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Possible Breakthrough in Utah; Straw Poll in Iowa; Election Day in Sierra Leone; President Bush Meets With the French President

Aired August 11, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we have breaking news at this hour. A possible breakthrough in mine rescue efforts in Utah. We're expecting a news conference and we'll bring you that live as soon as it happens.
Also -- shuttle astronauts getting ready to take a walk in space. We'll show you it live.

Plus, bulletproof backpacks, have you ever herd of such a thing? Does your child really need one in order to go back to school? The news unfolding live this Saturday, August 11th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you're in the NEWSROOM.

Let's begin in Utah, a race against time. Frantic search for six trapped coal miners still going on right now in Utah. New developments on the sixth day of the search effort. CNN's John Zarrella is with us now from Huntington, Utah. John, what is the latest?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredricka, we are as you mentioned, still awaiting that news briefing which could happen at any moment. And when that does, of course, we hope to get some new information on the status of that 8 5/8 inch hole.

Early this morning, Bob Murray, the owner of the mine, came out and briefed us and said that, in fact, they had gotten into the cavity, that's the cavity where they believe that the miners are trapped and now the process was since they penetrated into the cavity was to remove the drill bit and put a casing down inside that hole, the bore hole and then drop the camera down. It was going to take several more hours to get that accomplished.

As we are speaking right now, we are assuming that the camera is either on the way down into that hole or perhaps in there. Now, the problem with the camera is that it only has a range of about 100 feet. But in all directions, and there is some thought from mine officials, that this cavity where they believe the miners are, could be as much as 80 x 1000 feet, which would mean if they were in some other portion of this cavity, even with the camera they might not see them.

On another note, Bob Murray had come out of the mine -- he had been there all night when he spoke with us, and he said the work today is going as fast as they can in the main area where in the tunnel which initially collapsed six days ago, they are working 42 men at a time digging it out so that they can get a rescue team in there. He had originally said seven days and revised that down yesterday to four to five. But he did add that the work has been going very slow today, not as fast as yesterday. So we may still be looking, Fredricka, at another four to five days before the rescue teams could actually reach these miners -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Wow, now, John, as for that camera, though, the lowering of this camera, I'm going to guess it would have to have a light on it, a, because this cavity is very dark and, b, I wonder if they're giving you an idea whether that's a live feed or if they'll be taping or is it operating more like a telescope type capacity where they'll be able to view, but not necessarily tape what they're viewing.

ZARRELLA: Well, I would assume they'll be able to tape whatever they get as they are retrieving that data. We are assuming and we're hearing that it is perhaps infrared camera that's gone down there and that they will be getting -- it has a light attached to it. Whether or not the camera itself is equipped -- and I'm sure it's equipped with a live feed and also audio feed to bring back both audio and video to the surface. And that way if they do hear from the miners, they'll be able to see it in real time.

That was the plan and they brought in specialized camera equipment that was flown in here from Mississippi, I believe, in order to accomplish this. So that was the plan to be able to get some real time images down there of what's actually going on.

WHITFIELD: All right, John Zarrella, thanks so much from Huntington there.

Meantime, this has been a painstaking six days for family members of the six missing miners. Many of the family members have been collecting themselves at a solid, single location there not far from the mine where the rescue efforts and recovery efforts are under way.

Our Ed Lavandera is there as well. Ed, what can you tell us about how the people there are being informed about every single development?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Mine officials here, Bob Murray just left a short while ago, he drove down there and he's taking a helicopter back up to the mountaintop. There had been some family members that have come out of the school building where they had been meeting with mine officials and family members.

We've seen this meeting break up here in the last few minutes. The picture you're seeing I should explain that first, I apologize, is sometimes some of the family members come out. Here on the school grounds to give these families their space, they drive past us, sometimes they choose to stop and talk to us and what you see there at the end is what I presume to be a family.

I have some colleagues down there who are digging up that information as we speak and they're going to relay it to me here shortly, since I'm talking to you. As soon as they pass that back to me, I'll pass that along. Another one of my colleague's cameraman Joel de la Rosa had just spoken, had a brief exchange with the sister of Manuel Sanchez.

