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American Morning
An Apology from BP CEO; NOLA Open for Business; Inside Van Der Sloot's Cell; Detroit 3 Ride to Top; Save the Manatees; Where's the Soccer Love in U.S.?; Animal Advocates Says Gulf Wildlife Rescue Falling Short; Boy Sent Home for Toy Soldier
Aired June 18, 2010 - 06:00 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. Glad you're with us on this Friday. It's June 18th. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Kiran Chetry.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Happy Friday. Drew Griffin. John Roberts off today. Lots to talk about. Shall we get right to it, then?
Absurd? That is how one lawmaker characterized that often-touted testimony of BP CEO Tony Hayward. The oil exec took a beating and fielded some tough questions but offered a little more than this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HAYWARD, CEO, BP: The explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon and the resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico never should have happened. And I'm deeply sorry that it did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Hayward wasn't the only one apologizing. We're going to tell you about the congressman who, listen to this, apologized to British Petroleum, then had to apologize for apologizing to keep his own job.
CHETRY: And a CNN exclusive, inside the jail cell of Joran van der Sloot. You're going to see where he eats, where he sleeps. Plus, we're going to look at what comes next in the case against him in Peru in the latest on this still-ongoing search for Natalee Holloway in Aruba.
GRIFFIN: And World Cup fever, feeling it? Yes. It's kicking here in the U.S., right? But will it give soccer the boost it needs to finally register it with American sports fans? Our resident soccer guru Richard Roth looks at why Americans just don't get soccer.
CHETRY: Because "beat Slovenia" is the battle cry this morning?
GRIFFIN: Yes. I'll tell you it's something else. Ninety minutes, it's 1-0.
CHETRY: Well, we'd like you to weigh in. amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation right now. Head to CNN.com/amFIX.
GRIFFIN: Big stop story is the BP thing. A handful of apologies, a few insults in return and that's about it. Tony Hayward's day on the hot seat on Capitol Hill.
CHETRY: Yes, 60 days and counting. That's how long oil has been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. BP's lightning rod CEO faced off with lawmakers yesterday in a highly anticipated hearing and really, all he did was pretty much say he was sorry for the disaster but he was careful not to acknowledge blame, denying that BP ever put cost ahead of safety. And he also dodged the pointed questions like the ones about the possible existence of large underwater oil plumes in the Gulf. In fact, this is about all lawmakers could get out of Hayward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HAYWARD, CEO, BP: We've launched an investigation. I believe we should await the results of the investigations. I'm not prepared to speculate. I can't pass judgment on those decisions. I'm not sure exactly who made the decision.
I'm afraid I can't recall that. I can't recall that either, I'm afraid. I can't answer your question in that form. I'm afraid I can't answer that question, I generally don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Brianna Keilar live in Washington this morning. Not much accomplished at that hearing, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, and much to the ire, Drew, of both Democrats and Republicans. They accused him of being evasive, of taking part in double speak, of coping out. Democrats and Republicans alike. And they were especially frustrated, the Democrats who led this committee, because they gave Tony Hayward a lot of questions ahead of time so that he could speak to some of these technical matters. You can just imagine especially how frustrated the chairman of the subcommittee that was having this hearing was. Listen to what Bart Stupak said on "JOHN KING USA."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: We laid out the case to him. We gave him the questions. We gave him the documents. He acknowledged he saw them. Even to acknowledge April 16th e-mail which says this is a nightmare well, it was like pulling teeth to get him to acknowledge that. There comes a point in time when you almost become absurd and ridiculous and, unfortunately, that's what I think Tony Hayward looked to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Now it's important to keep in mind that at this moment, the U.S. government -- right? The Department of Justice is looking into whether criminal charges are going to be warranted. So BP and some of the folks who work for BP could be facing some legal trouble and so when Tony Hayward was answering these questions yesterday, I'm sure that was in the back of his mind where he's thinking that whatever comes out of his mouth he has to be very careful about how that affects him and how it affects BP in the future. But lawmakers, Drew, were so frustrated by this.
CHETRY: And also, Tony Hayward was the focus of the lot of the questioning and attention there. But there was another moment at the hearing that had everyone talking. This is what a congressman said to Hayward.
KEILAR: Yes, that's exactly right. And this really stole the show, Kiran, because yesterday going into this hearing the whole thing was what is Hayward going to say? This is the culmination of dozens of these high-profile hearings and what really ended up capturing our attention were comments by the top Republican on this committee, Joe Barton. Caught a lot of flack for saying this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOE BARTON (R), TEXAS: But I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday. I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown. In this case a $20 billion shakedown. I'm only speaking for myself. I'm not speaking for anybody else, but I apologize.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: A lawmaker apologizing to BP basically for the fact that they had to commit to this $20 billion fund to pay for the damages from the Gulf spill. Well, you can imagine, Democrats pounced on this, including Vice President Joe Biden.
