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American Morning

Suspected WikiLeaks Source Back in U.S.; Where's the Oil?; Coast Guard Says Its Gone; Worst Oil Disaster Greatly Exaggerated; Chelsea's Big Fat Secret Wedding; Rangel Ethics Charges; The Taste of Pain

Aired July 30, 2010 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good Friday morning and thanks so much for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. It's the 30th day of July. One day left in the month. I'm John Roberts.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Sara Sidner. Kiran Chetry is off today. A lot to talk about this morning, so let's get right to it.

Where's the oil? The Coast Guard claims it can hardly find anymore to clean up. But a lot of people along the Louisiana coast aren't buying that. They say the crude is not gone and they have pictures to prove it. So what's really going on in the Gulf?

ROBERTS: Charlie Rangel, the powerful 20-term congressman from New York now fighting for political survival after a laundry list of ethics charges laid out by House investigators. All signs point to a very public and embarrassing trial in Congress. We'll take a look at what it could mean for Rangel and his fellow Democrats just ahead.

SIDNER: Details of the ceremony, top secret. The party rumored to cost millions. The FAA will shut down the airspace over one tiny town tomorrow for Chelsea Clinton is expected to walk down the aisle. So we're taking you live to Rhinebeck, New York to preview the wedding of the year.

And the amFIX blog is up and running, of course. Join the live conversation right now. Just go to CNN.com/amFIX.

ROBERTS: But first, breaking news this morning on the investigation into 91,000 leaked documents from the war in Afghanistan. The suspected WikiLeaks source flown back from Kuwait and is now locked up in the Marine brig at Quantico, Virginia. The military zeroing in on Private First Class Bradley Manning. He's an Army intelligence analyst already facing charges of leaking classified information, including a video that the Web site WikiLeaks titled "Collateral Murder," showing a deadly 2007 Army helicopter attack in Iraq that apparently claimed the lives of a number of civilians.

SIDNER: And the Pentagon is now essentially accusing WikiLeaks, its founder, Julian Assange, and its source within the U.S. military of murder. Here's the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS: I think we always need to be mindful of the unknown potential for damage in any particular document that we handle. Mr. Assange can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: WikiLeaks' founder refuses to say how his site got the documents. But as so many people have come to learn the hard way, nothing is secret on the Internet. And the military may have a hacker, a convicted criminal from California, to thank for cracking this case.

His name is Adrian Lamo, just 29 years old. In 2004, he was convicted of breaking into "The New York Times," Microsoft and Lexis- Nexis computers. He tells CNN that he went to federal officials to show them the alleged confessions Private Manning made about leaking the classified U.S. war strategy.

Of course, much more on this ahead. FBI is now involved. The Web site may also face criminal charges. Barbara Starr with all the latest developments live from the Pentagon in our next hour.

SIDNER: So where's all the spilled oil? The Coast Guard insists it can't find much more to clean up on the surface of the Gulf. Their crews keep conducting fly-overs and the pilots keep coming back with the same story. There's a little crude to be found.

Take a look at the headlines. This dramatic development in the Gulf is rather hard to figure. Millions of gallons of oil gone, or is it?

ROBERTS: Our Jim Acosta live in New Orleans this morning. And, Jim, some of the locals say they know where the crude is and they would be happy to point the Coast Guard in the right direction if only they'd listen.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. They'd be happy to take them on a tour of the oil that is out there, they say. And after those assurances from the federal government that the oil is clearing up quickly in the Gulf, some of the local officials down here in Louisiana, John and Sara, they went ballistic. Not only did they say the oil is still out there, they say they have the picture proof.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): As for those claims from the federal government that the oil is vanishing fast in the Gulf of Mexico, count Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser a skeptic.

BILLY NUNGESSER, PLAQUEMINES PARISH PRESIDENT: I still can't tell you who's in charge. ACOSTA: At a closed door meeting, Nungesser and a group of local leaders locked horns with the national incident commander for the oil spill, Thad Allen. Some aren't buying Allen's repeated statements the oil is dissipating.

THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: It's more dispersed and harder to find. We're going to try and be as aggressive as we can with skimmers offshore to try and deal with this oil offshore. But again, we're finding less and less oil as we move forward.

ACOSTA (on camera): Why would Thad Allen say we just don't see the oil like we used to anymore?

NUNGESSER: He doesn't say this from day one. And I'm sorry, Thad Allen. He doesn't' have a clue.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Nungesser showed us these pictures that he says were taken by his staff just yesterday. Photos capturing bands of oil in his parish. When he tried to share the photos with Allen, he says things got heated.

