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Tunneling Operation Suspended Indefinitely in Utah; Michael Vick Case; Near Miss on Runway at LAX

Aired August 17, 2007 - 13:59   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips.

Dwindling hope turns to heartbreak in central Utah. The tunneling operation to reach six men trapped in a coal mine is suspended indefinitely. That's after an underground tunnel caved in on a rescue team.

Three men were killed. Six others were hurt. They were tunneling toward the site of another collapse, hoping to find some signs that the six fellow miners were still alive. So far, no sign of whether, indeed, they are still alive.

CNN's Brian Todd is in Huntington, Utah.

Brian, there has to be an incredible amount of disappointment.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There certainly is, Fredricka. The rescue officials are disappointed. They're trying to make a decision as to where to go from here. But in the meantime, they're offering some incredible new detail of this collapse, which the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, Richard Stickler, described as being like an explosion.

I'll set it up for you this way -- he says that they were just getting to what he calls the deepest part of the mine, the cover that was down about 2,000 feet from the surface of the mountain, what he called overburdened surface area, forcing weight down onto the coal seam, which was the tunnel, that main tunnel that they were digging through to try to get through to these miners. He said there was 2,000 feet of overburden, essentially ground between the tunnel and the surface of the earth, bearing weight down on them as they were digging that tunnel out last night.

He said that the vertical load from that created an incredible strain on the pillars. He said that when that energy is released, it's like an explosion. And here's what Mr. Stickler said happened next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD STICKLER, MSHA ASST. SECRETARY OF LABOR: Last night, the right rib exploded off of the coal pillar with tremendous force, removed -- it knocked out all the ground support we had in place, the water jacks that you've seen the pictures of, the chain-link fence, the wire ropes. Completely propelled all of that ground support over to the opposite rib. And unfortunately, we had nine men, miners, right in that area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Those water jacks and the ribbing that he's talking about, we showed that in video the other day, an elaborate set-up of support that clearly just did not hold up when the weight of this 2,000-foot force of this mountain just came down on that tunnel.

Where do they go from here? Well, Mr. Stickler said that they're assembling a team of what he calls ground control experts from various points in the country. They're going to try to explore any possible way that they can continue this underground digging operation.

He says, frankly, they don't have the answer to that question yet. But one possibility that he is offering, he says that if they can find the miners alive through the bore holes that they are continuing to dig from the top of the mountain, if they can find the miners alive, what they will do is to drill a bore hole large enough to fit a capsule down there to try to pull the miners out through one of those large capsules similar to what we saw in 2002 when the miners in the Quecreek Mine in Pennsylvania were rescued alive.

So, Fredricka, that's where it stands right now.

WHITFIELD: So, Brian, any indication if through the bore hole they're able to determine, ascertain, whether those six miners are in that location, how do they actually know that for certain? I mean, what would be the signs or clues that they look for in order to determine whether they are, indeed, in that place?

TODD: Well, they're going to bore down -- the fourth hole that they were drilling there is now about 600 feet down. I think it's got at least another 900 feet to go. So, they're going to keep boring down. And as they do it, the miners who are trapped underneath are trained to bang on anything they can when they're hearing the noise. So they might be able to pick up some kind of sounds if those miners are alive down there.

They're drilling this fourth hole in a place where they picked up some sounds the other day. They don't know what those sounds were. They say they could have been literally anything, but they're drilling down there now. That operation is safe enough, apparently, to continue.

But one thing important to note here, they've had to stop it for bad weather. And it just poured here. And when there's rain on the ground, those operations, the ground underneath those drill bits, becomes very unstable and they sometimes have to stop them. So even that fourth hole being drilled now might be compromised.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And we can hear that rain. You can hear the rain hitting that tent area of where that press conference took place in the last hour.

Brian Todd, thanks so much for that update. We'll keep checking in.

Now, if you are looking for a way to make a difference for the miners' families, you can. Impact your world by logging on to CNN.com/impact to learn how you can become part of the solution. We've posted information about the Crandall Canyon Family Support Fund.

Impacting your world now just a click away at CNN.com/impact.

