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Rick's List
BP Prepares to Attempt Capping Oil Leak; Greece's Economic Crisis; Disaster in the Gulf
Aired May 05, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Here's what we're going to do. We're going to be following this containment cone. It's apparently ready to go. It's heading out into the Gulf of Mexico, hoping upon hope that it can avert some kind of ecological catastrophe out there. That's where we start the LIST.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here's what's making the LIST on this day.
Greeks riot. Will their flatlining economy affect our economy?
Faisal Shahzad became an American while hating America. How did that happen?
(on camera): Is our process for screening people who become naturalized in this country outdated?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only is it outdated. It's ridiculous.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Is it time to update the naturalization process? Maybe fewer questions about Nazis and communism and more questions about terrorism. I'm asking ICE live.
Why is this man running from police? I will tell you.
The Phoenix Suns today will be Los Suns in protest, but many Americans are OK with Arizona's new immigration law. Where is the middle ground? I will talk live with the mayor of Los Angeles.
And is that the face of a murderer? Yes. That's what police say. And this is his alleged victim. Why?
The lists you need to know about. Who's today's most intriguing? Who's landed on the list you don't want to be on? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why I keep a list.
Pioneering tomorrow's cutting-edge news right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Hello again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez. Let's get right to it.
And we're going to begin with what is something taking place in the Gulf of Mexico which could possibly avert a catastrophe of sorts, certainly economically and ecologically. There it is, live pictures that you're starting to see for the very first time.
This is the barge that's taking that dome out to the middle of the Gulf. The dome is that which you see right there on the right. Let me tell you a little bit about it. It's said to be four stories tall, weighs about 450 tons.
Now, I'm trying to figure out if this thing is moving. Can you guys help me in the control room? Is this thing moving right now? All right. It's -- it's been -- Chad, you on? I'm confused. I was told that it started moving at 1:30. And maybe it's moving. It's just kind of hard to tell, but I know it's moving very slowly.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I think it's making way.
SANCHEZ: Is it?
MYERS: I do. But you're only going to go one or two knots in here. You're still in very calm water here.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Oh, I see. Look, it is. It's kind of moving out of the frame in the front there, but it's just -- it's so big, it is kind of like a plane.
MYERS: Yes. Yes.
SANCHEZ: It always looks like in slow-motion...
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Right.
SANCHEZ: Yes?
MYERS: Right. Right.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Yes?
MYERS: Yes. And we're pretty far -- pretty far away. And then we're zoomed in. So, yes, but it is -- it's trying to make way. It's got a long way to go and they don't want to injure it. They don't want to damage the thing.
SANCHEZ: That white thing right there in the front.
MYERS: That's it.
SANCHEZ: Tell our viewers what that is and what it's going to do, and then we will go on with the rest of our newscast and I will bring you back later. MYERS: It's a 70-ton upside-down milk carton that they are going to put over the wellhead, they're going to put over the blowout preventer. They are going to let it leak as long as it can leak until they drill the new well down in the bottom, which could take months. They are going to let it leak into this container.
Then they're going to suck the oil out of that container...
SANCHEZ: Wow.
MYERS: ... and take it to the surface and pump it into a 125,000-barrel vessel, a bulk -- a container, a wet container...
SANCHEZ: Yes. Yes.
MYERS: ... pump it in there, and then take it to the shore, and not let it get in the water. Let it leak. We don't care. That's what we're saying. We will drill under it. Then we will cap it off from there.
SANCHEZ: So, that's the master plan right now.
MYERS: That's it.
SANCHEZ: And we will follow it along. Thanks for bringing us up to date. We will keep calling you back. We will watch this thing over the course of the next couple of hours. OK?
MYERS: Yes. Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Chad.
All right, I want to show you right now what's going on in Greece. And it's important that we talk about the ripple effect that's being felt here in the United States as a result of what's going on over there.
First, the pictures. Look at the protests. These are the streets of Greece. They have been growing more and more violent. Three people already have died after a firebomb hit a bank in Athens. Fires have been set throughout the city. Riot police, we understand, have been using tear gas on some of the crowds. Protesters made it to the steps of parliament before being pushed back by police.