NUNGESSER: You all said there's no oil. I've got a bunch of pictures here. They're like, look. Oh, we know there's some problems. No, there's some real problems when you fly and say there's no oil and everybody stands out and we're out there busting our butts trying to save our marshland.

ACOSTA: To Louisiana boater Brian Scorsone, the talk of the incredibly shrinking oil spill sounds like a fish tale.

(on camera): Are things getting better out here?

BRIAN SCORSONE, LOUISIANA RECREATIONAL FISHERMAN: The Feds are wrong. That's all I can say.

ACOSTA (voice-over): But he had more to say when we pulled up to these oil-covered marshes.

SCORSONE: This is the nursery, right here.

ACOSTA (on camera): All the life out here.

SCORSONE: That's it. This is your nursery. And your filter, you know.

ACOSTA: Doesn't take a scientist to figure that out. And I'm not a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

(voice-over): At this marina, we found more signs of trouble. These oil covered marsh ends (ph) rescued by wildlife officials. As for Allen, he denies his comments while optimistic give the wrong impression.

ALLEN: Well, we've never said all the oil is gone. And this is a catastrophic event. They're all in the marshes. We need to keep working on this. ACOSTA: But Billy Nungesser fears Allen and BP are simply setting the stage to pull out their resources.

NUNGESSER: It seems like they want this thing put to rest and it looks like they are the spokesperson for BP. They are the spokesperson for BP.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Thad Allen says he made a commitment to Louisiana officials that the federal government and BP will be here and have a presence in the Gulf until the oil is gone. But Louisiana officials went right back at Allen and said, just because you killed this well or just because you have a chance at killing this well earlier this next coming week doesn't mean that this crisis is over and that the oil is all gone.

And just so folks out there don't think that this is just Billy Nungesser talking out there, John and Sara, front page of the "Times- Picayune," the New Orleans newspaper this morning, "looks can be deceiving" with a huge picture on the front page of oil covering a section of the Gulf. There's a quote here from a helicopter pilot who choppered over the Gulf yesterday and said, "If the federal government says the oil is gone, just come talk to me."

SIDNER: There you go. Jim Acosta there for us, thank you so much from New Orleans, Louisiana.

President Obama has called the BP spill the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. In six minutes, we'll be joined by Michael Grunwald, senior national correspondent for "Time" magazine. He says those kinds of claims are greatly exaggerated.

ROBERTS: Also new this morning, when you think heat wave, you generally don't think of Moscow but the Russian capital has been red- hot this week, literally. Scorching heat combined with drought conditions has triggered wildfires that have wrapped the city in smoke. Moscow hit 100 degrees yesterday, the first time it's ever cracked triple digits. That's more like what we see in California.

SIDNER: Really odd. Moscow?

All right. Time to check the time. Seven minutes after the hour. Let's also get a check of this morning's weather headlines. Reynolds Wolf is in the extreme weather center for us. Looks like there's some extremes going on there near Atlanta. Whoa, going to get hot.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, I know. I know. I mean, it's going to pretty brutal today in parts of the Carolinas clearly down to the Gulf Coast, the southeast and even into the central plains is going to be a very warm day for you.

Let's take the map and show you what you can expect. Again, plenty of heat. There are the watches, the warnings, the advisories stretched out across the landscape. Especially as you get a little bit close towards parts of the Gulf Coast, we're going to be seeing these temperatures really rise into the afternoon hours. Southeast especially tough in the Carolinas and Georgia where the heat index will feel -- make it feel like it's anywhere from 110 to 121 degrees. That's the combination of the high heat and the high humidity.

And speaking of temperatures, Kansas City, 91 degrees, the expected high for the day. In Dallas, 99. I have a feeling you may get into the 100s before all is said and done. Ninety-six in New Orleans. Eighty-four in New York. Ninety-two in Salt Lake City. Fifty-nine degrees in San Francisco.

And very quickly as we wrap things up, here's a look at a chance of storms already seen and some developed across the northern plains. Coming up, we'll let you know what that will do for your travel plans for the day and into the weekend. Back to you guys.

ROBERTS: Looking forward to it, Reynolds. Thanks so much.

WOLF: You bet.

ROBERTS: Of course, the small town of Rhinebeck, north of New York is hoping for good weather. The town is about 100 miles north of Manhattan and it is this weekend the center of the media universe.

