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American Morning
Obama Lays Out Battle Plan for Gulf Spill; New Credit Card Protection Rules; YouTube Your Way to College; President's First Oval Office Speech; BP Will Pay for Disaster; "Cajun Ingenuity"; Sunscreens Uncovered
Aired June 16, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Glad you're with us on this "AMERICAN MORNING." It is Wednesday, June 16th. I'm Kiran Chetry
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Lots to talk to about this morning, so let's get right to it. Coming up in the next 15 minutes here, President Obama promising the American people he has a battle plan to combat the disaster in the Gulf.
He's insisting that 90 percent of the spewing oil will be contained in the coming weeks, and he is promising to make BP pay for causing so much pain as he prepares to meet face to face this morning with the company's top executives.
CHETRY: Some good news. You're about to get a break when it comes to your credit cards, the Federal Reserve banning some fines as well as limiting others. We'll break down what to expect when your next bill arrives.
ROBERTS: Plus, some colleges are telling applicants, along with good grades and high test scores, a smart internet video could be just the thing that gets them accepted for the fall. Ahead in our series, "Are you Smart," find out why some educators want your tech-savvy teens uploading their college applications.
CHETRY: And the "A.M. Fix" blog is up and running. Join the conversation at CNN.com/amfix.
ROBERTS: Up first this hour, some bad news. The oil spill in the Gulfjust went from bad to worse, much worse. Government scientists guiding numbers higher again now estimating that up to 60,000 barrels, or two and a half million gallons, are spilling into the Gulfof Mexico each and every day. Just last month, BP insisted that it was only 5,000 barrels a day.
CHETRY: There is a lot of anger aimed at BP these days. One Louisiana congressman even suggesting that company chairman Lamar McKay do the honorable thing and commit hari-kari, kill himself? McKay and other top bosses from big oil testified on Capitol Hill yesterday. BP's chairman also got a beating from a pair of Republican House members who call the Gulfcoast home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CLIFF STEARNS, (R) FLORIDA: It's really outrageous that you sit here and tell us that you're going to punt to the unified command when we've had 11 people killed, huge environmental damage, and you are still sitting here as a CEO of BP? Frankly, I would call for your resignation. I'm calling for it today. I'm not asking for an apology. I'm asking for you to resign.
REP. JOSEPH CAO, (R) LOUISIANA: Mr. Stern asked Mr. McKay to resign. Well, in the Asian culture we do things differently. During the samurai days, we just give you a knife and ask you to commit hara- kiri.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: McKay is not off the hook today. In just over three hours' time, he'll be at the White House with other top BP executives going face to face with the president who just promised the American people that he will make the oil giant pay for all the pain it's caused. They're back up on Capitol Hill again tomorrow.
Ed Henry will be following this morning's meeting, he's live in Pensacola beach, Florida, this morning. Ed, the president sounded like he was declaring war on an invading enemy last night. But I guess people there are looking for back-up.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No doubt about it, John. People down here are wondering if the federal government really is going to help them out. They've been frustrated here, and that's why they're paying some attention to what the president had to say.
Your right, the war rhetoric was pretty strong. The president starting with the notion that U.S. troops right now are battling Al Qaeda overseas, but that this oil is attacking our shores here at home. The president vowing that he will fight with all he's got, as he put it, to push back on this oil, protect these shores behind me.
He laid out a battle plan, basically said he's mobilizing thousands of personnel to try and make sure that this does not destroy a way of life here.
But even as he sort of rolled out that war rhetoric to show he's in command, the president was also trying to downplay some expectations by saying, look, this is going to go on for some time. There is no quick fix.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We have to recognize that despite our best efforts, oil has already caused damage to our coastline and its wildlife. And sadly, no matter how effective our response is, there will be more oil and more damage before this siege is done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Here's why people here on the ground are so -- following every minute of this. I spoke to Michael Pinzone, he runs a pizzeria here. And he met with the president here and walked on the beach with him yesterday. Michael told me that BP's so far has given two $5,000 checks.
But in the first two weeks of June he's lost $60,000 in business. There's still two more weeks to go in this month. He's worried whether his business is going to go under. He's already $50,000 in the hole.
And that's why this meeting at the White House is so dramatic for people here on the ground. They want to know whether or not this escrow account is really going to be set up so they can get these claims processed.
ROBERTS: That's just one of the things that wasn't in the speech, details on the escrow account. But there were other things people in the Gulfcoast are complaining they wanted to hear and didn't.
HENRY: The president did not mention those new flow rate numbers that you mention at the top, now up to 60,000 barrels a day, much, much different than what BP said at the beginning when the range was 1,000 to 5,000 barrels.
