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Plane Crashes in Sudan; Wildfire Destroys Several California Homes; Pentagon Scraps Planned Air Force Cuts; Death of Oklahoma Girls Stuns Town

Aired June 10, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: A Sudanese plane has crashed upon entering an airport in Khartoum. And it is believed that maybe 200, as many as 200 people may be dead in this.
We want to get to our international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He joins us now from London with the very latest on this.

Nic, you were at that airport recently?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we know from people we have talked to in Khartoum that the weather was bad just when that aircraft came in. The security officials at the airport there are telling us that the plane came in, crash-landed, burst into flames.

They are saying -- this is security officials at the airport with the first analysis -- they're saying many, many people are dead. They believe as many as 200 people could be on the aircraft. They say this plane was coming in from the Middle East, either from Syria or from Jordan, came into the airport, bad weather, crash-landed, and now it's in flames.

Those are the barest details we have right now -- Don.

LEMON: Yes.

And as I mentioned in the lead-in to you, Nic, you were just there recently, and this is the rainy season?

ROBERTSON: This is the rainy season. This is a time of year when you get massive rain storms, very, very, very strong, very, very heavy, just coming in very quickly.

And the problem in Khartoum is not just the rain, but it mixes with a lot of dust that is in the air. Khartoum is right on the edge of the Sahara Desert there. A lot of dust comes in. And the city is famous almost for these huge dust storms that blow in. So, at this time of year, you get the dust, you get the rain coming together. It's bad conditions.

And this is what we understand in the initial analysis that the situation was when this plane came in, into very, very poor visibility, very poor conditions. But this is a first analysis, Don. We really need to get more information to find out in more detail exactly what has happened and how it happened. LEMON: And, Nic, stand by, because we have some information just coming in. And you may want to check your sources as well as I'm reading this.

But here's what we're hearing, according to airport authorities, that this plane was coming in, as Nic mentioned, from Damascus or Amman and it landed due to bad weather. It overshot the runway, crash-landed and caught fire. Those same authorities are telling us that many people are dead. They're still taking out the bodies now. They're carrying out, they believe, as many as 200 people.

Another report says that Sudan Airways flight from Amman, this flight was from Amman, Sudan Airways, the landing was delayed a bit because of the bad weather. When that weather cleared, the plane attempted to land, but then skidded off the runway and then it caught fire. Some of the information, Nic, that you reported is in this, a couple of other new details as well.

ROBERTSON: Yes.

And what we know about the storms at this time of year, depositing a lost dust as they come in. It's really speculation at this point, but if the plane and the aircraft, as we're hearing these latest reports, perhaps delayed to come in until the air -- the air seemed a little clearer, perhaps -- and we don't know it at this stage -- but perhaps something on the runway, excess rain water perhaps mixed with that dust as well causing the plane to overshoot.

Khartoum is quite a modern airport, certainly new modern terminal building. It's a very large airport. It has a lot of air traffic that passes through every day into and around Sudan. Flights take off and go from there all over the Middle East to Asia, to the United States. So it is a very -- it is a very busy airport. Certainly, the runway should have been, if they waited for clear weather, clearly visible.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: And, Nic, we're also hearing, Sudanese is reporting that there were many survivors as well. And we will be telling their stories just as soon as they can get to it.

Nic talked about the different airlines and where these flights were coming from. And just reading a little bit of information, some of this information coming from our aviation reporter Miles O'Brien. Some of the airlines that go into there that you might be family with, Air West, Air Arabia, Egypt Air, Emirates Air, which, of course, would originate from Dubai, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf air, Kenyan Airways, KLM, which is a very popular airline.

And the type of airplanes that would be going in and out of that airport, according to our Miles O'Brien, an Airbus A-30 -- or A-300, A-600, an Airbus A-300, 600, Airbus A-310 and 300s, all of those different types of airplanes which would be departing and landing at that airport. Not exactly sure of what this plane was, Nic, but again we're hearing that there are many survivors as well, as I'm getting more information from our Miles O'Brien here, who is on deadline and is working on other information.

But, again, we're hearing a number of people, possibly as many as 200 people, were injured or killed in this, Nic, and we're hearing there are many survivors as well.

ROBERTSON: A lot of Boeing 737s take off and land there at Khartoum Airport. A lot of internal Sudanese flights, there are a lot of different sort of small startup airlines operate internally around the country.

