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Dolly Now a Rainmaker More Than a Wind Blower; Military Prosecutors Trying to Convict Salim Hamdan; Stunning Video of a U.S. Naval Ship Being Blown Apart; Building an Olympic-Sized House of Cards
Aired July 24, 2008 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
You'll see events come into the NEWSROOM live on this Thursday morning, July 24th.
Here's what's on the rundown.
Dolly not done yet. The once Category 2 hurricane is still picking up wind and pouring down rain.
HARRIS: Speaking to allies and voters back home, Barack Obama in Berlin.
COLLINS: And the cancer expert has a wakeup call on cell phone use. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has advice in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Dolly is no longer a hurricane but still making a lot of trouble. Dolly blew ashore yesterday with winds gusting to 120 miles an hour, ripping off roofs and knocking down power lines.
Now a tropical storm, Dolly could still dump a foot or more of rain over the Texas-Mexico border region. A flood watch posted for much of south Texas. So far only one reported injury from the storm.
Governor Rick Perry will fly over the Brownsville area today to get a look at the damage.
CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf saw the worst of it yesterday on South Padre Island. There he is, he survived, weathered the storm.
Reynolds, what was Dolly like at its worst and how does it look today?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, Tony, I think sometimes the best way to tell you and the viewers at home the story is by showing you some of the video, let you hear some of the sounds of just the incredible winds, winds in excess of 100 miles per hour.
Let's take you back to yesterday afternoon. The winds coming through this area were so strong as we show you the video. The winds actually knocked down the power to our truck. So we actually recorded this just on camera and sent it back later.
Up and down, this mile of -- miles of this sandy island which stretches some 34 miles, with (INAUDIBLE) conditions, just pounding surf, the wind was coming in, the rain, very heavy at times, and then when we left our spot, and we came back to our hotel, this is what we found.
Take a look at this. This is not just an open air cafe. This happens to be the place where we had dinner just the other night, actually sitting right here in this booth, which now is just ruined for the time being.
I'm standing on part of the plate glass window. You look over there. That leads to the lobby of the hotel. And then you go back over here, you sea Sean Callebs who's been working very hard all morning long. And right here at the pool, this used to be nice and blue, but now it looks like a pond. All we need is some coy and we're in great shape.
And then if you look even higher up -- hey, good morning -- we got folks that are watching CNN, but they're not watching CNN with the ability of watching it just on TV because there isn't any power. They don't have any power here, they don't have any running water.
We, thankfully, are able to see this home because that truck you see right over there -- it's our Gulf Coast bureau truck, and that, of course, is supplying power for these shots, but not everyone else that lucky. Not everyone has the ability of having those generators. Certainly a rough time.
In a hotel like this, you got to remember there are a lot of people that are going on vacation. They are hoping to hear the sounds of the beach and you see the beautiful sea birds and what not. But it was really terrifying experience for them.
Listen to what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASSANDRA VERA, HOTEL GUEST: The sounds are what woke us up and we could hear, like, the windows kind of shaking and that's when the rain and the wind got really bad. We could hear that whistling noise.
ROCKY HERNANDEZ, HOTEL GUEST: That's horrible, dude. Every window in the lobbies are all out. All of the -- every floor, every window is out. You can see the beds, the curtains are all blown out, stuff's all over the floor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: Let's show you also some video that we have in parts of south Texas where in places like Brownsville, they had over six inches of rainfall yesterday.
Now you take a look at Brownsville. They had roof damage there, too. Trees were toppled. Just a mess there. Now Dolly, as, of course, Rob has been telling you all morning long, has been downgraded to a tropical storm but that doesn't mean they're out of the woods just yet. Brownsville is in pretty good shape. Believe it or not, despite the rainfall -- again over six inches of rainfall -- they did have pretty good news to report that the levees have been holding up really well, they've reinforced these levees through up to federal standards now.
But still the problem is going to remain for many, many people in parts of the Rio Grande Valley.
Come back to me for a moment you'll see the sign right here, nine feet -- there is a possibility that they could get some heavy rain in south Texas. Maybe not nine feet, but possibly up to a foot, maybe even more in a few isolated spots.
Tony, let's send it back to you in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Wow, what a -- what do we call that in the business -- a walk and talk. What a reveal. What a view of that damage, Reynolds, appreciate it, thank you, sir.
COLLINS: Let's take a moment now to get over to Rob Marciano standing by in the weather center to talk more about this.
