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Rick's List

Oil Threatens U.S. Coast; Interview With Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Aired April 30, 2010 - 16:00   ET

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


CLINT PARSON, LOST WIFE TO CANCER: We dashed by the store, grabbed eight bouquets of roses -- or of flowers, and decided to leave those flowers in the reef for the placement. And it just absolutely made it. It just -- and then them rising up, then, and floating, more beautiful than I have ever seen.

I love my wife very much. And I look forward to joining her some day in the same way.

STAHL: We're placing Mike where he was happiest and most comfortable. And, so, I think it's the best tribute we can do for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyone that knew him that I have told about this, they just instantly know this is exactly where he belongs.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: That's what would you call a legacy, right?

All right, the verdict is in for the man accused of hacking Sarah Palin's e-mail account, brand-new information. That is ahead. Here's what else we are working on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here is what is making the LIST on this day.

Hostages taken at gunpoint from a store, forced into a car that then speeds away. We're going to show you how this story ends.

Hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil leaking into the Gulf, it is drifting closer to shorelines, marine life endangered, livelihoods threatened

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a disaster. It's a crying shame what's happening.

SANCHEZ: We're learning about another law in other states where police round up illegal immigrants.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) a place where I'm being treated like a criminal.

SANCHEZ: What are the consequences of that law? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's bunk. That's absolute bull. There's no racial profiling involved with this.

SANCHEZ: Her hot pink dress put her smack in the middle of a debate about sex and gender roles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Believe it or not, everyday women are discriminated, whether it be at home by their husbands or at work.

SANCHEZ: Now, she's spinning that controversy into a career. We track her down in Brazil for our follow-up list.

The lists you need to know about. Who's today's most intriguing? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why I keep a list, pioneering tomorrow's cutting-edge news right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Topping hour two on our LIST: that big oil spill swirling off the gulf of Mexico, churning toward land. These are some of the newest pictures that we have been getting so far.

Take a look at these as we go through them. It's in the Gulf of Mexico right along the Louisiana coast.

Our Brian Tadd -- our Brian Todd just flew over some of these areas. And he sent these -- in these pictures, so we can share them with you. He described seeing thin fingers of oil starting to break through near the shoreline, the water in the Gulf very turbulent today, and that's causing big problems. Whitecaps are washing over the booms that were set up to try and keep the oil back at the surface.

You get it, right? It's just going over it, rather than being held back. You know, there's also some real concern for the wildlife preserves themselves just south of New Orleans. And there's also concern for the people who make their living fishing in the Gulf.

Folks, the bottom line is, this looks to be much more serious than we had originally thought, and certainly than some of the officials down there now scurrying about to try and take care of it had anticipated.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the president of the Waterkeeper Alliance. He's just filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of commercial fishermen in Louisiana.

Just to let you know, we have also called BP for their reaction, but, thus far, they have declined our request for an interview. They also declined to give us a statement, both of which we asked them for.

Robert, good to see you, sir.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., PRESIDENT, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE: Thanks so -- thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: Has the federal government moved fast enough, in your estimation, to respond to this oil leak?

KENNEDY: Well, the -- the question of whether they have mobilized fast enough, I -- I think, is almost a side question.

SANCHEZ: Mm-hmm.

KENNEDY: The problem really is the leak itself.

There's -- and they -- there's a history of these leaks in the Gulf, not this big. We haven't seen anything this big since the Exxon Valdez. But this is really, as you pointed out, going to overwhelm the wildlife populations and the ecosystem south of the Gulf. This is one of the -- this is -- it looks right now like it's hitting one of the worst possible places that it could hit.

It's hitting these -- these coastal wetlands south of New Orleans, which are the richest estuaries in our country.

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

KENNEDY: Forty-one percent of our seafood comes out of those estuaries. There are thousands of commercial fishermen and people involved who are in that industry whose -- whose jobs are now in jeopardy and whose property is in jeopardy.

SANCHEZ: Did you say -- did you just say 41 percent of our sea...

KENNEDY: Forty-one percent of our seafood...

SANCHEZ: ... comes from those estuaries?