LEMON: NFL quarterback Michael Vick is on his own today. Vick's remaining co-defendants both pleaded guilty in federal court in the dogfighting case that has jeopardized Vick's career. Now, Vick's time is running out to either plead guilty and face prison time or to risk a trial by jury.

Here with us now with the very latest, CNN's Rusty Dornin.

Time is running out.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, because the big reason it's running out is, on Monday, there will be a grand jury meeting which may come up with a superseding indictment that could indict Michael Vick on racketeering charges.

Now, if you look at these plea agreements by the two co- defendants -- that they pleaded guilty today -- they both point the finger right at Michael Vick, saying he funded almost exclusively the gambling going on in that operation. OK? And if those racketeering charges are filed against him, then he could face up to 20 years in prison, plus a lifetime ban from the NFL if he is convicted.

So I think, you know, they're holding that there as a deadline, saying, look, you better do something about this now. Everything we're hearing is the negotiations are ongoing between the prosecution and, of course, Michael Vick and his attorneys.

LEMON: OK. I don't want to ask you anything outside of your bailiwick, but here's the scuttlebutt talking to sources and to attorneys on this -- had he made a deal before people started to flip on him, it is believed that he may have had lesser charges or a better chance of getting better treatment.

DORNIN: Well, of course, when you get these plea deals going on, that's when everything starts -- the domino effect starts.

LEMON: Right, right, right.

DORNIN: Because what happens is, as each co-defendant starts talking about what's going on, the testimony, the evidence, that sort of thing, then they can come up with new charges.

LEMON: And new evidence. Right. DORNIN: And new evidence. That's right. And so, these racketeering charges can come directly out of the plea agreements from these co-defendants.

LEMON: Yes. Yes.

DORNIN: Not only for Michael Vick, but think about also these other -- these five other states, the ongoing dogfighting operations in those states. Of course, there's going to be evidence in those areas, could be leading to other arrests there. So it keeps -- the domino effect keeps going on and on and on.

LEMON: And on.

OK. We'll be following. The deadline's today. So it's got to happen soon, sometime...

DORNIN: We may not hear anything until next week.

LEMON: You believe even if he does something, we still may not hear?

DORNIN: It depends.

LEMON: It depends.

DORNIN: Not sure at this point, but certainly you're not going to see Michael Vick walking into a court, I don't think, in Richmond, Virginia, today.

LEMON: But you better believe we're going to keep you updated here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Thank you, Rusty Dornin.

WHITFIELD: All right. We also want to keep you updated on a close call at LAX yesterday between one departing flight and one landing.

Our Kathleen Koch is on the phone with us now with much more on how this happened -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, this was just a frightening incident. We're talking about two large jets that came, sources tell us, frankly between 30 and 50 feet of colliding.

Now, this happened yesterday afternoon right around 1:00 p.m. at the north runway complex at LAX. Now, a spokesman for the FAA in California, Ian Gregor (ph), tells me that Boeing WestJet Flight 900 from Calgary, Canada, a Boeing 737, had just landed on runway 24 right. And the pilot, then, apparently switched radio frequencies from the air traffic control tower to ground control without being told to.

He did this before he got his taxiing instructions. And that pilot then apparently told the ground controller, implied to the ground controller that he had clearance to go down the next taxiway and cross the inner runway, 24 left.

Well, the air traffic controller, the ground controller, said, OK, well, then go on ahead and proceed to your gate. And as the pilot -- and this according to Mr. Gregor (ph) -- as the pilot was approaching the runway and getting ready to cross, he saw Northwest Flight 180 bound for Memphis, an Airbus A320, barreling toward him, taking off.

So he said quickly to the controller, the ground controller, hey, do I really have permission to cross? The controller double-checked and said, stop, stop.

And also, the anti-collision avoidance system on the ground kicked in. An alarm gave the pilot the warning.

So, these planes, Fredricka, came very close.

Now, according to Ian Gregor (ph), the FAA is investigating. And the airline that's involved...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

KOCH: WestJet, says, "We received notification from the FAA of an incident involving WestJet 900 and another aircraft at LAX on August 16th. WestJet's flight safety team is currently investigating and working with the FAA. Safety is one of our core values. The safety of our guests and flight crew is a top priority."

