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American Morning
Oil May Flow Until August; Afghan Plan: Is There a Plan B?; Turkey Responds To Israeli Attack; F-16's Scrambled; Beaches Are Clean; It Could Blow Up At Any Second; Supporting Military Widows; Home and Away
Aired May 31, 2010 - 7:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: We've got those drums going.
Good morning.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: (INAUDIBLE) the hour.
ACOSTA: That's right.
It's Monday, May 31st. Happy Memorial Day. I'm Jim Acosta, in for John Roberts.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans, in for Kiran Chetry. We hope they're both having a wonderful and restful Memorial Day.
ACOSTA: Yes.
ROMANS: Here are the morning's top stories.
BP moving on to Plan G, a new attempt to cap the oil eruption at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico after top kill failed. But there are doubts the oil company has a clue it what it's doing at this point and fears that this latest attempt could actually make things worse -- worse, Jim.
We're -- we're live along the coast.
ACOSTA: Yes. Hard to think about that.
And today, a nation honors the service and sacrifice of our veterans and those who are currently serving in the military. But today, we also mark new milestones, violence in parts of Afghanistan is rising. U.S. troops are bogged down. So is there a Plan B to America's war strategy?
We are live at the Pentagon.
ROMANS: It's a high-stress jobs where dozens, may be even hundreds of thousands of lives could be on the line. In a CNN exclusive, when the city is on edge, they have to keep their cool.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was the first time that I went down in a vehicle and I saw box and wires and gas and propane. And I identified it as a bomb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really didn't stand back and say, holy cow, this is a bomb, you know, it could blow up any second.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Our Susan Candiotti talks with the NYPD bomb squad, including the very officers who are called in during the now infamous New York bomb scare.
ACOSTA: You got to stay for that. And, of course, the amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation right now. Just go to at CNN.com/amFIX -- Christine.
ROMANS: But, first, all the latest on the largest oil spill in U.S. history, BP dishing out more apologies, damage control, excuses, but still no results. The oil company says it's preparing a new attempt to cap the leak. They are expecting to have it up and running sometime this week.
Thousands more gallons of oil are pouring in the Gulf with every day that goes by. And now, we may be looking at this scenario for the rest of the summer. BP is now admitting that after top kill failed, the best hope to stop the leak may be to drill a relief well, something that's underway right now. But that won't happen or be completed at least until August.
David Mattingly is live for us in New Orleans.
David, what's this new backup plan? I mean -- and BP -- to be fair, BP has had several plans going along at the same time, hasn't it?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The failure of the top kill means that BP is stepping away from any chance to stop this leak prior to the completion of that relief well in August. So, now, instead of trying to stop the oil, they're going to try to contain it again.
All that video we've been watching from that live feed at the bottom of the ocean where that oil is spewing up in a plume from that break and that pipe. They're going to be sawing that pipe off and putting a containment vessel over the top of that to siphon the oil up to the surface. They say they're not going to be able to catch all of the oil, which means, possibly, thousands of barrels of oil will be leaking back into the Gulf of Mexico every day until August when that relief well is finished.
While this operation is going on, the U.S. government estimates we could see the flow of oil increase 20 percent while they are doing work on this procedure. But that is temporary until they get that containment cap in place to have the oil taken to the top.
So, again, the headline here is that the top kill had failed and that means the failure to stop this oil completely until that relief well is finished sometime in August. ROMANS: David, to be clear about why the -- why the output would increase 20 percent, because when they slice off this pipe, it's actually going to allow more oil to come out all at once until they get that thing contained, right?
MATTINGLY: Right. As long as that pipe is there and bent the way it is, it's creating some resistance that keeps some oil from coming out. Once they slice the top of that, the oil is going to be free to escape into the Gulf of Mexico. But, again, this is temporary during that construction period where they slice that off and then put a containment cap on top of that to catch.
But the important thing to remember here is, for the long-term, at least until August, that BP says they're only going to be catching most of that oil and there's going to be some of that oil that's still going to be escaping into the Gulf every single day. And we could be looking at thousands of barrels of oil every day.
ROMANS: All right. David Mattingly -- thanks so much, David, for that update. Thanks.
ACOSTA: The spill literally wiped out their livelihoods. Now, to add insult to injury, fishermen may be getting sick from it. One of them who was hospitalized after working on a cleanup effort has filed a temporary restraining order against BP He wants the company to provide masks to fishermen who are hired to help clean up the bands of oil heading for the shore. He also wants them to be able to voice their concerns without fear that the company will retaliate.
ROMANS: OK. You can get all the updates, complete coverage of the oil spills, impact on the Gulf on the whole coast region, you can go to CNN.com/oilspill for that.
