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Rescue Crews In Utah Meet With Silence; Police Arrest Two Suspects In Newark Shootings; Security Alert at Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Still No Sign of Trapped Miners; Shark Spotting in England a Hoax; Retiree Trains Search and Rescue Dogs
Aired August 10, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Watch events come into the newsroom live Friday, August 10th.
Searchers get a microphone into the mine pit in Utah, but no sound from the six men trapped in the collapse.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: One suspect in a brutal execution-style killing due in court right now. Live from the Newark courthouse.
WHITFIELD: Trading opens in just 30 minutes on Wall Street. We follow what's expected to be another bruiser right here in CNN NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Deep inside the Utah mine, the silence is deafening. Drill crews reach the target but so far a microphone captures no sounds of life. CNN's John Zarrella on the scene near Huntington.
John, good morning to you. Are people there still optimistic the miners will be rescued?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Tony.
And really, they have no other thing that they can be but optimistic. There's no other way to describe, but to try to do the best to get to them. That's the complete effort here. Holding out all optimism.
And say because the microphone, which they dropped in to the cavity at midnight didn't pick up any sound, it doesn't necessarily mean anything. Because it's perhaps the miners were not in the vicinity of the microphone, perhaps another end of the cavity and the microphone is just not picking them up.
Now, Richard Stickler with the U.S. Department of Labor; he is also here on the scene. And during the news conference that followed the announced that they broken through into the cavity, he was -- painted a picture of what they did immediately after they dropped that microphone down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD STICKLER, U.S. DEPT. OF LABOR: Everything was shut down in the mine for a quiet period. We also idled the large hole, the 8 5/8th-hole, and spent a period of listening on the microphone. Unfortunately, we were not able to gain any communication from the miners underground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Now, the owner of the mine, Bob Murray, also continues to hold out extreme hope. And he was saying that just because they did not hear anything from that microphone is no indication of anything one way or the other.
BOB MURRAY, PRES., CEO, MURRAY ENERGY: The fact that we have not picked up any sound, I believe, should not be interpreted as bad news. I would not make that decision and that conclusion yet.
ZARRELLA: Now, the next big milestone within the next 24 hours, that 8 5/8ths inch-hole is expected to be drilled into that cavity. At that point, they'll drop a camera down in there. That camera has a capability, Tony, to look 360 degrees into that cavity. And they'll have a much better requested if, in fact, the miners in that cavity, where they believe they are, and if they are alive or dead -- Tony.
HARRIS: Just can't wait. Just can't happen fast enough. John Zarrella for us this morning.
John, thank you.
WHITFIELD: The mining company is not releasing the minors names but families and friends have confirmed some identities. They are: Brandon Phillips, reportedly a new employee, and the three men you see right here. Veteran miner Manuel Sanchez, Kerry Allred and Carlos Payan.
HARRIS: The mine's operator is due to hold a news conference and CNN plans to carry it live, the time, Noon Eastern, 9:00 Pacific.
WHITFIELD: And now to New Jersey two suspects in custody, one due in court this hour in the execution-style killings in Newark. An arraignment set to begin now for Jose Carranza. Allan Chernoff is live from Newark now with what's expected during this arraignment.
Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka.
Jose Carranza expected to be arraigned in the courthouse right behind me, Essex County Superior Court, within this hour. Now, the sheriff of Essex County just told me that he did a search on Carranza's Social Security number. Turns out it is bogus. The sheriff says he appears to be an illegal alien from Peru; he also is facing other charges of sexual assault, as well as an assault charge in addition to that. So, at least two other charges that he has in addition to now being charged with murder, as well as robbery, and weapons possession, as well.
Now, a very interesting story as to how Carranza actually came into police custody. Yesterday, Mayor Cory Booker, as well as the police chief, and others here in Newark, they were holding a press conference announcing the arrest of a 15-year-old juvenile in this triple homicide, and a warrant for the arrest of Carranza. Indeed, they held up this poster at the very press conference.
While the press conference is held, an attorney for Carranza called the mayor's office, said that he was in a car, in downtown Newark with Carranza and wanted to hand himself in to the mayor. The mayor cut the press conference short, and then actually met the suspect. Let's have a listen to what Cory Booker, the mayor, said yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR CORY BOOKER, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: Any description of the individual will be colored by my feelings right now, so he simply came forward. He said nothing. We put him in handcuffs. And we walked the individual into the office. I personally helped the detective to sit him down and I left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: The police chief has told me that he is hoping to wrap this investigation up within a few days. And we understand from the sheriff of Essex County there are three more suspects that the police are trying to pick up right now.
