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Times Square Suspect Talks; Fight Against Oil Spill; Violent Protest in Greece

Aired May 05, 2010 - 10:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the big stories on Wednesday, May 5th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last summer, they had a tag sale and they moved out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Neighbors filling in the blanks on Faisal Shahzad, and they're not the only ones talking. The feds say the car bomb suspect is cooperating.

Real chaos in Greece. Angry crowds protest coming austerity measures. Several people die when a bank is firebombed.

And the Gulf oil spill. The smallest of three leaks now capped. Crews getting ready to lower a giant containment dome over the gushing wellhead.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

Those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We are learning more details about the suspect in the Times Square attempted bombing. We know what he said to authorities at the moment he was arrested, but questions linger about the motive behind the terrorist plot. What caused Faisal Shahzad to abandon what seemed like the American dream and allegedly attempt an attack in the heart of America's biggest city?

CNN's Deborah Feyerick live from Shelton, Connecticut, in just a moment, where Faisal Shahzad once lived. And she's available to us now.

And Deb, first of all, this is a man who knew police were on to him, correct?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, he definitely did. We're talking to a lot of law enforcement sources, and they're telling us that Faisal Shahzad knew that police were getting close. As a matter of fact, he was following news reports and had heard that the authorities had discovered that the car came from Connecticut. So he feared that the police were going to be turning up at his door.

As a matter of fact, when he was on the plane, and the doors had closed and then they opened, when the authorities came to him, when agents came to him, he looked up and he said, "I was expecting you. Are you NYPD or FBI?"

Now, there's a report that after he dropped the bomb in Times Square, apparently he hopped a train back to Connecticut. The reason this is known is because he called his landlord saying that he had locked himself out of his apartment. What he did in between, in those hours between getting back into his apartment and then leaving for the airport about 50 hours, that, right now, still a mystery -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. And Deb, when did things start to fall apart sort of around him?

FEYERICK: Well, you know, it's interesting. It seems that things started going bad in June of 2009, almost a year ago.

He was unable to make the mortgage payments on his house. This house just behind me had gone into foreclosure.

He left his job, he quit amicably, apparently, according to the company. His wife started selling possessions on Craigslist, and then she moved away with the couple's two children. That is when he allegedly went to Pakistan and trained in a jihadi terror camp.

HARRIS: And when did he get back from Pakistan?

FEYERICK: Well, he got back from Pakistan about two months ago, actually. And one of the first things he did is, he went to a gun shop that's about a half a mile from here, and he brought a .9 millimeter semiautomatic rifle.

We went to the gun shop. We asked to talk to the manager. We were told to leave the premises, and then, with a wave of the hand, shown where the door was.

Faisal Shahzad did pass a background check by the FBI in order to purchase this gun. So it was purchased legally and it was purchased in his own name. Authorities believe that in the last two months, he was acting pretty quickly to gather the components to build a bomb and tried to figure out how to build it before transporting it to Times Square.

HARRIS: OK.

Deborah Feyerick with the very latest for us.

Deb, appreciate it. Thank you.

Faisal Shahzad was trained in bomb-making during a trip to his native Pakistan, according to court documents. And sources tell CNN authorities have detained several people in Pakistan for questioning, including Shahzad's friend and his father-in-law.

In "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer, Wolf talked with the Pakistani ambassador about Shahzad's immediate family members.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: His wife and children, are they in Pakistan? Have you been in touch, your government, with them?

HUSSAIN HAQQANI, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: I'm not going to comment on the wife and children for the simple reason that we want to protect their privacy.

Look, most Pakistani -- in fact, there's several hundred thousand of them -- they come to America essentially to pursue the American dream. This man wanted to shatter it. So we want to understand what happened, who was he connected to, and we do not want to embarrass his wife and children if they were not part of anything that he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So what is it about New York that seems to make it a prime target for these types of attacks? Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani joins "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight at 9:00 Eastern Time.

Tennessee is slowly starting to dry out, but try selling that line to the folks in Nashville. Homes there are still submerged and thousands of people have lost everything.

One or our iReporters tells us about his personal battle to keep the river away.