ACOSTA: Also new this morning, here in New York, the fleet is in town. Annual Fleet Week festivities are in full swing this Memorial Day in just a few hours. The celebrations will kick off aboard the Intrepid with a traditional wreath-laying.
A B17 bomber will also drop flowers over the Statue of Liberty to pay tribute to the seven CIA employees killed inside a CIA base in Afghanistan last year. That ought to be a site to behold.
ROMANS: Yes. And this morning, Vice President Biden will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, nowhere is the sacrifice of American servicemen and women more evident. President Obama will take part in another ceremony at a cemetery in Illinois.
ACOSTA: And as we remember this Memorial Day, we also want to highlight the challenges our armed forces face every day on the front line in Afghanistan.
ROMANS: Our Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon.
Barbara, in many places, the violence is rising, troops are bogged down. So, is there a Plan B to America's war strategy? BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Jim and Christine, an awful lot of people are asking that. Overnight, the U.S. military announced that it killed one of the two top Taliban commanders in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. Kandahar, right now, when you think about Plan B, is shaping up to be a make or break.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Within weeks, 20,000, U.S. Afghan and coalition forces will have poured into the Kandahar region of southern Afghanistan, a long-time Taliban stronghold. The mission: establish security for the people, improve local government, and push the Taliban out.
It's the biggest battle yet in General Stanley McChrystal's counter-insurgency war plan.
U.S. forces have already struck Taliban targets in the area. But McChrystal is now trying to make it look like a more gentle war.
GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, U.S. COMMANDER, AFGHANISTAN: We're not using the term "operation" or "major operations," because that often brings to mind in people's psyche, the idea of a D-Day and H-hour and an attack.
STARR: That's Plan A in McChrystal's war to protect and help Afghan regain their country from insurgents. But what if it doesn't work?
Stephen Biddle is an occasional adviser to General McChrystal.
(on camera): A lot of people say Plan B is to make Plan A work.
STEPHEN BIDDLE, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, in a sense, that's right. I mean, obviously, there are always alternatives. It's just in this case, the alternatives aren't very effective.
STARR (voice-over): One alternative, Biddle says, is that the training of Afghan forces could be accelerated.
BIDDLE: There aren't a lot of options other than that, though. I mean, do you make troops on patrol walk faster?
STARR: No one expects the insurgents to cut and run. They haven't in nearby Marjah where U.S. troops are using a similar strategy and have been fighting for months. Marjah was supposed to give the U.S. the momentum to move on into Kandahar as the next target. But McChrystal recently called the Marjah campaign a, quote, "bleeding ulcer," end quote.
MAJ. GEN. NICK CARTER, COMMANDER, REGIONAL COMMAND-SOUTH, ISAF: When General McChrystal referred to Marjah as a bleeding ulcer, he was talking about the perception of the outside world. And, of course, in the same way, it's important that Afghan perceptions go in the right direction. It's important that the outside world also has the right perceptions. (END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: General McChrystal knows the clock is ticking in terms of public support for the war in Afghanistan. You know, he even recently asked his own commanders whether they thought they needed more troops. They all said no. But this war certainly goes on with no clear end in sight yet -- Jim, Christine.
ACOSTA: And, Barbara, another question that's come up over the last several days is whether or not the BP should get involved with the oil spill. And we had a chance to talk to the chairman of the joints chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, earlier this morning. And it was interesting -- he said, you know, it is up to the president to make this decision as to whether or not the military should take command. It almost sounded like he was leaving the door open to that possibility.
What do you make of that?
STARR: Well, you know, I think Admiral Mullen was making it very clear that the military doesn't go in unless the president, the states and local governments ask them -- especially, of course, the president of the United States has to be the one to send the military into action anywhere, especially inside the U.S.
Admiral Mullen is sending the message here, really, Jim, that he understands public opinion is out there and there is a looming question of public confidence in the government to be able to handle this situation. Already, 18,000 National Guard troops have been authorized to go into action to help with the oil spill, but the state governors have really only asked for a handful, about 1,400 or so.
So, Admiral Mullen is making it clear, there is some capability out there in terms of manpower and assistance. The oil industry, he keeps saying, is the one with the technical expertise. They're the ones that are going to have to solve this from a technical point of view. If the president wants military manpower behind it, he has to order it in -- Jim, Christine.
ACOSTA: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon -- thanks so much, Barbara. Appreciate it.
ROMANS: Yes. But for now, it's all petroleum engineers, robotics engineer and some engineers with a great deal of expertise in that particular industry.
ACOSTA: Right.
