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Seafood Industry on Alert; Oil Slick Closing in on Coast; Actress' Role Fighting Autism
Aired April 30, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The projected expansion shows what's at stake here. Take a look.
The coastline along Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida being threatened by the 120-mile slick. Florida's governor has just declared a state of emergency for the panhandle area.
What's worse, oil is still leaking about 5,000 feet under water. The Coast Guard estimates 210,000 gallons spilling each day from the damaged well. That is five times more than what was originally believed.
Experts warn this disaster could turn into one of the biggest in history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG BRINKLEY, AUTHOR, "THE WILDERNESS WARRIOR": I don't know if people realize just how important this area is for commerce in the United States. We're looking at possibly a total disruption of our fish -- 16 percent of our fish come from this region, 67 percent of our oysters, 72 percent of shrimp. This is the great nursery, really.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Let's get to Chad Myers in the Severe Weather Center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Right about now people who make their living off the sea are feeling a little helpless. And depending on which way the wind blows, all of us could be paying more for seafood.
Our Ines Ferre has been following up with markets and groceries stores around the country.
Ines, good to see you again. What are you finding?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, we've spoken to some grocery stores, some restaurants, and on the line we have with us Derek Figuero from Seattle Fish Company. Now, they sell to grocery stores and restaurants in the Denver, Colorado, area.
Derek, thanks so much for being with us. Can you tell us, how concerned are you that the oil spill will affect shipments?
DEREK FIGUEROA, COO, SEATTLE FISH COMPANY: Well, I mean, we're greatly concerned. And we continue to watch it. We continue to talk to sort of the water men that are working the waters, as well as sort of the seafood industry down in the bayou. So it's something that's certainly captivated our attention -- or captured our attention.
FERRE: And what's your contingency plan? Because I take it that you import shrimp and also oysters from that area.
FIGUEROA: We do. We get quite a bit of seafood from down in that area that looks like it may be effected. So we're trying to take a proactive but not alarmist approach. There are alternatives that are available, sort of from an oyster perspective, East Coast oyster or West Coast oyster. You know, some other outlets for tuna and some of the other species.
So, we continue to watch them. And if the supply becomes affected, then we'll look for some of those other source of product from some of those different areas.
FERRE: And what about price? Will that be effected?
FIGUEROA: Yes, ultimately, it certainly can. And there's probably -- you know, from the seafood that is found specifically in that area, like, maybe some of the domestic shrimp, some of the prized Louisiana Gulf oysters, those are certainly affected, because the supply will sort of dry up. And then if that seafood, especially the volume of seafood, affects those off line, then the demand for the alternatives will go up driving price, we think.
FERRE: OK. Thanks so much, Derek Figueroa, from Seattle Fish Company. Thanks for being with us.
And Tony, as you can see, these companies coming up with plan Bs.
HARRIS: OK. You have to. You absolutely have to.
All right, Ines. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Got to tell you, President Obama talked minutes ago about this potentially disastrous oil spill. He has sent his secretaries of Homeland Security and Interior, plus the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to Louisiana. They're figuring out exactly what's needed once the oil comes ashore and what safeguards to take in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There are now five staging areas to protect sensitive shorelines. Approximately 1,900 federal response personnel are in the area, and more than 300 response vessels and aircraft are on the scene 24/7. We've also laid approximately 217,000 feet of protective boom, and there are more on the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. First Hurricane Katrina, now a massive oil spill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, we had a great catastrophe with Hurricane Katrina. It's so hard to have come back as far as we've come back to just get beat down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Oh, man. Business owners and those who make their living on the sea, on the Gulf Coast, bracing right now for what could be an environmental and economic disaster.
But first, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico now closing in on the fragile shoreline. The environmental and economic damage could be tremendous.
CNN's Samantha Hayes is live now for us from Venice, Louisiana.
And Samantha, look, if you would, describe the mood there and maybe some of the activity you're seeing in Venice.