We don't yet know how many people were on board the two aircraft, but their capacity combined is some 311 passengers. So, Fredricka, a mighty close call.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That was indeed some frightening stuff. And something tells me unless you were on one of those two planes and you were traveling there through LAX, you probably had no idea all of this was taking place.

But Kathleen Koch, thanks so much for keeping us posted.

KOCH: You bet.

LEMON: In southwest Peru, a desperate search for the living and a rush to bury the dead, amid more aftershocks. At last count, 447 people have died from Wednesday's tremendous earthquake. More than 1,000 are hurt.

The National Red Cross was on the ground within hours of the quake. Other charities and governments are launching massive relief efforts. In fact, the first U.S. military assistance is on its way to the hardest-hit area.

Peruvian president Alan Garcia already has been there reaching out to survivors and the rescuers. An untold number of people are said to have lost everything.

We'll have a live update from our Harris Whitbeck straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: Deal or no deal? Still no word from NFL quarterback Michael Vick on whether he will take a plea offer. That means prison time. But on talk radio, well, everyone's got something to say about it.

LEMON: Hurricane Dean gets meaner and meaner. We'll have the latest on a storm that could hit Category 5 in intensity.

WHITFIELD: And NASA decides the shuttle doesn't need patching. Miles O'Brien has more on how the decision was made.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Information just coming into the CNN NEWSROOM, literally just coming in. I just grabbed it off the printer.

CNN has confirmed that four people have died, one injured, in a military helicopter crash north of Yuma, Arizona. Let me read further here.

It says three marines and a sailor died, and one marine was injured when an HH-1N search and rescue helicopter from headquarters -- headquarters squadron Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, crashed approximately 20 miles north of Yuma near the Colorado River. The names of the dead and the injured are being withheld for 24 hours until the families of the victims are notified.

They were pronounced dead 12:30 a.m. as a result of this mishap. Again, CNN has confirmed four dead, one injured in a military helicopter crash north of Yuma, Arizona.

Details to come throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM as we get them.

Now, here are three other stories we're working on for you today in the CNN NEWSROOM.

The effort to tunnel towards six trapped miners suspended today indefinitely. The decision announced about an hour ago by officials in Utah after the deaths overnight of three rescue workers. They died in a catastrophic cave-in.

The season's first hurricane is looking like trouble. A short time ago, the hurricane center upgraded Dean to a Category 3 hurricane. Dean is expected to reach Hispaniola tomorrow and Jamaica on Sunday before growing into a monster storm that could threaten parts of Mexico and also Texas.

No decision yet from Michael Vick on accepting a deal from the government. Pressure grew today on the Atlanta Falcons quarterback when his remaining co-defendants pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges and agreed to assist the prosecution. WHITFIELD: Along Peru's southwest coast, a massive rescue and relief effort. The search for survivors amid the dead goes on even as aftershocks rock the area.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck is in Pisco, which bore the brunt of Wednesday's tremendous earthquake.

How are people coping, Harris?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the death toll here now tops 500, and the efforts in Pisco, in particular, which is one of the hardest-hit areas in the Ica region, the efforts are about searching through the rubble, trying to find remains of those who died, and also people still holding out hope that people might still be found alive. Of course, as time goes by, that probability lessens.

We have seen -- I have never seen so many coffins in one single day, Fredricka. It seems that everywhere you turn here, you see coffins stacked on street corners. You see them in the backs of pickup trucks, strapped to the roofs of cars, as people attempt to bury their dead.

We've seen at least three processions in a matter of just -- just a quite short time here, and we just drove past the cemetery in Pisco. There was a traffic jam of sorts there as several funeral processions -- one was entering, and we were told that others were already inside. As time goes by, of course, the effort to bury the dead becomes more urgent because of the natural decomposition that those bodies might take.

Again, the rescue efforts continue. Quite dramatic here.

The street behind me is a residential street. Not one house, it seems, was left untouched here.

And the other big effort here in Pisco is at the San Clemente Church, the main church here in Pisco, where a funeral March was taking place when the earthquake hit last Wednesday night. The parish priest there says he believed at least 60 people could still be buried under the rubble there. Those 60 people include the entire church choir and 15 members of the immediate family of the person whose life was being celebrated during that funeral mass.