KENNEDY: Forty-one percent of our seafood comes from those coastal wetlands, including most of the shrimp in our country, most of the crab, large number of mussels and oysters and -- and then other fish populations.

SANCHEZ: Huh.

KENNEDY: And we know that once -- and Mike Papantonio, who is my partner, and I, we have been representing commercial fishermen for -- for 25 years.

But once the oil gets into that marsh grass, it will never come out. There's no way to get it out. You can't access it. A lot of that marshland -- this is probably the wildest area in the lower 48 states.

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

KENNEDY: A lot of that wetland is 30 miles from the nearest road.

And there's no way to get it out. We know that, in Alaska, in Prince William Sound after the Valdez spill, we're now, what, like 26 years later, and the -- the salmon populations still have never recovered.

There was an oil spill three years ago in San Francisco, and, today, the herring population of San Francisco Bay, 100 percent of the herring eggs are -- are -- are no longer viable...

SANCHEZ: Huh.

KENNEDY: ... or they are grotesquely deformed.

SANCHEZ: Well...

KENNEDY: So, the...

SANCHEZ: ... let's -- let's -- let's talk about balance, though, because, you know, some folks are watching us right now and they would, say, my goodness, some of the numbers that he's suggesting -- certainly 41 percent of our seafood coming from the estuaries in the area, the adjacent areas -- we don't know specifically what areas are going to be affected by this yet -- but they are probably wondering, Robert, as they listen to you, but what are we going to do?

We need the oil just as much as we seed the estuaries. How do you strike the balance? Are you saying that we shouldn't drill and we shouldn't pump oil off that rich Gulf area that has so much of it?

KENNEDY: Well, if you're asking, does America's future depend on oil, I would say that the -- that we -- as a nation, that we ought to be moving away from our deadly addiction to oil, not only because of the damage that it's doing in the Gulf, but we are exporting -- we are borrowing a billion dollars a day in our country, mainly from nations that don't share our values, in order to import a billion dollars of oil from nations that don't share our values, largely, and...

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KENNEDY: ... and many of them that are outright hostile to us.

If you're saying to me, you know, it's a good thing for our nation to be addicted to oil, I would say to you, we are funding both sides of the war against terror.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Well, no, what I'm saying...

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: No, what I'm -- what I'm saying is, we are where we are. It's not...

KENNEDY: Well, OK.

SANCHEZ: It's -- it's not my liking. It's not most Americans' liking. But...

KENNEDY: Well...

(CROSSTALK)

KENNEDY: ... listen... SANCHEZ: ... what -- what could we possibly do?

KENNEDY: ... Rick, if you want to argue about whether we need to continue our addiction to oil, I can talk you to about that. And, you know, I'm heavily into green tech issues. And I don't believe that we do.

And I believe there -- and there's -- there's -- there's lots of money...

SANCHEZ: OK.

KENNEDY: ... you know, deployed right now by people who share my belief, who think that we can go...

SANCHEZ: Well...

KENNEDY: ... to other means of -- of at least fueling our passenger fleet.

SANCHEZ: And it's a credible -- and it's a credible...

KENNEDY: So, really, I think what we...

SANCHEZ: It's a credible and respectable position, but let me just ask you, and I think -- I'm trying to get to what people at home, as they listen to someone like you, who they trust...

KENNEDY: You know what I think? You know what I think?

SANCHEZ: ... they're -- they're wondering, what did these guys do wrong? Were they careless?

(CROSSTALK)

KENNEDY: Here -- OK. Yes. Yes, they were careless.

They were -- there are things that they should have been doing that they weren't. They should have had acoustic regulators on the site which shut off the spill at the source. Essentially, they explode the whole area and plug it...

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

KENNEDY: ... as soon as they -- as they have a spill. They are required in the North Sea. They are required in Europe. But, because of the oil industry's influence on the Bush administration, the Bush administration waived that requirement.

So, it made the oil spills intrinsically much more dangerous. The oil industry has been a very bad neighbor in the Gulf. There's been 858 spills, explosions, and fires since 2001.