I believe we have that videotape ready for you. We're going to go ahead and run it. It's a quick exchange but it's the first kind of glimpse we've been able to get as to what has just happened in this meeting here this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good news? No good news?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did they say?

MARIA BUENROSTRO, SANCHEZ SISTER-IN-LAW: No, no good news. No comments, OK? No comments, no comments.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: We want to be very cautious here in that quick exchange you hear her name is Maria Buenrostro, she's the sister of Manuel Sanchez. Want to be very cautious, she says no good news exactly what that means at this point is very hard to gather. So we will keep digging but that is just the first glimpse we have here.

Sounds like the other gathering there, the car that the family member pulled over and was speaking with reporters, that car has just pulled away, as you've seen here. So we'll try to relay that tape back here for you and see if there's any update that I can pass along from that front.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, well Ed, understandably the comment from that young lady saying, no good news, because everyone really is at a standstill, they have not been able to have direct contact with these six missing miners. And just knowing that this camera is making its way to that cavity after that second hole has been drilled, it sounds like that's all any family members have to go on.

So, how are they being comforted? We know they're getting some information from officials at that location. But how are they really being comforted by the folks who are on hand to deliver some of this information?

LAVANDERA: That's a good point. Let me backtrack a little bit here about the no comment. I think it's important to point out that that no comment or the no good news could just simply refer to that they haven't heard any news from that camera, not to suggest that they have learned either way whether or not they're alive or they're dead. We should be very cautious about that at this point. These are just quick questions we were able to fire off, as people were driving away.

But in terms of how people are being comforted here, some (ph) company officials have told us that they have counselors on site. They have brought these people in, obviously, various family members depending on each other. Various times we've seen them come town to this school yard. The back part of this school empties on to the football field and the school track and we've seen families walk down to the track and walk around with the little ones and that sort of thing.

So there's -- I guess just a lot of people in that school and what exactly what the mood is like in there, we imagine, you know, at this point we can only imagine, outside of what people have been saying, it's really hard. You can assume that it's tense and there's a lot of anxiety at this point. But you know that's just the basic assumptions we can make at this point.

WHITFIELD: Right, tough times, tough days now, for six days are for these family members. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much.

Now we are learning a bit more about each of the six trapped miners. The mining company has not released their names but family and friends have confirmed their identities to CNN. The men are, Carlos Payan, said to be in his 20's, Don Erickson, a 50-year-old father of two and stepfather of three. 57-year-old Kerry Allred also a father of three. 41-year-old Manuel Sanchez. Brandon Phillips, he is 24. And 23-year-old Luis Alonso Hernandez, he has a 1-year-old daughter.

Tonight at 8:00 Eastern, CNN's Special Investigations Unit looks back at the Sago Mine tragedy, what really happened and what could have been done to perhaps prevent it. Inside the Sago Mine tragedy tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary, so the mayor says. But New York police are on the streets this morning with sensors to detect radioactive material. Why? Senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is live from Manhattan. All of this Allan, because of some terror- related electronic chatter?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, all of this because of an unverified report of an Al Qaeda threat against the United States. So, since last night, the New York City police have been at various locations around Manhattan checking out vehicles. Here we're at the corner of Broadway and Canal Street, 10 blocks north of the Wall Street area. And here they have been checking out vehicles to make sure that they are not carrying any radioactive material.

Now, the report was contained on an Israeli-based counterterrorism Web site, a private Web site, which reported that on Thursday, Al Qaeda internal Web sites had threats against the U.S. One of them, that a truck carrying radioactive material would target New York and specifically the financial center right down the street, not too far away. Another threat reported by the Web site was that New York, Miami, and Los Angeles would all be targeted.

