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UN Official Helping Illegal Immigrants?; Miners Trapped in Utah; Iraqi Soldiers in the United States

Aired August 06, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, A-Rod as they call him, hit home run number, get this, 500 this weekend. He is the youngest player to hid 500 homers.
And at Wrigley Field in Chicago where I have some really good memories, I kind of remember, a lot of it I don't, a career achievement for Mets' pitching star Tom Glavine became just the 23rd pitcher to win 300 games.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, dogs are getting a chance to bite back at Michael Vick. The star NFL quarterback accused in a dog fighting ring, a new website is selling Michael Vick dog chew toys. The site promises to donate some of the proceeds to the Jacksonville, Florida Humane Society.

The next hour of the NEWSROOM starts right now.

LEMON: It is now been 10 hours since the earth shook in Utah and a coal mine collapsed or maybe it was the other way around.

COHEN: Either way a half dozen miners are missing, presumed trapped and rescuers are desperately trying to reach them.

LEMON: Hello, everyone, I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

COHEN: And I'm Elizabeth Cohen in today for Kyra Phillips. You're watching breaking news in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And at the top of the hour, we start with a developing story. A tense search is under way this hour in Central Utah for six trapped coal miners. And here's what we now right now: the group was working underground overnight when the mine apparently caved in. It is unclear whether this was due to a small earthquake or the collapse itself was strong enough to register on the seismographs. Rescue crews are on the scene and have gotten close to the miners' presumed location but so far they haven't made contact.

The mine's most recent inspection just last month the mine was cited for problems with escape ways and emergency drills.

COHEN: Now to the Minneapolis bridge collapse where the search for clues and victims is picking up speed. Here's the latest: Navy divers and an FBI recovery team are on site. They're using high tech sonar and mini subs, helicopters and cranes to search for the eight people still missing and to remove debris and photograph it. Also, federal investigators are interviewing bridge construction workers some of whom reported -- quote -- "unusual wobbling" in the days before the collapse.

Every chunk of concrete, every piece of metal could hold the vital clue to what happened. Let's go straight to the I-35W Bridge and CNN's Susan Roesgen.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Elizabeth, you might be able to hear a helicopter buzzing overhead around the bridge collapsed behind me. That's the National Transportation Safety Board helicopter with a high-resolution camera on board to try to get the best video images from above of the collapse.

At the same time, the FBI dive team has brought in an unmanned submarine as you mentioned. The submarine has very powerful underwater lights. It has underwater sonar and it has a mechanical arm for removing debris and retrieval.

The local sheriff really does believe that those eight missing people that their bodies are there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF RICH STANEK, HANNEPIN CO., MINNESOTA: Since Thursday morning when we began our recovery efforts, we've identified seven vehicles that are submerged on the river bottom. Six of those vehicles we know and have accounted for the occupants. On the seventh one is the one that we have not been able to identify where that missing person is and we have spoken to the family about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: And by the way, Elizabeth, there are still 19 people in the hospital after this bridge collapsed last week, five of them in critical condition.

COHEN: Susan, we're hearing more and more about these victims. What can you tell us about them?

ROESGEN: Well, the eight missing people, I guess you can call them victims now. Certainly no one wanted to say that yet but they are presumed to be dead. But for the moment we'll call them missing persons. And we're starting to learn more about their lives and what sorts of people they were. And this really put a human face on what's happened out there.

There was Sadiyah Sahal. She was an immigrant from Somalia, pregnant, just 23 years old. And she was driving across the bridge Wednesday evening with her 2-year-old daughter Hannah in the backseat. There was Greg Jolstad. He was one of the construction workers on the bridge. And his wife, Lisa, had the grim task of providing the medical examiner with his dental records and his x-rays for when his body was found. And then there was Virginia Peck. Virginia Peck was driving across the bridge Wednesday evening with her son, Richard. Richard is 21 years old and he has Down's syndrome. And the family says Richard and Virginia would never be apart. They were always together.

So just some of those identified as among the eight missing people. And it will certainly give the family some closure when their bodies are found or when the families find out what's happened to them, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Oh my goodness. Well, thank you. Susan Roesgen in Minneapolis.

LEMON: Now back to our top story, that Utah mine collapse now. For some insight, we're joined on the phone by Joe Main. He's a former administration of occupational health and safety for the United Mine Workers Union.