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ED PETTERSON, IREPORTER: As you can see, our driveway is completely covered over with water. Not as high as it was yesterday, but I don't think it really matters at this point, because today you can see all the oil and gas residue on the water. It smells pretty much like sewage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Boy, the state's death toll stands at 19, 10 of them in Nashville. President Obama has named parts of the state a disaster area.

An immigration protest on the basketball court. The NBA's Phoenix Suns will wear their Los Suns jerseys in tonight's playoff game. The Suns owner ordered the uniform change to take a shot at Arizona's tough new immigration law.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think sports and politics mix, and I don't think that as far as that goes, even celebrity and politics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got a professional wrestler that's now a governor. You've got Kevin Johnson, the Sacramento mayor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just let politics do politics. They should just stick to basketball.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK.

And later in the hour I will talk live with a Texas lawmaker who wants to bring an Arizona-style immigration law to her state, and a lawmaker trying to stop her.

One leak capped on a damaged oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, but tackling two bigger leaks and that growing oil slick still a big question mark. We will get you a live update on the progress and the problems.

And deadly Tennessee flooding. After record rainfall, what is next? Jacqui Jeras is tracking weather.

We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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TOMMY FAYARD, IREPORTER: This is the last line of defense for the oil spill/slick that is arriving here in Bay Saint Louis.

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HARRIS: CNN iReporter Tommy Fayard there videotaping beaches in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, while bracing for an oil slick to wash ashore. He says he wants to get as many before and after images as possible.

I've got to tell you, progress now being reported in the fight against that oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A BP executive says one of three leaks on the damaged oil well has been capped.

And our Rob Marciano is in Biloxi, Mississippi.

And Rob, if you would, tell us where the oil is now, where it is going, and maybe what people along the Mississippi coast are doing.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: OK. Well, first off, Tony, good morning.

Still about 30 miles south of this spot, so it hasn't made any more northward progression. So that's the good news. It has snuck a little bit farther to the west, into some of the sensitive wildlands and wetlands of coastal Mississippi.

Here along the north coast, what they're doing, oddly, to prepare for the possibility of an oil landfall later this week, or next week, or whenever, is to actually clean up the beach. And we ran into workers hired by BP to come clean up the beach prior to any sort of oil (ph) hitting it. The theory being, the cleaner the sand is, the easier it is to clean up if oil gets in contact with it. So that's an ongoing effort right now.

Also, volunteers. You know, a lot of nervous energy here in the Gulf, so people kind of channeling that. And there's been hundreds of volunteers that want to train to be able to do the same thing, and train if the oil comes ashore into how to clean up that oil. And we ran into some of those volunteers yesterday.

And I'll be honest with you, some of those people were also looking for some answers from BP. But BP, although hosting that event, wasn't there to answer that questions, so a little bit of frustration there.

All right. Let's talk about where this Gulf slick is.

As I mentioned, about 30 miles south of here, pretty much kissing some of the wetlands of the Louisiana coastline and into the Chandeleur Islands. We saw that when we flew overhead a couple of days ago. That's still the case.

Where's this going to move? Let's talk forecast.

Winds are calm right now. That's the good news. If anything, there'll be a very, very light southerly component over the next couple of days. But we don't expend the wind really to be driving this anywhere -- any time too soon.

If anything, some of the (INAUDIBLE) out of the Mississippi might bring it a little bit closer to that shoreline. So that's certainly a concern.

Longer term, our winds go northerly over the weekend. So we're pretty confident, still, that oil probably won't get to this spot, this week. But does it get further into the Gulf? Does it get caught up into the Gulf Stream? Does it get brought to closer to Florida, maybe around that horn? That's a possibility, but way too early to tell.

As far as wildlife goes, Tony, as you know, we've had a couple of birds that have been found just yesterday. A brown pelican, the state bird of Louisiana, was found with oil. That animal's being treated. A couple of sea turtles have been seen floating in the oil.

And just now, we were just down the beach here in Biloxi. We saw something very odd, which was an alligator, a big one, probably 8-or- 10-foot alligator, swimming just off the beach.

Now, that's happened from time to time before when they come out of the culverts, but this one looked to be way too big to come out of any sort of pipe. And we're going to talk to some wildlife experts here in about an hour and see just how unusual that may have been, and if what's going on out there has anything to do with it -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes, it sounds pretty unusual. Rob Marciano for us in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Rob, appreciate it. Thank you.