Now, why is all of this happening? Well, because the Greek national banks are in debt. All right. You see Greece's debt is now bigger than the country's economy. Its credit rating is now so low that it is struggling to pay its bills.
The new government wants to implement unpopular spending cuts. And, as usual, many of the people there are saying, no. Let someone else pay for it, not me.
These are called austerity measures, also hiking taxes on fuel, also tobacco, alcohol, among other things. They're freezing wages. They're raising retirement age, we understand, by at least two years. All right, now I want to take you to Germany. Now take a look at this. You're asking yourself, wait, weren't you just talking about Greece? Sanchez, why are you showing me Germany here?
OK, this is the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. She's in parliament. She's discussing Greece. Her country is leading a plan to offerer a financial package to Greece. So, this has now led to protests in Germany as well, major grumbling.
Remember how people in the United States didn't like bailing out the banks and other U.S. companies? Could you imagine having to bail out another country's banks? So, of course, many citizens there in Germany are outraged over this.
This leads us to the unease on Wall Street. We have seen the Dow -- What was it? -- 200 points, I believe, yesterday. And a lot of the talk there on Wall Street was that the reason this is happening is because of what's going on in Greece.
Let's get some confirmation. Let's get some background on this.
Poppy Harlow is joining us now live from New York.
Poppy, is there a quid pro quo between what's going on right now in Greece and what we're seeing on the Dow or any other parts of our economy that we're going to feel ripple effects with?
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Absolutely, Rick.
I think, you know, you said it. The Dow fell 225 points yesterday. And looking at a market that is once again on its knees -- the Dow's down 86, falling more as the trading day goes on. But let's not -- remember, Greece isn't alone. This is a small world we live in, and American corporations have spent the last decade or more forming ways to sell their goods overseas to emerging economies, OK?
That -- they can do that when the U.S. dollar is low, when it is weak. But the U.S. dollar is stronger now, because Greece's currency, Germany's currency, the euro, is getting hit. That's why this matters to us. It's strengthening our dollar.
And people would say, well, isn't that great? Well, possibly, that's good for this country, but, in the long run, it's bad because it makes our good and services less attractive. That's why it affects us. And that's why the Dow is down so severely.
I talked to one of the traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange right now, and he told me listen, the VIX, the volatility index that we traders watch, is at the highest level in four years -- four months, Rick. And you know why that is?
SANCHEZ: Why?
HARLOW: Because they have no idea what's going to come from this, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Yes, that's the -- that's the issue I keep hearing about.
HARLOW: That's it. Right.
SANCHEZ: It's not so much that it's happening. It's just that nobody knows at this point whether it's going to go in this direction or that direction or whether people are going to be actually be able to do this rescue that Angela Merkel has been talking about.
HARLOW: Right, right.
SANCHEZ: Poppy, do me a favor. Stay on top of this. Let us know if there's any movement on it, and we will get back to you as we move forward over the next couple of hours.
HARLOW: You got it.
SANCHEZ: There's so many stories that are moving to today.
Take a look at this video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Is our process for screening people who become naturalized in this country outdated?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only is it outdated. It's ridiculous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Did we make it too easy for this guy to become a U.S. citizen? Should the naturalization process be updated? I'm looking for answers from the agency in charge.
Also, who is this guy? Who is Faisal Shahzad? I mean, who is he really? Our Joe Johns is taking us through his personal story, which many Americans on this day are most interested in.
All right. Here we go, folks. This is your national conversation. This is your list. This is RICK'S LIST. We're coming back in two.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Foremost on our plans today, we're going to be watching that containment dome. I want you to take a look at this thing.
Get the picture up, if you possibly can again, Rog. This is this four-story piece of concrete and metal that's going to be put on top of one of the leaks in the Gulf of Mexico in order to -- well, not necessarily siphon it, but control it, keep it in one place, until they're able to see if they can stop not one, not two, but three leaks that have been taking place.
We're going to be all over this, obviously, as it changes, as it moves. We will stay with these live pictures and bring you the very latest. And, of course, with the rest of the country, we will keep our fingers crossed that this experiment works.
