Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Obama Budget Chief to Step Down; Times Square Bomb Suspect Pleads Guilty and Issues New Warning for U.S.; Obama vs. Big Oil: Judge to Decide on Gulf Drilling Ban; Time to Pay; Sex, Race and Religion; Feathered Survivors Returned to Wild; Judge to Rule on Drilling Ban; "Back 2 Back"; LAPD's Social Networking

Aired June 22, 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: Hello and welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. It's Tuesday, June 22nd. Glad you're with us. I'm Kiran Chetry.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Good to have you with us this Tuesday morning. And a lot to talk about today so let's get right to it.

Breaking news this morning. An Obama administration shakeup. Peter Orszag, a key member of the president's economic team is said to be stepping down next month. This makes him the first official to leave the Obama cabinet. We're live with what this means for the president's plan to revive the U.S. economy.

CHETRY: Some proud boasting and a courtroom surprise. Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani American suspect in the failed Times Square bombing pleads guilty to everything and also comes out with a warning about future attacks by, quote, "Muslim soldiers" like him. A live report just ahead on the CNN security watch.

ROBERTS: And a high-stakes battle between big oil and President Obama could be decided today by a federal judge. The judge will be ruling on a lawsuit challenging the administration's six-month ban on deep water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. That ban has halted work on 33 rigs threatening thousands of jobs.

And, of course, as it is every day, the amFIX blog is up and running. Join the live conversation going on right now. Just go to CNN.com/amFIX.

CHETRY: We begin with developing news this morning. One of the most visible members of the president's economic team is calling it quits. Administration officials tell CNN that White House budget director Peter Orszag will resign in the next few weeks. Orszag was key in shaping the economic stimulus and health care reform bill. Our Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House. Tell us more about whether or not this was expected, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we weren't sure he was going to leave so quickly. But one of the things that a senior administration official told me is that he's been telling his friends. You might recall that he was reluctant to take the job in the first place, but obviously he was key during the campaign. He took this job as director of Office of Management and Budget. Usually these positions they don't last more than two years. He had been expressing an interest that he was not going to stay more than two years, so it's not a complete surprise here.

And as you have mentioned, it does come after some significant accomplishments. We're talking about a stimulus package, more than $860 billion that he helped to push through. We're talking about two budgets, as well as something that really is his passion and that is health care reform, essentially creating and ushering, selling that health care overhaul to the American people.

But, Kiran, it comes at a critical time here, obviously, because what Congress is doing, they're working on final action for a budget that is going to go into effect October 1st. The director of OMB is also in charge of making sure that the next year's budget is laid out before the American people and that would happen in February. So there really is this window where if he's going to leave, if he's going to get out, this would be the time so they can get another director that's in place in time for the fall when things really get going.

And one of the main points of Orszag's role here is, he was somebody who was pushing for watching the deficit. The deficit, trying to reduce the deficit. Big debate that's taking place in the White House. Do you add more stimulus, throw more money at the economic problem, at the recession and cut taxes? Or do you look at what's happening with the deficit?

Orszag was one of those folks that was really focused on that. So we'll have to see how that plays out in the new regime but obviously a very important time when it comes to the economy -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Yes. Absolutely. Are you getting any indication of who might step into that role as the new budget chief?

MALVEAUX: I knew you were going to ask that. It's a little early but it could be the deputy director of OMB. That's one person that would be obvious to take his place, but they're going to be casting a wide net and looking at some folks.

CHETRY: It's a tough job, so we'll see. Suzanne Malveaux for us.

MALVEAUX: We'll see who wants it, huh?

CHETRY: Yes, exactly. Thanks, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right.

ROBERTS: What was supposed to be a routine arraignment but the man accused of planning a car bomb in New York's Times Square dropped another bomb in court. Faisal Shahzad pleading guilty to all ten of the charges that he was facing. Six of them carry a life sentence. The Pakistani-born American citizen also had a warning for the United States.

Our Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve live in Washington with our security watch this morning. And the man seemed certainly unrepentant in court yesterday, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And the warning, John, is that others will attack the U.S. until the military pulls out of Afghanistan and Iraq and stops drone strikes in Somalia, Pakistan and Yemen. It was expected to be a simple arraignment but Faisal Shahzad made the decision to plead guilty to those ten charges saying, "I want to plead guilty 100 times."

Shahzad admitted he drove an SUV to Times Square on May 1st, a Saturday night when it would be crowded and lit the fuses to a bomb which he had built in three parts. He was unapologetic saying, "I would not consider it a crime. I'm aware it's a crime in the United States, but I don't care about the law of the United States." Shahzad told the court that he had traveled to the Waziristan region of Pakistan in December where he received money and bomb training from the Pakistani Taliban. Shahzad did cooperate with authorities for about two weeks after his arrest waiving his Miranda rights. There is no plea deal in place. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5th. He is expected, John, to receive life in prison. Back to you.