So what's the very latest as we've been hearing? Dolly downgraded, yes?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Remember that forecast that we told you about yesterday where you go 12 hours...
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: ... and slice it in half?
HARRIS: Who told us that?
MARCIANO: I think I did.
HARRIS: OK.
MARCIANO: You know it's a general rule of thumb.
COLLINS: Brilliant man over there. Yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: Yes, all right, Rob, we'll check back a little later on. Thank you.
MARCIANO: Sounds good.
COLLINS: It's on to Europe today for Barack Obama. First stop, a morning meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel. He also plans a major speech at the Victory Column in Berlin's Tiergarten Park.
Obama wrapped the Mideast leg of his world tour with an unannounced visit to the Western wall. He's donned a white Yamaca, and left a note inside a wall or crevice of one of Jerusalem's holiest sites.
John McCain heads to the battleground state of Ohio today. He will campaign against cancer with famed cyclist Lance Armstrong. Our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be there as well.
Bad weather scuttled the planned McCain visit to Louisiana yesterday. He was to meet with Governor Bobby Jindal who was considered a possible choice for running mate, but Jindal said yesterday he will not be on the ticket with McCain.
CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is tracking the start of Barack Obama's European tour. She is with us now live from Berlin.
Christiane, good morning to you. What are Europeans looking for from Obama today?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, I think they are looking for -- certainly the people where he is widely popular -- they're looking for what he might say about what kind of a foreign policy a President Barack Obama would have if elected.
What they want to see is something different from the so-called go-it-alone unilateral policy of the last eight years of the Bush administration. It's caused a tremendous drop, a tremendous plunge in the respect and admiration and popularity of the United States.
And I think people in the rest of the world want to know that the next president, whoever it might be, is going to resort to a sort of multilateral diplomatic policy, obviously, needing to do what they need to do when they need to do it, but in general, going back to multilateral diplomacy and more cooperation with Europe and its other allies.
On the plane from the Middle East here to Berlin, Barack Obama spoke to some of the journalists. CNN's Candy Crowley is on board and is with him in the traveling press corps. And he said that his message was designed not only for the people of Europe, but also for the people back home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's no doubt that part of what I want to communicate on both sides of the Atlantic is the enormous potential of us restoring a sense of coming together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: So just an idea of a few of the things that Europeans are going to want to hear about. They're going want to talk about -- hoping that there won't be another war for instance. Many people are saying whatever happens the next president mustn't resort to war with Iran, for instance.
They want to see the United States take a lead on bringing peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. They want to see the United States leading rather than trailing on the environment and global warming. They want to see United States restored as a beacon of moral authority and to reject the kind of torture and the human right violations that have been so prominent in places like Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.
So there's a whole new tone that people abroad are looking for and, clearly, it's one that Barack Obama is hoping to capitalize on and to be able to show the people back home that, look, if you want America's reputation restored in the world, then I'm the person to do that. His popularity among people abroad is very high -- Heidi?
COLLINS: CNN's Christiane Amanpour for us in Berlin, Germany.
Christiane, thank you.
And you can see Barack Obama's speech live on CNN today at 1:00 Eastern. We will also stream it on CNN.com. Just go CNN.com/live.
HARRIS: A strong earthquake rocks northern Japan, injuring more than 100 people. The magnitude, 6.8 quake, centered about 280 miles northeast of Tokyo near the coast of Iwate.
Witnesses say the shaking lasted about 40 seconds. It destroyed dozens of homes and buildings and knocked out power to thousands of people.
Experts say earthquake-prone Japan was lucky this time because the quake's epicenter was deep and it's hit in a sparsely populated area.
COLLINS: A 98-mile stretch of the Mississippi river is closed this morning. Crews are cleaning up an oil spill near New Orleans. More than 419,000 gallons dumped into the river after a fuel barge collided with a tanker.
The Coast Guard says the crew of the tug pushing the barge up river was not properly licensed. The NTSB is investigating.
City officials say tap water in New Orleans is safe for now, but the mayor is urging caution until tests are complete.
HARRIS: Your money, your concerns, and the latest headlines that are shaping your bottom line.
Oil is holding mostly steady this morning after falling to the lowest level in seven weeks. Yesterday's closing price was $20 less than the record high set earlier this month. Gas prices continue to slide.
Today's national average less than $4.03 a gallon, down about a penny and a half since yesterday. That's almost nine cents a gallon less than the record just a week ago.