ROMANS: And those are the ones people -- people who were not see on TV are the ones who are sitting there crunching right now and trying to think ahead (ph).
ACOSTA: But as we've been saying, you know, the public is watching this unfold and thinking, OK, this is going to happen for another two months and we are going to see the same characters trying to solve this with little or no impact? I mean, that's why people are asking the question about the military.
ROMANS: Again, it's so American to want to just fix it, just fix it.
ACOSTA: Yes. We want to fix it.
ROMANS: And this is something that's so frustrating because it can't be fixed. It hasn't been fixed and might not be for some weeks.
All right. But, in the meantime, a look at the weather. Rob Marciano is here.
Rob, you know, I was teasing you last hour a little bit about, you know, weather forecasting. And I guess I should point out that stock market and economic forecasting is probably way, way, way -- way less precise than your business.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I'm not expert at that, but I can -- I can tell you with some confidence that the stock market is not going to go up or down today.
ROMANS: There you go.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: "Minding Your Business" with Rob Marciano this morning. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: Good morning, again, guys.
Yes, it's Memorial Day. That means the banks are closed. The markets are closed. And Memorial Day services are underway, no doubt, this morning and through the afternoon. Or maybe you're just planning a cookout with friends and family.
Here's the forecast, weather across the nation. East coast is looking good, toasty, actually. We've thrown out the numbers for the water temperatures, if you dare go to the beach say at Cape Cod, where it will be in the 50s. That will turn your toenails blue.
Sixties down across the Jersey shore and then down across parts of the southeast, 70s; 80s across the Gulf Coast where most of the beaches there are gorgeous. So, don't be shy.
A little cold front is sliding across the midsection. That will bring some showers and the mugginess across the southeast will bring some thunderstorms once again today. So, not everybody is going to be rain-free. It should be rain-free in D.C., 91. You may be begging for a shower with that temp, toasty temps, maybe five degrees up there in the Big Apple.
So, it looks great for you guys.
Jim, Christine -- back to you. ROMANS: All right. Rob Marciano with a pretty decent weather report for those of us here on the east coast.
ACOSTA: It doesn't look bad.
ROMANS: It doesn't look bad at all. Thanks, Rob.
ACOSTA: Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: Thanks, guys.
ACOSTA: And coming up next, we have some amazing video to show you of the Israeli commandos storming a Gaza-bound ship, apparently humanitarian aid. We have a live report coming up from Jerusalem with our Atia Abawi. That's coming up in just a few moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Breaking news out of Turkey this morning: a swift and strong response coming after an armada of aid ships was attacked. The six-boat convoy -- look at this -- was taking food and building supplies to blockaded Gaza when the Israeli navy demanded it stop. But when the captain refused, the ships were attacked. That's the information so far on this.
Commandos repelled down from helicopters. Look at his video. There was gunfire. Passengers on the sides fought back with axes and knives. When it ended, more than 10 people were killed and dozens more were injured.
Our Atia Abawi joins us live from Jerusalem this morning.
Atia, you know, one of the questions that we have had all morning behind the scenes is here, where did that video come from? We can start with that.
ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the group behind the six-ship flotilla on its way to the Palestinian territory of Gaza was full of humanitarian aid and activists, primarily from the Free Gaza Movement. The Free Gaza Movement from many weeks now have been planning on this trip to Gaza with the aid.
And they had video on board. They also had live feeds on board. They offered it to various news organizations leading up to this incident that occurred during a pre-dawn raid this morning.
We did confirm with the Israeli government that 10 people have been killed -- 10 activists --- and seven Israeli Soldiers, two with serious injuries.
This is not the first time that we've seen a flotilla board trying to come to Gaza but this is by far, been the deadliest. The Palestinian government obviously condemning this action. The Israeli government saying that this was not an act of humanitarian aid, this was an act of radical activist. Right now, we do have word that two of the six ships have made it to the Israeli Port of Ashdod where the activists will be processed and sent back to their home countries, these were activists from all over the world, Jim. And right now, we are getting condemnation from various countries, including Turkey, Greece, and all over -- Jim.
ACOSTA: We are going to have to sort out at some point the facts in all of this, as to who shot first, who did what first? Obviously, the Israelis are going to say. You just mentioned that these humanitarian workers were radical activists. But at the same time the question is going to be asked, and the question is asked from time to time of the Israelis as to the measure of a response and I suppose that's what we are going to hear from the other side of this, correct?
ABAWI: Well, right now, we are just waiting to hear exactly what will happen. Right now, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on a trip to Canada and was scheduled to meet with President Obama on an already scheduled trip. His office says that he is still going to make it to Washington.
