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Iraq Briefings; Manhattan Steam Pipe Explosion; Tom Cruise Meets Resistance in Germany for New Film
Aired July 19, 2007 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And news just in from Brazil. Prosecutors are seeking a court order to shut down the airport in Sao Paulo where that fiery plane crash killed almost 200 people. Authorities want the facility closed until an investigation is completed.
New video shows the flight's final moments. It shows the TAM jetliner landing what appears to be a high speed, and then the ball of fire off to the left of the screen as it smashes into a building. The crash has raised questions about whether Brazilian aviation authorities rushed to reopen a recently resurfaced runway and about the runway being too short.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Two U.S. soldiers charged with premeditated murder in Iraq. That word from the U.S. military today.
The men accused of killing an Iraqi near the northern city of Kirkuk last month. Fellow soldiers reportedly alerted authorities to Sergeant Tray Corrales (ph) of Texas and Specialist Christopher Shore (ph) of Georgia. A lieutenant colonel has been relieved of his command. The military says he is not a suspect and has not been charged.
The fight for Iraq and more losses for U.S. forces. Just this morning, the military says a U.S. soldier was killed by small arms fire in Baghdad. That follows news four other American soldiers were killed in a Baghdad explosion. The bomb detonated near their patrol.
Meanwhile, Iraqi officials believe sectarian vendettas fueled a series of killings. At least 15 bodies were found dumped across Baghdad yesterday. That is not uncommon. So far this month, the number of unidentified bodies fond in the capital, 377.
HARRIS: Let's stay with Iraq. The White House takes the debate to lawmakers. Today, two high-level briefings, one single message.
CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash is on the story.
Dana, good morning to you.
Interesting timing here. These briefings coming, what, one day after the troop withdrawal amendment failed in the Senate?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is interesting timing. And what's going on right now in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is actually, Tony, a hearing that Democratic aides say they've been trying to set up since May. And it's quite unusual.
You see there, that is the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker. He is speaking and testifying before this committee by video conference. So he's not actually there. He is on the ground in Baghdad.
And the purpose, according to the chairman who gave his opening statement, he said it was pretty -- pretty straight up. And he said it is trying -- to try to find out from what the U.S. ambassador what exactly the political situation is now and how it could potentially change in the next two months. The next two months, of course, are critical because it is in September that the U.S. government, the military, and on the political side as well, that they're going to come back and give a final report to the Congress about how the surge is going.
And what the chairman, Joseph Biden said, is that -- he said he wants to know whether or not the surge, which essentially he said the whole point of it was to buy time for the government, how it can work, because it is clear, according to the benchmarks, at least the interim report that Congress got just last week, it is clear that pretty much across the board they're unsatisfactory in their progress.
And the ambassador in his opening statement, which just happened -- it happened just a few moments ago, he was pretty candid, Tony. He said that he's not going to try to present the Iraqi government as a smooth model of efficiency.
Listen to what else he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMB TO IRAQ: If there is one word that I would use to are sum up the atmosphere in Iraq, on the street, in the countryside, in the neighborhoods and at the national level, that word would be "fear". This is the fear that Saddam Hussein so effectively inculcated throughout the country, it's a fear that's been intensified by the sectarian strains.
For Iraq to move forward at any level, that fear is going to have to be replaced with some level of trust and confidence. And that is what the effort at the national level is about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: So there's no question that the president does have what he wanted, which is more time, at least time until September, to give this surge to work. But it is clear that the frustration here among Democrats and even Republicans is very high when it comes to the Iraqi government and the lack of progress, Tony. So that is the kind of thing that is being discussed in this hearing, and you're likely to hear Republicans, as well as Democrats, press the ambassador about that.
HARRIS: Our congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us this morning. Dana, appreciate it. Thank you.
Football star off the field and into court. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will miss the first day of training camp. He will appear before a federal judge in Richmond, Virginia, a week from today.
Vick and three co-defendants answering felony dog fighting charges. The NFL has decided against suspending Vick while the legal process plays itself out.
An indictment alleges dogs were housed, trained and fought at the Virginia property owned by Vick. It allege some dogs were electrocuted, drowned, hanged or shot. Vick is accused of taking part in some of the dog killings.
COLLINS: No asbestos in the air, but some in the debris. Early test results in this morning after that steam pipe explosion in New York. One person died, 40 people were injured.
Jim Acosta is in Manhattan this morning.
