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American Morning
Search for One Person Missing in Arkansas Floods Continues; World Cup Fever Hits United States; Dr. Murray Fighting for his Career; Oil Spill Workers Suffering from Exposure to Toxic Fumes; Afghanistan Sitting On Mineral Deposits; High Cost of Cancer Care; President Obama Headed to Gulf Coast
Aired June 14, 2010 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning as we're coming up to the top of the hour. It's almost 8:00 A.M. Eastern on this Monday, the 14th of June.
I'm John Roberts. Good morning.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us this morning. Here are the big stories we'll be telling you about in the next 15 minutes.
Search teams will be back in the water and moving piles of tangled trees and debris as the search continues for one person still missing after flash floods tore through an Arkansas campground. Crews have found now a 19th victim.
ROBERTS: Government scientists demanded it, now BP has installed pressure sensors inside the leaking oil well at the bottom of the gulf. If they work, we could know exactly how much oil is really spilling into the ocean each day by later this week.
CHETRY: And striking gold in Afghanistan as well as copper, iron, lithium, the U.S. reportedly making a trillion-dollar find of untapped minerals. We'll take a look at how it can transform a nation whose chief export is opium.
ROBERTS: Opium to lithium, amazing.
And, of course, and the amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation going on right now. Just go to CNN.com/amFIX.
CHETRY: The search through muddy, mangled piles debris will continue this morning in Arkansas. They are still looking for one person still missing after flash flooding tore through the campground on Friday. Police say they found a 19th victim yesterday. It happened in a remote area in the middle of the night.
Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, we talked to Governor Mike Beebe about the warning systems that were in place.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Are there any plans to put something else in place to make sure that a tragedy like this doesn't happen again?
GOV. MIKE BEEBE (D), ARKSANSAS: Well, the U.S. Forest Service actually operates this area. And I know that they have indicated that when all of this is over, they want to review all their procedures to determine whether unmanned campsites like this, campsites that don't have somebody up and awake 24 hours a day, are something that they're going to try to change.
As I indicated, the remoteness -- the remote nature of this area is what attracts a lot of people to begin with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, our Casey Wian is live for us at the command center in Langley, Arkansas.
And what is going on at the command center right now, Casey?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Kiran.
You can see behind me, you got about 100 folks who have gathered to be part of the search and rescue effort, search and recovery effort that is resuming this morning. It's been going on since Friday. We've seen rescuers out there in kayaks, on ATVs, on horseback, there were helicopters, but now, the focus is more on recovery. So, they are sending out large numbers of canine teams to try to sniff whatever they can through the heavy piles of debris and brush that have gathered along the river.
They're also sending out something that's bizarre to see in the middle of Arkansas at a national campground on a river, but they've got dive teams out there looking for bodies underneath the water that may be trap there had.
The debris field is incredible. They have searched an area of about 50 miles along the Little Missouri River. And some of those areas have been searched two or three times. But as you mentioned, they're still searching for at least one more person who is missing. And they're going to continue this effort over the next several days, Kiran.
CHETRY: What are the conditions like right now for the teams that are out there searching?
WIAN: Well, the conditions are very, very difficult. This is expected to be one of the hottest days of the year so far, and judging by the last couple of days, the heat and the humidity, very, very difficult. It's tough to keep these searchers hydrated in these conditions. The terrain is very rough.
They've also been dealing with things like water moccasins that they've seen slithering through the debris. And they've seen fresh bear tracks. So, it's a very dangerous environment.
People from all over the area, from different states, different counties gathering to risk their lives to try to find any survivors -- if that's at all possible -- but most likely just looking for victims and bodies at this point, Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. What a tragic situation there, and one that happened so quickly. It's unimaginable.
Casey Wian for us -- thanks.
Coming up in just about seven minutes, we're going to be speaking with Terri Roeder. She lost three family members in this flash flood and barely escaped with her own life.
ROBERTS: As oil continues to pour into the Gulf of Mexico, miles of sensitive shoreline, and BP's bottom line continued to sustain damage that may never be reversed. Right now, government scientists are hoping that pressure sensors installed in the leaking well by BP yesterday will tell them exactly how much oil is spewing from that ruptured pipe.
Meanwhile, BP is facing growing demands to set aside billions of dollars in a special damage fund that can be used to pay out claims. And while BP has deep pockets, well, they may not be deep enough to stave off from bankruptcy. The company is hemorrhaging cash and very quickly.