So this case has been moving extremely rapidly. And believe me, once additional suspects are brought in, that will be a huge relief to the City of Newark, even though there's been a horrific crime rate over here, especially with regard to murders. This triple homicide has absolutely outraged Newark -- Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: Remarkable turn of events, as well. Three more suspects now you're mentioning they're looking for. And this arraignment will be taking place this hour. We'll check back with you to see how it's going.
Thanks so much, Allan.
HARRIS: Another big story we will be following all day today, investors prepare for another white knuckle day on Wall Street. Futures pointing to more big losses. A picture there. Whoa. That is not the Big Board? We haven't opened yet, have we? No. We haven't opened yet. OK.
A day after the Dow dropped almost 400 points, the fall out from those subprime home mortgages creating literally worldwide turmoil. Asian and European stocks plummeted today, less than half an hour from the opening bell and watching the numbers for you all morning right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: Weather still a big story today, a sizzling heat wave still underway. Record temperatures still being set in several cities. Our Weather Center lists more than a dozen with record high temperatures. Among them, Columbia, South Carolina, at 106. Raleigh, North Carolina at 104. The heat reaching from the Carolinas to New Orleans, and into the Plain states. One judge in Mississippi has banned schools in six counties from letting children take part in outdoor activities. That ban coming after at least three heat-related deaths this week.
HARRIS: You know what? I'm peeking behind Rob, there. And as bad as the map looks, it is a little better than it's been, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: How about this? A monster truck demonstration goes totally out of control. Nine people hurt. Take a look at this amateur video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MONSTER TRUCK ROARS, CRASHES INTO GRANDSTAND)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Can you believe that?
WHITFIELD: No.
HARRIS: So the truck, as you see here, veered into the crowd on the side of the street. Three adults and six children were hurt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People were just grabbing people, and screaming, and yelling, and running and people falling. And that's why I think there were so many cuts and stuff because of the all the people trying to get out of the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Officials say among the injured, a mother and her four- year-old daughter, both taken to trauma hospitals.
WHITFIELD: And a drill breaks through and hearts sink. The latest on the Utah mine rescue.
HARRIS: A mom springs into action. A rabid raccoon latches on to a boy's leg.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He would not let go. He just kept biting it, and just holding on, and it looked like it was gnawing on his leg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So Fred, the attack so fierce, the mom had to strangle, literally, strangle the animal.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh! HARRIS: She killed it. She'll describe what happened.
WHITFIELD: That is an incredible story.
And telltale teeth? Can heart break make your gums bleed? Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen makes the connection.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sean Callebs in Boise, Idaho. Much of the Northwest is burning. And we'll explain why some fires could be burning until the first significant snowfall. That's coming up.
HARRIS: And look in the water. Is that right there -- is that what we all think it is? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water -- it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A great big fish tale. Yeah, British style. Coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. Just minutes away from the opening bell and the best reality TV on TV. Will Wall Street -- I'll say it again several times, I'm sure -- will Wall Street settle down after a big global sell off? We watch the numbers all morning in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, I'm not sure if we have pictures. Do we have pictures of the Charlotte, Douglas International Airport? We're working on those pictures for you. There's a situation there at the airport that we're following right now. And because of some kind of a security breach -- don't have a lot of details at this point -- but because of some kind of security breach, the folks there at Charlotte Douglas International Airport experiencing delays of 30 to 40 minutes.
So 30 to 40-minute delays on flights being able to take off. A ground hold, effectively, in place right now because of some kind of security breach and continuing to work to get details on this story to put some more meat on it and bringing you an update shortly right here in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, scorched earth. Wildfires devouring millions of acres. CNN's Sean Callebs got a bird's eye view of the fires in Idaho.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice over): Thick, white smoke as far as the eye can see. Looks almost harmless from up here. But it's a graphic reminder that much of the Northwest is burning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a very sad view.
CALLEBS: Here in Idaho, the wildfires have named like Rattlesnake, Shower Bath and Middle Fork.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for what you're doing.
CALLEBS: But all that really matters to the gritty troops on the front lines is making it through another hot, difficult, 16-hour day.
DANE VAN HOOSER, FIREFIGHTER: They seem to be starting really early every year and being very busy. So things are hot and dry and we're in August now and could go on for another month and a half until we get some snow or rain.
CALLEBS: It has been a fire season of historic proportions. So far, authorities tell us, 5 million acres have burned around the country, that's roughly the size of the state of New Jersey.