SIDNER: That's because that's where Chelsea Clinton and investment banker Marc Mezvinsky are expected to tie the knot tomorrow. Our Alina Cho is tracking everything for us there this morning and joins us live now with a quick preview. Everybody wants to know how much is this sucker going to cost.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, an estimated $3 million. And, John, you said it -- it is the center of the media universe but good luck getting any details about the wedding. The Clintons aren't talking. They're treating the details of this wedding like it's a state secret. So we're going to tell you what we were able to pry out of the locals when we come back.

ROBERTS: Looking forward to it. Alina, thanks so much.

Well, we've heard the dire assessments, the worst environmental disaster that this country has ever seen. However, there are some scientists who are saying that things aren't as bad as they've been made out to be. We're going to talk with "Time" magazine correspondent who spoke with these folks and get their take on it.

Ten minutes now after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: Thirteen minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

The images are painful. Oil-pelicans gasping for air. Sludge staining sensitive coast, Gulf Coast shorelines. But could it be that the worst catastrophe ever inflicted on the U.S. environment really wasn't that bad after all? For our next segment, our guest is talking about that. The damage, he says, has been greatly exaggerated. Michael Grunwald is senior national correspondent for "Time" magazine. He joins us live from Miami right now.

Michael, your article argues that the environmental impact of what is clearly the worst oil spill in the history of the United States, President Obama is saying the same thing, may not be as bad as it seems? How is that possible considering, you know, what we've been seeing with the oil slicks? No, you can't see them but certainly is that an exaggeration on your part or on the part of the scientists you talked to?

MICHAEL GRUNWALD, SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT FOR "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, it's a very big oil spill and there's been a lot of oil dumped into the water. What we haven't seen and if you look at the water data, the bird data, the mammals data, particularly the marsh data, is you haven't seen a lot of really serious environmental damage.

Now it's true that, you know, you don't know what you don't know and there could be long-term effects, but it's not like people have been saying that this could be a tremendous environmental catastrophe. For the last three months, we've heard nothing but this is an environmental catastrophe. And so far there's really no evidence of that.

SIDNER: I want to talk about some pictures that we were showing this morning from one of the parish's presidents there in Louisiana. And they say, look, you don't see the oil? We have pictures of this oil and you're seeing it right there. Oil that's just kind of all over the place and creating what appears to be an environmental disaster. Judging from those pictures and judging from a scientist that we spoke to yesterday who's from the National Wildlife Federation, Doug Inkley, he talked about this very subject and sort of contradicted what your scientists are saying. Let's hear a little bit about what he has to say and we'll have you respond to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG INKLEY, SENIOR SCIENTIST, NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION: You're never going to recover more than 5 or 10 percent of it in a deepwater spill like this, and that's an optimistic projection. So we have to recognize that most of it is still out there. And this spill is some 16, 17, 18 times larger than the wreck of the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound.

So this is a much larger spill and we've learned from that spill -- the previous spill as well as many other oil spills that the effects can last for decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: You heard that. The effects could last for decades. Are the scientists you spoke with and the folks that you talked to your sources being a little premature here? GRUNWALD: Well, it's kind of funny, Sara. You know, for -- for three months we've had nonstop hysteria, you know, about how this is the worst environmental catastrophe ever.

And then suddenly you hear some scientist saying, like, well, there's -- there's no data -- there's no data to show that. You know, there are some dead birds, but less than one percent of the dead birds that they had in the Exxon Valdez. This is -- this is lighter oil. It's a warmer gulf. You've got fresh water from the Mississippi pushing it out -- out to sea.

And so you had -- but suddenly you hear people saying it's premature, it's way too early to -- it's way too early to say how bad this is going to be. And I think what, you know, my reaction is, oh, now you tell us?

It's certainly true. We don't know exactly what all the long- term effects are going to be. But in the past oil spills have turned out to, while they don't have no impact, they haven't been quite as bad as people feared and there are reasons to think that this may not be as bad as some of the other oil spills.

SIDNER: You just mentioned the Exxon Valdez, and obviously that's been about 20 years ago, a little more than 20 years ago. But what they found in that spill in some fisheries, for example, is that four years later they saw the effects. All of a sudden a lot of the fish were gone.

So, again, you know, you're looking at this from a long term perspective as well because obviously right now we can't see the oil. How can they make this sort of prediction like, oh, it can't be that big of a deal, if something had happened a long time down the line?

GRUNWALD: Well, first of all, I don't think anybody's saying "this is no big deal." But you look at, you know, look at the Exxon Valdez disaster. Now that's, you know, it's certainly unfortunate that fishing, you know, it's 20 years later and you still don't have fisheries completely recovered.

You know, here -- here you have people really concerned about the marshlands. You -- you saw those oil on the marshes and people talking about how that's at the bottom of the food chain. And that's true, you've got 350 acres of oiled marshlands right now in the Gulf.