SAMANTHA HAYES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, I'm in a boating channel in Venice. You can see the marshland behind me. And vessels have been coming in and out of this area.
I just overheard, I think, a fisherman that was just a few feet away from me. He just kind of put his hands to his head and he said, "This is just terrible."
So, a lot of these men have been out in the Gulf today. They've seen the oil spill. They see how close it's getting to this area and other areas along the Gulf Coast, and they're extremely worried about this.
This is their livelihood. This is how they make money. And it's obviously a place they care very much about. It's their home, too. Thousands of people are doing what they can to try and contain this mess, but it's proving to be very difficult to do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAYES (voice-over): The massive oil slick is targeting the Mississippi and Louisiana coast. Work to contain the spill the size of Jamaica continues at a frantic pace.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency, warning the oil spill could have devastating effects. GOV. BOBBY JINDAL (R), LOUISIANA: And it is going to have an impact on our coastal ecosystems. That's going to impact our fisheries and going to impact our bird population. Potentially, it's going to have an impact or our populated areas as well.
HAYES: President Obama has sent several members of his administration to tour the area and meet with members of British Petroleum, the oil company that owns the ruptured well where the leak is occurring. So far, BP's efforts to shut down the well have failed, and efforts to contain the spill have varied from burning parts of the oil slick to stringing up floating booms around the leading edge of the shoreline.
REAR ADM. SALLY BRICE-O'HARA, U.S. COAST GUARD: The federal government has had immediate, sustained and scaled response to this incident. It is very serious.
HAYES: The wildlife refuge of Mississippi and Louisiana could be devastated by the oil spill, not to mention the local economies.
LUANN WHITE, TULANE CENTER FOR APPLIED ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH: During this time, we have our red fish that are coming in, and they're spawning. We certainly have migratory birds that are flying in from the South, and they use this as their nesting grounds. So it has a potential not only for affecting what happens this year, but in future years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAYES: Tony, it seems that some shorelines may be more sensitive and delicate than others. So, five staging areas have been set up in Gulf Coast states to try and concentrate on those areas, including Venice, which is where I'm reporting from now.
Back to you.
HARRIS: All right. Samantha, appreciate it. Thank you.
Got to tell you, the oil slick could devastate the seafood industry. Even the perception that shrimp and oysters and fish could be tainted has business owners worried.
Here's reporter Dan Thomas with our affiliate WEAR in Pensacola, Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN THOMAS, REPORTER, WEAR (voice-over): Ray Boyer has spent 22 years in the seafood business.
RAY BOYER, GENERAL MANAGER, MARIA'S: I don't recall having something like this in our back yard. You know, having to worry about the direction of the spill like that.
THOMAS: But that's just what he's doing, keeping a close eye on gulf currents and wind direction. BOYER: It's always in the back of everybody's mind, if weather picks up in the wrong manner and pushes it in our back yard, what effects it could have on us. And it could be devastating.
THOMAS (on camera): Of course, any of the seafood caught locally has the potential for being affected by the spill, and here that means about 95 percent of what you see since it's caught in local waters. But what has them the most concerned is the effect the spill might have on oysters and on the shrimp.
BOYER: Nobody wants tainted shrimp. Nobody wants an oyster that's going to be tainted, because an oyster is a natural filter. So, you know, if oil gets up in there, it's going too take on the flavor.
THOMAS (voice-over): There are no reports of any tainted seafood. Boyer says the publicity alone could damage his business.
BOYER: So, the perception of the a lot of the seafood is that it might be tainted, whether it is or not. Hopefully, they'll get it cleaned up, get that thing plugged up, get it stopped.
THOMAS: Dan Thomas, Channel 3 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So, Louisiana, in case you didn't know, is the largest seafood producer in the lower 48 states. It brings in about $1.8 billion a year.
Joining me now from New Orleans, a man who makes his living from the sea, Mike Voisin
Mike, good to so you. Thanks for your time.
