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American Morning

Madison Schools Shut Down Due to Teacher Walk Outs and Protests; New Documentary Highlights Environmental Drawbacks of Natural Gas Mining; Borders Planning A Fire Sale; Bahrain: Funerals and Protests

Aired February 18, 2011 - 08:00   ET

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

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Drinking water so polluted you can set it on fire. An Oscar-nominated documentary "Gasland" exposing the danger of certain types of national gas drilling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, gee (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Proponents of natural gas drilling say this is all general propaganda. But the film's director and also actor Mark Ruffalo went to Washington with a message: stop the drilling, keep our water safe. And they are here live on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(MUSIC)

CHETRY: And good morning to you. Thanks so much for being with us. It's Friday, February 18th. I'm Kiran Chetry. We will have more on that story coming up a little later in the hour.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.

We want to tell you about this growing protests we are continuing to see pop up around the Arab world. They are growing more and more violent and more and more deadly in some situations. We're expecting to see some nations tense after Friday prayers.

Take a look, though, at this map to give you an idea of how this unrest is spreading. Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Djibouti, even Iraq seeing protest. One of the main spots people are keeping an eye on right now: Bahrain. That is a critical, a military importance to the United States. That's where the 5th Navy Fleet is stationed. They are in charge there trying to make sure that oil freely flows safely through the Gulf.

There are funeral for the dead. But that's where unrest has popped up. Now, crowds are gathering once again today and we're told these numbers continue to grow. Four people killed yesterday in violent and bloody crackdowns. Bahrain's top Shiite cleric called this a massacre.

Also to Libya now. That is the latest country where we're seeing demands for change. People are saying that Muammar Gadhafi who has been the dictator for some 40 years, saying he now needs to go.

Protesters are saying and I quote here, "They are sending thugs to beat us." Libyans staged what they call a day of rage. They organized this just like many other countries, on social media sites. These days of bloody clashes have now left 21 people dead according to a human rights group.

CHETRY: And for a third straight day here in the U.S., kids in Madison, Wisconsin, have no school as protesting teachers and boycotting classrooms continue. Teachers refusing to work while the governor tries to balance the state budget by cutting their benefits and rights to collective bargaining. The teachers are getting a lot of support nationally.

In New York, demonstrators plan to hold a sympathy protest today. They're calling it a cheese head rally.

And 14 Democrats from Wisconsin Senate are AWOL again this morning. They fled the state yesterday, crossing the border into Illinois so that they wouldn't be compelled to return to work. That forced a vote on the state's new budget bill to be delayed.

Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, we spoke to two Wisconsin state senators, Republican Glenn Grothman who backs the governor's plan and Democrat Jon Erpenbach, who says that the governor's tactics are irresponsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

JON ERPENBACH (D), WISCONSIN STATE SENATOR: He's got a responsibility to bring people together to the table. He's going to get his money. We all know that. This issue is all about the governor's attempt to strip collective bargaining rights away from unions and essentially bust them.

GLENN GROTHMAN (R), WISCONSIN STATE SENATOR: We have one of the biggest budget deficits in the country. We have, I think, the most generous employee pensions in the country, and I am a part of that plan, by the way. But given the huge deficit we have, the idea of asking teachers to pay more of their health insurance seems entirely reasonable.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

CHETRY: Senator Erpenbach says the 14 Democrats have all scattered this morning. He won't say exactly where they are, only that they are still outside the borders of Wisconsin.

HOLMES: Well, teachers there are calling this a budget -- or union- busting budget bill. The president agrees calling this an assault on unions. We're expecting to see more of the same today. Twenty-five thousand jammed into the capital yesterday.

How long now are these teachers prepared to stay out?

Well, we asked Bryan Kennedy just a bit ago. He's the president of the American Federation of Teachers in Wisconsin. He says they'll stay out, but depending on when they come back -- well, that's up to the governor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRYAN KENNEDY, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS IN WISCONSIN: This governor says he needs an additional $30 million in concessions. We, as unions, are willing to come to the bargaining table and to discuss what those additional concessions, in addition to $100 million and additional $30 million, what that would look like. What more we could give up to help him to fill what's left of this budget hole.