ROBERTS: So is this seen as a victory in the war on terror, Jeanne? Are we safer or if there's one Faisal Shahzad out there, might there be many more?

MESERVE: I'm not sure, John, that most experts would qualify this as a victory because he did get to Times Square. He did light that fuse without being detected. Yes, he was caught. He was prevented from leaving the country. As to whether there are others in the pipeline, most experts would tell you yes, there's a real fear about people in the United States who have become sympathetic to the Al Qaeda cause and who might be plotting similar sorts of actions -- John.

ROBERTS: Jeanne Meserve for us in Washington this morning with that. Jeanne, thanks so much.

CHETRY: Also new this morning, investigators in Peru releasing pictures of evidence in the case against Joran van der Sloot, including a blood-stained shirt. They say he wore it when he allegedly killed Stephany Flores. Prosecutors also gave the judge a psychological exam that calls van der Sloot, quote, "emergency -- emotionally immature" adding that he doesn't value women. Meanwhile, van der Sloot is now reportedly retracting that confession. A Dutch newspaper reporting that van der Sloot only signed papers admitting he killed Flores because he was, quote, "tricked" by police.

ROBERTS: Battle lines drawn over immigration far away from the border this morning. The legal challenges on the way after a small city in Nebraska voted to ban illegal immigrants from working or renting property there. About 57 percent of voters in Freemont, Nebraska supported the ordinance. The ACLU says it's going to sue. Federal judges have struck down similar laws in other states. CHETRY: Well, a wildfire is threatening the city of Flagstaff, Arizona forcing the evacuation of close to 800 homes as well as an animal shelter and two national monuments this morning. City officials say that it started as an abandoned campfire Sunday morning. It's now grown to 10,000 acres. Forecasters say that the gusty winds driving the flames may not die down until tomorrow.

ROBERTS: All right. So we've got gusty winds there. Let's see what's happening across the rest of the country. Reynolds Wolf in the weather center in Atlanta for us this morning with a quick look at the forecast.

Good morning, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys. And we're going to keep that theme of gusty winds. We're seeing some of that across parts of the Great Lakes this morning. Let's go right to the weather map. As we do so, you're going to see the scattered showers and storms across the great state of Michigan. Some strong thunderstorms also well south of Chicago, into southern Illinois, back into Omaha, Nebraska. Some storms there too.

We have a bit of good news along the Gulf Coast. That is over the last couple of days it has just been so incredibly warm there. Today, we are expecting a bit of shower activity. That might take an edge off the temperatures. Still those strong storms possible for much of the north central plains and even moving into parts of the northeast. Scattered thunderstorms a possibility.

But again the temperatures along the Gulf Coast a little better. Not picture-perfect, but 88 degrees is a big cry difference from let's say, going into the 90s with high humidity. Still very humid but a little bit of an edge off. Ninety-four degrees the high in Atlanta. St. Louis, unbearable. Going to 100 degrees. Ninety-four in Washington, D.C. Ninety-one in Denver. Seventy-six in Los Angeles. Sixty-six in San Francisco. And somewhat warm for Seattle, 75. That is again a fairly warm temperature this time of the year up in the Pacific Northwest.

All right, guys, that is the latest in the forecast. We're going to give you the very latest on your travel delays coming up in just a few moments.

CHETRY: All right, Reynolds Wolf for us. Thanks so much.

WOLF: You bet.

CHETRY: Meantime, it's a battle of big oil versus the White House. The president's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling is now facing a challenge in court. A federal judge could make a decision on a request to overturn it later today. We're going to take a look at why the stakes are so high for so many people living in the gulf.

Eight minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: President Obama's six-month ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could be overturned today on day 64 of the oil spill. Thirty-three rigs in the Gulf of Mexico remain idle, grounded by the White House. A federal judge promising to decide today or by Wednesday morning at the latest whether a lawsuit filed by two big oil service companies has merit.

CHETRY: Yes, the suit claims that the moratorium is unconstitutional and needs to be overturned to save thousands of jobs. The owner of the wrecked rig that's spewing all of that oil into the gulf is even weighing in on this. The Associated Press reporting that the ban is unnecessary and arbitrary in his words. Meanwhile, the ban on fishing has widened costing even more jobs. Thirty-six percent of the gulf waters now declared off-limits because of the spill.