Meanwhile, take a look at this. All right, this is something -- this is somebody's belongings. It's being blown to bits. Baggage handlers in Houston, they saw a hole in this bag while unloading a flight from Amsterdam, we understand. Watch it again. They left the bag on the tarmac. They called the bomb squad, and the bomb squad said, the hell with it. We will just blow it up. Police used explosives immediately.
The owner will get back any of his stuff...
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: ... any of it that is still in one piece, that is.
On the terror watch list today, the Times Square car bomb case -- somebody close to the investigation tells us the suspect has waived his right to remain silent and his right to a lawyer. Now, we understand he is chatting it up with the feds, so much so that they have decided to put off his first court appearance until some time tomorrow.
You know his name, Faisal Shahzad. He's claiming that he learned how to make bombs in Pakistan, where his dad was a vice marshal in the Pakistan Air Force. Now, the Pakistani Taliban is saying, hey, we appreciate what he did, but, uh-oh, he's not one of ours.
Now, this is interesting. This is where some of the stories sometimes begin to conflict. This is the same group, by the way, that claimed, not once, but three times that it was behind the Times Square bombing. So, now when the guy says, I belong to the group that said they did it, the group that says they did it said, no, he doesn't belong to us.
Curious.
I want you to watch this comprehensive piece of journalism. It's put together by one of our finest. Here now, the work of my colleague Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So, who is the guy who, according to authorities, has admitted trying to blow up an SUV in Times Square? He's 30, born in Pakistan and a naturalized U.S. citizen. He's highly educated, has an MBA. He's a family man, his wife, Huma Mian, a graduate of the University of Colorado. They have two kids, a boy and a girl.
Shahzad left his job at a marketing and data management company last year, and he got hit with foreclosure. He owed $200,000 on his home in Shelton, Connecticut, last fall. A neighbor who does not want to be identified said the family was low-key.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a very private person, kept to himself, liked to come out at night, wear all black, and go jogging. His family, his wife didn't speak much English. His daughter played with my daughter. His oldest daughter played with my daughter. No one suspected anything, that, you know, he would do something like this.
JOHNS: Other biographical notes: Shahzad's father is a retired senior air force officer in Pakistan. In 2005, Shahzad graduated from the University of Bridgeport. He made little impression there.
WARD THRASHER, ASSISTANT DEAN, UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: People remember his name, but don't remember a lot about him as a student in the classroom.
JOHNS: Still, the emerging picture of Shahzad is unsettling. Shahzad was in the U.S. on a work visa, and then, a year ago, he took the oath of American citizenship. Then, five months later, according to court records, he admitted having traveled to Pakistan.
In fact, just last February, an immigration inspector at Kennedy Airport in New York stopped him. Authorities say Shahzad told him he had been in Pakistan for five months visiting his parents, said he was planning on staying at a motel in Connecticut while he looked for a job and a place to live. And he told them his wife was back in Pakistan, though something about his travel profile at the time set off red flags.
For example, we know he bought a one-way ticket for the flight and paid for it with cash.
JANET NAPOLITANO, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Without getting into a lot of detail, he was screened when he came back because some of the targeting rules applied.
JOHNS: What we now know is, Shahzad admits he had bomb-making training in Pakistan on one of the trips. Back in Connecticut, Shahzad moved to an apartment in Bridgeport.
One neighbor said she didn't even know he was there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, now we don't know that someone was in the second floor. I know someone lived on the third floor. But, still, we never see the guy.
JOHNS: He may have been invisible to the neighbors, but he was apparently no expert at stealth at concealment. In some ways, he was creating a neon sign for police pointing straight at him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like he come here last year and he bought a phone card.
JOHNS: Court records say they traced his telephone calls made on a prepaid cell phone, calls that went to Pakistan, calls made to a fireworks store in Pennsylvania that sells the type of fireworks linked to the makeshift bomb.
Joe Johns, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And now this story. Watch this. This guy's suspected in a carjacking, of what, a water vessel? Talk about timing. I'm going to take you through this.
Also, election results are in. Have you heard? Where? North Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana. Was it the huge tectonic shift, as conventional wisdom and the mainstream media told us that it would be, almost revolutionary? Have I got a surprise for you.
Jessica Yellin joins me next with that and big news of a Democrat who is getting ready to retire.
She's live in Utah. Doesn't she look like it? Pretty in Utah.