But Louisiana was already losing 15,000 acres of marshes every year. That's a real environmental catastrophe. The state has lost 2,000 square miles of its coastline over the last century. You know, that's a real ongoing environmental catastrophe. While some of, you know, the sort of speculation that you might lose a few more marshes is kind of a potential environmental problem.

So, again, it's not that there's no potential dangers out there from the chemical dispersants, from the oil that still might be in the water, they may be hasn't broken down, that could be in the seabed, but there are, you know, but to classify that as an environmental catastrophe, I think again you have to have some perspective and say, compared to what.

SIDNER: Good -- all good points. Thank you so much, Michael Grunwald, senior national correspondent with "Time" magazine. We'll just have to wait and see on this one, right, John?

ROBERTS: Yes, absolutely. You know that there are a lot of different and varying opinions on everything that's going on there in the Gulf. But no question you put that much oil into a body of water like that, it's got to go somewhere.

Well, coming up, the growing scandal over mismarked graves at Arlington National Cemetery. One U.S. senator says the problem is far worse than previously thought.

And the plot thickens in the story of a garage sale find turned possible treasure. A new woman now coming forward to say the alleged Ansel Adams negatives actually belong to her Uncle Earl. New details on what we've learned coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: The governor of Arizona is asking an appeals court to step into the state's smoldering immigration debate. Governor Jan Brewer filing an expedited appeal after a federal judge blocked the most controversial parts of her state's new immigration law. She's asking the courts to lift their preliminary injunction and restore the measure to its original form.

SIDNER: Turns out the number of graves mislabeled at Arlington National Cemetery may be more than originally thought -- much more. At a Senate hearing yesterday, Missouri's Claire McCaskill said as many as 6,600 graves at Arlington may have been abused. Cemetery officials previously admitted errors with 211 plots at the military burial ground. The Army has now launched its own criminal investigation.

ROBERTS: Former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod says she plans to sue Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart. He is the man responsible for posting Sherrod's out-of-context and misleading remarks about race. Breitbart said he wasn't targeting Sherrod personally but rather he was taking aim at the NAACP.

SIDNER: And "Minding Your Business" this morning, here's something that might make you check those privacy settings if you have a Facebook page. Personal information from 170 million profiles was collected and distributed online in one torrent file this week. But this is not a leak.

A security researcher and blogger created software to scan and collect the information from the social networking giant's public directory. No passwords were stolen and the amount of information taken actually depends on each user's individual privacy settings.

ROBERTS: Well, the mystery deepens this morning into the alleged long lost Ansel Adams glass negatives that were uncovered at a garage sale. If an Oakland woman is right, those pictures were taken, not by Ansel Adams, but by her Uncle Earl.

She says her Uncle Earl lived in the Fresno, California area in the 1920s and often traveled to Yosemite to take pictures. And art expert says a photo taken by her uncle looks nearly identical to one of the examples that's said to be from Ansel Adams.

SIDNER: And the plot thickens.

A wedding to remember, or at least to gossip about. Chelsea Clinton is getting married in less than 24 hours. The cost of the nuptials rumored to be in the millions.

Twenty-four minutes past the hour. We have that story coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Twenty-seven minutes after the hour. Just hours left on the countdown clock now to the wedding of the year.

Chelsea Clinton and her husband-to-be Mark Mezvinsky are tying the knot tomorrow. But most of the wedding details are still top secret.

SIDNER: The ceremony is expected to happen at a French-inspired mansion on the Hudson River. The estate in the tiny town of Rhinebeck, New York -- that's where we find our Alina Cho this morning. And lots of rumors, but difficult to get details, right, Alina?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right.

In some ways, guys, this is the best kept secret and the worst kept secret at this point. Everyone in the world assumes that Chelsea Clinton and Mark Mezvinsky will tie the knot tomorrow at Aster Courts, that's a gorgeous estate just about a half mile from here, right up the Hudson River behind me, but really nobody knows.

The Clintons aren't confirming anything. So even now it's a guessing game and speculation is running high.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHO (voice-over): On the eve of the wedding of the summer involving the daughter of American royalty, tiny Rhinebeck, New York, 90 miles from Manhattan is undergoing a transformation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sleepy little town but it's not sleepy anymore.

CHO: Now Rhinebeck is a media Mecca, yet nobody's talking because everyone involved in this top-secret wedding has signed a confidentiality agreement.

CHO (on camera): Trying to get confirmation out of anyone around here is next to impossible. But take a walk around town and the signs are literally everywhere. A toast to Chelsea and Mark. Congratulations to Mark and Chelsea.

