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Nashville Flooded after Heavy Rains; Iranian Leader's U.N. Comments Trigger Walkout; Feds Keep Pressure on BP to Clean Up, Contain Leak

Aired May 03, 2010 - 13:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: OK. It is go time. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes in for Ali Velshi.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Nice new place you got here, Tony. I'll try not to break it. All right? Over the next two hours.

Hello there, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in for my dear friend Ali Velshi. I'm going to do what he does for you over these two hours. We're going to take every important topic we cover, going to take it a step further, try to give you a level of detail you won't find anywhere else. We'll help you put your world in context and help you make some important decisions about your life.

So let's get this thing started, shall we? This is what we've got on the rundown for you.

Up first, some record-shattering rainfall in the south. Some scary stuff here. Rivers are rising. Rescue crews are out and rescuing countless people. The worst not over yet. We're going to be talking to the mayor of one of the hardest-hit towns. That's Nashville. They are literally under water right now. He's coming up in just a moment.

But a rescue of a different kind going on the Gulf Coast. Rescuing the environment, rescuing animals. Also rescuing people's livelihoods. We're following every development in the urgent effort to keep the oil spill at bay.

Also, a man with a killer disease volunteering for an untested and unproven treatment. He could end up making history. He's not doing this, however, for himself. His story remarkable. You are going to meet him coming up soon.

But let's start with these storms. They've actually moved on. That is a great thing. But in middle Tennessee, the worst is possibly yet to come. The governor is calling this an astonishing amount of rain that has hit the state, and it happened in the space of a weekend. It's pushing the Cumberland River, which is smack dab in the heart of Nashville, pushing it well above flood stage. The water is still rising.

Let's give you a picture here of what's happening out there. Floods and two confirmed tornadoes blamed for at least 16 deaths in Tennessee and Mississippi. Some parts of Tennessee have picked up 20 inches of rain. Twenty inches, folks. Nashville recorded more than 13 inches. That is twice the old record. So just obliterated the old record.

The Cumberland River we mentioned a moment ago, that runs smack dab through the city of Nashville, expected to top out at 51 feet. Parts of Nashville, including some hotels, nursing homes, they've been evacuated. More than 150 roads across middle Tennessee are closed, along with most of the schools.

Impossible right now to count exactly how many rescues they've had going on. We've heard more than 1,000 in Nashville alone have taken place. The Red Cross, meanwhile, estimating that 800 Tennesseans are spending the day, maybe several days in 20 shelters.

Here's an irony we found and we often see in the floods. People in Nashville are being told to actually -- to conserve water. The water treatment plant is closed right now.

That brings us now to our two at the top, two minutes with the top source on the story of the hour. And today that is Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who is on the line with us.

Mayor Dean, we appreciate you spending a little time with us. Can you give us the update on those numbers of rescue? How many people do you have out there, do you think, right now that need some help, that need to be plucked out of their homes or somewhere else?

MAYOR KARL DEAN, NASHVILLE (via telephone): We think we've got everybody who's in serious harm's way already rescued. We're responding now to -- I would still call them emergency calls, but it's people who are not in a life-threatening situation.

Our police and fire departments did great work over the weekend, worked very, very hard. And the figure I gave last night, this afternoon at a press conference, was that we believe they rescued about 600 people. But they've done great work and believe we have everybody who's in harm's way.

We've got people out there right now remain the highest priority for us is to make sure that people are safe. And we're looking to see if there's anybody else who needs our assistance.

HOLMES: Sir, I know you have a lot of schools closed. I assume a lot of businesses, as well. What part of Nashville is functioning right now? Are you able to because of this water.

DEAN: Lots of parts of Nashville are functioning. I mean, the city was hit, really, in all -- in east-west, north-south parts of the city. But whole areas were not heavily damaged. You know, the airport's open, the government's running.

Schools are shut largely because we have some concerns about the safety of driving with the flooding and road conditions. But the city is functioning.

But we're going through a process right now of assessing what the damage is. And there clearly is a lot of damage. There are a lot of homes underwater. There's businesses that are underwater. And we need to assess that. And then to work on the recovery.

HOLMES: And what have you been told as well, sir, about when that river is going to crest? When you expect that to happen? In large part, you're just going to have to wait to do a lot of stuff until that water just goes down.

