Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Comments Cost USDA Official Her Job; Undocumented Students Want Citizenship; Blagojevich Says He'll Testify

Aired July 20, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN has brought you all of the angles of the oil disaster. Today we are taking this coverage to new heights. Right there, live CNN's Amber Lyon has an exclusive behind the scenes look on board a blimp that is used to spot oil slicks. You are actually taking a look at her right now and from what I understand, we can't -- Amber, can you hear me?

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, yes, I can hear you a little bit.

PHILLIPS: All right. Tell us what it's like. (INAUDIBLE).

All right. We had her for a second there. You can actually see a live picture but we're going to try to get her back. As you can imagine, technology doesn't lend us to a very easy live shot. But basically, what you are seeing, Amber Lyon up for the first time in a blimp piloted by the U.S. Navy to hover over in low level, slow sailing across the Gulf of Mexico there looking for where that oil is and how it's impacting sea life and still no audio.

I was hoping we would be able to gain connection with her. But we'll keep trying. We will try to make it happen, so we can get a firsthand look for the first time at how this blimp is working and if indeed it's going to be able to help with reconnaissance trying to save our gulf.

All right. Let's check our top stories as we continue to monitor our Amber Lyon there, live in the air, via the Navy blimp.

Pressure testing on that well head in the gulf continues today. Workers also searching for possible leaks at three separate areas, stretching up to two miles away. Scientists want to know if those leaks could be causing the new pressure on the new well head cap.

The financial costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are out and they are astounding. A recently-released congressional report says the U.S. has spent more than $1 trillion and counting. That makes the war on terrorism the second most expensive war in U.S. history and get this, the cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq could total $2.4 trillion in just another seven years.

While the U.S. continues to dole out the cash and the troops, President Hamid Karzai says his country is determined to take over its own security operations by 2014. He says his government will work with NATO and other nations on making that transition plan. President Hamid Karzai made the comments earlier today at an international donors conference in Kabul.

(INAUDIBLE) The U.S. Department of Agriculture shunned by the NAACP. We're pushing forward on the story of Shirley Sherrod. Now, she's telling us that we don't have the whole story. Sherrod used to be the U.S. rural development director for Georgia until a Youtube clip of her went viral. It's from an NAACP dinner in March.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIRLEY SHERROD, FMR. U.S. RURAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, GEORGIA: So many black people had lost their farmland and here I was faced with a white person needing to save their land. So I didn't give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, here is part of the statement from Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack. "There is zero tolerance for discrimination at USDA, and I strongly condemn any act of discrimination against any person."

And this is from Ben Jealous of the NAACP, "Racism is about the abuse of power. Sherrod had it in her position at USDA. We are appalled by her actions just as we are with abuses of power of farmers of color and female farmers." But Sherrod says, hold on, there's no context with that clip and that it doesn't tell the entire story.

She actually called CNN's AMERICAN MORNING this morning to give her side of the story. She talked with our John Roberts. And he joins us from New York, also CNN's political analyst Roland Martin. He's in Chicago and of course, he's going to weigh in as well. John, let's go ahead and listen to some of your interview with Shirley Sherrod from earlier and then let's comment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERROD: I was speaking to the group like I've done many groups, and I tell them about a time when I thought the issue was race and race only. And I tell them the story of how I worked with the white farmer back in 1986. I was not working for the Department of Agriculture. I was working with the nonprofit organization assisting farmers throughout south Georgia and the southeast.

And this farmer came to me for help. I was telling the story about how working with him helped me to see that the issue is it not about race. It's about those who have versus those who do not have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: John, what's your take?

ROBERTS: Well, we had her on this morning. When you take a look at that video clip, it looks like, oh, my goodness, this is something she did while she was in a position of authority at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But by talking with her this morning, she said this was 24 years ago. This was a learning experience for her. She had in the job that she was in with this nonprofit cooperative organization dealing with farmers in southeastern Georgia, sort of had a preconceived notion of what it was all about. That it was about white and black, and she said, "no, I learned from that it was not about race. It was about the haves versus the have-nots," and she has not only told this speech before this organization back on March the 27th, but more than six months earlier than that, on the 15th of October, she gave what she told us this morning was exactly the same speech at Albany State University. It was played over and over again on local television in Albany and nobody came out and said anything about this.

