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Nuclear Secrecy: North Korean/Syrian Cooperation?; President Bush Meets With Mahmoud Abbas; Wesley Snipes to be Sentenced in Tax Evasion Case
Aired April 24, 2008 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: It tripped up Al Capone. Will tax evasion now mean prison for Wesley Snipes? We're live in Florida for the big name actor's big time sentencing in federal court.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: A smoking gun on Syria? The Bush administration says this used to be a nuclear plant in the Syrian desert and North Korea had a hand in it. Congress wants to know why it wasn't told until today.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: A plea for help from truckers today as the price of diesel hit $4.22 a gallon. At a hearing on Capitol Hill, trucking officials said they've gone to the Bush administration with a dramatic request to halt the upward price spiral.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE BERRY, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION: We've made that request of the administration, that they stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We don't know precisely what that impact would be, but I think even the mere threat of doing that may have an impact on the speculators.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Also today, self-serve regular also climbed to yet another record, $3.56 a gallon. That's the nationwide average.
KEILAR: Well, we showed you last hour what the industrial nations are -- what industrial nations are paying for gasoline, but let's take a look now at some of the major oil producers.
Do you see that? Can you even believe that?
In Russia, gas, 88 cents a gallon; in the United Arab Emirates it's $1.70; 45 cents in Saudi Arabia; 40 cents a gallon in Iran. And check out Venezuela. With big government subsidies, the price of gas there 12 cents a gallon.
These figures come from the Boston-based Associates for International Research.
And you're going to want to join us tomorrow when we'll show you a series of gas-saving trips, because obviously gas is not 12 cents a gallon here in the U.S. And you've probably heard lots of myths lately. We're going to bust them wide open.
This is the real deal. That is tomorrow here in the NEWSROOM.
LEMON: All right. We've been hearing a lot about Wesley Snipes. And apparently some accusations of tax investigation there.
He's accused of not paying taxes for three years. He could face up to three years in prison. Well, prosecutors in Florida are asking a judge in this case to make an example of Wesley Snipes.
They're on a break right now. Apparently, we're hearing that the judge is going over all of this, because whatever happens, he doesn't want any room for appeal, and we could get a verdict on this very shortly.
Coming up in just a few minutes, our Sunny Hostin, who is our legal analyst, legal expert here in CNN, Sunny Hostin is going to be in the CNN NEWSROOM and she's going to analyze this. And if we do get a verdict or a judgment in this case, she'll be here for that as well in just a little bit.
KEILAR: Was a Syrian site bombed by Israeli fighter jets last September a nuclear facility? And was North Korea helping Syria build it? Well, today members of Congress are getting a look at top-secret evidence from U.S. intelligence agencies.
And our Kathleen Koch joining us now from the White House to tell us what we know about this, Kathleen. The White House has been pretty mum about this?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have been, Brianna. But according to a source with the internal administration discussions on this, what the lawmakers are indeed seeing is proof that the Syrian facility that was bombed by Israel in September was indeed a North Korean-designed nuclear reactor that was being built with assistance from Pyongyang.
Now, since that attack back in September, the administration from the president on down has refused adamantly to discuss it in any way, shape or form. So there are a lot of questions about why today suddenly are they having briefings of six congressional committees?
Some of the lawmakers who came out today from the very first briefing were livid. One of them the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Pete Hoekstra. He was briefed on this in September, argued then that the entire committee needed to be briefed, it was important information.
The administration refused. So the lawmaker came out today, and he -- Congressman Hoekstra said he was very upset. He really cried foul. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER HOEKSTRA (R), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: A trusting environment between the administration and Congress does not exist. I think many people believe that we were used today by the administration because -- not because they felt that they had to inform Congress because it was their legal obligation to do that, but because they had other agendas in mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: White House Press Secretary Dana Perino says that the White House is disappointed the congressman feels that way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There are tensions that exist between the executive branches and the legislative branches on a range of issues in regards to who should know what, when. But we will continue to work with Representative Hoekstra and continue to talk with him. And he was part of the briefing this morning. And again, I'm not going to comment on anything until those briefings can be completed today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: And to that end, the White House says it will put out a statement today on the evidence that's being presented the Congress once those briefings are over.
Back to you, Brianna.
KEILAR: "There are tensions that exist." Obviously very true words there.