Maybe that was not mentioned because it doesn't really fit into the president's narrative about how the federal government really does have a handle on this now.
And he didn't get into details about that escrow account. He didn't give a dollar figure. He also didn't say which third party independently would run this escrow account.
White House aides say the reason he didn't go into detail is that the president wants to hash this out behind closed doors with those BP executives, not get ahead of this meeting this morning at the White House. A lot of eyes though on that meeting to find out whether BP's feet really will be held to the fire there, John.
ROBERTS: We will hear from the president this morning as well, sort of early this afternoon, 12:15 press conference scheduled. Ed Henry for us, Pensacola beach, thanks so much.
We'll be joined in about five minutes time by presidential historian Douglas Brinkley and "Newsweek" contributing editor Julia Reid. They'll be discussing the impact the oil disaster is having on the Obama presidency as well as on the region.
And at 7:30 Eastern, senior White House advisor David Axelrod joins us live from the White House briefing room.
CHETRY: Also new this morning, police in Seattle are investigating a jay walking arrest that turned violent, a home video showing an officer struggling with two women that he was trying to detain. One of the suspects, a 17-year-old, pushes the officer, and then he punches her in the face.
Police say they were verbally antagonistic, resisting arrest. Civil rights lawyers claim that the officer used excessive force. Officials are now investigating.
ROBERTS: We are now hearing from the family of the American who was arrested in Pakistan. Gary Faulkner says he is there to track down and kill Usama bin Laden. His brother says Gary has been to the region six times before, adding that he's not crazy, he's not schizophrenic. He also says his brother's health is fading because he needs dialysis.
CHETRY: A virtual stampede on the first day that customers could preorder Apple's new iPhone 4. The apple and AT&T Web sites couldn't handle the demand and it crashed. AT&T says that yesterday was its busiest online sales day ever. The new iPhone will be in stores June 24th.
ROBERTS: Tech companies having problems with technology, that's never good.
Severe thunderstorms and record-breaking flash floods washing away cars and washing away cows in Oklahoma, entire farms and neighborhoods filled with water. Authorities say one person was killed, a cab driver who drowned when he got out to try to push his car.
CHETRY: Seven minutes past the hour right now.
(WEATHER BREAK)
CHETRY: Some colleges are now accepting application videos along with the old-school application essay. So is this going to be the new thing of the future, you have to have a video along with it? And is it a good judge of a different kind of smarts? That's ahead in our A.M. original series, "Are you Smart?"
ROBERTS: And are you being scammed by sunscreen? SPFs are now hitting triple digits. What's better, SPF 100 or SPF 50? Does it really make a difference? We're paging our Dr. Gupta this morning. Nine minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: But make no mistake -- we will fight this spill with everything we've got, for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused, and we will do whatever is necessary to help the Gulfcoast and its people recover from this tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: For weeks, people suffering along the Gulfcoast have demanded leadership, and last night from the seat of power, the Oval Office at the White House, President Obama addressed the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Before the speech, polls showed more than two-thirds of the country thought that he need to get tougher on BP. Joining us now to talk about the speech, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley and "Newsweek" contributing editor Julia Reed.
Julia, when we left you in New Orleans on Friday you said you didn't know if your head was going to pop off or not. I see it is still firmly attached. How you feeling about the speech last night?
JULIA REED, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEWSWEEK": I don't feel a whole lot better than I did when I last saw you. I think the speech was too late. I think that saying that the federal government has been in charge of this disaster from the beginning, I'm not sure I would have claimed that if I'd been him, because the disaster's not been going so well.
And I think that when he said that the moratorium would cause a fundamental -- hardship for the people who worked on the rigs, he's showing a fundamental misunderstanding of what it is really going to do to the economy of this region and the country.
ROBERTS: We'll mark you down as head still in danger of popping off and we'll talk about the moratorium --
REED: Head still in danger of popping off.
ROBERTS: Let's go to Doug Brinkley. Dough, one of the big things in the speech was this escrow account that he wants BP to set up to pay for all of the damage there, economic and otherwise. No details about that though and BP's U.S. chairman yesterday when questioned about it on the hill wouldn't commit to it. Do you still think there is a deal?
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: There's very much a deal in place. The White House has already concocted one with BP last week. Details have been being ironed out while the president was in the Gulfsouth states.
And then of course, the drama today is going to be BP at the White House. You're going to get a figure. Many people are hoping it is $20 billion escrow figure. It might be $15 billion. Then there will be a third party administering that money.