And as President Obama prepares to head to Mississippi later this morning for a two-day visit to the Gulf coast, some Republicans say it's too little and way too late.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE PENCE (R), INDIANA: He could have picked up the phone and called the CEO of BP sooner than 50 days. I'm glad he's meeting with the chairman of BP next week. But I think the fact that he never spoke to the CEO of British Petroleum for the first 50 days of this incident is emblematic of the kind of detached style of leadership that we're seeing here.
Look, in this business, about the president looking for somebody's A-S-S to kick this week, you know, as "The New York Times" said morning, I think -- I think everybody in America knew on day two whose A-S-S ought to be kicked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The president will address the nation on the spill at 8:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow night. It will be the first time that he has used the Oval office to speak with the American people. CNN, of course, will carry that speech live.
CHETRY: Well, also new this morning, after a seven-year $4 billion mile journey, a Japanese space capsule landed overnight in the Australian outback. Scientists say that it may contain the first ever samples collected from an asteroid which could help them better understand the origin and evolution of the solar system. The capsule is set to be returned to Tokyo, and that's when scientists will crack it open in about two weeks.
The World Cup is introducing many Americans to the game of soccer and also to the most angering sound in the world.
If you have tuned in even for 30 seconds, you've heard the fans blowing into thousands of plastic trumpets nonstop. Now, organizers are considering a ban on the musical instruments. The Hear the World Foundation is warning that they are simply morning annoying, that they could actually make people go deaf.
And get this, they are louder, they put out more decibels than a chainsaw does.
CHETRY: Not that surprising. It sounds like a swarm of angry bees.
Well, team USA is still riding high after a tie with England in its World Cup opener on Saturday, a tie that many people actually say a win for the United States. They fell way behind early -- well, by a goal -- and got a gift from England's goalkeeper to pull out the draw 1-1.
ROBERTS: It sure felt like a win, though, in the United States. And Richard Roth has all the excitement for us.
And as promised last hour, Richard, we're hoping for a reenactment of that moment when the British goalkeeper bobbled the ball.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Right.
CHETRY: Just don't kick me, I have a sprained ankle. I don't need to sprain another one.
ROTH: Yes, I saw that.
But speaking of chainsaws, English fans, they'd like to warm up that chainsaw for the English goalie. Where was I this weekend? People are asking Monday morning -- well, I headed to Washington to personally see people watching the big match much anticipated and hyped for months.
Now, down 1-0 in the first half, the English goalie badly bobbled the shot by Clint Dempsey. The American crowd loved it.
(VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: England invented the sport. They have an all-star loaded roster. Some of the Americans do play in the English Premier League, but the English were favored.
The celebration after the game --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands up, son! Put your hands up for USA! (INAUDIBLE) USA came through! Keep your hands up, son! USA! USA! USA! USA!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The man leading the chants is a former U.S. national team player in several previous world cups.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Eddie, how do you interpret a 1-1 tie?
EDDIE POPE, FORMER PLAYER, U.S. MEN'S SOCCER TEAM: I think it's great for us. You know, we went out and everybody said the English was going to crush us and they're going to get a great result. But the boys stepped up, they played well.
They all know me. I love you buys, keep it going. We're going to get through the next round. That's all I have to say.
ROTH: You sound like you're trying to try-out for the team again.
POPE: Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The thousands who attended this fan festival organized by two Washington private citizens thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Some post-match analysis from each side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: You are an American and you painted your face. Was it worth it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. Yes. This victory I feel partly responsible for.
ROTH: Victory? It's a tie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's a victory in my heart.
ROTH: How do you interpret this, it's disappointing, isn't it, for you as an English fan?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's an American victory. In my thinking, it's an American victory. They played well and they played well against a very strong English team. I think this is an English team that could go all the way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's fantastic to see this sort of atmosphere in the USA. I have been to the World Cups before, and it was as good as any I've ever seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The U.S. next plays the European nation Slovenia Friday morning, then Algeria. The tie doesn't mean England or the U.S. are knocked out of the tournament. A lot of soccer still left to play. And I know that you know that I believe Netherlands and Denmark are playing right now.
CHETRY: What are you doing holding the globe?
ROTH: Well, this is the reenactment.
ROBERTS: We didn't have a soccer ball, right?
ROTH: Well, the budget didn't allow for it.
(CROSSTALK)
ROTH: Well, this may have been better handled by the English goalie, but it came this way right at him on a bounce. Again, we talked last time, the new ball not praised by the players that are used in this World Cup. So, it hit him. He didn't grab it, he kind of just try to parry it away, then it dribbled off on the ground here.