MIKE VOISIN, OWNER, MOTIVATIT SEAFOOD: It's good to be with you. Thanks for having me own.
HARRIS: So, Mike, let's walk through this together here.
Look, you're in the oyster farming, processing and distribution business. And I can imagine you have customers calling you concerned about their orders.
What are you telling them?
VOISIN: Well, of course the challenge was 50 miles offshore. The oil has been spreading and moving in. It's just hitting the tip of the boot of south Louisiana.
That's still another 50 or 60 miles from any oyster-producing area, because the boot goes out to the Continental Shelf. So, at this point, there is no impact except this publicity relating to oysters.
The concern -- and the state is well aware of it. They're planning. They're acting. They will close areas as the oil moves near shore, they'll precautionarily (ph) close oyster areas. And then, after they close the areas, they will monitor them and they'll do smell, see, taste tests with them to reopen those areas. They'll use a gas cramogropher (ph) to see what hydrocarbons are in the oysters. They'll do those things.
We have had minor spills in the past and we've dealt with these type of situations. We're prepared for it.
We've been through a number of storms over the many years, and we know how to act and react with these type of things. This is of a larger scale, and it is more challenging, but, you know, BP has been a great environmental friend in south Louisiana.
We're saddened by this. They're resource users. They harvest oil, we harvest seafood. We work together with them.
There's a great fishing armada that is heading out there to help skim this oil off as well. They're hiring a lot of the vessels. So we're working together to try to overcome this. Hopefully we can get that source shut down soon.
HARRIS: Mike, you're so calm. I almost believe everything is going to work out just fine.
The other side of this is that you are a businessman, and my guess is you're always factoring in worst-case scenarios. So, at least in this instance, what is your worst-case scenario and how would you respond to it?
VOISIN: Well, worst-case scenario is if we -- it continues and they're unable to shut it down, and it spreads further east and/or further west, and you get shutdowns of the seafood community all along the coast. Worst-case scenario.
We do have inventories that can help keep our customers supplied for a period of time, either fresh or frozen. But hopefully that won't occur.
We're seeing it on the eastern side of the river at this point. Hopefully, it doesn't move far into the west, if at all.
And what we'll do at that point in time is we'll just have to, you know, shut down for periods of times. We've had those same scenarios post-Hurricane Katrina, Gustav, Ike, Rita, all of those storms we've passed through in the many years. You know, it's been a challenge, but people aren't really interested in the storms you go through. It's whether you bring the ship in, and of course that's what we're trying to accomplish, is bringing that ship in.
HARRIS: Any shutdown would necessarily mean layoffs?
VOISIN: Well, I'm not sure it would mean layoffs, but it would sure disrupt production and manufacturing of seafood products here in south Louisiana, south Mississippi, south Alabama at this point in time.
HARRIS: Let me flesh you out a little bit on your tone and what you're really sensing here. Some are saying this could be worse than Hurricane Katrina. Are you in that group? It doesn't sound like you are.
VOISIN: I believe it has that potential, but I don't think we're there yet. A lot of people have said from a one to a 10, what is your anxiety level? Well, a week ago, I was at a one or two.
The families that lost loved ones -- we live in small communities in south Louisiana. We know those people. We know the people that work on the rig. We all have brothers or cousins that are out there.
We feel for those people. We feel for the company that has to deal with the challenge, as well as all of us now that are dealing with the result of this challenge.
I am concerned. My concern now is raised to about a seven or eight, because they haven't got the source stopped. It appears a greater amount of oil is coming out.
Hopefully, they can get that shut down. I have confidence. I've worked with the government on this, I've worked with the oil community on this. They're doing all that they can.
I think people should feel comfortable that no food will get out into the market that has any taint of oil on it. Even saying that, I don't like to.
But the bottom line is we are protecting -- and I worked with the secretary of Health, the secretary of wildlife here in the state, as well as the National Fishery Service, and all of those agencies to make sure that we do the right thing. And then the right thing, also, is that if there is a closure, to get it reopened when the area is appropriate to be reopened for those fisheries.