Greece's economy in shambles and Greek taxpayers pretty furious. Look at these pictures. How chaotic scenes like these could bite you in the portfolio.

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HARRIS: OK. As always, for the latest financial news, we always like to guide you to our friends at CNNMoney.com. It is the best financial news Web site on the Web right now.

The lead story at CNNMoney.com. "What's missing from Wall Street reform?"

But I've got to tell you here -- are we going to take a look at the Dow a couple of hours in?

Well, I will tell you this -- that might be the lead story right now at CNNMoney.com, but our friends there are paying close attention to what's happening right now in Greece.

Take a look at some of these pictures of protests, close to riot conditions. Look at this.

Protesters are taking to the streets there in Greece today, and the situation has consequences that really circle the globe. Stock markets in the United States and in Europe are falling because of Greece's debt problem.

Stephanie Elam -- let's get to New York now. Stephanie is following this.

And Stephanie, why are we seeing the protests? We know that there are strict austerity measures going into place in Greece, but we're still talking about a massive debt.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Tony, this really comes down to spending cuts, because part of what has to happen here for Greece to get this bailout to the tune of $146 billion, they've got to do some things on their own. So it's got some strings attached to it.

So, Greek officials are meeting today, and they'll vote tomorrow on public sector wages and pensions, as well as tax increases. So, these protesters, you're talking about people who are teachers, you're talking about bank employees, you're talking about doctors, and they're upset with how politicians have managed their country's economy. You'll remember, this all came to light when a new regime came to take power in Greece.

HARRIS: That's right.

ELAM: And they looked and they were, like, we have a little problem here. We've got this debt issue.

So, this is something that is not sitting well with these people. They're like, you guys duped us.

Americans can relate to that. Think about all the outrage people had here about Wall Street and what was going on over there. Actually, some people still have outrage with Wall Street. We're not done with it.

So, the difference is, though, in Greece, this situation has really become violent. We know that three people are dead. We know others are missing. And it's not just a protest.

There's also a 24-hour strike. Flights have been grounded. Ports are shut down. Hospitals do not have enough staff on hand. And ancient tourist sites are closed.

HARRIS: Look at this.

ELAM: It's not exactly making it encouraging for people to say, you know what? I want to go see Mykonos right now. This is not inviting people to the country. That's a problem for the country as well, because they make money off of tourism, obviously.

HARRIS: Well, and another big question out there on this story is whether "the bailout" that's being fashioned by the EU is actually going to do the trick, short term and long term, whether the countries who are promising to pony up are actually going to pony up.

ELAM: Right. And on Monday we saw, ,ooh, they've worked something out. Good. So there was a bit of calm in the markets on Monday.

But then it was like, wait a second, is this really going to be enough? And that's what investors aren't sure about.

Most of European stock markets are down. The value of the euro dropped below $1.30 for the first time in a year.

And here at home, you saw the Dow plunging 225 points yesterday. Today we've come back. We were off triple digits, but now we're off 30 points on the Dow, at 10,895. NASDAQ off about two-thirds of a percent.

So, you take a look at this, you see oil prices are down, and obviously people are concerned that the issues in Greece are going to spread.

HARRIS: Yes.

ELAM: Portugal, we've heard about -- you hear about the PIGS. I don't know if you've heard that term, Tony, but whether or not Portugal could be a problem -- Italy, Ireland.

HARRIS: Spain.

ELAM: Greece, obviously, and Spain, right?

HARRIS: Yes.

ELAM: Well, Portugal has been put on the standby today for another credit rating downgrade. And if that's happening, it's going to make it harder and more expensive for Portugal to borrow money. So they could be in the same situation, and this is making people worried that there could be another credit crisis that could spread through the EU. Remember, there are 16 countries that share the same currency now. Greece is just one of them.

HARRIS: Hey, don't we have to -- I guess I'm one of the people who believes that we really need to pay close attention to what's happening in Greece right now, particularly with the cuts that are being made by the government, because we're talking here in the United States about reducing the budget deficit. Look, we're going to have to make some very hard choices here as well, aren't we?