And the House has passed the massive mortgage rescue bill. It would help homeowners at risk of foreclosure and provide a safety net for industry giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Senate approval is expected next week. And President Bush now says he will sign it.
COLLINS: Wall Street and main street reacting to President Bush's frank assessment of the market.
CNN's Mary Snow has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President Bush didn't intend the public to hear a private talk given at a fund-raiser in Houston last week. But someone in the crowd had a camera rolling and the video ended up on YouTube, allowing viewers to hear him fault Wall Street for the ailing economy.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's no question about it. Wall Street got drunk. It's one reason I asked you to turn off your TV cameras. It got drunk and now it's got a hangover. The question is how long will it sober up, and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments?
SNOW: The president then alluded to the housing crisis.
BUSH: And then we've got a housing issue, not in Houston, evidently not in Dallas because Laura's over there trying to buy a house today.
SNOW: A White House spokeswoman downplayed the remark saying the president has made similar criticisms of Wall Street in the past.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has described it the way others have. Obviously, he did it in a very -- in a way that was with much candor.
SNOW: But the president's finger pointing drew fire from some who make their living on Wall Street.
ART HOGAN, JEFFRIES & CO. CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST: To put at the feet of Wall Street what happened in residential real estate and residential real estate mortgages is unconscionable.
SNOW: Art Hogan of Jeffries & Co. says, instead of Wall Street, blame shady lenders giving mortgages to people who couldn't afford them.
But political analyst and former presidential adviser, David Gergen, says there's plenty of blame to go around and questions Washington's responsibility.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: The president said, you know, Wall Street got drunk and now it's got a hangover. There's a truth to that. But for a lot of people, the question is, where was the government? Why didn't the government take the bottles away? You know why did it allow it to go on this binge?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: While the president blames complex investment instruments used on Wall Street that pulled mortgage securities, critics say there wasn't enough oversight. They question why the government didn't step in to do something.
HARRIS: Relief for the nation's troubled housing market. A mortgage rescue bill could help Americans at risk of losing their homes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A routine traffic stop, a bone jarring crash, and a police officer goes flying. We'll tell you what happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Covering the angles, uncovering the details, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Two million U.S. workers are getting a raise today. The nation's minimum wage bumps up 70 cents an hour to $6.55. Critics say the increase will be mostly offset by higher prices of gas and food. Next year, the minimum wage will bump up, again, to $7.25 an hour.
HARRIS: A far reaching bill to aid the trouble housing market clears one hurdle.
For more on what it could do to ease the mortgage crisis, Stephanie Elam, "Minding Your Business."
Stephanie, I really want to know what's in it for homeowners who are in trouble now. I now there's stuff in there for Freddie and Fannie. But I really want to know what's in it for folks who are having a tough time right now.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I think that's what a lot of people want to know, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes.
ELAM: Obviously. I mean at this point you can see Congress is doing what they can to sure up the housing crisis, make people feel better about the situation of things as far as the government is concerned.
So let's go ahead and take a look at some of the provisions that are involved in the bill that has gone through the House. It still needs Senate approval. But right now you can see it says ensure up to $300 billion in at-risk home loans.
HARRIS: OK. ELAM: Also -- that's one thing, obviously, that will help out people who are in that situation, right? But then they're not going back Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with credit. And that will be unlimited credit over the next 18 months.
They're going to increase the loan cap guarantee to $625,000 and they will create a first-time home buyer credit, 10 percent or up to $7500 that we're talking about there. So, obviously, while there's a Freddie and Fannie Mae part of it as well, they're also looking out to help people who are in the situation right now -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, and maybe we can talk about what each of those points really means. Maybe later this morning, or maybe some you know, what it means each of those points for folks who are having real problems right now.
I know this goes to the Senate now. Could the bill pass there as quickly as it sort of worked through the House over the last couple of days?
ELAM: It's expected to pass through the Senate. That's true, especially now that the White House says...
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
ELAM: ... President Bush will go ahead and he's pulled away his vetos on that one and saying he won't veto it. But, at the same time, there are some filibusters in relation to Republicans have some filibusters that they're concerned about. So it may take a little bit longer but it is expected to pass through.
And, obviously, everyone does care about Freddie Mae and Fannie Mac.
HARRIS: Yes.
ELAM: I said it backwards. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
HARRIS: But it was so smooth I barely noticed there until you pointed it out.