One of our real concerns is we're in a reproductive cycle. It's the spring, right? Everything reproduces in the spring.
The reproductive cycles gives us great concern at this point for our oysters, our fish. We hope to not lose a year class of those for the future. The bottom line is we're doing all we can to minimize this, although it is a major event.
HARRIS: Mike, we're going to stay in touch with you, if that's OK with you.
VOISIN: Oh, yes.
HARRIS: And bring you back on the program and have you give us updates on where we stand with this.
Mike Voisin is with us.
Mike, appreciate it. Thank you. Have a good weekend, sir.
VOISIN: Thank you. HARRIS: You know, we should remember -- and Mike reminded us of this just a moment ago -- 11 oil rig workers are still missing from last week's explosion. All presumed dead.
Oil is still leaking from the drill site. British Petroleum has been trying to cap it using remote-controlled submarines. We've been showing you these pictures.
The cause of the explosion still under investigation.
Many viewers like you are concerned about the environmental impact of the Gulf Coast oil slick. There are organizations willing to help.
Just go to CNN.com/impact for information on how you can impact your world.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Tomorrow, at 7:30 a.m. Eastern, catch a special edition of "SANJAY GUPTA/M.D." called "Dads for My Daughters," where he explores what it means to truly care for people you love once you're gone. Dr. Gupta introduces us to best-selling author Bruce Feiler, who was diagnosed with a vicious form of cancer and thought only of his young daughters.
What he created will inspire you -- a council of dads, a group of men who would guide his girls if he wasn't able to. The men all agreed. And the next year would be unforgettable. What a journey that will amaze you, move you, teach you about cancer and survival.
It is a special edition of "SANJAY GUPTA/M.D.," Saturday and Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE, ACTRESS: I came because my son has autism and one in 91 kids will have this. And it devastates families. And I came here for my charity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: That is actress and activist Holly Robinson Peete defending her appearance on this season's "Celebrity Apprentice." Her reason, to be the voice of families affected by autism. And her charity, the HollyRod Foundation.
And that's what we're talking about in today's "What Matters" segment. After Peete's son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, she made it her mission to help fight against this disorder.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHELLE CAREY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may recognize her from "21 Jump Street" or maybe "Hanging with Mr. Cooper," but Holly Robinson Peete's most important role came when her oldest son when diagnosed with autism.
PEETE: I had no idea what autism was. I had very little information. I had very little information and very few examples of hope.
CAREY: Peete learned everything she could about Rodney Jr.'s condition. And now she's encouraging others to learn more.
PEETE: Please keep up the good work in advocating for families, for yourselves. You're your child's best advocate.
I think with autism there are some cultural gaps in different communities about not wanting to talk about it. But I also feel that whenever you're in a socioeconomic situation that you can't afford treatment for your kid, that is just the most devastating thing. So, that's our goal, to have more of these conversations and to really help counsel families about how they can get treatments they would never be able to get because they're so expensive.
CAREY: Peete helps support families for the Autism Speaks Foundation and her own HollyRod Foundation. And Peete's work has kind of grown into a family affair. Her daughter, Ryan Elizabeth (ph), helped her write a children's book about how to cope with an autistic relative.
PEETE: I'm excited to share the story with other families. Autism can be very detrimental to the family unit, but there's something powerful about knowing that you're not alone.
Hi. Come on in.
When you know someone else is going through what you're going through, you feel uplifted and you feel empowered. And I think that's very important.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And for more information on the HollyRod Foundation, just visit CNN.com/impact. And to read more stories that matter to all of us, pick up the latest issues of "Essence" magazine on newsstands now.