ELAM: Oh, yes, definitely. I think it's more severe the way they're looking at it in Greece right now, the situation that they're dealing with, mainly because they're getting a lot of pressure because they share this currency. They're getting pressure from countries like Germany, like, hold on, we're not just going to bail you out for free. We want something back for that, and that's what you're going to have to do.

So, it's a little bit more severe, but I'm sure there's a lot of people here would argue some changes need to be made and some cutbacks need to be made here as well, because the deficit is really large.

HARRIS: Yes, OK.

Stephanie, appreciate it. Good to see you. Thank you.

ELAM: Sure.

HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a disaster impacting thousands of lives and livelihoods. We're talking about floodwaters still covering much of Nashville, Tennessee. We will get the latest from the CNN Weather Center.

We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Let's get you caught up on our top stories right now.

Federal officials say New York car bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad is talking. In fact, they say he admits to the failed attack. Several people are in custody in Pakistan. They are being questioned in the investigation.

Iran's navy launched eight days of war drills today. The exercise comes as the U.S. and other powers pushed the U.N. to punish Iran for its nuclear defiance. The Cumberland River falling today, leaving Nashville coated in mud. The sheer force of the flood buckled roads and pushed houses off foundations. The mayor is asking for donations of diapers, formula, brooms, mops and other cleaning supplies.

We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's take a break. We're back in the CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The arrest of the Times Square bombing suspect raised new questions about the no-fly list for airlines. Now the government is tightening the rules.

Faisal Shahzad was able to board a plane for Dubai even though his name had been added to the no-fly list. Effective immediately, airlines will be required to check the list within two hours of being notified about changes. Until now, they were required to check for updates every 24 hours.

Fifty-three hours from the smoking car bomb in Times Square to Shahzad's arrest on a plane at JFK.

Special Investigations Unit Correspondent Drew Griffin walks us through the timeline.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT (voice-over): The moment the danger was over, the propane tanks, the gas, the rigged-up wires removed, one detective crawled underneath the Nissan Pathfinder and wrote down the clue Faisal Shahzad apparently did not know he left behind.

Etched under the engine block of the vehicle, the vehicle's identification number, the same VIN number Shahzad apparently removed from the dashboard, according to a source familiar with the investigation. That number led to a registration in Connecticut and with it, sources tells CNN, a name and address of the owner, whose daughter was selling the car on Craigslist.

She met Shahzad to show him the car. He gave her his phone number so they could meet again to buy it. All cash, no paperwork in the parking lot of this shopping mall.

According to the federal complaint, that calls back number led police to Shahzad. The car's seller and a friend who was there worked with the police artist on a sketch of the suspect.

It was good police work and very sloppy criminal work. The would-be terrorist built an inept bomb. Court records show he drove the bomb himself in to New York, leaving behind keys to another car, a cell phone used to call a fireworks company and so many other clues. He literally led detectives right to his door. And according to those same court records, Shahzad admits to much of it.

WILLIAM BRATTON, FORMER NYC POLICE COMMISSIONER: The mistakes made by this individual that contributed to the quick solution of this crime are phenomenal in the sense of the mistakes all along the way.

GRIFFIN: Once identified, the idea was to watch him, listen, try to record phone calls, allow Shahzad to make more mistakes and perhaps lead to accomplices. But by Monday, sources said he got spooked, apparently deciding to flee as agents began to track his movements. One of first things they did, sources tell CNN was put his name on a no-fly list.

Monday night, as he drove to New York's JFK International, according to federal sources he called Emirates Air, reserving his seat onboard this flight bound for Dubai which would eventually connect for a flight bound for Islamabad, Pakistan. Unknown to Shahzad, there was no way he was going anywhere. Even though the FBI briefly lost track of him, customs and border protection agents began examining flight manifests.

Then, shortly after he arrives at the airport, an Emirates employee phones law enforcement saying a man had paid cash for a one- way ticket to Pakistan. According to an account provided to CNN by a federal law enforcement source, here's what happened next.

As the plane is boarding, agents are moving in. The decision is to allow the plane to shut its doors. Before the plane can push back, sources tell CNN the plane's door is re-opened and Faisal Shahzad is placed under arrest and removed from the flight before it ever leaves the gate.

Now under intense questioning, there is another emergency. Two more names onboard the Emirates flight appear suspicious, out of an abundance of caution we're told, the plane already taxing to the runway is being told to return to the gate.