That's probably the best news of the speech last night that came from president Obama, that there may very soon be some cash. Now, how much money BP is going to immediately put in, let's say it's $20 billion. Are they only going to put $8 billion in now with the rest being paid later? Something like that looks very likely.
ROBERTS: The devil's always in the details. This idea, Julia, of this being administered by an independent, panel, do you have faith in that?
REED: We've already seen layers of bureaucracy that aren't working down there. The clean-up is still -- Billy Nungesser was on CNN last night after the speech saying we still aren't seeing cleanup. So BP already has layers of contractors doing the cleanup.
So we had a similar situation after Hurricane Katrina with the road home money, federal money again be administered to people by a third party. Some people are still just now getting their money. So that takes a long time.
It still, $20 million, $30 million, whatever -- one of the things Obama didn't mention in the speech but what he mentioned yesterday was we'll pay for the revenue lost from the moratorium. We'll make BP pay for that. Well, a, he doesn't have the authority to make BP pay for that, and it's not going to make up the difference for what he's going to do --
ROBERTS: Doug, you know, the thing --
REED: -- with the moratorium.
ROBERTS: Doug, the thing that you were talking about in the days leading up to the president's address last night was this idea of a gulf recovery act, wetlands restoration. The president took a glancing look at that last night, but again no specifics.
BRINKLEY: Well, there weren't many and there weren't specifics in the speech. I mean, that was its disappointing aspect. It was like a coloring book that wasn't colored in.
ROBERTS: Yes.
BRINKLEY: You could see some of these broad-basket lines. He did say the word "conservation." He did talk about wetlands restoration, said in coming days, it's a priority. We're not going to abandon the region. The words are good, but where's the proof?
We need now to do things to save the great wetlands of Louisiana. I mean, all of this great sediment comes in from the Ohio River and the Missouri, down the Mississippi. And in 1932, the Mississippi River got channelized for shipping. The levees were overbuilt and we're losing all this sediment, nutrients that the wetlands need. It's getting washed into the Gulfof Mexico. The Mississippi River has to be diverted and you start -- have to start flushing the toxins out of the wastelands. The president's team knows that. Why he has yet to really give that big save the wetlands speech is a mystery to me.
ROBERTS: Yes. I guess he's got a lot of people going to be looking at it --
REED: We've been fighting --
ROBERTS: I just want to ask, Julia, because we're running out of time here on the moratorium. The president's got people looking at the wetlands restoration. He's also started a panel to look into the safety of deepwater drilling.
The "Times" (INAUDIBLE) took a look at that commission this morning in an editorial and said that it seemed to be weighted with experts who appeared to be more qualified to address the oil spill's damaging effects than to look into the safety of offshore drilling. So, you know, you talk about the economic damages there. Do you have faith that this commission will be able to look at offshore drilling in a way that maybe this moratorium can be lifted?
REED: No. I mean, first of all, he's already said it's going to be six months. And the commission hadn't even sat yet. So, I mean, we're talking about, as usual, just slow progress.
But I mean, what they need to do is just take 30 days and go check on the safety of the wells that are out there now and get them cranked back up. Because if you have a moratorium for six months, get to the bottom of what happened. I mean a commission isn't going to find that out. We need to make sure the ones that are out there now are going to be safe. When he said in the speech, I know this is going to be a hardship for the people that work on the rigs, that's crazy. I mean, we've already -- you know, on this show, we've heard people say that right off the bat, it's 100,000 jobs lost at a time when we have no jobs.
ROBERTS: Yes.
REED: I mean, he made a glancing blow to people are going back to work, putting in, you know, energy-safe windows and stuff. I mean, that's crazy.
All right, we should work on alternative sources of energy. But while he's, you know, asked us to reach for the moon like we did beforehand, we're dying down here. It takes a long time to get to the moon, and we're not there yet.
ROBERTS: All right, Julia Reed.
REED: We really need to be drilling.
ROBERTS: Yes. Julia Reed and Doug Brinkley, great to talk to you this morning. Thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
BRINKLEY: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Kiran?
CHETRY: If you use certain credit cards or you don't use certain credit cards, maybe you don't pay your bills on time. There are some new rules that will help take the sting out of some of those penalties. Our Christine Romans breaks down the new credit card rules coming up.
It's 18 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Twenty-one minutes past the hour. Christine Romans "Minding Your Business." You know, you talk a lot about people being late on the mortgage payments. Six million Americans aren't paying their mortgage on time. CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Right.
CHETRY: And that's -- you know, usually you expect to hear that with credit cards. And the credit card situation has also turned into a really tough situation for people trying to make their payments.