And it's interesting because having just been there and talked with aide officials, they avoid taking these small startup airline, these 737 flights internally around the country, because they say the Sudanese do not have a good track record on the maintenance of their aircraft.

There's no indication that that's the case here, and certainly this is a Sudanese airline. We don't have many more details about it at this time. And it was flying an international route, so it would obviously meet international standards.

LEMON: Right.

ROBERTSON: However, there is concern within in the aide community, the international aide community in Khartoum that sometimes standards, international standards, are not met in terms of maintenance on some aircraft, but indeed, a very, very long runway, very wide.

LEMON: And, Nic, you mentioned that this was quite a modern airport. Also, I am reading here that it was going to be replaced by another airport in 2010, maybe 30 miles south of this one, even though this one is a modern airline.

Also, December 1971, talking about other air accidents at that particular airport, December 1971, forced landing after a hijacking, 10 fatalities in that. August 16, 1986, a plane was shot down by rebels there, 60 fatalities. July 8, 2003, according to Sudan, 116 fatalities, one survivor.

Our Nic Robertson is reporting from London and also checking his sources on information, having just flown into that airport recently.

Nic Robertson, we thank you for joining us. And we will be relying on you throughout the hour as we get more information on this, OK?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk now with Miles O'Brien, our chief technology and environmental correspondent. He's also a private pilot and our resident aviation expert.

Miles, this is not the first time there's been an accident involving Sudan Airways. Give us a little perspective here.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, they have had a history and there have been accidents in their past.

But as I look at this wreckage and trying to piece together what the shreds of the story we have right now. With bad weather and a delayed landing and perhaps a wet runway, that could be a combination that sadly has became a bit familiar to us as of late, in situations where airplanes land on either long and -- either at too great a speed and find themselves unable to brake on a slick runway. That's something that investigators undoubtedly will be looking at.

This dramatic footage would lead you to believe there could be no survivors, but we're hearing reports that this fire might have occurred quite a bit subsequent to after the airplane stopped. And there could have been quite a few survivors that made it out of that airplane. The runway is plenty long, 9,700 feet, plenty of capability there for an overrun, as you can see, just by looking at that. If you overrun the runway, it's not like it's hemmed in by buildings. That's an important point to remember, because we have had a couple of cases -- there was an overrun at the airport in Montreal, where literally it went off a -- kind of off a precipice, an Air France airplane that caused some fatalities there, and a recent one in South America, where the airport was just hemmed in by buildings and there was no overrun capability there at all.

So, in this situation, you know, the Sudan Airways, they fly quite a few of the Airbus products. Those are state-of-the-art type airplanes. It would have all the capabilities for low-weather approaches. But there are still very exacting standards for landing in those situations. You want to make sure you hit all your numbers right and hit the runway at the spot where you want to hit it.

KEILAR: And, Miles, we're going to brick in Chad Myers. He has some questions for you -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Miles.

I'm looking at the winds here, 2:40 at eight miles per hour, gusting to 18, with a thunderstorm in the vicinity. I'm looking at this plane and I'm also looking at the way the wind is going. It appears that this plane tried to land with the wind. Am I seeing that correctly?

O'BRIEN: Well, actually, I'm -- what I'm seeing right now, Chad, is that the airport there has a north/south runway.

MYERS: Correct.

O'BRIEN: It's 1836. So, if it was a 240-degree wind, that would be a fairly significant crosswind. But you say it was gusting to how much?

MYERS: Eighteen knots, so like 21 miles an hour.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: OK. That would still be within the parameters for an airplane of this kind.

But having said that, if it's a gusty crosswind, that can actually be more difficult and more unpredictable for a flight crew. If it's a steady crosswind, you sort of set your control surfaces to compensate for that. Think of a crab kind of going sideways to try to compensate for the wind that is blowing you off course.

If it's gusty, it can be a little more difficult for the crew. And if the gust happens at the wrong time, that certainly can lead to problems.

KEILAR: And, guys, just want to let you know, Miles as well as Chad, we're just hearing now from Sudanese television that at least 100 people were killed in this accident.

We told you, according to airport officials, we understood that as many as 200 people were on the plane. There were many survivors, but there were obviously many people who did not survive, hearing now from Sudanese television that at least 100 were killed.