And the government has essentially, the regulatory agencies have essentially turned their back on -- and -- blocked their ears as to what is happening. Now, if you want to know what the government should be doing now, the most important thing is to use mechanical means to keep the spill away from the coast. That means big booms and skimmers and to deploy every boom, every skinner that they -- skimmer they have along the coast to that area.

I believe that the federal government at least is responding appropriately. The other alternatives they have are fire, burning it, a controlled burn, which is not a great alternative, because it simply transfers that poison from the water to the air, and it will end up poisoning people, and it doesn't get most of it.

The other -- probably the worst of the -- of the alternatives is dispersants, which take that oil and essentially pump it into the water column. So, good, it won't hit the beaches and stain the beaches, but it -- instead, it will get into the seafood and it will be much more persistent for a much longer time. And that's one of things that we want to avoid.

SANCHEZ: We're getting a wrap here. But, before we -- before I let you go, could you explain to me one more time, because you're the first person who has explained this to us, and to all our viewers who are watching all over the country, what it is that you believe they were doing that the federal government, you say, let them do that may have led to this problem.

KENNEDY: Well...

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Explain that to me one more time.

(CROSSTALK)

KENNEDY: There are many things that they should have been doing.

There should have been a lot more federal oversight. And, again, during the Bush administration, the federal oversight over these offshore drilling rigs was virtually lifted. It was the Wild West out there. The industry did whatever it wanted, assuring the American public that something like this could never happen.

But, at the same time, the regulators were -- the regulatory agency was cut. The budget was cut to almost nothing. And the regulators that were running that agency were former lobbyists for the oil industry.

And one of the things that they did...

SANCHEZ: Well, no, but I mean -- I mean -- I -- you...

KENNEDY: ... one of the specific things...

SANCHEZ: What I -- I -- I'm interesting in that description you gave of the concrete plug that used to be used that wasn't used this time, you believe. KENNEDY: One -- one -- one of the specific things that they didn't do was to require acoustic regulators, which is a device that, when there is a leak of this kind on the ocean's floor or anywhere in the drop pipe that -- that runs from the drilling rig down to the ocean floor...

SANCHEZ: Right.

KENNEDY: ... there is a triggered explosion that essentially plugs the hole.

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

KENNEDY: And these are required in Europe. They are required in other parts of the world. But we didn't require them in the Gulf, which is, you know, one of our most important ecosystems for the United States economy, and most vulnerable to this.

SANCHEZ: That...

And that is an inexcusable.

SANCHEZ: That is a hell of an important point and certainly something worth studying. And it's really been an interesting conversation to have you on here and take us through this explanation. I'm sure a lot of people have had their eyes opened in many ways to some of the charges you made.

By the way, to be fair, we have invited BP to respond. We have contacted them throughout the day. We have asked them to come on the air. We have asked them to send us at least a statement, none of which they have provided us with thus far.

Obviously, we will continue to effort to get them on.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., my thanks to you, sir, for taking the time to join us today.

KENNEDY: Thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: I appreciate it.

Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's bunk. That's absolute bull. There's no racial profiling involved with this. The opposition likes to throw that out, but it -- it is not true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: No, this is not an Arizona police officer talking about the new immigration law. It's a program designed to get illegal immigrant criminals out of the country. And it's now coming under fire itself. We're going to drill down on this. Brooke block has a -- Brooke Baldwin...

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Brooke Baldwin has a special report for us during her Brooke block.

Also, two guys busted on terror charges because they were shipping Casio watches? How does this tie into al Qaeda? We're drilling down on that as well.

And that's coming up in the roundup.

You're watching your national conversation, your list, RICK'S LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back.

I want to list now three of the most important stories that we're following today.

First of all, two U.S. citizens have been arrested, He charge, allegedly providing material support to al Qaeda. These guys' names are Wesam El-Hanafi and Sabirhan Hasanoff, indicted for conspiracy to provide computer advice to -- and assistance.

CNN's Paul Courson is inside that courtroom where these two guys have just been arraigned. I understand -- is he out of the courtroom now?

Paul, you you there?

PAUL COURSON, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, hi, Rick. Good afternoon to you.

SANCHEZ: What do you know?

COURSON: Well, they are actually not arraigned today. This was an appearance in a courtroom...

SANCHEZ: Uh-huh.