DEAN: Well, the National Weather Service advises major flooding is expected to continue along the river today, along the Cumberland River, which is expected to crest at 51.5 feet today, or about right now. And then the river is not predicted to go back down to 50 feet for the next 24 hours.

So the river is really cresting as we speak. And then our hope would be that, over the course of the next 24 hours, it will begin to go down.

HOLMES: And back to the human toll there for a moment, as well. I know you said you rescued a lot of folks there in your town, but as far as injuries and deaths, what's your update?

DEAN: We have six confirmed deaths that we believe are definitely flood related. And it's a very high toll. But we're continuing to focus on helping people who need the help. We've got shelters up and running. And we have a lot of volunteers. And again, I just give a ton of credit to the city of employees of the city who have worked all weekend long and are continuing to work to move this thing forward.

HOLMES: So Mayor Karl Dean, mayor of Nashville, sir, we wish the best to you and your citizens as you all still have a tough time ahead. Thank you so much for spending some time on the phone with us, sir. Thanks so much.

Want to turn now to our sound effects: a few words to shed light on a story that affects your life. We're going to turn to BP, BP of America. The head of that company, explaining why plugging an oil leak on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico is every bit as challenging as it sounds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAMAR MCKAY, CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT, BP AMERICA: We are still working hard, still working hard on the blowout preventer to see if we can actuate this piece of evidently failed equipment. And as you can imagine, this is like doing open-heart surgery at 5,000 feet within the dark, with robot-controlled submarines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: BP says it will absolutely pay for cleaning up the spill. The Justice Department has a team on the coast to make sure that it does.

Well, coming up here, a lightning rod of controversy. He's in the U.S. right now. Iran's president bringing his nuclear showdown with Washington and its allies to the U.N. What exactly did he have to say? You'll find out soon. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, a showdown could be looming at the U.N. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, locking horns with critics of Tehran's nuclear program just moments ago, lashing out at the U.S. and its allies for accusing Iran of secretly trying to build nuclear weapons. His volley came during the opening of a summit on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, or the NPT it's called for short.

Here's just one example of his remarks, and they triggered a walkout by the delegates from the U.S., Britain and France.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT OF IRAN (through translator): It would be naive and irrational to expect an effective and voluntary initiative towards disarmament and nonproliferation simply because these states consider nuclear weapons as an element of their superiority over others. There is an Iranian saying that reads, a knife never cuts it own handle. Expecting major arms dealers to work for security is an illogical expectation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right. We're going to give you a look at a map now. The map shows Iran's known nuclear sites. It's enriching uranium at two plants that everybody knows about and building a third at the city of Kuhm.

Now, Iran also says it has plans to build ten more. It says they're needed to feed the fuel, the 20 fuel reactors they have.

Of course, the ultimate of the NPT conference is to check the spread of nuclear weapons and ultimately eliminate them. The treaty was enacted back in 1970. The 129 treaty members meet every five years. The four nonmembers are India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. All have nuclear arsenals or weapons programs.

Now, of the three members, five are nuclear powers.

I want to take a break right now. Not break, not go away, just want to take you to something else.

We want to go to the White House briefing. Robert Gibbs stepping up to the podium. Certainly, a lot on their plates. Let's take a listen.

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: One a quick readout before we do Q&A here. The president spoke late this morning with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. They discussed how best to work together to achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East, in particular by making full use of substantive proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and transitioning to direct negotiations as soon as possible.

They also discussed regional challenges, and the president reaffirmed his unshakable commitment to Israel's security. The call took place just before noon and lasted 20 minutes.

Yes, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Robert, on the oil spill, two questions on BP. One is, my understanding is that the Oil Pollution Act caps their liability beyond cleanup costs at $75 million. So I'm wondering how you will make sure that they do, in fact, pay the costs.

GIBBS: Let me check. I would need to check with interior on that, on the $75 million figure. I don't -- I think there are different provisions for different things. But let me -- let me take that question and try to find that out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, is it your commitment that BP will pay all costs associated?

GIBBS: That is our commitment, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Including lost wages and that sort of thing?

GIBBS: That's specifically one of the things the president spoke with -- with Thad Allen about, and with parish presidents and fishermen yesterday, is setting up a system. And Secretary Janet Napolitano talked about that this morning, setting up a system for compensation and claims that isn't bogged down.

