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Updated on Miner Rescue Efforts Expected; Chinese Toy Manufacturer Kills Self after Toy Recall; Rutgers University Student Suing Don Imus
Aired August 15, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Millions of recalled toys raising thousands of concerns. This hour, a rare look inside the Chinese toy factory.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Today, keeping dangerous toys out of your child's hand.
Hello, I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: First up now, some contact, some sign of life for nine plus days. Rescuers at the collapsed Utah mine have been desperately hoping for it. Today, they may finally get some answers. And we're waiting an update from mining officials on the latest effort to reach six trapped miners.
That's a live picture there of that press conference we're waiting for. But for the very latest now, let's head out there to John Zarrella. He's in Emery County, Utah.
Hi, John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don.
That's right, expected to begin any moment now, the news briefing by Bob Murray, the CEO of the mining company, on the update of the dig in that third hole.
Now last night, they were about 800 feet down. That's more than 12 hours ago. That's more than halfway to the 1,400 feet there that they have to go. So it's very likely that we'll have some news at this briefing that they are very close to penetrating into the cavity where they believe the miners are.
And of course, as we know, they're drilling this third hole in a far end of that cavity, in hopes that the miners may have tried to retreat to that part of the cavity for safe haven.
Now, yesterday, they released some aerial shots, video from the top of the mountain that shows the drill rig and exactly where that drill rig is up on the -- on the mountain. The precarious nature of this operation and how difficult it's -- it has been to get the drill rigs into position to start these drillings down into that cavity.
And they also released a video yesterday, Bob Murray taking everyone, basically, on a show-and-tell inside of the mountain, and that is where the other effort. A hundred and thirty-four miners are working around the clock in the tunnel, trying to dig these miners out.
And Bob Murray showing all of the detail, all of the precautions that have been taken, shoring up the sides of that tunnel, shoring up the roof of that tunnel to make sure that their -- the rescue workers are protected and that there is no risk to them as they continue this dig.
They are about 700 feet in, and they need to go about another 1,200 feet. Now Murray also stressed that they're really picking up progress now, picking up speed, and they believe that it should start to thin out as they get closer to their destination, Don.
LEMON: All right. CNN's John Zarrella on top of it for us there in Emery County, Utah. Thank you, John.
And you're seeing a live picture right now -- there it is -- from near the Crandall Canyon mine. We're awaiting an update from mining officials. It should happen at any moment now, and CNN will, of course, bring it to you live when it happens -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Damage control is now the name of the game at Mattel, both on Wall Street and Main Street USA. After two worldwide recalls in two weeks, the toy giant has taken out full page ads in the "New York Times" and "Wall Street Journal", and its CEO has taped an online message to parents.
Both recalls targeted toys made in China and centered on lead paint and magnet risks. Mattel says that it's stepped up monitoring of its Chinese manufacturers, but company chief Robert Eckert acknowledges, quote, "We could have additional -- we could have additional issues."
Now to find out which toys have been recalled, you can log on to CNN.com. We've got pictures, lists, links, and an in-depth feature on the made in China issue.
Now the toy recalls have hit hard in China financially, but personally, too. One owner of a factory all but shut down by the government just couldn't deal with the scandal.
More now from CNN's John Vause.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one is working at the Shuhong toy factory any more. These employees are awaiting the details about a memorial service to their old boss, Zhang Shuhong. Authorities say he killed himself over the weekend.
"After I heard the news, I cried. Everyone cried. It was a shock. I couldn't eat," this man told me.
"He made sure we were all paid before he died," says another.
But many of the toys made here for the U.S. giant Mattel were coated in lead paint, and earlier this month, more than a million were recalled.
Police say Zhang's body was found hanging in his warehouse a day after the Chinese government suspended his company's export license.
But the real culprit in all of this, according to these employees, is not Zhang, but his best friend, a man named Yiang (ph) who supplied the lead paint for the toys. His factory is part of the same complex.
"After the media coverage, he just disappeared with his family," this woman says.
"He's destroyed the future for thousands of families," says this man.
Analysts say it's not unusual for subcontractors to secretly take short cuts, even if they are your best friend.
JIANG WENRAN, ANALYST: They're not aware of the very highly cautious nature of the western consumers.
VAUSE: Workers here have now started a collection for their boss's family. While security guards and heavy gates now keep out those who are not welcome. This is the scene of another product scare China could well do without.