Chris Lawrence is live in New Orleans this morning. You know, a lot of people in the state of Louisiana are praying that the court ruling is in their favor today and when I say "in their favor," meaning that the moratorium is lifted.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Kiran. You know, a lot of people I've talked to down here say they think when the federal government imposed this ban they were doing it because they thought it would help the people here. But now they're saying, you know, this may end up costing more jobs than the actual spill itself, especially now when we hear that the commission that is going to decide when it's time to lift that ban isn't even going to have its first meeting until the middle of next month, meaning six months may turn into a whole lot more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): All the anger that D.C. directed at BP is being deflected right back at Washington. Some businesses sued the Obama administration in a New Orleans federal court Monday asking a judge to issue an injunction and lift the six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.

VELMA MOCK, OPPOSES DRILLING MORATORIUM: What are we going to do? You know, I mean, we've replaced our homes two, three times because of hurricanes. We're going to lose our homes again because of a moratorium that's not needed.

LAWRENCE: Velma Mock's company runs the boats that supply the rigs. Others supporting companies like hers argue the government had no good basis to shut down rigs with no safety violations. Unlike supporting businesses, the rig workers are getting paid from a $100 million fund BP set up specifically for them.

MOCK: Their companies will try to place them with smaller rigs wherever they can overseas, wherever they can put them. We will quit working before they will.

REP. GENE GREEN (D), TEXAS: Time after time, it's been shown that BP chooses expediency over safety. LAWRENCE: Some in the gulf are getting tired of politicians piling on BP and its CEO, Tony Hayward.

REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: You have 26 people dead, more than 170 injured. You have the largest spill ever in Alaska. You now have the largest environmental disaster to hit the United States.

SHANE GUIDRY, SUPPLIES OIL RIGS: And they're just -- they're just, I mean, badgering in some instances this guy. We need this guy.

LAWRENCE: Shane Guidry says the politicians' anger is designed to make voters so upset with BP they'll forget how mad they were at Washington.

GUIDRY: The American public needs to understand that this is going on, I mean, BP's being scalped in more ways than one. As mad as we are at them, we need them to survive.

LAWRENCE: Even a fisherman who's been haggling with BP over his damage claims says outsiders are trying to pit one industry against another.

(on camera): Are you mad at BP?

STU SCHEER, CHARTER HOST CAPTAIN: No. But we've co-existed with the oil companies down here my entire life, and they've created some of the greatest fishing habitat in the world. A lot of the environmentalists don't want to hear that but it's true. I mean, the rigs are like a food chain and housing and cover for the fish and it's created a great fishing area.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Now the federal government argues that the moratorium is needed. It notes that the Deepwater Horizon passed its safety test, too, right before it exploded which proves that the current regulations are too soft. They say what's needed is an overabundance of caution because the area simply cannot survive another disaster like this one -- John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: So, Chris, when it comes to lifting the moratorium than before this investigation is carried out by this commission of inquiry, how concerned are folks there that there might be another well out there that could be ready to blow and that there may be another accident unless this is investigated?

LAWRENCE: They are concerned. Obviously, you know, people down here do not want to see something like that happen. But what they feel is they -- they look at the economy of this. They say the most talented rig -- rig workers, the newest rigs, those are going to be the first to leave the area if this moratorium continues.

They also say that drilling is most dangerous when you start or stop an operation, which to them means that the ban is actually going to make things more dangerous, and when things come back online you're going to have older rigs, you're going to have less experienced workers.

So what they're saying is, you know, this ban, ultimately, in the name of safety, will end up making things less safe.

ROBERTS: We've heard that argument from a few people.

Chris Lawrence for us this morning. Chris, thanks.

CHETRY: Well, we'll be watching how the judge rules today.

Meantime, the ban -- the drilling ban in the gulf, is it a smart decision in the wake of the disaster or an overreaction? We're going to be getting another point of view this morning from oil industry analyst, Peter Butel (ph), and also John Hoffmeister. He's the former president of Shell Oil. They're going to debate it with us, coming up.

Sixteen minute past the hour.

ROBERTS: Raising more than $1 million in mere hours for the Gulf Coast. An absolute A-list of stars and humanitarians joined Larry King last night to help the people who were affected by the oil spill disaster.

Sting was one of the performers last night, while celebrities on both coasts manned the phone lines. Altogether, at least $1.7 million was raised.

And if you want to donate, we want to tell you it's not too late yet. Just go to nnn.com/impact. There you'll find a list of organizations that are making a difference in your world.

CHETRY: Not bad for two hours. $1.7 million and counting.

Well, coming up on the Most News in the Morning, the U.S. government sending BP another bill for the Gulf Coast oil spill. How much is it?

Christine Romans is "Minding Your Business" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Twenty minutes past the hour right now. Time for "Minding Your Business." Christine Romans is here right now.

But first, we're going to talk about something else. Sorry.