DIRK KEMPTHORNE, INTERIOR SECRETARY: This is America the beautiful. And we're seeing that some of it is absolutely on fire.
CALLEBS: Idaho is home for the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. He's a former two-term governor here.
KEMPTHORNE: We may get one that takes off, and it is not unusual out here in the high country that some of these forest fires will not be put out until the snow flies.
CALLEBS: He is not exaggerating. Fires are so intense that in states like Idaho and Colorado, they will burn until the first significant snowfall. This is the National Interagency Fire Center, from this room, all major wildfires are managed. The thousands of crews, all the air tankers, all the supplies, and resources are so thin right now that when homes and people are not threatened, the NIFC has had no choice, at times, but to let the fires burn.
TOM BOATNER, NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER: If you're out in the field and you have a fire burning and you are not getting what you need to deal with it, that's a huge frustration. And hearing that you're low on the priority list is not necessarily what you want to hear. But that's the reality of the world we're operating in these days in the fire community.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Sean Callebs joining now, live from Boise, Idaho.
So, Sean, how did the fire there start?
CALLEBS: It's interesting because if you've followed just these gargantuan wildfires, a lot of them are actually started either by arson or someone with a campfire that they don't properly take care of. But here in Idaho, they have had a number of lightning strikes and the conditions here are simply bone dry. And to give you an idea of how many lightning strikes in early July, in one 24-hour period, they had 2600 lightning strikes.
The way they try to keep ahead of that, in terms of firefighting. They have weather forecasters that work where we are, here at this center, that is kind of nerve center that kind of manages all of the fires. And the forecasters can tell when a lightening storm is going to move into an area. And so they get firefighting crews on the ground ahead of time so they try to head off these punishing fires as quickly as possible.
WHITFIELD: They don't mean they're associated with rain that folks want to be excited about, you know, having a nice, little downpour. But instead it's just lightning?
CALLEBS: Exactly. And that would be the great news here. And they tell me since April, there's been no significant rainfall in Idaho. And you go out there and you grab this grass, the timber, they refer to it as fuel. It's on the ground in a lot of forest areas. It's bone dry, crackles, just breaks up right in your hand. So it doesn't take much, it is truly a tinderbox out there.
WHITFIELD: All right, Sean Callebs. Thanks so much from Boise, Idaho.
Well, lonely, depressed, stressed perhaps? Your teeth may lose their luster. A new study linking emotional health to dental health now. Here with details Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Man, yet one more thing to worry about with my dental care.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, but don't worry too much, because if you worry you'll get stressed.
WHITFIELD: Then my teeth will fall apart!
COHEN: And then your teeth are going to get even worse. So don't worry.
WHITFIELD: Don't worry.
COHEN: Here is another reason to get your stress under control. Dentists said they started to noticing that their patients, when they were going through a divorce or depressed, the teeth suffered -- or actually more specifically -- their gums suffered. And they said, hey, what is going on here? And so they studied it. And did find, in several studies, that, yes, when people are depressed or stressed out or lonely, that they have more periodontal disease, meaning their gums get more inflamed and infected.
WHITFIELD: Why? Is it as simple as the grinding, you know, when you're sleeping and you're just stressed out, and you're clinching or something?
COHEN: That is probably a small part of it. And there are probably other things that you do when you're stressed out, or depressed, that you don't even necessarily think about. For example, some people stressed take up smoking. Terrible for your gums. Or sometimes feeling depressed, you don't take care of yourself. You don't go to the dentist as much as you should. But some of it has to do with stress hormones. There is a stress hormone called cortisol, it goes up when you're stressed. And when that goes up, your body's ability to fight infection and inflammation goes down.
WHITFIELD: Wow, so I thought the periodontal disease is usually associated with flossing, not good flossing. That kind of thing, so it really is broader.
COHEN: Well, that's actually part of it, too. I mean, sure. That's part of it, too. But also what's going on in your head and in your life has something to do with it.
WHITFIELD: All right, so if you're stressed out this morning and you're now worrying about your teeth, what can you do? You know, to keep your dental health in check?
COHEN: Right. To keep your dental health in check.
WHITFIELD: Keep your stress level down, OK.
COHEN: Keep your mental health in check in order to keep your dental health in check.
So first of all, take care of your teeth, obviously. Brush and floss, and also as we've learned today, take care of your mental health. Some people might be thinking, how do I know if I have periodontal disease?
WHITFIELD: Right.