Jim, as we talk to you, we're going to look at some of the dozens of I-Report submissions that we got from folks who were witness to yesterday's explosion. Some unbelievable pictures coming our way, and those eyewitness accounts as well. You just can't help but think about September 11th.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. And I should note that this noise you're hearing behind me is not the symphony in the park. Those are the jackhammers that are now busily trying to put this part of Midtown Manhattan back to work. Those are utility workers behind me trying to lay some new power lines to make sure the power stays on in this area.
But yes, that panic that was in the air yesterday was palpable. There were people running through the streets. And that's not overstating it.
And we talked to one woman who was in one of these office buildings over the hole that exploded here in Midtown Manhattan yesterday. She was able to just earlier this morning go in with a video camera to her office and take some pictures of this hole. We want to show you those pictures.
And the hole is quite amazing, to look down into this hole with a bird's eye view. It is just a sight to behold. And in the middle of that hole, as you can see, is a tow truck that fell into that pit after the steam pipe exploded.
So, just to show you just the magnitude of what people were dealing with yesterday. It was unbelievable.
COLLINS: Yes. We are now looking at that, the picture that you are talking about there, Jim. Boy, it is huge, isn't it? I just wonder -- we've been hearing a little bit about how old these pipes are. And I don't want to make more of the story than it is, but those pipes are about 100 years old underneath the city streets. Has there been any talk at this time -- and it might be too early -- from authorities about potential upgrades they could be doing or extensive checking on this system underground?
ACOSTA: Well, this is an old city, Heidi, as you know. And the infrastructure underneath the streets of Manhattan is very old.
This pipe that burst yesterday dates back to 1924. And that's not the oldest pipe in this -- in this town. And much of that piping was insulated with asbestos during the time.
I think it would be astronomical in terms of the cost to try to remove all of that asbestos. Nobody is talking about doing that. But at the same time, yes, there are those questions.
Con Edison was asked about this. The local utility was asked about this yesterday, and they insist that they do these routine checks of these steam pipes on a regular basis. And it's one of those things.
Who would have thought there were steam pipes running underneath the city of New York, but they provide air conditioning, heating and all sorts of residential and commercial buildings. And those pipes need to be checked.
And what happens is what's called a vapor condition, is what Con Edison said. If they see steam rising up from the streets through a manhole or something, they will check out those pipes. And they say they do that on a regular basis.
COLLINS: All right. Well, it only takes one time, unfortunately.
All right. Jim Acosta, thanks so much, live from Manhattan this morning.
And you did see some of those incredible I-Report pictures and video that viewers submitted of yesterday's explosion. You can do the same thing. Just a reminder here.
Sending an I-Report has never been easier. You can do it straight from your cell phone. Simply shoot a picture or video, click to e-mail it, along with your commentary, to ireport@cnn.com, and then just hit "send".
Always be careful, of course, whatever situation you're in.
But it is a pretty easy thing to do.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Training on land for Navy recruits. Sailors have to pass a tough test before graduating. We'll take you on board the simulator ship.
HARRIS: Cold shoulder for Tom Cruise. The actor's plans for portraying a German resistance hero meeting, yes, you guessed it, resistance.
COLLINS: The primetime Emmy nominations are out this morning. Find out which shows made the cut.
Here's a hint: "Family Matters".
HARRIS: And how about this? A pooch with a pricey appetite. She eats hundreds of dollars worth of dollars.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Not everybody is on board for the new Tom Cruise film. The actor meeting resistance in Germany.
CNN's Diana Magnay reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tom Cruise should be used by now to run-ins with the German government. In 2004, he was refused permission to film scenes for "Mission Impossible 3" inside the German parliament building. Now he's getting the same treatment, this time for a movie in which he plays the German resistance hero Claus von Stauffenberg.
Stauffenberg tried to assassinate Hitler in 1944 by planting a bomb in a briefcase in Hitler's conference room. Hitler was only slightly injured in the blast, much of the force absorbed by a table leg.
(on camera): This is the Bendler Block, the spot where Stauffenberg and four of his fellow plotters were brought down on the night of July the 20th and executed after their plan to kill Hitler had failed. Tom Cruise asked for permission to film here, but the German government said no.
(voice over): Guardians of the site say the decision was fair. The site should be held sacred.
JOHANNES TUCHEL, GERMAN RESISTANCE MEMORIAL: We don't want to have a place here for a stage for an execution and to hang Swastika flags out of our windows. Today it's a memorial and today it's not a part for a movie.