Now none of this, absolutely none of it has been verified. The New York City police have checked it out. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, all of them have said, no basis to it. Nonetheless, the New York City police department taking the precaution and they have been checking vehicles as they have been going along. Now, just in the past few minutes they have eased up a little bit. They have told us, just to allow the flow of midday traffic to improve as it heads downtown. So they have eased up a little bit. An indication that the police are not overly concerned, but nonetheless, still taking precautions -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Somewhat of a real, you know, crackdown and real I guess lockup of traffic. But here we are on the weekend where perhaps traffic isn't what it ordinarily is at Broadway and Canal, but I did see some of the tour buses behind you. It seems those are the folks who are being mostly inconvenienced by all of this.

CHERNOFF: Well, Fredricka, this place is packed with tourists. There are many discount stores along Canal Street. This is a shopping haven on the weekends. It's very crowded right now. Frankly, for tourists, this is just part of the scene in New York City.

WHITFIELD: Allan Chernoff, thanks so much in New York.

CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

High above earth, two space shuttle astronauts getting set for a space walk just minutes from now. But first a gentle little wake-up call, a rather soulful one at that. The first order of the day for the seven-member crew. NASA playing John Mayer's gravity to wake the astronauts. A space walk to install an additional component to the international space station's frame is scheduled for the bottom of the hour.

NASA is at the same time worried about a gouge on "Endeavour's" belly. It appears to have been caused by ice that broke off the shuttle's fuel tank just after liftoff. The crew will inspect the gouge tomorrow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: And later on, more on the mine rescue efforts straight ahead. We'll have live reporters on the scene there in Utah and we'll bring you up to date on all the details.

Also, we're talking politics this hour. The road to the White House makes a very important stop in Iowa today. Our Bill Schneider is straight ahead with more on that.

And speaking of important votes, a historic election taking place in one war-torn African nation right now. Our Betty Nguyen joins us with that exclusive report coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We continue to monitor the events out of Utah there out of Huntington. We're still awaiting a press conference to get the latest information on their efforts. We know at this point that the second hole which is greater in size than the first has been drilled and they are lowering a camera to try to get some sort of purview about what is taking place down below. The hope is that they have targeted this hole to the exact location of where the six missing miners are. The camera would have only about 100 feet viewing power. But that still could be very encouraging.

We're awaiting this news conference to get a little bit more information about where they are on the lowering of that camera. Also, our crews there on the ground have talked to a number of family members who are at a nearby comfort center. They're being updated by officials there as well. We continue to go through our tape and when we get all of that together, we'll be able to bring that to you as soon as possible.

Meantime, on to politic now. On the campaign trail a coveted prize in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, the Iowa straw poll happening right now. Details from CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider in Des Moines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): It may look like a circus, but it's really a big-time political event. Look at all the Republicans at the Iowa state fair. Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson. Hey, there's Newt Gingrich.

What about the national front-runners? Rudy Giuliani is leading the Republican field in our new national poll followed by undeclared candidate Fred Thompson and then John McCain. None of those three nationally top-ranked Republicans is participating in Saturday's straw poll.

Which leaves Mitt Romney, the number four national contender, as the favorite. In fact, Romney is leading in polls of Iowa Republican caucus goers. He's expected to win the straw poll. The question is, how big?

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's why we're here, to see if we can get some more support. Could be a real challenge. We've got a lot of folks running and we all hope to do well, and I'm one of those who hopes to do well.

SCHNEIDER: Will it be a big enough win to give Romney a big story and a boost in the national polls?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!

SCHNEIDER: Or will he stumble? There's a hot contest for second place in the straw poll. The top contenders -- Tommy Thompson, Sam Brownback, and Mike Huckabee.

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I hope we'll see you tomorrow in Ames. Because we could use your help.

SCHNEIDER: A poor showing in the straw poll could leave one or two of them to reconsider their campaign. DENNIS GOLDFORD, DRAKE UNIVERSITY: The question is how much will the straw poll thin the herd? In 1999, it knocked out Lamar Alexander, Dan Quayle and Elizabeth Dole because they didn't do well enough to keep their campaign donations flowing.