COEHN: Maybe I do. So we have a couple things you can look for. If you find that your gums are bleeding while you brushing. That is not OK. That is a sign of possible periodontal disease. Also, gum recession. In other words, you look at your teeth and they seem longer. Longer is not better.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
COHEN: Yes, bad, bad. Also, if you have loose or shifting teeth, another sign you might have gum disease.
WHITFIELD: Elizabeth, I can count on you to perk me up in the morning.
COHEN: To brighten up your day?
WHITFIELD: I'm totally depressed now. Looking in the mirror at the teeth really closely.
COHEN: No, no, no. Think of it -- I've empowered you to take care of your teeth.
HARRIS: There you go.
WHITFIELD: OK.
(CROSS TALK)
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot Elizabeth.
HARRIS: Flip it. Just flip it, is what you do.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, a walk in the woods turns into a nightmare. A rabid raccoon springs from nowhere and attacks a child.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had to stay there until it was dead, because if I let go of it, it would have chased after them, or bit me so, I strangled it to death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Mom as superhero, the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So let me take a moment to work through some of the details of the breaking news story that we're following for you this hour. We told you just a couple of moments ago, there's been some kind of a security breach at Charlotte Douglas International Airport; a live shot now of that airport.
And because of the security breach, 30 to 40-minute delays are being experienced in flights to take off and land. We have a little more information that may be clarifies this a bit.
At 7:55 a.m. Eastern Time, a man went around security at Concourse C in the airport. Subsequently, all concourses, as you would understand, were shut down. Authorities began searching for the man. At this point in time, they still have not found him.
About 17 flights were preparing to take off; 10 actually left before they could be searched. Potentially a problem there. The seven on the ground are being searched now. If the individual is not found, we understand, the 10 flights that left will be reverse screened, when they reach their destination. OK?
So that's a bit of an update. Additional information on the situation right now, that is hampering ground operations there at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, but out of all due caution, it makes all the sense in the world to continue to do this process of searching those planes that were on the ground.
Reverse search once the 10 flights that actually took off, reach their destination. They're looking for a man who went around security. No details yet on how he was able to do that and videotapes are being looked at right now by TSA, as they try to figure this whole situation out. We'll keep you posted right here in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: Real nightmare, bottom line.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Going in or out of Charlotte.
Well, making their mark. The news makers who helped shape the week, today a simple choice. The Utah miners and their families together they're in a spotlight and in the prayers of many Americans. Their ordeal first revealed at the beginning of the week, they're deepening crises unfolding every day since. So hope now turns to frustration in Utah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How frustrated is your family right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're -- on a scale of 1 to 10, it is a 20. It is pretty bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The family of a missing miner speaking out.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, where we're expecting another rough open after the second-worst point loss of the year for the Dow. We'll be live for the opening bell in just a few minutes. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Heidi Collins. Hello.
HARRIS: And good morning. Good to see you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Good to see you, too.
HARRIS: Good to have you here on Friday. Get away day for all of us.
WHITFIELD: Not all of us.
HARRIS: Let's get to our homeland security -- that's right.
WHITFIELD: Don't rub it in.
HARRIS: And I'm with you this weekend, as well. Let's get to our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve. And Jeanne is following the situation for us out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport this morning.
Good morning to you.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. According to a Transportation Security Administration official, a person described as a Hispanic male bypassed the security checkpoint at Concourse C at the airport at 7:55 this morning.
This spokesman for the TSA believes that all the concourses at the airport were shut in response, and authorities began searching for the individual. They did not find him in the terminal.
There were about 17 planes at the airport preparing to take off. Ten of them actually did take off. But seven are still on the ground. They are being searched now as they look for this individual. If that search does not turn him up, then the ten that had taken off will be searched when they land at their destinations.
The TSA says it is reviewing videotapes at the airport checkpoint to learn more about how this person bypassed security. They, of course, have no idea why he did. They're working with local police on this matter.
So for now, still some planes on the ground being searched -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, keeping an eye on this situation for us. Jeanne, thank you.
WHITFIELD: And there you go with the opening bell.
HARRIS: Wait, wait. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Is that a distraction?
WHITFIELD: Yes. You want to hold on to the shot a little bit longer from -- from Victoria's Secret babes.
HARRIS: Oh, take your mind off the roller coaster ride that is -- oh, I see.
WHITFIELD: It's a diversion. What they call a diversion...
HARRIS: Diversion.
WHITFIELD: ... after yesterday's...
HARRIS: Gotcha.