ROMANS: That's right. And the Fed now is trying to help people who have been really slapped with high fees. We have a law. Remember the big card act of Congress put through to try to protect you. The Federal Reserve is putting fine some tuning on that law and says by August 22nd, you will not have a fee, a late fee, for example, that will exceed $25. That's a big change. Most fees will be limited to $25. The Fed will ban inactivity fees. We've been waiting for some time to see if they would do this because this is an ingenious new fee.
ROBERTS: This is when you don't use your card which you don't use.
ROMANS: You don't use your card. Look, people like me tell people like you, look, if you've got a lot of credit cards, put them aside, try to pay them off. Well, if you're paying them off --
ROBERTS: Oh, good advice. Thanks, Christine. It costs us money.
ROMANS: Right, right. But it was going to cost you $19 a month for inactivity fees. Now, they're going to ban those inactivity fees and the fee can't exceed the violation in many cases. So, for example, if you are late making a $20 minimum payment, they can't charge you $25 for being late making that $20 minimum payment. They would only be able to charge you $20. So, there are some new rules in there to try to help you. Now --
CHETRY: But it's still tough because you're still getting charged the interest rate. I mean, if you can't pay off your bill and you're not doing the minimum payment, you're getting charged the interest.
ROMANS: Right. Right.
CHETRY: And that's still killing you.
ROMANS: Because you're borrowing someone else's money to pay for your life. Yes.
Another thing quickly here about interest rates. Remember since January 2009 before the credit card laws came into effect, all the credit card companies started raising everyone's interest rates.
ROBERTS: Yes.
ROMANS: Now the Fed says they have to go back and review every single one of those cases to make sure that they were fair and right. So this might be the time to start arguing with your credit card company about them raising your interest rates. I have to remind you though, your interest rate is zero if you pay off your card in full every month. And that is an incredibly important -- the best way to protect yourself is to pay off your card. Obviously, millions of people can't or aren't paying off their credit cards every month. But the most important thing here is that the Fed and Congress are trying to make sure if you're one of those people carrying a balance or you're late, or you're over the limit, they can't slap you with these enormous fees that keep you in this cycle forever.
ROBERTS: Thank goodness. Christine Romans "Minding Your Business" this morning.
ROMANS: Sure.
ROBERTS: Thanks so much.
CHETRY: So is technology taking over your kid's education? Along with the written essays, of course, the SAT score, all the other things that kids have to use to apply to colleges. Well, now, they may need to cut their own videos and send that along with their application. Find out ahead why some educators say it's actually a good thing.
Twenty-four minutes past the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably not a good idea to say that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Our top story just four minutes away. But first, an "A.M. Original," something you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING.
Teenagers applying to colleges these days basically grew up in the age where the Internet was just always there.
ROBERTS: That's probably why some schools are now telling their applicants that along with the old-school essay, upload a video as well. Our Alina Cho here now with part three of our series "Are You Smart?" What's this one all about.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Remember we stressed over those college applications and those essays?
CHETRY: Oh, yes.
CHO: Well, guess what?
CHETRY: Now they keep upping the ante.
CHO: That's absolutely right, Kiran, you know. And especially at Tufts University, guys. Along with those good grades and good SATs, a personal video can actually help, too. It is optional but it's part of the application at Tufts. So what does a video show that a written essay can't? Does it measure a different kind of smart? You be the judge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you want Tufts (ph) is what you want is this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO (voice-over): What is this this? And this have to do with getting into college?
EVAN RENAUD, TUFTS APPLICANT: I hope the admissions officers will notice it, be like, oh, hey, this guy is really cool.
CHO: Tufts University near Boston is now accepting personal videos as part of the application process, among the first in the nation to do so. Not to replace essays, grades or SATs, but as a supplement. The videos are not required but students are, well, getting into it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do the right thing, accept this as reality. I'll bring the goods like Barnum & Bailey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Already almost 1,000 students are taking part out of the 15,000 applications they received. Some on YouTube have been viewed by thousands, demonstrating creativity in animation, wilderness survival skills --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm making a lightweight reusable oven out of a cardboard box, some turkey pans and some tinfoil.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: And in Rhaina Cohen's case, a twist on a familiar phrase -- walk a mile in my shoes. In her case, literally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RHAINA COHEN, TUFTS APPLICANT: I wasn't trying to come off as, you know, Imelda Marcos and say I have 3,000 shoes, but I just wanted to show a bit of who I am. I think that's what the goal is with applications in general, that these are humans looking at files filled with so many papers and they're trying to discern who are you, would I want to meet you, would I be intrigued by you.