This was put up on a web site, this latest one from March 27th, and as well covered extensively by news organizations. That's when it came to the attention of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the NAACP. When you take a look at Ben Jealous' statement, it looks as though he perceived that this was something that she did while she was at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which other people have told us this morning, yes, indeed, would be wrong, but is it wrong if she is telling a story that happened 26 years ago, saying "this is something that changed my perspective on the whole issue"? That's what's being debated now.

PHILLIPS: All right. So Roland, is this action taken by the right wingers to just pick whatever sound bites from this speech and put it out of context and put it on Youtube without seeing the whole thing?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, first of all, I want to address the right wingers perspective. Second, I believe that the statement by the NAACP was a correct statement because you're speaking to the issue of being in power, and you actually making a determination based upon race.

I talked to John Boyd with the National Black Farmers Association, and he also supports their decision, even though, as she said, this took place prior to her coming to the USDA. What it shows you is when you're in a position of power - we also know there are individuals who are still working for the Department of Agriculture who have cost the American taxpayers a billion-plus dollars and these folks have not been fired and they actually, denied opportunities against black farmers, Hispanics and women based upon race and gender, so I would hope the right wing conservatives would also talk to those individuals as well.

And so look, she has to understand that her position was going to be, frankly, difficult, because the question would then have came into would other folks (INAUDIBLE) opportunities with? What else happened? In a politically charged environment, like it or not, this is what's going happen. And I think -

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Wasn't she just telling the story of redemption? She feels she was telling a story of redemption that more than 20 years ago - MARTIN: As a political appointee, Kyra, one has to recognize in these times today, when folks do play "gotcha," when you do have videotape, how things can be used against you. So I would question, you know, frankly, even telling that particular story publicly, knowing full well how it could be used against you, used against your superiors, used against the president, whom ever. That's the environment that we are now living in whether we like it or not.

PHILLIPS: We have all been victims of that. How many times have we given speeches or we've given interviews and we see everybody with different intentions take snippets of what - it's happened to all three of us, as a matter of fact -

MARTIN: Sure.

PHILLIPS: And it's pretty heart wrenching.

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: The motives are clear.

PHILLIPS: But John. Go ahead, John.

ROBERTS: The point could be made here, I mean, Robert Byrd's affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan. Obviously that stayed with him throughout his life and was recently mentioned when he passed away but people allowed him to take a different point of view after he came to that different point of view.

And it just puts out the question - I'm not defending this woman. I'm just saying that she came to a different point of view, and she's talking about that now and is that a fireable offense?

PHILLIPS: Roland?

MARTIN: Again, though, you begin to speak to the issue in terms of what will be the perception, will it be a political fire storm and will the controversy get in the way of you actually doing your job? We've seen this on multiple occasions.

PHILLIPS: And do we know that? Roland, that's a great point. We don't know, at least at this point - I don't know. Do you know, John? Do you know if she has acted (INAUDIBLE) - go ahead.

ROBERTS: If we don't have her record, but from talking to her this morning - we do not have her record, but from talking to her this morning, she said that episode in her life during which she worked very closely with this farmer and became friends with both him and his wife, it taught her how to do her job better, so it would appear on the surface - again, I'm not defending her, just telling you what she said - that this was learning experience.

MARTIN: Right.

PHILLIPS: And Roland -

ROBERTS: She was in her job at a non-profit with a different perspective that she has now and this helped her to see the light.

PHILLIPS: And Roland, we need to hear from the USDA. I know that John has reached out to the USDA. We have reached out to the USDA. You know, because now that we are getting more context regarding this speech and she has spoken to us live on CNN.

ROBERTS: Right.

PHILLIPS: We need to hear from the USDA and say, well, did she explain this to you and why did you accept her resignation?