MAGNAY: But some government members say this has more to do with Cruise's Scientology beliefs.
FRANK HENKEL, SECRETARY-GENERAL, BERLIN CDU (through translator): It would not be a good signal if an ambassador of this psycho sect that has extremist character and no concern for basic human rights shoots a movie in a place like that. MAGNAY: Germany's latest Oscar-winning director, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, weighed into the debate last week, claiming that Cruise would do more for Germany's image abroad than 10 World Cups. But others aren't so sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's a very good actor and he looks a little bit like Stauffenberg did. But I think Stauffenberg's thinking in that time was different from Cruise thinking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If somebody wanted to make a film about German history, we have good German actors.
MAGNAY: Cruise has played many different roles over the course of his career. Here in Germany, he has yet to prove he can take on this important national hero.
Diana Magnay, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Health insurance claims. Are you fully covered? Cutting through the red tape, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: In our "Daily Dose" of health news today, health insurance, you have it, you think you're covered, but it might not be good for what ales you.
Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joining us now with more on this.
And who isn't concerned about health care?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
I mean, you hear this from so many people. They say, I had a medical expense, my doctor said it was legitimate, I put in for it at insurance, and they denied it, and I appealed it and appealed it. You hear this often.
As a matter of fact, there's a survey that says one out of every four Americans says that they have had a legitimate insurance claim denied.
Well, we're going to tell you in a story later on this week, and Heidi will get to that in a minute, about a young man named Andrew Perry (ph). He was born with a severe facial defect.
He's had to have 21 surgeries. And while insurance has dished out millions for his mother, his mother, who's a single mother, a kindergarten teacher, she has had to pay $10,000 for expenses that she and her doctor say are legitimate. And the insurance company just says no, they're not, we're not going to pay for them. You can see he has got a jaw defect. His next challenge is that he will soon have no teeth in his lower jaw because of this birth defect. And insurance told her that they will not pay for new teeth. And she's dealing with her insurance company on that right now.
COLLINS: That's obviously him now.
COHEN: That's obviously him now, right. He is 13 years old.
Now, if you want to learn about what you can do if an insurance company denies you, I have a column right now up on cnn.com/health that gives some tips on what to do if your insurance company is denying what you think is a legitimate claim.
COLLINS: Yes. And we just hear this so often from so many people out there. Even if you do the pre-certification stuff, sometimes it comes back that you're just, boom, surprise, not going to be covered.
COHEN: Right, you think you've done everything right, exactly.
COLLINS: Yes. And a lot of people I think probably feel like, you know, I'm just one person, this is a huge insurance company with a ton of money, how am I really going to fight them?
COHEN: You know, that's what I thought, too, when I started this project, and I really was amazed to hear from health advocates, it was amazing to hear them say, you know what? You really can do something. You may have to appeal twice or three times, or even four times, but they said, really, when we work at this, it really does happen. And they said they have seen people who have stuck with it and gotten the insurance companies to pay.
It takes a lot of energy, though.
COLLINS: Yes, definitely. And usually you're going through so much pain and stress. It's just one more thing.
COHEN: Exactly. It's not a time in your life when you want to be doing that kind of paperwork, but sometimes you have to.
COLLINS: Yes. No question about it.
All right. Well, that's right, you did say that you have got your tips on CNN.com.
What's your favorite one, though, if you can share it with us right now?
COHEN: OK. I'll share one right now, which is get help. That's what all the advocates kept saying.
For example, if you get your insurance through your employer, ask your employer for help. They're the ones that bought the policy in the first place. Also, there are advocates out there who can help. And there's more about that in the CNN.com story. COLLINS: Great. All right. We'll direct everybody there. Thanks so much.
COHEN: OK. Thanks.
COLLINS: Elizabeth Cohen.
And to find out what happened to Andrew Perry (ph), the little boy that you just saw in the video there, tune in for "HOUSE CALL" this weekend. Elizabeth Cohen also will give you more tips on how to get those results that we're talking about here today from your insurance company. You can see all of this Saturday and Sunday morning at 8:00 Eastern.
HARRIS: What makes someone a hero? Well, all this year, CNN is answering that question by introducing you to some incredible people who are making a real difference in the communities where they live.
Today, CNN's hero is making the daily lives of injured American troops just a little bit better. Meet Vietnam vet Bob Kunkel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did this start?