So, obviously, very, very dramatic moments here, Fredricka.

Aid is starting to arrive. The Pisco military base has become the staging center for relief efforts. And while aid is getting into the region, some people are saying it's not really getting out to those who need it.

We visited one distribution center in the town of Ica this morning, where people had been lined up for several hours outside of what is, in effect, a stadium, a sports stadium, to receive one bottle of purified water. They say that their biggest need right now is purified water. And each person who was standing in line for several hours was getting only one bottle of water. The Peruvian government says that the rescue efforts will continue and that as time goes by, it will be easier to get aid to those who need it the most -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Harris Whitbeck, thanks so much.

Of course, one of the biggest obstacles is placing a lot of displaced people. Where do they go when their homes have been damaged and destroyed?

Well, perhaps you are looking for a way to make a difference for some of the victims of the Peru earthquake. Impact your world by logging on to CNN.com/impact and click on "Natural Disasters" to learn how you can become part of the solution there.

LEMON: Lots of talking, lots of testing.

Man, that's a beautiful shot. Look at that.

But NASA decides Endeavour doesn't need patching up before it heads home.

Our Miles O'Brien has more on what the astronauts have to say about it. That's straight ahead, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. So, it was a concern, but it's been decided it's not a real threat. NASA has been studying a three-inch gouge on the underbelly of the space shuttle Endeavour, but scientists are giving the all-clear for a landing without any repairs.

CNN's space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, is here to explain.

The big question, Miles, why?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, in essence, they have determined, first of all, that this gouge, which is about three and a half inches in length, and, more importantly, perhaps, an inch deep right down to the felt liner, which sits right on top of the aluminum scan of the space shuttle Endeavour, this gouge, as bad as it looks right now, will not -- will not cause an unnecessary amount of heating on the aluminum skin of Endeavour.

Now, this is part of the technique that they've used. Using laser lacaser 3D photography, they have replicated this damage on the ground and run it through computers, they've run it through what's called an arc jet furnace. I'll tell you a little bit more about that in a moment. Every time they've done it, it is below the temperature threshold that gets them nervous, which is about 350 degrees.

Now, let's go back just a little bit, remind everybody how this all happened.

It was 58 seconds after launch, and I'll call your attention to this area right in here, when a softball-sized piece of foam fell off, it ricocheted, hit the aft underbelly of Endeavour, causing that gouge. Since that time -- it's been about a week since they've figured this all out -- NASA has been trying to decide if it would, in fact, be necessary to go out and do some repairs.

Let me show you what those arc jet tests look like.

They put it in a blast furnace, which actually recreates the whole experience of coming into space at Mach 25. You can see kind of the streaking on there, but the close-up shots of it show that, while the -- there was some heat that got in there and it was a little bit warmer than normal, normally it's about 300 degrees on the skin, in this case it got to 340.

Well, the limit for NASA's concern is 350 degrees. Aluminum doesn't even melt until 1,200 degrees, so that gives you an idea of how much comfort range they have. And in the end, they realized that the whole notion of putting astronauts out there to fix it carries with it a whole bunch of risks.

We asked the crew about this just a little while ago. Here's the commander of the shuttle, Scott Kelly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT KELLY, ENDEAVOUR COMMANDER: We were certainly concerned that if we did the repair that we could potentially cause more damage to the underside of the orbiter, so since A repair was not really warranted based on the data and the testing, we are 100 percent -- the shuttle crew and the station crew, actually, agreed with the decision not to do the repair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: In essence, you've got spacewalkers with a 300-pound suit on near those fragile tiles. It could cause more damage.

Just quickly before I get away, Don, the next thing for them to worry about, Tropical Storm Dean. One of the models has that -- excuse me -- Hurricane Dean, now Category 3, headed right toward Houston.

Now, that's not where the shuttle lands, but of course that's where Mission Control is. And one of the things they're going to have to consider over the weekend is doing something they've never done before, which would mean moving the Mission Control team from Houston to Florida, because they might have to evacuate mission control there, so we'll keep you posted on that.

LEMON: Weather always a factor. And you know what I appreciate more? Your spacewalk suit thing.

O'BRIEN: You like that suit thing?