COURSON: ... to figure out what to do with them.

The guidance that we have got is that this district court in Alexandria, Virginia, was the nearest point that they could bring them to after they came in from an unnamed country overseas. We don't know which one.

We were hoping it would have come out in open court today. We don't have any additional details as to how they were arrested. But what we do know is that both these men have waived the right to be -- have court proceedings take place here in Alexandria. And they're going to be headed back to the Southern District of New York for all the proceedings from here on.

SANCHEZ: What -- what were they doing, Paul, for -- so, what were they allegedly doing in servitude of al Qaeda? COURSON: Well, the judge opened this session today by saying, the two of you conspired with others to provide material support to a terrorist organization. He's reading from the indictment. The grand jury handed this indictment up.

The details of that indictment allege that they provided support, such as computer counsel. Suppose a terror organization has a computer structure of some kind to pass their information or what have you. That's what the indictment alleges took place.

You mentioned the Casio watches just before the break. None of that came out in the open court today, Rick, but we do have an idea of where prosecutors are going to be going once this gets to New York court.

SANCHEZ: Well, here's a problem with a case like this. There's every possibility that these guys are going to say, we didn't know we were dealing with al Qaeda. Somebody was paying us good money to give them information about something.

I -- one would think in this case that the federal government is going to have to nail down the fact that they knew they were dealing with either al Qaeda or another suspected terrorist group, right?

COURSON: Well, in the indictment, Rick, the prosecutors actually say that El-Hanafi, who actually was born in the United States, by the way, met with two members of al Qaeda in the country of Yemen. That was back in February 2008.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

COURSON: So, they probably have documented this through some sort of intelligence or law enforcement means that they indeed met with bona fide members or those that the U.S. considers members of al Qaeda.

That sounds like the crux of the matter in this case.

Well done, Paul. Thanks for hustling out of the courtroom...

COURSON: My pleasure.

SANCHEZ: ... and -- and sharing that information with us.

And we're going to stay on top of that story.

Meanwhile, take a look at this: movement on the Palin e-mail hacking case. You remember this guy, right, David Kernell? He was accused of hacking into Sarah Palin's personal e-mail account during the '08 presidential campaign. He had faced a potential 50 years in prison if convicted on all four counts.

A jury a short time returned his verdict: mistrial on identity theft, not guilty on wire fraud, guilty of a lesser charge of computer fraud -- all brand-new information -- guilty as well of obstruction of justice. Kernell could still face up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction of justice charge. An electrical fire in Boston's subway tunnel last night -- fire damaged part of the train station, shut down service on three subway lines. As you can see from this video, the fire sent smoke billowing out -- at least 20 people transported to hospitals with minor smoke inhalation, we're told, hundreds evacuated and put on buses.

The smoke got so thick that some people had to feel their way out of the station. One line of Boston's subway system has been running about 15 minutes late today as a result of this occurrence earlier in the day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I do believe that women across Brazil identify themselves with me because, believe it or not, everyday women are discriminated, whether it be at home by their husbands or at work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Hard to believe it, but that little pink dress that she's wearing is too hot for Brazil. It got her kicked out of college. And now she could be laughing all the way to the bank. We will explain this international controversy. It's ahead.

And then you think would that a Harvard student would know better, right? Sent an e-mail suggesting African-Americans are less intelligent because of their genes and makeup. Well, can you figure out what list that person is going to be on today?

Stay there -- your list, your national conversation, RICK'S LIST, coming back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Time now for our list of lists, a feature we will bring you every day.

"Forbes" magazine has compiled the all-time worst oil spills in the world. We thought we should see just how they compare to the current Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf that we have been covering for you.

Here we go.

Number three: the collision of the Atlantic Empress and Aegean Captain back in 1979 off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago -- 2.1 million barrels were spilled.

Number two: Ixtoc spill off the Gulf of Mexico, started in 1979. The blowout on an exploratory well started this one. Took nine months -- nine months to plug it. It leaked 3.3 million barrels.