He has refused to answer any of our calls, refused to come to the table and negotiate. He has decided that the problem is the unions. I don't see how it's a problem if we're willing to come to the table and negotiate, and he's not the one willing to come to the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: In regard to those 14 Democratic senators who high-tailed is out of town, Kennedy calls them courageous.

CHETRY: Public education funding is not only a problem Wisconsin is facing. In fact, it is much worse in other states. Wisconsin is projecting a $3.6 billion deficit over the next two years.

But we wanted to show you some other numbers to put that into perspective for you. A total of 45 out of 50 states are facing a budget shortfall. There you see them in red in 2012, totaling $125 billion.

The fiscal year, 2012, Illinois is projecting a $13 billion deficit. California, $6 billion. Texas, $4 billion. And at least 14 of these states are considering changes in how the government treats the workforce, paying more into pensions and health care and/or limiting the power of unions.

HOLMES: "Read my lips" -- those were three words that got President Bush in trouble back in 1988. That was a promise not to raise taxes, many say that cost him a re-election. Now, the House Speaker John Boehner, he is using that phrase as well. He's doing it when he's talking about a government shutdown as a possibility. He says Republicans will not compromise when it comes to tightening the belts -- and, yes, he used those famous three words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: When we say we're going to cut spending -- read my lips: we're going to cut spending.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: We'll see if those words come back to bite him. A stopgap funding measure that's funding the government expires on March the 4th.

We got some new video here to share with you. This apparently an arson -- a possible arson at the Texas governor's mansion? Are you seeing this? Authorities are looking for the guy who was caught throwing a Molotov cocktail that started a fire.

Now, this apparently happened back in 2008, but Texas rangers just releasing the video hoping it will lead to an arrest. They offered a $50,000 reward, but no one has been charged just yet. The Texas governor, Rick Perry, was not living at the mansion at that time.

CHETRY: High school sophomore Joel Northrup, you'll see him here, he's a wrestler, and there he is with his back facing the camera. He gave up the chance to become an Iowa state champion potentially, refusing to take on a female contender. That freshman female, you'll see here in a second, wearing a red wrestling uniform, is the first girl ever to qualify for the state tournament.

Northrup was one of the favorites releasing a statement, quote, "Wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times. As a matter of conscientious and my faith, I do not believe it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been place in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa."

Here's what Northrup's athletic director said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MAHMENS, LINN MAR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: You know, I'm sure it was hard for him, like it would be hard for anybody. But, you know, it's a decision that his family made and that's what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: We are -- and there is a picture of the girl wrestler who he was supposed to take on, Cassy is her name. We're going to talk to both of them, Cassy Herkelman and Joel Northrup here in our show on Monday.

Facebook now recognizing civil unions in a relationship status. Users now have the option of saying they're in a civil union or in a domestic partnership. The move is being applauded by the gay community, glad, saying Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion.

HOLMES: Well, most people out there want to pay fewer taxes. But why are some parents in Kansas raising their hand and volunteering to pay more taxes but the state is saying to them, no you can't?

CHETRY: Also, he's been on medical leave from Apple, as we told you yesterday. Apple's Steve Jobs, CEO, was invited to dinner with President Obama last night. No pictures, though, came out of that dinner, leading to more speculation about Steve Jobs' health this morning.

We'll have more coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE) an invitation to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but the Obamas will take it. Queen Elizabeth extending a royal invite to the president and the first lady for a visit to the United Kingdom in May. Now, when they were there in 2009, Michelle Obama caused a bit of a stir with an affectionate gesture, putting her arm on the queen, which apparently is a big breach of royal protocol.

Well, the president continues to push his innovation agenda. He was visiting the west today. He, yesterday, went out there to visit an Intel research facility. He's doing that today in Oregon actually. And that follows a dinner meeting that he had last night with top Silicon Valley executives, including Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO who is on medical leave from the company he cofounded. Among the other tech giants in attendance: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Eric Schmidt -- T.J.

HOLMES: Well, Kiran, a woman in Kansas is going to court, along with some other parents in Kansas. They are fighting to -- get this -- pay more taxes. Why? They want to make schools better for their children.

She has a son in middle school and that middle school is going to be closed and state law says she can't pay more. These parents can't pay more even if they want to.

Michelle Trouve is the parent in particular I'm talking about, joining me this morning from Kansas City.