WHITFIELD: ... low, low, low, a 378-point drop of the Dow. And look, it's opening low this morning, with 58 points down.
Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
So Susan, is that the diversion? Was that the tactic, to bring in the Victoria's Secret babes?
HARRIS: Works for me.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I know it works for you, Tony. But I have to tell you, it didn't work on the trading floor. And that is unusual, because there are a lot of men on the trading floor, if you haven't noticed. Yes, they're busy right now.
Two things the market doesn't like, guys, is bad news and uncertainty. And we've got both in the system. We have more bad news from the nation's largest mortgage company, Countrywide, which says that there are unprecedented credit market disruptions. It says that payments of -- at least 30 days late on about 20 percent of its nonprime mortgages.
Meanwhile, Washington Mutual says that the liquidity for less than prime home loans and securities backed by bonds has diminished significantly. Basically, that's not the news from big financial companies that the market wants to hear.
But what we've also got going on is unusual intervention by central banks around the world, from Japan and Australia, to Europe and right here in the U.S., injecting billions of dollars in liquidity overnight to assure investors that there is money to be had. If you want to get access to capital, you can have it, whether it's to buy a home or a company.
We were looking at a possible 200-point drop in the Dow for the open. Right now we are seeing a triple-digit decline, down 110. Could have been worse. The fact that the Fed stepped in seemed to pare the futures, and it is not as bad as it could have been. That's about the best news I can give you guys right now.
WHITFIELD: And that -- I mean, that's pretty rapid. We're talking about a 60-point drop in less than three minutes, Susan.
LISOVICZ: Well, that's -- that's the kind of market we've been seeing, Fredricka. There's an awful lot of passion here. We've seen not only big point swings, both to the upside and to the downside, but big volume. More than 2 billion shares, nearly 3 billion shares traded yesterday.
And just sometimes the negative breadth is just overwhelming: 15 to 1 at one point yesterday. It's just mind-boggling. A lot of traders say they haven't seen this volatility in decades.
HARRIS: Oh, I had one more quick question. Do we have to go? Do we have to let Susan go? OK.
Susan, look. I just really want you to give us the bottom line on this. Because far too often, not you but other analysts want to paint the rosiest picture on the situation: "Oh, the credit crunch is what's happening right now. It's not going to last long. It's bottoming out. You know, all the dead wood is getting out of the way."
What's the real story on the credit crunch right now?
LISOVICZ: Well, you know, it's very simple, Tony. Whether you are a big company or a simple individual, credit is -- is the fuel that drives the economy, here and elsewhere. But the U.S. happens to be the world's biggest economy, and that's why -- that's why worldwide markets are rattled. If you don't have access to capital, to credit, then the economy slows down. Consumer spending fuels two-thirds of economic growth. So it's a problem.
What you're seeing started in the housing market. All that free -- or I shouldn't say free, but that cheap, easy money that enabled people to buy homes so easily, first homes, second homes.
Well, what's happening now, home prices are going down. Borrowing costs are going up, and so are defaults and delinquencies. And the fallout is something that we seem to be seeing on a daily basis, not only here but overseas, as well.
WHITFIELD: Right. The ripple effect all around the world.
All right. Susan Lisovicz, thanks so much.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
HARRIS: Well, the latest on the mine rescue efforts in Utah: still no sign of life hours after drilling crews break through just before midnight. They reached the chamber where the six miners are believed trapped.
The mine's co-owner says that may not mean anything. The men may simply be hunkered down somewhere else. And he says some good news did emerge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB MURRAY, CEO/PRESIDENT, MURRAY ENERGY: Two good things have happened. One, our engineers hit right on target off of this steep mountainside to where we wanted them to go.
And No. 2, the atmosphere in the mine is perfect to sustain human life: 20.5 percent oxygen. No methane. And a moderate amount of carbon dioxide. That means if they're alive, they're going to stay alive in that atmosphere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Crews are still drilling a wider hole. It is expected to break into the mine late tonight, maybe early tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: Well, you know, the minutes must be dragging on like hours for the relatives of the trapped miners. CNN's Ed Lavandera spoke with some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Manuel Arturo Sanchez has spent 17 years working in coal mines. His family likes to call him Turkey because his birthday falls around the Thanksgiving holiday.
He came to the United States in 1985, straight to Utah. He's the father of four children.
Cesar Sanchez, who's Manuel's brother, and also a coal miner, he says the family's hopeful but also realistic about what might have happened to his brother.