If we had a pitch here, we could really reenact it. Now, there is a crack in the world, but don't get alarmed viewers.
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: It is from a 1960s movie.
CHETRY: Yes. Part of the Pacific Ocean is peeling away apparently.
ROTH: Right. But here is where the buzzing is going, the vuvuzelas, the horns, it's all happening. The buzz is right here.
CHETRY: Right there in South Africa.
ROBERTS: So, let's try this. So, you're the British goalkeeper. And ready?
ROTH: Great. They are a little short, but now the crack in the world is -- we already have BP problems. Let's not alarm people.
(LAUGHTER)
ROTH: Why don't we move the globe over here?
ROBERTS: There you go.
CHETRY: There you go. How about -- I have an idea, next hour, you are not on with us, but draw us a picture. There it goes -- the world is -- thanks, Atlas. Appreciate that.
ROBERTS: The crack in the world just expanded. Yes. OK.
ROTH: Wake up, America.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks so much.
Ten minutes after the hour. We'll be right back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's now 13 minutes after the hour.
The search is on this morning for the last person missing after that devastating flash flooding in Arkansas. The water literally came out of nowhere and struck while most people were sleeping. And in just a matter of hours, it wiped out an entire campsite.
As of this morning, 19 people are confirmed dead, but there are still others missing. Terri Roeder survived the flash flood, but she lost three members of her family, her mother Kaye, her brother Bruce, and her sister-in-law Debbie.
Terri is in Luling, Louisiana, this morning. She joins us on the telephone.
First of all, Terri, our most sincere condolences for your loss. We just can't imagine what you all went through.
If I could, let me begin by asking you, where were you when the water started coming up, and how did you get alerted to the fact that this flash flood was on the way?
TERRI ROEDER, SURVIVED ARKANSAS FLASH FLOOD (via telephone): It was a very remote area, one with no self-service or anything. So, we are used to sleeping through the night with rain.
My mother and brother and sister and my niece were camped up river from us in an area that have been cleared for electricity. And 3:00, they opened the camp doors to check on the campground and thought they were 3 1/2 to four feet off the ground in the camper on the water.
When they opened the door, it was (INAUDIBLE) flooding into the camper. They quickly realized they were floating. They had to slide out and something, a vehicle or something slammed into the camper and push them to slide out back into the camper and toss them about. They then -- the camper literally fell apart. It was light-weight aluminum that you want to have, but it fell apart. And it threw them all into the water.
ROBERTS: Wow.
ROEDER: My niece was able to continue to try to grab on to trees. And she landed on one with her stomach to the tree and her back to the water and held on there for three hours waiting for rescuers. Unfortunately, obviously, my mother and brother and sister were not as fortunate. They were all found together, though, in a place that my mother loved as her very most favorite place on earth. She's been going there since she was 9. She was 69. So 60 years and six generations enjoying that campsite. The rest of our family and friends were around downstream closer to the mountainside. And my other brother first saw the water coming over the embankment of the campsite and started getting people awake, getting grandchildren back into, trying to get them into vehicles, which all they could do was back into the mountain side to try to get elevated.
Another cousin had a baby that was 2 and her cousin brought a fifth-wheel, I mean, a, excuse me a four-wheel drive and put them in the truck and try to drive out over the mountains. The rest of us, I myself, were sleeping outside. I preferred to sleep outside and had my kids with me usually on top of the blow-up bed. When I woke up, my blow-up bed was literally floating. I was washed out from under my tarp. We had dropped five walls.
At that moment, the water had taken me to my best-friend's car, floating down was used to be a street, which was now a river flood. Trucks and campers have been twisted around. They actually woke up because they were worried that I was getting wet. When they opened the door, they realized their camper was floating. And we got them out. Other members were all trying to get to higher ground.
So we proceeded to climb up the mountainside, which was hilly but with trees, and we had climbed up about 30 feet because we knew there was a mountain road coming out in the campground, so we were able to climb to there. My brother was a little bit about 30 yards downstream, and he and his family were climbing up a different section.
The worst part was he didn't know we were OK as people were running back and forth on this mountain road. We knew he was OK, so as the water receded, we were able to get back to him, but we were stuck on that side of the mountain because the campground has an old cement one-lane bridge, that has been a favorite. You can go and watch the stars on that bridge.
And unfortunately, it usually has three feet of water, but at this time it had huge trees launched on it, and the water was rushing over to the point where we didn't see it until it receded. They brought in bulldozers --
ROBERTS: Terri, if I can ask you, I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been when the wall of water came crashing down and you high-tailed it for the mountain trying to get to higher ground. How quickly did the water come up? I think that area, the Little Missouri River is typically about three feet deep you said, how quickly did it come up and how deep did the water get?