BOB KUNKEL, CNN HERO: The new injured have no idea how dramatic their lives have been impacted. And I have experience in that area. And I knew I had to do something.
I was with the 9th Infantry Division. My knee joint was blown out. So they took the bottom part and welded it to the top.
I did not cope well. You name the self-destructive behavior, I did it. Times 10. Now I view all that experience as training for what I'm doing now.
My name is Bob Kunkel. I have the privilege and honor of being allowed to interact with the new injured at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
I function as a friend. I teach jujitsu so that an injured person can become empowered in protecting themselves.
He went that way, so you step here.
There's a connection. Been in combat? I've been in combat.
You're laughing, they know.
My purpose is to steer someone to make better choices in their life.
If you're injured, you're still the same person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I feel fortunate to have met somebody like Bob. You know, someone that can kind of understand the disability, but that can also teach me a skill that I can pass on to other people.
KUNKEL: I've taken soldiers out for coffee, out for a drive, and dinner.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you?
KUNKEL: And you can just see people relaxing. It's my way of showing my true appreciation for their sacrifice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: You should know that Bob travels once a month from Buffalo to Washington, D.C., to help his fellow vets. And he does it all on his own dime.
If you would like to learn more about Bob Kunkel or his program, go to cnn.com/heroes. There you can also nominate your hero for special recognition later this year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Hi there once again, everybody.
I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: Good morning. Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.
Early test this morning show no asbestos in the air from that massive steam pipe explosion in New York City. But some tests on dust and debris were positive for asbestos. More testing is under way as you might expect.
This i-Record video from viewer Nick Parish shows the thick plume of steam and ash just spewing into the air. Officials say the pipe was more than 80-years-old. Terrorism not suspected in yesterday's explosion, but fear sent hundreds running for cover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole street was chaos. People were running, their shoes were falling off, they were pushing each other and pulling each other and we looked up and there was smoke billowing out of this building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could just see smoke and it looked like it was coming towards the building. And then, there's also debris falling, so it really looked like a building was coming down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Man, officials say one person died of a heart attack, 40 others were injured.
Look, you saw those incredible i-Report pictures and video that viewers, you, submitted of yesterday's explosion, and well, you can do the same. Sending an i-Report has never been easier. Do it straight from your cell phone.
COLLINS: There's a big phone by your head. Just wanted to warn you.
HARRIS: No, but -- what is that?
COLLINS: No, it's right there (ph). It's good.
HARRIS: Simply (ph) -- is it OK?
COLLINS: It's cool.
HARRIS: All right.
COLLINS: It's big.
HARRIS: Simply shoot a picture or video and click to e-mail it along with your commentary, give us some thoughts about it, to iReport@CNN.com, then you just -- you hit send. It's that -- we can't make it any easier than that. That simple.
COLLINS: President Bush says he'll work to keep food and products coming into your home safe. He set up a cabinet-level panel to look at import safety.
I spoke a short time ago with Don Mays. He is the senior director of Product Safety, Planning and Technical Administration at Consumers Union. Those are the people who bring you consumer reports. He explains some of the problems.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON MAYS, CONSUMERS UNION: Part of the problem is that we don't have enough government inspectors to prevent unsafe products and foods from crossing our borders. We need to be able to fund the government watch dog agencies so that they can protect consumers in this country.
The other thing that's going on is that small importers in particular are bringing in products without checking them first. They're not doing what they call pre-shipment inspections or testing to -- or due diligence to make sure that the products are safe before they accept them in for shipment.
COLLINS: Well, there's so many ethics that come into question I'm sure as well. But just as we're talking, here Don, I want to lay this graphic out for our viewers because the statistics are just unbelievable. This is from some testimony that you gave before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. 467 products recalled in the U.S. last year. Now, that is a record high.
And then, we are also realizing that the number of Chinese-made products, you see it here on your screen, has actually doubled in the last five years. It accounts for 60 percent of all the product recalls and 100 percent of the toy recalls this year. MAYS: That's right, and it's a serious concern. What has to happen is that the importers have to do testing to make sure that the products meet our standards before they bring them into our country and secondly, the government watch dog agencies have to be funded and have to be watching the products as they cross our borders.
The other thing is that we need to make sure that our government can impose civil penalties against those organizations, those companies that bring products into our country and jeopardize the safety of American consumers.
COLLINS: Yes, I mean, is the government willing to spend the money? I know that you guys have laid out this eight-step sort of plan of action to help with this great concern. But, are they really willing to spend the kind of money that would take?