Sir, you did this for 22 years. Tell us now -- take us inside this investigation, inside of this rescue effort.

JOE MAIN, FMR. SAFETY ADMIN., UNITED MINE WORKERS UNION: Well, I think the first thing to look at is the distinct differences between the situations that we face following the Sago Mine disaster, the fire at the Alma Mine and the explosion at the Darby Mine last year. Conditions should be more favorable for both the miners and the rescue workers for the simple fact that presumably you haven't had an explosion or fire take place.

LEMON: Do you remember what is it, the Willburg Mine fire in Utah?

MAIN: Yes, I was there, 1984.

LEMON: 1984, you were at that because I guess in Utah, there's obviously a huge mining town and there were some pictures from 1984 that we had of that when you were working there as well.

Tell us about -- we were told that there were some violations cited. This company -- let me get my information correct here. I know that there were some violations cited. Are these serious or unusual?

MAIN: In terms of which mine?

LEMON: In terms of this mine.

MAIN: OK. I have not had a chance to review or assess the violation history, you know, at this mine to determine, you know, what violations may have been in place. You know, sometimes they're critical. Sometimes they're general, you know, conditions that may not, you know, present an enormous danger to miners. But I haven't looked at them individually.

LEMON: The one specifically I'm talking about -- it says that last month it was sited for problems with escape ways and emergency drills.

MAIN: Escape ways are very important. I don't know exactly what the violations are that were cited, but I think, you know, the world understood the importance of escape ways for miners when emergencies arise, fires, roof falls, explosions. Those are the miners' routes of escape.

LEMON: And also on a recent report as well, accumulation of combustible materials, which underground I imagine, that would be pretty serious, materials like grease, lubricants, paint -- all these...

MAIN: Those can be, yes.

LEMON: Yes.

MAIN: Yes. And depending on the other circumstances around whether you have the potential for the ignition of those or not makes a lot of difference as far as the severity of the problem.

You know I think in terms of the situation that exists there right now, I mean, you have the rescue workers trying to reach the miners. And rescue workers in this case can move faster than what they could at Sago, or Alma or Darby for that matter.

LEMON: Yes. In the positive -- we're going to move on because we're going to get several different reports from this, sir -- but positive they've gotten within a half mile. I guess that's some good news at least, we hope.

MAIN: Well, always the good news is that there's no fire or no explosion involved. That leaves, you know, good air at least for considerable time for miners to breathe. That may be trapped. And it leaves the environment open for the rescue workers to move quickly.

LEMON: Yes. And I'm sure you would agree here, time is of the essence when it comes...

MAIN: Yes, always. Time is of the essence.

LEMON: Thank you, Joe Main, the former administrative occupational health and safety for the United Mine Workers Union joining us on the phone. Thank you, Joe.

MAIN: OK, thank you.

COHEN: Well, it's brutal, unbearable and actually dangerous. It is sweltering in about one-third of the country from St. Louis to Savannah. In many places the thermometer may read 95 or 96 but it feels a good 10 degrees hotter because it's so humid. Heat warnings are posted in many places.

Now, obviously, when you can see the air outside it's not a good day to actually be outside. A number of cities are under a code- red smog alert today, including Atlanta for the third straight day. The heat index is pushing 100 degrees. There's no wind. And there is no rain anywhere nearby.

Now, as for the smog, it's even more dangerous than normal for almost everyone. And it's worse in the afternoon and the early evening.

Now Chad Myers, we've taken a peek at the forecast, and I got to say, it doesn't make me feel any cooler.

LEMON: Well, here's what I want to know, Chad, if we shouldn't be outside, what are you doing out there? It's hazardous conditions.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's just like a local TV station. If it's snowing, put the weather guy outside. If it's hot, put him outside. If it's nice, you can just stay inside. It's no big deal.

LEMON: No, but it is serious. This can be problematic.

MYERS: Yes. You know I'm standing in the shade and it's hot. I mean it's not brutal yet but this isn't the end of it. In fact, this is really the hottest day since the weekend, since Saturday and Sunday in a lot of areas and it just keeps going up all the way -- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. And we don't get an end to it until probably Friday.