Kathleen Koch for us at the White House. Thank you.
KOCH: You bet.
LEMON: All right. We have been telling you about the meeting this afternoon with President Bush and also the Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas. They're meeting at the White House. As a matter of fact, right now.
President Bush is expected -- this is just ahead of a Middle East trip that's going to happen next month. This is their meeting. And they're talking right after their meeting. And let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I appreciate the meeting to talk about peace. I assured the president that a Palestinian state is a high priority for me and my administration. A viable state, a state that doesn't look like Swiss cheese, a state that provides hope. It's in -- I believe it's in Israel's interest and the Palestinian people's interest to have leaders willing to work toward the achievement of that state.
The people that can deliver that state, that vision, to the Palestinian people were sitting right here in the Oval Office, led by the president. The president is a man of peace, a man of vision. He rejects the idea of using violence to achieve objectives, which distinguishes him from other people in the region.
I'm confident we can achieve the definition of a state. I'm also confident it's going to require hard work.
To that end, I'm going back to the Middle East and looking forward to meeting you, sir. And thank you for making time.
I consider you a friend. I also consider you a courageous person. And I also will -- believe strongly that when history looks back at this moment and the state is defined, that the Palestinian people will thank you for your leadership.
There are a lot of issues we've discussed, issues of importance, security of the Palestinian people and the Israeli people, the economic advancement of the Palestinian people. The thing I'm focused on, and you are, is how to define a state that is acceptable to both sides. I'm confident it can get done.
I want to thank you for coming. I appreciate your time.
MAHMOUD ABBAS, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): Thank you.
Mr. President, thank you very much for receiving us here at the White House these days. And I also would like to thank you very much for the initiative that was launched during the (INAUDIBLE).
We believe that you actually are truly seeking a true, genuine and lasting peace in the Middle East. And I am certain that you would like to see an agreement and supplement before the end of your term.
And at the same time, we are doing everything we can in order to seriously negotiate and reach a peace that would be satisfactory to both, the Palestinian side and Israeli side, a peace that would be promoted throughout the world. There are many parties also that are working very hard to support our efforts and to help us reach that peace.
When I talk about your initiative, Mr. President, I also have to praise the Arab peace initiative, initiative that simply states that peace will be achieved after the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Arab and Palestinian territories. As a result of that, I believe strongly that more than 57 Arab and Islamic countries will normalize their relations with Israel.
I believe very strongly that time is of the essence. We are working very hard in order not to waste any time and continue these efforts to achieve peace.
Mr. President, your efforts, the efforts of your administration, the various visits, your previous one and your upcoming visit to Sharm el-Sheikh and to the region, all of this is a strong indication that you are very keen to continue to work very hard and to achieve your vision.
I cannot say that the road to peace is paved with flowers. It is paved with obstacles. But together we will work very hard in order to eliminate those obstacles and achieve peace.
BUSH: Thank you, sir.
Thank you all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. President Bush and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas there meeting at the White House. And they were summing up their meeting here.
And President Bush said he wanted to assure President Abbas that the Palestinian state is of course high priority to the United States, and Mahmoud Abbas saying that he wanted to avoid more violence in his region, and pledging that to President Bush there. And you heard at the end he said, you know, the road to peace is not paved with flowers, but they would certainly try to keep peace in the region.
So that's it, happening just moments ago at the White House -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Buses are on the move again outside the coliseum in San Angelo, Texas. The state here trying to move several hundred children of a polygamist sect into foster homes, trying to keep brothers and sisters together.
Well, some of the mothers head back to court next Tuesday. They want to stay in touch with their kids while they are in state custody. A state appeals court has agreed to hear them. Four hundred thirty- seven children were taken from the ranch three weeks ago after authorities got phone calls claiming abuse.
And now Texas Rangers are investigating a Colorado Springs woman. You see her here, Rosita Swinton, in connection with those calls. She has been arrested before for allegedly making false reports to police. And an affidavit says the calls about the polygamist sect were made from a prepaid cell phone that has been linked to Swinton.
LEMON: He died on his wedding day, November 25, 2006. Sean Bell was killed by New York City police officers outside the club where he celebrated his bachelor party. The police involved were prosecuted, and we'll learn their verdicts tomorrow. They opted to have a judge decide their fate instead of a jury.