The State of California is debating whether electronic license plates displaying digital ads could actually help close a $19 billion budget deficit. It's going to be -- must mean a lot of plates with a lot of ads on them.

But here is how it may work. Your license plate numbers would be -- always be displayed, but then the state would be able to flash advertisements for other drivers to see whenever your car is stopped for at least four seconds. It's not clear how much ad revenue the plates could generate. Critics say it's an invasion of privacy.

ROBERTS: When it comes to flying the friendly skies, Southwest apparently has the nicest cabin crews. That's according to a new consumer survey by airfarewatchdog.com. The rudest, by a large margin, Delta, followed by United.

Another interesting tidbit, 68 percent say there should be a separate section of the aircraft for passengers traveling with kids.

I tell you, Christine Romans is going to need her own plane.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I agree. I think there should be a separate section for kids -- people traveling with kids.

CHETRY: That's right. And people's biggest aggravation, by the way, is paying more fees.

ROMANS: Oh, yes. Yes. But should there be more fees if you have kids? Should there be a $20 surcharge if you have kids (ph)?

CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE) more money not to have to sit in the section where people have their kinds.

ROMANS: I know.

ROBERTS: You're soon going to be traveling with three.

ROMANS: I'm not traveling anymore. With three? I'm staying home. I'm going to -- that's it. That's it.

ROBERTS: Traveling from the bathroom to the kitchen is as far as you go.

ROMANS: Oh, people, when they see me coming on an airplane, they just -- they cringe and I cringe, too. I'm sorry, everyone. I apologize in advance.

Let me talk to you as little bit about what I -- what I pulled together for you this morning about the government sending its third bill to BP, a big bill from the government. All of those federal agencies that are staged along the Gulf Coast, your taxpayer dollars are not going to pay for those people and the work that they're doing if they are federal government employees because the government is sending that bill to BP. The government says BP should pay it because BP caused this problem in the first place.

So more than two dozen different agencies who are hard at work on everything from -- from wildlife issues to, you know, all kinds of disaster response. Those people are going to be paid by BP, and that -- that last check, the third check now, $51.4 million that went out yesterday.

The government has already given them two other bills totaling $70 million -- almost $71 million, and those have been paid in full. Again to cover the costs of dozens of federal agencies staging along the Gulf Coast so that you, the taxpayer, doesn't have to pay it.

Now, this does not include lost wages for oil rig workers. It does not include lost wages for charter boat captains and fishermen. It does not include the containment costs or any of these other costs. That's all being done separately. And it doesn't include the $20 billion that was set aside in escrow for other claims.

So --

ROBERTS: It's a lot of money.

ROMANS: It's a -- it's an awful lot of money.

ROBERTS: You got a "Romans' Numeral" this morning?

ROMANS: I do not have a "Romans' Numeral" this morning.

ROBERTS: You don't? It says right here that you do.

ROMANS: I do?

ROBERTS: "Romans' Numeral."

ROMANS: Pregnant pause.

ROBERTS: Well, you do that well.

ROMANS: No, but I'll have one for you next hour, I promise.

ROBERTS: All right. Thanks very much.

ROMANS: And it will be -- it will be scintillating. I assure you.

ROBERTS: I'm sure.

ROMANS: Worth the wait.

ROBERTS: Thanks, Christine.

Voters in four states are heading to the polls today, but it's all eyes on South Carolina. The race for the governor's mansion there has been nasty. So what can we expect today?

Our Jim Acosta is there live, coming up next.

It's 23 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It's coming up now to 26 minutes after the hour.

Voters in Utah, Mississippi, North and South Carolina heading back to the polls today in primary run-off elections. All eyes are on South Carolina this morning where the governor's race could change the face of the state's Republican Party. Our Jim Acosta is live in Columbia, South Carolina where this race has turned really nasty and it certainly could be a pivotal one there for politics in South Carolina.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, John.

Let's see here. Nikki Haley, the -- the favorite candidate in the governor's race for the Republican nomination today. She's faced allegations of infidelity, ethnic slurs, even questions about her religion, and that's just in the Republican primary.

She is expected to win her run-off today against a sitting Republican congressman in this state. All of that, thanks in large part to the allegations against her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): For Nikki Haley, the road to South Carolina's governor's mansion has felt like a highway through hell.

NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: It has been a brutal few weeks leading up to the primary, and we have had a lot to go through.

ACOSTA: As in the accusations that the state lawmaker carried on two separate extramarital affairs, allegations Haley's denied.

But in a state where political smears have eaten candidates alive, something unexpected happened. Haley crushed her competition in the Republican primary for governor, capturing 49.5 percent of the vote, nearly avoiding a runoff, a runoff the polls suggest she'll win.