Now, what you're feeling outside -- what I'm feeling outside right now is 96 in Atlanta, Georgia. But there are many places that are warmer than that. Louisville, Kentucky, St. Louis, an excessive heat warning in St, Louis and all the way down across the Ozarks.

The humidity is in the air. You've had some rain on the ground. That rain has evaporated and now it's just -- the muggies are everywhere all the way from St. Louis down into the Southeast, all the way up to Philadelphia, either excessive heat watches, heat advisories. You know it just goes on and on and on and on and on.

What you need to know: make sure you have a lot of water with you. You can try to keep cool by not wearing black clothing. I bought this nice light blue clothing. It's a little easier. There is a little bit of a breeze in Atlanta. That's not too bad. That's helped out a little bit. Make sure the pets are taken care of because if they're sitting out in the sun and they can't get into shade because you tied them somewhere, well, that's really dangerous for them as well. You need to make sure that they get some shade and make sure that they have water. They can deal with it. They can pant. They can live through summer like we all can but it's just -- we can make things a lot easier than sitting them out in the sunshine and leaving them out for a little while longer. And obviously no kids in cars, period, not even a minute, not even to go inside because you don't know what's going to happen when you think I'm only to be 30 seconds. Well, maybe sometimes that doesn't mean 30 seconds. You can be delayed for any reason. Back to you guys. COHEN: Chad, that is so important, thank you for emphasizing that. And I hope they let you come inside soon.

MYERS: Oh, yes, the door is right there.

COHEN: Good.

MYERS: There's no problem. LEMON: Chad, we like the shirt. You're a company man. If anybody -- it says CNN.

MYERS: I'll be golfing it. Maybe do my...

LEMON: Yes, Chad, you mentioned children, the same thing with animals. Don't leave them in the car, right because it's a hot day -- Chad Myers.

MYERS: I lost you there. I can't hear you guys, sorry.

LEMON: OK, Chad, bye. We'll see you.

We're following breaking news out of Utah. Six coal miners believed trapped underground. Rescuers are looking for any sign of them.

COHEN: Plus a new place for gays in the Eternal City. But roman tolerance will not be built in a day. That story is later in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And illegal immigrants might have had a friend at the United Nations, a friend who got them into the U.S. illegally.

You're watching CNN the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: An update now on those six miners trapped inside of a cave-in of a mine in Utah, the Crandall Kenyan Mine or the Genwal Mine, as those on the ground may call it. Here's the new information: they were trapped in this mine on Monday in a cave -- and it was so powerful that rumbling that you -- that they felt when it happened, that authorities initially thought it was a small earthquake. The rumble was so big. But according to the folks who are working this, they're saying that it is not, in fact, an earthquake. It was just the cave-in that registered anywhere from a 3.9 to a 4.0 in magnitude. So that is the new information from that, not an earthquake but certainly this collapse was felt on this seismic scale here registering 3.9 to 4.0. We'll continue to update.

COHEN: A routine traffic stop in South Carolina. Authorities initially suspect terrorism. Although the two college students claimed they were just carrying fireworks. We get more from CNN's Rusty Dornin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): There have been conflicting reports over the past two days about what was actually discovered in the car, these two men who were foreign nationals, one from Egypt, one from Kuwait. Local law enforcement officials from South Carolina first said that there was a bomb discovered but federal officials say there was no bomb. Now the local law enforcement officials say that they have been arrested for possession of incendiary devices. What happened was Saturday night they were pulled over apparently speeding. When the officers came up to the car, they said they exhibited suspicious behavior and that's when the officers searched the car.

SHERIFF WAYNE DEWITT, BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.: Items in the vehicle was seized, presently being explored at FBI laboratories. So we don't know exactly what the elements were. When the subjects were originally stopped, they admitted to having, as they termed to be, fireworks in the car. There again, based on the officer's judgment at hand and as to what he had seen, we thought it to be other than fireworks.

DORNIN: One suspicious item that was taken from the car that they thought was a bomb was actually taken out of the car. They brought a robot in and exploded it. They are now saying that was not a bomb. They are not sure what it was. And, again, the men did admit at the time to having some kind of fireworks in the car at the time.