First, the civil fraud charges, then the pounding by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Now Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs may be facing more trouble.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The looming disaster off the Gulf Coast started with the oil rig explosion that left 11 workers missing and presumed dead.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The looming disaster off the Gulf Coast started with the oil rig explosion that left 11 workers missing and presumed dead. Questions remain about what caused the explosion. And survivors are sharing new accounts of the horrific chain of events. The story now from CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, ABC CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They experienced the violence and chaos of this blast firsthand. Many of them still cannot speak publicly about it, either because they're traumatized, or trying to protect themselves legally. So they're relaying the horror of that night through family member or attorneys.
TODD (on camera): Describe what they've told you about the conditions in the moments before the explosion. What happened right before and during?
BERNEY STRAUSS, ATTORNEY: The people that I've spoken to were asleep in their beds. And they were basically blown out of their beds by the explosion. There was no indication beforehand that there was any problem on the rig.
TODD (voice-over): New Orleans Attorney Berney Strauss has been approached for legal advice by several workers on board the Deepwater Horizon. He's close to taking on the cases of two workers who will likely file lawsuits against rig operator Transocean and oil giant BP. Neither f those worker, nor others we approached, would speak directly us to. They've told Strauss there wasn't just one explosion, but several. And amidst all that
STRAUSS: They knew how to evacuate the rig. But, of course, in a situation like this, if none of them had encountered it, it was fairly chaotic. Some were jumping overboard.
TODD: Adriana Ramos' husband, Carlos, a rig worker, gave more detail to her.
ADRIANA RAMOS, WIFE OF OIL RIG BLAST SURVIVOR (voice-over): There were some people on fire jumping overboard.
TODD: Officials at Transocean and BP would not comment on the accounts from Adriana Ramos and Berney Strauss. Strauss says his perspective clients are not sure what caused the explosion. BP's global CEO told CNN this.
TONY HAYWARD, CEO, BP GROUP: The issue here is that the blowout preventer, the ultimate piece of safety equipment in a situation such as this, has failed to operate fully. We don't understand why that is, but it's clearly failed to operate fully.
TODD: The blowout preventer is designed to stop oil from shooting upward toward the rig and causing an explosion. Rigs in other countries are equipped with a remote controlled safeguard for the blowout preventer. A switch that shuts down the well, even if the rig is damaged or evacuated.
The Deepwater Horizon didn't have a switch like that. No rigs in the Gulf do. The U.S. government doesn't require them. A government rig safety official told me there are alternatives to that, like those remote controlled submersibles that are now struggling to activate the blowout preventer.
TODD (on camera): But are the alternate means better than that remote control switch?
MIKE SAUCIER, U.S. MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE: They're just as good as far as I'm concerned. I mean the main thing is you want to get the BOPs closed. And they do have more than one type of way of doing that. and that's what they're working on doing.
TODD: I asked an official with Transocean if that remote control switch would have made a difference. He wouldn't comment on that directly, but he did say that will definitely be part of the investigation.
Brian Todd, CNN, Robert, Louisiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And, of course, CNN is your source for financial news. If you would like to get the latest financial news and analysis, cnnmoney.com.
Got to get you to Wall Street now. And how are we going the end up the week? So far, three hours into the trading day, the Dow down 68 points. The Nasdaq, at last check, was down 27. We're following these numbers throughout the day for you right here in the NEWSROOM.
Got to tell you, the U.S. economy kept on growing in the first quarter of this year. The Commerce Department says gross domestic product increased 3.2 percent. That is slightly below what economists predicted. President Obama commented on the numbers last hour. He says the economy needs to add more jobs, but things are moving in the right direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the first quarter of last year, our economy shrank at a rate of 6.4 percent. Today, we learned that in the first quarter of this year, our economy grew at a rate of 3.2 percent. What this number means is that our economy, as a whole, is in a much better place than it was one year ago. The economy that shrank for four quarters in a row has now grown for three quarters in a row. And that growth has been a condition for job growth. The economy that was losing jobs a year ago is creating jobs today.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Balancing immigration policy with public safety. We will take a look at a town where emotions are really running high in support of Arizona's new immigration law.