LEMON: Yes. That's how they walk.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that's the official symbol of the 300-pound suit in space.

LEMON: See, Miles O'Brien so scientific, he's even got the walk down.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I've got the walk...

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Thank you, sir.

WHITFIELD: It looks like no gravity there.

LEMON: Yes, no gravity. Zero gravity O'Brien.

Thank you, sir.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, the Fed jumps in with a sudden dramatic cut to a key interest rate, sparking a rally on Wall Street. That's good.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LEMON: We've got to talk about this, too. This is a very important story. Michael Vick, well, he's not talking right now, but most everyone else is talking.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LEMON: And Warren Valentine has been getting an earful from his radio listeners. We'll get his take on the NFL star's trouble. He's also an attorney, did I mention, so he has an got some inside scoop straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Kyra Phillips. Deal or no deal? We're waiting to hear if Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick decides to take a plea offer with certain prison time or take his chances in court.

LEMON: Absolutely. Vick's co-defendants have not only pleaded guilty, they've accused him of helping execute dogs that didn't have enough fight. Imagine that. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

NFL quarterback Michael Vick is on his own today. Vick's remaining co-defendants both pleaded guilty in federal court and agreed to assist the government in the dogfighting case that has jeopardized Vick's career. Time is running out on Vick to either plead guilty and face prison time or to risk going to trial.

A federal grand jury scheduled to meet next week is expected to hear evidence that could result in additional charges, including racketeering. Joining us from Raleigh, North Carolina, attorney and talk show host Warren Ballentine. He has followed the case closely, talking about it on radio, also talking about it legally.

OK. Time is running out, Warren. I think you're going to break some news to us today. What's the big news you want to talk about?

WARREN BALLENTINE, ATTORNEY: Well, Don, there are a couple things going on. First off here, from a very reliable source, I was told this afternoon that Michael Vick is leaning towards not pleading guilty.

LEMON: Leaning towards not pleading guilty.

BALLENTINE: Yes.

LEMON: Why is that?

BALLENTINE: Well, I think it's a credibility issue here, Don. When you look at his co-conspirators, especially Quintel Phillips (ph), he got arrested today because he couldn't pass a drug test. That gives his defense counsel a chance to argue that these guys literally are lying on Michael Vick to save their own skin, even though if I was representing Mr. Vick, I would be telling him to take the deal.

LEMON: OK. So take us inside of the courtroom now, Warren. When he pleaded -- one of those defendants pleaded guilty today, what did he say? Did he accuse Michael Vick of something?

BALLENTINE: Yes, he did. He accused Michael Vick of not only participating in executing the dogs, he accused him of gambling, which is very key here, because the NFL has a conduct code, and that is very crucial in this case. Michael Vick stands to lose $20 million in signing bonus if he's found in violation of the conduct code.

Plus, if he's gambling on these dogs, he can be banned for life under the NFL rules. Now, the only gambling that has ever taken place in the NFL is Paul Hornung's case. There's no precedent for this, but if the NFL -- if Roger Goodell wanted to be tough, he could suspend Vick for life.

LEMON: OK. So all of these -- now these people who have come in and as we call it, flipping on Michael Vick, it appears from the outside that prosecutors are gathering evidence. So, if they're gathering this evidence, they're hitting him hard, and where they're trying to hit him now, Warren, is in the wallet.

BALLENTINE: Well, not only in the wallet. What they're trying to do -- it's an old saying, Don, I'm sure you've heard it, pressure busts pipes. And what they're doing is trying to pressure Michael Vick into a corner.

When you look at this case, it's almost -- you know, I'm not condoning what Michael Vick did, but it's kind of sad because if he is completely innocent, what the federal prosecutors in this case have done is they have painted him into a corner where it is either, you're going to plead guilty or we're going to try to get you under the RICO statute, triple the costs, triple the fines, and you know, if we find you guilty at trial, you're looking at 10 or 20 years in prison.

LEMON: That's what I heard, Warren. Up to 20 years -- they've upped the ante, up to 20 years in prison, which was higher than it was before.

BALLENTINE: Well, Don, you know, I'm going to say this not only as a talk show host but as a radio host. It's a sad day in this country when you think about these laws -- and as an attorney, it saddens me because Michael Vick, you know, you can beat your woman, you can beat your wife in this country.