And then we saw Republicans really distance themselves from Joe Barton on this. In fact, Republican leaders, we have this from several Republican sources, said to Joe Barton you need to apologize. And if you don't, we can take away your position as the top Republican on this committee.
So later, Joe Barton said that he apologized if his comments were misconstrued. It appeared that wasn't really enough and he went on to issue a stronger written statement saying, "I apologize for using the term "shakedown" with regard to yesterday's actions at the White House in my opening statement this morning, and I retract my apology to BP. Some unforeseen drama there, for sure, Kiran and Griffin.
GRIFFIN: All right. Thanks a lot, Brianna Keilar from Washington. Interesting day.
CHETRY: I still can't understand that. If he said it, and then six hours later he apologized, so which --
GRIFFIN: Yes.
CHETRY: What's the point? GRIFFIN: And it should come as no surprise he gets a lot of money from the oil and gas industry as well. So --
CHETRY: Well, on top of all the damage done to the environment, scientists are warning that there is also a colorless, odorless and dangerous thing that's gushing from the Gulf. And that's methane gas. Researchers say that the oil erupting from the sea floor contains about 40 percent methane which could potentially suffocate marine life and create dead zones where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives there anymore.
GRIFFIN: Even with the oil now coming in in waves, New Orleans wants you to know it is open for business so the city is fighting back. $5 million they're spending money it got from BP. And Chris Lawrence is live in New Orleans for us on what's going on there -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Drew, this is a massive effort. A lot of people here very, very concerned about the tourism and they should be, because even a drop-off of just 10 percent could cost this area up to 8,000 jobs. And there's a lot of feeling here that tourism can only not just drop off, it may have to increase to make up for what the state is losing in all these other areas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now in New Orleans, there's jazz going all through the city.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, New Orleans is New Orleans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): This commercial is what Louisiana wants you to remember.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody need a cocktail?
LAWRENCE: But this is what most people see. Oil-stained birds and tainted beaches.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're in an image and perception-driven business entirely. And all along the Gulf Coast there are real problems with that image.
LAWRENCE: Since those problems started when oil started gushing into the Gulf, BP is footing the bill to promote tourism there. Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama each got $15 million from BP and Florida got $25 million. Tourism in Louisiana's coastal areas are already hurting, but tourism businesses in New Orleans are still thriving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't anticipate it lasting but at least for now, we're hanging in there. LAWRENCE (on camera): Why don't you think it is going to last?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because the oil is still coming out. Most of it hasn't hit the land. I don't think we've even begun to feel the ramifications from it all yet.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): A state official says a national survey shows 26 percent of people who plan to come to Louisiana before the spill are now actively canceling their trips. And even a small drop- off in tourists can wreck the area's economy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only a 10 percent decline here in New Orleans would produce nearly half a billion losses over eight months. Would cost probably 7,000 to 8,000 jobs.
LAWRENCE: One of New Orleans' ads poked fun at BP and proclaimed "This isn't the first time New Orleans has survived the British," a reference to the war of 1812. But officials cut that ad because it may have been seen as anti-Britain and the UK is actually the city's number one foreign customer. One of the approved ads does take aim at a target closer to home, the federal government. In the six-month shutdown it imposed on deepwater drilling. The ads got a picture of the famous shrimp po-boy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it talks about the moratorium. It says and God, there's not a moratorium on this. Whoa. You know, that's who we are.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: That is New Orleans. That's the spirit here. And the thing is, the distance from the oil spill in New Orleans is like going from Philadelphia to New York City. But people just don't see that. They see the spill. In fact, officials here are so concerned about this that the mayor of New Orleans just yesterday sent a letter to BP asking for an additional $75 million over the next three years specifically to promote tourism here -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: All right, Chris. Thanks a lot. Appreciate that report.
CHETRY: Well, another frustrating example of bureaucracy getting in the way is now over. We told you yesterday about the Coast Guard sideling a fleet of 16 Louisiana-owned vacuum barges because of safety concerns. They were working just fine to suck up some of the oil along the coast at a rate of about 4,000 gallons of crude every 90 minutes. Well, yesterday afternoon, all 16 vessels got the green light to go back on the water. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has said that they were his state's answer to a painfully slow response from BP.