SCHNEIDER: Then there's the possibility of a surprise. Ron Paul has a fervent following on the Internet. Tom Tancredo has a hot issue, immigration. It's estimated that close to 40 percent of Iowa Republicans are social conservatives.

GOLDFORD: This is where Pat Robertson made his breakout and showed up on the radar screen a long time ago.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: Some conservative evangelicals have not been entirely comfortable with Mitt Romney because he's changed positions on some social issues. Well a strong finish here in the Iowa straw poll might help resolve some of their concerns -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, so everybody wants a strong finish but what about for those three that you noted in your piece who were not there, should their expectation be that they're still on the mind of folks who are voting in the straw poll?

SCHNEIDER: It's possible. You know, they are on the ballot. All of the candidates' names are on the ballot, they're just not running any kind of campaign, they're not bussing people in, they're not giving away free tickets. So they're in a kind of win/win situation. If they don't do well they'll say well I didn't really enter the contest. And if they do, do well they'll say, what a surprise, look, I have a spontaneous following out there.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime, you mentioned Ron Paul in your piece who has a huge Internet following. We've learned this morning that he made an announcement, I understand there, out of Iowa, that his wife is being hospitalized, Carol Paul, but it's still unclear exactly what her ailment may be. She's being hospitalized in Texas and did you get an idea from people there what their reception or reaction to that kind of announcement was, by chance?

SCHNEIDER: Well of course there is a great deal of sympathy for Dr. Paul, he's a congressman. It's not clear at this point exactly what's ailing his wife although the reports are that she's out of danger. He does have a very strong following. You see a lot of Ron Paul signs here, a lot of Ron Paul activity. He's not spending a lot of money but his following on the Internet seems to be bringing people out and there could well be a surprise finish here for Dr. Paul.

WHITFIELD: Right and this is one of those election years where the power of the Internet is pretty intense. You know, not to be understated, and we saw that in the last presidential election with the power of the bloggers.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. They have appeared -- the Democrats last week appeared before the bloggers, they take it very seriously. Today is the kind of test to see if the Internet can actually bring real people, not virtual people, but real people out to vote in a real straw poll. So they're voting here today.

WHITFIELD: All right, Bill Schneider, thanks so much from Des Moines, keeping us posted on the presidential race, heating up. Iowa caucus, the first caucus, January right around the corner.

All right. A different kind of election right now. Some voters in Sierra Leone are actually having to vote with their feet today. It's an historic election for this African nation and our Betty Nguyen is there. She'll join us live with this CNN exclusive, next.

And we continue to keep an eye on the mine rescue efforts in Utah where we are awaiting a press conference to update us, perhaps, on the camera that is to be lowered into the cavity, they believe those six trapped miners might be. More on that when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As we await a press conference to begin out of Huntington, Utah, so do many anxiety-filled family members waiting for any bit of detail to hang on as we await word of their six missing miners, their loved ones. Our Ed Lavandera has had a chance, as well as his crew to talk to many of those family members who have converged at a school nearby waiting for any detail on their family members. Ed what have you learned?

LAVANDERA: Hi, Fredricka. We continue to hear a little bit from what just emerged from this morning meeting with mine officials. One of the gentlemen that spoke just as they were leaving the school here is a gentleman by the name of Thomas Hernandez, he is the uncle of Luis Hernandez, one of the trapped miners. He doesn't speak English, we've just done a quick translation of what he spoke. This is him speaking with reporters just a short while ago.

In that brief interview, he says that they were told by mine officials that they continue to advance but that they were not given any definitive information as to the conditions of the trapped miners. They suspect that either later today, maybe even as late as tomorrow they would have the information. He was asked if they remained hopeful and he says, he was quoted as saying as more time passes we're losing hope. We have very little hope at this point.

However, he did say that Luis Hernandez's wife is, although she is sad and hurt at this point, that she is still hanging on to quite a bit of hope. He also went on to say that we have to resign ourselves to what's going to happen.