This again is a Sudan Airways plane crash, crashing at Khartoum International Airport, the capital of Sudan. We will continue to follow this here in the CNN NEWSROOM with our experts, Chad Myers, as well as Miles O'Brien.

LEMON: We're also following other breaking news, developing news happening in Stockton, California. This is a fire, and this is a wind-driven fire. It has damaged several homes, burned homes in an area called the Quail Lakes, which is just north -- just south of Interstate 5 there.

Hot, dry weather around the region has made for some really high danger there. The north wind was gusting more than 20 miles an hour and humidity is low in the area, and that is, of course, the recipe for danger.

This blaze was centered around several neighborhoods in this area, and embers were flying nearby, damaging some of the homes, as -- the homes that sat downwind of this. Several trees were also torched -- all of this information coming from our affiliate KCRA. Again, this is -- traffic is slow in the area. The pictures that you're looking at, though, this new video coming from KOVR, it appears to have started along I-5 near Brush Creek Drive, and then headed south toward homes in that area.

So, again, homes damaged there and others still in danger because of a fast-moving fire that is being driven by the wind in that area. We will continue to update you on both of these developing stories in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

LEMON: Well, check out these images. And these images perhaps more than any others show how powerful and destructive floodwaters can be.

When an earthen dam gave way in resort town of Lake Delton, Wisconsin, the lake poured right into the Wisconsin River and swept five homes right off their foundations. All the homeowners could do was watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON KUBENICK, VICTIM: Well, we came up on weekends. This was our -- like our retirement home. I had a real (INAUDIBLE) that was cantilevered over the water. And that's gone. The boat's gone, brand-new boat. It's just hard to believe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was hanging over the cliff, like everything was washed out, and it just went.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, people there certainly have a lot to deal with. And we're hoping we're going to hear from one of the homeowners, Don Kubenick, just a little bit later on right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: Frustrated that you can't find a job? Well, this T- Shirt says it all. I'm not going to say it, though. We are going to meet a guy who is turning job seekers into walking billboards.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: CNN will bring you the next part of our global "Planet in Peril" investigation this fall, but already, as we speak, our Anderson Cooper is crisscrossing Central Africa. He's collecting stories that are impacting our environment and our world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Hey. I'm coming to you from Rwanda.

We're here for the second installment in our award-winning "Planet in Peril" series. This time it's called "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines." And we're traveling around the world to places where there's conflict over natural resources.

We're traveling again -- once again -- with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, but also with Lisa Ling, a correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey show and for National Geographic.

We have come to Rwanda because in many ways, it's a success story. We're checking in on the world's last remaining mountain gorillas, which are well protected here in this country, even though they're still under threat.

The government of Rwanda has struck a balance between protecting the gorillas and their habitat and trying to bring in tourists and bring in money. And they have struck pretty much the right balance. The same can't be said for neighboring Democratic Republican of Congo. We were just over there. There are about as many as a million internally displaced people filling up refugee camps there. And the gorillas are under tremendous threat. The rangers who are paid to protect them can't even go to see the gorillas because they're -- a rebel army is in control of the gorillas' habitat.

That's a worst-case scenario. We are also going to be traveling later this week to some other countries in Central Africa to look at where expanding populations, human populations, and the need for food, the international food crisis, is causing people to go deeper and deeper into forest habitat.

And not only are they destroying that habitat in the process. They're also killing a lot of animal species. And, on top of that, they're exposing themselves and frankly exposing all of us to dangerous viruses which had previously only existed in those animal populations, but which are now at risk of crossing over into the human population.

So, it's all part of "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines." And we will be bringing you more reports throughout the week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Anderson.

Dreams washed away when a lake overflows. We will talk with the man who built this home, only to watch it break apart and disappear downstream.

And you know what? We're not just giving advice in our issue number-one coverage. We're also getting it from our I-Reporters as well, like Bethany Dietz of Baltimore. She tries to save up all her errands and knock them out in a single day, saving time, money, and, of course, gas.

And Janaki Purushe of Rockville, Illinois, says she has planned her entire lifestyle around not having to drive. She lives close to her job, and she uses public transportation or her trusty bike.