Ma'am, thank you so much for taking time out with us. And I guess let's start by explaining this to folks a little bit. There is a cap for how much parents can contribute to those public schools when it comes to property taxes. You can't keep raising your taxes and raising your own taxes to end up putting into the school. Why do you have a problem with that?

MICHELLE TROUVE, SUING STATE OF KANSAS: Good morning, T.J. I have a problem with that. I think it's important to understand how the funding formula in Kansas actually works.

We receive our funding from three different sources. We have an amount that comes from the state of Kansas and I think examples kind of will help you. It costs about $12,000 to teach a kid in the state of Kansas today in our district and $4,000 of that money comes from our state funding formula.

HOLMES: Yes.

TROUVE: Another $1,000 comes from the federal government. And because it's a $12,000 amount, we bridge that gap or we pay that extra $7,000 through our local option budget or otherwise known as our property taxes.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: OK. You want to pay more. Yes, ma'am, go ahead.

TROUVE: Yes, I want to pay more because we're facing millions and millions of tens of millions of dollars of budget cuts. They are closing schools. They're laying off teachers. They cut off 100 teachers last year. And the state has essentially said it is unfair for you to raise that $7,000, that local option budget.

So, if the state is going to cut their portion down -- obviously, we would like to bridge that gap in some way, shape or form.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: Yes, let's take it up right there for our viewers. And this is the problem that the state has -- they are saying your district, and we have to be honest here, y'all have more affluent district than a lot of other places, and they are concerned about the inequity. If they would just allow an affluent district that has parents with higher property taxes who can keep raising and raising, you will end up with super schools in some ways. You can recruit the best teachers, pay them the best salaries and other -- I guess the poor just get poorer.

Do you understand that argument?

TROUVE: Yes, but I have to firmly disagree with that argument, because if you actually looked at who received the funding in the state of Kansas, our district is in the bottom 5 percent of the funding for operating expenses in the state of Kansas, and we are in the bottom 25 percent of funding overall.

And if you overlap the fact that we are underfunded, purposely underfunded, and our kids are not the wealthiest in the state of Kansas. Our kids are not the highest performers. Our schools are not the top ranked schools.

In fact, the governor's award in the state of Kansas that shows test scores and children's academic achievement out of over 300 awards that have been given in the last four years, our schools have only received two of those awards. So, this whole argument about the rich getting richer just isn't true.

HOLMES: Do you think, ma'am, that your school district, besides it closing, do you think your child is receiving a lesser education because of the funding? How has your school district been hurt? I guess, besides the school closing, are the students just still getting a good education?

TROUVE: Well, undoubtedly, no. Their education is clearly suffering. I have a doubt who is 11 years old currently in the sixth grade. She has 27 kids in her class. When she started in first grade at the same elementary school, she only had 21 kids in her class. So, she has increased over six years, six kids in her class. The teachers, obviously, in the state of Kansas, the average pupil per teacher ratio is 12 to 13 to 1. And here, I have my kids during classes with 27 students to one teacher.

HOLMES: Well, last thing here to you, ma'am, I have to ask, and we have to wrap this up, but I think the larger issue, and you put out a lot of numbers this morning. I know it's a specific case there, but the overall overarching idea is that if you let people with more money pay as much as they want to pay for schools, then, is that fair and is that set up an inequity with kids who are in poorer districts? Do you see that argument, though?

TROUVE: You know, I think it's a counterargument. I don't see that argument, because what we're fighting for is just to bring our equity up to equal of all the other students in the state of Kansas, and that's what's been a difficult message to communicate is our kids are being underfunded compared to everybody else. So, there is a notion of equity that is important, and every kid in America deserves a really fine education, not just a base education.

And I do believe, however, that it's our responsibility to provide that. But if we are willing to sacrifice and come together as a community and say as a community, there's only one pot of money, and if we want to sacrifice buying a new car in a couple of years or taking a family vacation and putting that money towards our children, I believe we have that right.

HOLMES: Yes. Well, ma'am, it is certainly an interesting something playing out there, that could be playing out in other districts across this country, but I know you all are talking to a judge today. We could hear some more news about it later, but certainly, good luck to you and the folks in the district.

TROUVE: Thank you.

HOLMES: And really, all around the state of Kansas right now dealing with education issues. Thank you so much for your time, ma'am. You enjoy your weekend.