MAYS: Well, that's a very good question, and we're hoping to see that this new White House panel that President Bush has set up will take a serious look at how they are funding the government watch dog agencies, figuring out how they're operating and seeing if there's perhaps a better way of protecting American consumers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Don offers this advice as well: do your homework. You can always go to recalls.gov or check the safety blog at consumerreports.org for safety updates.
HARRIS: You know, we brought you this outrage story from China recently here in the NEWSROOM, reports of cardboard used in dumplings.
Now, new developments, CNN's John Vause has more from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Police have confirmed to CNN that the reporter behind the expose is now being held awaiting trial. There's no word, though, on what charge. Beijing Television, which first aired the report earlier this month, made a public apology to viewers on Wednesday night, claiming the story had been staged and says all those involved will be punished.
The hidden camera investigation showed cardboard being used as the main ingredient in a popular snack food here known as bouzers (ph). They're like dumplings, and are normally stuffed with pork. The story was widely reported internationally and proved hugely embarrassing to authorities at a time when they're trying to reassure the world that food from China is safe. Some analysts though, believe the government is attempting to discredit the reporter and his work.
John Vause, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: CNN tonight at 6:00, shocking details about the dangers of some food imports. The FDA and the USDA do not examine or regulate the ingredients America imports. Don't miss our SPECIAL REPORT, the "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," 6:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
COLLINS: And we're working on a developing story right now. We want to get to Fredricka Whitfield.
Apparently Fred, there's been an arrest at a nuclear lab in Tennessee regarding some classified documents?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You said it, and that's all we have right now. Sources are saying that this person who had access to these classified documents may have been trying to steal them, possibly for profit, possibly to sell them to someone or some other entity. Well, that person is now expected to appear in a federal court later on today in Knoxville.
We're continuing to work a number of sources to find out what kind of breach of security is really at hand here. But indeed, it's a very sensitive story, a very sensitive topic involving the Tennessee Oak Ridge National Laboratory. That's all we have for now, Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Fred, I know you're working it alongside our America Bureau, appreciate that. We will come back to you should we learn any more on this one coming out of Tennessee this morning. Thanks, Fred.
HARRIS: Disaster training for modern warfare. Navy recruits must pass the test before shipping out.
Our Keith Oppenheim reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open these (INAUDIBLE) out of the way, go! Fire, fire, fire, fire! Water on!
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 5:58 in the morning. Louis Regus and his fellow recruits are fighting to save their ship.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your ship is burning and you are wasting time.
OPPENHEIM: Regus is aboard the USS Trayer, a huge simulator designed by the Navy and Entertainment Industry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been hit by missiles, mid-ship on the starboard side.
OPPPENHEIM: Sounds, smells, flickering red lights. It's all part of an exhausting overnight drill which all Navy recruits must endure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It prepares them to be -- to play a vital war in the global war on terrorism, but this simulator prepares them to be a sailor, and ...
OPPENHEIM: The recruits are graded on how they respond to a number of mock crises.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to think.
OPPENHEIM: Disasters and terrorists attacks, all based on real events, such as the assault on the USS Cole in 2000. Mannequins, with sound effects, represent the wounded.
LOUIS REGUS, NAVY SENIOR RECRUIT: I mean, even the dolls were moaning and groaning, and I found myself talking to the dolls, hey, calm down a little bit, it's OK, we're going to get you out.
OPPENHEIM: At one point, the recruits rush to seal a burst pipe overhead while at the same time, water rushes up from the floor. In the chaos, the recruits must rescue heavy rounds of ammunition. It's a scenario that recalls what happened to the USS Tripoli during the first Gulf War hit by an Iraqi mine.
CHIEF TIM MCKINLEY, BATTLE STATIONS 21 FACILITATOR: They absolutely have a sense of bad things that happen in the world right now and that they're very soon going to be a part of the fight against that.
OPPENHEIM: One military accountability group applauds the Navy's new simulator, but believes the best training happens out on a real ship.
RICHARD MAY, CENTER FOR DEFENSE INFORMATION: I think the simulator has provided them an experience that they didn't have before. How good it is compared to the real thing, it's probably only maybe a 10 percent solution.
OPPENHEIM: Louis Regus says the simulator approach works for him and connects with a generation raised on video games.