Some of the more dire words we've heard from family members so far emerging from this meeting. This is just one person, this is an uncle of Luis Hernandez who interestingly enough appears to be a miner himself. He said that he had just driven in from Wyoming where he works in a mine as well and this is the first time he had been to one of these family meetings. And we've heard this repeatedly from some of these family members who come from large families and also have other family members that work in the mining industry. There have been others, brothers and sisters or uncles in this case, who work in Wyoming or in other parts who have come here to this scene to be together with their families as they await the final word. But at least the headline from here this morning, nothing definitive yet. We've essentially gotten that from two family members who have emerged from these meetings this morning. So they continue to wait. Some family members are staying here, some are leaving. So the bottom line is they're still waiting and nothing definitive at this point.

WHITFIELD: So, Ed, are any of the family members expressing any frustration that they don't feel like they're getting all of the information they want in an immediate way or are most feeling like the officials are giving them all that they can?

LAVANDERA: You know, we did hear that in the first couple of days that that was going on. And that has seemed to be tempered. Bob Murray has spoken about extra efforts that had been taken to accommodate the families. In particular, for example, like this gentleman, Thomas Hernandez, you just heard from, he doesn't speak English at all. So anything -- in fact they asked him a couple of questions in English and it just didn't register, he wasn't getting it. So you might imagine what a meeting like that only in English would have been for him.

But we're told the translators have been in there. There's one family member, a brother of Manuel Sanchez, who is a miner, he's one of the two family members that have been taken up to the mountaintop over last couple of days and has actually been an integral part of these briefings explaining to family members what is going on. He's been doing that in Spanish and these briefings are also written out in Spanish for them as well. So, those criticisms have been tempered here in the last couple of days.

WHITFIELD: OK, good. We know overall though this has been painstaking for those loved ones.

Ed Lavandera, thank you.

Now, this happens to be a historic day. In the west African nation of Sierra Leone, millions are voting in presidential and parliamentary elections. The first since U.N. peacekeepers left, after a brutal civil war.

CNN's Betty Nguyen joins us live from the capital of Freetown -- Betty?

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Fred.

We are about 30 minutes away from these polls closing behind me. And as you can see, the lines are all gone, but that is not an indication of low voter turnout. In fact, people came out very early this morning, by the hundreds, just to get in line. They were here some three hours before the gates even opened just to make sure that their vote counted and many of them included people who had lost their limbs in this country's bloody civil war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN (voice-over): Sahr Tarawallie is preparing for a short trip down the road, but he says it's one of the most important journeys he's ever taken. And getting there is no easy task. He lost his leg during Sierra Leone's civil war. He says rebels stormed into the diamond mine where he was working and fired a rocket-propelled grenade.

SAHR TARAWALLIE, VOTER: It was burned off by fragments of the RPG.

NGUYEN: Tarawallie didn't think he'd survive, let alone see the day when he would vote in his country's second presidential election since emerging from war. He wants to see the winner bring about change.

TARAWALLIE: What this country needs, what? Good medical facilities, good road infrastructure, good education.

NGUYEN: So with the help of his wife, Tarawallie is doing his part to make that happen. And he is certainly not alone. People started filing in overnight, so many that when the gates opened, it was a mad dash.

(on camera): The lines are long, but it often doesn't compare to the confusion. Many don't know which of these polling stations to go to. And after standing in line for hours, sometimes in the rain, you can understand the frustration.

NGUYEN (voice-over): Some 2.6 million people have registered to vote. That's 90 percent of the eligible population, according to Victor Angelo (ph) with the United Nations.

VICTOR ANGELO, UNITED NATIONS: The Sierra Leonians want their voice to be heard, want to make sure that their choice of the future is very clear.

NGUYEN: That's because there's a lot of working to be done. Sierra Leone remains the second poorest country in the world with unemployment at a staggering 70 percent. And most people are still without electricity and clean water.

In fact, Tarawallie was being treated for cholera when he checked himself out of the hospital just so he could vote. And because he's an amputee, he avoids waiting hours in line, but still, it is not easy.