Well, here's your chance to help the Gulf Coast. Larry King is hosting a special, a two-hour all star telethon. It's happening Monday night for people whose lives have been devastated by the oil spill. It starts at a special time as well, 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. GRIFFIN: Other news this morning, that suspect in last month's Times Square bombing attempt has been indicted now by a federal grand jury. There he is. Faisal Shahzad, he's facing 10 counts including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and an attempt to commit international terrorism. For that, Shahzad faces life in prison if he is convicted.
CHETRY: And convicted killer Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed overnight by a firing squad in Utah. His death carried out just hours after the Supreme Court denied a last-ditch appeal. It was the first such execution in 14 years and only the third time that a firing squad has been used since a Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty back in 1976. Gardner was convicted for murdering an attorney in 1985 during an attempted courthouse escape.
GRIFFIN: And this, Campbell soup, recalling the neat round spaghetti you can eat with a spoon. Fifteen million pounds of Spaghettios with meatballs. It includes three different types with the use-by dates between by June 2010 and December 2011, with a plant code of EST4K. Just take it back to your store and you can check. To double check again in your closet, head to www.campbell.com. Click on company news at the bottom of the page.
CHETRY: All right. So your baby took his first steps. That's kind of cool. Well, what about this baby? Dancing a Brazilian samba. And this has quickly gone viral on the Internet.
GRIFFIN: You think it's fake.
CHETRY: There's a lot of people that think it's fake. I think it's slightly disturbing, actually.
All right. Well, the hits don't lie. They're in the diapers. There's the toddler perched ever so safely on the kitchen table. And there you go with the viral video. And this thing goes on and on and on. I mean, I think it was seven minutes.
GRIFFIN: Mesmerizing. Just waiting for that diaper to fall, aren't you?
Hey, let's move on then. Tornadoes ripped across Minnesota. They're blamed for at least two deaths. I want you to take a look at the twisters. These has been happening almost every day this week it seems. Seventy miles southeast of Fargo yesterday, they ripped apart homes, businesses, tore down trees, power lines. At least 20 other people were treated for injuries in this.
Reynolds, this is some really rough patches of weather we've been having last few days.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. You know, guys, it has been a very active severe weather season. We haven't even gotten to the full brunt of hurricane season as of yet, but it's certainly a rough day and we may see round two really strike up late this afternoon and into the evening hours. Let's go right to the maps. As we do so, it's kind of hard to miss that intense line of thunderstorms moving across parts of the Great Lakes. Chicago, you've already dealt with some strong storms this morning. Look out, Detroit, here it comes. You can see that intense line forming and by late afternoon, as I mentioned, you can see it right there on the map, that big red shaded area. The central western Great Lakes, also parts of the Midwest. Strong thunderstorms, large hail, possibly damaging winds and yes, maybe even tornadoes.
Coming up, we're going to give you another idea of how that may affect your travel and a sneak peek of what you can expect for the weekend ahead. Let's send it back to you, guys.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Reynolds.
WOLF: You got it.
GRIFFIN: Up next, a CNN exclusive. Police in Peru say Joran van der Sloot has confessed to killing a 21-year-old woman. Now, they're letting CNN's cameras take you inside his jail cell. We'll take you to Lima, Peru just ahead.
It's almost 13 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: It's about 16 past the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
Aruban authorities want Natalee Holloway's father to put the ongoing search for his daughter on hold while police in Peru try to learn more about Holloway's disappearance.
CHETRY: Yes. Joran van der Sloot, arrested twice in Holloway's disappearance, is being held in Lima and investigators say he confessed to killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores and that a judge will be questioning him soon.
But this morning, a CNN exclusive, we're getting a firsthand look inside of the jail cell that Joran van der Sloot is staying in. Jean Casarez from our "In Session", our sister network truTV, is in the Peruvian capital.
JEAN CASAREZ, TRUTV CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION: Drew and Kiran, we were given exclusive access to Peru's Castro Castro Prison on the outskirts of Lima. When we first entered, we were in general population. We could talk to, we could interview anyone we wanted to, basically.
But then, we wanted to go up to one of the cell blocks on the upper levels where five to six inmates are in one small cell, but they declined and told us it was because of security reasons.
But we were able to go where Joran van der Sloot was. We saw him as he went from his cell block area to a nearby office building. That's when they took us in -- right in to the cell of Joran van der Sloot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: This is the cell of Joran van der Sloot. They just took him out so we could come in here. This is where he lives day in and day out at Castro Castro.