(on camera) Zhang's suicide, it seems, has taken many here by surprise. According to state media, he happily chatted with employees last weekend before taking his own life. And in so doing, he's perhaps shown the high stakes for businessmen here who have been taken by scandal and are facing economic ruin and the possibility of being severely punished by the Chinese government.
John Vause, CNN, Foshan, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All these toy recalls and food scares are hammering home just how much of our stuff comes from China. Well, one family took on the daunting task of avoiding Chinese goods for a whole year. We're going to talk with the family about it, live at 3:30 Eastern.
LEMON: More possible danger from a product made in China to tell you about now. "The New York Times" reports certain Chinese-made vinyl baby bibs sold by Toys-R-Us contain lead, with tests showing up to three times the amount allowed in paint.
Toys-R-Us says its own tests showed the bibs were within guidelines and they were safe. Well, so far, no recall. PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, keeping a watch on a pair of tropical storms. Dean is spinning in the Caribbean and could become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season by the end of the week.
Tropical Storm Erin is churning in the Gulf of Mexico and bearing down on Texas. Rescue teams already have been ordered to Corpus Christi ahead of what's expected to be a monster rainmaker.
And what, you ask, happened to Hurricane Flossie? Well, in short, pretty -- it fizzled out after sideswiping Hawaii's big island, but not before bringing 25-foot waves to Pohoiki. And that's just a good bit of rain, as well.
It's still pretty windy and wet, so public schools are closed for a second day.
LEMON: Well, you better believe all of these storms are keeping our Chad Myers just a tad bit busy today, Chad. Up -- coming up for air so far?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Coming up for air, yes. Pretty soon going for lunch.
And good morning, good afternoon, depending where are you in the time zone period here.
From Corpus Christi to Houston, we are seeing that rainfall. Now, there's good news and bad news with this storm. This is Erin. The good news is, it's really close to land. And you think, how -- why would that be good news? Well, because it's not going to have a lot of time to get any stronger.
Yes it will make rain, yes it will make winds, probably 30, 40, maybe 50 miles per hour, but it's not going to be a hurricane, at least not going to be a big hurricane if it hits land. And we do expect it to hit land. All of the computer miles are taking it very close to Corpus Christi, just south of Port Arkansas. Right now, it is about a 40 mile per hour storm.
It does still need to be -- in tropical depression drive, it is now Erin. So this isn't updated yet. But Erin now, it is a 40-mile- per-hour storm. So obviously now, this storm is a tropical storm moving toward land, moving into Texas later on this afternoon.
This down here, this is Dean. Dean was pretty disorganized yesterday, but right now it looks a lot better. Notice this spin to this part of it right there. Also, notice a little bit of northerly movement to that little spin that is not shown on this current track.
But this current track has it south of Jamaica as a Category 3 hurricane by 8 a.m. Monday morning. Right now, a windy storm, about 60 miles per hour and getting gustier. They haven't been in that storm yet.
And then Flossie, what happened to this thing? Boy, it got into some dry air around the big island and fell apart. The biggest gusts we could find, around South Point. It was 48 miles per hour.
Really needed the rain here in Hawaii. It's been a big drought year in Hawaii. Didn't see much rain, about two inches, though, in Hilo. That's two inches more than they would have received, I guess, if they didn't get Flossie.
But no reported damage at all from the storm. Just not enough wind to cause that. That's good news -- Don.
LEMON: Chad Myers, you're so good at juggling. You've got all those balls in the air.
MYERS: I've got three of them up there.
LEMON: Thank you so much.
PHILLIPS: Talking about having things up in the air, how about two miles -- 200 miles straight up in the air? Live pictures right now as two space walkers from the Shuttle Endeavour are outside the International Space Station. They're working on an array of solar panels.
It's a scheduled space walk, and NASA officials haven't yet announced if another will be needed to repair that gouge that Miles O'Brien was telling us all about in the shuttle's belly.
Pretty cool pics.
LEMON: Six miners, nine days underground. What's the best possible medical outcome for this worst case scenario? We'll discuss that as we await that briefing. You're looking at live pictures now. It will happen from mining officials in just a bit.
PHILLIPS: And what lies ahead for a former NBA referee after he pleads guilty to gambling on games he called?