New Yorkers can expect to see more on this on the streets from now on, specialty police, anti-terrorism teams with automatic weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs. They began patrolling their new beat today -- subway cars, platforms and commuter trains all over the city. And they'll be out every day, not just when the terror threat is high. The NYPD calls it Operation Torch, and it's funded for at least -- at least two years.
KEILAR: Actor Wesley Snipes is expected to be sentenced today on tax evasion charges. Will he get off easy or is the judge going to throw the book at him? We'll be checking in with Sunny Hostin, our legal analyst, on this story.
LEMON: OK. So this might just ruin your appetite for shrimp. A human rights group makes some stunning accusations against foreign factories that supply much of the shrimp shipped to America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. Wesley Snipes will find out soon whether he'll be heading to prison on tax convictions. Now, as he fights to keep his freedom, that's what he might learn today. Prosecutors want the maximum sentence: three years behind bars.
And CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin joins us now from New York, New York.
Sunny, you're predicting Wesley Snipes is going to get some jail time here. Why are you predicting that?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You know, I think the government wants to make an example of him. This sort of tax avoidance movement that he became a part of has been touted over the Internet. A lot of people believe in this. And what it's based on is pretty frivolous.
It basically says, you know, the IRS is not a proper governmental entity, and so you don't have to pay taxes to the IRS. It also goes so far as so say the 16th Amendment, which allows the states to collect this type of revenue, was never really ratified by three- fourths of the state.
It just has this sort of, you know, ridiculousness to it. And he's a high-profile figure. And I think that the government really wants the judge to tell people, you've got to file your taxes and you've got to pay when you owe the government.
LEMON: OK, Sunny. This -- what is it, it's an 861 argument that he's using. Is this -- I mean, basically, you're saying this is a ridiculous argument. And the judge is going to look at this and go, you know what? Forget it. It's not happening.
HOSTIN: Exactly. It's really, really frivolous. And it's been around for a long time. But I think anyone that really looks at it, as I mentioned before, you know, the 16th Amendment was never ratified, the IRS is not a proper governmental entity...
LEMON: OK.
HOSTIN: ... it's not going to work.
LEMON: OK. So he's got Wesley Snipes, he's got Woody Harrelson, and even Judge Joe Brown sending letters about his character to the judge. I mean, but, like, is this like political endorsements?
Many people say, you know what? Political endorsements don't mean anything. Are these letters going to mean anything to a judge when it comes to him not paying, what is it, $41 million in taxes -- or $15 million or something? He owes $41 million?
HOSTIN: Well you know, typically in these types of cases, absolutely. In sentencing hearings you want to hear from the community because the community will vouch for a defendant. And they usually say, these letters, but for this particular blip in this person's past, they have been an upstanding citizen.
When I was a prosecutor I got letters from people's ministers, their wives, their employers. But this is a different case.
I mean, yes, he's hanging out with Denzel Washington and Woody Harrelson, and they're saying really great things about him. I think Denzel said, you know, "He's like a tree, a mighty oak. Many who know him have witnessed the fruit of his labors."
That's all good and well. But what he did was so brazen, that I just can't imagine that that is going to sway this judge.
LEMON: OK. Real quickly, I want to talk to you about the judge, because it appears that the judge is taking his time with this, and from everything that I've heard, even from you -- I think I heard you earlier on one of the other programs saying the judge is doing this because , if there is an appeal, he wants to have an air-tight case here.
HOSTIN: There's no question. I mean, this hearing started at 9:30. And it is still going on.
This is unusual. This judge is listening to everything, reading every single letter, letting the attorneys make extensive arguments, because he wants to make sure if he gives this movie star jail time, he does not want that to be thrown out. And so he is crossing his Ts.
LEMON: OK. So we're wrapping it up. But you are expecting and predicting some jail time for Wesley Snipes?
HOSTIN: I am. I am.
LEMON: Sunny Hostin, always good to see you. And by the way, you look fantastic.
HOSTIN: Well, thank you.
LEMON: As usual.
Have a great day.
HOSTIN: You too.
LEMON: And listen to the verdict for us. And we may be calling you back. Thank you, Sunny.
HOSTIN: My pleasure.
KEILAR: Gas prices, food shortages, climate change. You think times are tough now, you should have been around 70,000 years ago. The fascinating story of how humans almost went extinct.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Hi there, I'm Brianna Keilar in for Kyra Phillips live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
All right, well, we want to get started real quickly here with some breaking news. It is coming out of Kansas City, Kansas and it involves some tunnel workers. And here's what we're being told here, and this is just coming over. A rescue is underway after four construction workers from -- were trapped in a tunnel that goes from Turkey Creek to the Kansas River.
And here's what we're being told. They were going through the boat -- going through the tunnel in a boat when the boat capsized because there was too much water in the tunnel. And we're being told that the workers are trying to hold on -- hold on until rescue workers can reach them.
But again, so, the workers who were working on a flood control project at the time were trying to go through that tunnel in a boat, but there was too much water in the tunnel, so the boat capsized. It's really sad because these workers are down there in a tunnel, probably not much light and way too much water and they're trying to hang on here until rescuers get to them. Again, here's exactly where it is, Kansas City, Kansas, there in a tunnel that goes from Turkey Creek to the Kansas River.
You can better believe we're going to be on top of this story. And as soon as we get more information from rescuers and also from our affiliates there in the Kansas City area, we're going to bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
KEILAR: Dozens more children from a polygamist sect are in Texas -- from that polygamist sect in Texas, they're back on buses today. They're heading for another new place. Some of their mothers plan to go back to court.
And CNN's Susan Roesgen is in San Angelo keeping track of it all. And there certainly is a lot to keep track of here, Susan.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There really is. This case just seems to sort of mushroom on us, Brianna. Right now, those mothers, the mothers from the Yearning for Zion polygamist ranch are hoping to undo what has already started here.
Already, we know that more than 100 of the children, more than 100 of the 437 who've been staying here at the San Angelo Coliseum behind me have been bused out to group homes, to group homes all across the state of Texas. We've seen more of those big charter buses pull in and out today. So eventually, all 437 children will go to these group homes all across the state of Texas.
The mothers are trying to appeal that. They want to stay with their children. They got a small concession from the local judge. He says that the 18 mothers who are still nursing their babies will be allowed to stay with those babies wherever they're sent. And she says that mothers who have children under the age of two will have to be accommodated in some way, have some sort of housing at least in the same towns where their children are being sent.
But the state of Texas does have temporary custody of these children. And lawyers for the mothers hope that that custody does stay temporary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN HAYS, ATTORNEY: I certainly hope there's a big chance the children will be home before the six-month deadline, because these are not only a lot of very young children, they're children who have lived in a sheltered community.
I mean, this community is very 19th century. And they grow their own food. These kids haven't been eating at McDonald's and they haven't been in a public school. It's going to be a big shock for them. I think the more this case can be treated differently because of the nature of the community, the better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Now once again, you have to remember that the state of Texas believed it had to remove the children from the ranch and then had to separate the children from their parents because they believe that perhaps the parents are coaching them in case, might be talking to their children about the case.
About the potential for criminal charges, a criminal case built on child sex abuse charges, that it was a pervasive pattern according to investigators that young mothers, young women, young teenage girls, some as young as 13, anybody under the age of 16 were forced into arranged marriages and motherhood as part of the religious beliefs of this polygamist cult here in Eldorado, Texas.
So, that's why the state of Texas has had to separate the children from the mothers. The mothers are appealing to a higher court here in Texas.
In the meantime, those children are going to get some counseling, Brianna, in those group homes where they're going. They won't have to go to public schools. They won't face the potential for ridicule or bullying in the public schools because again, they are different, very different. They've grown up their entire lives on that Yearning for Zion ranch. And they really wouldn't be comfortable to say the least in an ordinary public school -- Brianna.
KEILAR: No, of course they wouldn't.
Susan Roesgen for us in San Angelo, Texas, where she's been covering this story for weeks. Thanks, Susan.
LEMON: And you know, through all of this, we've heard very little about the leader of this sect, which is Warren Jeffs, convicted of rape as an accomplice in Utah. Well, he is in jail in Arizona awaiting trial on similar charges. Meantime, his attorneys are asking for a new trial back in Utah.
CNN's Gary Tuchman is on the phone now and he joins us with more. And I understand this hearing happening in a couple of hours, Gary.
VOICE OF GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don, two hours from now, Warren Jeffs's attorneys will be asking a judge for a new trial, saying that his trial is not valid because a juror who was on the case failed to disclose that she was a rape victim.
Now, what happens when you go for jury duty, you know, you're asked a lot of questions during voir dire, that's the Latin word they use when they ask you questions. They eliminate certain jurors. And one of the questions asked was are you a rape victim. And the reason that was relevant is because Warren Jeffs was accused of arranging marriages of younger girls to older men who were then allegedly raped by these men.
Well, one of the women during the trial -- she was picked for the trial, and she told other jurors, she confided to them that, yes, I was raped when I was younger, but I'm not going to tell the lawyers that. That's none of their business.
But that is not allowed when you're going through this questioning. One of the jurors then told the judge. The judge had a special hearing and that juror was kicked off the case and one of the alternate jurors replaced her. So, Warren Jeffs's attorneys are now saying because that happened, this was not a valid trial and we want a new trial.
Now, what's really interesting, Don, one thing you have to keep in mind, all these people on the Texas ranch and the people in their main community, the FLDS's main community of Colorado City, Arizona, Hilldale, you talk to border towns, most of them tell us they still consider Warren Jeffs their leader. They can still consider him a prophet, they consider him a blood relative of Jesus Christ, very important man to them. They want to see him more than anything out of jail.
But the fact is, even if he gets a new trial, even if he gets a new trial and is found innocent, he still faces another trial in the state of Arizona. That's where he's in prison right now on similar charges. So, it's very unlikely no matter what that Warren Jeffs will be getting out of prison any time soon.
LEMON: CNN's Gary Tuchman joining us with that. Gary, as soon as you get any information, bring it to us please. Thank you, sir.
KEILAR: We want to update you now on a very terrible traffic accident out of Somerset Township, Pennsylvania. You're seeing new video right here. This is about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh.
And according to trooper Joseph Christi (ph) with the Pennsylvania state police, there was a van carrying 11 people, that included two staff and nine residents from a mental health facility. And this van pulled out in front of a tractor-trailer instead of stopping at the stop sign as it was supposed to. The trailer and the van collided and then both vehicles hit a storage building.
At this point, the death toll is five people reported dead, two staff members, three residents from that mental health facility, another six patients were airlifted. We don't know how many of those patients who were airlifted were critical. But the driver of the tractor-trailer was among those who was airlifted. We do know that driver is in stable condition. Investigators at this point, they're still on the scene, still even extracting people from the van from this mental health facility.
Again, the death toll now, five people killed, six injured. We'll continue to monitor the story out of Somerset Township, Pennsylvania.
LEMON: Hillary Clinton seeing a big payday after her Pennsylvania primary win. We look at her campaign coffers.
KEILAR: And did someone have to suffer to put shrimp on your dinner plate? A human rights group uncovers stomach-turning abuses against seafood processing workers in Southeast Asia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Checking our political ticker this afternoon, the return of Barack Obama's controversial former pastor. "Chicago Sun Times" is reporting the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who has been laying low for weeks, plans an interview tomorrow with journalist Bill Moyers, a speech on Sunday to the NAACP in Detroit and a speech on Monday at the National Press Club in Washington.
KEILAR: First Lady Laura Bush is a strong supporter of Republican John McCain. First daughter Jenna Bush apparently isn't so sure. Should McCain be worried? Here is how mom and daughter assessed the candidates on last night's "LARRY KING LIVE."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Do you have a favorite between the two Democrats?
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: My favorite is the Republican.
KING: Yours, too, I would imagine?
JENNA BUSH, DAUGHTER OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I don't know.
But I mean -- you know --
KING: Are you open to --
J. BUSH: Yes, of course. Who isn't open to learning about the candidates. But -- I'm sure everybody is like that. But I really -- I honestly have been too busy with books to really pay that much attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Well, Jenna Bush and her mom are promoting their new children's book called "Read All About It." The story of a boy who learns that reading is fun.
LEMON: Well, how serious is the threat of nuclear weapons from Syria? Probably a lot more serious than anyone thought. And in briefings today on Capitol Hill we learned that. Our Ed Henry joins us now from the White House with some new information.
A lot more serious than we thought and more eminent, Ed Henry?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well those are some of the suggestions just emerging now. A lot of intrigue, as you know Don, swirling around North Korea allegedly helping Syria build this nuclear reactor last fall that then was taken out by an Israeli air strike.
We're now getting new information. One senior U.S. official telling CNN that the intelligence that they have suggests that this nuclear reactor in Syria was within weeks or months of being operational, of being functional. That it was a very serious situation, more grave than a lot of people around the world thought.
But -- you have to be clear about the fact that many outside nuclear experts have suggested that there was no actual fuel at this reactor, at this site; so that these outside experts have suggested, no, it was not that close to being functional. You can bet we'll be pressing administration officials this afternoon, 4:30 Eastern time. They're going to have an off-camera briefing about just what intelligence they do have, at least a hint of what they've been telling lawmakers behind the scenes today, behind closed doors.
The significance of course two-fold. No. 1, a lot of credibility questions for this administration because of the flawed intelligence in the run up to the war in Iraq. You can bet there will be a lot of tough questions raised about how solid this evidence against Syria and North Korea really is.
And secondly, how will this intelligence now affect those six party talks between the U.S., North Korea and various other countries? Essentially, a deal that's in the works right now in which North Korea would give up its nuclear program and would verify that in exchange for a loosening of sanctions.
There are critics of that deal that are basically saying that North Korea's bad behavior here suggests that this deal should fall through.
There are others saying, though, that this intelligence about Syria and North Korea suggests this is exactly why there should be a deal. That their program should be verified because the U.S. doesn't know what else North Korea is up to right now, Don.
LEMON: CNN's Ed Henry at the White House. Ed, thank you.
HENRY: Thank you.
KEILAR: All right. We are looking at some live pictures here coming to us from our affiliate, KMBC, out of Kansas City. You are watching the rescue -- the aftermath of a rescue of two construction workers. They were trapped in a flooded tunnel. Again, this information and this video coming to us from our affiliate, KMBC.
There was a rescue underway. Four construction workers in total became trapped in this funnel that goes from Turkey Creek to the Kansas River. We now know that two of the workers -- two of the four -- have been rescued.
Authorities have said that the workers -- they were working on a flood control project at the time. They were trying to go through this tunnel into a boat. But the water was too high in the tunnel. The boat capsized and then the workers were hanging on until rescuers could get to them.
So four workers who were trapped. We now know that two have been rescued. We're going to continue to monitor this and let you know if the other two workers also have been rescued -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Well, did someone have to suffer to put shrimp on your dinner plate? A human rights group uncovers stomach- turning abuses against seafood processing workers in southeast Asia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Listen to this. This is a very serious story, and it's something that may be on your plate for lunch, or even dinner tonight.
Long hours, little pay, sex abuse, bondage, even torture -- over shrimp? A human rights group is making breathtaking claims about the working conditions for some shrimp processors in Southeast Asia. Our State Department correspondent, Zain Verjee, has been working on this, uncovering some new information. And looking into it for us, CNN's special investigations unit.
Zain, what did you find out?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well Don, it's the most popular seafood in the world. But could the shrimp you love to eat be a product of what even the State Department is saying could be slave labor half a world away?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (voice-over): Police raid a shrimp processing plant in Thailand just a month ago. They shot this video, and say conditions echoed findings of a chilling report detailing labor practices there.
ELLIE LARSON, EXEC. DIRECTOR, SOLIDARITY CENTER: They are treated in ways that I'm sure most of the American public believe went by the days of slavery. In fact, that's the kind of conditions these workers are engaged in, what I would call slave conditions.
VERJEE: That's the conclusion Ellie Larson and her AFLCIO affiliated Solidarity Center reached after a three year labor investigation in Thailand and Bangladesh. Findings supported by the work of the U.S. State Department, whose expert on human trafficking describe his conversation with a rescued worker.
MARK LAGON, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: When she and a handful of others tried to escape, guards, in this so-called factory, brought her back and punished her in front of all the other workers there as an example. Her head was shaven. She was beaten. You can't describe this in any other fashion except slavery.
VERJEE: The Solidarity Center's report says workers, including children as young as eight, face sexual abuse, low wages, long hours, filthy and dangerous conditions.
LARSON: There's so much slime on the floor that you can hardly stand up. And that -- just keeping your bearing and your footing while you're trying to do work that involves using very sharp knives.
VERJEE: Events from the last few weeks show how desperate refugees from neighboring Burma for any work in Thailand, often putting their lives in the hands of criminal traffickers. More than 50 suffocated in this truck from Burma just two weeks ago.
The Solitary Center credits the Thai government for trying to tackle the problem.
KRIT GRANJANA-GOONCHORN, THAI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: We proceed from the same common premise that this thing is evil, this thing has to be tackled squarely.
VERJEE: Bangladesh too gets credit in the report for trying to improve its appalling shrimp plants.
HUMAYUN KABIR, BANGLADESHI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Fifteen cases haves come up and approximately half of them have been tried and the people responsible have been punished. So, the government is doing that kind of -- taking that kind of legal measures.
VERJEE: So what can be done outside the region? The U.S. imports $1.5 billion of shrimp a year from Thailand and Bangladesh. And the report makes clear not all imports come from problem plants, but... LAGON: But if a consumer is worried about buying a can of tuna based on whether dolphins might be harmed in catching tuna, surely consumers would be concerned about the shrimp that they would buy based on whether humans are being enslaved.
VERJEE: The report's authors say they did trace shrimp cargoes to some well known U.S. retailers from Thai plants with substandard working conditions.
But only one, Wal-Mart, responded to CNN saying: "We're working with our suppliers to investigate the allegations shared by CNN. We're not aware of any issues in our supply chain."
The shrimp industry's global trade group says it's not aware of plants operating in the manner the Solidarity Center report describes, but tells CNN it's willing to take a harder look.
WALLY STEVENS, EXEC. DIR., GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ALLIANCE: If those plants are in anyway performing, conducting themselves in an inappropriate way, they'll be dropped from our program and we would love to work with whomever to investigate that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. So he said he would drop them from their program, Zain. But I've got to ask you -- the Solidarity Group, or even the State Department, anybody here calling for an embargo?
VERJEE: No. They're not doing that.
But what they're saying is is that the consumer really has all the power here. What the Solidarity Center is saying -- it's publishing this report motivated mainly just to raise everyone's awareness about what's going on with the shrimp and what kind of abuse is going on in Thailand and Bangladesh, kind of like the report on how diamonds often fund wars that cause consumers to questions the origin of jewelry. So -- that's kind of what they're hoping for.
LEMON: All right, then what about the U.S. government? Is the U.S. government doing anything to stop it?
VERJEE: Well we talked to the State Department, of course, the Department of Labor and the international labor organizations, too. And they're working with, they tell us, Bangladesh and Thailand to try to improve conditions for workers, especially for children. They say that they are doing something. They are trying to address it. But they still have a long way to go.
LEMON: All right. State Department correspondent, Zain Verjee. Zain, thank you.
KEILAR: New York City bracing for trouble. Tomorrow is verdict day in the trial over the police killing of Sean Bell.
LEMON: Action star, Wesley Snipes, fights to stay out of prison for tax convictions. We'll have the latest on his sentencing in Florida.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Hi, there. I'm Brianna Keilar at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
All right. We have some developing news in the CNN NEWSROOM. You're looking at pictures now from Kansas City, Kansas, courtesy of our affiliate, KMBC.
Thank you so much KMBC for these pictures.
We've been telling you about four construction workers who were trapped in a tunnel here. Just a couple minutes ago we learned that two of those workers had been rescued, had been brought out of that tunnel. But they were working inside of a tunnel here.
And here is what we're told -- that the water was so high. They were in a boat that it was -- it capsized and that that high water here caused that boat to capsize. These workers were just hanging on until rescuers got to them. This is -- they were in a boat here going from Turkey Creek to the Kansas River.
And -- why don't we bring in Chad Myers.
Chad, are you there?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I am.
LEMON: We're looking at the live pictures. The flooding that's been happening in that area, if it's the Turkey Creek and Kansas River, would that have anything to do with it?
MYERS: They got about an inch of rain from last night. And so that wouldn't be something unexpected, especially during severe weather season.
But let's go to one of our maps here. And we'll kind of zoom you in to tell you of the people here of Kansas City, and also, obviously, people of the Midwest, kind of know where this is.
There is Turkey Creek itself. Let's just kind of zoom in. This is Kansas City proper. You have Kansas City, Kansas and obviously Kansas City, Missouri. We'll take you into Turkey Creek and the flood control project that they were working on here. And you'll be able to see that this area here is kind of a ditch.