CESAR SANCHEZ, MINER'S BROTHER: If they have a chance of staying alive they'll make it. But if they got caved on, we already -- you know, an experienced miner would tell you different.
LAVANDERA: But the Sanchez family says getting accurate details of the mine collapse is difficult. After a morning meeting with mine officials, Manuel's sister, Maria, emerged frustrated and angry with Bob Murray, the head of the company that owns the mine.
MARIA BUENROSTRO, MINER'S SISTER: He's like, you know, "You guys need hope." And then, the next second, "Oh, give up your hope. Give up your hope. They're probably dead. Or we don't know if they're dead. We don't know if he's dead or arrive." I mean, what kind of answers are those?
LAVANDERA: The Sanchez family also says Murray stormed out of the morning meeting after family members started asking hard questions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anything to say at all?
BUENROSTRO: We get upset, and he gets angry and he leaves. That's wrong.
LAVANDERA (on camera): What, you ask him questions and he leaves?
BUENROSTRO: We were asking, yes. Somebody got upset, and they were speaking for us, like, for the old people that don't speak English. So he got mad and walk out.
MURRAY: So all of my statements to them are now going to be written in Spanish.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Bob Murray disagrees and says extra steps are being taken to communicate with the families who don't speak English.
MURRAY: But just in case, we are taking additional effort to have them spoken to and given the initial information in Spanish, right from the beginning. I think they got it all and -- but we're just taking this other step.
LAVANDERA (on camera): How frustrated is your family right now?
SANCHEZ: They're -- scale from 1 to 10, it's a 20. It's pretty bad.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Under a tree in Cesar Sanchez's front yard, we talked about how Manuel Arturo's nine brothers and sisters are coping with the waiting. SANCHEZ: I'm hoping that -- it's tough. It's a tough deal.
LAVANDERA (on camera): How about the rest of your family?
SANCHEZ: They got a lot of hope. They're strong. They're giving me a lot of hope. It's rubbing off onto me. I got one string of hope. You know? That's why I'm hanging in there.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Ed Lavandera, CNN, Price, Utah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The mine owner, Bob Murray, you're going to get an opportunity to hear again from him today. He's holding a news conference, scheduled for noontime Eastern, 9 Pacific. CNN plans to carry that live.
HARRIS: Here's the thing that amazes me so far.
WHITFIELD: What's that?
HARRIS: First of all, the good news, that more people aren't really being seriously impacted by this heat and we're not reporting more deaths related to the heat. And we're also, Rob, at this point, not reporting a lot of stories of electricity, brownouts. So far, the power grids are holding up.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, yes. Yes. And, you know, Georgia, we've been reading these stories, you know, the most power ever used and the second day in some spots.
HARRIS: Yes.
MARCIANO: You would think, you know, the system would get stressed at some point.
HARRIS: Exactly, yes.
MARCIANO: And we've reiterated throughout the week that heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer. And to say that we've had limited fatalities, it's a good. We hope that trend continues, certainly.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: One-oh-three in Memphis and probably 106 right here in the ATL. So, boy, it just hits you in the face when you walk outside. Doesn't it?
HARRIS: Really.
WHITFIELD: It really does. It's like, you know, that feeling when you pull open the oven door, you know, and it's been going.
HARRIS: Yes.
MARCIANO: Exactly. WHITFIELD: I mean, it is just so hot.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: I was a little concerned about that whole brownout stuff.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: I don't want to -- you know, knock on wood. But I did turn down my thermostat last night.
MARCIANO: All right.
WHITFIELD: I'm just a little concerned about, you know, it's on, on, on, on, on.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
WHITFIELD: And please don't fail me now.
MARCIANO: You made up for Tony actually turning his...
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes.
WHITFIELD: You cranked it up?
HARRIS: I cranked it -- no, no, of course not. All right, Rob.
WHITFIELD: I sacrificed a little for all of us last night.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Fredricka.
HARRIS: There you go.
WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot, Rob.
MARCIANO: See you later.
HARRIS: Take a look at this. In the water there. What is that? Is that what I think it is?
WHITFIELD: I know what it looks like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. It is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: It is safe.
HARRIS: It is safe. A great big fish tale, British style, coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Fred, are you podcasting with me today?
WHITFIELD: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
HARRIS: I would be honored. OK.
WHITFIELD: My pleasure.
HARRIS: OK. So we're doing something a little different, everyone, with the podcast. We needed to freshen it up a little bit. It was getting a little stale. So you know...
WHITFIELD: Says who?
HARRIS: It just felt that way to us.
