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CNN NEWSROOM

U.S. Stock Markets Poised to Open Lower Today; Will Lebron Wear His Headband at NBA Finals Game 7?; Taliban Wants a Deal to Free U.S. Soldier

Aired June 20, 2013 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Stories we are watching right now in "Newsroom." U.S. stock markets are poised to open lower today, much lower. We are keeping an eye on Wall Street. Actually, our Christine Romans is keeping a very close eye. It was a terrible day yesterday, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, what is on tap today?

CHRISTINE ROMANS: I think it's going to be ugly at the open. You know, with the Futures down about 121. You are seeing the first, we call it Print -- the first few trades going, you will see this sort of accelerate a little bit here.

We have gold prices, Carol, down 6% overnight. A lot of people, remember, have been going into gold, you know, as the stock market was going up. As bond prices were moving. People had been going into gold and going into oil. All those commodities getting hit overnight.

World stock markets fell overnight and stock futures is significantly in lower open. So, why? What is going on here? Well, you know, the Fed chairman yesterday, he said they would continue to, you know, stimulate the U.S. economy, but there would be a road map for when they would stop doing that.

When the U.S. economy was strong enough to get on its own two feet when unemployment rate got to 7%. They would start to pull back that stimulus. Take their foot off the accelerator is the way the fed chief put it. And, overnight, is that really sunk in.

World markets started to react saying, look all the markets that had benefitted from that big flood of fed money into the world economy, all of those markets now having a pull back in reaction to what will be the reality though later this year, some time next year when the fed is not in the game.

Dow Futures -- You see the Dow down about 69 points right now, down 72. We will continue to watch the early indications there were that you would see a triple digits decline. We have seen triple-digit declines the last six or the last seven days in a row, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes. But, then it goes right back up. It is such a wheel thing.

ROMANS: It is very volatile. We will -- I will watch it for you and let you know how who this markets are -- how this is playing out and whether they can absorb it all right today.

COSTELLO: I know you will. Thank you, Christine.

COSTELLO: Other stories we are covering this morning. Senate negotiators are expected to announce a deal today on an immigration reform bill. It would increase border security as CNN first reported yesterday. The plan would double the number of patrol officers from the current level of 21,000 and include 700 miles of fencing.

A frightening sight. A waterspout off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana. Look at this thing. Official say, three water spouts merged into one powerful funnel cloud. The waterspout drifted ashore snapping some power lines and damaging the roof and shingles of a nearby camp and home. Thankfully no injuries reported.

Still ahead in "The Newsroom" two teams, Game Seven, one NBA championship. The question tonight, will Lebron wear his headband? We will be back with an exclusive interview.

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COSTELLO: Oh, I love this story. Tonight, the NBA will crown a champion. Either the San Antonio Spurs or the Miami Heat will lift the trophy following Game Seven in Miami. But, the real question tonight, will Lebron James throw vanity aside and play San's headband. Rachel Nichols sat down with King James and she asked him. Hi.

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I mean the headband for people who have not been following headband-gate, whatever we're calling it right. Lebron James has appeared wearing a headband for almost his entire NBA career, thousands and thousands and thousands of games at this point.

And, it fell off while he was making a move to the basket the other night in the middle of the fourth quarter and I guess it's the opposite of saying I am sending -- he actually kicked it up a gear and got better after he lost the headband. Played with like a force for the rest of the game.

His team ended up staving off elimination. So one of the big questions is, will he go with or without the headband in Game Seven tonight. Also, we just we talked about what it felt like for his team to basically be given up for dead when they were down by five points with 30 seconds to go. His answer was pretty interesting about how it motivated him and the rest of the guys. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: With about a minute to go in Game Six, security guards come out and they start putting the yellow tape around the floor. They get ready to wheel that championship trophy in and give it to the Spurs. LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT BASKETBALL PLAYER: We felt like there was -- basically burying us alive. You know, throwing dirt on us before it was over. But, at the end of the day, it is still more game to play. Let's finish this game on and see what happens.