TROUVE: Thank you.

HOLMES: All right. Eighteen minutes past the hour. Quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, lock your money now. Borders in the midst of planning liquidation sales of 200 stores that's closing. The second largest book retailer announced on Wednesday that it had filed for bankruptcy. A spokesman for the chain says it is possible the sales may take place this weekend.

HOLMES: New information out this morning about the gap between what men and women are paid. Christine Romans who I'd like to say makes far more money than I do is watching your money this morning. I want to get that out there.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You, write line down here. You write yours down, and we will switch.

HOLMES: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: Look, looking at some new Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the census that showed how much money people make women related to men, and it's about 80 percent. Women still make 80 cents on the man's dollar, and there's a lot of different reasons. We've talked about it, argued about it for years about why women make less, but when you look within these numbers, you can also see differences in terms of professions.

Look at their financial activities. Women make about 70 percent of the men's earnings. Education and health services, this is one of the far greatest number of women who are employed, 77 percent. Leisure and hospitality, women make 83.5 percent of what men make. And look at construction, 92 percent. In terms of where women just nominally make the most money is in mining.

That's one place, and also agriculture -- or mining, coring (ph), oil and gas extraction, petroleum engineers and stuff like that. So, some interesting numbers there, but overall, that disparity still exists women making about 80 percent of what men make.

CHETRY: In those fields, there are less women in general, right? They maybe making more money, but there's less opportunity?

ROMANS: They more like to be the boss, too, in some of these fields, and some of these fields simply just pay more or there are fewer women and you got some companies that are trying to promote women and so you have a better chance of moving up the ranks because you're one of the only few of them. So, it's interesting there.

CHETRY: Speaking of one of the only few, you spoke to one of the only women "Daily Show" correspondents, right?

ROMANS: That's right. Samanth Bee. For all these people out there who are big fans of the "Daily Show" and Samantha Bee, she's watching us right now. She said I'm watching you. I'm watching every move you make, because, you know, sometimes, they make fun of people like us.

CHETRY: Never made fun of us. Not once.

ROMANS: I personally have never been on the wrong side of a "Daily Show" montage, but I talked to Samantha Bee about her new book, "I know I Am, But What Are you?" How she manages to have three kids under the age of 5, write a book and have the big job, but I also asked her, I said, point blank, is your job, Samantha Bee, to make people laugh, to make them think, or both?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA BEE, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": I only try to make people laugh. I can't be bothered making people think. Others can take that on.

ROMANS: You know, some people, they watch "The Daily Show," and a lot of young people, especially, they're like forming their political opinions, and you know, taking their news judgment from "The Daily Show." So, that's a responsibility.

BEE: It is a wonderful place to come for a cathartic moment, but ultimately comes the, you know, should beginning your news elsewhere if you want to find our joke funny, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: And that's what she says she is meant to do just to make people laugh. We talked a lot about, you know, what it's like to work over there at the "Daily Show." She said it's really family, friendly phase. Her husband, actually, Jason Jones, works at "The Daily Show." Interesting, right? Three little kids.

She's juggling it off. How do you manage it -- it's so cliche to say, how do you manage it all, three kids, writing a book, and doing your job? She says, I don't know. She said, I don't know. I'll let you know on the other end when I actually think I've managed it.

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: They are, and she's very funny. Very funny. Her book is out in paperback and it's a cute read, too.

CHETRY: I hope she is making more than 80 cents on the dollar on that show.

ROMANS: I know. I'm going to write it down. In a break, we're going to share.

HOLMES: Christine, thank you.

Well, coming up, you've seen these pictures coming out of Madison, Wisconsin. Well, that's not the only place where we can see these type of fights play out. Our Casey Wian is standing by for us coming up next.

CHETRY: Water from a faucet literally ignites. In a new film about the dangers of a certain type of natural gas drilling, actor, Mark Ruffalo and "Gasland" director, Josh Fox, wanted to highlight all of this. They're in Washington to try to shed light on what's going on in many communities around the country. Does the film tell the whole story? Well, we're going to talk to them coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back. Bottom of the hour here on this AMERICAN MORNING. We continue to keep a close eye on the Middle East, North Africa, and also, the Gulf where we are seeing ago domino affect across the North Africa, the Middle East, and the Persian Gulf, as you see there, Bahrain, one of the latest spots to keep an eye on where protests have popped up. Libya, as well, where many are calling for Muammar al-Gadhafi's reign to end.