WHITFIELD: Really?
HARRIS: So as you see the team working on it, we're going to unveil something new. Different stories, principally, is what we're talking about here, because all the stories can't break through the breaking news of the day and everything else that goes on in the NEWSROOM from 9 until noon each day.
So we're going to freshen up the podcast. It will be ready for you. CNN.com, CNN daily NEWSROOM podcast, available to you 24/7 on your iPod. Download it today.
WHITFIELD: Do not want to miss out on that, because it's fresh and it's new.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Britain's abuzz with the news. A great white shark off the British coast? Turns out it was what you suspected. He's laughing over here.
HARRIS: It's a hoax.
WHITFIELD: It is a hoax. CNN's Paula Hancocks has details now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. It is. Reports of a great white shark off the coast of Britain are a great white lie.
These pictures taken by a nightclub bouncer were part of a tabloid feeding frenzy. It is, indeed, a great white. But the photographer omitted to mention they were taken in South Africa rather than South England, a mere 6,000 miles away.
Kevin Keeble, who gave the pictures to his local newspaper, said, "I sent the pictures in as a joke. I didn't expect anyone to be daft enough to take it seriously." But there's nothing like reports and even pictures of a giant predator off the coast of Britain to get newspaper editors salivating, and they did. The story spread from Australia to the Middle East.
Home videos emerged of fins in British waters. Sharks do exist here but not of the dreaded killing machine variety.
"The Sun" newspaper even quoted an expert saying this was a female and her shark boyfriend was probably nearby.
People around the world have been obsessed with the great white shark ever since Steven Spielberg immortalized it in his 1975 film "Jaws".
ROY SCHEIDER, ACTOR: You're going to need a bigger boat.
HANCOCKS: The great British panic seems over for now. Another silly summer story that refused to let the facts get in the way.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: I know that folks were freaking out because, come on.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: You remember what "Jaws" did to you?
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
WHITFIELD: I was afraid to go in the swimming pool.
HARRIS: Oh, yes, to a generation.
WHITFIELD: I know. You know, you're looking in the deep end, waiting to see some dark shadow.
HARRIS: But I do love the idea of the experts going on with their perfectly pitched accents and they're hoaxed, OK? They've been had.
WHITFIELD: They have.
HARRIS: I get a little perverse pleasure out of that. But that's just me.
WHITFIELD: That's just you.
HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, the heat is on. Man. And outdoor activity off. Triple digit temps keep a lot of us indoors.
WHITFIELD: A mom, well, she springs into action. A rabid raccoon latching onto a boy's leg.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just kept biting it and just holding on. And it looked like it was gnawing on his leg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. The attack was so fierce, the woman had to strangle the animal. She'll describe what happened when we come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live breaking news, unfolding developments. See for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Down 126.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: Yes, yes. Markets opened lower again. It will be this way all day, won't it?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: NASDAQ down 28. OK. Tech heavy. S&P down 18. Down, down, down, down, down. Yesterday, wow, 387 points just peeled away.
And now the Fed, which insisted everything was OK earlier in the week, pumps billions into the economy to keep things afloat.
Ali Velshi is here "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Ali, will you explain this? We had a conversation.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Did you say -- did you say peeled away?
HARRIS: I did say peeled away.
VELSHI: Did you see the opening bell? I was at the New York Stock Exchange this morning.
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: Got a Victoria's Secret T-shirt.
WHITFIELD: Oh!
VELSHI: I didn't set -- I did not set this up.
WHITFIELD: Yes, you did.
VELSHI: You said peeled away.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I know. That's what cracks me up.
VELSHI: I'm just saying. You know what? After this week on the market...
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: ... that was probably very...
WHITFIELD: Peeled away.
HARRIS: Well, Ali, come on. Well, you know. Look. That's my mind. I'm a visionary that way.
So Ali, let me just ask you. We were talking about this earlier in the week and the opportunity that Fed chief, Ben Bernanke, had to lower rates. He didn't do it.
VELSHI: Didn't do it.
HARRIS: And didn't do it. And now what has the Fed done?
VELSHI: Let me tell you. This is an interesting scenario. You're absolutely right. And there are a lot of people, Tony -- it's an inside baseball conversation. There are a lot of people in America -- investors, financial types and regular folks -- saying why doesn't the Fed just lower interest rates a little bit?
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: Even if there is a little risk...
HARRIS: Let's get some action here.
VELSHI: ... that inflation might be...
HARRIS: Some positive movement.