We will be right back. Stay with us. This is your list, RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We welcome you back to RICK'S LIST.
I want to show you the containment cone once again that is now making its way gradually out to the Gulf of Mexico. We have got -- in fact, it looks like that's the very first aerials that we have seen. Yes, look at that. We have got aerials coming.
Chad, what do you think of that?
MYERS: Going down the canal. You know, it's in a no-wake zone and it's not in any real hurry to get out to sea. But it's -- obviously, it's going. You can see it making way. It's making waves in the water. The pilot house is in the back.
SANCHEZ: Wow.
MYERS: So, it's actually going forward. The white part is the bow of the boat, I think, as he's backing out here.
SANCHEZ: So, we -- it's basically got to get out of the channel.
MYERS: It's got to get out of there and...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, look at this. You see that over there, Chad? Take a look over there just to the left.
P.J. Crowley from the State Department has just put out a tweet saying 13 countries and international organizations have offered assistance with the oil spill. This is interesting. "We are grateful, and we are evaluating what we need."
So, boy, you don't -- don't you think for one minute that the rest of the countries in the world are just as anxious about this thing going on in the Gulf as we are, huh? MYERS: Well, you know, there have been hundreds, hundreds of oil spills across the world. And there are people that know what they're doing, you know?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MYERS: Just because we're America, we don't necessarily have all of the answers.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: We think we always have all the answers, but, in fact, sometimes, other people have better answers.
And if we're getting help, we're getting cooperation from other countries, it's about time, because we cooperate an awful lot, as our country. I will tell you that.
SANCHEZ: Yes, you're absolutely right. Boy, look at these pictures. The thing is going out with a wish and a prayer.
MYERS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: We all got our fingers crossed and we will be following it throughout this newscast. And we certainly hope it works.
MYERS: OK. I will be here.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, buddy.
Let me tell you about something else. There's a big story that is brewing right now out of Washington today. Veteran House Democrat David Obey, he's a brass-knuckles, partisan brawler, 41 years in the House, head of a big committee, facing a challenger backed by Sarah Palin. David Obey said just a short time ago, guess what? He's quitting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DAVID OBEY (D-WI), HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I have gone through 25 elections and engaged in countless battles. I'm ready to turn the page. And, frankly, I think that my district is ready for somebody new to make a fresh start.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: OK. Stop and think about this now. David Obey, facing a Sarah Palin Tea Party-style challenger, decides not to run for a 22nd -- 22nd term in Congress. Are Sarah Palin and the Tea Party influences running some of these rascals out of office?
Wait. Not so fast, because guess what else happened? Guess what happened last night? This is interesting. And this almost -- well, in many way, it conflicts with the story I just told you. Three big states held primaries last night, all right, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana. I think I'm correct, right? And those allegedly angry voters could have stormed the polls in droves and thrown out the bums. They would have all been there in big numbers, and they're going to get rid of the incumbents, get rid of the old hacks. So, did that happen?
Let's go now to Jessica Yellin. She's joining me to bring us the very latest on this.
I have the feeling you're going to report that didn't happen. In fact, it may have been, oh, let's say, just the opposite?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's interesting, Rick.
Yesterday's elections showed that there was very limited turnout. One of the things we have heard is that the Tea Party movement was going to energize the base, stoke up turnout, especially on the Republican side. And in the key Republican races -- there were two in Indiana especially -- the incumbents won. Now, their margin of victory was more narrow, but the Tea Party movement didn't throw the bums out, as you said.
SANCHEZ: Well...
YELLIN: So, it's still to be determined whether they will have a huge influence in November.
SANCHEZ: Well, I know, but we got one of the first runs where we get to -- where we get to take a look at something like this, the...
YELLIN: Right.
SANCHEZ: ... and the -- the -- the polls showed that the turnout was way, way underwhelming. Not only that. The three guys -- or five guys, whatever the number is, the number of guys who actually won last night...
YELLIN: Right.
SANCHEZ: ... they're all guys who have been there forever. There were no fresh faces. There was no nobody new. It was like they were -- they had incumbent written all over them, even if they weren't incumbents.
YELLIN: That's right.
They were people who had -- either were incumbents or were already officeholders in a different office. The big difference is, none of these folks, just to be clear, was targeted as a -- by the Tea Party as one of their top people they want to take down.
