulation if we absolutely have to. that's still quite conservative. >> and this type of thinking shouldn't be a surprise. >> wrong piece there running, obviously. the takeaway on our poll is even though the president maintains a slight edge in the nationwide polling. it's a different story in the 15 battleground states, including iowa, where i am right now. according to the latest cnn o.r.c. poll, mitt romney is out to an advantage among registered voters. in the 15 states that we can in play. the seven toss-up states and the eight states leaning towards either the president or his republican challenge. the news is not all good. as the election approaches, few things are seen more important for voter enthusiasm. the polling indicates in march only 46% of democrats said they were enthusiastic about involving in november. and now it's up to 59%. so that's a 13% increase in enthusiasm. on the democratic side. certainly not so on the republican side. it's been consistent since march. and really hasn't moved above 52% or 51%. >> still a significant number of americans out there, joe, who haven't made up their minds yet. they're maybe leaning one way or the other, but they're open to changing their minds down the road. still four months to go. >> that's true. you're talking about one in five. also important to know that 79% have already made up their mind. a lot of people out there are pretty much locked in. 39% said they made up their minds. 20% say their minds could change right now. you see the numbers. joe, thanks very much. jeff is here from "the new york times." he's one of the political correspondents, one of the best out there. what do you make of this, that obama is doing relatively well. 49-46 nationally among registered numbers. the same numbers he got back in may. that romney, definitely obama. it's 51% for romney. 43% for obama. >> definitely a higher margin of error. we know this race will be tight until the election day over the next four months. the race is being fought in battleground states. in some respects it's more helpful to look at that number. mitt romney and barack obama are going head to head in these states. what we don't know is how it breaks down specifically. ohio versus pennsylvania versus florida. but it confirms that's why the candidates are traveling to these states. they're spending money there. that's why the race is going on. >> i totally agree. what's happening in the battleground states is more important than what's happening nationally. we know president obama will carry california. we know he'll carry new york. we know mitt romney will carry texas. it's the battleground states like florida or ohio or virginia or pennsylvania, some of these battleground states that will make all the difference. >> and that's why the romney campaign -- in the last month. the obama campaign, for all the talk about the republicans outspending the democrats, and it's about equal overall, president obama is spending four times as much money than mitt romney in the battleground states. in ohio, for example, he's really assaulting him on the air with some negative ads on his time bain capital. if the president was in a better position, he would not be spending so much money. >> look at this clip from the new obama campaign ad. want to discuss it. >> they were pioneers in shipping u.s. jobs overseas. investing in firms that specialized in relocating jobs done by american workers to new facilities in low-wage countries like china and india. does iowa want an outsourcer in chief in the white house? >> these ads in the battleground states like iowa, for example, where they're airing the ads, they are working. >> they are beginning to work. what this poll confirms is people don't have their minds made up of governor romney yet. so the obama campaign is trying to use a story from the "washington post" calling him an outsourcer. he was not fair to the middle class. the romney campaign said whoa. these aren't fair. they haven't responded on television through a paid advertising campaign. i think the ads that have been playing for a few weeks now are probably going do have an effect. that's what the romney advisers told us. which is exactly why they're pushing back with negative attacks on their own. >> i have a clip of one of those ads. let me play it right now. >> barack obama's attacks against mitt romney are just not true. but that's barack obama. he also attacked hillary clinton with vicious lies. >> he continues to spend millions of dollars, perpetuating falsehoods. >> mitt romney has a plan to get america working. barack obama, worst job record since the depression. >> so shame on you, barack obama. >> that's a strong ad right there as well. >> it's hard to believe it was four years ago when we saw the ad the first time around. it is a strong ad. it's going to independent women voters who aren't sure about barack obama. the obama campaign is looking to see if this tyme of ad is going to work. she's probably raising doubts in the minds of some people. she's one of the most popular democratic figures in this administration. it's hard to believe it's going to move a lot of minds. one thing it is doing. one thing inside the poll is the intensity. democrats now are much more intense and enthusiastic about the race. they are starting to believe that barack obama could lose the race. that's something they didn't think a couple of months ago. >> you are extremely enthusiastic about voting in november. now 59% of democrats say they are. 51% of the republicans say they are very or extremely enthusi t enthusiastic. >> that's a big clahange. >> that's a very