ELAM: I do that too often. It sounded too close. But the reason why, because if they fall apart, it would have a huge effect on the economy.
HARRIS: Oh yes.
ELAM: They back more than 5 trillion with a T in mortgages. That's a lot of money. So that's why it is going to cost taxpayer as well to do this but at the same time it's better than having the two companies fall apart.
HARRIS: And if you can shore up home buyers in trouble, you probably shore up Fannie and Freddie at the same time, which is...
ELAM: Indeed. And that's why we saw their stocks rally yesterday.
HARRIS: That's right.
All right, Stephanie, good to see you. Thank you.
ELAM: Good to see you, too. Thanks.
COLLINS: Cell phones and brain cancer. A new warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's making me second guess my cell phone use and definitely the cell phone use for my children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a hard look at what the head of a prominent cancer research institute is saying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live breaking news, unfolding developments, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: A police officer on the side of the road and the edge of disaster. Check this out. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Police patrol car, Burnsville, Minnesota.
If you look closely, you could see the officer will go flying here. Can you believe no one was seriously injured? The driver who plowed into the stopped vehicle is suspected of drunk driving.
The town's police chief says routine traffic stops are becoming increasingly dangerous. He says aid eight of his department's squad cars and three officers have been hit by motorists.
Man.
COLLINS: That's awful video.
I have another story to tell you about this morning -- cell phones and cancer.
A prominent researcher is warning his own staff to limit mobile phone use and to keep them away from children.
Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here now to talk more about this.
So should we really all be taking precautions now? Is there something that has been definitively proven here?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Nothing has been definitively proven. This is pretty startling because this is the first credible person, first credible institution, to...
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: ... issue a formal advisory. We've never seen this before.
COLLINS: No.
GUPTA: What most of the medical establishment will say was -- will be, look, there's caveats. There's no definitive evidence to say that cell phones are dangerous. But on the same breath, you have to say that there's no definitive evidence, long-term evidence, to say that they are safe.
And here in lies the problem. The advisory specifically also targeting children saying they have smaller heads, they have softer brains. That radiation can penetrate more easily and, again, sounds good, but there is no evidence to sort of support that.
The cell phone industry has released a response to previous remarks. They say that the overwhelming majority of studies about wireless phones do not pose a health risk. The American Cancer Society, the World Health Organization both agree with that statement as well.
But, you know, it's one of those things. It's been out there for some time.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: A lot of reputable people believing this. But this is the first formal advisory coming out.
COLLINS: Yes, I feel like we're going down the same path of immunizations and vaccines. You know there's no definitive research that they may lead to autism. This is the same type of thing but yet, people are very aware and start sort of rethinking their habits or, you know, what they're doing with regard to studies like this.
GUPTA: Yes. And I think that they're not saying don't use cell phones. Nobody is saying that. But they're saying there is enough of a concern here that we should be a little bit more careful. For example, switching ears, you know, so you limit your exposure. Not sleeping with it underneath your pillow like so many journalists do.
COLLINS: Who does that?
GUPTA: Well, you know...
COLLINS: Do we?
GUPTA: Just in case you get called in the middle of the night, you're worried about that. Limiting your overall cellular minutes, using a wired headset. You know that I do that quite a bit.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: Putting time limits on children, text messaging. There's all sorts of different things that are -- they're offering specific sort of options for people who might be worries about this.
COLLINS: Yes, and I'm saying use the night stand. Don't put it underneath the bed...
GUPTA: Right.
COLLINS: I mean, it's right there.
GUPTA: If you have it on vibrate, you may not hear it so it's just...
COLLINS: Make it ring.
GUPTA: I've gone through this -- yes.
COLLINS: Yes, I know. I know. That's why I'm saying it.
GUPTA: But then my wife yells at me. It's a thing.
COLLINS: Right. We're just trying to save you from (INAUDIBLE).
GUPTA: Well, she has a big brother thing.
COLLINS: Let's stay on track, though.
There was also something in this study, was there not, about special precautions if you're pregnant?
GUPTA: Yes, and so for the same reasons we talk about children, unborn fetus could actually be exposed to this what is called non- ionizing radio frequency. That's the precise name for what a cell phone gives off. And, you know, they say with pregnant women, they should be especially cautious about this.