ACOSTA (on camera): There is a political narrative out there that some of these allegations against you actually helped your campaign. What do you think of that?

HALEY: I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. What it showed was that the people rose above it.

I have an amazing husband.

ACOSTA (voice-over): At a campaign stop in Florence, joined by her husband, Haley agreed the voters deserved answers to the allegations.

GOV. MARK SANFORD (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I hurt her. I hurt you all. I hurt my wife.

ACOSTA: Considering the sex scandal that nearly brought down the state's current governor, Mark Sanford.

HALEY: I think public officials have to answer to the voters. What's sad is when public officials have to answer to negative false accusations.

That's where all of this went wrong. There was no proof. There was nothing that validated it, yet, all of a sudden, it became the story.

ACOSTA: Haley, who's half-Indian, has also faced ethnic slurs and questions about her religion. She says she converted to Christianity after growing up in the Sikh faith.

HALEY: I think everybody will look back at this election and say that's what not to do.

ACOSTA: Former state GOP chairman Katon Dawson says the attacks backfired.

KATON DAWSON, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOP CHAIRMAN: Obviously it backfired at the polls. Republican voters will only tolerate so much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gresham, what are you?

GRESHAM BARRETT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: An honest conservative.

ACOSTA: Still, there is a whiff of the campaign's dark moments in this spot from Haley's Republican rival, Gresham Barrett.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A military man who makes tough decisions. Christian family man who wouldn't embarrass us. Gresham, you made me -- want to vote for you.

BARRETT: I'd be honored.

ACOSTA: But it's Haley who's the rising Tea Party powerhouse against the new health care law in favor of offshore oil drilling and drawing big guns like Sarah Palin to her side. She, too, aggressively courts conservative women to her cause.

ACOSTA (voice-over): It's not kid gloves down here, right? It -- they play a little rough.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They come out swinging.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But they -- but they don't call us steel magnolias for nothing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Steel magnolias, no less. That's right.

And Nikki Haley, as I said, is expected to win this Republican runoff today. The polls open at 7:00 -- they close at 7:00 in this state, John, and if she wins, she would be the state's first woman governor, and there are some who are talking about her as a potential presidential or vice presidential candidate in 2012.

She, of course, has to win first, and -- and Nikki Haley's expected to do that, John.

ROBERTS: She certainly is an up and comer in the GOP.

And talk to us a little bit about the money behind the campaigns here. How much did she spend compared to her opponent?

ACOSTA: Well, she started off, apparently, with $50,000 in her budget, if you can believe that, John. Her more established rivals in this race had well over $1 million, almost all of them in this race.

And I talked to her campaign manager yesterday. He's a virtual unknown in Republican Party politics. He told me Nikki Haley has done all of this with just five paid staffers on the payroll, John.

ROBERTS: Pretty amazing. All right, Jim. We'll be watching that one closely. Thanks for the update this morning.

CHETRY: Well, half past the hour now. Time to check our top stories.

Breaking news this morning: CNN is learning that Peter Orszag will be leaving his job as the White House budget director in July. This will make him the first official to leave the Obama cabinet. Orszag is a key member of the president's economic team, played a vital role in helping shape the economic stimulus, as well as health care reform bill.

ROBERTS: A guilty plea and a warning in the Times Square terror case. Faisal Shahzad admits trying to detonate a car bomb in Times Square and pleads guilt to all 10 counts. Shahzad telling the judge, quote, "I want to plead guilty 100 times." He also warned of future attacks by "Muslim soldiers" if the United States does not get out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

CHETRY: And CNN asked for your help for people in the Gulf Coast and you certainly answered that call. Celebrities spent last night working the phones and the computers, taking donations during Larry King's fundraiser. Together, at least $1.7 million was raised. The show may be over but you can still help by going to CNN.com/impact.

ROBERTS: Well, so much help is needed in the Gulf, especially for the most helpless victims of this unprecedented disaster.

CHETRY: Yes. For two months now, we've seen these heartbreaking images of oil-soaked birds and other wildlife struggling for air, choking, covered in oil. And it really is heartbreaking to see.

But there have been some great moments in the midst of the despair. And our Rob Marciano had a chance to be part of one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Exciting day.

DR. DAN MULCAHY, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: Yes. This is going to be the largest release to date of pelicans that have taken in as a result of oiling from the oil spill and we're going to release up to 40.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Wildlife vet Dan Mulcahy leads a carefully selected team that gets these birds from rescue centers back into the wild.

MULCAHY: It is all about the animals. And that's -- that's our goal.

MARCIANO: These animals spent the last few weeks being nursed back to health. Now, they're on a Coast Guard plane getting a second chance.