You have somebody who has literally shot her husband in the back, she gets 60 days, she's out of jail. Michael Vick is looking at 20 years if he doesn't plead guilty today. That's a sad day in American justice in my opinion.

LEMON: All right. As you said, that's your opinion. Let's talk about that. Attorney again, and you're a radio host. When you bring up the subject Michael Vick on your radio show, what happens?

BALLENTINE: Oh, the phones are berserk. I mean, we drop one call, there's another right behind it. And I mean, what's happening in this country is funny because this case is such a hot topic with everybody. I mean, it runs the gamut from people saying Michael Vick needs to go to jail for 10 years to people saying that he shouldn't be convicted of anything.

And it's such -- just a mainstream topic right now. I never knew how powerful hurting an animal could be in this country until this case.

LEMON: Mm-hmm. And how it's just -- polarizing is the right word, but it certainly draws lots of attention from each side, and spirits are raised and what have you. This is very interesting to see how this is going to play out. Warren Ballentine, breaking some news here today, telling us it's likely that he won't -- in your opinion, from your sources, he will not take this plea deal. And now another guy who is turning on him -- or is flipping on him, is making even further allegations.

BALLENTINE: Yes, Don. And, you know, again, if I was representing Mr. Vick in this case, I think his lawyers are doing an excellent job. His lawyer -- actually one of his lawyers actually beat a RICO charge in Georgia. He's probably one of 2 or 3 percent of attorneys in this country who can actually say that they beat a RICO case.

But if I was representing Mr. Vick in this case, I would tell him, look, you're looking at one year compared to maybe doing 10 to 20 years, but you've also got to take into consideration that this judge does not have to accept this plea agreement. See, that's another issue here.

LEMON: Right.

BALLENTINE: And this judge is known throughout the state of Virginia of what we call in courthouse talk, of launching defendants. And that means sentencing them to the maximum term. So we still have to -- even if they agree today and Michael Vick changes his mind and takes his plea, it's no guarantee that he's going to get a year because the judge could reject it.

LEMON: There you have it. Warren Ballentine, very simply, thank you very much, sir, have a great weekend.

BALLENTINE: Thank you, Don. You have a good weekend, too.

WHITFIELD: All right. That is some tough stuff. And tough, too, is this hurricane, Hurricane Dean, now a Category 3, and it's barreling through the eastern Caribbean. It has already pounded the islands of Martinique and St. Lucia. Hotels around their coast were evacuated, and airports shut down.

Tourists have been huddling in shelters and so far no word of any injuries. Just a lot of downed trees and buildings without roofs. Jamaica may not get off as lucky. It is bracing for a direct hit some time Sunday.

Talk about tropical troubles? Chad Myers has been watching it all from the hurricane center. This is scary because this looks big.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is big. I mean, it's already a major hurricane. Category 3 is when they take the line, they say, OK, that's a hurricane, this is a major hurricane. And this thing really blew up very quickly overnight now, has a very significant eye.

But the map behind me, not colorful, not glamorous, but it may say something about the track of the hurricane. This is a visible satellite, this is actually what the satellite is seeing. And the dots that you see here, here, here, and here, that is the projected path for the hurricane center.

Well, what I've noticed in the past couple of frames is that that eye has now moved a little bit farther to the north away from this line. And you want to stay right on the line because then you know at least your forecast is exactly right.

Well, this little wobble, as we'll call it, may be something significant later on if this storm is farther to the north than let's say the forecast is, because the forecast is for it to go right over Jamaica, like you said. But if it's north of Jamaica, that means it hits down here, that hits near Port-au-Prince, it hits part of Haiti.

It also goes north of Jamaica, making Jamaica on the easy side -- easier on the Category 4 storm. But it's still -- look at this, 150 miles per hour as it runs over or very close to Jamaica, also Grand Cayman, probably not out of it yet. Still obviously in the cone, and so is Havana. And this cone is going to change if that hurricane stays a little bit wobbling one way or the other, this forecast will change in three hours when they do update this.