MARTIN: Sure, and, Kyra, look, we also have to recognize that when you're operating in a political fire storm, when you are operating in a situation where just last week the NAACP went after tea party folks, racist elements. Clearly, that was the motive of Andrew Brightbart and big government and the folks at Fox News and other places.

That was the motive, what is the context, what are you exposing. But from a political standpoint, whether we like it or not, you make these kinds of decisions where somebody may resign or get forced out because it could impede your actual work moving forward if it continues and the drumbeats get louder and louder. You cut it off at the pass. You may not like it, but that's the reality in 2010.

PHILLIPS: That's right. And once it's on the internet it never goes away. Roland Martin (INAUDIBLE)

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Final thought, John.

ROBERTS: It would be nice to see the entire tape in its context so we could all take a look at it and say, "oh, this is what she said, and you can hear her continue to hold the same opinion or you can change your opinion based on what she said.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Let's ask for the entire tape. Let's ask the USA for the entire tape.

ROBERTS: And I would like to know, too, if the NAACP had the benefit of having this in context before it came forward with its statement.

PHILLIPS: I say, yes.

MARTIN: I actually talked to Ben Jealous in terms of it did not have her comments on that, but, again, you are also looking at a situation of a national organization that has fought racism on the surface. When you hear comments, what's your reaction going to be?

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: But did they see the whole tape?

Roland, did Ben Jealous say he saw the entire speech? MARTIN: First of all, no one has seen the whole tape.

PHILLIPS: OK.

MARTIN: This wasn't a national organization. This was a local chapter, not a national organization.

ROBERTS: It would be good to see the whole tape.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I'm wondering for those that released the sound bites, if they saw the whole tape, too.

All right. Guys, I'm getting a big, fat wrap. We'll continue -

MARTIN: It's always great to see the whole tape, context.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely and will stay on it. That's for sure. Roland, let us know if you hear more. John, you too. Thanks, guys.

Now CNN's Tony Harris is going to push the story forward next hour. He's going to actually talk to Shirley Sherrod. He spoke with her just a short time ago. That's going to be at 11:00 Eastern, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right. Let's talk some more politics here. The British prime minister David Cameron at the White House today. It's going to be his first visit to Washington as prime minister. He and President Obama have a number of topics to discuss, among them, of course, the BP oil disaster.

President Obama has said that he expected BP to live up to its obligations to pay damages caused by the spill. Cameron has supported that position as well.

Also, the release of the Libyan terrorist that was convicted of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie. The prime minister meets later today with four U.S. senators to talk about that release. And Afghanistan, the British prime minister is under pressure back home to end Britain's involvement in the war. We'll follow that meeting for you.

Now, on the U.S. Senate's agenda this afternoon, a key vote on extending unemployment benefits. That extension will benefit more than two million jobless Americans by stretching benefits through November. Republicans have opposed any extensions saying they should be offset by spending cuts. The extension will cost $33 billion, but despite those concerns, the Democratic controlled chamber is expected to give the extension a thumbs up.

And this could be Elena Kagan's big day, the Senate Judiciary Committee set to vote just about an hour from now on her nomination to the Supreme Court. A full Senate vote will follow if Kagan is confirmed by committee as expected.

Assisted suicide for the masses? A billboard says "my life, my death, my choice." There it is out in public, huge letters. Some say it's a message of compassion. Others say it's just plain irresponsible. Make sure to stay with us for this discussion.

And live up in the air, Amber Lyon right there in a blimp via the U.S. Navy, hoping, those spotters on board, hoping to get a better assessment of the oil in the gulf and how it's impacting all of us from the waters to our environment to the people working the spill.

We hope to talk to her live in that blimp right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Top stories, pressure testing on that well head in the gulf continues today. Workers also searching for possible leaks at three separate areas stretching up to two miles away. Scientists want to know if leaks could be causing the low pressure on the new well head cap.

In Chicago, the corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich should be interesting as the accused is expected to testify in his own defense. Blagojevich was impeached last year amid accusations that he tried raffling off the U.S. Senate seat, formerly occupied by President Obama.