Now having made the journey, Tarawallie knows exactly who he wants to win. His vote is quickly cast and his finger placed in ink, so the stains of democracy are there for all to see. And as he slowly heads home, the excitement hasn't diminished.

TARAWALLIE: Oh, I'm happy.

NGUYEN: The question now is whether that enthusiasm will fade once the votes are counted. (END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And there is a lot to be decided. There are seven candidates running for president, 566 people vying for 112 seats in the parliament. So, change is on the way, and the people here have really done a very good job with this election.

At this point, Fred, there's about -- what, 30 minutes left and there have been no reports of violence.

WHITFIELD: Oh well, that's the good news. But Betty, I wonder what about trust? How much do people trust that the counting will be fair, because they've had a very recent history of not wanting to trust government, trust authority.

NGUYEN: This is true, and we did have those U.N. peacekeepers in monitoring the last election in 2002. They are not here this year helping with the election, only observing. And I will tell you, when it comes to trust, so far on the streets of Sierra Leone, people have said they do believe in this process. They do believe it will be fair.

We were in the polling stations earlier today, everything seemed to be on par. The votes were sealed once they were cast. They were sealed in a box and they weren't coming out of it. In fact, they won't be open until these polls close behind me in about 23 minutes from now -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Betty Nguyen, thank you so much for giving us a bird's-eye view of what is going on in Sierra Leone on this historic today.

We're keeping an eye on developments out of Utah as well, and the mine rescue efforts. We're still awaiting the start of a press conference to give us the very latest on their efforts to lower a camera into the cavity they believe the six trapped miners are. When this press conference begins, we'll take you there live.

Much more ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This hour, we've been waiting for the beginning of a news conference out of the Huntington, Utah to update us on the ongoing search for the six trapped miners.

Kara Finnstrom is there to explain what is going on.

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, we just heard from a mine spokesperson that that news conference has been postponed indefinitely because there is a lot of activity, as he put it, going on up at the site of the mine. What exactly that mine activity is we don't know.

We've been waiting all morning long to hear whether a camera has been lowered through a second drill hole that was punched into this cavern where they had believed these miners are trapped. That was punched through early this morning and they've been working to get a -- kind of a like a slip in place and then to feed this camera down through and hopefully get a look at these miners.

But, Fredricka, what we know is this camera can rotate 360 degrees, it can see about 100 feet in each direction and it's supposedly a very high-tech camera that was brought in from Mississippi. So, it may have some ability to see through darkness.

But we've also learned that this cavern is about a 1,000 x 80 feet. So, it's huge, it's extremely dark down there. It's not clear what exactly they'll be able to see from these pictures, but that is what they have been working on all morning long.

We also did see a helicopter go overhead. We believe Bob Murray, the head of the company, may be on board that helicopter. So we suspect that this is all tied to getting that camera in place. And as soon as we learn anything more, we'll be bringing that to you live.

WHITFIELD: All right. So Kara, just for clarification, we don't know whether that camera has indeed been lowered or not?

FINNSTROM: We don't know. We asked that question here and we were simply told, a lot of activity. Now, the other thing they're going to try to get, once they do get this slip into place, is a clean oxygen sample. That was another bit of disheartening news for these families overnight.

Initially, they thought that the oxygen sample they got from that first smaller hole punch also in this active mine area, but in a different part, and again, this is a huge area, suggested that the oxygen levels now are only about 7 to 7.5 percent in that area. And that's not enough to sustain life.

That same sample also suggested that there was no carbon dioxide and that's something that we exhale when we breathe. So, they'll also be really waiting to see what the samples are from the air. In this area which they believe is a more direct hit, they believe the miners may be closer to this hole punch.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kara Finnstrom, thanks so much for that update out of Huntington, Utah.

So meantime, as we wait for word on what kind of successes they may be getting from those holes that they have drilled into those caverns where they believe those six miners are, we decide to bring in Josh Levs to give us an idea of just the circumference we're talking about ...

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.

WHITFIELD: ...when we see these two holes, and we hear about the explanation of them drilling these two holes. It is kind of hard to envision, so ...