Fishermen particularly are -- we understand what they catch, they're going to sell what they catch in order to spend money to go back out and do it again. So obviously, we've got to set up a system that is -- that provides for that to happen quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And just generally, what is your satisfaction level with BP's performance?

GIBBS: Well, again, they're responsible. We're -- we have oversight. I did this a couple times, I think yesterday. Look, there are many different things that we're focused on.

First and foremost is capping this well. There were tests over the weekend on the application of subsidy disbursement, which have thus far performed well. And they're continuing to test that, which is, instead of spraying the disbursement on the surface of the water, it is to release the disbursement near the source of the leak. And that had some positive impact during the first round of testing.

The second -- the relief well began -- the drilling began on that last evening, which is a more long-term solution.

Obviously, BP is working on a structure to put -- possibly put on top of the well. And vacuum up the oil to the surface with the water to deal with that. So that's certainly -- that's one aspect of what we're dealing with.

Secondly, we're dealing with, as the pollutants rise to the surface, containing the spread of that oil on the surface of the water. And how that affects both the environment that we're dealing with, as well as the local economy.

And I would say all those things are what we are overseeing. They're responsible for that. Obviously, they have the unique equipment for -- for dealing with this, at a depth of 5,000 feet under the floor -- under the surface of the ocean.

But we are going to continue to ensure that they're doing all that they need to do, from the perspective of the state, local and federal authorities. Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, and Lisa Jackson are meeting this afternoon with BP to get an update from them on their ongoing process, and to ensure that they're taking the steps that we feel are necessary to respond to an incident of this magnitude.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My understanding is it's going to be BP's CEO who is having a meeting today?

GIBBS: Yes. Actually, the guidance I have has the CEO and the American chair.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you tell me -- I have two questions -- one and another following BP. Can you tell me who the president actually spoke with at BP? And then also, any reaction on Ahmadinejad's comments?

GIBBS: I don't -- I can check -- I don't believe the president has spoken with anybody at BP. Obviously, they have -- Secretary Salazar convened a meeting with the CEOs of the oil companies last week. I think we put that -- that list of folks out. Secretary Salazar was in Houston at the BP command center. And these individuals will meet with BP later on. I think it's at 3 p.m. today.

Look, I think the speech that you heard today was predictable in that Iran failed to speak about the obligations that it won't live up to. And I think rightly, our delegation and many others left as a series of wild accusations were made during the speech.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think it will have any influence on the move toward imposing some sanctions toward them? More sanctions?

GIBBS: I think the speech today -- I think the -- those that have -- those that are involved in the NPT conference, and are living up to the obligations, would have wanted to hear the Iranians discuss living up to their obligations. I think them not doing that again shows how further isolated they are from the world community.

And we continue to make progress on sanctions at a multi-lateral level, even as we look at ways that we can do so within our own government. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How so?

GIBBS: Continue to meet with the U.N. Security Council, continue to make progress moving forward on a Security Council resolution.

Yes, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Robert, two questions. The first one is, we hear so many different time frames as to when this oil well will actually be under control. What is the best case and what is the worst-case scenario? And I'm hearing from a matter of days to 90 days in the worst case. What is your sense?

GIBBS: Well, I would direct you to BP in terms of what -- what they might say. Look, I think there are a series of processes that, as you said, could take -- could take a matter of days. I think the -- I forget the exact term of the structure, putting on top of the valve would take probably another week. The original well took 90 days to drill. And it could take -- it could take that long to drill a relief well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So if it takes up to 90 days, is that something that the president is comfortable with?

GIBBS: Well, I'm not sure the president can alter the pace of drilling in the Atlantic. Look, we're -- I mean, in the Gulf, I'm sorry. We're -- I used this phrase yesterday. Secretary Salazar used this phrase. And that is, we're going to do what we have to do. We will keep our, as Secretary Salazar said, our boot on the throat of BP to ensuring that they're doing all that they -- all that is necessary while we do all that is humanly possible to deal with this incident, absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the plane ride back yesterday, did the president share any personal reflections with you about what he saw on the ground, how he's feeling about all this?