CHO (on camera): What does the YouTube video provide for an admissions officer that the application doesn't?
MARILEE JONES, FORMER M.I.T. DEAN OF ADMISSIONS: Well, you really get to see these applicants in their adolescent best when you see the cleverness and you see their goofiness and you see who they are as human beings. And this is the point.
CHO (voice-over): Marilee Jones, former dean of admissions at M.I.T. calls the personal videos refreshing.
JONES: It's very easy to fall in love with someone in one minute. It's also very easy to get turned off. So what these students are doing by providing these videos this year is a very high wire act. They're taking huge risk, which is why I love them.
CHO: Showing a kind of intellectual chutzpah to go along with the other credentials.
(on camera): Can you tell me range what you got on the S.A.T.?
COHEN: Out of 2,400, I got 2,300.
CHO: You got 2,300 out of 2,400 on your S.A.T? Oh, my gosh. You didn't need that video.
(voice-over): For others, a place where playing with fire can be a ticket to college.
RENAUD: Everyone else probably talks about community service or being a varsity athlete. And so I thought fire playing is the only thing I know that I do that nobody else does.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Oh, John Roberts does that on his free time. But anyway --
ROBERTS: Except I do it with chainsaws.
CHO: You know, since we first talked to these college applicants, guys, we do have an update. We have learned that our fire-throwing friend Evan did not get into Tufts University. He is going to go to Villanova instead. I know, hard to believe, guys. But as for "walk in my shoes" Rhaina, she did get in to Tufts. She has chosen, however, to go to Northwestern University in Chicago.
I can't say that's a bad choice but my alma mater --
CHETRY: They're all great schools. Yes, there you go.
CHO: But it's so funny, we were discussing how, you know, back when we were applying to college, 1,600 was the high score on the S.A.T., now it is 2,400? This girl Rayna (ph) got 2,200. I mean, it's amazing the competition, you know, among students to get into these top-tier colleges these days. And so, you know, Tufts says, listen, a video shows a different kind of smarter, creative sort of smart. It's not a bad thing to include in the application. CHETRY: It's interesting there is the group that doesn't have to worry about affording college and then there some that could get into some top-tier schools but said, wait a minute, maybe I don't want to graduate with six-figure debt.
CHO: That's exactly right.
CHETRY: So (INAUDIBLE) something else
CHO: That's exactly right. You know, so they're choosing the state school instead.
ROBERTS: Oh, how things change.
CHO: Yes, that's true.
ROBERTS: I remember eight-millimeter film was big.
CHETRY: Splice it together.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: Thanks, Alina.
ROBERTS: Checking our top stories now as we cross the half-hour.
Teams exploring the West Virginia mine where 29 men died in April say they found a crack in the floor that could have allowed the methane leak before the explosion. But Massey Energy, the owner of the Upper Big Branch Mine says that crack has not been examined yet and they are not sure if it was the source of the methane explosion.
CHETRY: Later today in San Francisco, closing arguments will be heard in the case over California's Proposition 8. Prop 8 banned same-sex marriage across the entire state. No matter what the court eventually decides, groups on both sides say this fight is not over. Last week the judge in the case ordered these closing arguments will not be televised.
ROBERTS: For the first time ever, President Obama addressed the nation from the Oval Office and promised that 90 percent of the oil spilling from BP's broken well will be captured within weeks. He also said he expects BP to pay the full tab for this disaster.
CHETRY: Well, in just a few hours, President Obama will come face to face with the bosses at BP for the first time since this disaster started 58 days ago. In his speech to the nation last night, the president made some big promises. He also admitted that there will be more problems ahead. But did he deliver for people listening along the Gulf Coast?
Joining us this morning from the White House is the president's senior advisor, David Axelrod. Great to talk to you this morning. Thanks for being here.
DAVID AXELROD, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: Good to be here. Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: So we've had guest after guest on our show this morning, gulf coast mayors, parish presidents, some locals who say in a nutshell that what they heard last night wasn't enough from the president and the polling in today's daily news -- "New York Daily News," for example, shows that 81 percent of Americans polled did not think the president was tough enough on BP. Is the message from the president being heard?
AXELROD: Well, the question is is it being heard by BP and we will get an answer on that today. The executives of BP are coming in. We're going to be talking about the need to put money in escrow accounts for the people of the gulf and to have an independent administrator so claims are not slow and people can get the money that they need to survive this disaster that BP created. So I think that's the important issue for people in the Gulf and people in the country.