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HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories now. A giant --
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HARRIS: Fishing areas are threatened. There is a state of emergency declared in Louisiana and the Florida panhandle. Not quite sure what all that was. The prime minister of Greece says his country's very survival is at stake. George Papandreou warns new austerity measures are unavoidable if Greece is to receive an international rescue package to get out of its debt crisis. He calls the cuts a patriotic duty to keep the country afloat.
And in Hawaii, state lawmakers have passed a civil unions bill that would give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. Governor Linda Lingle has until early July to sign it into law. Critics say it should have been put on a statewide vote.
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HARRIS: OK. So all the changes in the mortgage and health insurance industries have many of you looking for answers. CNN's "Help Desk" is the place to turn. Here's our Stephanie Elam in New York.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get you answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Greg McBride is a senior financial analyst for bankrate.com, and Jack Otter, he's executive editor of moneywatch.com.
All right, gentlemen, our first question comes in from David who writes in, "I have never missed a mortgagor or credit card payment in my life and I am having trouble modify my loans with my mortgage lenders. When I call to refinance, they said that I was ineligible because I was unemployed. They also told me that I would not qualify for a loan modification because I didn't miss any mortgage payments. Is there anything I can do?"
Sounds like he's getting penalized for doing the right thing, Greg.
GREG MCBRIDE, SR FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: Well, when it comes to refinancing, you do have to be able to show that steady income in order to qualify. It's just like getting a new loan. So that option's off the table.
But you do not have to be behind on your payments to get a mortgage modification. And the government's home affordable modification program contains a specific provision designed to help unemployed homeowners in this situation. So be persistent with the lender. It's frustrate that the information you get often depends on who answers the phone. But be persistent because there are options out there. ELAM: All right, so David needs to keep calling. All right. Our next question comes from Dean and he writes in, "how long will it be before we can take advantage of the new federal law extending the age that our dependents can stay on our health benefits through work to the age of 26? Is this big enough to constitute a change in life status so we don't have to wait until open enrollment or will this go into effect right away at work?"
What do you say, Jack?
JACK OTTER, EXEC. EDITOR, MONEYWATCH.COM: Well, companies are not required to make this change until January 1, 2011. So not necessarily. The good news is, some companies and employers, and some insurance companies, are actually moving ahead and doing this early, which is amazing to hear. So that's good news. So he's going to have to check with his own HR department.
I would give him one bit of warning. While companies will be required to add 25-year-olds, 24-year-olds to the rolls, they're not necessarily required to subsidize that insurance cost. So it may not be free.
And one more point. If your child is employed, they're not actually required to offer coverage until 2014.
ELAM: So there are a lot of questions in there that he just has to go and dig in and find out the answers to.
OTTER: Exactly.
ELAM: All right, Greg and Jack, thanks so much.
Now "The Help Desk," it's all about getting answers to your questions. So send us an e-mail to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com. Or log on to cnn.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions. You can also pick up the latest issue of "Money" magazine. It's on newsstands now.
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HARRIS: Let's get to Chad Myers now in the severe weather center.
And, Chad, what are you watching right now?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, I'm watching the wind come off the Gulf of Mexico, blow the oil closer to land.
HARRIS: Yes.
MYERS: I'm also watching that same wind get up into the northern climbs and make a severe weather event for today.
HARRIS: I see.
MYERS: All the way from Minnesota, through Wisconsin, all the way down south. It was actually part of the same system that is dragging that warm air off the Gulf of Mexico and also dragging the oil, obviously, with it.
And back out to the west, we're seeing some snow in the Rockies. It's not all that unusual for this time of year. It's still not even May yet, of course.
Now, we've talked about the oil a little bit today, Tony. And the sheen now is in the delta. No reports of any tar balls so far, but the sheen. And I don't know if you've ever been on a boat. But if you've ever been on a boat and you put some gas in the boat on the dock and you drip -- you lose one drop --
HARRIS: Yes.