ROEDER: It got up to almost 23 feet. When it came over the embankment of the camper in our area, when I stood up from my bed, it was at my knees. By the time I could even contemplate what was going on, it was at my waist. And I was being swept out with it at my shoulders. As campers we are used to nature.
Obviously not to this extreme, but we knew the first thing we should do was get to higher ground. And as I said, we were camped close to the mountain edge, so we were able to climb up. My mother and them were across the road from them was a steep rock embankment that made it not possible for them to actually climb up.
ROBERTS: You were so fortunate to at least have some ground behind you that you could get up on. You know, you mentioned that your mother has been coming here since she was 9 years old. We have got some pictures of your family to show here. Family pictures over those years.
Your mother seen in this photograph in the blue shirt in the back of the picture there in the center. Also, your brother Bruce and his wife, Debbi, pictures of them with their children, Tara who was there and survived, and Brian who stayed home. They were high school sweethearts. They had such an amazing story.
You know, this area, the Albert Pike Campground, has such a rich history in your family, are you ever going to be able to go back there again after this?
ROEDER: Well, it will take a lot for them to actually redo the campground. We certainly might. It has been a favorite of our family, obviously. But what we've learned through going to this campground is that the people you do it with are just as important more so than the area. So, if we are not at that campground, we will be somewhere in Arkansas altogether with family. And we have friends from Texas that have become family. We usually have about 50 people with us, and this year because my sister is getting married next weekend, we only had about 25 because of scheduling and all the children are grown and have jobs. So they have come and gone. We are just blessed that they were still safe.
ROBERTS: Well, again, Terri, we are so, so sorry for your loss. Thank you for joining us this morning. We certainly wish you strength in trying to deal with this tragedy. We appreciate you coming on this morning.
ROEDER: Thank you so much.
CHETRY: It is heartbreaking to hear all the stories. It really is.
ROBERTS: You know, we get to talk to folks at the mine accident. One woman lost three members of her family. Terri lost three members of her family. It is in a heartbeat, this place that has been such a favorite of your family so many years and suddenly turns into that deadly nightmare. You can't imagine.
CHETRY: I know, and in that situation, as the governor was saying as well, even if you did have warning, how do you get out of there in less than an hour when the river is rising eight feet an hour? I mean, unbelievable.
ROBERTS: Apparently, a warning did go out on the radio about 1:30 in the morning, but who is listening to the radio at the campground?
CHETRY: That is the problem. He said it happened at the worst time possible, because most people were asleep. Well, still ahead, we are talking about Afghanistan and the potential to change the country forever. A trillion dollars in mineral deposits discovered underground. Could it help turn the war-torn country around? Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business", she'll join us up next. It is 21 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-four minutes after the hour. Christine Romans is here "Minding Your Business" in the surprising news today that Afghanistan maybe sitting on as much as a trillion dollars worth of all sorts of minerals, some of them precious, others not so much. And that that could really turn that country in one way or maybe in a bad way.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: What does it mean for Afghanistan is the question, but here's what we know. According to a report in "The New York Times," maybe a trillion dollars in natural resources that had been until recently unnoticed in this country. A war-ravaged country whose basic economy is pegged on poppy and has been fighting with the Taliban for control of what small resources it has.
According to this report, there are deposits which include iron, copper, cobalt, gold, lithium, and a top Pentagon official telling "The New York Times" that it could be the Saudi Arabia of lithium. Why does that matter? It is in the batteries of just about everything that you touch that make you more efficient, your Blackberrys, all different kinds of electronic devices.
Aratia Baui (ph) says that back in January, Hamid Karzai mentioned in the press conference that they have spent $17 million for a mineral survey, and that they have found a lot of stuff. The question is, what do you do with it and how long does it take to go on the path of a poppy-run government that's basically, you know, war- ravaged and only a $12 billion GDP to something as a mineral leader?
CHETRY: The optimistic side is this could become the backbone of the economy, the great infrastructure influx could happen and that this could be a real business that employs people. The flip side is it opens the country up again to competing people trying to take it over.
ROMANS: Of course.
CHETRY: Internally and externally.
ROMANS: It gives the Taliban more reason to fight as hard as they possibly can. It maybe gives the government more reasons to do deals with China and other countries who want to buy access to natural resources. It is very unclear what this trillion-dollar treasure trough would mean for the country in its development, but for the people of Afghanistan, to know that there could potentially be this source of economic development, that's exciting. And I think that's what a lot of people, the Pentagon and also people who have been following what has happened to this country, are looking at.