(on camera): I'm pretty excited about this flight. Here we go. Let's take these pelicans home.

(voice-over): We climb over Louisiana wetlands en route to similar habitat in Texas, far away from the spill.

(on camera): I just got airborne and there is a sense of relief among the crew that everything went relatively smoothly, getting these birds on-board. But they know there is some urgency, they got to get these birds back on the ground and back in the water just as quickly as possible.

(voice-over): It's a pretty tight squeeze inside the plane, but the passengers seem remarkably calm.

We land in Rockport, Texas, where another team is anxiously waiting.

(on camera): So, now, the delicate but expeditious process of unloading these birds, 20 kennels need to come out and be unloaded into these vans, and then they'll be transported 45 minutes away into a wildlife refuge that has a whole lot of other pelicans.

(voice-over): The bird-carrying caravan rolls toward the coast, in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the release point.

The rest happens quickly. We carry the kennels to the water, raise the roof, and release the pelicans.

(CHEERING)

MARCIANO (on camera): All right! How about that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was that worth the trip or what?

MARCIANO (voice-over): These are wild animals and can be dangerous, so they've been reluctant to let me participate -- until now.

(on camera): Walk me through this, baby. This is exciting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready?

MARCIANO: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't let go of the bottom.

MARCIANO: Don't let go of the bottom, just lift off the top?

(INAUDIBLE)

MARCIANO: Fly pelican.

(voice-over): Stubborn bird, giving me the stare-down.

(on camera): These guys -- these guys don't want to go. Come on, guys. You got it. I know you don't want to leave, but come on, guys.

(voice-over): Finally, these two take flight.

(on camera): That was the last one. That's just an incredible feeling. Look at them. That's awesome.

(voice-over): Rob Marciano, CNN, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: You know, if you were with Rob Marciano, looking rugged like that, would you want to leave or would you want to stick around? Come on.

CHETRY: Exactly. You know, it is wonderful though to know that they're -- I understand that there are so many who don't make it, but to know that those few and people worked so hard to try to rescue them and make sure they're OK. So, best of luck to them.

ROBERTS: Kind of wonder if they're going to stay there, though, or if they'll say, hey, this isn't where I live.

CHETRY: I know.

ROBERTS: Try to take a left turn and fly back up the coast.

CHETRY: Yes. Well, they say they increased the chances by letting go more at a time because hopefully they'll form their own colonies.

ROBERTS: Maybe they should just leave Rob around for a while. They don't want to seem to leave him.

CHETRY: Well, still ahead: a federal judge in New Orleans could decide today whether or not to overturn the president's six- month ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf. Some say the ban will end up costing more jobs and actually do more harm in the Gulf Coast than the millions of gallons of oil spilling into the sea. Well, everybody feels that way, though.

Oil industry analyst Peter Beutel and John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil, give their take on this very difficult decision.

It's 35 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Well, by this afternoon, the president's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could actually be tossed out. It's all up to a federal judge in New Orleans. Supporters of the ban say that it's prudent on the heels of an unprecedented disaster. But critics are saying that it's a job killer and they question why it's needed at all.

Joining us to dig deeper now on this debate from Stamford, Connecticut, oil industry analyst Peter Beutel; and from Washington, John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil.

Thanks to both of you for being with us this morning.

JOHN HOFMEISTER, FORMER PRESIDENT, SHELL OIL: Thank you.

PETER BEUTEL, PRESIDENT, CAMERON HANOVER: Thank you.

CHETRY: So, as we talked about, this could come down today, this ruling by a judge.

John, you've called the drilling moratorium an overreaction to the disaster. Explain why.

HOFMEISTER: Well, I think the president was in a position where he wanted to show that he was in control and he made I think a political decision to try to demonstrate that -- but for no good reason. These 33 rigs were all inspected after the explosion, they all passed inspection. We have to continue drilling if we're going to have the 20 million barrels of oil that we need every day to get through the day. There's no basis, in fact, to suggest that these rigs were anything other than operating according to their permits.

CHETRY: Yet, according to some of our reporting, the Deepwater Horizon rig also passed its safety check and look what happened. So, how can you trust that, you know, whatever it is that they're doing to check the safety is actually up to par in the wake of this disaster, John?

HOFMEISTER: Well, that's true. And I think the Deepwater Horizon in the fullness of time will appear just like a plane crash. A perfectly normal rig, operating, but with human factors that led to this horrible accident and the explosion and the blowout. I think evidence is now showing some pretty poor human judgments about how the operations were being conducted -- and that is not the case on the other rigs, at least not to anybody's knowledge.

And so, I think that they should be allowed to continue to operate.