They are both students at the University of South Florida. While they are residents of Kuwait and Egypt, they were in the United States legally. Apparently the FBI is taking a look at their laptop and also looking at their backgrounds but so far they say there are no links to terrorism. In the meantime there will be a bond hearing for the two men held in Monks Corner, South Carolina, this afternoon.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Monks Corner, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: It is usually the scene of diplomacy and debate but did U.N. headquarters also house an immigration scheme? Federal officials say yes. Details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COHEN: Last week's bridge collapse in Minnesota has put America's aging roads and bridges into the spotlight. Stephanie Elam is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us about the costs of bringing the nation's infrastructure up to speed.

Hi, Stephanie. It sounds expensive.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hi Elizabeth, there's no doubt. I don't think it's a surprise to anybody when you think about the numbers behind this. But last month's steam pipe explosion in Manhattan is an example. What about April's collapse of a highway overpass in Oakland and of course the levee failures in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina?

These are all recent examples of the nation's failing infrastructure. But unfortunately improvements are going to cost a fortune even by government standards. The American Society of Civil Engineers says it would cost more than $1.5 trillion to bring the nation's infrastructure back to good condition. Repairing bridges alone will cost nearly $200 billion, Elizabeth.

COHEN: So Stephanie, where is all this money going to come from?

ELAM: Well, that's exactly the problem, Elizabeth. "The Wall Street Journal" notes the federal government typically gets money for transportation improvements from its gas tax but that hasn't gone up since 1993. Another issue, federal money often ends up going to local pet projects supported by individual members of Congress. Yet our federal highways are the most important shipping lanes in the country, of course, and they desperately need repairs. More congestion can lead to higher logistical costs for businesses and that would raise the cost of products for consumers.

Now one bit of good news related to transportation, hey, oil prices, they plunged nearly $3.50 today, settling just above $72 a barrel. Crude is down nearly six bucks from its record close which was actually hit last Tuesday.

As for stocks, the major averages are sharply higher. Let's take a look at the big board right now. The Dow Industrials up 181 points. That's a gain of about 1.3 percent at 13,363. The Nasdaq better by 22 points at 2533. The S&P 500 is up over 1.5 percent right now.

Amazingly though, the number of declining issues continues to outnumber the gainers today. So we'll keep our eyes on it to see if stocks can continue the momentum. Remember last week, we saw dramatic swings in those final 30 minutes of trading. So we'll see if this will stay where we or if we'll see any losses. We'll keep our eyes on it and we'll be back in just over half an hour for the closing bell, Elizabeth.

Back to you.

COHEN: Great, Stephanie, thank you for that bit of good news about oil prices.

ELAM: I know.

COHEN: Thanks, Stephanie.

ELAM: Sure.

LEMON: Iraqi forces in America, it sounds a little unusual but Chris Lawrence is in California to explain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know American troops are in Iraq, but did you know that Iraqi forces are right here in America? I'm Chris Lawrence and I'll tell you what they're doing coming up in an exclusive report in the NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COHEN: Hello, I'm Elizabeth Cohen in for Kyra Phillips at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.

Talk about misusing office supplies. A United Nations employee accused of selling visas to the United States and using U.N. letterhead to make them look legit.

COHEN: Illegal immigrants might have had a friend in a high place. You're in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: We'll get to that story in a moment, but, first, it was first reported as a small earthquake that rattled Utah overnight. But now scientists say the tremors may actually have been caused by a mine collapse that's left six miners trapped. Rescue crews are on the scene at the Crandall Kenyan Coal Mine near Huntington. An area utility company has sent heavy equipment and a team there to help with the search. Now so far there's been no contact with the missing miners.

COHEN: Thousands of AK-47s are M.I.A. "The Washington Post" reports the Pentagon has lost track of almost 200,000 assault rifles and pistols. They gave the weapons to Iraqi security forces back in 2004 and 2005. And the question now is are some of these lost weapons in hostile hands actually being used against American troops? "The Post" says the Pentagon is investigating and trying to improve the way it tracks its inventory.

Well, for almost 4 1/2 years now U.S. forces have been packed up and shipped off to Iraq and the Bush administration says they'll keep shipping off until Iraqi forces can stand on their own. To that end, the number of Iraqi police have shipped off also but to Mississippi. CNN's Chris Lawrence offered himself and filed this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): It's an all-out assault on the river bank. Three troops pinned down by insurgent fire. Two teams of Iraqi police race to the rescue. Only these bullets aren't real. And this isn't the Tigris River but the Pearl.