REGUS: You read something, you forget about it, you hear something, you hear it again, you might remember it. But when you do something, you can actually say I did that before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): God bless the USA ...
OPPENHEIM: Louis Regus passed this final test. He's now a sailor. And because of the simulator, he can say he attended dress rehearsals for war even before being shipped out to sea.
(on camera): Getting through this final test and getting to graduation is clearly an emotional experience, but it's not just a formality. The Navy says a small percentage of recruits will fail this test and if they do, the consequences, they have to go through it all over again.
Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Naval Station Great Lakes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. When NEWSROOM returns, we'll be taking to the air. I'll tell you about a new airline promise to bring luxury to economy.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Dog fighting in America in the spotlight today with the case against NFL star Michael Vick. He and three associates accused of running a dog fighting operation and of brutally killing dogs that didn't perform. They will be arraigned next week.
Earlier in the NEWSROOM, we spoke about the dog fighting culture with Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WAYNE PACELLE, HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S.: You know, there's some dark place in the human heart that gets titillated by this with a small number of people. Certainly not a majority ...
HARRIS: Absolutely.
PACELLE: ...sentiment (ph) by any means. But you know, you go back to the days of the Romans and the Roman Colosseum ...
HARRIS: Yes.
PACELLE: ...when animals were fought in the Colosseum. You know, these practices have been with us for a couple of thousand years. Cock fighting is widespread. You know, in Asia, in Thailand, there are 30 million fighting birds. Vietnam, it's huge.
So, these animal fighting activities are widespread and they're much more prevalent in the United States than people realize.
HARRIS: OK, tell us -- lift the veil a little bit on this. How -- how is this activity organized? Is this Internet-based? Help us out here.
PACELLE: I think the Internet has really been something that has allowed this community to coalesce, and you can get information. There are ten underground dog fighting magazines, there are a ...
HARRIS: Are you kidding me?
PACELLE: No, not at all, not at all. This is a subculture in the country, and we break up the world between the professional dog fighters, folks who really pay attention to the breed and the bloodline, the hobbyists and then the street fighters.
And really what we've seen is a surge in the street fighting. And that's been driven by rap music and unfortunately, some other folks of prominence who have kind of embraced pit bulls and the fighting subculture.
HARRIS: So help me understand this. Is this -- I used to think of this, I mean, I think most of us thought of this, at least was the picture that was painted, this was the kind of activity that you would find in rural areas. You mentioned the hip-hop culture. Is this more and more becoming an urban phenomena?
PACELLE: Well, when the Humane Society of the United States was formed in 1954, it was predominantly a rural phenomenon. You had rural -- of Anglos for the most part who were fighting animals, and now you see in urban centers gang activity, very much associated with dog fighting and you see lots of other criminal activities associated with dog fighting, such as narcotics traffic, obviously, the gambling and even human-on-human violence.
HARRIS: Man.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: If you'd like more information, check out this Web site: humanesociety.org.
COLLINS: In just about 15 minutes, Jim Clancy will be helping to bring some more international news to CNN with "YOUR WORLD TODAY."
Hey there, Jim, what are you guys going to be covering today?
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, Heidi. Hello, Tony, to you too.
You know, we're going to take you all around the world, show you different stories. But one of the things we're going to do is take you live to Sao Paulo, Brazil. That fiery tragedy is where we find correspondent Harris Whitbeck at the scene. That's -- that airline tragedy stoking demands now from victims' relatives, citizens, even government officials. You'll hear exactly what those demands are.
Plus, her 67-year-old mother was portrayed as a U.S. agent revolutionary troublemaker on Iranian television. But what did the daughter of an Iranian-American academic accused of spying see when she watched this video? She'll be our guest and believe me, she has a lot to say to Iran and all of us.
Plus, well, maybe it's not time to panic, but in Italy, when you start talking about problems with pasta, well, you know what we mean. Why Italians are seeing red because markets are going green.
Hold the sauce, we want to explain all of that on "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up in just a few minutes here.
Heidi and Tony, back to you.
HARRIS: Sauce held. All right, Jim, thanks.
COLLINS: Thanks, Jim.
Well, here's a novel idea. An airline that promises to make economy class luxurious.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details on this.
Hi there, Susan.
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COLLINS: Playing with the pros. A Virginia Tech student takes on the British Open. It's a great story, and he's actually setting his sights on the Masters as well.
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COLLINS: We have been working on a developing story for you today out of Tennessee. We are now hearing about the arrest on the grounds of a nuclear lab in Tennessee.