And the number-one spill of all time was -- was -- give me something here, guys. Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: It was 1991. America was at war with Saddam Hussein at the time. And the Iraqi forces opened up valves and emptied tankers, resulting in more than -- wow -- look at these pictures. Number one shows itself with this video -- 10 million barrels spilled into the Persian Gulf, compliments of Saddam Hussein.

If there are two words that I could impart on all of you each day, they are: Words matter. Let us now do the list on what you on -- on the list that you don't want to be on. Here we go.

CNN has not confirmed her identity because of Harvard's privacy policy, but today at number one on this list is the law student. That's right. Several months ago, she wrote an inflammatory e-mail intended only for close friends, apparently, in which she suggested black people, black people are genetically less intelligent than white people -- genetically less intelligent than white people -- now, six months later, says she regrets that e-mail, especially since colleagues and classmates at "The Harvard Law Review" and the Black Law Students Association got their hands this week and demanded an apology.

They got their apology. That law student said she wishes she could take those comments back.

Meantime, how are Georgia sheriff's deputies tracking down illegal immigrants? And is that the same plan raising the same outrage as the new Arizona law? Brooke Baldwin is going to join us in just a little bit, and she's going to take us through this.

Stay right there. This is your national conversation, your list, RICK'S LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: As I have been reporting, it appears the law in Arizona is going to be changed to make it more difficult for law officers, police officers to simply decide when someone is walking down the street that they may be an illegal immigrant.

In other words, the way it will read now is, it has to be that they are seeing someone in the commission of a crime before they are allowed to ask them any questions as to whether or not they are illegal immigrants. It's very different from what the governor signed Friday and what she explained Friday, which we have been questioning constitutionally on this show, not to mention intent-wise.

Now, we understand that, moments ago, the governor, Governor Brewer of Arizona, did her first sit-down interview with a news station. It's KTVK out there in Arizona, in Phoenix.

Let's -- we have got that sound, right, Roger? Let's -- let's go ahead -- let's go ahead and play that for everybody at home.

Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAN BREWER (R), ARIZONA: The people of Arizona are totally frustrated. And they are pushing back. They want to feel safe and secure in their homes.

I mean, this is our state. It is our nest. We ought to be protected. And it is the government -- the federal government's responsibility, and they are not doing it.

And we are the gateway, we are the gateway for crime into the United States.

I mean, it's very, very obvious. We have a thousand illegal immigrants coming across our border a day, and we cannot tolerate it. And out of that thousand, many who are apprehended are known criminals. And who bears that brunt? The Arizona taxpayer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: By the way, for the record, we checked the crime stats in Arizona between 2005 and 2008. And according to the FBI's own crime statistics, and according to Arizona's own crime statistics, crime in Arizona, both property crime and violent crime, has increased during those years, while there has been a steady increase in the number of illegal immigrants in the state. Just thought you'd like to know.

In the meantime, time for "The Brooke Block" now, her list, a list of stories that Brooke Baldwin has been covering for us. And she has something -- well, let's just say that she's been on special assignment.

Brooke, what have you got?

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's just say -- let's bring this immigration discussion to another level.

We're talking about Arizona in this story, but we're also talking about 25 other states. Here's the deal.

There is no doubt that 21-year-old Jessica Colotl broke the law. She has been in the U.S. illegally for the last 11 years. And recently she broke the law again. She got caught driving without a license. But she says, like it sounds like some people in Arizona, she's not a criminal, yet she is facing deportation because of the little known law called 287(g).

Here's her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN (voice-over): This mother of four is breaking the law. She's living in the U.S. illegally, but it's her oldest daughter who causes her to cry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): So many, I tell you. For example, in the nightclubs, in the streets, drinking, and they are free. And her, she didn't do anything.

BALDWIN: Twenty-one-year-old Jessica is in jail. She, too, is an illegal immigrant.

(on camera): Hi, Jessica. This is Brooke with CNN. Can you hear me?

JESSICA COLOTL, FACING DEPORTATION: Yes.

BALDWIN (voice-over): Last month, police pulled her over for a traffic violation on the campus of Georgia's Kennesaw State University, where she was a senior and months away from graduation. The next day, Jessica was arrested and put in jail for allegedly driving without a license.