PETTY OFFICER BEN HARTWELL, U.S. NAVY: Remember when the first boat comes off the beach, they want to stop shooting so that other boat can come on in here.

LAWRENCE: These Iraqi police officers have traveled more than 7,000 miles to Mississippi to learn how to patrol the rivers that run through Baghdad.

HARTWELL: When you're backing off the beach, don't throttle it; just give it a little bit.

LAWRENCE: It's a crash course for this class of 11 officers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of them have just been assigned to the river patrol for the first time and have never driven a boat before.

LAWRENCE: So the missions don't always work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He came in a little over exuberant, so to speak, and he got his engine stuck on the bottom and killed the engines.

LAWRENCE: Only a few hundred Iraqi police currently patrol the Tigris and the Euphrates. And insurgents have been using the rivers to launch attacks.

(on camera): Back in Iraq, they don't have the boats and equipment to spare. So this level of training would be difficult if not impossible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a fine line between, you know, real bullets flying over your head and trying to practice something.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Here Naval Special Warfare instructors teach them how to board special vessels and evade ambush on the riverbanks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is for my country...

LAWRENCE: This police officer says he's learned not only tactics but how to trust his team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm not scared at all especially after this training. We're learning how to be more confident to deal with insurgency in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Back home, he'll have to be, because the bullets there could be just as loud and lethal. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Southern Mississippi.

COHEN: He's back! Adam Gadahn also known as Azzam the American making new threats in a new Al Qaeda video. He singles out U.S. embassies and other American interests at home and abroad. FBI experts are analyzing the video and they say the message is nothing new. Gadahn is already on their most-wanted list, he's charged with treason and there's a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture.

LEMON: The United Nations is supposed to bring people together but not like this. A U.N. worker and two other men stand accused of bringing people into the U.S. illegally. Let's go straight now to CNN's Richard Roth in New York with the very latest. Richard?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Yes Don, the U.N. and its employees have been accused of a lot of things over the years. Something different today. The U.S. attorney's office in New York announcing that a U.N. employee is charged with using his post really to help illegal aliens get into the United States by having them allegedly come to the U.N. for fictional conferences or for conferences that these people were never going to show up for. The United Nations today confirming the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FARHAN HAQ, U.N. SPOKESMAN: We did receive word that (INAUDIBLE) who is a U.N. employee was charged with immigration fraud by the U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York. On the 27th of July, we informed the U.S. attorneys that the secretary-general had waived Mr. Minokan's immunity in accordance with the relevant legal treaties. The office for internal oversight services had worked through the office for legal affairs with the U.S. authorities on this matter at their request and helped to provide any information that was needed.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Now, the U.S. attorney's office says 9 out of 14 people who had letters written for them were able to get in the country. The accused United Nations employees is a translator, he's a Russian working in the documents division allegedly. And he gave out a fictional name, Leonardo Bracket. So if you called checking on the visa of someone, you got the Russian translator who the authorities are saying made up this name and was thus posing as Mr. Bracket who was giving the official seal of the approval of the United Nations to get these people into the United States. Don?

LEMON: CNN's Richard Roth. Thank you for your report, Richard.

Optimistic talk at Camp David today about eliminating Al Qaeda's leaders. President Bush wrapped up a two-day summit there with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. On the agenda, Afghan security and tracking down terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I'm confident that with actionable intelligence we will be able to bring top Al Qaeda to justice. We're in constant communications with the Pakistan government. It's in their interests that foreign fighters be brought to justice. After all, these are the same ones that are plotting to kill President Musharraf. We share a concern. I'm confident with real, actionable intelligence we will get the job done.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Mr. Bush wouldn't say whether he'd contact Pakistan and get permission before ordering U.S. troops to act on that intelligence.

COHEN: Every chunk of concrete, every jagged sliver of metal could hold clues to the bridge collapse. But top federal investigators tell CNN that finding those clues could take time and technology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARK ROSENKER, NTSB CHAIRMAN: The removal aspects of the debris are going to begin very, very soon and that's going to be helpful so that we can get to the -- the actual concrete, look at the concrete where the construction was being done. Then once that is removed, also take a look at the superstructure which is in the water in the area of where the construction was being done. This is going to help us a great deal. All of this data will then come back to Washington, be put into that computer for additional failure scenarios.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: Investigators say it could take 18 months to finish their probe.