NICHOLS: All right. And, we have to talk about the headband, of course. I have one here for you. I don't know if you recognize this. This is your old friend. You usually keep this guy next to you at all times.

JAMES: Yes. He is a little mad at me right now. We haven't talked in a few hours. We have not played with it in so long.

NICHOLS: Dwyane Wade, and I trying to say -- am I going to talk him into not wearing it in Game Seven. Can you give us the exclusive here?

JAMES: Yes. I mean I don't know. I don't know. This is a very tough decision. I have to decide if I am going to wear it or not wear it. But, I think I will, you know, it has been a part of this journey, the ups and downs in my career so far. So, we'll see what happens.

NICHOLS: No man left behind.

JAMES: Yes. No man left behind.

NICHOLS: How much of Game Seven is about XS and OS and how much is about heart?

JAMES: I think it's all heart. At the end of the day, XS and OS, coaching staff will put you in position to succeed but you got to go and do it. I think it is about heart and determination at this point and the team is going on the way to victory.

NICHOLS: And, you know, want to reunite you with your friends.

JAMES: Yes, me and my friends. Sorry, buddy, I still love you.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: You can see how Lebron's willing to have a little fun there. And, it's so interesting, actually, to see his evolution. Two years ago he was on this NBA finals stage for the first time with the Miami Heat and he was just so uptight about the idea of how he would perform under the pressure, having left Cleveland, having so much criticism.

So many people watching his every move. It affected him. It affected the way he played and he decided after that, that this is a game. He has had fun playing it his whole life. He was going to approach it differently. We saw that in the finals last year when they beat Oklahoma City and he won his first title. And, that's how he is approaching it this year. You saw him joking around with me in that interview and then, you know, what his big plans were, Carol, to prep for the game, not only look at some game film but watch Sponge Bob Square Pants with his two young sons last night.

COSTELLO: I totally get that because if you are ever feeling any anxiety or tension, Sponge Bob will pull you out. There you go! Love the headband thing. That was his real secret. He got rid of the headband, everything was fine. Rachel Nichols, thanks so much. That was fun.

NICHOLS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Up next in "The Newsroom." Hope with strings attached. The Taliban wants to make a deal that could free a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009.

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COSTELLO: Taliban wants to make a deal. Talks between the United States and the Taliban could happen within the next few days and those talks could pay the way for a captured American soldier to finally return home.

Yes, the Taliban claims it is holding the soldier hostage. Reza Sayah joins us now on the possible prisoner exchange. What does the Taliban want in return?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is one of the possible outcomes. If the Taliban in Washington ever sit down and talk. The release of Bowe Bergdahl. This is the U.S. soldier captured in 2009. He has been held captive by the Taliban ever since.

All indications are he is alive and in good condition and both the Taliban and Washington say if they meet, they could be a potential prison swap where they would give up Bowe Bergdahl in return for a number of Taliban leaders being held in Guantanamo. There was some optimism, but that optimism dashed yesterday when all of a sudden the Afghan government pulled out of these talks.

Afghanistan unhappy with the way the Taliban is portraying itself. Unhappy that in their new office here in Doha, they are flying their Taliban flag and not recognizing Afghanistan's official name and instead putting up a sign in their new offices that reads Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan. Kabul pulled out of the talks. U.S. put on the brakes. Things on hold at this hour. Carol.

COSTELLO: So, do we know for sure that this soldier -- this U.S. soldier is alive and he is, indeed, in Taliban custody?

SAYAH: All indications right now from the Taliban are that he is alive and there are some signs that these talks could take place, despite the problems of the next few days. Today we visited the Taliban's office. They have lowered that controversial flag and also removed the sign that says Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan demands that Afghanistan, the government in Kabul made. So, there are signs that the Taliban are heeding some of the demands and there is new hope that these talks could take place in the next few days.

COSTELLO: All right. Reza Sayah reporting live for us this morning. An unbelievably beautiful moment, three years in the making. A little boy hears for the first time. Isn't that a great reaction? We will tell you more when we come back.

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