COLOTL: I'm here in a place where I'm being treated like a criminal. I'm leaving my family behind. Basically, my life has been destroyed because of this minor incident.

BALDWIN: Jessica was jailed in 71 jurisdictions in 26 states nationwide where an immigration detention program known at 287(g) allows local sheriff's deputies to screen inmates to determine their immigration status. Since January of 2007, local law enforcement trained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are credited with initiating removal proceedings of more than 158,000 illegal immigrants like Jessica.

The program's focus is sending hardened criminals home, but critics say it's falling short.

JERRY GONZALEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GALEO: The reality of what is happening -- and you can look at the numbers -- the reality of what's happening is people are being deported for minor traffic violations. It's a waste of resources, it's a waste of law enforcement's time, when they could be going after the drug dealers and the drug cartels. They are going after people for driving without a license.

BALDWIN: Nationally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows just 16 percent of people deported from jail enforcement programs had been picked up after allegedly committing minor crimes like traffic violations. But according to the Department of Homeland Security, that number is higher in Georgia's Cobb and Gwinnett Counties, where critics have accused the sheriff of racial profiling.

BUTCH CONWAY, GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA, SHERIFF: That's bunk. That's absolute bull. There's no racial profiling involved with this. The opposition likes to throw that out, but it is not true.

BALDWIN: Meantime, 21-year-old Jessica had been studying law in college. Now she's living with the consequences of breaking it.

(on camera): Do you feel like this law, this 287(g) law in Georgia, is unfair?

COLOTL: I don't understand why local authorities would be trying to do something like they are doing. Like, what kind of people are they? They don't have a heart. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Many wouldn't understand it. So much work, sacrifice, sleepless nights. And for what?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Rick, I also reached out to the Cobb County Sheriff's Department. That's where Jessica was initially jailed. And here's what they told me.

"The ultimate decision regarding deportation rests with ICE and the immigration court. Typically, an individual brought to jail for a traffic offense is charged with not having a driver's license or some other egregious violation. These are not minor violations."

Briefly, the latest on Jessica, this week an immigration judge denied her bond and ordered her to leave the country within 30 days. She will be going back to her hometown of Pueblo, Mexico, a place she hasn't been since she was 10 years of age -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: What we're still left with, though, is states, whether you agree or disagree with what any of them have done, having to deal with an issue that the federal government has, for mostly political reasons, failed to deal with themselves, correct?

BALDWIN: Correct. And that's precisely what Jessica told me from jail.

Also, Jerry Gonzalez from GALEO, he was saying this is all about this year, federal comprehensive immigration reform. This should be up to the states like Arizona, like these different 71 jurisdictions nationwide who participate in 287(g). They should be aimed nationwide, saying local law enforcement, this is just muddying the water.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And the locals would say, but, hey, we've got to do something. If the feds aren't going to do it, then we're going to step in and do that as well.

That's where this thing gets so crazy. And you know what? It's great that you were able to go in there and tell this story, because it shows -- you know, this is not about officials here on CNN talking about words. This is about what's really going on down there on the streets.

Good stuff. I appreciate that, Brooke. Well done.

BALDWIN: Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(through translator): I didn't understand the controversy over one girl who went to school wearing something a little tight.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Making the viral video list. Judge for yourself, if you can. I know the guys in the studio here are all kind of suddenly leaning in like this.

Is the dress too tight? Is it too short? Is it too risque for college in Brazil?

What do you say, boys? Yes, enough.

What does it take to bring Chicago traffic to a stop as well? We'll take you through the story of a lot of pit bull.

All this and more on your list, your national conversation. This is RICK'S LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: This one's for the ladies in the Time Warner building. Too much free time can be a bad thing.

Let's go down the list of today's best video. Here with why, the music we call "Fotos del Dia."

OK. What is that, you ask? This music video might remind you of The Village People. It's not. These guys are with the 82nd Airborne Division.

That's right, they're our guys. And they're bored.

No. They're letting off some steam at a military base in southwest Afghanistan. Big on costumes and camel (ph). And they got jiggy with it. That's right, they're getting jiggy with it in a remake of Lady Gaga's "Telephone" video.

Look at me, honey. Look at me.

I guess we've all been served now.