This is his clothes. Remember, you saw him on television in these clothes? He still has them here. Here are his pants. And over here, here's his bed. The mattress.
Here are all of his personal belongings. You can see. A lot of books, I think religious books. I see toothpaste. I see the Bible right there. I see books that are written in Dutch.
And then, over here, he has his own bathroom. As we've heard, it is a hole in the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: Joran van der Sloot had two visitors before we came. First, a Dutch minister who had flown from the Netherlands to visit him, and, as he told us, all the other Dutch prisoners here in Peru. Also, his attorney, Maximo Altez, was there to visit him.
Next on tap for Joran van der Sloot? He'll be face to face with a judge on Monday. That's when he gives his formal statement.
Kiran and Drew, back to you.
CHETRY: All right. That's amazing. If they -- she was just allowed to go in there and film. I mean, she actually caught him getting transferred.
GRIFFIN: I know. Bizarre. But, nice place.
CHETRY: Yes.
Coming up on the Most News in the Morning, a big win for U.S. automakers over their Asian counterparts. This is a quality rating, and Christine Romans is going to be joining us to talk more about it. She's "Minding Your Business" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, it is now 21 minutes past the hour. Time for "Minding Your Business."
Christine Romans is here today, and we're talking about some good news for U.S. automakers.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know, and this is so important to people because you either drive these cars, they employ American workers, or you bail them out. Even if you don't drive an American car, your taxpayer money bailed them out. Except for Ford. You didn't have to bail out Ford, and Ford is climbing up the list of reliability like you wouldn't believe. JDPower and Associates saying that Detroit now topping some of its rivals on some of these lists.
Look at this, Ford moved up in its quality survey to fifth place and Toyota fell dramatically to 21st place. I think no surprise there because these are surveys of people who have bought or leased a 2010 model in the first 90 days, how do they feel about the quality of that -- of that car? And, as you know, Toyota's had an awful lot of problems so far this year.
And let me tell you about the top brands. Porsche, number one; Acura, number two; Mercedes Benz, number three; Lexus, number four, and then you start getting into the American cars after that, Ford come in to number five.
Among the good performances of the American automakers, Ford Focus, the Buick Enclave and the Ram 1500-LD. Those last two are GM products. But, basically, all the GM and Chrysler brands are below average on the quality survey and slipping.
So Toyota slipped, but so did some of the GM brands. But because of the lift from Ford and from the Buick Enclave and the Ram 1500, Detroit moving up on this list. Very interesting. Just a year or two after that huge much-hated bailout of the -- of the auto industry in the United States.
CHETRY: Yes, and then on top of all the Toyota recalls, if you look everyday we're hearing about another problem.
ROMANS: I'll tell you something about Ford, too. Ford -- Alan Mulally is the CEO if this company --
GRIFFIN: Right.
ROMANS: -- and for nine now the company has been slowly doing some improvements according to this -- and according to this survey in particular. But -- but a lot of people say that Alan Mulally was starting to make some of the changes that were necessary, the tough changes that were necessary, before the bailout. It was a little more nimble over at Ford, more nimble than some of the other American automakers, and frankly some of the import -- import brands, too.
GRIFFIN: And turning car companies is like turning a huge barge, right?
ROMANS: Oh, yes.
GRIFFIN: I mean, it takes a lot of time to turn these things around.
ROMANS: Yes, because look, the American automakers are the first movers, so, you know -- then the foreign companies started to eat our lunch. And then they were kind of slow to react and have been really slow and hard to turn around since then. But Ford moving up this list.
GRIFFIN: All right. Thanks, Christine.
CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE). Thanks, Christine.
GRIFFIN: Hey, coming up, not a good story here. Oil and manatees. They don't mix. The spreading gulf oil spill could threaten the already endangered species off Florida's coast.
David Mattingly got a firsthand look at how marine officials are planning to save these manatees.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Time for an "A.M. Original" now, something you'll only see here on AMERICAN MORNING.
The flow of black crude across the Gulf of Mexico is posing a threat to Florida's manatees. The sea cows are already in danger and the Gulf spill could trigger a massive rescue effort for them.
Our David Mattingly went out on the water with marine biologists for a firsthand look at the plight of the manatees.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Drew and Kiran, it was a very rough winter for the manatees here in Florida as many of them died because of prolonged exposure to the cold, and now there are growing concerns that if the oil comes in here, it could push this endangered species even closer to the brink of extinction.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Right over here --
MATTINGLY (voice-over): It used to be the manatee's biggest threat was by getting hit by boats. Getting hit by an oil spill is unheard of, and alarming.