So, there wasn't the whole national movement focused on the race, and there wasn't as much energy around it. But, again, on the Republican side, it is very meaningful and worth noting that the two targets they did have survived.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
YELLIN: And you got to ask, how much muscle are they going to have come November, when they say they're going to take down some Democrats? It seems they are more successful in forcing retirements than getting voters to the ballot boxes.
SANCHEZ: Well, that leads us to the next conversation, the bit about Obey.
YELLIN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: I mean, here's a guy they were gunning for. And it's appearing like he's saying, you know what? Maybe it's not worth the fight. I'm getting out of here.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Or is there some other -- is there some other plan going on with Rahm Emanuel and these guys that they're orchestrating for his replacement?
YELLIN: No. That -- that's the perfect phrase, not worth the fight.
Let's remember, David Obey is one of the key figures who crafted the stimulus plan. And his committee came out with some of the pieces that were most upsetting to Tea Party movement folks, including, you know, provisions to fund STD programs and that kind of thing.
So, he was a key target and a longtime Democrat who, you know, feels like, after a long time, it might just be, is it worth the fight? So, he was going to have enormous attention focused on him, money against him. Obviously, he said, not worth it.
SANCHEZ: Can I tell you something? That mountain range behind you frames you so pretty.
YELLIN: Isn't it glorious?
SANCHEZ: You just -- you're glowing there.
YELLIN: Thank you. It's also the air.
SANCHEZ: Is it?
YELLIN: You're so nice. The air is beautiful. Let's open a bureau here. I'm for it.
SANCHEZ: The people in the control room say it's getting to the point where it almost looks like I'm flirting with you, so I have to stop.
YELLIN: Oh.
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: OK. Your wife wouldn't like that.
SANCHEZ: Again.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: All right, thanks a lot. We will look forward -- we will look forward to talking to you again, Jessica.
YELLIN: Good to see you.
All right, let's do this now. They're trapped trying to walk across the top of a dam. What? How did they get there, just inches from a 30-foot drop? So, what happened? I'm going to take you through this story in just a little bit. You stay right there.
Also, this giant containment dome, it's supposed to help cap the oil leak in the Gulf. There it is. What a story this is. And it's happening right now during our watch. We're going to take you through it, folks.
And I keep saying this, but it's the truth. We should all have our fingers crossed. We hope this works. Brooke Baldwin is there. We sent her there, so she could follow the story for us as it happens. She's going to tell us in just a little bit exactly how this thing is going and what the other plans are to try and get some of the other leaks to stop. It's an ongoing story.
Brooke, we will look forward to seeing you in just a little bit on RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. This is RICK'S LIST. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Let me show you the only live pictures that you're going to see anywhere of this barge that's heading out to try and salvage the Gulf of Mexico, as we see it right now. Well, it's kind of hard to tell.
Hey, can you get rid of the banners at the bottom of the screen? I can't see a darn thing because of those banners. Just get them out of there.
Thank you. All right. There you go. See the thing right there? OK, the -- the dark part at the bottom there, the orange or reddish part, is part of the barge. The white thing you're seeing right there, for those of you just now getting home, is that containment dome that's heading out to the middle of the Gulf of Mexico where they're going to put it over one of the leaks.
And guess who we went down there to follow the story for us. Brooke Baldwin, she's been itching to get down there and really find out at ground level or sea level exactly what's going on with this story. She's in Biloxi, Mississippi. Brooke, what do you got?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think we should continue looking at those live pictures. And I want to stress the urgent situation is here along the Gulf coast.
And also something maybe not a lot of people realize is this whole effort to get this big white thing, this containment dome over the second leak, BP has never done this at this water depth -- we're talking 5,000 feet under, simply because of the pressure.
Let me walk you through what they're doing. They took a dome Port Buchon right around noon local time. They are moving it on this barge. And guess how long it will take they say? Somewhere between 10 and 12 hours is the trek. They're going about four knots, so it will take midnight or overnight hours local to get this thing where the leak is.
And then it will take another couple of days to attach it over that valve, over that second leak, to, then, attach it to a series of pipelines. I think Chad said it best. It's kind of like an upside down milk carton to suck the oil up. And if it works they move that to leak number three.