And again, it may not be so much holding it to your ear as putting it in your pocket.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: If you think about this as an electromagnetic radiation generator, how would you treat it any differently? That's sort of the point of this advisory.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: Maybe you wouldn't put it in your front pocket, maybe put it in a bag instead. You'd use an ear piece. You limit your time.
COLLINS: Very, very quickly, cell phones have been around for a long time. Wouldn't we know by now?
GUPTA: Well, you know, it's interesting question because it really -- you know, it's 2008 now. You need 20-year data to really say do these things have a relationship to brain cancer, for example?
While they have been around for a long time they become much more commonly used over the last decade and especially among children. So I think, you know, it's one of...
COLLINS: That's true.
GUPTA: ... those things that the advisory says, are we waiting too long for the science to catch up? Should we be using some of our common sense now?
COLLINS: Yes. Interesting. All right. Well, we appreciate it, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
GUPTA: I'll stay on top of it. There'll be a lot of responses. We'll bring that to you guys.
COLLINS: I bet there will be. Yes.
All right, thank you, Sanjay.
GUPTA: All right, thank you.
HARRIS: After the storm blows through, Dolly leaves destruction in its path. What the storm did and what it's doing now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Oh OK, we're back? Let's take you to the -- where we see that bleeding song, we are --
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: That's your favorite song.
HARRIS: Oh, you were, too. Oh, come on. Let's take you to the New York Stock Exchange. Just in time with the opening bell. Did I miss it with all of our stuff here? Oh, we missed the ringing of the bell. OK. But the Dow gets the day started at 11,632, after picking up 29 points yesterday. Not a bad day. Trying to figure out what is going to drive the market today.
Our folks at CNNMoney.com indicating a pretty flat start to the day for you U.S. stocks. Maybe the passing of the House of the Frank- Dodd Housing Bill, particularly with the prop up that's in that legislation for Freddie and Fannie will have a positive impact on the markets. We're going to follow the market throughout the day, of course, with Susan Lisovicz right here in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Dolly now a rain maker more than a wind blower. But when the storm hits South Padre Island, Texas, it packed a wallop. Just ask our Gary Tuchman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dolly was far more fierce than her name suggests. The hurricane made land fall on South Padre Island, which is the coastal area on the southern most point of Texas. Most of the streets were flooded from the torrential rain and hail that went on all day. (on camera): South Padre Island, the barrier island, on the southern most part of Texas is getting ravaged. This behind me, just a few hours ago, was grass, was land. Now, you can see the Gulf of Mexico and the bay have made it like a raging rapids. That billboard was on land.
We're standing right now on the causeway. In front of me is a bridge that links South Padre Island with the mainland. This is the barrier island. 34 miles long. Normally, there are 2,000 people who live here. But in summer weekends, up to 200,000 people are here. Most people have evacuated. But there are a lot of people still here.
We have seen -- we have seen roofs collapse. We have seen signs go down. Firefighters are all over helping people to evacuate. But they decide not to evacuate. But you can see this is a Category Two hurricane and it is incredibly treacherous and most people are surprised by how strong it is.
(voice-over): Even before the strongest hurricane force winds arrived, the roof on this townhouse started collapsing. Many people hadn't evacuated. Firefighters demanded that residents get out immediately. They didn't see this man until after we did.
Why are you staying up there? Your roof is collapsing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it?
TUCHMAN: Yes, look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, that's OK.
TUCHMAN: It's not OK. You got to get out of there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got concrete. (INAUDIBLE).
TUCHMAN: You're kidding yourself, man. Your building could collapse. Get out of there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For real?
TUCHMAN: Yes, for real.
He ended up leaving before the complex became more decimated.
When the worst of the winds were over, much of South Padre was underwater. Damage was widespread and substantial. Dolly packed a wallop to an area that hadn't been hit directly by a hurricane in almost three decades.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, South Padre Island, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Can I tell you something? It is so great, Rob, that you have all the tools at your disposal. You know, most of the folks have left. They were gone. They were out of the immediate area there in Brownsville that was going to be impacted and it is because, I think, because of all the equipment at your disposal now to show folks the storm, the dimensions of the storm and the winds associated with it and the kinds of damage these storms can do.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. It's just good stuff. It's great stuff, in fact. Thanks, Rob.
COLLINS: Thank you, Rob. We'll check back later on. Make sure that she's calming down. We like to hear that. In fact, if you would like to know more about who is stepping in to help those affected by Hurricane Dolly, just go to our "Impact Your World" Web site? That's where you'll find links to some organizations that are offering assistance. Once again, that Web site CNN.com/impact.