Rumors are thought that he'll be coming back to Israel to deal with the situation at hand. We have heard from various international governments, from the U.S. government. Right now, all we are hearing is that they are monitoring the situation and trying to see what exactly occurred. The circumstances at hand and what necessarily happen. Right now we are hearing the situation and trying to piece it together ourselves -- Jim.
ACOSTA: Not easy and one thing we should mention is that the chief of staff to President Obama, Rahm Emanuel was in Israel just recently and worked hard behind the scenes to try to get Prime Minister Netanyahu to come back to the United States after that diplomatic trip just a little while ago didn't go very well. And so here, we have another situation at the White House is obviously going to have to deal with. And there is a statement that came out from the White House, from the press secretary, Bill Burton saying that they are watching these events closely.
But I guess tell us a little bit about the diplomatic back and forth that's going on right now. I mean obviously, the other players in the region are calling Israel on the carpet already without knowing all the facts.
ABAWI: Right now -- exactly. Right now we are seeing protests in Turkey and Istanbul. We are seeing protesters, because many Turkish people believe that the activists that were killed were Turkish people. These were -- some of these ships were Turkish vessels. This is not going to be a good situation for the Israeli government, condemnation coming from various international governments calling in the Israeli ambassadors to talk about this situation.
Right now, we are waiting to see how this will affect the relationship between the Obama administration and the Israeli government. We've seen in the past several weeks, it has been a sticky situation. And as you mentioned, Rahm Emanuel was here in Israel and had actually invited, president -- Prime Minister Netanyahu to meet with President Obama, which we were expecting to see in the next several days. But right now we are trying to wait and see if he will make it to Washington or if he will have to come back to Israel to deal with the situation -- Jim.
ACOSTA: OK, Atia Abawi with the latest there on that very troubling situation there. Thanks so much for that. Appreciate it.
ROMANS: An A.M. Security Watch now F-16's scrambled over Chicago after a CESSNA violated the no-fly zone over President Obama's resident there. The first family is in Chicago for Memorial Day weekend.
ACOSTA: And a pilot says it ordered the pilot to land at an airport in Romeoville, Illinois. That's about 25 miles south west downtown Chicago where local authorities were waiting. We are still waiting to find out whether it was just a false alarm or something more serious. And we'll get those details to you.
ROMANS: Meanwhile still following a devastating oil spill on the Gulf. BP coughs up money to help Florida promote tourism. So how does the holiday weekend look along the Gulf? Rob Marciano says hmm, there are fantastic beaches waiting to are you to come and visit.
ACOSTA: Yes people are worried about this.
ROMANS: We'll have that for you after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: I have a lot to tell you about this morning. Also developing right now, a work is underway to place a custom built dome over the ruptured well that is spewing oil into the Gulf Of Mexico. This is not going to be easy.
ROMANS: No but fortunately, not a single drop of crude oil has reached Florida's panhandle. It's not an easy message for the state's tourist department to get across. Here is John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hey, just look at this. White sand beaches, rolling waves, surf boards, and sandals. This is what Florida's beaches look like. Not bad, right? Getting that message out is another story. The state is spending millions, much of it money from BP for slick commercials that basically say, there is no slick here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The weather is beautiful. The beaches are clear and the fish are biting. The sunshine state is open for business.
ZARRELLA: Tourist business is good this long Memorial Day weekend but hotel and restaurant owners are worried big time about the rest of the summer because of, well, talk like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am going to preserve some of this white sand before this oil makes it not white no more. I'm going to save it.
ZARRELLA: Florida's panhandle communities from Pensacola to Panama City are having the toughest time convincing perspective tourists.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not in any forecast of any danger or anything right now.
ZARRELLA: Get it. There is no oil here. Just look at the sign. In St. Petersburg, to get the message out tourism officials wined and dined journalists and travel agents from Europe to Latin American. There hasn't been a drop of BP oil found on Key West beaches but for some reason, tourists aren't getting it. Michael Burge, people call him Duck, owns a charter boat company. Business he says is down 30 percent and it is so bad, Burge says, he is not sure how long he can keep his bank account open.
MICHAEL "DUCK" BURGE, KEY WEST TIKI CHARTER INC: Very frustrated, I mean you know what I am a full grown man but I tell you what, it emotionally bothers me when I get up in the morning and I'm wondering, how can I go out and make money today?
ZARRELLA: Burge has filed a class action suit holding BP, Transocean and Halliburton responsible for his losses. But how much is just a lousy economy? In Coco beach, on Florida's East coast the sign out in front of King Reynolds reads, no oil here. In fact, summer bookings are solid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our short-term is good for the month of July. We are really busy.
ZARRELLA: Occupancy at King's properties which usually runs 60 percent this time of year is running 70 percent to 80 percent.