Thanks, fellows. You deserve a break.

Chicago now. A pit bull snarled traffic on the Eisenhower Expressway during Wednesday morning's rush hour, took the 1st Avenue exit, a dip in the river, and then just vanished.

It kind of looks like his version of a morning jog and shower, but it didn't quite work out that way. The little guy showed up again Thursday, and authorities caught him, finally, the second time around.

Now, wait. Just wait for it. Down goes -- did it happen yet? Did I miss it?

There you go. Down goes Frazier! I knew it was going to happen.

That's a Coast Guard navigation tower coming down in a controlled demolition Wednesday. Incidentally, it was also Alaska's tallest structure. Do you think Sarah Palin could see it from her house? That is a low blow.

Who wrote that? I want to know who wrote this script. I'll be back in Atlanta on Monday and you'll have to answer to me, buster.

By the way, you can see all of your "Fotos del Dia" on CNN.com, my blog, CNN.com/ricksanchez.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: I want to show you what the president of the United States is saying on this day. Not only is he sending his executives from Commerce, EPA and Homeland Security, and the Department of Interior to try and deal with this situation in the Gulf of Mexico, which is now reaching epic proportions, but he's also putting out a tweet to the American people.

I could read that to you. Here it is. We're following the president, obviously, as we follow all others relevant to the news that we cover. "My administration will continue to use every single available resources at our disposal to address the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico."

We'll be continuing to follow that for you.

Meantime, are head humorist is coming up. Will Durst is going to be joining us in a little bit.

Why are you only smiling on one side of your face? Why don't you smile on both sides of your face?

(LAUGHTER)

WILL DURST, POLITICAL SATIRIST: It's a mini stroke. I don't know.

SANCHEZ: I can't believe you said that.

Will Durst joins us in just a little bit, and he's taking us through things like what's going on in the Gulf, certainly what's going on in Arizona, and another list of assorted stories that we're going to take you through together.

Prepare to laugh if you choose.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: For those of you just now getting home from work, in case you haven't heard -- welcome, first of all, to RICK'S LIST.

Second of all, I want to tell you the Arizona law has been changed. It's been changed in such a way to make it less likely that a police officer can simply come up to any person and wonder or question them about being illegally in the United States. The way the new law now reads, or the way the change in the law reads, that person will have to be in the commission of a crime of some sort, or surrounding some kind of crime for the officer to stop them. In fact, that's the word that's being used now, "unlawful stop," as opposed to the word which originally which was used, which was "unlawful contact."

I want to bring in now Will Durst. He's one of our guys who follows things, does it with more of a humorous edge.

You, too, I understand, Mr. Durst, have been looking into this situation dealing with immigration in our country. Have you not?

DURST: Well, yes. I mean, it's not a new thing. Obviously, you know that, Rick.

For 500 years, we've been hearing, "Can't let those damn immigrants in. They'll ruin everything." I mean, that's got to be taken from the original Iroquois, right?

SANCHEZ: Well, we know the Irish in Boston and New York felt that sense. We know the same thing happened with polls in parts of Chicago. The same thing happened with the Chinese in Los Angeles. And I know a couple of Hispanic members of my own family who felt a little bit of that in parts of south Florida.

So it is something that doesn't just talk about what we're going through now, right?

DURST: You know what we need is we need an alien invasion so that the whole planet can band together and say, it's us versus them. And then we'll all be "us."

SANCHEZ: Well, you mean illegal aliens, like, from Mars?

DURST: Well, you know, Stephen Hawking this week says that there probably are aliens, and they probably are not friendly. And I think the proof that there is intelligent life on other planets is the fact they've obviously chosen not to contact us. I wouldn't want to come down here.

SANCHEZ: But isn't it funny that when we use the word "alien" and by the way, it's the official term. We've checked. It's used by our immigration department, for example, when they originally wrote some of these statutes. They use the word "alien," which does, in fact, conjure up thoughts of people with antennas and green outfits coming out of their heads, right?

DURST: Yes. Well, fortunately, we haven't seen any of it yet, or they are stuck in Roswell, which is New Mexico, which is fine.