HARRIS: Making the case against Osama Bin Laden's former driver Salim Hamdan. More testimony expected today in his war crimes trial at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Our Jamie McIntyre is covering the proceedings.
Jamie, good morning to you. What are you hearing?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, this morning, Tony, military prosecutors were again trying to convict Salim Hamdan using the words that he told interrogators after his capture. There had been a number of interrogations of him this morning. One of the interrogators testifying that Salim Hamdan said he never wanted to join al Qaeda, although, he admitted he had had some weapons training including weapons training on how to fire surface to air missiles.
You may recall that he was captured in November of 2001 with a couple of SA-7 missiles in his car according to the testimony in the trial. The most dramatic moment in the trial came late yesterday when the prosecution actually showed videotapes of some of these interrogations in which you could see Hamdan handcuffed with plastic flexi cuffs, sitting in a barren room with what looked like a U.S. special forces soldier over his shoulder, brandishing a weapon. And answering question after question from the military investigators.
It is the first time we have seen how some of these interrogations were carried out and presumably the prosecution is putting it out there to try to show that these interrogations were not coercive, that they were humane and that the information that they received from them is reliable because they're relying -- they're counting a lot on that information. The information that Salim Hamdan told himself to use -- to show that he was in fact on -- in Osama Bin Laden's inner circle -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Jamie, I understand you were the only journalist given a tour of the Gitmo prison yesterday. What were you showing?
MCINTYRE: I was the only reporter. You know, even though the Pentagon wants to close Guantanamo Bay, it is also anxious to show that the conditions here are humane and meet international standards. And because of that, I got to go some place that rarely anybody gets to go except of course the people who really don't want to be there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice-over): Down a cool dim hallway, behind a remote- controlled steel door...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open Bravo 111. I repeat, Bravo 111.
MCINTYRE: ...Is a prison cell that holds what the Pentagon likes to label the worst of the worst.
MCINTYRE (on camera): I'm actually inside a high security cell in Camp Bravo. This is the kind of cell detainees are kept in. This one's set up for display purposes. It's 12 feet by 8 feet. You can see it has a sink and a toilet.
And behind me, you can see a window that you can see light through, but it's not the kind of window you can actually see outside. It's been made opaque. And behind me, these are the items you get if you're in compliance. Prayer rug, a couple of sets of shoes, a light brown uniform, extra blanket.
These are the items you get if you're not in compliance. A prayer rug, some religious items, a pair of flip-flops, and the famous orange jumpsuit.
MCINTYRE (voice-over): This is the recreation yard where even the hardcore cases get up to three hours of outside activity, with an exercise mat, a soccer ball and Gitmo's version of a treadmill. There's even an arrow pointing to Mecca.
But you won't see any prisoners in this video. The military restrictions on photography are draconian. All images must be digital so military censors can delete the ones they don't approve of. That includes any faces of detainees and any security measures including locks and towers. So any glimpse into the shadowy world of Gitmo is just that. Only a glimpse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: Now, Tony, you may have notice that in that video I had to speak very softly when I was actually in the cell. That's because in the very next cell, next to us, was one of the detainees. This was a cell block full of people except for this one cell that the U.S. military kept empty to show us.
And it's emblematic, really, of the isolation that these prisoners are under. The military goes to great extent to make sure they don't get much information from the outside.
In fact, even the military guards who service their jailers do not wear any identifying information on them. They don't have name tags or anything because they don't want the detainee to have any information that they can use against them. That said, we did see a medium security area of the camp where the detainees get to move around a lot more, they get two hours where they can mingle with each other and they have a lot more freedom to movement. But that's only for the most cooperative detainees -- Tony.
HARRIS: Wow. It may be just a glimpse, but I haven't seen that view before. Pretty fascinating stuff. Jamie McIntyre for us this morning.
Jamie, thank you.
COLLINS: New this morning, stunning video of a U.S. Naval ship being blown apart. It happened during international military exercises off the Coast of Hawaii. An Australian submarine fired a new heavyweight torpedoes that sunk the ship. Not to worry. The vessel was a decommissioned destroyer. The military exercises run until the end of the month and are held every two years to promote stability in the Pacific region.
HARRIS: Parts of Texas reeling from the mess Dolly left behind. iReports are coming in and we'll show them to you.