NICOLE ADIMEY, U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE: We don't know how detrimental it will be if they inhale it, if they ingest it, if they're -- if they're foraging in areas where sea grass has been oiled. We have no idea how that's going to impact them.
MATTINGLY: And no one's taking any chances.
As the massive BP spill moves east, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Florida has drawn up a plan to move and rescue oiled manatees. Aerial spotters will give them 72 hours notice before the oil reaches a prime manatee habitat.
MATTINGLY (on camera): Realistically, how many manatee can you save in 72 hours? How many of them can you move?
ADIMEY: I don't know the answer to that question, but we're going to move as many as we possibly can.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): So many unknowns on top of an already uncertain future. Ten percent of the known manatee population was just wiped out in Florida, many by the unusually frigid winter.
In the waters of Florida's Crystal River, we went looking for survivors, manatees still recovering from the stress of the cold.
PATRICK ROSE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAVE THE MANATEE CLUB: We add to this any levels of mortality from oil, we're looking at things that will take many, many, many years of recovery.
MATTINGLY: It's not hard to spot a manatee here in the warm shallow waters. But sometimes weighing over a half-ton, they are hard to rescue. So the threat of an oil spill raises unsettling questions. Rescuing manatees in large numbers has never been done before. On this trip we're looking for one of the lucky ones.
MATTINGLY (on camera): It's right over here -- that little thing sticking up out of the water there, that's actually the antenna or the radio device that's attached to the manatee, right over there.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Coral, the same manatee I saw in February, in rehab after a wintertime rescue, now released into the wild and slowly recovering.
MATTINGLY (on camera): How does she seem to be doing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is in a nice, quiet cove, perfect spot to be resting.
MATTINGLY: Protected.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice and protected.
MATTINGLY: For now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, for now.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): And it's protection that could easily disappear with a change of wind and current, pushing a new threat and all its unknowns closer to a beleaguered endangered species.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: There is some good news to report here. And it's that a lot of the adult manatees that survived the winter have now recovered and seem to be doing well. Now, the hope is that the oil just stays out of here so this species can continue to rebound -- Drew, Kiran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: David Mattingly for us -- thanks so much.
Meantime, it's half past the hour -- time for a look at other stories new this morning.
Lot of apologies but not much else when BP's CEO took the stand on Capitol Hill yesterday -- much awaited testimony. Tony Hayward ducking the tough questions and instead, repeatedly saying he's sorry for the Gulf oil spill. One lawmaker is characterizing his answers as, quote, "absurd."
GRIFFIN: At least 25 people now have died in the worst flooding in southeastern France in nearly 200 years. Heavy rain sent torrents of water and mud pouring through towns and villages in this area. More than 1,000 people had to be rescued -- 1,000 -- in the rising water by helicopter and boats. The storm's knocked out power to more than 100,000 homes.
CHETRY: Spirit Airlines will be back in the air today, the discount carrier reaching a contract agreement with its striking pilots. Earlier this week, the pilots walked off the job last weekend after a pay dispute. The company apologizing to the thousands of passengers left stranded by the strike.
GRIFFIN: In just a few hours, the U.S. takes on Slovenia in their second World Cup soccer match. Can you feel the energy in this room? The crew can hardly wait until this match begins, with the month-long tournament in full swing, everyone --
CHETRY: That's why they're so quiet. They're saving their energy for later.
GRIFFIN: Everyone it seems is talking about soccer. Even during the show.
CHETRY: Yes, that's what happens here. Every four years, U.S. interest in soccer spikes, then after the World Cup, the sport goes back to being an afterthought for many.
Well, Richard Roth is here to tell us why soccer gets no respect in the United States.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I didn't know that's why I was here. OK.
No. The -- it gets no respect because some people just don't get it. But we could debate that.
CHETRY: You get it.
ROTH: Yes. I mean, again, it would help if people had some international engagement in their life or flavor. And the build-up --
GRIFFIN: Are you talking down to our viewers?
CHETRY: Wow.
ROTH: No.
GRIFFIN: You know, if people don't get the joke, the joke ain't funny.
ROTH: Is "ain't" a proper world?
GRIFFIN: In my life.
ROTH: All right. Well, the U.S. plays the eastern European nation of Slovenia. Largest population country, over 300 million people, against the smallest population nation, at 2 million. The same number of players on the pitch, though, at 11.