important number. i think "the new york times" may have broken the story that mitt romney decided he will visit israel this summer, make a trip to see the prime minister of israel, benjamin netanyahu. >> it's not an accident at all. he's taking a foreign trip. he's going to the olympics. it's similar what then senator obama did four years ago. he's going to try to benefit domestically, pitically here back at home with jewish voters who still have deep questions about president obama. it will be fascinating to see what he does on that trip. but no accident at all. troper planning, i wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't gone. >> i remember when president obama went in israel in july of 2008, he was the candidate. he went to israel. was well received there. a lot of jewish voters are concerned that as president of the united states, he has not visited israel. i'm sure the romney campaign will be making that. >> no doubt about it. they'll make itten issue on television ads and certainly when he goes there. perhaps the president would visit. i would be surprised during the rest of his general election campaign. but who know? >> i'm sure he'll meet with the palestinian authority. but we'll wait and see. thanks for cop coming in. >> thanks, wolf. the fierce race to the white house isn't about just poll numbers. it's also about raking in the cash. also, a major drug kpan is hit with the largest fraud settlement in u.s. history. $3 billion. it involves safety concerns about very popular drugs that may be in your medicine cabinet. and they're willing to die on the battlefield for the handlers. the military may not be giving these dogs the credit they're due. 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. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, now. introducing gold choice. the freedom you can only get from hertz to keep the car you reserved or simply choose another. and it's free. ya know, for whoever you are that day. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. playing sports is just my whole life. looking back if it wasn't for shriners hospital, things would just be really different. i lost my leg when i was a kid. shriners turned my whole life around. send your love to the rescue. donate today. that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they help save you up to thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a referral to see a specialist. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide. it's now the largest fraud settlement in u.s. history. the justice department defining drug company glaxosmithkline $3 billion after failing to report important safety information on some of the most important and popular drugs. among the charges, the company will plead guilty to selling some of those medications as treatments for conditions that hadn't been approved for. cnn's alison kosik is joining us now with details. alison, what exactly did glaxosmithkline do? >> so glaxosmithkline is paying the $3 billion fine for marketing nine separate drugs off label. when they do that, that's when a pharmaceutical company markets the job as a treatment for conditions that are different from what the fda has approved. when you look at that and break it down, $1 billion of that is to settle criminal wrongdoing. $2 billion is covering civil liabilities. and the fine amounts to the biggest fraud settlement in u.s. history. the government said that what glaxosmithkline did was market p paxil to children. but the drug is for adults to treat depression and anxiety. wellubtrin is another drug. it was marketed as a weight loss drug, but it's really an anti-depressant. they're also accused of promoting drugs liked aadvair ad imitrex and paying kickbacks to doctors to prescribe the drugs. >> i'm sure, alison, this is pretty alarming to a lot of folks are taking these drugs, especially young people. >> i talked to an an attorney who said this glaxo case is really an example of a corporate culture that went off the tracks, meaning the fact that so many drugs were involved, it shows it wasn't a few rogue employees the trying to up the profits. it's more of a business plan of fraud that came from the higher ups. and from the average american standpoint, it certainly doesn't sit well. >> $3 billion coming into the u.s. treasury. i assume the money will be used to cut down the deficit or something else. thanks very much for that, alison. new signs president obama may be fighting a losing battle against mitt romney when it comes to raking in the big dollars. now there's a major new push under way to keep that from happening. our white house correspondent dan lothian is over at the white house. he's joining us now with the very latest. what's happening on the money front, dan? >> reporter: well, wolf, you remember back in 2008 president obama far outspent and outraised senator mccain. it's a different story this time around. the dash is not piling up as quickly. in part, wall street is not there for the president like they were in 2008. so the president is pushing very hard, letting his supporters know just what is at stake. it's an urgent presidential pitch for campaign cash that his critics call a sign of desperation. >> from now until november, the other side will spend more money than at any time in american history. >> a drastic change in tone from his 2008 campaign. in this recent e-mail, president obama pleaded for $3 donations with a bleak forecast. i will be the first president in modern history to be outspent in in his re-election campaign if things continue as they have so far. deputy campaign manager connected