TOWER: I have a message to go back to the gate immediately.

GRIFFIN: Two individuals removed, questioned and let go. So far, the only arrest made is Faisal Shahzad and he is said by law enforcement to be cooperating with the investigation and detailing his crimes and travel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Wow. CNN's Drew Griffin for us.

Some people in Nashville returned to their homes, but what they're finding is pretty grim. Weekend storms and floods are blamed for at least 28 deaths in the southeast, 19 of them in Tennessee. Ines Ferre is with us with a look at some of the devastation.

And, Ines, the pictures have been pretty horrific.

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, definitely, Tony.

Let's head straight to Nashville where you can see some of the flooding that's taken place here, where homes have been destroyed. President Obama declared this area a disaster area making way for federal aid.

And some of the water has been receding. Officials are looking -- are still looking, going door to door looking for victims.

And also we checked with the Department of Transportation there, and they said that the interstates there are open, but there are still flooding in some secondary roads and some state routes which are partially closed.

Now we want to take you to Cheatham County which is about an hour away from Nashville and here, take a look at this. A home was destroyed and this piece of roadway that literally smashed a home. It's on top of a home and Mike and Cindy Lee are the homeowners and they said that they're lucky to be alive.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE LEE, FLOOD VICTIM: It was just a miracle of god. That's all you can say.

CINDY LEE, FLOOD VICTIM: He just kept watching.

M. LEE: If it had a been at night, we would have never made it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FERRE: So incredible, and we also want to take you to an iReporter who, on a lighter note, she took some video of this. This is a wake boarder.

HARRIS: What is that?

FERRE: So -- yes, yes. He's cruising along there. He's being pulled by a vehicle. And take a look at this, then the cop comes and he arrests him and also the person that was in the vehicle.

HARRIS: Handle him a little roughly there. There you go.

FERRE: And this guy was charged with clinging to a vehicle, some misdemeanor citation there.

HARRIS: Ines, appreciate it. See you next hour.

To find out how you can make a difference and help provide relief for the flood victims in Tennessee, visit our "Impact Your World" page at CNN.com/Impact.

An Oval Office meeting this hour. The subject? The next Supreme Court justice.

Let's take a quick break.

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HARRIS: OK, we are getting more information on the Times Square car bomb suspect, this time from Pakistan. Our Reza is joining us from Islamabad.

And, Reza, what are you learning?

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, the mystery surrounding Faisal Shahzad is about to grow, some very interesting new information coming in to CNN. Of course, for the past couple of days we've heard about the possibility of the Pakistani Taliban being linked with this attempted bombing in New York. Of course, Shahzad himself said he received militant training in Waziristan, which is the nerve center for the Pakistani Taliban.

But now, in a phone call to CNN, the spokesperson for the Pakistani Taliban, Azab Tariq, saying that the Pakistani Taliban was not involved in this incident. They praise Shahzad for what he tried to do, but they say they were not involved. Listen to this statement, here's a quote, "The action of Faisal Shahzad was very good. We appreciate Faisal Shahzad, but he has no link with the Tehrik-i- Taliban Pakistan. He might have received training from other militant groups, but not the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. There are other groups that can provide the type of training, too."

Azab Tariq goes on with a warning for the U.S., basically saying Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan decided that everywhere in the world where Islam is in danger and non-Muslims are attacking Muslims, we will defend Islam by any means necessary. Right now, America is the biggest enemy of Islam. We have sent our Mujahidin to America and you will soon see the results.

So obviously a very ominous message to America, but the headline here is the Pakistani Taliban is essentially saying we don't know this guy. We like what he tried to do, but he is not part of our group, Tony.

HARRIS: OK, Reza Sayah for us. Reza, good to see you, thank you.

Time now to check top stories quickly.

The man accused of trying to bomb Times Square apparently expected to be arrested. Faisal Shahzad was taken off a plane that was about to leave JFK airport. Law enforcement sources say he told officers, quote, "I was expecting you. Are you NYPD or FBI?" unquote.

Street demonstrations turned violent in Athens today and police responded with tear gas. An Athens bank was firebombed, three workers were found dead inside. Tens of thousands of Greeks were on the streets to protest government budget cuts aimed at saving the nation from bankruptcy. We're back in a moment.