The U.S. needs at least a tie to help hopes keep raised for advancement to the World Cup knockout round. People are watching the tournament but a random check reveals, not everybody is watching this cup.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think probably more every four years, more people probably watch. Our team's getting better. And it's just a cool, international event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm interested in the games but not fever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Watched a couple, but don't go out of the way to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're too preoccupied with basketball. And I mean, like the championship for basketball's going on and all other sports like football and baseball, the American pastimes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's odd. You have to kick a ball with your feet and your head but you can't use your hands. That's a biological oddity.
REPORTER: Now the rest of the world though loves it. The rest of the world --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rest of the world are nuts! What are you going to do about it?
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
ROTH: Well, I think these people gave the answer you were looking for, Drew and Kiran.
CHETRY: That's guy's great!
GRIFFIN: I'm just -- something disturbing. That looks like me 40 years from now, saying the same thing.
ROTH: Well, the Americans have not played well against eastern European countries such as Slovenia. The game starts at 10:00 a.m. New York east coast time. A loss would put the U.S. on the verge possibly of being eliminated despite that stirring 1-1 tie --
CHETRY: Win.
ROTH: -- win with England, That lucky bounce from the goalie.
CHETRY: But there have been a lot of upsets. So, the U.S. has a fighting shot today.
ROTH: Yes. They have a very good chance.
CHETRY: Switzerland can beat Spain. They can beat Slovenia.
ROTH: Right. And, again, in our main theme, we are talking about -- I mean, the demographics of the country are changing, more people are, I think, going to be watching and playing soccer, football. It's coming. We've said that though every four years. It's there.
If the U.S. plays very well and keeps moving on, I think that spike holds a little bit.
GRIFFIN: All right. Let's hold on to that spike.
CHETRY: And you brought a small ball with you today.
ROTH: There, you may have it.
CHETRY: Thank you. Love it.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Richard.
ROTH: Thank you.
CHETRY: Appreciate it. He said he didn't bring his vuvuzelas again.
Well, coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, we're going to look at the impact the oil spill is having on the wildlife in the Gulf. We're going to be joined by the president and CEO of the Humane Society.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
GRIFFIN: A new turn in the battle to save thousands of birds and other wildlife threatened by this oil disaster.
CHETRY: Yes. A lot of animal advocates are saying that the whole rescue effort is pretty much falling short and that the response needs to be stepped up.
Joining me now, Wayne Pacelle. He's the head of the Humane Society of the United States.
Wayne, thanks for being with us this morning. I know that you traveled to the Gulf to see it firsthand. And we had a chance to check in on some of these rescue centers as well.
But in your estimation, are they even beginning to scratch the surface when it comes to rescuing this oiled wildlife?
WAYNE PACELLE, PRESIDENT & CEO, HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, let me just say I think the rescue centers themselves are run by outstanding people. I went to the Fort Jackson facility in Plaquemines Parish and the International Bird Rescue Center is overseeing that operation. I think they're doing a stellar job.
I also went to the Audubon Nature Institute in Orleans Parish, which is taking in the oiled turtles. I think those folks are doing a great job.
The problem, Kiran, is that so many animals are out there, probably, you know, severely oiled and not getting attention because, you know, this is a very complicated mission that the United States government is leading and there are thousands of miles of coast when you factor in the marshes and other areas right off the coast. And, you know, it's just so difficult to get to all of these animals, and the number of boats looking for oiled wildlife is far too small given the vastness of this territory.
GRIFFIN: Well, I think the attention right now is to scoop up the oil and to send all these boats out there to get up the oil. Is there any way you can combine missions? I mean, if you're out there scooping up oil, can you put somebody on those boats that could also scoop up birds?
PACELLE: I think you've hit it right on the head. I mean, that's one of many things that needs to be done. But that should be a priority.
I was down this week with Senator David Vitter of Louisiana and we both said, you know, you have so many boats out there for skimming purposes and for laying boom and other purposes. Let's get a trained wildlife person, someone who can identify oiled wildlife and then physically handle that animal, put the animal in a proper, you know, carrying case or kennel, and get the animal to one of the centers.
Right now, you have so many people who are narrowly focused on the task.
CHETRY: Right.
PACELLE: All enormously important tasks. We need the oil to be skimmed off the water, that's for sure.
CHETRY: Well, and you just sort of touched on the problem is, though. You said you need to get trained people out there. I mean, you can do more harm than good when trying to rescue these animals if you don't know what you're doing. And right now, the problem is, it's simply getting enough people trained. I mean, what is the solution to that?
PACELLE: Well, right now, you have the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service organizing the effort. And then you have the Louisiana Department of Fisheries and Wildlife putting its resources on the wildlife piece.