CHETRY: Well, you mentioned the meeting with BP a couple of hours away. The president saying that he's intending to inform -- that was the language he used last night -- that the company needs to set aside perhaps as much as $20 billion not only to pay for claims but also for gulf coast restoration. Has BP already agreed to that plan?
AXELROD: Well, we've obviously had discussions with them. Nothing's been finalized. That will happen today. But it's fair to say that they understand our position and they understand the position that they are in and we expect them to meet their responsibilities, their legal and moral responsibilities to people in the Gulf and we're going to make sure that that happens today.
CHETRY: Well, certainly the company's been battered publicly. We heard them testifying yesterday in Congress. But technically, can they be forced? I mean, can the president force BP to comply in terms of paying for this?
AXELROD: Well, we're going to use every device, legal device, at our disposal if necessary. But I believe that they understand the situation that they're in and they understand the pressure they're under to meet their obligations. We are going to make sure that they do.
CHETRY: The president also said last night -- this is something that caught a lot of people's attention -- that in the coming days and weeks BP would be capturing 90 percent of the oil. He really put a concrete number out there. How does he know that?
AXELROD: Well, we know -- the scientists have been looking at this flow rate for some time. It is extraordinarily complicated to determine exactly how much oil is leaking. We have a strong sense of that now. With the help of our scientists and a team of scientists that we put together, a device was developed to help bring the oil up and now we need the tankers there to take that oil up. Those will be in place in the coming days and when they are, the capacity will be there to take in what we believe is all or nearly all of the oil. CHETRY: Well, should the president though be coming on national TV and touting a number that's based on BP's estimates when just yesterday, for example, we learned again that the flow rate increased almost 50 percent on a daily basis than was previously reported? I mean in some ways is he relying on BP's best estimate?
AXELROD: He is not. He is not. He is not relying on BP. These are the estimates of the scientists and technologists that the government is marshalling as to what is happening underneath the sea and how much oil can be removed and what it will take to do that. So we have some confidence in that. We're certainly not relying on BP for that information.
CHETRY: Well, what you are relying on is that BP, this would be their best case scenario, that they'd be able to somehow siphon 53,000 barrels a day by the end of June. That's them saying they're hoping it can happen. We've seen their mechanical failures along the way where what they thought may be able to work out ended up not working.
AXELROD: Yes but we do know now that the oil is being siphoned off and thanks to some insights from our energy secretary, there is -- there are additional risers that are going to be pulling oil up. So we have a sense of what this system can do. It's not theory now. Now it's a matter of getting the equipment in place to siphon off the oil.
By the way, you know, in July, that capacity will move up to 80,000 barrels a day. So look -- we should not kid ourselves. This is a disaster. It is an ongoing disaster, it is going to take some time to deal with that disaster. But we're certainly in a different place now than we were 58 days ago.
CHETRY: Right. You know, you mentioned disaster. One of the things that the "Times" (INAUDIBLE) said today in their op-ed was that this is shaping up to be an economic disaster as well if the president goes forward with the six-month moratorium on drilling saying that you're essentially putting people who at a time when they need money the most, out of work. Is that something that's up for reconsideration, the six-month moratorium?
AXELROD: Look, we have great solicitude for the rig workers who have been idle as a result of this on those deep water wells but we also have an obligation to make sure that this doesn't happen again. The president appointed a commission to study exactly what happened and how we can prevent these kind of leaks in the future and how we can make sure that if they do occur, that they can be dealt with more effectively.
And until that's done, it would be irresponsible to allow that drilling to go forward. He's asked the commission to move it all due deliberation and get this done quickly.
CHETRY: Have they met yet?
AXELROD: The chairman of the commission have met. They've begun to staff up the commission. They've begun the preliminary work of information gathering that they need.
CHETRY: All right. Well, it's good to talk to you this morning, David Axelrod, senior advisor to President Obama.
AXELROD: Thank you.
CHETRY: Thanks for joining us this morning.
AXELROD: Nice to be with you. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Well, coming up, a little Cajun ingenuity could go a long way in the gulf. We'll see how local ideas are being put to use to save a critical area along the Louisiana coastline. Ed Lavandera's live report coming up next.
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ROBERTS: Forty-one minutes after the hour. It is a war against the shores. President Obama says the Gulf coast is under assault from the oil spill. On that point, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal would agree, but Jindal and other local officials say the clean-up effort isn't near as what it needs to be and they're putting their own ideas to work.
Our Ed Lavandera is following that for us. He is live in New Orleans. A little cajun ingenuity can go a long way, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Really ,a lot of this, John, is inspired because so many people along the Gulfcoast especially here in the areas of the Louisiana marshland feel like they're up against the clock that the waves of oil will only continue and continue to come over the months ahead. So they feel they've got to do whatever they can to fight back the oil.