GIBBS: Well, you know, I think the -- I talked a little bit about this on the trip home, the -- you get a real -- you get a real sense of the topography, the geography of what we're dealing with. And how the -- the president said that you could see from the air the -- the wetlands in that area obviously have undergone lots of change, and not for the good, over the past many years. The president said you could see that from the air.

Speaking with the parish presidents, speaking with the local fishermen, you get a sense of what's at stake, both environmentally and economically. And I think the president reiterated to all of us, as he had said -- has said over many, many days, and that is, we must do all that we can, as aggressively as we can to combat this incident.

Yes?

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Robert. I just want to follow up on that. When you say keep the boot on the throat of BP, that obviously sounds tough. But how do you actually follow up on it when, as was pointed out, the liability cap seems to be $75 million?

GIBBS: I'll check on that before we...

HENRY: Senator Menendez has a bill he's introduced today with other senators, saying he wants to expand it from $75 million to, I think, $10 billion. You said earlier we want to set up a system to make sure BP pays more than just to clean up, pays for lost wages, et cetera. What kind of system can you set up retroactively if the law -- the law is the law?

GIBBS: No, no, no. The law provides for -- BP is the responsible party, right? So if -- if local fishermen can't fish, that's an economic loss that BP's going to have to pay. I'm talking about setting up the actual system for the filing of those claims with BP and others in order to get them reimbursed as quickly as possible. That's not a retroactive thing.

HENRY: If they're just responsible for cleanup and containment, can you really force them to pay the lost wages?

GIBBS: Absolutely. That's part of the law. Absolutely. The economic damages that are incurred are part of the cost of this incident. Absolutely.

HENRY: And two other quick things. Prime Minister Netanyahu called. There have been reports that President Abbas may be coming to the White House in mid-May to try to get Mideast peace talks. Where are you on whether he's coming? Are you inviting him?

GIBBS: I have no announcements on that.

HENRY: And then on the Supreme Court, where is the president in his decision-making process? We know he did some interviews, face-to- face interviews with potential nominees last week. Do you anticipate more face-to-face meetings this week? Is he close to a decision? Where are you?

GIBBS: Close. I could not -- I couldn't agree more with your characterization.

HENRY: So how close is he? Will he announce it this week?

GIBBS: You know, I was thinking about this as I was getting a series of e-mails: "Will it be today? Will it be tomorrow?" I am happy to advise you of when the event is, when we do announce it. I think it would be -- it might be duplicative to announce each day when the event's not going to be.

HENRY: Well, last week you did.

GIBBS: Yes.

HENRY: You ruled out last week.

GIBBS: I did rule out last week.

HENRY: Can you rule out this week?

GIBBS: No. See? I've just handed a whole week's worth of duplicativity. That's awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has a lot of free time -- well, not free time, but public time on his schedule today.

GIBBS: Whoa, whoa, where did you get the impression that the president has a ton of free time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry.

GIBBS: What are you guys watching at CBS that I'm not afforded to watch at...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a lot on his public schedule.

GIBBS: I see. We can afford that (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he doing -- is he using that time to do some interviews with the Supreme Court nominees today?

GIBBS: I'm not going to get into the interview process that the president has. I will -- safe to say, Chip, there is a lot on the president's plate, and a lot that he's doing out of the watchful eye of the public.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does that include Supreme Court?

GIBBS: I suspect that he is working on the process of the Supreme Court, without getting into the specifics of what those actions might be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is his involvement? How actively involved is he in -- or getting information or whatever else on the Times Square situation?

GIBBS: You know, yesterday in traveling to the gulf, John Brennan was with us, briefed the president on the helicopter ride from here to Andrews, on Times Square. We spent about 50 minutes in the conference room of Air Force One, on the ride down on the Gulf. The situation in the Gulf -- John got information throughout the day, and passed that along to the president and has done so again today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And is there anything new on claims from overseas, that they were responsible for this? Does the White House have any reaction to that?

GIBBS: We are actively participating in the investigation, making sure that local authorities have all the resources necessary to determine who is responsible. We have not made that determination yet. But that -- that's actively ongoing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the boot on the throat thing, Ed said it sounds tough. It actually sounds hostile. Is that an accurate reflection of the relationship between the federal government and BP right now? Is it a hostile relationship? Do you really need to keep your boot on their throat in order to get them to act?