MYERS: All of a sudden that one drop spreads out and it looks like you just -- like you polluted the entire world, right? From one big rainbow sheen. And that's what they're seeing. That very, very thin, paper weight, literally paper thick sheen of oil there. And so that's not going to hurt everything yet. But there's an awful lot more thicker oil still back out. And, obviously, the oil is still coming out of the well itself because that blowout preventer not able to stop it.
You can see from the satellite picture here, how thick the oil is here and the thin oil now making its way right up here. Now nobody really lives around Pilot Town (ph) except for the pilots and people -- maybe a population of about 50. But not even a road that goes there. And that's where the oil is now. In places where there aren't even roads to get there. But that's where the birds live and that's where the plankton lives and that's where all the marine mammals live as well.
HARRIS: That's right. That's right. Yes, thank you, Chad. Thank you.
Let's take a quick break. We're back in the CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment.
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HARRIS: You know, we told you about this last hour. State lawmakers have tweaked Arizona's week old immigration law. Changes include tighter restrictions on police when questioning someone about their immigration status. The reason, in the words of Republican State Senator Russell Pearce, "just to take away the silly arguments and the games, the dishonesty that's been played."
Now to ground zero in this debate, Casa Grande, Arizona, where locals say the issue is not so much about immigration policy as it is about public safety. Casey Wian has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a normal citizen, what do we do? What do we do besides sitting here, you know, worrying and wondering and frustrated?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): At a town hall meeting with U.S. Senator John McCain and local police chiefs, one resident addressed the violence from smugglers of illegal immigrants and drugs by proposing a violent solution of his own.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shoot, shovel and shut up. These people aren't herded up like cows and horses and driven across the border. They know what they're doing. And they know where they're going. They pay good money to do it. Why don't we make a few examples and maybe the rest of them will get the idea that, hey, them son of a bitches shoot back.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I understand your passion, but that's not, I think, frankly, in the tradition of America.
WIAN: Casa Grande is the largest city in Pinal County, Arizona. It's more than 100 miles from the Mexican border. Yet the sheriff here estimates 80 percent of the illegal immigrants who enter the United States in Arizona pass through Pinal County. In one month, sheriff's deputies were involved in 64 high-speed pursuits with suspected smugglers of illegal immigrants or drugs.
SHERIFF PAUL BABEU, PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA: We've seen the tactics change just over the last couple of months here. And it's become increasingly dangerous.
WIAN: Sheriff Paul Babeu has become the voice of the county's exasperated residents at the state capitol.
BABEU: Everybody across America is watching Arizona right now. And we live in this. And the violence is off the chart.
WIAN: At the nation's capitol.
BABEU: So I wouldn't dare to speak for anybody else, but most of us in law enforcement see -- welcome this legislation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is fantastic. I am going to stay.
WIAN: And at the local VFW hall, where he's treated like a celebrity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What part of illegal don't they understand?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I liked you when I first saw you.
BABEU: Well, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I even like you more now.
WIAN: Babeu and others here say Arizona's new law is the natural reaction to what they consider the federal government's failure to secure the nation's borders and solve its illegal immigration crisis.
WIAN (on camera): Babeu says he is not focused on the politics of illegal immigration. His main concern is the safety of the county's residents and of his deputies. That safety is being compromised every day by smugglers.
Casey Wian, CNN, Casa Grande, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, got to tell you, the backlash is widening against Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigrants. A lawsuit from 15-year Tucson police veteran Martin Escobar was one of three filed yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFC. MARTIN ESCOBAR, TUCSON POLICE: I worked throughout the years to establish a relationship with the community, legally or illegally, it doesn't matter, or crimes get solved. That's what we do. By doing this law, it puts a barrier up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the federal government may challenge the law. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer says the law is necessary because of the federal government's failure to secure the border.