VINCENT KEENAN, KING RENTALS: Sadly at the expense of the West coast it looks like we are going to have a great summer here on Coco beach.
ZARRELLA: A great summer is exactly what's on every state tourism official's bucket list. John Zarrella, CNN, Coco beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right a great piece by John Zarrella and we got a great piece coming up by Susan Candiotti.
ACOSTA: Absolutely a CNN exclusive of meet the NYPD bomb squad, Susan Candiotti in a bomb squad suit. That is coming up next. Don't miss this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: All right "Top Stories" just minutes away. But first, an AMERICAN MORNING exclusive, something you won't see anywhere else. New York's police force is made of 34,500 men and women all putting their lives on the line to protect one of the busiest cities in the world.
ACOSTA: And a select few make up the city's bomb squad. Our Susan Candiotti has been given unprecedented access to talk with them, including those who were called on the May 1st bomb square -
ROMANS: Bomb square -
ACOSTA: Scare -
ROMANS: You should call it that, that's a good slug - bomb square.
ACOSTA: The bomb square and scare in Times Square, hello. Here is Susan with that report. Great stuff here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): That is Ray. That is Pat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that is me.
CANDIOTTI: And that's you.
(voice-over): A month after it happened, the video is still riveting of that now unforgettable night at Times Square.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There we go. This is us trying to get the gun locker on to that vehicle. Extremely heavy. At that point, we didn't know how much explosives was actually in there.
CANDIOTTI: This is the NYPD bomb squad. These technicians spent at least ten hours painstakingly picking apart a bumbled bomb maker's handy work, a team that included veteran bomb tech Raymond Claire, detective Patrick La Scala, Sergeant John Ryan and detective Greg Abate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to keep your wits about you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They had heard some load popping bangs inside the vehicle, they had seen some smoke coming from the vehicle and that's basically all we had to go on at that point.
CANDIOTTI: Detective La Scala operated the robot that quickly moved in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You fire different weapons off of it. And we broke the windows in that vehicle to get a good look inside.
CANDIOTTI: Protected by a bomb suit, detective Claire was the first who stuck his hand inside of suspect Faisal Shahzad's SUV.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went around the driver's side and I removed the blue windbreaker and I could see - definitely it was a gas container, two gas containers and I could see wires and what I believed to be a clock. I notified John, the sergeant, that I believe we had a bomb in the truck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We really didn't stand back and say, holy cow, this is a bomb, it could blow up any second.
CANDIOTTI: After 13 years as a bomb tech, detective Claire admitted that his eyes opened wider.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was the first time I went down on a vehicle and I saw box and wires and gas and propane and I identified it as a bomb. I had to look twice.
CANDIOTTI: They won't talk about the accused Times Square bomber but there is an underlying determination to stop anyone who wants to do harm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people are bad people. They have come to my city to try and harm innocent people, and I am going to stop them.
CANDIOTTI: Stopping them is what the bomb squad lives and breathes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get juiced up every time that call comes. I get juiced up and ready to go.
CANDIOTTI: Tomorrow, a more normal day -- on call and on the run. You think those bomb suits are easy to move around in? Think twice.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): I don't see how you possibly can.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Oh, goodness.
ROMANS: Wow, that's cool.
All right, tomorrow, part two of Susan's report. We followed the officers who responded in Times Square. We followed them for a day to see the job up close and personal. A day in the life of an NYPD bomb squad team, that's tomorrow right here on the Most News in the Morning.
ACOSTA: Looking forward to that.
It is 8:31. Time for this morning's top stories.
An attack on a Turkish flotilla that carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Fighting broke out this morning, Israeli military forces stormed the main ship and more than ten people were killed. Dozens of passengers and four Israeli Soldiers were hurt. Massive protests are now underway in Turkey.
ROMANS: Today, Memorial Day, the nation honors our servicemen and women who gave their lives for America. Today, President Obama will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony in Illinois. Vice President Joe Biden will participate in the annual ceremony at the too many of the unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
You are looking at a live picture of Arlington national cemetery as they get ready for these annual Memorial Day festivities.
ACOSTA: Looks like a beautiful morning for that.
And checking in on the oil spill down in the Gulf Coast. The oil may flow until August, that is what BP is warning as it sets up yet another attempt to cap the largest oil leak in U.S. history.
One congressman is now saying the company's actions may be criminal, accusing it of intentionally low-balling the amount of oil leaking out from the very beginning.
ROMANS: Many people are now looking to a higher power as they lose faith in the federal government. Not all of them are playing for BP to go away.