GIBBS: I think that is -- I think the expression largely conveys that, while the responsible party is BP, we will do, as the oversight authority in managing the cleanup, the spread, we're going to ensure that the responsible party is doing everything that it can and should do.

The president heard yesterday from local officials that were concerned about the plans for -- the plans that BP had when the oil got closer to different parishes, for -- for extra booming and for different activities that could be undertaken.

The president understands that frustration, and worked -- Admiral Allen met with the local parish presidents to get -- move the process with BP forward more quickly. That's the process that has been ongoing throughout this and will continue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think the president feels like he needs to keep...

HOLMES: All right. Listening in to Robert Gibbs at the White House, answering questions from reporters. Several questions, of course, having to do with Iran. The Iranian president, of course, in the U.S. today at the U.N. giving a speech. But also on BP. And here are a couple of headlines that jumped out.

Administration officials are going to be meeting with the heads of BP today, getting an update and the way Robert Gibbs said it, going to continue to keep the boot on the throat, as he said, but also put pressure on them to make sure they are doing everything to try to clean up, certainly one thing, but also stop this oil from seeping out.

And on that, he said the administration still has the idea that many of us others have, as well, on reporting this story. It could be up to some 90 days before the oil stops seeping from that well in the gulf.

Something else that stood out here, and there may be a question later, about just how much BP would be on the hook for as far as cleaning up the damages. But also, other damages, other liability from maybe fishermen and others who might want to sue BP. Apparently, there's a law that would require them only up to $75 million in liability.

Now, the administration says that BP is going to be held, certainly, responsible for the cleanup. That's a separate 1990 law that requires them to pay for that.

But another question, if people go after BP for damages, it's capped at $75 million, it appears right now. So certainly, more to come on that in the coming days and weeks.

Moving on here. There's a deal out there that would create the world's biggest airline. It's in the works right now. So what does that mean for little old you and me? Christine Romans, she has the answer. You might not like it, though. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Here we go again. Another big, big merger in the works right now. For the airline industry. Could create the biggest airline out there. So, what does that mean for you the next time you fly?

Let's go over to Christine Romans. She's keeping an eye on this for us in New York. Well, we know what it means for the airlines, usually. It usually means they make a little more money, and that will put them in better fiscal shape. What does that mean going to mean for you and me the next time we fly, Christine?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: In the case of the airlines, frankly, lose less money. I mean, because we ran the numbers earlier today. For the past five years, the top five airlines have lost together $16 million a day. So, you can see what the driver is here. They're trying to figure out how to make this industry profitable.

OK. So, for United and Continental, it will mean the Chicago headquarters, it will mean the company will be called United. It will have the Continental logo and the Continental CEO. The United CEO will come over as executive chairman. ' The deal worth a little more than $3 billion, T.J. It's the world's largest airline. That would mean that it's going to have to clear some antitrust hurdles first before it can be all said and done. Whenever you're the biggest in anything, they want to make sure you're still competitive and not stamping out any competition.

The analysts say the potential impact on fliers could be as diverse as fewer seats perhaps on some routes, where both of them fly right now. Maybe higher prices on some routes where they compete. But definitely more destinations, and better connecting options overall.

I asked the CEOs about the higher fares. Specifically where they really compete together on the East Coast to the west coast, to Chicago from Newark. And they said no, that the higher fares were not part of their calculation here. And you're not going to see anything different on the front end. There will be no big layoffs on the front end, meaning pilots and the people you work with at the airport, but you could see some layoffs where they have redundancies, as they call it in the industry. Where you have two I.T. departments, two human resources departments.

But I wanted to tell you this one quickly. I asked them, you can't have two CEOs sitting together. I asked them, you know -- the image of air travel right now, it's not so great, right? What are they going to do about customer service? And how do they feel about the bad reputation because of the airline industry because of tarmac delays and all this? I want you to listen to what they had to say. You'll be surprised.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENN TILTON, CEO, UNITED AIRLINES: I focus on all the BlackBerry messages I get from our customers that say they have a good experience, Christine.

JEFF SMISEK, CEO, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES: We're very focused on good customer service. We understand issues with tarmac delays. Because we have an antiquated air traffic control system.