Mourning the victims, and pledging to rebuild. Twin themes of an interfaith memorial service in Minneapolis yesterday. Hundreds packed a cathedral to remember those killed in the bridge collapse and to pray for recovery teams as they looked for the missing. Minnesota's governor says the service marks the start of a healing period.

Marking a solemn anniversary in Japan. 62 years ago today an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Tens of thousands of survivors gathered at the peace memorial park today and paused as the bell tolled in remembrance of the victims. At least 140,000 people are believed to have died from the blast, which ultimately hastened the end of World War II.

He's a self-described pedophile who posts pictures of little girls online.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just think they're cute, a lot cuter than women. It's kind of erotic, arousal.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So hard to listen to. Restraining a pedophile, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And a California journalist gunned down in a brazen ambush. Now police are finding ties to a restaurant and a series of violent crimes when the NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: 3:38, here in the east, here are three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. A mine collapsed. So powerful officials initially thought there was an earthquake. That's what happened today in central Utah. Six miners are believed trapped. Rescuers are desperately trying to get to them.

Florida police are questioning a man who allegedly shot a Broward County Sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop. The deputy who was in plainclothes at the time, is said to be in grave condition. And in Newark, New Jersey, police are looking through the cell phone messages of three people who were shot in the head execution style in an elementary school playground. A fourth person survived. Police say the crime appears to be random.

COHEN: A self-described pedophile may have to find a new hobby. We told you last week about Jack McClellan, who photographs children and posts their pictures online. He even rates them based on how attractive he finds them. Here's what he said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK MCCLELLAN, SELF-DESCRIBED PEDOPHILE: It's amazing. I just think they're cute, a lot cuter than women. I admit there is kind of erotic, arousal there.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: Well, as disturbing as this is, apparently none of his behavior is illegal. Authorities' hands were tied until attorney (INAUDIBLE) stepped in. He won a restraining order barring McClellan from going anywhere near children in the state of California. He told CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" how he did it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ZINNANTI, REQUESTED RESTRAINING ORDER: This order was not issued because Mr. McClellan is simply a pedophile. This order was issued because Mr. McClellan blogged about this thoughts about luring children into his car, and furthermore his smuggling of drugs onto an international flight. You know, one of his blog entries, he closes with "I expletive took a calculated risk and won." We put two and two together with the risk he posed to children, and the judge was repulsed by it. And we were asking for simply the city of Santa Clarita. He gave us the entire state of California.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: That order is in effect for three years.

LEMON: A new search in the case of a 4-year-old British girl missing in Portugal. Police looking for clues in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann wrapped up a second search of a villa near where she was last seen. A man who lives there has been identified as a suspect. The girl was snatched from a resort hotel in Southern Portugal more than three months ago. Police in Belgium are investigating a possible sighting of the child near the Dutch border.

COHEN: From Oakland, California, word of a confession in the killing of a prominent journalist. A 19-year-old man reportedly admits he shot this man, Chauncey Bailey, last week. Bailey was investigating an Oakland restaurant. CNN's Dan Simon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Your Black Muslim Bakery was a well-known business in Oakland and not just for its unusual name. Its founder, now deceased, had been implicated in a rape scandal. He died a few years ago shortly before trial. More recently his son and some associates have been charged in the vandalism of bay area liquor stores. Chauncey Bailey, a 57-year-old Oakland newspaper reporter, had been working on a story about the shop. His boss described him as a tenacious journalist.

PAUL COBB, PUBLISHER, OAKLAND POST: We used to call him the James Brown of journalism. He's the hardest working man in journalism. Just like they say James Brown was the hardest working man in show business.

SIMON: Bailey had recently become the editor of a community weekly. On Thursday he was gunned down, murdered in plain sight as he walked to work. Paul Cobb got a phone call from police at the murder scene, asking if he knew the reporter.

COBB: And I said, yeah, he should be there covering it for us. And the police said, no, he won't be covering anything. I said, what are you talking about? And he says, well, we're talking about Chauncey Bailey and I just thought it was a joke.

SIMON: Did Bailey's investigation into the shop lead to his murder? Police wouldn't comment on the motive. But during raids on several locations, including the bakery one day after Bailey's murder, investigators say they discovered a powerful link. A gun used in the killing of the veteran journalist.