ROBERTS: So, how involved does the U.S. have to get to make sure that it doesn't fall into the hands of the bad guys?
ROMANS: I mean that is the question. All of these things are huge question marks. You look at other countries who have had a big windfall, it hasn't always meant that the USA got a piece of it, could direct it, or it actually went to the benefit of the people.
ROBERTS: Africa and diamonds comes to mind.
ROMANS: Yes, that is a big one there, right. Whenever you look at for example, let's mention Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia and oil, you know. That country catapulted from tribal nomadic culture in the early 1970s to this huge, you know, oil superpower. But, it is still is one of those countries where you know, women can't have a job. You know, it doesn't necessarily mean this country can transform overnight, but it is certainly an exciting development. And also, we are watching stocks, stocks in Afghanistan. Mining companies who don't even have exposure to Afghanistan, those stocks are up in London trade. So, clearly the markets are looking at this and saying, oh, there is something happening here and they think it is real.
ROBERTS: Somebody is going to make money out of this, just not quite sure who.
CHETRY: Hopefully it can be channeled for good. We'll see what happens though.
ROBERTS: Christine Romans "Minding Your Business" this morning. Thanks. Patients speak out in support of Michael Jackson's doctor as he fights to maintain his medical license. We'll tell you more about that coming up.
CHETRY: Also, oil spills health effects. Reports of sickness spreading in clean-up workers. Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup worker, Merle Savage, as well as Dr. Ricky Ott joining us to talk about the potential health fears associated with the oil cleanup.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Crossing the half hour now, and here is your top stories this Monday morning. Flash flooding in Arkansas now claiming 19 lives. Police said they found another victim yesterday. No one has been found alive since Friday, but the search continues this morning for one person still missing somewhere in all the mud, water and debris.
CHETRY: In about half an hour, President Obama will be leaving the White House for Gulfport, Mississippi. We'll spend 2 days in the Gulf, travelling to Alabama, as well as Florida. He'll get a briefing later this morning on the oil spill from Admiral Thad Allen. He'll also meet with the governors of all three states affected so far.
ROBERTS: Spirit Airlines grounded by a pilot strike for three days now, the airline canceling all the flights until Wednesday, stranding thousands more passengers. The pilots walked off the job on Saturday.
What is it all about? Are they upset about the fees for carry-on luggage? They are demanding better salaries and benefits, claiming Spirit lags behind discount competitors such as Air Tran and Jet Blue. CHETRY: Many people are stranded at the airport. They don't have money to stay at the hotel. They can't get back to their home.
ROBERTS: Don't get me started on the airlines because it will be a long day.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: We only have 30 minutes left, so we better get to other news.
Once again, the doctor accused of having a role in Michael Jackson's death is fighting to keep his medical license in court. And this morning we have an exclusive look from a much different perspective.
ROBERTS: It's Dr. Conrad Murray like you have not seen him before, through the eyes of his patients. Our Ted Rowlands talks to those who say Dr. Murray deserves praise, not persecution.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS: Conrad Murray is facing criminal charges in the death of Michael Jackson. His medical license is in jeopardy, yet he continues to practice at his clinic here in Las Vegas and at a clinic in Houston. And, believe it or not, patients are still coming to see him.
Dr. Conrad Murray, not in a courtroom, but in a cardiology clinic seeing patients who are eager to stand up for the man accused of killing Michael Jackson. Jerry Cause says Dr. Murray saved his life after a heart attack ten years ago. He now drives 160 miles, nearly six hours round trip, to see him.
GERRY CAUSE, PATIENT OF DR. MURRAY: He's the most compassionate man. He loves his patients better than any doctor I have been to. He will take time with you, as much time as it takes.
ROWLANDS: Most of these patients showed up because they were told we were coming. Many are upset with the media and Jackson fans portraying Dr. Murray as a murderer.
HUGH CRANDELL, PATIENT OF DR. MURRAY: I know for fact just knowing the man he did everything he could possible to keep Michael Jackson alive.
ROWLANDS: J.D. Nicholas is a member of the Commodores and knew Michael Jackson. He's been a patient of Dr. Murray for ten years. He doesn't think his doctor is responsible for Michael Jackson's death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just can't see him being the person that he's being painted to be. I just can't see that. That's not the person I know.