And in Washington, the young men and women who came to this country when many were minors are lobbying for the passage of the dream act this week. Legislation would give some undocumented students who graduated from American high schools six years in which to obtain a college degree or at least two years of college. Doing that could earn them permanent status.

Among those in D.C. are four undocumented students from Miami. They walked 1,500 Miamis to Washington to bring attention to the "Dream Act." Along the way, they made a video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot exercise my dreams because I am not a U.S. citizen or a resident. I am here to share my story.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are undocumented, yet we're not afraid to say it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to take our story, our struggle, our convictions and our passion 1,500 miles all the way to D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, Carlos Roa was in that video clip. He joins me now live from Washington. So, Carlos, you smiled. You must be pretty proud of that journey you made. Tell me why you did it and obviously why it fills your heart?

CARLOS ROA: Well, we did it because as undocumented individuals, we need it to share our stories from our own voices. For too long, people have told our stories incorrectly and we've been demonized as undocumented immigrants, and when in reality all we want to do is contribute to this nation and give back to society and provide for our families.

PHILLIPS: Do you think that you've been punished for decisions that your parents made?

ROA: I think that's the reality today in this country. Young people, especially young people such as ourselves, just because we want to give back and provide, it's just - when we immigrate to this country, we do so because the conditions in our countries are for various reasons, and so when we come here, we just want to provide and yet we're punished for it. In my case, for example.

PHILLIPS: Yes, tell me how.

ROA: Well, I was brought here at the age of two, and all I know is this country, and yet I have limited access to higher education. I can't legally work. I can't legally drive. I can't join the military, which I tried after high school. It's really difficult to live your life, and dreams are shattered, and there are hundreds of thousands of undocumented students just like myself that just want to give back to society and can't because of the circumstances because the dream act hasn't passed.

And Carlos, you know, critics say that this act is an amnesty plan disguised as an educational initiative. How do you respond to that?

ROA: This bill is far from amnesty. You have to within a six- year period have to be in college for a minimum of two years or join the military for two years and complete those two years, and there's requirements for this bill. You have to have lived here in this country before the age of 16, have lived here for over five years, have graduated from high school or have a GED equivalent. It's not an easy pathway. You have to work for it and I know (INAUDIBLE) here who have doctor's degrees and still they can't give back because of the fact that they have undocumented status.

PHILLIPS: So tell me about this walk and how you feel the dream act could impact your life in addition to other kids, adults like you of immigrants.

ROA: This walk - well, first of all, the walk, we did the walk because we wanted to end the nightmare of racial profiling programs such as 287-G, and we wanted to pass the dream. We want the dream act to pass, and that's why we went city to city, small town to small town, advocating for the passage of the bill, the Dream Act Bill which right now is in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The bill, 729, and so basically, it would change the life, transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of students that just, you know, need a ray of hope in their lives, such as myself. You know, I really - I don't know what - if the Dream Act were to pass, I would be so happy, and I would just give back to society in so many ways, just like I'm doing so right now within my community and throughout the country.

PHILLIPS: Carlos Roa, thanks for your time. ROA: Thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: If you hate getting shots, relief could be coming. A new technology promises a painless alternative.

That's right. Painless. We'll have the details for you.

And a quick check of the big board, Dow Jones down almost 87 points. We're following the numbers for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: There could be a new weapon in the battle against AIDS. It's a topical gel that contains an anti-viral drug. A study shows that its helping protect women from HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. According to the findings presented at an international aids conference, the gel also reduces the risk of genital herpes by keeping the viruses from multiplying. The CDC calls the result an exciting step forward but more steps are needed.

So how would you like a flu vaccine that's as easy and painless as a Band-Aid? Check out this new syringe patch that makes it possible now to receive your flu shot or other vaccine in the mail and you just slap it on. The 100 tiny micro needles feel like sand paper and dissolve into the skin within 10 minutes. So when you're done with it, you can just throw it in the trash. Tests are still being done on the patch. It is at least five years we're told from being offered to the public now.