the zots in this e-mail. if we're drastically outspent in this election, there's a good chance we will lose to mitt romney. >> you may be who decides who the next president is. and if you are, it will be many. >> superpacs have helped massachusetts governor mitt romney pull ahead of the president's fund raising efforts. a big concern for the obama campaign, which is turning up the heat on small and big donors. on his way back from surveying the devastating colorado wildfires last friday, president obama reached out to supporters for air force one. using a phone a campaign official tells cnn is dedicated to political calls. and is not funded by taxpayers. the daily beast, which received an 18-minute audio recording, first reported on what it described as a rambling conference call where the president sound eed weary and worried as he begged for cash. >> we don't know how many people were on this call. but people who have been hit up or money from the campaign several times at least, we know they were hit up in 2008. many of them gave the maximum amount you can to a campaign back then. and this time the president very anxious about the fund raising deadlines coming up. >> cnn has not heard the reporting, but a campaign official characterized the appeal as a routine fund raising call. cnn political editor paul steinhauser says the urgent tone is about more than the bottom line. >> it's an alarm bell across the country to democrats who haven't contributed to the president's re-election campaign. >> and it's not just about the money, as the president makes this hard sell. it's also about the votes, and so the president is reaching out, not only to his base but also to independent voters, letting them know that this will be a very close election and that he will need every vote. wolf? >> is the white house suggesting, dan, that the president routinely uses that specific phone aboard air force one to debunk the political fund raising. >> they didn't say routinely, but an official told me they do have the phone. it's only used for the political events, for campaign phone calls. it's not paid for by taxpayers. it's paid for by the campaign. it is a phone that he has at his his disposal. unclear how often he uses it. >> phil burton will be joining us in the 6:00 p.m. eastern hour later today. he runs one of the pro-obama sup superpacs being crushed by the pro-romney superpacs. warnings are up in at least 18 states today because it's dangerously hot. the trouble is, there's no way to keep cool. standby for an update. the passive power outages caused by a killer storm. a pair of would-be robbers use trash bags to disguise themselves. you'll want to see what happens when they ask the clerk to open the cash register. [ male announcer ] count the number of buttons in your car. now count the number of buttons on your tablet. isn't it time the automobile advanced? introducing cue in the all-new cadillac xts. the simplicity of a tablet has come to your car. ♪ the all-new cadillac xts has arrived. and it's bringing the future forward. hey america, even though slisa rinna is wearing the new depend silhouette briefs for charity to prove how great the fit is even under a fantastic dress. the best protection now looks, fits and feels just like underwear. we invite you to get a free sample and try one on too. just $14.99. start with soup, salad and cheddar bay biscuits then choose one of 7 entrees plus dessert! four perfect courses, just $14.99. come into red lobster and sea food differently. lots and lots of people here in washington, d.c. and the neighboring area still can't use the air conditioner today, and it's hot outside. lisa sylvester is monitoring that and other stories in "the situation room." >> from illinois and ohio to the east coast, at least 2 million people are enduring another scorching day without electricity because of friday night's wave of storms. the heat wave isn't going away. and the power in some areas may not come back until friday. the storms are blamed for at least 19 deaths. mostly from falling trees and limbs. we'll have more on the storm damage and continuing misery during the next hour of "the situation room." and tens of thousands of colorado residents who fled one of the state's most destructive wildfires now have the all clear to return home. but tragically now some have no homes. waldo canyon fire deindustried many homes. and july got off to a lackluster start on wall street. investors spooked by a new survey indicating the global economic slowdown is starting to hurt u.s. manufacturing. the dow industrial closed slilgt slightly lower, while the tech heavy nasdaq posted modest gains. and how not to rob a doughnut shop. a couple of women in albuquerque asked to borrow the cell phone to call a taxi. they came back wearing trash bags. that's what you see there, and demanding money, the clerk chased them out into the waiting cab, it looks like she has a stick there. a few blocks later, the cabbie turned them out also because they were broke. no one has seen them since. does not sound like a smart idea at all, wolf. >> not smart to do a robbery to begin with. mitt romney may have a big problem right now. our strategy session is getting ready to take a close look at why he has some careful explaining to do now that people understand the u.s. supreme court's ruling on president obama's health care reform law. stay with us. ake care of legal matters. wouldn't it be nice if there was an easier, less-expensive option than using a traditional lawyer? well, legalzoom came up with a better way. we took the best of the old and combined it with modern techn