One more thing to go here. This storm is going to be anywhere from the Cuba area all the way down to still to about Nicaragua. We have that big cone, and that's going to be the cone of uncertainty.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right. Chad, thanks. You know, back to that Hurricane Dean, as I look at your, you know, chart there of its potential direction, the one thing that does seem potentially pretty consistent is the fact that you're talking about warm waters the whole way through. So to lose steam, those chances sound pretty small.

MYERS: Right. And there is also a high pressure above it, following it, that's a bad thing. You'll want shear to break it apart, and high pressure is a nice calm place. It is in a moment of Zen right now and it is getting bigger by the minute.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. We don't want to hear that.

MYERS: No.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much for bringing us the simple facts, though, Chad. Appreciate it -- Don.

LEMON: Breaking up is hard to do, especially when you're wearing one of those flimsy paper robes. Sometimes you've got to move on. What am I talking about? Ahead in the NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: I'm curious.

LEMON: I'm talking about how to fire your doctor. That's what we're talking about. The scoop coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So, you ask a question. The response seems rushed, or you feel like you're not being heard. You know the relationship isn't working, but you're afraid to speak up. You wonder if it's time to fire your doctor. All that stuff. You know if you've been through it before. But still, you're not quite sure how to break up. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to help us with all of that.

What's the big deal? You know, the doctor is not serving you well. Bye-bye.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what, people have a hard time with it. It may sound so simple, but I interviewed many people who said, I knew I wasn't getting good service, things weren't just working, but I couldn't do it.

One doctor I talked to, who does research in this patient communication area said, I had a doctor who I didn't like and I didn't want to insult him, I didn't want to insult him by saying hey, buddy, you're not doing what you need to do. We need to break up. People actually really do often have a hard time leaving their doctor.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And so is part of the problem that folks aren't necessarily able to realize whether their doctor is serving them best? They're conflicted?

COHEN: Well, part of the problem is that every relationship has bumps, and so the experts I have talked to said, look, you don't just want to leave because your doctor one day is sort of grumpy. Maybe he had a fight with his wife. Who knows? So you don't want to do that.

And so I said, well, how do you know? And they said, if there are repeated problems, problems including resisting questions. I heard one story of a woman who asked her orthopedic surgeon a question and he looked at her and said, well, when did you get an M.D.? And that's it.

WHITFIELD: Oh no, bye-bye.

COHEN: And that's what -- he said, that's a no-brainer, that's a deal-breaker. Just get out of there. Another one is if the person doesn't listen. If one -- there was another story of a woman -- a doctor who recommended a drug and she said, I took that, and it really didn't work and it had terrible side effects. And he said, well, I'd like you to try it again. You know, and she really felt like he wasn't listening to her. And another is if you just don't like him or her. And...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: ... yes, touchy-feely vibes from...

(CROSSTALK)

COHEN: Exactly. And the reason that's important is one person who studies this said to me, our studies have shown if you don't like your doctor, a there's an excellent chance your doctor doesn't like you. And you don't want a doctor who doesn't like you because they're going to pigeonhole you as maybe a complainer or a whiner and not listen to your symptoms.

If you want to know some other ways to figure out when it's time to leave your doctor, you can listen -- you can read, rather, my column on cnn.com/health. It's right up there. You can scroll down on the health page of cnn.com, look for my photo and you'll see the column.

WHITFIELD: OK. And it's a beautiful photo.

COHEN: Oh, thank you.

WHITFIELD: So meantime, something tells me if you're the type of person who says, I'm having a difficult time, challenging my doctor, et cetera, might have a difficult time knowing how to break up. So what are the options? What do I do?

COHEN: And apparently there is a good way to break up. One is you can just leave, you can just never come back.

WHITFIELD: Give me my records, I'm out of here. COHEN: You can try that. But some of the sociologists and others I interviewed on this said, you know, you might want to find out if there's something worth salvaging. Your doctor knows you and there's some merit in that. So you might want to sit down and say -- not say, you're a jerk, but say, I feel like we're not communicating. Is there anything that we can do? If your doctor is good, they might say, gosh, I had no idea. Let's -- tell me what I can do better. If the doctor says, what do you mean we're not communicating? I think we're communicating fine, what's wrong with you? Then you really know it's time to bolt.