Many of the things are beyond our control. We do our very best. We are very responsive to customers. We deliver very high-quality service. This combined airline will be unparalleled, not only in the scope and scale of the network, but the customer service we will deliver, and we will deliver consistently --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Oh, Christine, come on!

ROMANS: Can you believe the CEO of United Airlines said he only listens to the BlackBerry messages from people who say they're having a good experience?

HOLMES: What's that like, two messages then?

ROMANS: He didn't tell me how many it was. I thought that would surprise you a little bit.

HOLMES: Yes. A little bit. Well, if you listen to them, things are hunky-dory out there on the tarmac and the concourses at every airline and every airport across the country.

But on last thing before we let you go. Let's bring up Goldman Sachs. Another group of popular guys.

ROMANS: OK.

HOLMES: But Goldman Sachs, maybe -- it's kind of tough to think or find someone who would be defending these guys these days. But you found somebody.

ROMANS: Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett still says they're the best investment bank in the world. Don't forget, Warren Buffett put $5 million of his own money into Goldman Sachs in the heat of the crisis. He's got a big financial stake in this company.

He says he thinks there's no reason to play a guessing game of who will succeed Lloyd Blankfein. No reason to even have that conversation. Still the best -- the world's best investment bank, still doing a heck of a job and that there's been misreporting, and people just don't understand the complex nature of bond insurance. And that he doesn't have any real misgivings about the public relations drama around this company over the past few weeks and months.

HOLMES: Well, he talks, people listen. Christine, when you talk, I always listen as well. Good to see you, as always.

ROMANS: Oh, thank you, T.J.

HOLMES: We'll see you again soon.

ROMANS: Bye.

HOLMES: Of course, if you want to see more of Christine, and, well, you have to take Ali with her at that time. But every weekend, "YOUR $$$$$," Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. and encore presentation Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

You've heard that saying before, come hell or high water. They got both in Tennessee right now. Thousands of people stranded and highways are underwater in Nashville. Devastating floodwaters, they keep on rising. Would you believe the worst is not over yet? Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Right now, thousands of people stranded, in need of rescue in Tennessee and other Southern states. Some areas under record high floodwaters. And the rivers still rising.

Meantime, a different kind of rescue going on in the Gulf of Mexico. Guys out there trying to rescue the environment from this growing oil spill.

Chad Myers, where do you want to start? Do you want to start in the Gulf or do you want start with what's happening -- well thank goodness, past Nashville?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's past Nashville. The only thing I want to get to on the oil story is how they're trying to put this, basically -- they call it a dome, but a big cube. They're going to drop it on top of this wellhead, and the oil is still going to leak into it, but then they're going to suck it off the top. It actually might work. You've got to stop this somehow.

Atlanta got a hosedown last night.

HOLMES: Oh, my goodness.

MYERS: Man, oh, man, did it get it. Like 7, 8 inches in some spots. Nashville, almost the entire southwestern part of the city was over 10 inches of rainfall. It has been coming down.

This is a map, T.J. It's kind of telling. Go all the way up to Cincinnati, all the way down through -- here's I-75, all the way back to Bowling Green. Every county that you see in here, there must be hundreds, I didn't count them. There's a warning on one of these counties. First there's a river, there's a creek, there's a stream, a city flooded somewhere with this thing. So, it is truly a mess.

When you get -- look here. Seventeen inches of rain in 24 hours. Who can handle that? HOLMES: Everybody saying records, every county has a record.

MYERS: A lake can't even handle 17 inches of rain without flooding Here's what's going on yesterday. This oil is here. The sheen for today is actually all the way up in here. We're seeing now the first sheen spots coming onshore with birds and turtles and things. It's going to be tough.

HOLMES: It's going to be tough.

MYERS: At 2:00, we'll go "Off the Radar" and explain what the blowout preventer is and how it works and what it was supposed to do and why it isn't working.

HOLMES: We always love "Off the Radar." We appreciate it. See you here shortly.

Also straight ahead, we're going to go "Globe Trekking." We're going to inform you, maybe surprise you and hopefully bring the world a bit closer to you. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We've got a segment so new we don't even know what to call it. It's either "Globe Trekking" or "Trekking Around the Globe."