LEMON: Plus, hound dogs and Elvis fans go out in the Memphis midday sun. Don't sweat on my blue suede shoes. They'll stain, right? Sweaty blue suede shoes, we don't want that. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in Elvis news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Live pictures now out of Huntington, Utah. Waiting for the latest news conference today as rescue crews are hoping the third hole will break through the Crandall Canyon mine, trying to reveal some evidence of those six men that have been trapped for more than nine days. As soon as they step up to the mic, we'll take it live.
LEMON: And we told you about those deadly bombings. There's been an update in Iraq now. It has gone 50, up at least 50. Two hundred people now believed dead from those bombings in Iraq, 250 people. At first they thought it was 200, now we believe it's 250 people. Over 300 injured in those attacks.
We'll continue to update you on this deadly situation in Baghdad throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We're following other stories for you. It is 13 past the hour here in the east. Here's what we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Former referee Tim Donaghy pleads guilty to two felonies in a betting scandal that's shaken up pro basketball. This hour, two of his alleged coconspirators are being arraigned in a New York court.
Errant ground strikes happening right now in the eastern Afghan region of Tora Bora. U.S. and Afghan fighters are on a major offensive against al Qaeda and Taliban militants.
And back in the U.S., an illegal immigrant mother plans to leave the Chicago church she's called home for a year. Elvira Arellano sought sanctuary there to avoid deportation and separation from her American-born son.
Now she plans to head to Washington next month to push for immigration reform, even though she's risking arrest.
PHILLIPS: The third hole rescue workers are drilling to try to find six trapped coal miners in Utah could be done some time today. We're waiting to hear from officials in a news conference right there at the scene.
Now, amid the frustration over slow progress, there is more new video, this time of the painstaking tunneling operation within the mine.
CNN's Brian Todd reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rescue miners dig furiously as their boss narrates.
BOB MURRAY, CEO, MURRAY ENERGY: You see the jack moving up now against the roof. Now once they get the jack against the roof, they seal it.
TODD: In a video his crew shot from the mine, Robert Murray shows how slow and dangerous this work is.
MURRAY: You are here right now, right at the furthest point that we have driven towards the trapped miners, a distance of about 700 feet from where we started.
TODD: Seven hundred feet in, just over a third of the distance to the area underground where the six missing miners were believed to be when the cave-in struck nearly nine days ago.
Since then, there have been no signs of life. But all hope is not lost. Other miners have survived longer underground, according to the U.S. Mine Rescue Association. Spring 2006, two miners last two weeks in an Australian mine before being rescued. November 2005, a Chinese miner is rescued after 11 days. He tells journalists he drank his own urine.
LEE MCELPRANG, FORMER MINER: Nobody knows what these guys went through.
TODD: Lee McElprang mined these hills for 34 years but not at Crandall Canyon. He says he crawled out after one collapse that killed one of his buddies and injured two others.
MCELPRANG: You've got to wait until the dust settles.
You can get on your knees and run out of air. You can stand up and be in air.
TODD: When you get to the highest point you can, he says, breathe what air you can. Ration out your food. And as for the water in the mine...
MCELPRANG: Yes, that water -- that water is potable. They tell me you can go ten days without eating as long as you got water to drink.
TODD (on camera): McElprang says the trapped miners should also try to find what they call bleeder tunnels that are designed to let dangerous gases escape.
This is all in the event that the miners are not injured or in shellshock. Lee McElprang says there is no way to describe to outsiders just how fast these mines can cave in and how devastating that first concussion can be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And we're still waiting for that news conference to begin. When they step up to the mics, we'll get a live update on that rescue effort for those six trapped miners.
LEMON: How hot is it? Well, check out this video. Fire on the playground. You won't believe how this one got started. You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Just incredible pictures coming from outer space. As a matter of fact, these are live. It's 200 miles straight up in the air.
Two space walkers from the Shuttle Endeavour, they're outside the International Space Station this hour, and they're working on the array of solar panels.
It's a scheduled space walk, and NASA officials haven't yet announced if another will be need to repair a gouge in the shuttle's belly. Remember, we've been telling you about that? As a matter of fact, our Miles O'Brien has been telling us all about that. He's on top of it. He's going to join us in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM to give us details on that.
PHILLIPS: On Wall Street, things are relatively flat today. But there's been no question as to the direction over the past several month. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with more on the market slide.