And to see more of our I-Reports or submit your own, log on to ireport.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Let's update you now on that plane crash in Sudan at Khartoum International Airport, at the capital of Sudan.

According to Sudanese television, at least 100 people were killed. We had heard from airport security officials that as many as 200 people were on board. Those officials also saying that this plane crash-landed. It burst into flames. It may have overshot the runway.

We also heard from our Nic Robertson that the weather was bad when this plane landed there at Khartoum International Airport. This is the rainy season, and, again, reports there of bad weather. This plane is a Sudan Airways plane. It was coming in from Syria or Jordan. And, again, Sudanese television reporting that at least 100 killed, at least 100 killed. We know that as many as 200 were on board.

This story obviously developing. We are going to continue to follow the details here as they do develop and bring them to you.

LEMON: All right.

Having problems? Can't find a job? Think you're at the end of your rope? Well, you may want to listen to this, because it could be some good advice. You never know. OK, so, try Googling the words "I need a job." Chances are the first thing that pops up is our next guest's Web site.

Larry Dinsmore created a provocatively named Damn, I Need a Job. It's a Web site where you can turn yourself into a walking billboard.

And Larry joins us now live to talk to us about that.

Larry, how did you come up with that name, first of all?

LARRY DINSMORE, WEB SITE CREATOR: Well, really, it was just born out of frustration. I was downtown, driving around at my wits' end. And I just pretty much said it out loud. And I thought, well, that's a good name. That's going to be catchy.

LEMON: And there you -- that was 2005, right?

DINSMORE: Yes. Yes, sir.

LEMON: Lost your job at a technology company; am I correct?

DINSMORE: No. It was in a technology department, but...

LEMON: OK. So you lost your job 2005, and then you get this idea. You're driving down the street. You're frustrated because you can't find work. So, you come up with this name. And then you come up with a Web site and then you also start selling T-shirts. And tell us our viewers what happened to you next.

DINSMORE: Well, it's -- the site was pretty much directly responsible for my employment situation today.

The local news did a story on it. A lady that was home sick from work saw me on the news. She talked to an I.T. manager, who contacted me through the Web site. So...

LEMON: So, you got a job.

DINSMORE: Absolutely.

(CROSSTALK)

DINSMORE: The best job I ever had.

LEMON: Yes. What?

DINSMORE: The best job I ever had.

LEMON: The best job you ever had.

OK. So, listen, here's the bottom line, then.

DINSMORE: OK.

LEMON: So, your Web site has had a lot of traffic. You have been able to sell these T-Shirts. Obviously, you're making a living. We know you're not a career adviser, but what advice do you have for people who may be struggling with unemployment?

DINSMORE: You know, the -- perhaps the underlying message in that Web site is that, you know, think outside the box. Try and be creative. You know, if you feel like your resume is landing on somebody's desk and getting filed in the trash can right away, do something. You know, get yourself noticed. Go to any lengths to get noticed.

LEMON: Yes. Yes. And don't give up. Just keep trying.

(CROSSTALK)

DINSMORE: That's right.

LEMON: That's probably it.

It sounds trite, but it's true. And Larry Dinsmore is an example of that.

Hey, we appreciate you joining us. And the name is actually kind of cool.

(LAUGHTER)

DINSMORE: Yes. Well, thanks for having me.

LEMON: All right. Good luck.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

LEMON: It is a very busy day here in the CNN NEWSROOM, and time to tell you a couple stories we're working on.

We have breaking news out of Sudan's capital, where local TV says at least 100 people have been killed in a fiery plane crash. The Sudan Airways flight from Jordan apparently overshot the runway and burst into flames.

A fast-moving wildfire has burned several homes and is threatening others in California's Central Valley. The fire started along a highway in Stockton. And the wind is driving it. Thick smoke is snarling traffic -- no reports of any injuries. Flames in the West, too much water in the Midwest, dams in parts of flood-ravaged Wisconsin are leaking or in danger of bursting. An earlier dam collapse, nearly emptied an entire lake and washed away homes.

KEILAR: The defense secretary grounding a plan to shrink the Air Force -- he talked about it with our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

We will hear details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone.

I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Kyra Phillips.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Defense Secretary Robert Gates is touring some of the largest Air Force bases to talk about last week's leadership shakeup. He's also telling troops about another new development -- a reversal of plans to shrink the Air Force. The down draw was meant to cut 40,000 personnel by 2010. Gates says the reversal is meant to boost morale.

Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, has been traveling with the secretary and interviewed him today. They covered the Air Force developments, as well as the big picture in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: What do you think is going to happen in Iraq after you leave?

You're six months away from leaving.

How do you envision it playing out?

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, I actually think that, based on what I read in the newspapers, I think either person who is elected president is going to come in and take a close look at it. I've said repeatedly we can't get the end game wrong. The next president would suffer the greatest consequences if we do get the end game wrong. So I think -- I think whoever is elected is likely to take a fairly sensible approach to it.

MCINTYRE: So their actions will probably be tempered by all of the practical and reality considerations that you have to take into account when you're in that position?

GATES: I certainly hope so.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: CNN's Jamie McIntyre talking to Robert Gates.

KEILAR: Wisconsin's governor wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help assess the flooding damage across the state. But FEMA officials will likely want to talk to these homeowners who watched as Lake Delton overflowed, taking out a highway embankment, sewer lines and their lakefront homes.

One of them, Don Kubenik, is there. He was there. He's looking at what's left. He's joining me now by the phone.

Don, thanks so much for being with us. I know this is just a terrible loss for you.

DON KUBENIK, HOMEOWNER: Thank you.

KEILAR: So we saw the front of your house, what happened. It virtually -- it seemed to basically crack in half.

Were you there as this happened? Tell us where you were.

KUBENIK: No, I was not there. I was -- I called my phone and they told me that.

KEILAR: And, Don, I understand this is your second home. It's your vacation home.

Did you have flood insurance?

KUBENIK: Oh, you know, we don't know what we had. There is no flood insurance. They wouldn't sell us flood insurance.

KEILAR: Really? Why wouldn't they sell you flood insurance?

KUBENIK: We don't know. We're still trying to find that out.

KEILAR: So what is the --

KUBENIK: People --

KEILAR: What's the possibility here?

Are you -- I know you may be getting a lawyer.

KUBENIK: You bet. That's number one. We've done that already this morning. And the other neighbors are getting lawyers, too. And we'll have to see what happens from there. They'll play it by ear and we'll just have to just go by ear, I guess, until this is all resolved. We haven't heard nothing from any of the city officials or anybody else that is involved with this.

KEILAR: Tell us about what wash -- so basically this is Lake Delton and it went into the Wisconsin River when an embankment broke. We can see, obviously, that part of your home washed away.

But what else -- was there a lawn there? Was there a boat? What else did you lose?

Tell us about the scene.

KUBENIK: Well, there was a boat there. There was a real fancy pier that we made and it was a cantilevered pier and it looked like a very nice structure. That's gone. Everything is gone. Everything I had to hold the boat is gone. Those were items that cost over $500 apiece. It's just a total tragedy what happened.

KEILAR: But aside from the cost, Don, I mean you put this home together with your own hands, right?

You've only had it for a few years?

KUBENIK: Yes, I did.

KEILAR: And tell us -- you sound like you're doing pretty well right now. But when you saw the damage...

KUBENIK: Well, I'm doing all right.

KEILAR: When you saw the damage -- when you first saw it, what did you think?

KUBENIK: Oh, I thought I can't believe this. I was just there Saturday and I was laying on the coach and I'm thinking to myself, laying on a couch at this lake -- just going into the lake just like that. I couldn't believe it.

KEILAR: And this...

KUBENIK: I walked up there and they showed me this. I said, no. No, no. That's not my house. Yes, it is.

KEILAR: Have you been able to get inside at all, retrieve any belongings or anything?

KUBENIK: No. Not at all. They won't let us in until they deem it's safe.

KEILAR: And tell us about -- this is a neighborhood where -- I mean this is sort of a neighborhood where a lot of people come to vacation homes.

What do you think is going to happen here to the future of this neighborhood?

KUBENIK: Well, I don't know, ma'am, what's going to happen. I hope they rebuild it. I hope we can get a lot back. Because the land is gone. There's nothing there. It's nothing but a big ravine right now about 35 feet down. It's huge. And it's right up against the house. And the house is teetering. And as we watched it this morning, it was to the point where it was ready to tip off of the foundation.

KEILAR: Did you ever in a million years think something like this could happen -- weather could devastate your house? KUBENIK: No, ma'am, I didn't.