Can you imagine Dr. Jack Kevorkian doing an infomercial? Of course not. So why would one group want to take assisted suicide to the masses with billboard? New this is in a sparsely populated rural area either.

New Jersey commuters are seeing this. We're debating this. Getting input from the guy behind the message and the critic both joining us, and you're advice as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We'd like you to take a look at this billboard. It's along a busy New Jersey highway with a chilling message that greets thousands of drivers every day. It reads, "My life, my death, my choice." It's the newest poster of a right to die group, reigniting this controversial issue. There's another sign in San Francisco and another in Florida may be in the works as well. The ads are aimed at people suffering from terminal illness.

The group putting this out calls itself the Final Exit Network. It's based out of Georgia and not new to controversy or law enforcement. Two criminal cases still ongoing involving members of this group. In Georgia, four members were indicted earlier this year, accused of assisting in a man's suicide in 2009. They pleaded not guilty. And in Arizona, four other Final Exit members will also indicted on similar charges. One pleaded guilty. And there are investigations in at least seven other states right now. So, let's talk about this touchy subject, shall we? Final Exit Network vice president Bob Levine joining us live from New York. Also, attorney Rita Marker joins us live from Seattle. Marker is also the executive director for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.

Bob, let's go ahead and start with you. Do you help people die?

BOB LEVINE, VICE PRESIDENT, FINAL EXIT NETWORK: No, we do not. Well, we help them to the extent that we tell them how to do it, but we don't physically help anybody.

PHILLIPS: But if you are telling them how to do it, you're essentially helping them die.

LEVINE: Well, most -- there's a definition of assisted suicide which includes physically assisting. Telling people how to do it, really -- we're exercising our First Amendment rights, and we have the right to tell anybody anything, and as a matter of fact what we're talking about and what we're saying has been in print for 30 years in the book Final Exit by Derek Humphry. So, we're not doing anything particularly new or different. We're not physically helping anybody.

PHILLIPS: Well, let me ask you about the fact that you say you don't help anybody physically. We mentioned in our introduction the two ongoing court cases and the number of investigations that are out there concerning your group. And I want to read directly from authorities who are involved in one particular investigation. They actually describe how exactly you assist individuals in taking their own life.

One member of a police force says that "a tank of helium and a plastic hood actually leads to the death by suffocation. And the gas escapes, leaving no evidence that the death was intentional." They go on to talk about the exit guides that are a part of your group, the people, the individuals, that attend these sessions. "They are actually at the deathbed offering emotional support, and then they take away the tank and other evidence of suicide, leaving family members and authorities to suspect that the death was natural."

How do you respond to undercover agents that say they've witnessed these approaches?

LEVINE: Well, to begin with, nobody suffocates. The description is a little wrong. When people die the way that it is described, what happens is that they lose consciousness in about ten seconds -- ten seconds, that is -- and their brain gradually shuts down and ultimately, their body shuts down. Nobody suffocates, and there's no pain, and it's a very comfortable, simple and easy death, and one that I have personally witnessed. And I can testify that there's no pain and there certainly is not suffocation.

PHILLIPS: So, you say there's no pain, but you say that your exit guides are there with the helium tanks and the plastic hoods and help assist these individuals who want to die? LEVINE: Well, yes, we're there to comfort the person. If you were going to end your life, wouldn't you like to have somebody with you? Maybe someone to offer you a little compassion and maybe hold your hand as you were on your way out? That's all we do. Comfort people and hold their hand.

And there's been some of the charges that are made, particularly in Georgia, are absolutely scurrilous. They are plain outright lies. They're --

PHILLIPS: Rita Marker -

LEVINE: They're -

PHILLIPS: OK, I want to get Rita to be able to weigh in here, Bob. You say it's --

LEVINE: Go right ahead.

PHILLIPS: I'm hearing, actually, two sides to this story here coming from you, Bob.

Rita Marker, you've been investigating, obviously, this organization. I would like for you to weigh in here and tell me your thoughts. Do you believe what Bob and his exit guides are doing is illegal?