CHETRY: And, Peter, what's your take on the -- on this six- month moratorium? I mean, if you listen to half the people, they say you could have spot-check these 33 rigs that are currently operating and let it go now, or others who say six months isn't nearly enough time. So, is six months as a moratorium just an arbitrary date?

BEUTEL: Yes, it is. And I agree with everything that's just been said. You know, the big problem is, is these decisions are being made based on the graphic that everybody now has as a screensaver or on television of this bubbling oil coming up from the bottom of the ocean.

And it's making people a little bit crazy really. They see this. It's a dreadful, horrible catastrophe.

But, basically, a lot of decisions are being based on this graphic of bubbling oil and they're saying, well, if they can't solve this problem, then what are they going to do if the absolute worst occurs with any of these other 33?

CHETRY: Right. And you're saying that that's -- you're saying that that's an emotional decision? I mean, that's reality that whether we see that 24/7 or not, it's happening.

BEUTEL: It is, and I agree. But the one thing that I'm very surprised at and very disappointed with is that the oil industry hasn't put together an A-team of its best engineers, divers, roughnecks and solve this problem live, on television, while we're looking at this bubbling oil coming up, because if that were to happen, people would say, OK, at least we know how to solve it if the very worst happens.

But they see this bubbling crude. They say, what do we do if the worst happens? There apparently is no answer to that, and as a result, we do have this reaction.

I'm not saying that what we have is not a real catastrophe. I'm not trying to downplay it at all. I'm just saying that a lot of the decisions being taken --

CHETRY: Right.

BEUTEL: -- are being taken in response to this, the public relations aspect.

CHETRY: And, John, just paint for us quickly what -- in terms of the six-month moratorium -- what it would mean financially in your opinion, not only for people working all of these rigs and the services industries that are off-shoots of them, but also for our oil consumption here in America?

HOFMEISTER: In the first case, it wouldn't be six months, because these rigs can't sit there at half a million dollars a day and not be productive. They will leave the Gulf of Mexico and go into Brazil, Angola, and other places around the world. So, the six months will extend to a year, year-and-a-half, even two years. During that time, people in the Gulf, upwards of 50,000 to 60,000 people would have nothing do.

Now, some of the rig workers would go with the rigs, but the support staff, that keep the rigs going every day --

CHETRY: Right.

HOFMEISTER: -- they would just be out of work. And the U.S. would be out of oil.

CHETRY: Right. And so, what does that mean economically for the average person?

HOFMEISTER: Well, I think for the average consumer, you could expect $1 to $1.50 on a gallon of gas by about 2012 election, when they're midst of an election. And for the average worker, that's -- you know, the cost will be in the billions of dollars of lost wages and lost economic value.

CHETRY: All right. As we said, a judge could rule today on whether or not to overrule this moratorium.

But I thank both of you for your input this morning. John Hofmeister, as well as Peter Beutel -- appreciate it.

BEUTEL: Thank you.

ROBERTS: Well, the first day of summer turned violent in Wisconsin -- a devastating tornado caused tremendous damage there, homes destroyed, thousands of people without power. Reynolds Wolf has got the check of the extreme weather -- coming up for us.

CHETRY: Also, in 10 minutes, BP's head honcho on a yacht. President was playing golf. Both on the receiving-end of a P.R. smackdown.

Forty-four minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Good morning, New York City. Forty-seven minutes after the hour. It's 69 degrees, partly cloudy right now. Later on today, it's going to be mostly cloudy, not as nice as it was yesterday, but it still will be sort of uncomfortably warm with a high about 84 degrees.

CHETRY: Sticky weather for sure. A river of purple and gold will be running through downtown Los Angeles today. Tens of thousands of Laker fans, there you see it, came out for a parade to celebrate the team's second-straight NBA title. Kobe Bryant telling the crowd that the Lakers will be primed for a three-peat next season. The fans were generally well behaved. Police only made a handful of arrests.

ROBERTS: It was quite a different scene last week after the Lakers game seven victory over the Celtics. Dozens of fans who were rioting were arrested. The Los Angeles police department now using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to identify and arrest other people who committed crimes in the post-game violence. Police say tracking down the assailants is worth the effort even if it takes months.

CHETRY: There you go. All right. It's 48 minutes past the hour right now. Let's get a check of this morning's weather headlines. Reynolds Wolf in the Extreme Weather Center for us. Did you love watching your buddy, Rob, help and release those pelicans. It was nice to see, right, after all of that.

WOLF: Everything the guy touches turns to gold. That was beautiful and great story with the pelicans. It is one of the positive aspects that we've seen, some of the animals that are taken out of the oil-ridden waters, the animals again brought in have a really good chance to recover and then be released back into the wild. And speaking of wild, some of the weather we had yesterday was definitely fit in that category. Take a look at this video that we have for you from Wisconsin, widespread damage across an area. And, guys, this has been day number five where we've had some tornadoes across parts of the Western Great Lakes and the Midwest and the northern plains.