KEILAR: All right. Well, I know this is going to be a bit of a battle ahead for you, trying to figure out exactly what to do.

Don Kubenik, thanks so much for taking the time out. I know you probably don't have a lot of it right now.

Thank you.

KUBENIK: Thank you. Bye.

LEMON: It's just really sad to hear.

KEILAR: It sure is.

LEMON: Those stories coming out of the Midwest there.

And we are getting some new information. It's just coming in to me here. The producers are talking. I think it's from Mukwonago. And this is in Illinois. And officials are saying there is a dam breech, they believe. And it's in Wisconsin. Pardon me for that. Mukwonago officials are on alert for a possible failure of a dam that impounds the water, creating the upper and lower Phantom Lakes. Officials are concerned about the stability of Highway 83, that crosses a dam near Village Hall. This information coming to us from our affiliate, WTMJ.

And we have seen some breaches in earthen dams and some folks yesterday live on our air shoring up other dams in the area. But this one is coming out of Wisconsin. Mukwonago officials are on alert for a possible failure of the dam that impounds the water creating the Upper and Lower Phantom Lakes. And officials are concerned about the stability of Highway 83 that crosses the dam near Village Hall. This new video from our affiliate WTMJ, who's is giving us this information, as well, just into the CNN NEWSROOM.

And we just heard from the gentleman there who watched his home just float away -- break in two and float away. And many people are experiencing very similar tragedies in this area. If their homes are not floating away, they are filled with water and they have lost many of their belongings.

Several people have died from the storms in this area, but not exactly -- no one has been killed from the flooding in this area that we have heard about.

We're going to continue to update you on this very devastating situation happening in the Midwest right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Plus, our Chad Myers on top of it, as well.

KEILAR: There are no easy fixes for $4 a gallon gas. But, you know, there are some ways that you can save.

CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our energy fix from New York -- hi there, Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hi there, Brianna.

We're coming to you from the Nasdaq today. And I'm really happy about this energy fix, because we hope you'll take advantage of it and hopefully it will help you.

We all know we're going to save money by driving less. Many Americans right now, they're doing just that. Oil closing the day out above $131 a barrel, gas above $4.

There's another way, though, you can cut your expenses. You may not have thought about this one. I know I didn't. You can save on your auto insurance -- not by switching to Geico, but by letting your insurance company know you are driving less.

The Consumer Federation of America says if you are no longer driving to work you, may classify as a "for pleasure" driver. That means you could save 10 to 15 percent on your premium.

And if you drive to public transportation just to get to work, you could save 5 percent to 10 percent. Another way to save, if you consolidate your trips and drive less. Then, again, you could save 5 percent to 10 percent because your mileage per year will be lower, Brianna.

I really didn't know about this. I think it is really helpful for people out there.

KEILAR: And you don't really want to keep these changes to yourself, Poppy.

HARLOW: No, don't keep it to yourself. Tell your insurance company, because depending on who your provider is, they may not have sent out a mailing. They may not have notified you about it. But a 15 percent premium in terms of the saving on your premium, that could be about $140, on average, for an American that drives about the average amount each year. In some states, that could total $200 in savings. And right now, at the price we're at now, that will pay for about 50 gallons of gas. That is real money.

This is a real energy fix for you guys, so check it out. A lot more of this, Brianna, is on our Web site, CNNMoney.com

I hope this helps people.

KEILAR: Yes, share with your friends the tips and share with your insurance company. I never would have thought that, Poppy.

Very interesting.

HARLOW: Me neither.

KEILAR: All right, thanks so much.

HARLOW: Sure.

KEILAR: And you can follow your fortunes at CNNMoney.com. We've got all of the day's market news and numbers there. We've got expert analysis and much more.

LEMON: All right, let's take you now to Wisconsin and a dam there that is in possible danger of being breached. It is the Phantom Lake Dam. We're getting reports from our affiliate, WTMJ, that it could fail. That's the question here. It's Mukwonago and the officials there are on alert for a possible failure of this dam. This dam impounds the water that creates the Upper and Lower Phantom Lakes. Officials are concerned about instability there; also concerned about the highway being in trouble and being washed away because of it.