VELSHI: Well, when you lower rates, you make more money available, basically. Right? It's cheaper to get money.
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: So you use it. But that's exactly what the Fed just did overnight. They put $19 billion into the system.
World Bank, central banks around the world, the European Central Bank, put $200 billion in, essentially doing the same thing, freeing up money so that banks don't run out of money or don't have people coming to cash in and say, "We can't pay you."
So now we're -- the thinking has changed on this. Maybe the Fed should get in here.
The Fed doesn't like to solve stock market problems. They say that's not their business. They're about controlling growth and inflation and things like that. If the market goes up or down or even the housing market goes up and down...
HARRIS: Yes. VELSHI: ... the Fed doesn't like to make that their business. But you know, now people are getting a little bit scared, thinking, "Should I take my money out..."
HARRIS: Exactly.
VELSHI: "... and not have it in there?" And when people pull their money out, while that's very nice, because you save a lot of money and you can keep it in your mattress, that money is not in the economy.
HARRIS: You want to get liquid. When you see people...
VELSHI: That's right.
HARRIS: People watching -- you, me, Fred, all of us, we see this happening. We don't really know the particulars.
VELSHI: Right.
HARRIS: And the technicalities of the market. But we see these kinds of drops.
VELSHI: You think, "I can -- let me sit this out. Because if I put this money aside, at least I know where I can find it. Or if I put it in a bank account that gets me 4 or 5 percent, at least it's there and there's no risk to it."
HARRIS: That we can understand.
VELSHI: Right.
HARRIS: All of us can understand that. So is this -- today at this moment, is this a better environment if I need, oh, I need to refinance?
VELSHI: I wouldn't say it's better. I think with each passing day, in fact, the situation might be deteriorating a little bit.
So my advice, as I stated -- stated it yesterday, is that there are two kinds of issues here. One is your investments and how they're doing and what you want to do with them.
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: And you want to be fairly defensive at this point about them. You want to make sure you've got some protection against a market that might continue to fall.
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: The other side of it is if you are a homeowner. If you are anywhere close to missing a payment...
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: ... or a loan that is around the value of your home or greater...
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: ... you want to make sure that you're protected against rates continuing to go up.
HARRIS: All right. Let's do this. Let's leave it there. Hopefully, we'll get another opportunity to talk to you about this.
VELSHI: Yes.
HARRIS: Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business" this morning. Ali, thanks.
VELSHI: OK.
WHITFIELD: And who doesn't look forward to the "National Geographic" World Championship Geography Bee? Well, we've got a winner and a question, a sample question from the bee. What mountain range contains Antarctica's highest peak? Tony?
Freshen up on your mountain peaks. We'll have that answer a little bit later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: This week's "Life After Work", one retiree is training first responders that know what it's like to be rescued. CNN's Ali Velshi has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILMA MELVILLE, NATURAL DISASTER SEARCH DOG FOUNDATION: Help him move just a little at a time. Easy. Slow him down.
VELSHI: Wilma Melville is a rescuer, saving dogs so they can save people.
MELVILLE: The Search Dog Foundation's mission is to provide the most highly trained canine firefighter disaster search teams to the nation.
VELSHI: Melville is a 73-year-old retired Phys. Ed. teacher who, after training her dog in search and rescue, discovered an alarming fact after an early assignment.
MELVILLE: It was shortly after the Oklahoma City bombing, where my dog Murphy and I were sent. We were a FEMA advanced certified team. And I recognized that 15 or so canine search teams for the nation will not do.
In training and even in deployments, we...
VELSHI: So she started an academy to boost that number.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got to be a little careful with this. And again, you don't want...
VELSHI: The process begins with a rescue.
MELVILLE: The Search Dog Foundation finds its dogs at shelters or among breed rescue groups. And it's just like going to the trash heap and coming away with a prize, because those dogs have a limited amount of time to be adopted. And if they're not adopted, very often, they are euthanized.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good job.
VELSHI: Once a dog is found, it goes into six to eight months of training before being partnered with a handler.
MELVILLE: The responsibility of the dog to search the area that the handler is given.
Ready?
And hopefully locate live human scent, do the bark alert.
(dog barking)
VELSHI: Melville's graduates have assisted rescue operations at the World Trade Center after 9/11 and in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
MELVILLE: It was fascinating to be able to use a dog for -- for such a worthy cause: find a person who is likely unconscious after a disaster.
And there she goes.
I mean, I am really taken with that notion, that it would be a terrible thing for that person to be left behind.
(dog barking)
VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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