SANCHEZ: What do you make for the financial reform situation as it goes now? Do you believe it will pass?

DURST: I don't know. The Republicans three times this week have stalled any bill coming up for talks. They can't even speak about it. So, I don't know if that's a good move on the Republicans' part. It's kind of like they are in favor of Wall Street during an election year, which is like taking your kids to Sea World and rooting for the sharks to eat the dolphins in front of your kids. So, I don't know if it's going to work.

But I have what might be a double-edged cure for that hole that we have in the -- you know, the oil that's pumping the whole -- yes, all over the Caribbean.

SANCHEZ: Well, what's your cure?

DURST: We plug it up with the CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein. And two with one stone.

SANCHEZ: Well done, sir. I thank you. We'll be talking to you again next week.

DURST: Have a good one, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Will Durst.

And then there's the little pink dress, tight pink dress. See, I've got all of the guys looking at the camera again. We'll be right back.

This is RICK'S LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: All right. What happens when you go to a Brazilian beach? Well, you see, right, a lot of women wearing a whole lot less than normally you'd see women wearing in the United States.

Now, I want you to notice something. I'm talking about a woman wearing not a lot of clothing because it's a controversial story that we're covering tonight.

And let me show you a host of the guys in the studio here. Look at them all. Look at them.

Now, I've got to tell you, these guys here, they're not normally on their knees staring at the camera. They usually are, like, OK, Sanchez is talking about this. But they are glued. They've got that little lean-in factor.

Well, you'll be doing what they're doing when we come back. Stay right there.

This is RICK'S LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.

Now for the moment of glory.

It seemed strange to imagine restrictive dress codes in a country like Brazil. Right? In America, well, perhaps. But Brazil?

Think about it. We're talking about a country that has a wax named after it, ,a somewhat delicate and risque wax at that. Ouch!

But one female university student got kicked out for a short dress in Brazil.

Our Senior Latin American Affairs Editor Rafael Romo was brave enough to tackle this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SR. LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): It was the dress that launched a thousand and more viral videos and got 20-year-old Geisy Arruda expelled from her university in Brazil. But it seems every hem has a silver lining, and the little pink dress that made a big stink is now a serious earner.

GEISY ARRUDA, STUDENT (through translator): I really feel like I'm a winner.

ROMO: Arruda, a former tourism major at a Sao Paulo university, was expelled from school in October last year for dressing provocatively. A video showing other students cat-calling and insulting her appeared on YouTube, and suddenly Geisy Arruda was famous -- or infamous.

Six months later, Arruda has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines and TV shows.

ARRUDA (through translator): I don't consider myself famous. I do believe that women across Brazil identify themselves with me because, believe it or not, every day women are discriminated, whether it be at home by their husbands, or at work.

ROMO: After undergoing four plastic surgeries and doing a magazine cover with before-and-after pictures, a television show is now in the works.

(on camera): She was only a normal college student six months ago, but after this scandal, life has changed dramatically for Geisy Arruda. And now people stop here everywhere to ask her for pictures and autographs.

ANA CAROLINA GUILHERME, ARRUDA'S FRIEND (through translator): I think she was an escape valve. Our society is used to short skirts, short dresses, plunging necklines. I didn't understand the controversy over one girl who went to school wearing something a little tight.

ROMO (voice-over): In country known for samba and Carnival, Arruda's story has stirred up a debate over the role of women in society.

RICARDO CHAMORRO, HAIR STYLIST (through translator): I think we need to respect people in general. It doesn't matter how they dress. I think all Brazilians should realize that discrimination shouldn't be tolerated. ROMO: Arruda has become the kind of public figure most women love to hate and most men love to watch, as it became evident in front of our cameras in Sao Paulo.

ARRUDA (through translator): I'm part of a reality show right now looking for a boyfriend because I'm single. I'm enjoying my time so far, and the boys are extremely nice and have followed my story from the beginning.

ROMO: Arruda is also planning to launch her own women's clothing line. In her words, "outfits that will fit their bodies, but not society's expectations."

Rafael Romo, CNN, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Who knew?

And from that, we take you into "THE SITUATION ROOM." My colleague Wolf Blitzer takes you the rest of the way.