SANCHEZ: That's amazing, especially as you look at these pictures to try and figure out what happens.
Though, I am just curious -- let's suppose they're able to put this thing over the top, but you still have the other two. First of all, is some of the pressure from one going to go into the other, thereby, the leak is really not going to be diminished?
Two, will they be able to somehow cap those other two in time to avert the problems that we're seeing now?
BALDWIN: OK, so, to clarify. BP actually came out overnight this morning and said, hey, great news, we have capped one of the leaks with a valve.
SANCHEZ: Yes. But, hold on, but hold on. But hold on. Here's my point. By capping that valve, whatever was coming out of there is only being diverted to the other two, so the amount of oil --
BALDWIN: Correct.
SANCHEZ: -- coming out thereof is the same! So it's like, you know, we're --
BALDWIN: Correct, which is why this --
SANCHEZ: What do you call it where you hide the -- the shell game?
BALDWIN: This is why it's so important.
SANCHEZ: What's that? I'm sorry, Brooke?
BALDWIN: A shell game, exactly. It's exactly like that. But what I'm saying this is so incredibly important to make sure this thing gets on tom of leak number two so it works so that the pressure coming in from leak number one that's capped gets capped by leak number two and then finally leak number three works.
This is all really, like, a waiting game and everybody here are crossing their fingers because this has never been done before.
SANCHEZ: Well, how experimental -- Chad, get over here.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, yes.
SANCHEZ: I'm curious. Brooke and I are having a discussion, I think a lot of people all over the country are having a discussion like this, and I think the experts are having a discussion like this because they don't have an idea either.
So they capped the first one, and all the oil from there went into part of the second and the third. When they cap the third we will see the -- or when they cap the second, or they put the dome over the second, will we see more oil going to the third?
MYERS: No.
SANCHEZ: Do you follow that question?
MYERS: I do. Here's what has happened. The oil is coming out of the ground and it will go to the blow off preventer and it will go to the leak. That's the leak they're going to now, the one closest to the blow-off preventer.
When they found the leak it went from 42,000 gallons a day to 200,000 gallons a day because they didn't know it was actually leaking out of that leak. They're going to cover up the big leak.
So, yes, the oil will still come out of the hose and the riser and down and leak in one more spot, but because they covered up the end, now they only have two cad-domes to put on. They were going to do three domes and it was going to take longer.
So by capping that one, the easy one to cap, now we don't have to put three domes down. We only have to put two down.
SANCHEZ: Got it.
MYERS: You know, there's an animation that shows this dome thing going down, I'll see if we can find it.
SANCHEZ: OK.
MYERS: Because it's a great little animation. It shows how the ships lower it down. They have to lower it down 5,000 feet, 5,000 feet, and they have to get it down over this thing.
SANCHEZ: Do you know what is interesting, when I'm talking with and you Brooke and we're discussing this story, I feel like we're in the cafeteria here at CNN having a discussion about what's going on, which works for me perfectly well, by the way. Sometimes it's the best way to understand a complicated situation.
Stay in touch, Chad. You, too, Brooke, down in Biloxi, and we'll check back with you to see what's going on.
Meanwhile, take a look at this piece of sound and video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're confident that Miss Love's death was not intended but an accident with a tragic outcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Did a lacrosse player days away from graduating from college -- I wish we had a picture of this kid, because -- there we go. That's the victim. And that's the suspect. The charge is murder. Wow. This is topping our national crime list.
Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I expected, you know, to pull an adult out of this vehicle. When I asked the child how old he was, he said 12. That even shocked me, because he looked even younger than that. He looked fairly well for a 12-year-old.
SANCHEZ: Twelve? A 12-year-old leads police on a high-speed chase at midnight. And wait until you hear what else the police have to say about him. That's next right here on your national conversation. This is "RICK'S LIST."
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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. So good to have you. I'm Rick Sanchez. This is "RICK'S LIST."
A carjacking suspect wearing a wig, a top hat, and Mardi Gras beads. You think that's weird, right? Take a look at this. Let's go "Fotos."
Can you believe this? A television crew on a totally different story filmed this suspect sans his wild disguise, running from police down a river embankment in Oregon.