WHITFIELD: I can totally identify with this. I had a similar situation. I said, you know what, just, my records, please, bye-bye. Let's move on, bye-bye. See you later. And my feelings were hurt...

(CROSSTALK)

COHEN: That is one way to do it. And you didn't really care, did you?

WHITFIELD: It's my health. What were we talking about?

COHEN: Right, exactly, exactly.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot, Elizabeth.

COHEN: All right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, that's my little soapbox moment, for being frank, of the day.

LEMON: I know, I'm like, well, she's just going on and on.

WHITFIELD: You know I can go on and on.

LEMON: That's the best way to do it, though, guys, is do it the Donald Trump way, you're fired!

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Don't think too much about it, right? Because then you're, oh, he's such a good doctor sometimes and...

COHEN: Go with your gut. Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: That's what I'm talking about, going with the gut.

LEMON: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right. Again, because we can go on and on and on, well, you can find out more information on this and more other important health issues on our Web site. Elizabeth has a regular feature called "Empowered Patient" along with her very beautiful picture that we mentioned moments ago. Just go to cnn.com/health, scroll down and look for Elizabeth's picture, as I mentioned, and the headline, "Empowered Patient." So now we've empowered you. You know what to do.

COHEN: That's right. (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: Right.

LEMON: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot.

COHEN: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you, Elizabeth.

And as we move on here, feeling the threat of radical Islam, CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports on "God's Warriors" straight ahead right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It was a gruesome murder, a filmmaker, his throat cut in the middle of an Amsterdam street, one of the latest fronts in radical Islam's war with the West. CNN senior international correspondent Christiane Amanpour takes a closer look at the shifting battleground in a new CNN documentary, "God's Warriors."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMAPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bouyeri gunned down Theo van Gogh as he rode his bicycle, and then he cut his throat, nearly decapitating him.

EMERSON VERMAAT, INVESTIGATE JOURNALIST: And this whole killing of van Gogh, in Bouyeri's ill mind, was a sort of holy killing, a sort of sacrifice, like killing an animal.

AMANPOUR: A holy killing? In the Netherlands, a country known for its windmills, its canals, and its tolerance, a new battlefront between God's Muslim warriors and the West. Bouyeri was part of a Dutch terrorist cell called the Hofstad Group. Another member had planned to blow up government buildings and kill politicians in parliament in a suicide bombing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Just as you have spilled the blood of Muslim citizens in Iraq, we will spill your blood here.

AMANPOUR: Many of the group's members were sent to prison. I traveled to the Netherlands to find that this country's once tiny Muslim community has swelled to more than a million in a country of 16 million. This increased Muslim presence and violence like the van Gogh murder play into the hands of right-wing politicians like Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch parliament.

GEERT WILDERS, MEMBER OF DUTCH PARLIAMENT: Yes. Here we have nine seats. AMANPOUR: Who fears the Dutch are losing their country to an alien culture. The party he has founded has staked its political future in large part on an anti-Islam platform. He has proposed shutting down immigration from non-Western countries and banning burkas and niqabs, the head-to-toe covering worn by some Muslim women, even though very few here wear them.

(on camera): Why have you chosen Islam as your battleground, so to speak?

WILDERS: Islam is, I believe, one of the most major threats to the West and also to Western Europe and to the Netherlands today, and more specially radical Islam is a major threat to our society. Those are people that hate everything that we stand for and are proud to use every means possible to kill us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: The six-hour television event premieres next week. "God's Jewish Warriors" on Tuesday, August 21st; "God's Muslim Warriors" on Wednesday, August 22nd; and "God's Christian Warriors" on Thursday, August 23rd; all at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. If you'd like to know more about this special, go to cnn.com/godswarriors.

WHITFIELD: Three rescuers killed in a new mine cave-in. What the setback means for six trapped Utah miners straight ahead in the in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: U.S. News & World Report is out with its annual college rankings and leading the pack of national universities, Princeton, the school has either tied or held the top spot for eight years in a row now. And just like last year, Harvard is number two and Yale, number three. Stanford is fourth and in the fifth spot, a tie between Caltech and the University of Pennsylvania. The magazine hits newsstands on Monday.

And the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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