Immigration reform supporters are expected to be out in force at May Day rallies across the country tomorrow. Clarissa Martinez leads immigration and national campaigns for the National Council of La Raza. The largest Latino civil rights group in the United States. Last hour she talked about what's fueling the frustration over immigration policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARISSA MARTINEZ, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA: We have an immigration system that has been neglected for over 20 years. The illegal side is broken, so it feeds illegally where people aren't coming with a smuggler rather than a visa. That's why we support a solution. Make sure our legal system works. Make sure the border is strong. And make sure that we crack down on that employers that are pitting U.S. workers against vulnerable, undocumented workers.
But the thing about -- to note in Arizona is, there is legitimate frustration. I think what is shameful is that you have legislators who know this is not going to solve the problem and are going at it anyway to manipulate people's frustrations without any regard to what this is going to cost the taxpayers in the state.
HARRIS: To what end? To what end? Manipulating to what end?
MARTINEZ: I think that we have seen a lot of strategies and trying to use anti-immigrant sentiment, which, frankly, has become anti-Latino sentiment, to score cheap, political points. And that is the most devastating thing about this. Because there are real paths to solve this problem. But right now, everybody seems to be more interested in politics. And that's why we need urgency from Congress to step in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You know, it is rough for kids with parents deployed oversea, especially at bedtime. Good thing the new program is helping military parents bridge the miles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF GARY LUNN, U.S. NAVY: I know it's helping me out a lot. Especially knowing the response that's coming from it. Just mentally calming me down and enabling me to stay focused.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You know, all military families go through this, mom or dad is deployed overseas and the children are left wait for that next hug. Our Sandra Endo tells us about a program that helps these families stay connected through bedtime stories.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So where's your daddy at?
AMARI LUNN, MILITARY CHILD: On the ocean on a ship.
ENDO: On a ship?
ENDO (voice-over): Three-year-old Amari Lunn can't wait for daddy to come home.
FAINA LUNN, MARRIED TO U.S. NAVAL OFFICER: I have to explain to him that daddy's working. But he's like, when is daddy coming home?
ENDO: Daddy is Navy Chief Gary Lunn, currently on the USS Dwight Eisenhower," deployed in the North Arabian Sea. Lunn has been deployed for six months. His family eagerly awaits his return.
F. LUNN: Where do you see daddy? You see daddy on the TV?
A. LUNN: Yes.
ENDO: This is Lunn's ninth deployment, but this one is different. Thanks to a program his kids affectionately call "The Daddy Show."
F. LUNN: You press play. Back up so you can see daddy.
ENDO: Through a non-profit program called United Through Reading, deployed service members can choose a book and record videos from their base to read aloud to their children.
CHIEF GARY LUNN, U.S. NAVY: Today I'm going to read, the book is called "The Ear Book."
A. LUNN: "The Ear Book."
ENDO: Programs like this one that help keep families connected are becoming increasingly popular in the military. When service members with kids are deployed for long stretches, psychologists say it's the children who feel it the most.
LYNETTE FRAGA, ZERO TO THREE: Some children, they withdraw and you have a difficult time -- they have a difficult time talking about their experience. Or some children are very aggressive and you might see them crying a lot or having trouble sleeping.
ENDO: But with these videos, smiles often replace tears, especially for the Lunn family.
ROMELLO LOVINSKY, 12-YEARS-OLD: It's like better because like I get to see him and he'll talk with me and stuff on the video.
ENDO (on camera): And do you see a difference in your kids?
F. LUNN: Yes. Yes. Now he thinks daddy's around more.
ENDO (voice-over): It's also a major moral boost for the parent serving away.
G. LUNN: I know it's helping me out a lot, especially knowing the response that's coming from it. Just mentally calming me down and enabling me to stay focused at my job.
I love all of you.
ENDO (on camera): With the country engaged in two wars and many service members facing multiple deployments, the military is expanding and promoting programs which help ease the strain on families.
Sandra Endo, CNN, Norfolk, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: The man is here. Time to take it to the next level. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Have a great weekend, buddy.
HARRIS: Yes. You, too. Thank you, sir.
VELSHI: All right. We'll see you next week in the new studio.