You see the heavy root damage there. You know, it's just a scary thing to see these storms pop up. Very little time for people to take cover, but thankfully, for the most part, the neighborhoods are in good shape despite the damage you see on the houses and the clean-up will begin today, and now we're seeing that batch of rough weather move through other parts of the Great Lakes including parts of Michigan. Back to the maps, here we go, there you go. You see the strong line of storms now moving mostly east of the I-75 corridor, and downtown Detroit, we've had storms move through further out west towards Ann Arbor.

You get a secondary batch that's going to come through, so keep your heads down for the time being. In parts of the Ohio Valley, more of the same. And we could see more of the same into the afternoon hours because the atmospheric setup is perfect for more storm formation. We got this area (ph) of low pressure. We got the dividing line, the boundary, and the moisture continues to fly in from the Gulf of Mexico, the result by late afternoon, the strongest storms may occur, severe thunderstorms, large hail, damaging winds, perhaps, another round of tornadoes. Certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

Warm temperatures certainly up there again. 100 degrees in St. Louis down by the arch (ph), Kansas City, pretty warm in 97, and 100 in Dallas. Here's a bit of good news -- yes, it is going to be steamy in New Orleans, but 88 degrees, high humidity, but at least, it's not going to be in those high to mid 90s. A little bit of an edge off the heat. 98 degrees in Las Vegas. And no sign of relief for the firefighters up in parts of Flagstaff, Arizona. The fire still burning, the winds still strong. Back to you.

CHETRY: Reynolds Wolf, thanks.

ROBERTS: Thanks.

This morning's top stories just minutes away now, including an about-face from the top general in Afghanistan. He's saying sorry after an article says it's him versus the whips in the White House. We're live at the Pentagon with reactions this morning. CHETRY: And a few new reasons to take a coffee break. Why doctors say four cups a day could help you fight cancer. Those stories and much more at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: I'll tell you who people are kind of upset with this British petroleum CEO, Tony Hayward, because over the weekend, he was out on his yacht. Yes. And when President Obama found out that Tony Hayward was relaxing on his yacht, he was so angry, he missed a putt.

(LAUGHING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Fifty-four minutes past the hour. Time now for the Most News in the Morning with Jeanne. BP's CEO did manage to find cleaner waters over the weekend and many said it was another major PR say (ph) all for the company.

ROBERTS: But many critics are saying that the president can't say anything about it until he puts down the golf clubs. Here's Jeanne.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the yachting versus golf smack down, round one. BP's CEO gets pummeled for taking a day off to watch his yacht race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How dare he just take off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The height of stupidity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you spell fool?

MOOS: But before you could spell BP CEO, President Obama's golfing came under attack.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Almost five hours on the golf course with Biden.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it should have been eight times between --

MOOS: Actually, seven times. CBS White House correspondent, Mark Knoller, says already President Obama has played 39 rounds of golf compared to the 24 George Bush played his entire presidency, including some that got into a Michael Moore film.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive. MOOS: Some equate President Obama's golf to Tony Hayward's yachting, two different men, two different jobs, one management style, the president's defenders note a big difference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the thing. He didn't create that mess that is there. What do they want the man to do? Put a wet suit on and go down there and fix the pipe.

MOOS: Meanwhile, Politico pondered the really important question, why is Tony Hayward's yacht named Bob? Wondering if it had anything to do with the Bill Murray movie, "What About Bob?" Sailors so scared he has to be lashed to the mast. Now, Tony Hayward is being lashed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really think it was a disgrace.

MOOS: On the other hand, surprisingly (ph), it was the first day off he's had in two months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really don't care.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Too bad. Look what he did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll be damned if his life is a day off (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's probably do for a little down time.

MOOS: But down time on the water can be a downer. Remember when presidential candidate, John Kerry, went wind surfing and it ended up in an attack ad. BP CEO is being mocked in an animation by a Taiwanese tabloid website. He sits on the beach, sending out a drink to a guy -- drowning an oil from the mounts of bays (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED KID: My mom doesn't take a break like every two months. You don't really need to take a break every two months to go and see a yacht race.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: In the two hours, it takes to golf or to go yachting another one to 10,000 gallons of oil can leak out.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: President Obama, I'm not sure he should actually be golfing right now.

MOOS: Just plug the darn hole Mr. President.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Bill Murray lashed to the mast and Tony Hayward tied to (INAUDIBLE). Great segue.

Fifty-six minutes after the hour. Top stories coming your way right after the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)