ASST. CHIEF HOWARD JORDAN, OAKLAND POLICE: This investigation does not involve Muslims under the leadership of the honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. It should not be seen as an investigation of any faith tradition.

SIMON: And it wasn't Bailey's murder that led police to the store.

(On camera): Police had been investigating the bakery for several months. The raid had been planned well in advance. So authorities really did not know that they were going to find evidence allegedly implicating the group in Bailey's murder.

(Voice-over): Police say they had been investigating the shop and its operators in connection with two other bay area murders.

LT. ERSIE JOYNER, OAKLAND POLICE: During our investigations, Chauncey Bailey was murdered, and it turns out that evidence in that case also links the same individuals we were looking at in the other two prior murders.

SIMON: At least seven people connected to the bakery have been placed under arrest. Chauncey Bailey's instincts that there was a story worth chasing had apparently been right. Dan Simon, CNN, Oakland, California.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Surviving the Dead Sea. A young boy found after floating alone for hours. That is straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

As we go to break, let's take a look at the big board. Let's hope it's good. It is at least in the positive territory. The stock market is up more than 200 points as we approach the closing bell.

More NEWSROOM in a moment. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STEPHANIE ELAM: I'm Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange, where the bulls are back in town. We've got a little bit of a rally here. Taking a look at the numbers right now, the Dow is up 259 points. That's a gain of almost 2 percent at 13,441. If you think back to Friday we lost 281 points. So a pretty nice rally here to gain back some of the losses that we had on Friday. This would be the biggest jump that we've seen on the Dow since July 12th and a lot of that has to do with the fact that oil hasn't been this low since early July. Oil today off 4-1/2 percent, it lost $3.42, to put it just slightly above $72 a barrel. That's a huge reason why we've seen the markets gain so much today. So that's what we've been keeping our eyes on. Obviously the closing bell will happen in about 15 minutes. I'll be back then to see how everything is shaping up. The other thing we have to prepare for, the Fed does meet tomorrow, Don, so we'll keep our eyes on it for the next few minutes.

LEMON: So far, no Friday repeat.

ELAM: No Friday, in fact it's almost like a Friday flip the script.

LEMON: Flip the script.

ELAM: From Friday, yes.

LEMON: We're going to flip the script on them, which is always good when you flip it to positive. Thank you Stephanie.

ELAM: Always to green. Thanks Don.

LEMON: We'll see you for the closing bell. See you in a bit.

A state of emergency in big sky country. Hundreds of people in the Sealy Lake area of Montana are grabbing what they can and getting out. A wildfire is within a mile and a half of the town, already burning more than 18,000 acres of pristine wilderness. At least one person has been killed, one home destroyed. 14 other major fires are burning in Montana, one near glacier national park. Fire crews are battling 22 other large wildfires in 6 other states.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Let's take a listen and then we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) VOICE OF DR. WALTERARABASZ, SEISMOLOGIST, UNIV. OF UTAH: This is within an active mining district. The central Utah has a number of active underground coal mines, and which produce constant mining- related seismicity. Since 1978 we've observed about 19 events that have been in the magnitude 3 to 4.2 range, 4.2, the largest that we've observed.

(END OF AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: All right, Chad, you heard that. Before I talk to you about it, in 1995 I want to say this, a cave-in at a Wyoming mine actually registered 5.4 on the scale. I guess, when was that, in 19.. It was the Richter scale then, it's no longer the Richter scale. The same strength as a moderate earthquake. So, again, that gentleman pointed it out before that he didn't think it was an earthquake. It was just so big that it registered like that.

CHAD MYERS: Couple of things, it wasn't along the front of where the plates collide. It was about 20 miles away. Even though it's close, it wasn't there. And it was only at about a half a kilometer deep so a couple of thousand feet deep. And that's exactly where the mine is. So even though originally it was said, oh, this is an earthquake and it's less than 20 miles apart from where the earthquake and the mine disaster were and then all of a sudden, no, wait it's not 20, it's 3, then when we looked a it one more time and we actually put what the genwal mine's permit showed, the permit actually encompassed this entire area here and the permit was, there it is, there is the permit in red. And, in fact, the earthquake happened inside the permitted area. So, that's why at that point in time, we put two and two together, there's only so many coincidences there. You put two and two together, inside the permitted area, added depth of where the mine is, it was destined to be a mine collapse and not just a natural earthquake. They're called mine tremors and not natural earthquakes. But the earth still moved. I mean, so, there you go.