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HARRIS: Dolly still dumping plenty of rain on parts of Texas, leaving a big mess in its path. Veronica De La Cruz has been going through iReports this morning.
And I got to tell you, Veronica, this is where this iReport system really works so well. It helps us tell our story when folks send in these iReports. And I would imagine on day like yesterday were plenty.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. They're really were. And you're right. It is the beauty of technology, Tony. And you know, getting back to Dolly, talking about what's going on now, the meteorologists are really saying the big fear is flooding.
Tony, I want to show you why. Let's take a look at this photo from Jen Wareham. She took this just one hour, Tony, after Dolly made land fall. So, look at all the water there that accumulated.
HARRIS: After one hour?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. This is one hour after. And she said because of all the rain, the streets as you can see were no longer visible, the drainage ditch in her backyard was full. That is a shot from Brownsville, Texas. That's where Jen is.
Want to show you what happened on South Padre Island. This is from John Perez, Tony. Take a look at this.
HARRIS: Where is he? Does he indicate where he is?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. I mean --
HARRIS: As he is getting these shots.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. He is vacationing on South Padre Island, when the storm hit. So, he goes out. He shoots this video from the hotel parking lot. And I mean, look at the strength of the wind there. You see the palm trees bending, swaying, the palm fronds falling to the ground there. He was able to kind of walk around the entire hotel, capture some pretty amazing shots. Look at that. That's his hotel. That's his hotel.
And he said that the room that he was staying in was OK. As you can see other parts of the hotel didn't really do so well. The hotel really took a beating, leaving behind a lot of damage. And, John says that now, Tony, they have asked everyone to leave this hotel as soon as the bridge on South Padre Island reopens.
So, that South Padre Island. I got some more really, really great pictures to show you. Listen, this is from Lisa Graves and her boyfriend. They decided to ride out the storm, Tony, on their boat.
HARRIS: I don't get this at all, but OK. All right.
DE LA CRUZ: On their boat. But here is the thing. They own this charter boat company. And they said that they decided to stay on their boat to protect them and what you're looking at here is in these pictures a sailboat has broken free and has slammed into two of their vessels.
HARRIS: Yes. That's what I'm -- how do you better protect your boats by staying -- what can you do against another vessel ship boat slamming -- OK, anyway.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, apparently, they owned this company for nine years and they have experience in this area.
HARRIS: OK. Well, they made it through, right?
DE LA CRUZ: And they made it through. And today, they're safe and sound. So, yes, you're right. They are extremely brave and extremely courageous.
HARRIS: And lucky today, we should say.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. We do want to remind you out there, though, if you do see severe weather in your area, if you see news while it happens, please send us an iReport. We're going to work to get your pictures and videos on the air throughout the day.
Tony?
HARRIS: That's terrific. All right, Veronica, appreciate it. And appreciate all the iReports. Thank you.
COLLINS: It is an unparalleled television event. CNN's "BLACK IN AMERICA." We got a sneak peek just ahead with filmmaker Spike Lee.
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HARRIS: Tonight, CNN presents "BLACK IN AMERICA." A four-hour documentary. CNN's Soledad O'Brien spoke with filmmaker Spike Lee about the struggles and successes of African-Americans 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King.
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SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Spike Lee is an award-winning director and producer of more than 35 films.
SPIKE LEE, FILM DIRECTOR: I get tired of watching the news, local news, and seeing just negative images of young African-American men.
O'BRIEN (on camera): There are people who say, but, look at the numbers of African-American men in prison. Look at the black-on-black crime.
LEE: But let's show some balance. And there are people out here who are doing the right thing, who aren't having babies out of wedlock, who are taking care of their children.
O'BRIEN: Why is there reluctance to put them on TV?
LEE: Why? That's not what they want to see.
O'BRIEN (voice over): Spike developed his sense of what Americans want to see the hard way, by making many movies that never became blockbuster hits. Artistic successes like "Malcolm X"...
DENZEL WASHINGTON, ACTOR, "MALCOLM X": You've been hoodwinked, bamboozled.
O'BRIEN: And "Do the Right Thing" pushed way beyond the stereotypes.
LEE: You have success stories and you have tragic stories. And I think that you have to tell them all.
O'BRIEN: He's one of the best-known directors around, but Spike still struggles to get financial backing from Hollywood studios for the kind of movies he wants to make.