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HARRIS: Making a political statement at the NBA playoffs, Arizona's Phoenix Suns will be wearing uniforms in Spanish at the game tonight to protest the state's new immigration law. The game falls on Cinco de Mayo and the team has worn the jerseys before to honor the Latino community, but not all fans like the message this time around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's great for the Hispanic culture.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't approve of it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's wonderful.

STEVE KERR, GENERAL MANAGER, PHOENIX SUNS: There is a political statement and that is that we felt like, however well intended, the law was not right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Two CNN iReporters weigh in on the immigration debate next hour. One making the case against the strict new law, the other says he can't get a job because of illegal immigrants. Don't miss that discussion coming up right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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HARRIS: President Obama calling two key republican senators to the Oval Office this hour. Both sit on the Judiciary Committee which will soon consider the next Supreme Court nominee. Sources familiar with the process say President Obama has now interviewed a fourth candidate for the court, she is federal judge Diane Wood of Chicago. The president interviewed four finalists last year before settling on Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

The justices may work in a marble palace, but their decisions have a real-world impact in the homes of everyday Americans. Kate Bolduan shows us one example involving the debate over gun control.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emily Hass, three years ago.

EMILY HAAS, VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING VICTIM: I don't remember hearing him come in, but he obviously came in and just started firing.

BOLDUAN: Speaking just days ever being shot twice in the Virginia Tech massacre, struck down with other students in her classroom.

E. HASS: I had my eyes closed so I didn't see anything. I didn't see him ever.

BOLDUAN: In the aftermath, Emily and her mother became champions for stricter gun control laws, joining the fight to support Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban, a landmark 2008 Supreme Court. They were on the losing side of a close 5-4 ruling.

LORI HAAS, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE: But for one vote, you know, the decision could have gone the other way.

BOLDUAN: Haas knows firsthand what is at stake with a high court vacancy, a justice who could cast the deciding vote.

L. HAAS: The law has been in place to prevent criminals and prevent domestic abusers, terrorists and others from getting guns. There would be many, many, many lives saved. I know it, you know? I witnessed the pain that happens and I witnessed what happens when someone who shouldn't have a gun gets a gun.

BOLDUAN: And the reality? That real-world impact means a fierce political battle ahead over whomever the president picks. Conservative groups are preparing a frontal assault on the likely left-leaning nominee.

CARRIE SEVERINO, JUDICIAL CRISIS NETWORK: I think people are worried that the president is going to appoint someone who will just be a reliable liberal vote and in particular, who will be ready to rubber-stamp all of his policies.

BOLDUAN: But liberal groups seemed concerned as well. They fear the nominee might not be liberal enough on issues like executive power.

VINCENT WARREN, CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: It's going to be a challenge for the Obama administration to appoint someone, frankly, that we think will do the right thing.

The difficulty is that we will likely see judges that will be appointed as a question of political compromise.

BOLDUAN: One thing both sides agree on, the stakes, both political and personal couldn't be higher.

L. HAAS: We know what happens. We've seen it. We live it. We live it every single day.

BOLDUAN (on camera): Government sources tell CNN top Obama aides have been getting an earful from liberal activists who want to ensure a strong voice from the left is chosen, not a so-called compromised choice that could get a smoother Senate confirmation, a confirmation the White House hopes wraps up by the August recess.

Kate Bolduan, CNN, at the Supreme Court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: I've got to tell you, some major help is on the way for those severely wounded in war and the people who take care of them. Around 1:30 p.m. President Obama will sign a new bill that improves health care for vets who have suffered major injuries, it also provides more than $1 billion to expanded benefits and training for vets' caregivers who often have to quit their jobs.

The vets who need this bill are suffering major head trauma or lost limbs. That's where the Wounded Warrior Project comes in. Recently, the warriors took a special bike ride to shed light on what they're all going through.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doors are opening and you're walking outside for the first time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. You can do it. Keep going, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All cyclists, you must stay in the lane the cruiser is in when you're over there for them to accept the responsibility of the escort.

STEVEN NARDIZZI, EXEC. DIR. WOUNDED WARRIORS PROJECT: This is a great event. It's progressed into a rehab ride where we have over 30 warriors here right now participating in a ride and getting out sometimes for the first time in a hospital and learning what they can accomplish again in life.