He realized he was no match for the police dogs. He falls into the river, after flailing against the current, he finally gets out. Remember, he's wet, right? He's wet, lifts his shirt, police think he's got a gun. Bring out the taser, and, pop, down goes Frazier.
The perpetrator goes down and, oh, the suspect's gun, turned out it was a fake.
Now let's get to a river chase. Oh, wait, what is this? A water rescue. Signs warn against crossing this dam in Georgia. These folks didn't pay heed. They got caught in strong currents in rain-swollen creeks. Firefighters pulled one of them off the edge of a 30-foot drop. Talk about a close call, being in the wrong place where you weren't supposed to be. Also another police chase, right? Well, that's what officers thought until they saw who was behind the wheel. It's a 12-year-old, a 12-year-old boy. That's right, he's doing 90 miles an hour through several neighborhoods at midnight. He's 12.
No one was hurt. He's in trouble. Police gave props, though, believe it or not, to his driving.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He actually drove fairly well for a 12-year- old. That's what was really shocking.
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SANCHEZ: Shocking indeed. By the way, you want to see these again? Maybe in slow-mo? You can go to my blog. It's CNN.com/RickSanchez. "Fotos del Dia."
Each day we highlight a list that is relevant to the news cycle. Today we're going to show you a list of terrorist plots that have been foiled since 9/11. We've got the list, and we're going to share it with you. It's quite significant.
Also, take a look at this giant containment dome, because it is thematically speaking one of the most important stories in our newscast today. We're going to let you know how this goes. They are, with their fingers crossed, hoping to get this out to the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, where they will put it over one of the leaks and at least control this potential catastrophe in the Gulf. We'll be right back. Stay right there.
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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
He tried to blow up part of Times Square, but it failed. His plan foiled. I want to take you now to a list of some of the other foiled terror attacks in this country since 9/11. There have been about 30 of them.
Here is the top five. Sharing the five spot, former Georgia Tech students Said Ahmed and Islam Siddiqui, who conspired to provide material support for terrorists in the United States and abroad.
Number four on our list, Michael Fitton, also known as Talid Islam, who in 2009 attempted to detonate a truck bomb to blow up a federal building in downtown Springfield, Illinois.
Number three, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. In 2009 he attempted to set off a bomb on a Michigan-bound flight.
Number two, the infamous shoe bomber, Richard Reid. He's a member of Al Qaeda who attempted to blow up a commercial flight in flight. Who could forget him? But who is number one on the list of masterminds behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks currently detained at Guantanamo Bay? He is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who happens to be also one of the most intriguing people in the news for the last several years. Who is the most intriguing in the news today? That is next.
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SANCHEZ: All right, time to check the list of most intriguing people who are in the news today. Hit that animation.
This guy's intriguing for taking a stand on a controversial national debate against something he sees wrong. Tonight, the NBA basketball team he mostly owns will take to the court wearing a subtle message to the state of Arizona. Instead of the words "Suns" the players' jerseys will read "Los Suns," a little Espanola to show the teams solidarity with the Latino community he says.
Here's his other quote. "We need to go on record that we honor our diversity in our team, in the NBA, and we need to show support for that." His name is Robert Sarver, majority owner of the Phoenix Suns. He doesn't like Arizona's new immigration law one bit, he says.
His team wears Los Suns jerseys tonight. His players support it, they say, unanimously, and he has the blessing of the NBA's commissioner to boot.
Robert Sarver, who founded a national bank at the age of 23 and is now doing what sports rarely does, getting involved in a political controversy. He is, for that, today's most intriguing person in the news.
So, the owner of the Phoenix Suns is fired up. What about Roland? Has he been watching what's going on out there? I bet you he has. I'm going to ask him when we come back. Stay right there. It's "R&R," Roland and Rick. Or is it the other way around? We'll be right back.
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SANCHEZ: Boy, things are not good for oil companies and everything associated with the oil industry. This is a refinery. It is in San Antonio, Texas. There has been a massive explosion, and we understand that there is one person that is unaccounted for. We want to thank KSAT for helping us provide you with those images.