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Everyone who thinks I'm a geek is going to love me associated with the word trek, anyway.

HOLMES: It's "Globe Trekking," Kelly just explained to me. "Globe Trekking." You're the trailblazer on this thing. Yes, please.

(LAUGHTER)

LEVS: All right. This is pretty cool. We have so many international stories that come in every day. We'll use this to tell you about a handful of them.

First, we're going to use this, then we're going to go to some photos. Take a look here, some of the biggest stories from around the world today.

We're going to start off right here. Because this is actually affecting our stocks, affecting your 401(k). European leaders have agreed to provide Greece with $146 billion in aid over the next three years. Huge story all over the world, affecting the global economy.

Let's go over here for a second. I want you to see this one, which is about Saudi Arabia. Major -- very important ally of the United States. Massive oil producer. They have had very heavy flooding. Impacting the entire country. We heard from someone who said he's never seen anything like it in years and years.

This is interesting, Mumbai, we all remember the horrible terror attack around Thanksgiving time a couple years back. The only surviving gunman from a three-day terror attack was convicted of murder, conspiracy and waging war.

One more I want you to see over here. This is from Nepal. Everyday, we're getting so many images of the massive protests in Nepal. A strike to force the resignation of the prime minister has now shut down the capital.

We're going to make a switch right here. We're going to go over here to some of these pictures. I want you to see these photos that are telling these stories. We get so many images every single day coming to us in the NEWSROOM. And this is the first one. This is of the Greek protests. We're seeing some members of the military have been protesting. A wage cut there.

Take a look here. This is an image of Alexandra the Great. Some people have put graffiti all over it, saying wild strikes here in Greece.

Let's go to the next one, which is one of the ones we were hearing about, which is mamba. Some people in celebration have been setting off firecrackers all over Mumbai as a result of the news of that conviction.

This one really struck me. This is the flooding in Saudi Arabia. And I like this particular picture a lot because you can see compared to this one guy how incredibly much there is in this area. Look, he is wearing a shirt that says Beckham. We've been getting so many more.

Also, I checked on the weather there. It's going to be getting better in about a week.

A couple more here. This is Nepal. Protests every single day. We're getting more and more images of protests and (INAUDIBLE) rebels pushing for the government that's in place to get out.

Finally, T.J., I'll bring you back in for this fun one. This isn't a story we're talking about. It's just a great shot. Look at this. This is a shot in Jakarta in Indonesia. This is an annual ritual.

Can we get (INAUDIBLE) on the boy there? We always get these great little pictures, I thought I would toss it in there. This is a Jakarta mud-covered dancers performing during the opening ceremony of a Koran recital festival on the outskirts of Jakarta. So, just a little taste there of the kinds of pictures we get here every day in the NEWSROOM on what will now be "Globe Trekking."

HOLMES: "Globe Trekking."

LEVS: Did I get that right?

HOLMES: Kelly? Yes, you got it right.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Josh, we appreciate you, as always on the globe trek. Coming up here, don't go too far away. This could have been a much different story over the weekend. But it's still a story right now nonetheless. What could have been a lethal fireball in the heart New York City. The world wants to know now who is behind the plot to blow up Times Square. The suspect's on the loose. The manhunt is on. We're digging for answers.

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HOLMES: We don't know yet who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square. We don't know why exactly just yet. Other than maybe to do maximum damage. Right now, a massive manhunt is under way for the culprit who, in the words of the attorney general, intended to spread terror across New York. Police combing through the evidence now, working to track down the suspect who is still on the loose.

They've spoken to the registered owner of that SUV that started spewing smoke on Saturday night. They say he is not a suspect.

They're looking for clues, and this surveillance video you're seeing right here, who is that man? You see him highlighted there. He's taking off a shirt. Police want to talk to him. We'll be following every development in this investigation. Of course, to the very end.

Our senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is live in Times Square. Allan was, over the weekend, covering this story. Allan, we've got one picture, the surveillance video that police at least believe is someone they want to talk to. Any other pictures they're releasing just yet?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: There are lots of pictures, T.J. This area of Times Square is packed with cameras. As a matter of fact, the police department is watching me right now, because right where I'm standing, there are two NYPD cameras. There are cameras like that on those poles all over Times Square. 82 of them. And that's only the police cameras. Then add in the office buildings, the hotels. So we're talking well over 100 cameras, just within the few blocks right behind me.