ACOSTA: Ironically, the company may be the only thing they have left when this is all over. Our Carol Costello is live for us in Grand Isle, Louisiana this morning.
Carol, you hate to think about it that way.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they do value the oil industry, because it employs lots and lots of people here along the gulf coast. When BP talks about containment and what a good job they have done at preventing a black tide, the beaches are still closed and small business people are still losing money.
And think about it. BP has spent hundreds of millions of dollars containing this mess, reimbursing fishermen. But, as one small business person told me, she lost $121,000 so far. She can't really survive that much longer.
People here are beyond angry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Parishioners came to Our Lady of Grand Isle Catholic Church to ask god for the strength to deal with what might come next, a black tide that could destroy the community.
It's been difficult for Father Michael Tran to offer comfort. The level of anger is so high he fears it may spiral out of control.
(on camera): You don't invoke BP's name in church?
FATHER MIKE TRAN, OUR LADY OF THE ISLE CHURCH: I try not to, yes.
COSTELLO: Because you don't want to incite people any more than they already are? TRAN: Correct. They are frustrated and I don't want to make it worse.
COSTELLO (voice-over): But that intense anger belies the complicated relationship with BP and big oil. On one hand they are ready to throw the bums out, but on the other hand they need big oil to fuel the Gulf's economy.
According to a University of Florida study, oil and gas interests account for $124 billion a year, or 53 percent of the money generated in the Gulf region. It's one of the people that Meagan's Sno-Balls' stand say they are mad at BP, but not the whole oil industry, even though their business has melted away because of it.
TAMMY FORET, MANAGER, MEAGAN'S SNO BALLS: You work in the oil field or you are a trawler or fishermen. That's how they live down here. That's what we live off of. And that's pretty much the way of life.
COSTELLO: A way of life that is now threatened by BP, a partner many blame for failing to take care of this beautiful place so everyone can profit from its riches. Back at Grand Isle's Catholic Church, the partner's name BP may inflame, but that doesn't mean people aren't praying for them all the same.
(on camera): Your feelings about BP?
LAURA FAKIER, GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA RESIDENT: We're a community that thrives on sea food but oil as well. And so we want it straightened out and want them to play by the rules and do it right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: "Play by the rules, do it right." That's all they want.
There is a real sense here that if President Obama extends that six-month moratorium on new drilling for deep water wells, that the oil industry will be affected and that oil industry workers will start to lose their jobs. And that too would affect Louisiana's economy.
Christine, John -- Jim. I'm sorry, Jim Acosta.
ACOSTA: That's OK, Carol, nice to see you this morning down on the Gulf coast.
ROMANS: Nice to see you today.
ACOSTA: Thanks, Carol. Thanks for that report.
And as America tries to figure out how to deal with the growing toxic crisis in the Gulf this week, join our Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is uncovering the risks all around us every day in a special CNN investigation, "Toxic America." That's Wednesday and Thursday at 8:00 p.m. eastern only on CNN. ROMANS: We're really looking forward to this. This is memorial Day, and this is an incredible tribute to the women who have become widows too young, military widows. The American Widow Project -- think of this is a sorority than a self-help group.
This is a band of sisters that come together in their loss to show their departed husbands that they know what they died for. We will have that for you after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: It's Memorial Day, a day marked for somber reflection, appreciation. You are looking at live pictures from Arlington National Cemetery this Memorial Day. Nowhere, nowhere is the sacrifice of American service men and women more evident than there.
Today's ceremonies, the wreathes, the flags, they remind us of the spouses we left behind. You can see one of those pictures where we see all the gravestones. Those are veterans of the Iraq war, that particular section of cemetery there. Those are for people in many cases these are men who much too young, Jim, much too young to be there.
Those are the men who gave their lives and women who gave their lives in this conflict in Iraq.
ACOSTA: And the video we were just showing in addition to that, it appears that the ceremony at the tomb of the unknowns is getting underway, so lots to stay on top of.
But first, we want to bring you a special story that really perfectly marks this Memorial Day. After Taryn Davis' husband was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, she started a group of military widows to help one another through the grieving process.
And since then, her group the American Widow Project, has helped hundreds of women. And Taryn Davis joins us live from Washington this morning. Thanks for being with us. We really appreciate it.
TARYN DAVIS, FOUNDER, AMERICAN WIDOW PROJECT: Good morning. Thank you for having me.
ACOSTA: Tell us a little bit about your group. My colleague here, Christine, described this as a sorority of sisters who, I guess, are bonded by tragedy. Yet there is a lot you try to do to keep each other's chins up, right?
DAVIS: It was four months after Michael was killed, I was 21. I was finishing up my degree in college and really had found nothing out there of the resources I was given that was really telling me how to survive the loss of my soul-mate in the military.