Hey, Susan.
(STOCK REPORT)
PHILLIPS: All right. See you again in a little bit. Thanks, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You got it.
LEMON: Parents nationwide are taking a closer look at their kids' toys after Mattel's second major recall this month. And they're not the only ones.
CNN's Kiran Chetry explains that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Made in Switzerland. Denmark, Germany.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: That's one toy you don't have to worry about.
(voice-over) But there are plenty of other concerns up and down every toy store aisle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I've got to worry about what can they choke on, what could they get lead paint. What could they -- what are you going to buy today that could be recalled tomorrow?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Batman is also on. The Disney cars. Polly Pockets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-oh! Uh-oh!
CHETRY (on camera): The ripple effect of this latest recall of millions of toys can be felt at toy stores across the country, like this one here in Manhattan. The store owners and employees must go shelf by shelf, checking out the thousands of toys, making sure that they're safe for their customers.
DONNA SCHOFIELD, TOY STORE OWNER: I have kids of my own. I have a three-year-old daughter. I have a 12-year-old son, and my daughter plays with Dora. And I don't want to be giving her this product, too. So I don't want to sell it to my customers, because I don't sell anything to my customers that I wouldn't give to my own child.
CHETRY (voice-over): But toy store owner Donna Schofield says that's difficult, because she hasn't even been told by Mattel which products are being recalled.
(on camera) When you look at the shelves, you see Polly Pocket here, Polly Pocket here, even the Doggie Daycare, that one. But you still don't know if you have to clear the shelves of these. Right? You're still waiting. What is -- what is the wait?
SCHOFIELD: We're waiting for them to fax us the sheets with the UPC codes so we can check. Because some of these items are not stuff that came in this month or last month. It could have been stuff that came in last year and it's not on that recall stuff.
So we're waiting to see what -- what items they're listing. You'd think they would send us information before they announce to the world that these toys are no good.
CHETRY (voice-over): She says it's hard to advise her customers. Bottom line, there are no guarantees. Today's toy may be tomorrow's recall.
SCHOFIELD: So it's really hard to say, yes, this is a good item, buy it.
Kiran Chetry, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: If you want to know which toys to remove from your child's play room or if you need some suggestions on how to get those favorite play things out of your kids' grasp, well, just log on to CNN.com. We've got interactive help to make this recall easier for you.
PHILLIPS: The heat is on in Memphis, and it's not just burning love for the king. Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, 30 years after his death, Elvis fans are still feeling faint. We're live from Graceland, straight ahead.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
The heat wave in the southeast is taking its toll. Where is it worse and when will it end? Our Chad Myers, of course, he is all over it, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: And we're waiting for that news conference still out of Utah on the rescue effort for those six trapped miners. We are expected -- the head of the mine to step up to the mics, and also the health and safety exec, to brief us on where they are as they start to drill that third hole, looking for any sign of life. We'll bring you more as soon as we get it. LEMON: Another big story we're following here, of course, the weather sizzling still across the south. Temperatures are expected to easily top 100 degrees again today.
And the longer this heat lasts, the more deadly it becomes. We've already seen five deaths in Memphis, Tennessee, alone. The latest victim, an elderly man found inside this home with no air conditioning.
Eleven more heat-related deaths have been confirmed or are suspected in seven other states.
Animals, well, they're suffering too, especially dogs left outdoors. Veterinarians say if you can't bring your pet inside, make sure it has some shade and plenty, plenty of water. Remember, they have fur. Get a little hotter than we do.
Chad Myers, any relief in sight from this excessive heat? No?
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, first he was held 3 1/2 years as an enemy combatant, next, a three-month trial. Now the fate of alleged terrorist Jose Padilla is in the hands of a Miami jury. Padilla, and American citizen, was arrested five years ago, accused of being involved in an al Qaeda plot to explode a radioactive dirty bomb in a U.S. city.
The dirty bomb allegations vanished and in part, because Padilla was never given a lawyer or read his Miranda rights, now Padilla and his two co-defendants face life in prison if convicted on those charges of supporting al Qaeda.
Well, more now on Jose Padilla's case from our Susan Candiotti in Miami.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Building the case against Brooklyn-born Jose Padilla took five long years. At first, the Bush administration called him a dirty bomber who wanted to set off radioactive bombs against fellow Americans.