So, many cameras have been analyzed. The tape from them. And police have said that there have been several images of that SUV captured.

So, what about other individuals? That's certainly a possibility. You mentioned the one videotape that is a focus of interest right now. They're looking for that individual. There's also some videotape from tourists who were here from Pennsylvania. The police have spoken to them. We expect that tape will be released showing the man running up Broadway as well. T.J.?

HOLMES: All right. Allan Chernoff with the update for us from Times Square, a place that has plenty of official cameras and the unofficial ones from the tourists standing behind him right now. Allan, we appreciate you, as always. Stay with us here. I'll tell you about an officer killed in the line of duty. This happened in a city that was already crippled by a recession. Just another tough blow for the city of Detroit. Stay with us.

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HOLMES: A Detroit police officer is dead. Four of his fellow officers wounded. According to police, the officers were called to a vacant house where neighbors say they heard shots fired. Once they got there, more shots rang out.

It's been over six years since a Detroit officer was killed in the line of duty. The mayor says he's going to do his part to make sure this does not happen again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE BING, MAYOR OF DETROIT: Unfortunately -- this is the first time that I've been involved in something like this. And even though you don't know the persons personally, it's still family, and they're an extension of our whole administration's family. Terrible. We know that at some of these homes, these houses that are empty, you know, we have got to get rid of them. And my intent is to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Michael Rosenfeld is from our affiliate WXYZ. He is on the scene.

Let's just start with the police officers themselves. We know one dead, another four were shot. What's the update on the condition on the other four?

MICHAEL ROSENFELD, WXYZ-TV CORRESPONDENT: Yes, T.J., devastating day for the city of Detroit and the Detroit Police Department. Five officers were shot at when they arrived at this duplex right behind me here on the city's East Side. It's the left side of the building that we are talking about.

Four officers sustained bullet wounds. They have survived. Two, in fact, have been released from the hospital at this point. But sadly, one of the officers did pass away. He has been identified as Officer Brian Huff, a 12-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department. He leaves behind a wife and 10-year-old son.

This all began at about 3:30 this morning when the officers got a call to respond to this home about some sort of gunfire coming from the duplex. When they arrived here at the house, they found that the door had been pried open. And as they made their way inside the home, they were met by a barrage of gunfire.

Again, four officers sustained wounds. They were taken to the hospital. The fifth did pass away from his injuries. The suspect was hit, as well, as he tried to escape from the home. He, too, did survive, and has been taken to a local hospital, where he is recovering. Police have found his .45 caliber semiautomatic weapon here at the scene. T.J.?

HOLMES: Hey, Michael, anything else we know about the suspect? You said injured. But still, who was this person? What was the person doing in the house?

Michael may have lost me there. Michael Rosenfeld there on the scene. He might have lost the ability to hear me. That's all right. But Michael Rosenfeld from our affiliate WXYZ. We do appreciate it.

We did hear a bit of news that we didn't know earlier, at least. The name of the officer, Brian Huff. He was a 12-year veteran of the force, was married and had a 10-year-old son.

Stay with us. With oil blackening the Gulf and nearly 7,000 square miles off limits, some pretty rough seas ahead for folks in the fishing industry. We'll see just how much is riding on it. It's coming up next.

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HOLMES: The oil rig explosion and the slick that is spreading in the Gulf of Mexico could cost BP upwards of $3 billion. Keep in mind, though, that they made $6 billion in profits in the first three months of this year. That's neither here nor there.

Still, all this money could be nothing compared to the potential cost for the Gulf Coast. We have already started seeing the environmental toll, which is directly tied to the economy. Just look at the industries that keep these states in business. We're talking about tourism, shipping, boating. Fishing, of course. We are following every development in efforts to keep the oil slick and its dangers contained.

Now, already, the government's barred fishing for a minimum of ten days in the waters that stretch from eastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Now, the Gulf coast accounts for 75 percent of the shrimp this country produces. Seventy-five percent. That's three out of every four shrimp on your plate. Twenty percent of all U.S. seafood it accounts for, as well. Just to give you some idea of the hit folks in the region could take. Fishing generates about $2.5 billion a year in Louisiana alone.