And I remember one evening, I went on the computer and I typed in "widow," and I Google searched it and it came back with, "did you mean window." And I realized this is a title that not too many people speak about or, if anything, know about. From there, I reached out to one of the only widows that I knew at the time whose husband was killed alongside Michael, and I said, I want to know how you met, want to know how you were notified, and most importantly, I want to know how you get up each morning and not only continue his legacy but live your own life.
I knew for me personally, the only way to survive I Michael's passing was to learn how to live again. That was something I couldn't really learn through a seminar, through a counselor. I had to get out there and do it.
And so I think definitely through our organization, we want the widows to kind of feel the wind against their face and see that it is possible to smile and to laugh. And that really is the way to continue their husband's legacy and continue their own lives.
ROMANS: That is, after all, what they died for, right, the American way of life and the ability for you to have freedom and for me to have freedom and for us to be able to raise our kids in a free country.
And when we look at these pictures, Taryn of you and Michael here, we are showing kind of a montage. You were a senior in college when you got the news that he had been killed in Iraq. You said you got a bunch of boxes in the mail and the military did the best it could on the logistical front.
But there was a hole there. You have filled that hole with other women who have gone through the same thing.
DAVIS: They give you those boxes. The military does a great jobs on getting our husbands and wives home and getting their belongings back to us.
But they don't really prepare you for what happens when you open those boxes. And you have to sift through the letters that you wrote him two weeks ago and the pictures that you know he had of you hanging on his locker. And I really was just looking for other women who would be candid and kind of say you are not alone in how you feel.
ROMANS: What do you do with those women? There is sky diving. You have been whitewater rafting. You have done all of these sort of life-embracing sort of things together.
ACOSTA: Take charge.
ROMANS: You said, talk about the wind at your face. These are not pictures -- when you think of a widow, you think of a 70-year-old woman in black. These are women who are living the lives that their husbands died to preserve.
DAVIS: Well, I read a quote once and it said, the moment we step outside of our comfort zone, we truly start living. I think after the death of our spouses in the military, grief can become a comfort zone for us. And for me, it was hard to imagine living life, imagine fulfilling the dreams that I wanted to fulfill with Michael. And I took that step outside of that comfort zone, and the first thing I did, I went sky diving. I've done it three times now, each year with our widows with the organization.
And I think for once I saw that it was possible to relate to my husband -- he was airborne -- and do something for myself. And I think our events are definitely the perfect mixture of allowing these women to experience something they have never experienced before.
ACOSTA: And Taryn, I want to ask you very quickly, because we have to wrap things up here, what more could we do for the spouses of fallen soldiers? There are obviously husbands out there who have lost wives in Afghanistan and Iraq. Are we doing enough? What more can we do?
DAVIS: I think just recognizing that they truly are the other side of that sacrifice. If you visit our website, you can read the stories that widows have submitted of all their strife and their triumphs.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: I want to ask you very quickly, because we have to wrap things up here, what more could we do for the spouses of fallen soldiers? Because obviously there are husbands out there who have lost wives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Are we doing enough? What more can we do?
TARYN DAVIS, FOUNDER, AMERICAN WIDOW PROJECT: I think just recognizing that they truly are the other side of that sacrifice. I mean, if you visit our Web site, you can read the stories that widows have submitted of all their strife and their triumphs.
And I think just acknowledging that maybe you don't know what they're going through. And not really giving that cliche, life goes on. I think if they go to our site or just look at the pictures that you've shown today, they can see that these women are full of life. And I think they are like that because of what their husbands instilled in them while they were alive.
ACOSTA: Well, Taryn Davis, you are an example of -- of how to put on a brave face and move forward after tragedy. And it's so great to see what you and the other women in this organization are doing together. And best of luck to you. We really appreciate it.
DAVIS: Thank you.
ACOSTA: Taryn Davis in Washington for us this morning.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And it's called the American Widow Project if you're watching this morning on Memorial Day and this is something that you think -- you think that you need to become involved in. The American Widow Project, you can look it up.
OK, next, showers, thunderstorms down south. You can head to the beach in the northeast. We'll be working here for the next little bit here.
ACOSTA: Yes.
ROMANS: But Rob Marciano is next.
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ACOSTA: OK you're looking live at Columbus Circle in New York City right outside the glass-enclosed nerve center of CNN here in New York. It's 78 degrees right now; later today, 84. It's a beautiful morning in New York.
ROMANS: It sure is and nothing says Memorial Day like Columbus Circle for example.
ACOSTA: Not exactly; a little jog out in the park. A little walk --
ROMANS: But it's going to be really nice here if you're heading to the beaches, it's going to be great.