This highway, 83, crosses that dam near Village Hall. We've got our eyes on this, as well as other weather throughout the country. A sweltering heat wave in the Northeast and flooding -- severe flooding in the Midwest in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: We are monitoring a situation in Wisconsin in Mukwonago. Phantom Lake -- this is a dam between sort of a lower lake and an upper lake. And there's a concern that it may fail, that it has become compromised.

Let's get now to Chad Myers for more on this -- Chad.

MYERS: Well, you can see the water kind of going around the dam just a little bit.

KEILAR: Sure.

MYERS: And then they've -- also, they put plastic on that, just to try to keep the dam -- the dirt on both sides of the dam from getting so saturated that it actually loses contact and will wash the dam down the stream and then right on through and into the -- there's a train bridge down the other end there and also there's a little highway bridge there.

There we're going to lose that picture.

But let's go to Google Earth. We'll show you where it is here, to the southwest of Milwaukee. There is the -- there's the dam right there. That's the little dam we're worried about. And you can see that that's the dirt picture.

Now we're on to Microsoft Virtual Earth. And we can actually spin you around a number of different views. We'll drag you around and show you the dam from that direction. That's what the dam is supposed to look like on a regular day. We have to move that up, Dave, because you can't -- it's under the breaking news banner. You can't see it.

The -- there we go, right there.

And there's the dam on the bottom. Now, as that dirt gets saturated on both sides of that dam, it doesn't matter if the water is going through it or not. It's going to become super saturated and then that water is going -- and we have that picture back. We have the live shots back now. And just -- you don't want that dirt on both sides to get so wet that you lose contact with it and you lose traction and then all of a sudden that dam goes away.

Another thing, too, I've been noticing that they've been trying to fish out any debris that's been trying to get into the dam, because that's going to make the water higher if it can't go through the sluice gate there. And so, you know, they've -- everybody here has their work cut out for them. It's not just one dam or another. A lot of these earthen dams or even -- this isn't even earthen, this is a real dam -- could be in trouble in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, through parts of Ohio and Kentucky and Tennessee. There are hundreds of similar pictures to the one you're seeing right there -- Don, Brianna.

KEILAR: And, Chad, if this were to go, what is in the way of the water there?

MYERS: What is down river?

We're going to go back to Google on that one here. We'll zoom back out here.

The dam itself kind of just to -- you see the number 83 right there. The dam is right there where that little hand is. So if that dam -- it's going to go to the right and go downstream. So let's just keep panning there to the right and show you it might go through. There's a train bridge here and then obviously a big street bridge here. And then it gets back into another river. So it's going to get into another river system. And then there's Interstate 43 right there, the Rock Freeway, as we get into it. And we'll zoom all the way back out for you to give you an idea. And that goes right on up to Milwaukee itself.

KEILAR: So the concern there could be some of the roadways that go over these rivers?

MYERS: Yes. Yes. If you get too much water coming out of that lake, you're probably going to put some of these road and train bridges in the way of harm, because you're going to see the, really, the scouring of the dirt like we saw on that lake that we saw up there at Lake Delton yesterday. And we don't want that at all.

KEILAR: All right. We know you'll keep an eye on this, Chad.

Thanks so much.

MYERS: OK. You're welcome.

LEMON: All right, this is a very disturbing story we have to tell you about today in the CNN NEWSROOM. Two innocent girls and some of the innocence of their small town lost. An Oklahoma community is trying to make sense of a double killing -- two best friends shot as they took a walk together. Today, there's word authorities may have a suspect in mind.

And we get more from Darrielle Snipes of our affiliate KOCO.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DARRIELLE SNIPES, KOCO CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is where they say two girls just went for a walk and then someone murdered them. It happened just a half a mile away from one of the girl's homes.

CLAUDIA FARROW, SKYLA'S GRANDMOTHER: And how can you get away with it, killing two girls, two friends?

They were best friends.

SNIPES: Eleven-year-old Skyla Whitaker and her best friend loved having sleepovers. They had one this weekend and they were going for a walk before Skyla's mom came to pick her up. They never made it back to the house.

STAN FLORENCE, OKLAHOMA STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: This apparently is a common occurrence for them to take a walk down this road. And apparently they didn't return. One of the relatives went down, found the girls and discovered they had been killed on the side of the road.

FARROW: We always felt like she could be safe walking up and down our roads. And now I don't think anybody's safe anywhere.