RITA MARKER, INTERNATIONAL TASK FORCE ON EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED SUICIDE: Well, I think what they're doing is illegal because what they're saying they're doing is somewhat different than what they are doing.

Now, if you are talking about just talking to people, that is protected by the First Amendment. Although there are a lot of things protected by the First Amendment -- people can shout racial slurs and tell people on tops of buildings to jump -- that's protected by the First Amendment, too. But the question is, is that the right thing to do? And should we say go ahead because it's protected?

But more importantly is the fact that there are 30,000 people every year that commit suicide. That's twice as many as there are homicides. And yet, you have this group, the so-called exit guides, who travel to witness a death and to assist in a death as though there were a need for this.

Suicide is a tremendous tragedy, and to put up billboards in places where anyone, a depressed teen or an elderly person feeling that maybe they're a burden on someone, to have these billboards up, is just cruel, I believe, and really unfortunate.

The other thing is, you know, when he's talking about compassion -- if you look at it, you know, here's a plastic bag. Put a plastic bag over your head. Is that death with dignity? Or is someone assisting you in putting a plastic bag over your ahead compassion? It's grotesque, and yet, we have the so-called exit guides who try to make it sound as though this is a very good and loving thing to do. It is bizarre, and to attempt to snare other people into it is really, really more than unfortunate.

PHILLIPS: Bob, why are you smiling?

LEVINE: Well, notice that the criticisms are always what might happen, not what actually happened when Rita describes the damage that might happen because someone might read the exit guide -- the bulletin board and might do something. The fact that there is no evidence that anybody has done any such thing doesn't apparently bother them.

Now, as far as an exit guide, she's mentioned there are 35,000 suicides every year. Most of those suicides are people blowing their heads off, hanging themselves, jumping off buildings. And then she points out that putting a bag over your head is not dignified. Well, I think it's a lot more dignified than blowing your head off or jumping off a building. So, I'm not sure what the criticism is here.

MARKER: To use Bob's line of argument then, because 30,000 people a year commit suicide, and about half of those are by firearms -- not most of them, as he said. But then it seems to indicate that perhaps we should help them do it in a way that is prettier or clean are. Maybe the exit guides can go to every potential suicide and hand them the plastic bag to put over their head.

This is really something -- when we talk about who is doing this, one of the cases --

PHILLIPS: They are doctors. Bob, are these exit guides doctors?

LEVINE: What did you say? Am I an exit guide?

PHILLIPS; No. Are your exit guides doctors?

LEVINE: No, of course not. I shouldn't say of course not. Some of them are, yes --

MARKER: Actually, you don't need a doctor to assist someone to put a plastic bag over their head.

LEVINE: Doctors have no training in helping people end their lives. There's no training at all.

PHILLIPS: Well, Bob Levine and Rita Marker, we will continue to follow these two ongoing cases. And I would like to mention, too, that one of your employees even pleading guilty, Bob, to assisting in suicide. In addition, the testimony that exists by an undercover officer within the Georgia Bureau of Investigations who said that he himself heard your guys explain how they assist in these suicides.

We will continue to follow those cases, and hopefully we can continue this discussion to try to find more understanding.

Bob Levine, Rita Marker, thank you both for your time.

Of course, we want to know what you think of this story as well. Go to CNN.com/kyra and go ahead sound off. I'll read your comments a little later this hour.

A scam that steals money out of your pockets. Welfare cards that are supposed to be used for food and are used by some to buy cigarettes, booze and even get hard cash. Some store clerks might be in there and be a part of the rip-off.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking top stories.

Pressure testing on that wellhead in the Gulf continues today. Workers are also searching for possible leaks at three separate areas stretching up to two miles away. Scientists want to know if leaks could be causing the low pressure on the new wellhead cap.

The ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is sure to be a talking point for President Obama and British prime minister David Cameron. Cameron is making first -- his first visit, rather -- to the White House as Britain's political leader. Another expected point of discussion, the release of that Libyan terrorist convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. The prime minister meets later today with four U.S. senators today to talk about that.

Troubled Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan set to report to L.A.'s all-female jail later this morning. She'll soon be in a 90-day sentence for failing to abide by the terms of her probation for two DUI charges.

From the sky to the sea, an exclusive tracking and cleaning up that oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Live pictures right now. We'll take you live to the boat where Rob Marciano is actually following the progress. And by air, our Amber Lyon up in the air with the U.S. Navy as they are overseeing this response effort by air, looking down, tracking the oil, seeing how it's affecting sea life and the workers involved in the skimming operations.

So, from the air to the sea, we are following those cleanup efforts live. We'll bring you live reports coming up after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: From the air to sea, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at finding and capturing oil in the Gulf of Mexico. That's where we find our Rob Marciano on board a Coast Guard vessel that is actually skimming oil. It's been told also where to go by an blimp that's carrying our Amber Lyon high in the sky. So, Rob, tell us what's going on from your perspective.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm looking directly above me right now and between 500 and 700 feet is that blimp you were just talking about. It's a Navy-owned blimp that is being borrowed by the Coast Guard operations here, contracted out by the pilots up there.

And it's one of the most interesting and impressive things I have seen involved in this oil spill to date. You can see it cruising there at about 30, 25 miles an hour. It's heading east just a little bit, and we're heading due west. We just crisscrossed fast (ph).

The object of what's happening today and what they have been doing since they have got this blimp into command is to have it do some recon, do a zig-zag pattern up and down the coastline and communicate back to this vessel. We're on the strike team lead boat, and then depending on the information we get from that blimp, we will then direct the skimmers, the vessels of opportunity that are with our team and there are about ten of them today. So, that's what's happening now.

We just started the operation, and according to the blimp and other recon aircraft, there is some oil, albeit on the lighter side, to be skimmed. So, we'll take lighter oil. We'll take no oil, but the expanse of this operation and the intricacies, Kyra, are certainly impressive.

I don't have to tell you going live from a boat and blimp is also a technical challenge on our part as well. But we are trying to bring you this operation as best we can because skimming oil is not as easy as it sounds. I can tell you that from experience. And that blimp is certainly helping, and we're just coming up on our starboard bow here, the Coast Guard helicopter about 50 feet off the ground. You can't see it quite just yet, but a lot of action happening just off the shores here of Orange Beach. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So, Rob, question for you. Is the long-term goal here, and obviously, every minute, every second counts in this oil disaster and the response to it. Long-term goal that all skimming vessels will be able to communicate with this blimp? So it's not just a vessel that you're on, but vessels all across the Gulf?

MARCIANO: Well, there will be conduits from that blimp to vessels like this, strike team command vessels. Just over my left shoulder, you are familiar with that aircraft. I know you are, Kyra. That's the workhorse of the Coast Guard search and rescue operations, and Steve Sword (ph), one of our photojournalists, is hopping a ride with them to give us yet another vantage point of how all of this is coming together.

But, yes, that blimp is one of the many aircraft that's being used, but it's the only blimp that can do what it does, which is fly real slow at a pretty low altitude on pretty much low fuel and can stay up for a long period of time. There's a lot of pluses that vehicle brings to the table, and we're pretty psyched to have it onboard here now that skimming operations are really, really are ramping up in the last two weeks.

PHILLIPS: All right. And we'll take you there from Rob Marciano in the waters to Amber Lyon, who is live in that blimp, airborne there. We're going to talk to her right after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We first heard from Rob Marciano there with the U.S. Coast Guard on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Now from the air, an exclusive look behind the scenes at how this U.S. Navy asset is helping capture -- find and capture the oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Our Amber Lyon live up there in that blimp. Are you able to hear us okay, Amber?

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can't hear.

PHILLIPS: OK, still having trouble hearing her. Amber, can you hearing me OK? Keep trying to make connection.

LYON: All right, well we are -- sorry about that, we're having a little communications issues here. It's hard to hear over the loud engines on the side of us.

Right now, we are headed away from the Alabama coastline out deeper into -- over the Gulf of Mexico to continue to look for oil and any injured marine life. Now, some things we've seen so far. We haven't seen any of those big oil slicks, but we are talking with a couple of the lieutenants on board, and when we drove (sic) closer to the coast, we saw brown patches in the water. And they say that concerns them because those are actually huge patches of bait fish. Normally, they say bait fish they are about a mile away from the shore, but they say because of the oil, they are swimming closer to the coastline. And also as a result of that, that's bringing more sharks into the coastline. One of our lieutenants said he saw about 100 sharks off of Orange Beach here.

As far as it goes riding in the blimp right now, it is just gliding across the top of the water and that's why they say this is such a great help in the hunt for oil, because they can move slower than airplanes. They can move slower than helicopters and really get a chance to sit here and stare out the window and see what's going on.

That's what I'm doing right now. I'm kind of taking the job as a spotter over here. If we can have Chris over here, this is what this lieutenant does. He (AUDIO GAP) all day, sometimes for hours and hours, just looks for oil. (AUDIO GAP)You can really get a clear shot of everything that's going on. We even saw a sea turtle swimming around earlier.

But what has surprised you most during your time as a spotter here on this blimp?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the thing that surprised me the most is the versatility of the ship itself. Just from an airframe standpoint, we can stay over and see closer and it really doesn't disturb the animals. So, it's really, really beneficial. We're not disturbing them ,and we normally have a Florida Fish and Wildlife person on here and they will actually make a survey -- Florida or Alabama -- and they make a survey of the animals, and they won't basically scatter.

LYON: And it's something we have been talking about all day is how green this blimp is. It only uses ten gallons of fuel an hour whereas a helicopter that is surveying the land uses about 150 gallons, so it's quite a difference there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's an amazing difference. If you look at cost per hour, it's a real bargain. And the join-up with the Navy, that's one of the big things. The joint operation we've had with the Navy, how much of a bargain that is and how versatile it is.

LYON: I was trying to explain to everyone about the bait fish we saw close to the shore. Can you describe a little bit how unusual that is? You grew up close to the Gulf.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of the bait fish are not very, very close to the shore. Normally they are a half a mile to a mile out. What's happening is the bait fish are coming closer to the shore itself because of the oil, and -- what it is causes is all of the sharks are coming as well. We've seen everything from pods of sharks from 50 to 100 together, which I have personally never seen until now.

LYON: And there's warnings right now on the beach because no long-term scientific studies have ever been done on the effects of dispersant crude mixture on marine life or humans, for that matter. So, there are warnings telling people not to get in the water. But as we've been flying over here, we have seen people swimming in that water.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. It's not something I would personally swim in, me or my family. So if there's any heed, it's a beautiful place, but just hold off on going in the water for a while.

LYON: And I wanted to show you around the blimp a little bit. It's kind of a tight squeeze in here. Normally about ten people can fit on board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten max. It's all dependent upon weight. Normally a good operating number is six.

LYON: Normally you have a spotter with fish and wildlife here looking out for wildlife.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reason they are not here today because of the weight of your equipment, so --

LYON: We had to kick them off due to our heavy cameras.

So, some people might wonder why -- it's day 92. Why did it take that long to get such an efficient ship out over the Gulf looking for oil?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just me personally, the versatility of this -- I mean, the reason it's taken (AUDIO GAP) a lot of time is they were doing a lot of classified work for the United States government, which I really can't talk about.

And there's only one of these. Just one. So hopefully they'll be more.

LYON: If I can have Chris real quick, also, another thing that surprised our crew the most over the oil in the water is look at these beautiful white beaches here off Gulf shores, Alabama. I used to vacation here with my family as a child and this time (AUDIO GAP) of the year - (AUDIO GAP)

PHILLIPS: All right. Obviously, we lost our connection there, but we will continue to follow these live efforts for the response to the oil disaster in the Gulf. Amber Lyon in that blimp via the U.S. Navy. Our Rob Marciano with the Coast Guard on those waters. They are communicating back and forth, looking for ways to capture that oil.

Take a quick break. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)