CHO (voice-over): Chelsea Clinton and investment banker Mark Mezvinsky will reportedly wed on Saturday night at Aster Courts, a 50- acre estate along the Hudson River. Many guests will reportedly stay nearby at the Beatman Arms, the oldest operating inn in America.

A-listers like Oprah, Spielberg and Streisand are expected to attend. The current president will not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a big event for Rhinebeck.

CHO: Jim Langan, the editor of "Hudson Valley News" broke the story.

JIM LANGAN, HUDSON VALLEY NEWS EDITOR: And this town has just been electrified by the whole thing.

CHO (on camera): It's crazy.

LANGAN: Well, insane, insane. The only person I haven't interviewed here is the wooden Indian out in front of the cigar store.

CHO: Can you tell me who's officiating?

CHO (voice-over): Word on street is Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will preside. Make sense. He's the Clinton nominee, but, again, we're just not sure.

CHO (on camera): Kind of fun, like, speculating. Isn't it?

LANGAN: Oh, it's great. It's -- this is the greatest parlor game since Monopoly.

CHO (voice-over): CNN has confirmed the FAA will close the airspace within 1.5 miles around Rhinebeck from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning for what it calls V.I.P. movements.

CHO (on camera): Can you give me the inside track on anything about this wedding?

JOHN REGAN, OWNER, RHINEBECK DELI: Well, we're not catering it. That much I can tell you.

CHO (voice-over): John Regan owns Rhinebeck Deli where this week they're serving up Chelsea's Choice Wrap, Bill's all-American sandwich, and Hilary's the Secretary of Steak.

REGAN: The most popular is the Secretary of Steak.

CHO (on camera): Really! Why do you think that is?

REGAN: Really don't know.

CHO: You got tenderloin in there.

(voice-over): Rhinebeck has seen celebrities before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Christie Brinkley. She was here.

CHO: But nearly everyone will tell you, this not-so-sleepy little town anymore has never seen anything quite like this.

JIM LANGAN, HODSON VALLEY NEWS EDITOR: I think it is the biggest thing to happen since Washington's army drove the British out down the street in the 1700s. I mean, it doesn't get any bigger than this, and never will, I don't think.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: The Chelsea Clinton wedding is expected to be a three-day affair, starting tonight with a rehearsal dinner reportedly at a stone barn called the Grass Mirror Farm Estate. No word on the menu, guys. But the chef, according to the "New York Daily News," is expected to be one of Oprah Winfrey's favorites. That would make sense. Oprah is expected to be a guest. But again, nobody knows for sure.

You know when I'm reduced to asking questions to a wooden Indian? Nobody's talking.

(LAUGHTER)

ROBERTS: And I tell you, with the number of celebrities, movers and shakers and power brokers who are going to be there, it's amazing that they could keep all this quiet.

SIDNER: Someone's got to start talking some time soon.

CHO: It's incredible, really. You know, as the reporter who broke the story told me, the Clintons are very good at enforcing a confidentiality agreement.

ROBERTS: Yes. They get the publicity when they want it and they put the lid on when they want to as well.

All right. Alina Cho for us this morning -- thanks. Keep working your sources there along the street. And we'll check back with you later on. Thanks.

Crossing the half-hour now -- and your top stories this Friday morning.

Top military brass now is saying WikiLeaks and its accused source may be guilty of murder. Private 1st Class Bradley Manning has now been moved from a prison in Kuwait to a military brig at Quantico, Virginia. He is the prime suspect from the leak of classified intelligence on the war in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has now asked the FBI to join in the investigation.

SIDNER: If the Coast Guard can't find anymore oil to clean up in the Gulf of Mexico, a lot of annoyed officials are willing to help them find it. They say they have pictures to prove all the crude hasn't vanished and claim the Coast Guard isn't listening -- leaving many to wonder if federal officials and BP are already preparing to leave.

ROBERTS: And in the past 24 hours, three American soldiers were killed in two different blasts in southern Afghanistan. Sixty- three U.S. forces have died so far this month. NATO says that makes this month the deadliest for U.S. troops there since the war began in October of 2001, nearly nine years ago.

SIDNER: Now to the case against New York's 20-term congressman, Charlie Rangel. Investigators have formally charged Rangel with 13 counts of violating House ethics rules.

ROBERTS: Rangel's lawyers are now trying to work out a plea deal with the ethics committee that would avoid a very public and possibly humiliating trial in Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I'm prepared to prove that the only thing I've ever had in my 50 years of public service is service. That's what I've done. And if I've been overzealous in providing that service, I can't make an excuse for serious violations, but I can have an explanation for my intent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Brianna Keilar is following developments for us this morning. She is live in Washington.