CHETRY: In Bahrain, meantime, thousands attended funerals for protesters killed. Crowds gathering and their numbers growing. A top Shiite cleric, a spokesman for the opposition, called yesterday's bloody crackdown on protesters a massacre. At least four people died when police swarmed the camp of sleeping protesters in the capital's main square. HOLMES: Also, things look a little different today in Egypt. Take a peek. It's a live picture you're looking at here. Not necessarily protests today. Not a day of rage, not a day of liberation. Calling this now a day of victory. Amazing you're hearing the heers and the chants and the screams and the whistles and the applause from people now after they have come out victorious as they say.

The protesters who've been gathering in Tahrir Square for the past several weeks, took 18 days before they finally got President Hosni Mubarak to step down. They are now celebrating the one-week anniversary of his resignation. An imam who has banned from his homeland for 30 years over his political views, he he was leading the prayers in the Square today.

CHETRY: Here at home, the uprising in Wisconsin. The labor fight there continues this morning. Teachers sick-outs have shut down schools in Milwaukee and Madison this morning.

HOLMES: You got thousands of state workers there are expected once again today. So, you could see another scene like this. They are protesting some of the governor's proposed budget cuts. They say it's an attempt to strip unions of their collective bargaining rights.

Casey Wian is live in Madison for us this morning. Casey, are they getting started just yet?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're just beginning to see the beginnings of the protesters gathering here and expecting thousands of them later today for the fifth straight here at Wisconsin state capital. Most of those protesters of course are teachers very upset about a proposed Bill that would strip them of many of their collective bargaining rights, also require them to pay more money for pension and health care benefits.

Now Governor Scott Walker says that these cuts are needed to close a 137 million dollar budget deficit by June 30th and help close a $3.6 billion budget deficit over the next two years. But teachers are clearly angry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN RADEMACHER, MADISON COUNTY TEACHER: Like other families, we have a mortgage to pay every month. We've got electric bills and what I've heard is that it's about a 13 percent net drop in income with the benefits and the wages. That's what we would be losing every month. So then we have to start picking and choosing how we're going to make our house payments and still do other things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIAN: Now teachers say this is not really about money. What it's about is an effort to bust their and other unions. But not everyone is sympathetic to the teachers out here protesting. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shame on you for abandoning our children today! At least there are a few teachers out there who have the guts to stands up against you union thugs and actually teach our children! You're AWOL! You're AWOL! You're AWOL!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIAN: Those teachers will again be off the job again today. As you mentioned earlier, many schools throughout this state will be closed. Also, there is not going to be much legislative action today because Democratic lawmakers in the state Senate have left the state to prevent a quorum from taking place and prevent this legislation from moving forward any time soon. T.J., Kiran?

HOLMES: Casey Wian for us this morning in Wisconsin. A lot to keep an eye on there.

CHETRY: It has to be one of the most helpless feelings in the world you know your water supply is not safe. You can smell it and taste it, and yet people are saying, no, it's fine. Well, in a new film showing really amazing claims that certain types of natural gas drilling can actually make the water flammable.

We are talking to "Gasland" director Josh Fox and actor Mark Ruffalo, and they are going to Washington to fight this. We will hear about their Oscar award-winning documentary next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: It's 36 minutes past the hour right now. Welcome back. You really have to see this next segment, because it had me stopped in my tracks for a moment. Natural gas, often hailed as the cleaner, better, next big energy source, friendly on the environment than coal or diesel and found in the United States. Oil and energy giants like T. Boone Pickens say it is our transition fuel to cleaner energy.

But there is a new controversial documentary that's shattering that rosy picture about certain types of natural gas drilling, particularly a technique called fracking. It's basically damage willing watersheds, property, and according to some people who have lived it, ruining lives. Take a look of a clip from "Gasland."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, man!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me you drink that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me there ain't nothing wrong with this water.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It smelled like turpentine. That chemical smell goes straight to your head and gets you dizzy almost immediately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's I think criminal. What if I dumped it in the big boss in Canada's well. They have me in a pen so fast my head would spin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Josh Fox directed "Gasland" which is nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary, and he is also joined this morning by fellow Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo, who is nominated this year as well for "The Kids are All Right." Both of them are in Washington to draw the attention to the dangers of this type of natural gas drilling. Thanks for being with us.