In 2002, he was declared a military enemy combatant and held for 3 1/2 years in a Navy brig. During that time, Padilla claims he was tortured and drugged, under intense interrogations. The government denies it. Then Padilla was flown by the military to Miami, where the case against him began in a civilian court.
The Justice Department never charged him with being a dirty bomber. Instead, they added Padilla to another ongoing case, accusing him and two others with conspiring to commit murder overseas and providing material support to Islamic extremist groups. Padilla has pleaded not guilty. The strongest evidence against Padilla might be his fingerprints on a Bujahedeen (ph) form obtained by the CIA. The defense claims the prints are only on the first and last page and argue Padilla did not fill out the form.
KENDALL COFFEY, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Not a huge amount of sizzling direct stuff against Jose Padilla, but plenty of alleged co- conspirators, hearsay testimony that, in many instances, are enough to secure a conviction.
CANDIOTTI: Over defense objections, jurors were allowed to hear a rare exclusive CNN interview with Osama bin Laden, shot before September 11th.
OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): We declared a jihad, a holy war against the United States government, because it is unjust, criminal and tyrannical.
CANDIOTTI: Frank Rubino is a criminal defense attorney.
FRANK RUBINO, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Figurally (ph), it's not evidence against the defendant, but, wow, it's just an absolutely wonderful way to smear him and convict him for something he can't defend himself about. They walk into that courtroom clothed with a presumption of guilt. That's not the law, but that's the real world.
CANDIOTTI: Prosecutors label Padilla as the star recruit of a U.S. terror cell. The government played what it claims are coded telephone conversations between Padilla and one of his co-defendants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a rumor here that the -- the door was open somewhere ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wrote a letter telling her to tell my mom to send me an army jacket, a book bag and a sleeping bag.
CANDIOTTI: In closing arguments, Padilla's lawyers argued he never spoke in code. His voice is heard on only seven of 300,000 taped conversations. Padilla's defense team did not call any witnesses. They claim Padilla went overseas to study Islam, not to murder.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Nine days and counting. What are the chances six missing miners could still be alive? We'll take a look at the medical odds of survival. We'll bring you the latest news conference from Utah as soon as it begins. It's suspected to begin at the top of the hour.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: A member of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, suing Don Imus for slander. What she wants to do with the money if she wins her case. Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Waiting still for that news conference to happen out of Utah, the rescue effort going on for those six trapped miners. We don't even know if they survived that collapse that has trapped them more than nine days now. But we do know this, that with every hour that passes, the odds seem grow even worse for those six Utah coal miners.
We want to bring in our Medical Correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen. She's been talking about all the experts. Nine days, not quite sure the conditions, it's really hard to tell.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely, there are so many question marks because there are so many variables that contribute to whether or not these miners can survive in the conditions that they're in.
I spoke to the experts about some of these variables, and here's what they had to say. They said, first of all, you want to know about oxygen. That's obviously crucial. But they said you don't need quite as much oxygen as you think people might need. They said even a small vent that's giving them a relatively small amount of oxygen can go a very long way.
Second, water, very important, but the experts we talked to said, you know, you can go for a week with minimal water, and they didn't want to use the word easy, but they say it certainly has happened. When you start getting into day nine, day ten, day 11, of course, with each passing day, it gets harder.
But we were speaking with a doctor named Christopher Van Tillberg (ph) who's helped rescue many people off of mountains, and he says he's seen people go 13 days without water or with minimal water, so it's certainly possible.
Now, the next one is also extremely important, a good mental state. If these -- if these miners lose their will to survive and if they lose their ability to think through: what's the next step, what do we need to do, that is huge. They need to keep up a good mental state. For example, the experts we talked to said that they found that people who have spouses and children, they survive longer because they're thinking, I need to keep my wits together to stay alive for my family.
And then, the fourth aspect is food. And you'll notice that we left that last, and the reason is it's actually less important than the three factors above it. The doctors we talked to said you can actually go for three weeks without food. It sounds impossible, but they said you actually can do it. But that your -- actually, your mental state is what in many ways, much more important than whether or not you have food.
PHILLIPS: We were talking about that -- a lot about that this morning, and the fact too, they could be in pitch black conditions, so that's got to play a part on the mind and the survivability factor as well, right?