So, what really came out of yesterday's hearing?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, guys, we talk yesterday about generally some of the issues that Charles Rangel was going to be facing, the charges. And those were confirmed.

But what was really confirmed along with this report that the ethics committee released yesterday were some pretty interesting specifics and a lot of them having to do with how Rangel raised money for a public policy center at the City College of New York. It's called the Rangel Center, named after him. Specifically, this committee found that he solicited donations from companies that were doing business with his committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the tax writing committee, very powerful post that he used to hold.

And check this out. These are some of the most interesting details. Rangel himself had personal meetings -- I want to give you a couple of examples here. He met with a CEO of a company that gave half -- or $500,000, half a million dollars, to the Rangel Center -- whose company also gave half a million dollars to the Rangel Center, and then a few months later, that very company was lobbying for a tax loophole with his committee.

Now, Rangel himself also met with an AIG lobbyist. And according to a memo prepared by the city college, the objective of that meeting was to raise $10 million for the Rangel Center. And this report here says that Rangel himself asked at least twice, "What is necessary here to get this done." And, guys, he also used official letterhead which is not OK because this wasn't officials business.

And this report also confirmed that he was being looked at for not only failing to pay taxes on the income on his rental villa, but also for repeatedly submitting incomplete and inaccurate financial disclosure statements.

Guys, I got to tell you, that Rangel says -- or his lawyers at least in a response to this that went along with the report that went out, they say he wasn't targeting people or companies that were doing business with his committee and he never gave them any indication they'd get favorable treatment because of it. But it's really the issue here of -- at least the appearance of impropriety.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you so much -- Brianna Keilar, for us there in Washington.

ROBERTS: Well, it is the Greenbrier Classic at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. A couple of golfers are undertaking a very interesting charity event here. They are donating money for every birdie and every eagle to a fund for the miners who were killed back in April.

We're going to be talking with Sergio Garcia, one of the top players in the world, as well as the owner of the Greenbrier, Jim Justice, coming right up, about how they're helping.

It's 36 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROBERTS: Thirty-nine minutes after the hour.

Well, there's an old saying in golf: drive for show and putt for dough. Well, that's saying is taking on new meaning at the PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia this weekend. Two golfers have pledged to donate thousands of dollars for every birdie and eagle they make at the tournament. The money is going to help the families of the 29 miners who were killed in the Upper Big Branch mine explosion back in April.

Two gentlemen, businessmen, are matching these donations and joining me to talk about it: PGA Tour golfer, Sergio Garcia. And Jim Justice, who's owner of the Greenbrier Resort.

Gentlemen, great to see you this morning. Thanks so much for joining. I really appreciate it.

JIM JUSTICE, OWNER, GREENBRIER RESORT: Good to see you, John.

SERGIO GARCIA, PGA TOUR GOLFER: Good morning, John.

ROBERTS: Sergio, you're teeing up at 8:00 this morning and we hope you have a good round today because what you have done here is you have pledged to give -- let's put it on the screen -- $1,000 for every birdie that you make, $5,000 for every eagle. And your fellow PGA tour member, Kenny Perry, has offered to donate $2,000 for every birdie that he makes over the course of the tournament.

Jim, how did this whole idea come about?

JUSTICE: Well, really and truly, Kenny and Sergio are very good stars of the day. I mean, you know, they came up with the idea, presented it to us. I mean, the simplest thing we could do is match. It was just a great effort on their part and I commend them a million times over and everything.

But the biggest thing is just the fact that life goes on, but these families are still really hurting and their loved ones -- and this is just a great, great thing and really proud of it.

ROBERTS: Sergio, you grew up far away from the coal mines of Appalachia. Kenny Perry grew up in Kentucky. So, he's very familiar with this. What inspired you to get involved and give back like this?

GARCIA: Well, I think you know, everything about it -- there's obviously been some bad things happening in the world and this is one of them. And you want to -- you want to try to help in any way you can. I think that the PGA Tour, Jim Justice, Kenny and I, we -- we're always trying to donate to charities. And in this case, to -- you know, to all those families that lost their, you know, their husbands or their fathers.

And, you know, it's a shame, but we -- you know, we can help in any way. We try to and, unfortunately, I didn't make any eagles yesterday, but I'm hoping that I make some throughout the week.

ROBERTS: Well, how are we doing so far in the birdie count?

GARCIA: I think I made six birdies yesterday. So, not too bad.

ROBERTS: I like that. "I think I made six birdies."