Roland's joining me now for our "R&R" segment. Roland, I bring you in, talking about -- I bring you in talking about your state. You're familiar with Texas. That happens down there quite a bit, right? But I mean, it makes sense. That's where most of the refineries, right?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yep, Texas, Louisiana. That whole area, especially that golden triangle, orange, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, Lake Charles, Louisiana as well. SANCHEZ: Let me ask you about this situation the Phoenix, Arizona. There you've got this owner, and it's kind of gutsy, because it's so much easier just to stay away from controversy. Here is a guy that not only is he not staying away from it, but he's having his team put on "Los Suns" on their jerseys.
He's on record saying I don't like this, I think it's bad for the state, I think it's going to make us lose business and tourism, and it's showing us in a different light, because he says Arizona's a diverse place. What do you think of a guy coming out and doing this, with the backing, by the way, of David Stern and the NBA?
MARTIN: First of all, it's great to have a sports owner with some actual guts in terms of taking a stand on an issue they deem to be vital. Remember, the Arizona legislature, after the initial law, had to modify that law because of the level of criticism that was placed on them.
And so, it is certainly a right call also for the players who stand out. Remember, you know, you have a history in sports of athletes taking stands on a variety of issues. Muhammad Ali, talk about Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Brown in the '60s as well. So it's not like we haven't seen this before where athletes have taken stands.
It's only in this modern day with so much money and marketers and advertisers where athletes shy away from it because they don't want to offend anyone. I remember in North Carolina when Michael Jordan was asked if he was going to endorse Gantz (ph), and he said Republicans bought sneakers too.
And so George had to deal with that comment for so many years.
SANCHEZ: Speaking of Republicans, 32 African-Americans running for Congress as Republicans. What do you think of that number alone? I understand it's as large as it's ever been before. How do you explain it?
MARTIN: Well, keep in mind, first of all, several years ago, there were 25 Republicans who were running across the country. You also need to look at the fact that you're now operating also in a post-civil rights movement generation, and that is, you have a new generation of African-Americans born after, frankly, use the marker of Dr. King's death, 1968, the generation that I'm in that don't identify solely as a Democrat and have also looked at the other party for a variety of reasons. So it's not surprising.
But the real issue is not how many have run, the question is, can they win? And that's what it boils down to. You have in Texas, of course, where Michael Williams, a good friend of mine, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, many believed he was going to be appointed to the U.S. Senate seat if Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had resigned.
So he is likely going to run in two years if she doesn't retire early. This issue though is, again, running is one thing, winning is another. Just like you've had Democrats run for statewide office, but very few of them have actually won statewide.
SANCHEZ: Roland Martin, on top of things for us with "R&R," as usual. Appreciate it. See you again, my friend.
MARTIN: Thanks very much, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Did you know some are calling the floods in Tennessee a 1,000-year event for that region? It made me think, what are the worst floods from rainfall that we have seen ever in this country? So we've put a list together to show you exactly where they've been. You might be surprised, by the way, when you see this. It's coming up.
And then the boy next door turned accused murderer. That's right. This is a heck of a story coming out of Virginia that everyone seems to be talking about in one shape or another. We'll be right back. This is your list, your national conversation. This is "RICK'S LIST."
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SANCHEZ: What is the top of the crime list today during this newscast? Well, movement today on that horrible, violent death of a college student at the University of Virginia.
Roger, show pictures of this victim and the guy who's accused of killing her now. There's the victim, Yeardley Love, 22 years old, found dead in her apartment Monday morning. Police say this guy, George Huguely was her current or ex-boyfriend. He's only 22 years old, both students, both elite athletes, both in the school's lacrosse programs, both seem to come from money.
And here's what we've learned in the past couple of hours. There's now been a sworn statement from investigators who have interviewed Huguely, who says the two of them had a, quote, "altercation." He says he "shook her." He says her head hit the wall, repeatedly, though. He says he took the woman's computer and tried to get rid of it.
Huguely's formally charged with first-degree murder today. Listen to his lawyer.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are confident that Miss Love's death was not intended, but an accident with a tragic outcome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look at a scene like that and you see a young person who's been the victim of something like this, it's certainly -- it sent shock waves through the community.
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SANCHEZ: All right, we need to tell you that he does, George Huguely does remain in jail at this point. He did not request bond. That is the "crime list."