JOSH FOX, DIRECTOR, "GASLAND": Thanks.

MARK RUFFALO, ACTOR: Thank you.

CHETRY: Josh, how did you even come to find out about this and how did you start to slowly become, in some ways, an investigative reporter as you've documented what is going on in these communities?

JOSH FOX: This all happened to me by accident. I live in the upper Delaware basin in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware, and Mark is on the New York side. I was approached to lease my land for natural gas drilling in 2008. When a company came in they said a new form of drilling called hydraulic fracturing. It's great, it's wonderful for the environment and you'll make lots of money. And everyone in my entire area was being asked to lease.

I looked into it and some of my neighbors were saying there were environmental hazards, chemicals injected under the ground. I decided to investigate that and it turned into the film "Gasland" which took me all across the United States basically looking at the largest domestic natural gas drilling campaign in history, which is happening now. And I think very few people know this is going on in 34 states.

CHETRY: You're right because oftentimes in the areas, at least that have been affected right now, people are not able to get their story out there. And, Mark, that is why your voice has been very important in this. You also live in a town where you say they have pretty much the quality of life you've seen diminish because of this. What is going on for you?

MARK RUFFALO: I'm on the New York side and we have been able to fight this off for the last three years. Finally we pushed through a moratorium on the state level, which has never been done and has been a huge victory for people who are worried about their water and their air.

But I've been to Demic, Pa., where a lot of this broke out, it's in the movie. And I saw how terrible these people's lives had been affected. They can't drink the water out of their tap. They can't bathe in it. The state government is completely turned their back on them. The city government has turned their back on them. The EPA is not allowed to regulate this type of drilling.

And so I see these people and they are asking me for my help. And I'm raising three kids, it could be me, it could be my neighbors. So I picked this up on behalf of them. CHETRY: Perhaps one of the most startling parts of this documentary is it really shows when you guys do this test. When this gentleman says to you I want you to see, this is the water coming out of my tap, this is the water that all of the local state and local and federal officials say is OK for me to drink and for me to give to my kids. Let's look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, Jesus Christ!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: You went back after he did it, and you were able to light what is coming out of his tap on fire. How is this possible? That was so mind blowing.

JOSH FOX: When you see this happen in front of your face, and this is something we did over and over again and heard reports about this from all over the country, Pennsylvania -- that clip is from Colorado and Wyoming, Louisiana, all the way into Canada. I've seen it done in Australia where they are doing this form of drilling.

What happens is something goes wrong under the surface. Hydraulic fracturing is a pressurized process. It's fluids injected down a wall bed that breaks apart rock formation where gas is trapped, and it's opened up these other formations to drilling all throughout New York and Pennsylvania that weren't able to be drilled before.

And somehow these chemicals, which are very dangerous neurotoxins and carcinogens and the gas itself migrate into the aquifers, and then you get this situation where people can all of a sudden people can light their water on fire.

And what is dangerous about that, first of all, is the gas seeps out into the house and that is unrefined natural gas with chemicals in it and it can cause brain damage, but also people's houses can explode. Some documentary subjects were showering in the dark because they were afraid a light bulb in their bathroom would spark and blow their house I while they were in the shower.

It's a terrifying situation and it's also something I think it shows how upside down this whole situation is. The natural gas industry has been promoting itself as this clean technology and that it's totally safe and OK to live in these drilling areas, both of which are not true. It's a result of a massive PR campaign. They are spending a lot of money to try to convince people this is the way to go for the energy future but --

CHETRY: Josh, I want to ask you about that. I'm sure it's not surprising to you that you have critics. And this one group in particular, Energy in Depth, which does represent oil and natural gas producers, they actually have a webpage out called debunking "Gasland." And they call out the clip that we show and say that methane is biogenic or naturally occurring and that there are no indications of oil and gas related impacts to water wells. What is your reaction to them saying that you should actually not be eligible for an Oscar because of the inaccuracies in your documentary?

JOSH FOX: This is insane. The natural gas industry has mounted a very expensive and extensive smear campaign against the film, but the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission confirmed that this was oil and gas related.