COHEN: Yes, I talked to the experts about that, and they said that whether -- the kind of conditions you're in make a big difference and they said in the dark, you can't do things like -- you may walk and fall off a cliff if you don't know where you're going, and these mines, there may be fall-offs, or for example, in these situations, you need to designate one area as sort of the latrine area and if you are in complete darkness, that gets very difficult.
So, light is very important, and as Kyra was just alluding to, psychologically, it's very important. It's hard to keep your spirits up for this period of time. The experts we talked to, said, you know, you can keep your spirits up four days, five days, six days, after that kind of five-day mark, it gets very tough and if you're surrounded in darkness, it's even tougher.
PHILLIPS: Right. Well, we're going to be hoping to hear about the rescue effort going on, at the top of the hour is what I'm being told. So we'll check in with you follow that.
Elizabeth, thanks a lot.
COHEN: Thanks.
PHILLIPS: And if you're looking for a way to make a difference for the miner's families, you can. Impact your world by logging on to CNN.com/impact to learn how you can become part of the solution. We posted information about the Crandall Canyon Family Support Fund. Impacting Your World, now just a click away at CNN.com/impact.
LEMON: Well, you won't believe what school officials are worried about in this heat. Look at that, spontaneous combustion. This playground in Arlington, Texas went up in flames last week. No one was in sight. The superintendent says the intense heat sparked a fire in the wood chip fiber, the wood fiber chips around the slide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEP. FIRE MARSHAL KEITH EBEL, ARLINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: It's an organic material that basically decomposes. As a product decomposes -- or organic material decomposes, it causes a reaction which gives off heat. What I have here in front of me are some of the wood chips that are taken from the playground. It's natural wood, it's organic, it's no different from the grass you use, grass clippings, and when they are compact over a period of time and they get wet, it don't have the chance to dry, they build up heat internally as they decompose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, playgrounds at 20 schools in the Arlington area have been closed. That was just amazing video. School officials intend to replace the wood chips with pea gravel.
The heat is on in Memphis, and it's not just burning love for the king. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, put your blue suede shoes on, Kyra Phillips. Thirty years after his death, Elvis fans are still feeling faint.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Well, on Wall Street, stocks are picking up steam. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with a check on what's going on.
Hello again, Susan.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
LEMON: All right, following a big weather story happening here as we mentioned. Memphis is right in the middle of this heat wave, and on one of the biggest days of the year there.
Well, Chad Myers is keeping it all. He's going to talk to someone who is from Graceland. Come on, Chad. You know, don't step on my blue suede shoes. Show me your Elvis move.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh no, no, no thanks.
LEMON: No? You're not going to do it?
MYERS: No. I don't sing in church and I don't dance anywhere.
LEMON: So, listen, you know what it is. I mean, it's a big day when it comes to Graceland. But it's hot out there, and so, people need to take precautions.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: What kind of shoes you wearing?
RON CHILDERS, METEOROLOGIST: You like that, baby? I've got the blue suede on. And you know what? Bring it on to Memphis, we'll get you dancing.
MYERS: All right, I'm coming. I want some blues, and I want some ribs, and we'll go to Graceland together, buddy.
CHILDERS: Look me up when you get here, my friend. Thank you, thank you very much.
MYERS: That's Ron Childers from our affiliate WMC, the meteorologist out there and trying to stay cool in a dark shirt. Try to wear a white shirt if you can.
LEMON: Did you get that, Chad? I don't think he did it right.
Thank you very much.
MYERS: Oh, yes, did I hear him.
LEMON: Let me hear it, let me hear you.
MYERS: No, come on, man. I don't -- the only person I impersonate is myself.
LEMON: I'm waiting. MYERS: Thank you very much.
LEMON: Ha, ha, ha! You did it! Thank you, Chad Myers. All right, thank you, sir.
And Larry King is headed to Memphis as well. Chad, did you know that?
MYERS: Yes, I did.
LEMON: Tonight, 30 years after Elvis's death, his ex-wife takes you inside Graceland. Join Larry and Priscilla Presley for an unforgettable hour tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
PHILLIPS: Well, the words of Don Imus coming back to haunt him months after he spoke them. On the same day the fired radio host reached a deal with former employer CBS, he was hit with a lawsuit. It was filed by Kia Vaughn, a center on the Rutgers University women's basketball team. You probably recall that Imus called them nappy- headed hos on his show back in April. Seeking unspecified damages, the suit calls his comments false, defamatory and slanderous and dismisses his apology to the team as self-serving. Now yesterday, CBS and Imus reached a settlement reported to be around $20 million.