LEVS: It is. I mean, you know what ... WHITFIELD: ...you're going to help break (ph) this up for us.

LEVS: ...they've got -- yes, they've got so much complicated equipment. But sometimes, the easiest way to explain something is with a circle. So, that's what I'm going to do. Take a look.

This is what we've been talking to you about all week. You heard us report this week that a hole had been drilled into the mine and a microphone was put down into the area where they hoped these miners were. This was the size of it, this is the diameter. All right, you get a sense.

Now, here's what was just completed today. You're going to see the difference, and this is important. This is the size of what was completed today. This is the size of the hole.

Now you might wonder, why not have just stuck a small camera down the previous hole? A simple reason for that. The kind of camera that they need in order to be able to see at least 100 feet in mine darkness is bigger, so they needed that.

Also, through this larger hole, they're going to be able to put down food and water, depending on what they find, and pump oxygen at a faster rate. And that's a key concern right now as we were just hearing from our reporters on the scene, getting oxygen to these miners, depending on what condition is found down there, very, very important.

So Fred, you know, we have that. Those are really significant things. And we also have something on CNN.com that I want to show you all right now. It's this map that allows you to see exactly how this mine works. You're going to see, if you go to CNN.com, go to the Main Story, you can click on this interactive feature. It will show you where they are believed to be, where the drilling holes are, and what the shape is of the entire mine. It's a very helpful, almost 3-D view, of what this mine is like and exactly what's going on.

And also one more thing, really important, let's not forget, it's about six individual men who are down there. So, on dot com, we've got some background about them. I think we can show you who they are, their ages, names, where they come from.

And today, as part of this, we received a statement from two families, of Carlos Payan and Alonso Hernandez, they said, "To all people across America, we wish to thank you for your concern and prayers as the drilling of the larger hole is near completion. We are hopefully near to learning the fate of our loved ones. Please pray that we get the news we hope for. We ask all of you not to lose your faith and your hope, as we are trying to remain strong in our faith and our hope."

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LEVS: You know, it's heart wrenching. I heard the uncle of one of the men ...

WHITFIELD: Oh sure.

LEVS: ... he spoke in Spanish just now, he's saying, he can barely hold on to any hope anymore, but they still have some, as everyone does. This is still a rescue mission.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and underscored by the assistant secretary of the Mine Safety and Health Administration who's saying, you know, these may not be hopeful circumstances, but we are holding out hope. I mean, these are fathers, sons, husbands, and brothers and uncles.

LEVS: And you know, it boils down to the elements of life. Do they have enough oxygen in there, are they getting dehydrated. What do they have, the elements of life, to survive until people can actually drill in to them. And that's what this hole will do. The camera, but also, if they're found OK, getting them water and food and air.

WHITFIELD: Right, well we hope to get updated a little bit later on today. We did just hear from Kara that the press conference that was scheduled to take place any moment now has been indefinitely postponed. So, they are continuing to gather all the facts that they can before disseminating all of that.

That was the location right there where the press conference was expected to happen any minute now, but now we're finding out it is indefinitely put on hold. So, when they are able to assemble all of their thoughts and facts on that, we'll be able to pass that along to you as soon as we can.

Josh Levs, thanks so much.

LEVS: Thank you, Fred, thanks.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, let's talk a little politics, presidential politics coming up. President Bush and France's new president getting to know each other pretty well. Right now, Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is there as well. And what I love about this story is how this invitation even came to be, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well actually, that happened during the G-8. You recall just a few weeks back, the invitation was extended by Mrs. Bush, the timing and geography were just right. President Sarkozy is vacationing nearby in New Hampshire. The president and the first lady are here to attend the wedding of a family friend. So, the timing worked out.

The French flag now, we should mention is flying over Walkers Point, that is of course the home, the summer home, of the president's parents, George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush, along with the American flag, of course. And a short time ago, President Bush greeted the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. This is not the first time that the two leaders have met. But this was originally described as sort of a casual working lunch over hamburgers and hot dogs. Also, members of the extended Bush family attending this as well.