But you've essentially -- for the spotting of animals and retrieval of animals, you just have the government folks. You don't have trained volunteers. There are about 2,000 wildlife rehabilitation operations in the country. Not all of them have physically settings and structures -- a good portion of them do.
But you have so many people around the country who are trained in handling injured wildlife or oiled wildlife, get a little more training for them for this particular problem and let's in an organized way deploy them to have more hands and eyes on the ground to get more of these animals -- because I think for everyone brown pelican who comes in who is oiled, maybe there are 200 or 300 brown pelicans who are out there oiled and needing attention.
So, it's a very, very difficult task. I don't want to say that the fish and wildlife service or state people are not doing an excellent job. I think they are. We just need more bodies. The vastness of this area is really what staggered me when I was flying over Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana, and then going to the barrier islands and going to rockeries. We've got a major, major area, thousands of square miles. You can't do it with just 400 fish and wildlife employees.
GRIFFIN: When you mentioned the brown pelican -- that's quickly becoming the symbol of this disaster, I would say. Just come off the endangered list, what, last year. Is there a potential that this disaster could put it right back on?
PACELLE: You know, I think none of us know. All of the experts you can consult have no idea what the consequences are. Today, we read that a sperm whale was found not far from an oiled area, the first whale. We've had impacts on dolphins and turtles and obviously, the brown pelicans and herons.
CHETRY: Right.
PACELLE: You know, we just don't know what the cascade effect of having these tense of millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf ecosystem. It's a spreading menace.
CHETRY: Right.
PACELLE: You know, it starts in one place and then it spreads around. The impact there is growing larger which means we have more of a burden to cover more territory as the days pass. And that's why, you know, we really want to talk to the Interior Department to expand the corps of people.
CHETRY: And I want to ask you this because there are some things people are confused about. Maybe you could answer quickly. Some critics say that it's actually more humane to euthanize the oiled birds because they don't have a long range prognosis that is very rosy, that many of them actually end up dying anyway. Do you agree with that?
PACELLE: You know, it depends on the species. It depends on the degree of oiling that the animal has endured already. I mean, you can get a heavily oiled animal who's been out there a while, who's ingested the oil and that animal is not likely to survive that process of being de-oiled and then rehabbed. But you have other animals who maybe just were oiled in the past day or two, or don't have a lot of oil, and we believe there is more and more evidence to show that those animals can survive.
I tell you one thing, there's absolutely no way the animal's going to survive unless you give them a fighting chance.
CHETRY: Right.
PACELLE: That's what we want, is to give these animals a fighting chance -- not to do something that's going to be, you know, detrimental to the welfare of the animal. But more and more data from other oil spills post-Exxon Valdez show that you can have decent survival rates for oiled wildlife.
CHETRY: All right. Well, I know that so many volunteers are out there and so many people are trying to do the best that they can.
I appreciate you coming on today. Wayne Pacelle, great to talk to you.
PACELLE: Thank you so much.
GRIFFIN: Forty-three and a half past the hour. Reynolds Wolf is in for Rob this morning. He's going to have this morning's travel forecast right after this break.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Earlier tonight, the Lakers played the Celtics in game seven of the NBA finals. Excited about that? NBA finals, that's basketball's annual contest to decide whose city will be set on fire by drunks.
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CHETRY: There you go.
GRIFFIN: That's not funny.
CHETRY: Unfortunately, the Lakers won out.
GRIFFIN: That's right.
CHETRY: It's been an all-night party in Los Angeles. In fact, Jimmy Fallon was not that far off the mark there after the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 in the seventh and deciding game of the NBA finals. Lakers' second, by the way, straight title and the fifth for the team star, Kobe Bryant. Then celebrate into the street, got out hands, fans breaking bottles and streak lights setting a car on fire. Police say they arrested at least a dozen people.
GRIFFIN: One of those little green two-inch tall army soldiers, you know, has gotten an 8-year-old boy in trouble at a school in Rhode Island because the little plastic toy was holding an even smaller little plastic rifle. The parents say he put the toy soldiers on that camouflage hat as part of a class project to honor members of the armed forces.
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CHRISTIAN MORALES, MOTHER: I asked why, and she said, because there are guns on it. I said they're Army guys. She said, well, they're guns.
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GRIFFIN: The school sent the boy home saying it has a zero tolerance policy and does not allow images of drugs or weapons on clothing.
CHETRY: All right. They couldn't just take the hat off of him? Send him home?
GRIFFIN: Stupid.