Our Kelli Arena is working on this story, our Justice Correspondent.
And Kelli, we are also learning and are aware of the fact that authorities have known about this case since about January or so.
KELLI ARENA, JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and I'm going to stress, Heidi, before I even open my mouth, that this is a developing story. We are getting information in, you know, little by little. The documents involving this investigation, this case remain under seal, which is why it's very difficult to get information about it.
But here is what I know. There is an individual who worked on the grounds. I'm told he worked in the East Tennessee Technology Park, who got his hands on some sensitive information. Authorities, as you said, Heidi, have been on this case since January, that this individual did try to attempt to sell that information.
I'm not sure if -- who he tried to sell it to. It could have been, you know, an undercover agent or someone involved in the investigation, that this information never made it into a foreign government's hands, that he never was able to get that far. He is described as a low-level employee, and it seems that authorities were on him just as soon as the breach occurred.
We are expecting to get all of the information later on this afternoon. I am told that he is expected in federal court in Knoxville at 2:30 this afternoon. That is when all of the documents involved in this investigation, in this case will be unsealed. So, we'll have the full facts then.
But it does seem that a very low-level employee got his hands on information that he was not supposed to have, that he did remove those from the facility, tried to make some money on the deal, but that authorities were on him all along.
COLLINS: OK, so, Oak Ridge Nuclear facility there in Tennessee, I guess ...
ARENA: Right -- well, no, I'm told it's the East Tennessee Technology Park is where he worked. But the facility is allegedly very -- I've never been there ...
COLLINS: I imagine (ph), yes.
ARENA: ...but it's very large. So, he worked on the grounds of that facility.
COLLINS: Yes, OK, understood. So we're looking for those documents to be unsealed a little bit later on today.
ARENA: That's right.
COLLINS: Kelli Arena, our Justice Correspondent, thank you.
ARENA: You're welcome, Heidi.
HARRIS: Teeing off at the British Open, a Virginia Tech student playing out his dreams, tragedy fueling his passion.
More from Don Ridell in Carnoustie, Scotland.
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DON RIDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For most of the golfers here at Carnoustie, success will be measured by the manner in which they finish on Sunday afternoon. But for one young American player, the fact that he's even starting is already a considerable achievement.
(voice-over): When Virginia Tech junior Drew Weaver sunk this putt on the 17th hole at the British Amateur last month, he became the first American champion in some 28 years.
DREW WEAVER, BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPION: I still have to pinch myself quite often. I was so emotionally and physically spent, I was just exhausted. It was just more of a relief. I kind of dropped my putter and kind of crouched down. That was it.
RIDELL: His victory gained him entrance into the British Open, as well as next year's Masters.
WEAVER: For an American golfer, the Masters is, you know, everything. It's the biggest tournament of the year, and it's just been a dream of mine for my whole life.
RIDELL: Weaver dedicated his amateur championship to those who died or who were injured during the Virginia Tech massacre last April.
WEAVER: I felt like it was the right thing to do. Virginia Tech is such a big part of my life, and the events of April 16th there is something that will always be with me. It was a terrible day. And I've thought about it and, you know, in the perspective that this is something that I'll never forget. And just the amount of people that were affected is so large, that it really is tough to get an overall grasp on how big it is.
RIDELL: It was while he was leaving class in an adjacent building on that fateful day that Weaver saw the police and heard gunfire.
WEAVER: Those sounds are something that haunted me for a long time. And once the shots went off, everybody freaked and we just ran as fast and as far away as we could get, and that ended up being in the library. So, we were there for a while.
RIDELL: Weaver says he never thought about transferring from the school and hopes that all its students will return.
WEAVER: Honestly, I don't know how many people are going to. I know -- I just know that there's a lot more positive talk about staying on campus and uniting than I thought. But I think the university as a whole has rebounded in just an incredible way. And we -- I think we're going to come out stronger than we were before from this.
RIDELL: Don Ridell, CNN, Canoustie, Scotland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: How can you not root for him?
HARRIS: You have to.
COLLINS: He's up five, right now?
HARRIS: He's ...
COLLINS: Is that what he said?
HARRIS: ...five over par. He's going to have to work a little bit to make the cut.
COLLINS: OK, that's all right.
HARRIS: But, you know, there's time.
COLLINS: Looks like he's got to work, that's for sure.
HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now.
HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and hear at home.
I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a good day, everybody.
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