Kenny Perry, we checked his scorecard. He only made one. So, we're hoping that he's got a good round going today.

You know, Jim, you grew up with mining. You made your fortune in mining. And when I was there at the Greenbrier back in April, just a couple of weeks after the Upper Big Branch mining disaster, you know, employees didn't know who I was, but all they could talk about was Jim Justice and the great things that he's done for the Greenbrier and for the area as well -- that he really looks out for his employees.

And I'm wondering, what's your take, Jim, on all of these mine owners who operate these mines and rack up so many safety violations, possibly putting miners at risk?

JUSTICE: Well, John, in all honesty, everybody in the mining business has to do better. I mean, our employees have to be first and foremost, and they surely are in my mind. And, you know, you make mistakes, but at the same time these employees are so precious and they're so dear to all of our hearts. They're heroes. I mean, you know, what they're doing every day to make our nation go -- I mean, in all honesty, they're just flat heroes.

And they're -- in my companies, they're my friends. You know, they just mean so much to all of us. We have a wonderful camaraderie and everything with -- at least I think I do with my employees. I think they make me look a lot better than I am every day. They really trust and love me because they know I really love them back.

You know, it's a tough business. I mean, it's just a tough business. It's needed so bad and everything. It's a tough business and we all just have to do better.

ROBERTS: You know, Sergio, the conditions that you work in there on the lush fairways of the PGA Tour and beautiful fairways of the Old White there at the Greenbrier really couldn't be further away from the conditions that those miners work in.

What's your sense of what they go through everyday to provide for their families?

GARCIA: Yes. Well, I mean, unfortunately, we kind of all work at the same thing. I've always -- I've always said I feel like I'm very fortunate to do what I love and being outside playing golf and enjoying it. It's a great -- it's a great treat for me.

But, unfortunately, you know, everybody's got to do their own thing. And in this case, for the miners, it's hard work. Obviously, being down there, not knowing what's going to happen if the things are going to fall down or what might happen, it's a shame.

But, you know, somebody's got to do it and, you know, it's awesome to see that people as brave as that, they're -- you know, they're not afraid of doing it.

ROBERTS: You know, we've got you donating to charity. And I know, Jim, that the overall tournament's going to donate some $3 million to charities. And there's a little bit of a Cinderella story going on right now as well. Erik Compton, who's a double heart transplant recipient, shot a 7-under 63 yesterday. He's tied for the lead.

Sergio, I know that you want to beat him. But it's a pretty interesting start to this tournament.

GARCIA: Yes, it is. And he's -- I've known him for quite a while. He's from Miami and we played amateur golf together. So, it's good to see him doing that and playing nice like he did yesterday. I wish him the very best.

Obviously, I'm going to try my hardest to catch him and pass him, but, you know, it's good to see Erik doing well.

ROBERTS: All right. Well, good luck to you. And we hope for a lot of birdies and a lot of eagles this weekend.

Sergio Garcia, Jim Justice, thanks for joining us. Have a great weekend, guys.

JUSTICE: Thank you so much, John.

ROBERTS: All right. Sara.

SIDNER: Thank you, John. Forty-five minutes past the hour. Reynolds Wolf is in for Rob today. He'll have the morning's travel forecast right after the break.

And then in ten minutes, the taste of pain. Said to be the hottest curry in the world right here in New York. More pain and sweat than flavor so just how bad is it? I have to give it a try.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It's a Friday in Hot-lanta, living it up to what's new (ph) today. Right now, it's 77 degrees to begin the day, later on today, downright hot, 97 degrees, but yes, it's late July, heading into August.

SIDNER: Forty-eight minutes after the hour. Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Reynolds Wolf is in the Extreme Weather Center for us again, and we're already talking about the heat where you are.

WOLF: I know, guys. It is unbelievable. And as a guy who grew up in the southeast, let me tell you, I mean, this is really when the heat really begins to build this time of year, but it isn't even august yet. It will start cooling at a little bit maybe by the time we get to October. It's certainly going to be brutal today for parts of the central plains along the Gulf Coast and, of course, the south east including Carolinas and even Georgia where we have this area of shaded in this almost like a pinkish color. That's where your warnings happen to be.

South of Atlanta from Hilton Head Island back over to Charleston, it's going to feel like it's anywhere from 110 to 121 degrees today. Just brutal stuff. Something else is going to be brutal for you will be the heat across parts of the central and southern plains. Dallas, 99 degrees, and for (ph) the trademark, don't be surprised if you see some of those -- you get that big bang sign up along parts of I-35 where I would not be surprised if it says 105, maybe even 110 by late afternoon as you rolling away home.