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LAVANDERA (voice-over): On the edge of this oil-stained marsh grass, vacuum trucks sit on barges. Crews using a plastic hose suck oil out of the water. But this isn't an idea brought to you by BP or the federal government. It is what Governor Bobby Jindal likes to call cajun ingenuity.
GOV. BOBBY JINDAL (R), LOUISIANA: It was frustrating, before we did this, they were simply letting that oil sit there. We said that's not acceptable. You don't win this war by waiting for the oil to go away. You win this war by attacking that oil wherever it is away from our coast.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Here in Barataria Bay, the urgency of this oil disaster continues to heighten. We're about 15 miles north- northeast of the city of Grand Isle. And officials say this is where they've seen the deepest reaches of this oil into the Louisiana marshland.
So we're here in Barataria Bay and we're actually going to go see some of this heavy oil.
(voice-over): On a boat tour of the bay with the Louisiana governor, patches of thick oil are spread across the state's richest fishing waters. Oil this far north is nothing short of a disaster. But Grand Isle's mayor says red tape is still bogging down the clean- up efforts. He's fighting the federal government to get permits to build oil containment systems between barrier islands.
MAYOR DAVID CAMARDELLE, GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA: So we're asking you agencies out there to work with us, work with us and listen to us. And I guarantee you, you're going to be happy. It's going to come back after hurricane season. I can promise you that we'll protect the estuaries but we have to act now.
LAVANDERA: Governor Jindal says booms and skimmers didn't make it to this part of Louisiana before the oil creeped into the bay. He says it's proof BP's clean-up plan simply wasn't adequate.
(on camera): When you hear BP say we're doing everything we can, we're being as proactive as we can, nobody wants this cleaned up more than us --
JINDAL: Nonsense. Nonsense. They need to intensify this effort. Fight this oil 15 to 25 miles out on the coast. Don't fight it in the wetlands where the shrimp, the fish, the crabs, the oysters are. Once the oil gets in here, the damage is already done.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Almost two months into this oil disaster, BP has been told to step up its clean-up efforts. But out here, the fishermen who live off these waters aren't waiting around.
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LAVANDERA: Governor Jindal says that right now along the Louisiana coast, there are about nine of those vacuum trucks that have been deployed. He's requested to get almost 30 in all to be deployed along the Gulf coast. They're not incredibly effective. The governor is the first to admit that. So far the first two have collected about 10,000 gallons worth of oil. But if they feel any drop that they can pick up that's extra from what's being done from the BP and the federal government side, they will take at this point. John.
ROBERTS: I'm sure they will. Ed Lavandera for us this morning. Ed, thanks so much.
CHETRY: All right. Meanwhile, 44 minutes past the hour. Jacqui Jeras is going to be along. She has the morning's travel forecast for us right after the break.
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CHETRY: A look at New York this morning, Columbus Circle, 61 degrees right now. A little bit later, 74 degrees and this afternoon it looks like we're going to get some rain. Meanwhile, we are "Minding Your Business" now, and the stock market's going to open at its highest level in a month this morning, investors seeming to brush off concerns about Greece's economy. That helped the Dow gain more than 200 points yesterday. European markets were also all up overnight.
ROBERTS: And the hits just keep on coming. If you're one of those people who just has to get on the plane first so you can store your luggage, luggage that you maybe should have checked in some cases, American Airlines has got a new program for you. It's called the "Your Choice" fee -- fee package. And for a fee of up to $19 each way, you'll be able to board your flight early, right behind the premium status passengers.
CHETRY: There you go.
ROBERTS: They will just get you any way they can. They really will.
CHETRY: Forty-eight minutes past the hour right now. Time to get a check of this morning's weather headlines.
Jacqui Jeras in the Extreme Weather Center for us this morning, and we're looking at some delays. Speaking of airport headaches, huh?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know. I'm not sure why you would want to pay to get on early and sit there for an extra 20 minutes, but hey, whatever works for you, right?
We do have some airport delays. Baltimore right now, BWI, has departure delays around 15 minutes because of thunderstorms. We're expecting delays especially in the mid-Atlantic to become more prevalent this afternoon when thunderstorms start kicking in. So D.C., Philadelphia, New York City expect delays. We'll have some thunderstorms in Atlanta, in Orlando, Chicago, Detroit, rather breezy here today, so looking at maybe 15 minutes or so. And then Denver and Los Angeles will have some delays due to the winds here.