LEE: I'm not saying it's impossible to get a black film made. I'm talking about a specific type of black film. If I want to do comedy, have black folks shucking and jiving with coonery and buffoonery, I'd get $100 million for that in a second.
Washington, "INSIDE MAN": I'm trying to get you what you want.
O'BRIEN: He finally had a box office hit in 2006 with "Inside Man," a bank heist thriller which made nearly twice the U.S. take of "Malcolm X."
(on camera): Three hundred million dollars worldwide.
LEE: You include DVD sales.
O'BRIEN: That's a ton of money.
LEE: A ton of money.
O'BRIEN: That's success, clearly, that you're still going hat in hand.
LEE: It was an eye-opener, because I've always been told, well, Spike, you never had a film that made over $100 million. But, you know, what we care about is box office.
O'BRIEN: Is it because you're black?
LEE: I think a lot of that has to do with it.
JOSEPH PHILLIPS, ACTOR AND COLUMNIST: There's another truth that spike doesn't talk about.
O'BRIEN: Columnist Joseph Phillips has been an actor in Hollywood for more than 20 years since starring in "The Cosby Show."
PHILLIPS: He's forgetting that this is a business. And unless he can justify why he should get that much money, he's not going to get it. And that has nothing to do with race.
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HARRIS: CNN's "BLACK IN AMERICA" is an unparalleled television event. Don't miss this groundbreaking documentary tonight at 9:00 Eastern only on CNN. And at noon today, CNN invites you to share your stories and reactions to our special television and on-line event, "BLACK IN AMERICA." Go to iReport.com right now to get started.
COLLINS: Take a look at this now. Just don't sneeze. Building an Olympic sized house of cards. Wow. But first, maybe your teenager can wolf down an entire pizza in one sitting. But as you get older just looking at a pepperoni pie can set off gastric problems.
Judy Fortin looks at what you need to know in your 30s, 40s and 50s.
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JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Until recently, Chuck O'Connell would have never touched pepperoni pizza, too greasy and too spicy. For years, since he was in his 30s, he suffered from chronic heartburn, and as he got older his symptoms got worse including a nasty cough.
CHUCK O'CONNELL, GERD SUFFERER: The cough would get so gripping at times that, you know, trying to just get a breath while coughing was very difficult.
FORTIN: In fact, Chuck began to black out and eventually fell down the stairs. That's when he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with GERD. It's a diagnosis that becomes much more common in our 30s.
As we age, the lining and muscles of our esophagus and stomach begin to wear thin. As the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach relaxes, the contents of the stomach splashes back into the esophagus causing severe chest pain, heartburn, and coughing.
DR. JOEL RICHTER, GASTROENTEROLOGIST: You can't go out to eat when you want to. You have to sleep upright in bed. It interferes with your exercise.
FORTIN: In Chuck's case, his GERD was so advanced he needed surgery. But many patients can handles acid reflux with medication and diet. Things like chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol are all no, no's, because they relax the muscles even more.
In our 40s, a different gastrointestinal problem can crop up. Ulcers. One reason, as we get older, people generally start taking more medication.
RICHTER: Particularly the medicines that one takes for arthritic pains, some of the vitamin preparations, other things cause ulcers.
FORTIN: Plus, a condition known as Barrett's esophagus can develop if there's too much acid in the upper GI system. That damage can lead to cancer.
In our 50s, problems with the lower GI tract like the intestines are more common, especially in women.
RICHTER: We'll see, particularly in our women patients, more trouble with diarrhea, constipation, bloating as they get older. The ladies' intestinal tracts are a little bit lazier than men.
FORTIN: Plus, polyps that form in the colon as we age can become cancerous. That's why it's important to get a colonoscopy beginning at age 50.
RICHTER: Get one done in your middle age, get one good one done, because that will tell you then what the risk you have.
FORTIN: Since his surgery, Chuck O'Connell is enjoying food again. He never thought heartburn would be such an issue in his life. But has learned to check out his health problems earlier, rather than later.
Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: OK, whatever you don't sneeze. An Olympic-size house of cards is going up in Hong Kong. American Bryan Berg is using 140,000 playing cards to create these Olympic sites. The Bird's Nest National Stadium, the Water Cube Aquatic Center, even a ten-foot version of the state television building. Berg has been at this for eight hours a day for nearly a month. That would make you (INAUDIBLE). He's definitely no amateur. He holds a Guinness World record for stacking cards.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Stay informed all day in the CNN NEWSROOM.