SNIPES: OSBI is working on several leads. This as Skyla's mom says her death hasn't hit her yet, but adds she will miss the daughter who loved playing in the rain and always said I know.

SNIPES: I can still hear her saying it. It used to kind of perturb me the way she'd say that. But now I'll miss her saying it. I'll miss her saying I know. She's a great loss, no doubt.

SNIPES: Investigators continue to gather evidence -- evidence they hope will lead them to the murder suspect.

In Okfuskee County, Darrielle Snipes, Eyewitness 5.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Duties done -- it is time to relax before taking off. The crews of Discovery and the Space Station get ready to say so long.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, yes, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama pulled the wool over all of our eyes in the media Friday night with their secret meeting in Washington. It left every network scrambling to report even minute details about -- look at that, how they put minute. They phonetically spelled it out. About what was going on. And it also provided fodder for John Stewart and his "Daily Show" on Comedy Central.

Check out the familiar face on last night's show. Maybe you'll recognize her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": Doesn't anybody know anything?

KEILAR: We know it was around 9:00 p.m.. They were in two comfortable chairs. It lasted about an hour. Senator Feinstein served them water, but nothing else.

(LAUGHTER)

STEWART: I'm also being told now that both senators are mostly composed of water. That water covers over two-thirds of these -- geography known as the Earth and that water is typically used to cool smoke in a bong. So for more, visit CNN.com/Clinton-Obama/water facts.com.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: That's a great look on my face.

LEMON: Welcome to the club, my friend.

How do you feel?

KEILAR: Uh...

LEMON: Hey, I watch "The Daily Show" like this with the covers.

KEILAR: I know.

Well, let's check in with someone who is no stranger.

LEMON: He's been over there a million times.

KEILAR: Yes.

LEMON: I said Wolf Blitzer, welcome to the club, right. It happens to the best of us.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Been there, done it, guys. Get use the to it.

Thanks very much.

Coming up at the top of the hour, some of the most powerful Democrats here in Washington, D.C. just wrapping up a major event aimed at sending a message of unity.

Will it work?

The Clinton dynasty -- what's next for the former president, the senator, their daughter?

We'll ask Clinton insider Paul Begala. He's standing by to join us live. And Ken Starr -- yes, Ken Starr, best known for taking on President Clinton -- now he might soon have a new role, of all things, helping people like Britney Spears. We're going to tell you what's going on right here in THE SITUATION ROOM -- back to you.

LEMON: Thanks, Wolf.

KEILAR: Thanks, Wolf.

And we're checking on some pictures we've been bringing you throughout the show. This is Mukwonago, Wisconsin. We're looking at the Phantom Lake Dam. Concern there that it may be compromised. We're going to keep an eye on this, of course. And I'm sure they'll continue to keep an eye on it in "THE SITUATION ROOM," as well.

LEMON: But first before we get to that, the closing bell and a wrap of the action on Wall Street.

How is the Dow doing today?

We'll let you know, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Back to space, where the crews of the shuttle and the International Space Station have said their goodbyes. We are looking at some live pictures of the -- there were some hatches there closing between Discovery and the orbiting outpost. And this is so interesting. You can see one of the female members. She was rocking (ph) kind of a Medusa like hairdo.

LEMON: Move out of the way, guys. We want to see.

KEILAR: It was so interesting, because it was zero gravity. Well, the Space Shuttle is going to undock tomorrow morning. This will be just after 7:30 Eastern. It will end NASA's 26th shuttle mission to the Space Station. And astronaut Garrett Reisman is probably most anxious to get back to Earth. He's been in space for three months now. Landing set for Saturday.

LEMON: Oh, it's so cool to see all of that, all the astronauts. Yes.

KEILAR: And having a little fun as they say goodbye.

LEMON: No, that's it. We have great jobs, at least I think. But that is a cool job.

KEILAR: It's amazing.

LEMON: The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street. That's a cool job most of the time, right?

KEILAR: Yes, right -- Susan Lisovicz?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it keeps me busy, I'll say that. Sometimes I feel like I'm in outer space with some of the numbers I've seen.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Susan. Have a good evening.

Make sure you stay tuned to CNN for all the breaking news, including flooding and the situation at Khartoum Airport.

KEILAR: And let's head now to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer.