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Crime Hits Moscow, Idaho; Terrorist in Baghdad Now Dead; CNN Hero Tries to End Slavery

Aired May 20, 2007 - 19:00   ET

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

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: A terrorist with a deadly past is a goner. He's blamed for a calculated and brutal attack on American troops. He won't be doing it again. We're bringing you the details. Moscow, Idaho, a small quiet town in the Pacific Northwest hits a dubious milestone. Its first officer ever killed in the line of duty after a gunman opens fire at a courthouse and a church. Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Would you do it? Yes? Si.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The Senate set to debate the new immigration deal. What do illegal immigrants have to say? I asked them.

And the man who brokered the deal has questions to answer as well. He joins us in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And hello again, everyone, I'm Rick Sanchez. You can call it justice, you can call it revenge, you can call it what you will, but tonight in Iraq, the alleged mastermind of a brazen raid that left five Americans dead himself is no more.

The wanted and hunted man is now a dead man. This is the background. Last January 20th, insurgents disguised as U.S. soldiers entered a military compound in Karbala. They killed one American, right there, kidnapped four more, and eventually killed them as well.

The military says that American forces have been hunting down the alleged ringleader ever since. His name is Azar Al-Dulaymi. He met his end in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM CALDWELL, U.S MILITARY SPOKESMAN: Anybody who kidnaps an American soldier and murders them, we're going to continue to hunt down. And that's exactly what we've been doing with this guy, Azar Al-Dulaymi. We found him finally Friday night, went in on a precision operation to capture him and pursuing engagement that occurred, he was killed.

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SANCHEZ: That attack, by the way, killed five Americans and it raised a number of questions. It also showed a disturbing degree of precision on the part of the insurgents. CNN's Tom Foreman put together this report on January 26th, six days after that deadly assault.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New details suggests the attack in Karbala was precise, well-rehearsed, and very different from the assault the Pentagon first described; 5:00 in the afternoon, a dozen American troops are reviewing security plans for an upcoming Shia pilgrimage to two important shrines.

And a dozen gunmen wearing uniforms much like the Americans are heading straight toward them. They travel in a convoy of at least five American-made SUVs, such as those used by high-level military brass. Three times, the gunmen stop at Iraqi checkpoints. Three times, they apparently pass themselves off as Americans and are waved through.

When they reach the compound where U.S. troops are working, they unleash gunfire and explosives. Five U.S. soldiers were killed, the governor of the town first reports, but the Defense Department now says only one American soldier is killed on the spot. Four others are abducted. The convoy speeds away.

Outside town, the kidnappers hit another checkpoint. Iraqi police let them through again, but, suspicious, start following them. The convoy heads east, then north. And, finally, the insurgents abandon their vehicles. The Pentagon says, two American soldiers are found handcuffed together, dead in the back of one SUV, each shot through the head. A third is dead on the ground nearby. And a fourth, found alive, dies on the way to a hospital.

It is a much more complex story than the first version from the military.

ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I have just been made aware of the discrepancy in the account. And I have asked for the specifics about it.

FOREMAN: This tactic of enemies posing as friends is not new. Two years ago, a suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi soldier struck a mess tent. In Saudi Arabia, when terrorists hit a U.S. compound, they even made a training tape, showing how they painted an SUV to look like a police car.

And military analysts say, this attack was exceedingly well- planned.

Pat Lang is retired from military intelligence.

COLONEL PAT LANG (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Whoever was involved in this is a -- is a professional who really knew how to do this.

FOREMAN: But investigators still want to know if the kidnappers had help from someone the Americans trusted, someone on the inside.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Staying with Iraq, we want to bring you the latest now on the search for those missing U.S. soldiers. That search still on after more than a week.

The military making good on its pledge not to leave a fallen comrade behind, around-the-clock searches still going on just outside Baghdad.

Today the military began draining a canal in the area after farmers gave them a tip. So far nothing has turned up, and an official tells CNN that military commanders are operating under the assumption that at least two of those soldiers are still alive as we first reported and being held by a group affiliated with al Qaeda.

Military officials say at least one soldier involved in the search was killed in what's become an especially deadly weekend for U.S. troops. A total of 15 American soldiers have been killed since Friday. We get the latest now from CNN's Hugh Riminton. He's in Baghdad.

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HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Friday and Saturday, two dreadful days for U.S. forces in Iraq. The worst of the incidents on Saturday. Six soldiers being killed along with their Iraqi interpreter when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device, an IED -- as the military calls them, a roadside bomb in common language -- blowing up, killing six, plus their interpreter in the suburbs of western Baghdad.

Also at much the same time, another IED hitting a sustainment unit -- these are the people who bring the food, the gasoline, the other items to U.S. troops -- killing one soldier. That was about 100 miles, about 150 kilometers to the south of Baghdad.

All of that had followed on Friday, another dreadful day, seven soldiers killed in a variety of incidents, including one in Diyala Province, to the northeast of Baghdad. Three people killed in a single unit. Once again, an IED, a roadside bomb, the biggest single cause of death for U.S. troops here in Iraq. Hugh Riminton, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Let's bring you back into this country now. A night of violence in Moscow, Idaho, has given way to a full day of questions. Folks in that small town are wondering why a sniper took down two of their own before the gunman apparently took his own life. Our Stan Nurenberger has this story.

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STAN NURENBERGER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Normally quiet downtown Moscow, Idaho, is anything but quiet Sunday morning. Scores of police in the streets searching for a gunman believed to be heavily armed. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard what I thought sounded almost cannon- like to be honest to you. It didn't sound like a pop, pop, pop.

NURENBERGER: It began late Saturday night when someone fired dozens of rounds at a courthouse complex hitting two law enforcement officers and a civilian bystander. One of the officers, identified as Lee Newbill of the Moscow police department, later succumbed to his injuries. A spokesman says he's the first in department history to die in the line of duty.

After a search of a nearby church the suspect had fled to, officer found the bodies of two men. Evidence found at the scene leads them to believe one of the deceased was the gunman. Police had no further information on the other deceased male. The tight-knit Moscow community is in shock.

TOM STROSCHEIN, LATAH COUNTY COMMISSION: Oh, sad. I mean, these things aren't supposed to happen in Moscow, Idaho.

NURENBERGER: The other wounded officer is in serious condition. The bystander is stable. Police so far have been unable to determine a motive for the attack. I'm Stan Nurenberger reporting from Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Now to al Qaeda taking on the Lebanese army. Street to street and house to house, the heavy toll from fierce fighting in southern Lebanon. That's next right here in the NEWSROOM. Also, here's one for you to chew on, 100 million minorities live and work in the United States divided by education, economics and politics. Will this equation be the answer to the 2008 presidential election, or is it too soon? And this young man takes on modern day slavery with pocket change. His story and what makes it heroic still ahead in the NEWSROOM.

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SANCHEZ: The sounds of gunfire and the smell of gunpowder permeating the town of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, 32 people, mostly Lebanese security forces, were killed today, and once again neighboring Syria is seen as a meddling instigator. CNN's Phil Black has the latest.

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PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lebanese troops trying to arrest members of the Fatah al Islam militant group, but they fought back.

Streets in and around Lebanon's second largest city became the scene of an urban battle. Gunmen holed up in buildings, firing from windows and rooftops, while soldiers on the street replied with an awesome barrage of firepower.

Here Lebanese troops direct their weapons on a building with suspected militants inside. Thousands of rounds. And a rocket-propelled grenade. Residents sought shelter from crossfire but some, including children, were reportedly among the casualties.

People rushed to recover soldiers cut down in the fight but they could do nothing to help this man. He was shot in the head.

Fatah al Islam fighters also attacked army positions at a nearby refugee camp. Home to around 30,000 Palestinians. Lebanon responded with reinforcements, including tanks.

In a statement, the militants said they would open the gates of fire if the army did not back off. But a Lebanese minister said the uprising was beaten before the day's end.

AHMED FATFAT, LEBANESE GOVERNMENT MINISTER: I can say under control about 90 percent of the control is to be 100 percent in short time. We have still too very small position (ph) for Fatah al Islam.

BLACK: The Lebanese government says Fatah al Islam has links to al Qaeda and is supported by Syria. Syria denies this. But some Lebanese politicians believe this violence was designed to unsettle United Nations plans, for an international tribunal to try suspects in the murder of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafik Hariri two years ago. Syria has also denied involvement in that killing but still opposes the tribunal.

Phil Black, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile in Israel, the country is cracking down hard on Palestinian militants in Gaza. Today the country's security cam that authorized an escalation in attacks against militants from Islamic jihad and Hamas, two groups blamed for recent rocket attacks on Israel.

Just hours after that vote, Israeli warplanes reportedly targeted the home of a Hamas lawmaker. He was not there. The Palestinian security sources say at least eight civilians were killed. Another air strike on the workshop reportedly killed one person and sourced say a tank attack on a Gaza house killed a child.

We've all heard a story or two of injustice or tragedy and then said to ourselves, somebody should do something about it. Well, how many of us have actually done something about it?

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was learning about Fredrick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King, and then when I found out that slavery still existed, I felt like I had to do something.

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SANCHEZ: And that's what he did. And it makes him exceptional. It also makes him a CNN hero. That story next in the NEWSROOM. Then in about 15 minutes, we look at the new face of America. More than 100 million minorities live here. How does that affect our country? How does it change us? How will it change us? From education to politics, we take a look. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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SANCHEZ: Welcome you back. I'm Rick Sanchez. We're how here in "B" control. All year long, CNN is shining the spotlight on some very special people.

Each is an example of how a single human being can turn their vision for a better world into action. We call them CNN heroes, and today we introduce you to a 15-year-old boy who is tackling one of the world's most challenging problems with your spare change.

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ZACH HUNTER, FOUNDER, LOOSE CHANGE TO LOOSEN CHAINS: I'm Zach Hunter, I live in Atlanta, Georgia, and I am a modern-day abolitionist.

So I first heard about modern day slavery three years ago. I was learning about Frederick Douglass, Doctor Martin Luther King. Then when I found out that slavery still existed, I felt like I had to do something.

Different people go through different emotions when they hear about stuff like this. I just got pretty angry about this. I was like, "How could this still be going on?" But you really have to do something with those emotions to make them worthwhile.

When I was 12 years old I started Loose Change To Loosen Chains. It's entirely student-led. And it is about raising loose change to free slaves. There's more than $10.5 billion of loose change in American households. And also, I think that teenagers today, my generation, is a generation that can really change things.

So I decided to take something as underestimated as loose change, and as underestimated as the teenage years and put them together.

JARED CIERVO, STUDENT: What's great about his campaign is that everybody most of the time just has loose change around and not many people even want to carry it. If you've got some pennies and dimes and stuff that you just really, most people don't have much worth to, if it's not in a dollar bill. So they can just take that off and really make a difference for freeing slaves.

HUNTER: The reason why many people get trapped into slavery is deceit. They are always thinking that they are going to a better life or they are thinking they will get their kids right back afterwards or they are thinking they are paying for a debt, but really they are not.

This guy's name is Nazam, the guy holding the check right there, and what happened with him is he was living with this guy, like his great uncle because his parents had died or something, and he -- this slave trader person was going from town to town, like trying to get kids basically to sell, and, you know, the great uncle said, no, I'm not going to sell my grand nephew, I guess into slavery.

And she came back the next day and basically lured Nazam away with money and treats and stuff because he was really, really poor and he also got into the same situation.

I kind of explained this before. But the fibers on the rug are stretched so tightly across it they cut their fingers on it and to seal their wounds they dip the fingers in boiling oil. So it's not exactly the best situation in the world?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How is slavery now compared to slavery a long time ago?

HUNTER: It's pretty much the same, except there are a lot of different forms of slavery now. And so there's so many different kids. There's like sex slavery, domestic slavery, people working in houses and stuff, agricultural plantations, working farms and stuff like they did a long time ago, rug weaving, matchmaking, there's just a whole long list, basically pretty much any job.

There's still 27 million slaves in the world today, and the reason why they stay slaves is because then they get into a medical debt or something and they have to pay it off by working for a slavemaster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you have something in your hand. What is this?

HUNTER: This is a pair of shackles that they would use on modern day slave today, on a little child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So these aren't old?

HUNTER: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How old are they?

HUNTER: These are five-years-old. Abolitionist is just someone who frees slaves, and, you know, if your little brother or sister or son or daughter was wearing these and rolling cigarettes all day, you would want somebody to go and free them. That's what we're trying to do.

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SANCHEZ: Zach's story. By the way, if you know somebody you'd like to be a hero, just go to CNN.com. We've got all the information there for you.

By the way, tonight at 10:00, here's a programming note on "LARRY KING LIVE," Larry is "Dancing with the Stars," and boy, can he cut the rug or what? The real "Dancing with the Stars" finale is on Tuesday, by the way, one that will go head-to-head with the "American Idol" final performances.

The new "Idol" is going to be crowned the very next day but why wait until Tuesday to cast your vote for the nation's next singing sensation? You can vote right now, just go to CNN.com and scroll down to quick vote because we want to know.

Is it going to be Blake, or is it going to be Jordin? Whatever his name is. Take your pick. We'll be checking the results this hour and later at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Good luck to whoever those two people are.

A new milestone, 100 million minorities living and working in the United States. We have at least three reasons why it should matter to you. That's next in the NEWSROOM.

America is burning. Wildfires are torching huge sections of the country. We're going to see where the flames are and find out how firefighters are doing trying to put it out.

And then 25 minutes from now we all think the food that we get at the supermarket is safe, but is it? Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes us to the farm to find out what can go wrong and what's being done to protect you. The news, you're watching it on CNN.

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SANCHEZ: The average price for a gallon of gas is now $3.18 and AAA is estimating that prices could reach $3.25 over the next couple of months.

How's that for good news, America? Even with the record prices AAA says more Americans plan to travel by car over the Memorial Day holiday than did last year. For more on what to expect in financial news, this week here's Ali Velshi.

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ALI VELSHI, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: With housing prices down and gas prices sky high, who knows what the economy is going to do next?

Uncertainty about the economy could be making you cut back on spending. Wal-Mart and Home Depot posted disappointing earnings this week. We'll see if Target follows suit when it announces its earnings.

Back to the housing market. Last week we found out that prices of U.S. homes fell for the third straight quarter. Now we'll see how well both new and previously owned homes are selling.

New home sales rose more than two percent in March, and they are expected to tick up slightly again in April. With fixed rate mortgages and unemployment both pretty low, maybe we'll get some stability over the next few months.

The housing market is closely watched because it's such a big part of the overall economy.

And best known for his strong views on global warming, former Vice President Al Gore could be seeing a different type of dream this week when the new business venture. Gore's new book, "The Assault on Reason" will be released and if past history is any indicator, the profits should be solid.

His previous book, "An Earth in the Balance" was a best seller and his Oscar winning "An Inconvenient Truth" was the third highest grossing documentary of all time.

If you want more of this sort of thing, watch me on "Minding Your Business" each week day on "AMERICAN MORNING." That's it from New York. I'm Ali Velshi.

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SANCHEZ: America hit a milestone is this week. More than 100 million minorities live in this country which represents a third of the population. The fastest growing ethnic group is Hispanic. And as Christine Romans reports demographers are noting a huge shift in the makeup of this country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's being called America's new generation gap. According to the Census Bureau the large majority of people in America over the age of 60 are non- Hispanic white and a fast growing proportion of young people are minorities. Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group.

WILLIAM BUTZ, POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU: The parents and grandparents in America are predominantly more than half non-Hispanic white people, and people who were born in this country. The children in this country now are increasingly not born in this country and in particular minorities.

ROMANS: Butz says it is a natural result of a generation now of generous U.S. immigration policy for Hispanics and Asians in particular. The Census Bureau says America's minority population of 100 million last year is larger than the entire population of this country in 1910.

Today 66 percent are white, 14.8 percent Hispanic and 13.4 percent black and almost five percent Asian. In these stays and the District of Columbia minority groups make up more than half of the populations, so-called majority minority states but it's the growth in the Hispanic population demographers find most remarkable.

RUY TEIXEIRA, CENTURY FOUNDATION: About half of the population growth in the United States is attributable to the growth in the Hispanic population, but because Hispanics tend to be younger and in particular because many of them tend not to be citizens, only about a quarter of the growth in eligible voters comes from Hispanics.

ROMANS: But he says that may change. Naturalization rates among Hispanic immigrants are rising.

(on camera): And demographers note any immigration reform deal that gives a pathway to citizenship for people here illegally would also increase the power of Hispanics in the electorate. Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: It's one thing to just put out a bunch of numbers and it's quite another to try to put those numbers into perspective. What do the statistics mean for most of us as Americans? Joe Watson is a diversity consultant and CEO of Strategic Hire. He's good huff to join us. He wrote "Without Excuses" and there's his book, that's what it looks like. "W.E." huh? Joe, thanks for joining us, my friend.

JOE WATSON, DIVERSITY CONSULTANT: Thank you, Rick, great to be here.

SANCHEZ: All right. So what does this mean? Where are we going as a nation and how will this change us?

WATSON: Well, it means that this whole idea that there was asteroid of expanding face of America in terms of 100 million minorities is not going to hit or miss the planet. Bottom line, is it's here and as we look at every institution of economics, education and politics it's going to have a profound effect.

SANCHEZ: Well, what kind of effect do you think it's going to have? I mean, in which area will it be most profound?

WATSON: Well, I think if we look at the economy, that is at the end of the day we are capitalists, we have to understand that. We're dealing with a situation where under the age of 10 our nation is 45 percent minority. That's the new face of the consumer. It's very profound. If you look also at the combined buying power by the year 2008 it's estimated that minority groups will have $2.5 trillion in buying power.

If you're an American corporation. If you make things and you sell things, you want to pay attention to those numbers and engage those communities.

SANCHEZ: Does that mean that the Anglo European culture that this country was essentially based on is going by the wayside as some, by the way, fear?

WATSON: I don't think that's the case at all. I mean, America has a long and rich history of creating opportunities for different people to come in and become part of our great American fabric. I think what we have to understand though is that we have to ensure that the pathway of opportunity is available to all people.

If we look at education rates. Right now there's a new study that just came out that indicated that only 55 percent of African American and Hispanic youth that entered high school will graduate. That is going to have a profound impact on our economic systems and our ability to be competitive in the global economy.

SANCHEZ: Speaking of competitive, how about the groups within themselves. Let's take African Americans and Hispanic Americans, for example. Obviously Hispanic Americans are not very much assimilated at this point, but will they compete? Will they be able to blend into each other's communities and cultures? What do you suspect will happen?

WATSON: I think we will compete and I think we will blend. Again, we have that history but I think what we have to really understand at the end of the day is we don't know each other. We tend to live separately, we tend to socialize separately. We tend to worship separately.

The net result of that is the lack of knowledge. That lack of knowledge can lead to a paralysis that if we don't get our arms around it, can really have a detrimental impact on our ability again to remain competitive and do that thing which so distinctly American which is create opportunity and create wealth for all people and their families.

SANCHEZ: Let's talk about political opportunities now and the possibility that in the future there will be many more Hispanic voters than there are right now. We've got politicians tussling with this new immigration reform bill. Some of them essentially being, well, not exactly good hosts to some of the people who are coming to this country as immigrants of late.

The question is will we see in the future politicians appeasing these groups because their voting power will grow?

WATSON: I don't think it's about appeasement as much as it is about being smart. At the end of the day, if we look at that 45 percent under the age of 10, the vast majority of those individuals are citizens of the United States of America, and if we look even at more recent lessons learned, in 2004 George Bush and the GOP was able to receive 44 percent of the Hispanic vote, and in this last election, 2006, a lot of folks looked at Iraq and said that dragged down a lot of the kind of voter stickiness, if you will. The reality is they received 30 percent this last election, much attributable in that decline to the harsh rhetoric and stance that some folks took relative to the immigration issue.

SANCHEZ: We're looking at one of them right now in Tom Tancredo, obviously one of those that we were defining, but certainly it's an interesting argument, and we thank you for sharing some of to futuristic considerations for us here. Joe, it's a pleasure talking to you.

WATSON: Rick, my pleasure, thanks.

SANCHEZ: All right. After months of wheeling and dealing behind closed doors the Senate debate on the up in immigration proposal begins tomorrow, as aforementioned. Some on the left are saying that the new measure doesn't go far enough. On the right they are saying well, in fact, there's this. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is telling the audience that the new deal will destroy the Republican Party.

That's where I began my conversation with the man who brokered this deal who brought both sides together somehow. U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARLOS GUTIERREZ, COMMERCE SECRETARY: We can sit here and talk about that the bill isn't ideal, or that some people call it amnesty. We say it's not amnesty. We can argue about that for years. But it seems to me that would be a vote for the status quo.

SANCHEZ: By getting them to sign up and sign the dotted line, and leave a fingerprint, you are essentially making everyone who's living in this country or as many as you can certainly more than now accountable for being here, right?

GUTIERREZ: That's exactly right. And we want people to come out from the shadows, sign up, register. And I'll tell you, Rick, those who don't come out, and those who don't register are probably those who have a criminal background or have something that they're hiding. And frankly, those are the people that we should be spending time looking for.

SANCHEZ: But what do you say to the people who say, you know what? You're rewarding these people who've entered the country illegally. Because in the end, if you're documenting them, it's a good thing for them.

GUTIERREZ: Well, no, we're not -- it's not a reward because we are, you know, there is a fine. There is a penalty. If they want anything but their status as a Z holder, which would be, you know, legal status to work, they're going to have to get in the back of the line. They have to learn English. If they have a criminal background, they have to leave the country. They've got certain requirements. We believe that that is suitable for the crime, if you will.

SANCHEZ: Well, here's another problem that people have been bringing up with the plan. And they suggest that by telling these people that they now have a shot at the American dream, or the American pot of gold, you're essentially inviting others in the future, maybe as soon as tomorrow to go and jump the fence and say well, I didn't get on this gravy train, but I'm going to get on the next one.

GUTIERREZ: Well, and I'll tell you what. This is very important, Rick, that you ask this question. The registration for the Z card is for people have been in the country before January 1, 2007. If someone is going to the border now, and then they're going to claim that they were here before January 1st, 2007, and they get caught, that's it. They'll never be able to enter the U.S. legally. SANCHEZ: You have been assigned to broker this deal. You've brought people from the far left and the far right together, which some would say is a task into itself. There's another part of this, though, that maybe a lot of people haven't asked you about. And that's the fact that you're an immigrant yourself. Has this been somewhat personal for you?

GUTIERREZ: Well, you know, it's a great question, Rick. I've tried, you know, not to make it personal, but it's hard not to because I know what immigration is. I mean, I've dealt with it. I've dealt with passports and I've dealt with waiting in line. And I know what the hopes and dreams and aspirations of an immigrant are.

SANCHEZ: In your opinion, the United States needs those laborers?

GUTIERREZ: Absolutely. And I'll tell you what, Rick, they're just about every developed economy in the world will have to embrace immigration because the working age populations aren't growing fast enough.

SANCHEZ: Well, wait. I got to stop you real quick. And what would say to those who say wait a minute, they're taking jobs that U.S. citizens should have.

GUTIERREZ: They are taking jobs that U.S. citizens are not doing. We have evolved as an economy. Our unemployment is below the average of the last four decades.

SANCHEZ: You've spent a lot of time on it, months and months I know from talking to some of the folks in your office. And it also shows from just this conversation how passionate you are about it. My thanks to you, Mr. Secretary.

GUTIERREZ: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez.

GUTIERREZ: Thank you and always good to see you, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Likewise.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: And then I did this, after my chat with Secretary Hutierrez I hit the streets to see what some of those immigrant workers, some of them who declare themselves as undocumented or illegal entries into the United States, what they say about the plan. Every single one that I spoke to told me they are on board. They would go for it. Here, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: So, no question that you would go and pay the $5,000 and do it in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. I think it would be good.

SANCHEZ: You wouldn't have any problem in documenting yourself in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. (Spanish)

SANCHEZ: (Spanish), no fear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

SANCHEZ: (Spanish) If you could do it, you would do it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

SANCHEZ: No fear, no problem?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No problem.

SANCHEZ: Would you do it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Spanish)

SANCHEZ: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Si.

SANCHEZ (Spanish), you'd find the money somewhere?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Si.

SANCHEZ: Si.

You think it's perfect?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: It's something you would want to do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. Very good, very nice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: They all tell me it's what they have always wanted. A few of them told me 5,000, we'd find it no matter where it is, we'd pay 6,000 if we had to.

The power of nature on full display across the country tonight as fires burn out of control. Firefighters are exhausted, but will the weather lend a helping hand? We're going to tell you about that next- in-the-in THE NEWSROOM. And then later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One parcel of spinach tainted by e. coli processed and harvested and mixed with other spinach and then shipped around the country could potentially poison thousands, even millions of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: That's the voice of, that's right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is taking us to the farms of California to try and show us what's being done to safeguard your food. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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SANCHEZ: There is some good news to tell you about in the latest wildfire to ignite in Southern California. Fire crews are making quick work of the four square mile blaze that sparked yesterday in northern Los Angeles County. Firefighters are predicting that they will have it fully contained by sundown tonight. Alas, if only the same could be said along that Florida and Georgia state line where the so-called, get this, the Bugaboo blaze, that's what it's called, the Bugaboo fire. It has burned for more than a month but the Florida Department of Forestry reports the blaze is now, there is good news, not totally out but 90 percent contained and a similar flickering of the flames in southern New Jersey where a military flare accidentally sparked a wildfire earlier this week.

Intermittent hot spots now keeping firefighters busy, but the blaze, now some 90 percent contained, it is close to being declared under control. That would mean it's I guess 100 percent contained. There she is, Miss Bugaboo herself standing by to bring us the latest on the weather.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, I was right yesterday, too, by the way.

SANCHEZ: About?

JERAS: Just so you know.

SANCHEZ: Oh, when I asked you why they named it Bugaboo.

JERAS: Yep.

SANCHEZ: What was that explanation?

JERAS: A lightning strike on Bugaboo Island which is in the Okefenokee Swamp is what started the blaze.

SANCHEZ: There you go.

JERAS: So, Southern Georgia, moved down into Florida, still going on.

SANCHEZ: Would you have reminded me if you had been wrong today?

JERAS: Maybe, not on national television but, you know, perhaps over at the desk.

SANCHEZ: All right, Jacqui. JERAS: All right. Well, fire weather has been a problem today. Critical levels really across parts of Nevada into Utah and over here into Arizona away from the Gorman fires so that's some good news there and the biggest problem there is some gusty winds with an approaching frontal system here.

Now we have a lot of lightning going on across the Four Corners extending on up into the Northern Rockies. Look at all these - these are live lightning hits as we speak and a lot of action going on here. So we're concerned that more fires are going to be a possibility here.

Now in the Black Hills of South Dakota, near Rapid City, we've got a severe thunderstorm watch in effect and firefighters here say they have had at least three fires which have started due to lightning, but they have been able to contain them very, very quickly because they are on high alert.

Red flag warnings still in effect across Georgia and much of Florida. Very dry conditions there and just the opposite across the northeastern corridor, it's been cloudy, it's been wet and quite a few delays at the airport. It's Sunday night, if you're trying to get home and take off for next week. Check these delays out.

Logan you're looking at an hour ground delay. New York City, both airports between 35 and 45 minutes, we've got some ground delays also out of Las Vegas at this time. Busy travel day. We'll have your flight tracker coming up tonight at 10:00 Eastern.

SANCHEZ: Look forward to it. Thanks, Jacqui.

Some of the most popular stories are found on cnn.com. And we'll be telling you about that soon. Among those, keeping spinach safe at its source. A look at what the farmers are doing in the fields. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that story next in THE NEWSROOM and then later.

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LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like many soldier Brannan returned home after two tours in Iraq, injured after a flash bang grenade accidentally exploded in his left hand.

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SANCHEZ: From the desert to the diamond, from a nightmare to a dream, a wounded Iraq War vet gets a shot at the Major Leagues. You're watching CNN. We ain't throwing curveballs, folks. We'll be back.

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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. Farmers' fields, they are the first line of defense against food contamination and now Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us now how one spinach grower is trying to protect his crop and your salad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rod Braga farms this 800-acre ranch in Soledad, California. It's nestled in the Salinas Valley.

Since 1995 more than several outbreaks stemming from the deadly e. coli 0157-H7 toxin have originated in California, contaminating leafy green crops, most recently spinach.

(on camera): You take a look at the spinach which looks beautiful. What are the particular vulnerable points here?

ROD BRAGA, SPINACH GROWER: Making sure we don't have an intrusion by animals or people that aren't supposed to be here.

GUPTA (voice-over): When you look around here in what's called the World's Salad Bowl you realize how huge and how vast it really is. Keeping an area this big safe seems like an awesome task.

(on camera)You do have a fence here.

BRAGA: Right.

GUPTA: So this two things. It keeps potentially animals out, but if something did break through ...

BRAGA: You're going to know about it.

GUPTA (voice-over): Many e. coli outbreaks begin at cow pastures which in the Salinas Valley often neighbor produce fields. Cows carry the deadly strain of e. coli 0157 in their intestinal tract.

MICHAEL DOYLE, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: And the cattle feces somehow would then have to get into the growing fields.

MANSOUR SAMADPOUR, PRESIDENT, IEH LABORATORIES: You could have, for example, field birds feeding on animal fecal material that has e. coli 0157. They land somewhere in the field and they contaminate a small area.

GUPTA: Only a few e. coli 0157 cells can taint an entire crop. One small parcel tainted by e. coli harvested, processed and mixed with other spinach and then shipped around the country could potentially poison thousands, even millions of people.

Farmers like Braga are abiding by stricter rules and safety programs to curb the area's sobering track record.

BRAGA: I know that we're doing everything that we can, following every food safety and good agricultural practice to make sure everything is safe.

GUPTA: The question this season will that be enough? Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Soledad, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SANCHEZ: By the way, you can see more from Dr. Sanjay Gupta at 8:00 p.m. Eastern immediately following this program, CNN SIU, it presents "Danger: Poisoned Food."

Well, he went to Iraq to try and serve his country and now one soldier is back to chase a different kind of calling, from battlefield to ball field, look at him go. That's next.

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SANCHEZ: From the battlefield to the playing field, a young marine who did two tours of duty in Iraq is now pitching for the San Diego Padres. Well, farm system. Here's the CNN's Larry Smith.

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LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like many, Cooper Brannan grew up with a very simple dream.

COOPER BRANNAN, BASEBALL PLAYER: I always tell my dad when I was younger, my dream was to become a major leaguer.

SMITH: Like many Americans the events of September 11 he had Brannan hard and encouraged him to put his dreams on hold. He joined the Marines after high school.

BRANNAN: I felt at that time the Marine Corps could give me what I needed, which was honor, discipline and respect.

SMITH: Like many soldiers Brannan returned home after two tours of duty in Iraq, injured after a flash bang grenade accidentally exploded in his left hand.

BRANNAN: At first I thought we got hit by a mortar. It started coming to, followed by dizziness and I couldn't see very well, started coming to and started seeing guys rushing over to me. I couldn't hear anything.

SMITH: The blast resulted in the loss of one finger, but after several surgeries and months of rehabilitation, Brannan was able to regain the use of his hand.

BRANNAN: You know, I had a little anger built up, you know, like at first, you know, but I realized that it's something I can't change.

SMITH (on camera): But this is where Brannan's story becomes unlike any other. Last November in San Diego for the 231st birthday celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps Brannan and one of his buddies saw Padres G.M. Sandy Alderson and manager Bud Black. Brannan's friend walked up to him and began bragging about Brannan's athletic ability.

BRANNAN: So he goes up there and talks to him and I'm thinking oh, crap they're going to think this is another person coming up trying to get a free ride, you know. The next thing you know he takes it serious and I end up getting a call in January. SMITH: When Brannan reported to spring training in February, it had been almost four years since the right hander last pitched competitively. The 22 year old knows he has got a long way to go to make it to the big leagues but says he has no regrets.

BRANNAN: My father-in-law actually - it's a funny story. He wrote me a letter in Iraq my second time before I got hurt. And he said if it means you and my daughter taking a break to pursue your career - he's telling me that if you want to break up with my daughter that's fine - and it's a funny story but he was being serious. It's not that he wanted to ever push me away but he wanted me to not have regret and look where I am today.

SMITH: Larry Smith, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Good for him. Tenacity, huh?

I'm Rick Sanchez. I'm going to be back at 10:00 p. That's Eastern, of course. And that's where I'm going to have former Alaskan Senator Mike Gravel with me. He is a long shot in the 2008 presidential race but he is also one of the most unique voices in the race. Did you see him at the debate? This guy is suddenly huge on YouTube, huge on the Internet, Mike Gravel in our Sunday spotlight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

But coming up next, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT. That starts right now.

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