In Kansas City, 91 degrees, 78 in Minneapolis, 92 in Salt Lake City, 59 in San Francisco, 74 degrees in Los Angeles out by the Staples Center. You got the temperatures down pat but what about extreme weather? Are we going to see any extreme thunderstorms? There is the potential that we may have some strong storms developing across parts of the nation's mid section as you move into the Corn Belt back into Iowa, even into portions of Missouri up by St. Joseph might have some heavy storms there into the afternoon and maybe some large hail forming.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms possible across parts of the Four Corners. And now, look for possibly some delays in Chicago before the day is out. Maybe a pop-up thunderstorm in Atlanta, but with under the big dome of high pressure, I'd say that it's highly unlikely. The heat in the southeast can be expected through the weekend. Enjoy and crank up those air conditioners. Let's send it back to you guys.

ROBERTS: Spend a lot of time in the water whatever what (INAUDIBLE). Reynolds, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

WOLF: Good day.

ROBERTS: Coming up right after the break, Sara, who spends her life in New Delhi, against the hottest curry in the world. So hot that the chef has to wear a gas mask?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: If you can't take the heat, this next dish may not be for you.

SIDNER: You got that right. Here in New York City, a restaurant is serving up what might be the hottest curry on record. Strong enough to make your tongue swell, your eyes water, so you know I had to try it.

ROBERTS: Oh, my goodness.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (voice-over): In New York City, an inconspicuous restaurant offering a taste of India. Hot enough to make a tough guy cry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I can finish this. I'm just going to keep eating it. Oh, my.

ANDY PROCTOR, BARTENDER, BRICK LANE CURRY HOUSE: I've seen ghost make-up (ph) running down their face. These people soaked. They look like they just got out of the shower, you know. Red-faced, purple- faced.

SIDNER: All because they took Brick Lane Curry House restaurants phaal challenge. That's P-H-A-AL. A dish so spicy, one of the ten peppers used in it is being tested in India as a potential weapon against terrorists which explains why the chef who makes it has to wear this.

You have to wear a gas mask?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To make sure that I'm safe.

SIDNER: Where's mine?

Since I live in India and eat curry daily, I decided to take the challenge which means eating one entire order of this nuclear dish.

Have you actually finished one of these dishes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never finish a bowl.

SIDNER: What?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm smart.

SIDNER: The owner says about 20 people order that phaal curry daily, only about three finish it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't do this.

SIDNER: This is Caroline. She's saying it's not spicy at all. Caroline. She's a better woman than I am. I'll talk to you when you're half-way through.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

SATINDER SHARMA, CO-OWNER, BRICK LANE CURRY HOUSE: I can assure you that there's more pain in it than flavor.

SIDNER: Caroline, let me see your face. Yes, it's rough, isn't it? As for me -- woo! Am I insane? You think I'm a fool? Be honest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of.

SIDNER: About 25 minutes later, the last bite. Seriously, do I have to eat this? I won. The thing is, it sure didn't feel like it later that night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (on-camera): All right, so here's the thing.

ROBERTS: You did this on Wednesday, right?

SIDNER: Tuesday night --

ROBERTS: And you were still complaining about yesterday morning.

SIDNER: On Thursday. There's a verbal warning that you have to agree to. You have to say, all right, yes, I agree. That I know this might be a little uncomfortable later. And they told me that one guy was actually taken to the hospital because he has a nose bleed after eating this. No, I'm not kidding. So, that made me really nervous before. So, I was like -- but, anyway, it's fine. You should try it.

ROBERTS: Oh, I think we're out of time.

SIDNER: No, we got a little time.

ROBERTS: No, we got to go to break, right?

SIDNER: He's making that up. Come on, Johnnie. You promised. I told you about this, and you said -- try it.

ROBERTS: Oh my, God. That's too big a piece. You ate the vegetable, right?

SIDNER: I had the vegetable. This is the meat. And everybody has their idea of like what is going to be least hot. I think the meat -- come on, take a big chunk.

ROBERTS: Now, that's a huge chunk.

SIDNER: That's all right. You're manly man.

ROBERTS: If I can't do this.

SIDNER: Come on, bring it.

ROBERTS: "Daily show" here we come.

SIDNER: How you doing?

ROBERTS: It's not bad at all.

(LAUGHING)

SIDNER: I'm sorry. Sorry, mom. I didn't mean to hurt him.

ROBERTS: Where's my respirator?

SIDNER: That's rough. Oh, by the way, you get to read the next story.

ROBERTS: Next story right after I go to the hospital. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)