ROWLANDS: In the weeks before his death while rehearsing for his upcoming concerts in London, Michael Jackson with Dr. Murray's help was using a surgical anesthesia Propofol as a sleep aid. Murray is accused of killing the pop star with an overdose of the powerful drug.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want you sedating people.
ROWLANDS: As a condition of bail, Murray was ordered not to give anyone Propofol or any anesthesia. Now the California medical board wants a judge to stop him from practicing medicine altogether. A motion filed last week says the board questions Murray's, quote, "fundamental judgment and skill as a physician."
Murray's lawyer argues there's no grounds for taking his license.
CHARLES PECKHAM, MURRAY'S CIVIL ATTORNEY: The question the medical boards have is whether or not they have a doctor on their hands a threat to public safety. And he's just not. He's a good doctor. He's a benefit to his patients and a benefit to public health.
ROWLANDS: Murray also has a practice in this struggling Texas neighborhood of Acres Homes. He opened this clinic as a tribute to his father who spent his life practicing medicine here and is buried in the cemetery down the street. Patients here argue that taking Dr. Murray's license will hurt this underserved community.
RANSOM CRADDOCK, PATIENT OF DR. MURRAY: Dr. Murray is a very good doctor, and I recommend him around the world. And we stand together with him in this community.
ROWLANDS: Conrad Murray allowed us into his clinic to shoot videotape of himself at work and allowed us to interview the patients inside, but he refused our repeated requests for an on-camera interview. Ted Rowlands, CNN, Las Vegas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Ted Rowlands for us.
Still ahead, we'll take a break, but when we come back, we are talking about the oil spill's health effects on those taking part in the cleanup, reports of sicknesses widespread in cleanup workers. A doctor specifying in toxicity will join us. It's 35 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: It's 38 minutes past the hour now. With oil spreading quickly across the gulf, the images grow more difficult to watch each day. There's the oil-soaked birds struggling to survive, the pristine beaches fouled with oil.
And the human toll is not just economic. Louisiana officials are now reporting dozens of complaints linked to the oil spill. Many of them are from cleanup workers and others coming from the general population.
This comes as no surprise to our next guest. Merle Savage helped clean up the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. She was a volunteer. She joins us from Vegas this morning. Also, to this day, she's battling health problems caused by the oil toxins she inhaled during the cleanup.
Also from Pensacola, Florida, where the president will be tonight, marine biologist Ricki Ott documented the aftermath after the oil spill in Alaska in her book "Not one Drop, Promises, Betrayal, and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill." Thanks to both of you for being with us this morning.
MERLE SAVAGE, PART OF EXXON VALDEZ CLEANUP EFFORT: Thank you.
RICKI OTT, MARINE TOXICOLOGIST: Thank you.
CHETRY: Merle, let me start with you. Explain to us briefly what was it like cleaning up the Exxon Valdez spill.
SAVAGE: Well, it was dirty. We were out on the dirty, oily beach, with hot holes on your shoulder. And it was pouring water onto the oily rocks and breathing it. It took its toll on me.
CHETRY: You have health effects to this day. What are you experiencing?
SAVAGE: Well, from the very time the first few weeks, I developed a respiratory problem, breathing and stomach disorders. And it has continued for the last 21 years.
CHETRY: And did you ever get a doctor to say it was related to your work there at Exxon Valdez trying to clean up the spill in the sound?
SAVAGE: No. No doctor has ever related it because they didn't have the information. And I did not know until Ricki Ott came down to visit me in '07 and explained why I was sick. It gave me some relief, although it did not take away the symptoms, which I am still suffering with.
CHETRY: Right. And it is just amazing 21 years later to know that you are still dealing with those effects.
Let me ask you, Dr. Ott. You have been down in the Gulf since the spill, you have visited Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, what sort of health problems are you hearing about relating to this oil spill?
OTT: The exact same symptoms that I heard that came out of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The acute symptoms are absolutely identical. And I heard them as early as May 5th when I first made it down to Venice. It was fishermen out working on the response, and husbands and sons of people -- sore throats, very bad headaches, stuffy sinuses, this sort of hacking cough where you are always having to clear your throat, and dizziness and nausea. And now, now three or four weeks later, actually throwing up.
And the thing is that Louisiana sweet crude on the material safety data sheet, not BP, the primary route is inhalation and skin contact. Inhalation lists respiratory problems, central nervous problems, and these are the headaches and the nausea and the dizziness.
The second-route of exposure is skin contact. The turtle-watch volunteers now in Mississippi and Alabama are coming in with skin rashes and blisters, the surfers are coming in with rashes. I myself got splashed when I was out with a film crew off Venice, and I didn't think about it. The next day I had a rash and a blister on my leg where the splash was.