SARA WADE, TED'S WIFE: I also always see a big change in his mood with the bike ride coming up. There's a lot of anticipation and a lot of excitement.

TED WADE, WOUNDED WARRIOR: I've been going to the gym and riding exercise bikes for several hours.

S. WADE: Ted had neurosurgery over in Germany and spent about two weeks in a neurosurgery intensive care unit there. It was doubtful that Ted was going survive.

It's kind of surreal and it definitely puts things into perspective. I think it definitely helps you stay motivated when sometimes it's easy with post-injury to burn out from rehabilitation.

T. WADE: It's continuing my momentum for the future and with the way things are looking good in the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Going house to house, neighborhood to neighborhood, dangerous searches underway in Nashville amid deadly flood waters. Our Martin Savidge joins me live from the disaster zone in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

Plus, changes coming to the no-fly list. Bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad made it on board a plane despite being on that list. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve will join me with those details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: On the Gulf Coast, they're waiting for the oil to come ashore and the big bell to leave port. The oil slick is out there growing by 210,000 gallons every day. Today, we're seeing better weather, which means skimmer boats, booms can be put to some pretty good use here.

We're also seeing the big bell, right? It's that dome BP plans to drop over the leak. Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," BP's COO gave us a time line for the fix.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG SUTTLES, BP CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION (via telephone): I'm confident we're going to do everything we can to make it work. We have the best people not world working on this. The copper dam will leave port this morning or late morning around noon, we think, and it will take about 12 hours to get to the scene and then a couple of days to get to the bottom.

But I think what could happen here is it'll be a bit frustrating at the beginning, but I'm confident we'll find a way to make this work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Yes, OK, they've said the bell will stop about 80 percent of the flow. We will have much more on this story a little later in the program.

Let's get you to Jacqui Jeras.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Gulf Coast beaches bracing for a black tide. A mother in Gulf Shores, Alabama took her daughters to the beach to clean up just in case the oil reaches their shores. CNN's all-platform journalist Patrick Ottman went along.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OTTMAN, CNN ALL-PLATFORM JOURNALIST: So what did you tell them today about why they were coming here?

CAPRI JOHNSON, MOTHER: I told them they know -- they're aware of the oil spill. And I told them if it does affect our beaches, their beaches possibly aren't going to be the same anymore and I wanted us to have one last day, rain or shine. Came down here, pick up shells, play, took pictures and then got our bags and gloves and went ahead and just go ahead and clean up and get the trash off the beach in case the oil does hit.

All you do is just give them your name, your address, your phone number, your e-mail, they give you a glove and a bag.

All right, come on, girls. Now, listen, y'all got to do this without fighting, OK?

OTTMAN: What are you looking for? What kind of stuff are you picking up?

JOHNSON: Any kind of trash. Not seashells, but actually any kind of trash. And the reason they're doing that is because it's easy to pick up now. But if it becomes contaminate with oil, then it's hazardous material and it's a lot harder to pick up because of that. So they're just trying to get rid of it ahead of time.

OTTMAN: What are you doing right now?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Picking up trash.

OTTMAN: And why are you doing that?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: To help the oil spill.

OTTMAN: What do you think about the oil spill?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Bad.

OTTMAN: Have they asked you anything about the oil spill or --?

JOHNSON: Oh, yes, yes. They've asked me lots of things about what animals it's going to affect.

She actually brought a towel with her because she said in case she saw a bird or something she wanted to wipe it off. I told her there wouldn't be anything out here yet, but she started crying last night about it.

My biggest fear is that our beaches will never be the same again and the way of life down here won't be the same.

I work at a hospital. You know, if the population starts dwindling down there because they've lost their livelihoods they won't need me where I work.

Oh, my goodness.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: What kind of memories do you have here?

JOHNSON: Oh, gosh. All my memories. This is where we -- you know, wake up in the morning, get shells, collect shells. Play in the sand, built sand castles. This is where we spend our days. If you live on the Gulf Coast, this is where you come.

OTTMAN: This is why you live here.

JOHNSON: This is why you live here, exactly. And this is a day that if this hits the beach that we may never get back again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)