In Pennsylvania, the PADP also confirmed when people could light their water on fire it is a direct result of gas drilling. And what I've seen going across the country is confirmation of the reported thousands of cases of water contamination that are happening all over the United States.

CHETRY: I wish we could show more. You have clips of animals who have lost hair and other problems in these people's areas, the whole entire family having severe stomach distress and everything.

Mark, you mentioned how you were able, at least in your small area, to hold this at bay. What can other people around the country do who say what if this is coming here and what if it's already here, and what if I'm not comfortable with it? Is there any recourse?

MARK RUFFALO: You know, we're -- you feel like the system is set up against you and there's a lot of cynical forces out there that want us to believe that. But I have seen thousands upon thousands of people stand up and say no to this. It really is at the point where it is in our hands.

And on the state level, if you lobby, I've been to Albany five, six times, if you lobby and if you link hands with your community, you can get things done. And what I find myself saying is if you're losing hope then you're not doing enough.

CHETRY: I want to thank both of you. Congratulations, Josh, on the nomination for this. Mark, thanks so much as well for joining us.

MARK RUFFALO: Thank you.

CHETRY: Great to talk to both of you this morning. The documentary is called "Gasland." It's out and it's nominated for an Oscar this year. Thanks so much.

JOSH FOX: Thank you.

HOLMES: Kiran, It is going to be a beautiful, even warm start to the weekend. I say a start. It's not going to end that way. It's going to end in some ice and snow for some of you. Rob Marciano is up next. It's quarter of the top of the hour on this "AMERICAN MORNING."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: All right. Good morning, Atlanta and hello from the ATL. There is the downtown sky line. We have low to mid level clouds out there to start things off this morning.

Good morning again. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center.

A lot of folks down south and on the East Coast where it is unseasonably warm are enduring a little bit of low cloudiness and -- and some -- some fog at times.

On the West Coast you're just dealing with storms. And boy this has been a strong -- stormy pattern for the past week and it continues this weekend.

Look at these numbers coming out of Tahoe; 47 inches for two days, not including last night; for Alpine Meadows and North Star at Tahoe seeing almost four feet; Homewood, similar numbers. And that's good stuff and for the holiday weekend they will take it and more rain off the valleys and the snow at the mountains as a matter of fact this rain is beginning to shift a little bit farther to the south and we will see rain in SoCal, maybe some thunderstorms this afternoon and also some snow in the surrounding mountains of Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch where there was snow and subzero temperatures last week at this time, temperatures in the lower 80s yesterday. Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 82 degrees. So for a record -- all-time record lows last Thursday to record highs yesterday, quite a turnaround. Over a hundred degree switch in temperatures.

Here you go for our day time highs today: 79 in Dallas, it'll be 67 degrees in Memphis and 60 degrees in New York City and 74 degrees in D.C. Well, there you go, a little bit of spring in the air. Well, it's probably not going to last all that long, probably about 20 degrees cooler tomorrow. The front will come through dry for the most part, but it will be chillier.

Same deal in Chicago with a little wintry weather heading your way at the end of the weekend.

That's a quick check on weather. AMERICAN MORNING is coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is my honor to present CNN hero Dan Wallrack.

DAN WALLRACK, TOP TEN CNN HERO: Being a top ten CNN hero was just very humbling.

The true heroes are service men and women who answer the call.

Since the show aired, we've been getting phone calls and e-mails and donations from all over the world. It's just been incredible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had seen Dan on the CNN Heroes tribute and we thought, that's a perfect guy we got to team up with.

TY PENNINGTON, TEAM LEADER, "EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION": Good morning Patrick and Jessica. ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, AC360: ABC's "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" joined forces with Dan to build a home for an Iraq veteran wounded in the 2009 attack at Ft. Hood, in Texas; 13 soldiers died but Staff Sergeant Patrick Zeigler pulled through.

WALLRACK: He was shot four time, once in the head. He has just made a remarkable recovery.

COOPER: For Dan who normally works with around 200 people it's a chance to help build a home on a much larger scale.

WALLRACK: Probably 4,000 to 5,000 volunteers involved.

We have tons of military folks helping us. This house is going to be built in a hundred hours where normally we would take about six months.