But President Bush, just a short time ago, said that he plans to have a heart-to-heart talk with Nicolas Sarkozy, 45 minutes, he says, is what they've got slated for that to talk about what he said are some key issues, including Iran. At the same time, President Bush made clear that he would like to move beyond tensions between the U.S. and France over Iraq.

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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have had disagreements on Iraq in particular. But I've never allowed disagreements to not find other ways to work together.

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QUIJANO: Now, Mrs. Sarkozy and the children apparently not attending today. We found out from the president of France that his wife and the children have sore throats apparently. So they are not attending but the meeting continuing to take place, as we speak. Again, described as a casual picnic but certainly, key global issues being discussed as well -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, well, casual, indeed. They look like -- there are a lot of smiles there. Folks are really loving each other.

QUIJANO: That's right.

WHITFIELD: It's a love fest in Kennebunkport. All right, thanks a lot, Elaine.

And we continue to monitor the developments out of Utah, even though you're looking at live pictures right now of a position in place for a press conference. While we had expected that to take place at this hour, we are now being told by officials on the ground telling our reporters there that this press conference has been postponed indefinitely.

We still are awaiting final word on whether a camera has indeed been lowered into the cavity where it's believed the six trapped miners are. This camera would be able to see about 100 feet distance there in the cavity. And if they are able to locate these men, this same hole that they'd be lowering the camera would also be able to accommodate food and water.

We're continuing to watch the developments there and talk to our sources there on the ground in Utah so that we can bring you the very latest.

Much more in the NEWSROOM right after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LAURA BEGLEY, TRAVEL + LEISURE: Are you tired of waiting in long lines at the airport? Here are some tips to get you to the gate faster.

One important tip to keep in mind is that the smaller the airport, the shorter the lines. So if you're choosing between several airports in your home city, go for the smaller one. Or if you're looking at a city to connect through, choose the smaller airport because it'll be easier to get through.

It's a good idea to travel during off-peak time. According to the TSA, the peak times are 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The TSA has a useful function on its Web site that will allow you to see average wait times at airport security gates across the United States.

Know the regulations about liquids, take your laptop out of your bag, take your shoes off in advance. If you can, print out your boarding pass at home. It's one less line to wait in at the airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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(WEATHER REPORT)

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WHITFIELD: Well, welcome back to the NEWSROOM. We're still awaiting word as to whether that camera has indeed been lowered into a cavern where those six missing miners are believed to be. Earlier, the mine owner and operator Bob Murray discussed the process a bit earlier here in the NEWSROOM.

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ROBERT MURRAY, PRES./CEO, MURRAY ENERGY: I have 134 men on site, have had all week. I've had tens of thousands of tons of machinery moved in. We've given them everything we can. The problem is, sir, from the disturbance from the quake and the seismic activity and then the activity that has been ongoing, it's been very slow progress because we have to shore up the mine entries so that the rescue workers are well protected. And that is a very slow effort. It's going according to plan, there's been no mistakes in the rescue at all, but it's just too slow to suit me.

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WHITFIELD: Well, that was Bob Murray, who is the owner and operator of the mine where this tragedy has taken place. And you can follow the latest developments here in the NEWSROOM and on our Web site, click on to CNN.com for more. And we'll be right back with an update from Utah.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Throughout the day, we're going to continue to update you on the developments out of Utah and the search for the six trapped miners. if there is any breaking news, we will break into our scheduled programming.

Meantime, here's a preview now of "YOUR MONEY."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI VELSHI, CNN HOST: Thanks.

Coming up on YOUR MONEY, how the mortgage meltdown could cost you your home, even if your credit is good. Plus, why you can't base the price at the pump on the price of oil. And see how you could wind up paying to update the roads, bridges and tunnels in your hometown.

All that and more after a quick check of the headlines.

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WHITFIELD: Hello again, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

No letup in the frantic search and rescue efforts at a Utah coal mine. A second wider drill has broken through to the chamber where six miners are believed to have been trapped since a cave-in on Monday.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com