CHETRY: Some of this stuff just seems unbelievable. Why would they not require respirators if you are out there doing the clean up. You are out on the skimmers dealing with oil being burned, why aren't they wearing respirators?
OTT: I think it is because of liability. I think that whatever happens in this spill cleanup will set precedent for future spill cleanups. And what we have are people on the beaches who are wearing tie-back suits and who have to quit work at 2:00 because of heat problems, potentially, and where there's lots of cameras taking pictures.
But offshore and the workers are literally given hard hats and said, good luck. If you wear respirators, we'll terminate your job.
I think that BP does not want the act of omission that people -- that oil is really this hazardous to human health. High enough vapors, unconsciousness, coma and death, and BP doesn't want to deal with that.
CHETRY: Leaving BP out of it for a minute, why can't the federal government require this? You talk about liability, you think you would be limiting viability down the road by preventing people from getting sick in the first place. Why can't the federal government respirators if you are taking part in the oil spill cleanup?
OTT: I'm guessing on this, but OSHA, the Occupational Safety Health Administration officials have actually approved BP's worker safety program. So that means now that the government is in on this as well.
I mean, I honest to god don't know. We have people literally passing out. You see the pictures in the marshes now where workers are leaning over boats to mop up with absorbent pads and material the oil, and their faces are two feet from the water and they are passing out from the fumes. Clearly people need respirators and are not getting them.
CHETRY: Hopefully that will change. This is what we heard down there as well about the fears seen wearing the respirators and what it looks like.
Merle, lastly, what do you say to people taking part in the cleanup and hoping to try to get these beaches and these marshes clean, putting their own lives at risk to try to do it?
SAVAGE: Well, you need to be concerned about your own health. And that's the only thing you can do is just protect yourself, because this has lasted for 21 years.
And I've had angioplasty. I've been diagnosed with resume arthritis almost overnight. And I have been diagnosed with the onset of psoriasis of the liver. I have always been a healthy person, so if that can happen to me and make my health deteriorate like it has, I warn everyone to use your own judgment. Think about it. The crude oil is toxic.
CHETRY: Well, we wish you the best with your health issues. I know it is not easy dealing with that. Dr. Ricki Ott, thank you for joining us with your perspective as well. We appreciate it.
OTT: You're welcome.
SAVAGE: Thank you very much.
ROBERTS: We have rising heat and thunderstorms across parts of the country. Jacqui Jeras is coming up next with the rather scorching forecast for us. It's 45 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Jacqui Jeras in the weather center for us this morning with some awfully hot and oppressive weather along parts of the -- the Gulf Coast and as well some storms across the Midwest again.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we are getting new pictures in just now, John, in the Kansas City area where those heavy rains overnight have brought some rivers and creeks out of their banks and caused extensive flooding, especially on the south side of town as well as Overland Park, a very large suburb of Kansas City.
Further east into Jackson County, Highway 7 has been washed out. And there you can see many cars and trucks have been caught in this flooding. We are in touch with our affiliates and trying to get word to make sure that everybody made it out of this one safely, but this is real indicative of what's been going on across parts of the Midwest.
We've been waking up for about two weeks now with these complexes of thunderstorms bringing torrential downpours. And so flood watches are in effect across much of the Midwest as well as those flood warnings, and we do expect this to be a problem over the next coming week as this weather pattern really kind of stays put and continues to bring heavy rain on top of already saturated ground.
Now, some of these thunderstorms this afternoon could be severe, so highlighted in red, we have that slight risk area. And on the south side, yes, that's where we are seeing all that heat. Those temperatures are way up there in the 90s again today with heat in the seas well beyond that, well beyond 100 degrees. So make sure you do your outdoor activities in the morning hours. Ok, we always like to you bring in some video that makes you giggle. Well, take a look at these pictures today. This is out in New York where a 10-year-old for his birthday, this is Jack Singer, and he wanted to break the Guinness Book of World Records for putting on the most pairs of, yes, that's underwear. You can see him there, that's 250 pairs. He made it. They still have to certify that he broke the record. However, he did this to raise some money for a local Marine (ph). And if you're wondering just how much does that underwear weigh, well, 250 pairs weighs about 30 pounds.
CHETRY: And Jacqui --
JERAS: Really not that comfortable, is it.
CHETRY: Well, I was just going to say are you sure he's not a BP official heading to the White House, the new president, no?
JERAS: That's a lot of tidy-whiteys (ph).