LEMON: You know what, regardless of what it was, six people down there, and we hope they're ok. Ok, Chad Myers, thank you very much.

MYERS: You're welcome. >

COHEN: An 8-year-old Israeli boy survived a harrowing ordeal on the Dead Sea. He spent six hours floating at night in the water. The boy had been swimming with his father, two brothers and several other people when currents pulled him out to sea without anyone noticing. Searchers found him early Friday, about two miles from the shore. They'd all but given up hope. It turned out he was dehydrated but otherwise ok. One rescuer said the mineral-rich water helped keep him afloat.

LEMON: Accused of being unfriendly and unwelcoming to homosexuals. Rome, well it now has a designated gay street. Our Alessio Vinci, if I can get my lips to work, will check it out, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Among other things, Rome is known as the city of love. But gays and lesbians say that's only half true. That intolerance of homosexual love remains. Perhaps one step on the long walk to equality, a stroll down Rome's new gay street. Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Vladimir Luxuria, Italy's best-known transsexual performing at the gay village, a popular summer hang-out in Rome. The horrible Vladimir Luxuria is also a member of the daytime parliament, elected last year with a large majority of votes. He is proof that gays, lesbians and transgenders have come a long way in Italy. But he says the fact that police briefly detained two gays last week allegedly for kissing in public is an indication that there is still prejudice against them.

VLADIMIR LUXURIA, ITALIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Usually when they find a heterosexual couple, they just, you know, say, "Oh, what are you doing? Get dressed." But they don't take these people to the police station, you know, to make these people feel as criminals.

VINCI: The police insist the couple was not just kissing but performing a sex act in public. The incident sparked controversy at a time when gay activists inaugurated their first gay street, a symbolic name for a place long frequented by gays and lesbians.

"For us, it's a small victory," says Alessio, who attended the gathering with his boyfriend. Organizers say gay street is an opportunity to bring together gays and straights. But scenes like these still provoke unease among some people living and working nearby.

USO SPAGNOLO, WAITER: We are used to it, but it is still something unique," says Hugo, a waiter at this trattoria.

VINCI: The owner of a nearby pizzeria welcomes the publicity the kissing incidents brought to this area.

ETTORE CUOCOLO, PIZZERIA OWNER: Often there is more than just a kiss," he says. Maybe they had a drink or two too many, whether you are homosexual or heterosexual, he says, you should never offend discretion.

VINCI: Flavia owns the coming out bar in the heart of gay street.

FLAVIA SERVADEI, GAY BAR OWNER: There is a silent tolerance here, she says. It is possible for two women to walk along hand in hand, she says. But it's seen with amazement. It's not something normal, she says.

VINCI: They opened the street, but clearly here in Italy they still have a long way to go.

(on camera): In a country where practically everyone is a catholic, the words of the pope still carry some weight. And although the Vatican did not comment on the opening of gay street, the pope's position is well known. On numerous occasions he reaffirmed that gays in the catholic church are not welcome. Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: The closing bell is about to ring on wall street.

LEMON: Stephanie Elam is standing by with a final look at the trading day. And Stephanie before we get to that, I have to say, Elizabeth Cohen pinch-hitting today for Kyra Phillips. Didn't she do a great job?

COHEN: Oh you are so sweet.

ELAM: Awesome! I know, I was thinking about it, and you said my name right. So I was very, very touched. Thank you Elizabeth.

LEMON: You are always such a valley girl, awesome.

ELAM: I am, I can't help it, so Silicon Valley, that's where I'm from.

LEMON: You're exited about the markets today, right?

ELAM: There are good things happening here, up 285 points. So all of that that we lost on Friday, we recouped and then some. The Dow up by over 2 percent. NASDAQ up 1.4 percent as well. Back to you guys. Have a good one.

LEMON: All right.

COHEN: Thank you, Stephanie.

LEMON: Thank you.

Now it's time to turn it over to THE SITUATION ROOM and Suzanne Malveaux. Hi, Suzanne.

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