Vaughn's attorney tells our Anderson Cooper money matters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD ANCOWITZ, KIA VAUGHN'S ATTORNEY: Very often in this business and in other businesses, you hear the phrase, it's not about the money. Well, in this case, it kind of is about the money. Kia would like to set up a scholarship fund that would share research and study of the issue of bad speech, of foul speech, of evil and malevolent speech in society, especially racist and mysoginistic and sexist speech. And that's what we intend to do.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Have you put a dollar sign on it? I mean, I didn't see it in the filing.
ANCOWITZ: No, there is no dollar sign in complaints in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How about $20 million?
COOPER: Well, does she also want something for herself, or would she be happy with something that sets up this scholarship that you talked about?
ANCOWITZ: It remains to be seen, but she wants to do the right thing very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Wow. Well tonight, Kia Vaughn herself appears on "AC 360," that's live at 10:00 Eastern.
LEMON: Seemed like a good idea at the time. Put on some duct tape, pull off a heist, maybe robbery charges won't stick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at me. Do I look like a duct tape bandit, baby?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: OK, is that for real?
LEMON: I think it is. Guess again, Sherlock. Caught in tape. It was gray tape this time, not red tape. Next -- that's a beautiful picture, isn't it -- in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, take a look at that. Most thieves have sticky fingers, not sticky faces. What was this guy thinking? But then, Kentucky's duct tape bandit is clearly not your average burglar.
Doug Corstangi (ph) of affiliate WSAZ reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOUG CORSTANGI, WSAZ REPORTER (voice-over): Despite what it looks like, this is not the victim in the robbery attempt at Shamrock Liquors, Kasey Kazee is the suspect. Police say Kazee did this to himself, wrapping his head in duct tape to conceal his face. Store manager Bill Steele didn't believe what he was seeing.
BILL STEELE, STORE MANAGER: I mean, he probably had every opportunity to put a brown paper bag over his head and poke holes in it or a plastic bag, you know, but duct tape? I mean, this -- it's -- it's just unbelievable! People don't think this really happened.
CORSTANGI: Fortunately, Steele had his own duct tape attached to a wooden club. That sent the suspect fleeing to the parking lot, where employee Craig Miller tackled Kazee.
CRAIG MILLER, STORE EMPLOYEE: I had him, basically like this, and just squeeze him where he couldn't go nowhere, cutting off his air.
CORSTANGI: We aren't done yet. The story gets even stranger. We interviewed Kazee in the jail, and he says police have the wrong man, despite the police pictures that might suggest otherwise.
(on camera): When they call you the duct tape bandit, that's not you?
KASEY KAZEE, SUSPECT: Look at me, do I look like the duct tape bandit, baby? I'm not no duct tape bandit, you hear me? Live 101, Ashton (ph), Kentucky, you know this is not me. Now, look, do the math, do the homework, man.
CORSTANGI (voice-over): Store employees say Kazee also had a T- shirt up around his face, making them think of Cornholio (ph) on "Beavis and Butthead." Throw in some duct tape, and it does sort if become a cartoon.
MILLER: Now, I just sit back and laugh about it. He was lucky because the cops said when they peeled it off, he was sweating so bad, it did not stick.
CORSTANGI: But police say they have enough to make the charges stick, and that's good enough for the employees who stopped a robbery in progress.
(on camera): You been drinking a lot?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Wait, I want to hear more about the drinking a lot. I want to hear a little more of his rap there.
All right, another kooky crook news story. A bit of an unusual disguise, a guy with a mop on his head. Tried to rob a gas station in southern Florida, then when the clerk refused and stepped around the counter to confront him, Mr. Mop-Top ran off empty-handed. I guess that's what you call a clean getaway.
LEMON: Do that look like the mop-top bandit to you?
PHILLIPS: Next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
Well, as your storm season kicks it up a notch as Tropical Storm Erin churns in the Gulf, and Tropical Storm Dean threatens to hit hurricane status.
LEMON: A whole lot happening weather wise in the Atlantic.
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