CHETRY: Yes. All right. It's now 48 minutes past the hour. Let's get check on a weather headlines this morning. Our Reynolds Wolf is in the Extreme Weather Center today. Hello, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. Got a mighty loud yesterday afternoon into the evening with some strong thunderstorms. Over 60 reports of tornadoes across parts of the Midwest and day two gets under way right now. Take a look what we have on the map where we see a couple of places where things are getting mighty intense especially across parts of Lake Michigan, Chicago, you've already had some of heaviest rainfall, but farther back to the west, we see a little bit of development. This line of storms has its eye right now on parts of Michigan. So, Detroit, give it an hour or so, that will be moving through possible delays for.
Now later on today, we may see more of that widespread activity across parts of the Central Western Great Lakes and into the Midwest. Very hot and very steamy for you in parts of the southeast. The heat and humidity certainly a factor. Cold and certainly cooler conditions across parts of the pacific northwest and even in the places like say Boise, Idaho where high temperatures will actually be in the 70s. This morning, people enjoying mainly some 40s in many spots. What we can anticipate later on today is the heat to continue for Dallas, 98 degrees.
When you factor that in the humidity, it's going to feel like about 110 or so, 87 for Washington, D.C., 86 in New York, Boston with 88 degrees, and 98 in Las Vegas. Anyone taking a drive into the valley of the sun in Phoenix as you make your way from higher elevations of say near the Grand Canyon and back toward phoenix, that heat is going to be like a blast furnace, going up to 106. Seven degrees in Seattle, San Francisco with 56 degrees or high up by period of 39. A touch of fog this morning probably not going to cause too many delays, however in speaking of delays, we could see a few of those I mentioned across parts of the Great Lakes, Chicago, and St. Louis, southward. It's not the Great Lakes, obviously.
Some thunderstorms anywhere from 30 minutes to a 60-minute delay. When you have those kinds of backups, obviously, there's going to be the residual affects. So, you may have to issue say in New York, of course, in Atlanta. Also in Orlando and Miami, it's going to be the converging sea breeze, and the daytime heating, it's going to give you a chance of thunderstorms. Only about a 15 to a 30-minute wait, all things considered, not too bad.
Again, we're going to keep a really sharp eye on the official reports that are going to coming out from National Weather Service later on this morning, perhaps into the afternoon to give us a better idea that's to how many tornadoes actually popped up across parts of Midwest. Two fatalities, widespread damage. A big clean-up day. No question. Let's send it back to you, guys.
CHETRY: Some rough weather this past week.
WOLF: Yes. No question.
GRIFFIN: All right. Reynolds, thanks.
This morning's top stories just minutes away, including tarred and feathered. BP's Tony Hayward, the face of this disaster, face-to- face with Congress. We've got apologies, anger, no solutions. We're live on the Gulf Coast with reaction.
CHETRY: And Natalee Holloway's dad is being urged to hold off on his search as a judge gets ready to grill Joran Van Der Sloot. Somebody that was arrested twice in connection with Natalee's death. We're going to have an inside look at his jail cell.
GRIFFIN: And a libido booster for women going in front of the FDA. It's being called female Viagra. Even though, it doesn't work exactly like the little blue pill, may not work at all, actually, but could it be just as big a hit? Those stories and more at the top of the hour.
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CHETRY: Fifty-four minutes past the hour. We'd like to show you a new initiative from CNN.com. It's called "Home and Away." And it's a tribute to our fallen war heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan. When you go to the website, you'll see an interactive map and you see where people lost their lives fighting either the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. This is a map of Iraq and then corresponding to where their hometowns are in the United States.
And today, we're remembering Captain Ian Patrick Weikel who's just 31 years old and he died in Baghdad, Iraq on April 18, 2006. And we're going to hear more about him now from his brother.
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VOICE OF CHAD WEIKEL, BROTHER OF SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ: Growing up, he was just kind of an overachiever, just kind of did everything. Sports, was into student government. Really kind of came into his own in high school. He had graduated at West Point. He was a company commander. Again, his second deployment to Iraq, he had served in Bosnia before that. He was a husband, he was a father.
His son was born in August of 2005 and Ian got to hang out with Jonathan for a few months until he deployed in December of 2005. He was kind of a soldier's soldier is what his guys told me. The quote that I always remember is one of his guys came up to me and said they would have followed Ian into hell to kick the devil in the nuts, if he said so. That's the kind of guy he was. He really served his men, served his country, but at the same time, he had a smile on his face and really boosted the morale of his guys.
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CHETRY: You can also learn more about the other brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price in Iraq and Afghanistan by heading to our Web site, CNN.com/homeandaway.
Fifty-six minutes past the hour. We'll have your top stories after the break.
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