Now, we are waking up to some showers and some isolated thunderstorms into the northeast. There's really nothing too heavy right now. The worst of that is really heading on up into parts of Canada. But you are going to hear some rumbles of thunder, especially into parts of Virginia, and that's going to head on up towards the Delmarva.
You'd probably have a nice little break, say, midday for your lunch hour, if you need to get outside today. But then, by mid afternoon, we think thunderstorms will redevelop and those could be severe, large hail, damaging winds and even isolated tornadoes. New York City you're not in the flight risk area today, but Philly is as well as D.C. and Baltimore and then also across parts of the southeast.
Other than that, things are just hot and sticky once again. Heat indices behind 100 degrees. Disney World is going to be tough today, feeling like 110 there this afternoon. That's a look at the nation's weather. John and Kiran will be back on AMERICAN MORNING right after a break.
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CHETRY: Time now for your "A.M. House Call", stories about your health, and we're just a few sunrises away from the first day of summer, officially.
ROBERTS: And -- yes. And of course every year, as always, there are new worries about whether sunscreen is giving you a false sense of security, even whether a chemical found in many of them may promote cancer.
Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now. He's in Atlanta. And Sanjay, there are so many sunscreens out there, so many options, but the EWG, the Environmental Working Group, claims that some sunscreens could be toxic. What's that all about?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's interesting, and the right answer, after really digging into this for a couple of days, is that it's unclear as to whether these things are toxic. We don't know for sure that they're toxic in humans. But we don't know that they're not as well, and that -- that's really what's drawing some of the concern for people who -- who use sunscreen, obviously, a lot, and particularly at this time of year.
In fact, the Environmental Working Group looked at over 500 sunscreens, and after their analysis say that only about 39 of them they think are actually safe enough and not misleading.
Now, regarding toxicity, you know, if you break down lots of different data they presented, it really sort of focused in on two particular chemicals, two -- two ingredients that are found in sunscreens. Oxybenzone, for example, found in about 60 percent of sunscreens, and you can read that on the label, oxybenzone. They're worried that in mice studies, at least, it could act as a hormone disruptor, interrupt the hormones in the body and they're concerned that maybe that would translate into humans as well.
There's another one, retinyl palmitate, as well, found in about 40 percent of sunscreens, again allowed tumors to grow faster in animal studies, in mice studies. And -- and that's really what sort of has prompted a lot of discussion about this. You hear a lot of people talking about this. Senator Schumer has been talking about this, saying that the FDA needs to update its guidelines.
We reached out to -- to the Personal Care Product Council as well. Not surprisingly, to some extent, they're saying, look, these claims by the Environmental Working Group are -- are baseless and unscientific, and that the products are FDA approved. And, again, they're right. But some of those FDA guidelines are from 30 years ago and there's a big push to try and update them.
You know, it reminds me, you know, benzoyl peroxide. That's the ingredient found in a lot of acne medications. That -- that often got a lot of concern and criticism as well for potentially causing cancer in animals. Well, it's obviously used all over the world today, and a lot of those claims did not turn out to be true or translate into humans.
So, you know, concern, need for updated guidelines, but a little bit of caution here as well.
CHETRY: Also, you take a look at the numbers. You know, it used to be what? You get SPF 2, 4, 8, now you have SPF 100 or higher being sold. You know, how much of a difference in protection does that make? Or, in some cases, are you lulled into a false sense of security with it?
GUPTA: Well, this -- this was a -- a big target for the Environmental Working Group as well, and I guess the best way to sort of characterize it is to say that there are diminishing returns as you get higher and higher in numbers.
There's big concern as they say, look, you know, people use the higher number thinking they need to use less. That's just not the way that it works. SPF, sun protection factor, it means -- it's like if you put on a sun protection factor of eight, it will take eight times as much solar energy to cause a burn as if you had no sun protection at all.
But if you take a look at the numbers overall, I think they give you a little bit of context just how much extra protection you're getting there. If you look at the -- the lowest levels, you know, SPF 15 there, about 93 percent of rays, I think it says, SPF 30, 97 percent, SPF 50, 98 percent.
Also, UVB rays, that's what's labeled there. Most of these sunscreens don't cover UVA rays which can also be problematic.
ROBERTS: All right. So once you get to 50, there's really, I mean, not that much difference, right?
GUPTA: Yes. Really, 15 to 50, after that you're probably just getting diminishing returns.
Also, use -- use creams instead of sprays. That's probably another good piece of advice.
ROBERTS: Sanjay Gupta for us this morning. Thanks, Doc. Great to see you.
GUPTA: Thanks, guys.
ROBERTS: All right.
Top stories coming your way in two minutes. Stay with us.
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