COOPER: And an event at Ft. Hood honoring Patrick and his fiancee Jessica, Dan made a special announcement.

WALLRACK: We have established Ft. Hood Victims Fund to reach out to all of the families affected by this tragedy.

I feel so good all the time about seeing these lives change. Now we're going to be able to change a lot more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: The power of pictures and just one worth a thousand words. A CNN documentary premiering this weekend focuses on the works of civil rights photographer Ernest Withers.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, he has become now a controversial figure. But as they say the pictures don't lie.

CNN's special correspondent, Soledad O'Brien live for us in Los Angeles this morning; Soledad always good to see you. But a controversial figure here, but many were calling him a civil rights legend.

(CROSS TALK)

HOLMES: So the jury for a lot of people still out for him?

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: And the question -- yes, can you be both?

HOLMES: Yes.

O'BRIEN: -- can you be both in you know, you may not know the name Ernest Withers but his photos, you know, the minute you see them, you know them well. He's one of the most iconic and important civil rights photographers in that era. And that word came out in the fall that he was cooperating. He was informing for the FBI and his family members are stunned and don't believe it. Some of his photos like the photos of Dr. King or the one that said, "I Am A Man" for the Memphis sanitation workers strike, he took photos of Emmitt Till.

The question today is, "Do the pictures lie?" What are the values of his pictures considering what we now know about his involvement with the FBI?

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Through one lens, Memphis and much of the American south was a frightening place to be but through another lens, the lens belonging to budding photo journalist Ernest Withers, it could also be exhilarating, exciting, inspiring.

BILLY WITHERS, ERNEST WITHERS' SON: I don't think that he -- he had the impression at the time that he was taking this for preservation of history. But he had a sense of the (INAUDIBLE) and importance of what he was doing.

EARL CALDWELL, FRIEND: If you look at his work, one of the things he had a feel for was the little guy, the poor guy that's working hard. He had a way of being able to photograph someone's face. It was almost like you were looking at the person's hands or something because you could see how hard they -- their lives had been and it was in their faces.

O'BRIEN: In 1960, Black Sharecroppers in Fayette County, Tennessee, were being evicted from their homes for registering to vote. Tent city was an emergency camp set up on donated land for those people who suddenly found themselves with no food, no shelter, nowhere to turn.

Withers rushed there with the only aid he had, his camera.

WITHERS: That was a sense of mission to him. I can remember him calling all of the different editors and reporters around the country. And he literally called --

(CROSS TALK)

O'BRIEN: To pitch the story?

WITHERS: Right. That -- that's what he would do on numerous occasions when he felt that there was something that really needed to -- to be exposed. He had his own mission, a purpose.

(CROSS TALK)

O'BRIEN: What was that?

WITHERS: It's to expose things.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The question becomes do the pictures lie or not. And what is the value of Ernest Withers work knowing what we know. It was very interesting to hear from others who weighed in about some of the strategies and tactic of the FBI at the time.

Earl Caldwell who was the journalist working for "The New York Times" talked about how the FBI came to him and he described it as them putting their foot on his neck and saying, listen, if you don't cooperate, we are going tell everyone you're cooperating with us. So the -- the Black Panthers, who you are trying to report on, they will kill you when they think you are working with us and will -- you know, we'll help spread that rumor unless you go ahead and work with us.

So it's interesting. I mean Ernest Withers died in 2007 and he took a lot of those secrets to his grave, interesting to learn about the time and some of the motivation behind why he might have done what he did. Back to you guys.

HOLMES: It's fascinating to hear it now. He was considered on his own right a civil rights legend but some are questioning all of that now.

Soledad, I'm looking forward to seeing that. I know you've been working on this one for a while, it was one and I was certainly looking forward to seeing. So, good to see you.

(CROSS TALK)

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

HOLMES: And to our viewers you can see -- yes, the documentary "PICTURES DON'T LIE", premiering Sunday night 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

CHETRY: All right Soledad thanks so much. Thanks for getting up early with us here.

HOLMES: Yes.

CHETRY: Soledad is in L.A. this morning.

And that's going to do it for us. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and we'll see you back here bright and early Monday.

HOLMES: All right. Kyra Phillips -- we'll hand it over to you in the "CNN NEWSROOM". Hey there.