CHETRY: Congratulations.
ROBERTS: That is some pair of padded pants he's got. Thanks Jacqui.
JERAS: Of all the records to break.
CHETRY: You have to get creative. You've got to start thinking, you know, they have broken all the others.
JERAS: Yes.
CHETRY: You can only grow your nails so long. Jacqui thank you so much.
JERAS: Exactly.
Well, still ahead, millions of cancer survivors skipping medical care because of the high cost. It's something that doctors and hospitals are seeing more and more. Is there anything that can be done to turn it around? We're going to take a look coming up.
It's 50 minutes past the hour.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to "The Most News in the Morning". It is time for your "A.M. House Call" at 53 minutes past the hour.
Health care costs are simply too high for millions of cancer survivors.
ROBERTS: And a new study says the price is actually forcing many adult survivors to either delay, or skip follow-up treatments altogether.
Here to talk more about what this means for people, our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Good morning, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran.
Kiran and John, this is indeed so unfortunate, the folks who need care the most, people who have managed to survive cancer are not always getting the care they need.
According to this new study -- take a look at this number -- 17.6 percent of the folks who are cancer survivors who were studied are not getting the care they need. They are not getting the prescription drugs they need, sometimes its dental care, sometimes it's mental health care. And as you said, it's usually because of money they just can't always seem to afford it.
CHETRY: But when you take a look at who is most likely to do this, to skip follow-up treatments and to skip routine medical care, does age matter and what about whether or not they are insured?
COHEN: Right, age and insurance absolutely matter. Folks under the age of 65 are much more likely to forego care and that's because people over the age of 65 are automatically insured in this country. They have Medicare, insured folks more likely to get care, uninsured folks less likely; it's that simple.
ROBERTS: Does race play a role in any of this?
COHEN: Race does play a role, Hispanics and African-Americans are less likely to get care. Again, that's probably because statistically speaking they are less likely to have insurance.
Now, if you have cancer or if you are a cancer survivor or you want to help someone who is, you can go to CNNHealth.com and look for the link to the cancer survivor's story. And we have ways to help you get the care you need.
ROBERTS: Excellent, some great information there. Elizabeth Cohen for us this morning, thanks so much.
COHEN: Thanks.
President Obama heads to the Gulf Coast. It is his fourth time down there to tour the oil spill. He's going to be going to Alabama, Mississippi and Florida this time.
Dan Lothian is live there ahead of the President's visit. We'll check in with him coming right up. Stay with us.
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ROBERTS: Just a couple minutes now to the top of the hour. President Obama will be in the air in a few minutes on his way to Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. He's going to be briefed on the oil spill by Admiral Thad Allen later on this morning in Gulfport, Mississippi. And he'll be spending some time out on the water as well. CHETRY: Our Dan Lothian is live in Alabama this morning with more on the President's, what will now be the fourth trip to the region since the oil spill began.
What is different about this trip -- Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we heard some of that just a few minutes ago, the President coming to this region while it is his fourth trip to the Gulf; this is the first time the President has been to Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Over the past few weeks, we have heard some rumblings from residents around here they have not gotten the kind of national attention and certainly the focus from the administration that perhaps Louisiana has gotten.
So this is the first time they are getting a chance to see the President up close, a chance for the President to hear from these residents and get some of their concerns.
The President, as you pointed out, when he lands not long from now in Mississippi will be getting a briefing on the latest update on what's going on in trying to contain the oil spill from Admiral Thad Allen, who's the government's point-person in the regional for the oil spill. Then he'll also have the roundtable again able to hear from business leaders and also residents about some of their concerns.
Then from Mississippi the President comes here to Alabama where he goes out on the water for the first time. That's another first. There's been some question as to why the President has not actually gotten up close to see the oil out in a boat. He'll do that on a ferry ride from the island a short ways from here.
Then later the President will do another first; he heads to Pensacola, Florida where he will spend the night. The President has jetted in and out of Louisiana, but this is the first time he'll be spending a night in the Gulf. Back to you.
ROBERTS: All right. The President showing he's on the case.
Dan Lothian for us this morning. Dan thanks so much.
The President will address the nation, by the way, on the oil spill at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night. It will be the first time he has used the Oval Office to speak to the American people and CNN, of course, will carry that speech live.
CHETREY: And meantime, continue the conversation on today's stories by heading to our blog, CNN.com/amfix.
That's going to do it for us. We'll see you back here bright and early tomorrow morning.
ROBERTS: The news continues here on CNN with Kyra Phillips in the "CNN NEWSROOM".