Rob Marciano is here, you know, he's got the -- he cooked up a nice weather forecast for us for the northeast for Memorial Day weekend. Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm glad you give me credit for that. The folks who live in say, Ohio back through the western Great Lakes, you may not be too thrilled. But if you are going to the beach, 50s will be the water temperatures in parts of the northeast and 60s down in and through the Carolinas; 70s, Florida.
And by the way the beaches still pretty nice across parts of the northern gulf where it goes unaffected by the oil so head down there.
It's 77 for the high in Atlanta; it will be 77 degrees as well in Chicago. It's 85 degrees as you mentioned, a nice day in New York City, 80 degrees expected in Salt Lake City. West Coast is not bad if you're south of Seattle.
If you are doing some travel today, you'll probably see much more in the way of some thunderstorms in Atlanta, Charlotte and Orlando. 30-60 minute delays in Cleveland and Detroit seeing some delays as well. And Los Angeles and Seattle may see just a few delays today.
I mentioned that tomorrow is the start of hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic basin. This is the area where we expect development during the month of June. So not exactly what folks here need to hear so we'll try to get through the month of June either way. It's going to be very, very active or decreasing El Nino -- and the temperatures in the Atlantic are very, very hot.
All right, check out some of this video unbelievable stuff coming across the Texas toll way yesterday. This Pepsi 18-wheeler jumps the median. A guy lands on his side. Six vehicles were involved in this. It looks like it kind of got cut off by a smaller one and it dodged to the left and it just jumped the median there. We are told nobody was seriously hurt. And that is just remarkable stuff considering the drama that you are seeing unfold there across the north Texas toll way. That caused some traffic. Can you guys believe that guy is on -- and it looks like it is out of a movie?
ROMANS: Look at those -- look at those cars going by like -- can you imagine, honey, did that just happen.
ACOSTA: Yes, right.
ROMANS: I mean cars are like going right by it still. There's still traffic moving on the other side, wow.
ACOSTA: All right.
MARCIANO: Thankfully, nobody seriously hurt. So we'll take that news. Enjoy the rest of your holiday, guys.
ROMANS: Thanks Rob.
ACOSTA: Thanks for the weather. It looks good out there. We are ten minutes away from firing up the grill.
It is 50 minutes after the hour. We'll be right back.
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ACOSTA: All right, welcome back to "The Most News in the Morning".
Now to a new initiative from CNN.com, it's called "Home and Away". You want to take a look at this. It honors U.S. and coalition troops who've died in Iraq and Afghanistan by tracking the lives of these gallant warriors up to their untimely deaths.
Today we are remembering Private First Class David John Bentz. He was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad three years ago. His mother choose to remember him for the game he loved the most. But and we'll play you some of that sound in just a moment. But just to show you this. You can go on the Web site, click on Iraq. It'll -- it'll pull up the number of casualties in Iraq, over 4,000 right now.
And then, you can take a look at some of the soldiers who have died over there. Here is his mother talking about how she is going to remember her son through the game he loved the most.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KIMBERLY GEONNOTTI, MOTHER OF PFC. DAVID JOHN BENTZ III: My name is Kimberly. My dear son, Private First Class David John Bentz III, killed in action in Iraq June 20th, 2007 and this is his story.
Everybody who knew DJ knew he loves soccer. This is DJ's soccer jersey in high school. Eleven was his favorite number. He was not out for himself. He really played with a team. He believed in the team. He didn't care who got the goal or whatever. Even if they lost, he'd say, that's all right, oh, well, next time.
I looked forward to going to his games. I loved watching him.
We are here at the DJ Bentz Memorial Soccer complex that was dedicated and built in honor of my son who loved soccer. His first phone call when he got to Iraq, he called and he asked.
I said, do you want anything? He said, no, all I need is my soccer ball, he said. They are losers over here, he said. They don't know anything about soccer. Everything is football. That's all they want to talk about. I have got to show these guys. He said send me my ball.
He could play by himself hours at a time, I mean just in the backyard, by himself, kicking against the wall, kicking against the shed, kicking against the shed. You know, so you're yelling stop kicking the shed. Busted windows, I have had them.
The soccer field really just brought home for me. This is where I know he is. I know he is playing it. I know he is sure as hell playing somewhere in a good place.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: We hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day with your friends and family.
ACOSTA: Absolutely -- and you as well.
ROMANS: Yes.
ACOSTA: And be sure to take some time today to remember and honor the brave men and women of the U.S. Military who died serving our country. They deserve nothing less.
"CNN NEWSROOM" with Brooke Baldwin starts right now.
