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Nashville Reeling; Source: Bomb Suspect Did Dry Run; Wildlife Protection Plan; Helping Tennessee; Let Us Pray, America
Aired May 06, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Tony Harris, it doesn't get much better than that. Finally.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Thirty years, you can't pay me enough for 30 years.
PHILLIPS: Yes, think of all that he's lost. You know, 52 is still young.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes. I'm with that.
Kyra, you have a great day.
PHILLIPS: You know that real well.
HARRIS: Better than most, it seems.
Appreciate it, Kyra. Have a great day.
Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, the big stories for Thursday morning, the sixth day of May.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNY CHESNEY, SINGER: These people need just bare essentials here in Nashville. I know it's crazy to think that, but they really do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Country music's biggest stars calling for Americans to help Nashville. The flooded city trying to reopen today, but still in need.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There will always be a bond between the U.K. and America. You know? There will always be a strong bond. You know what I mean?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Today's national election in Britain. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's job is on the line. We will get the view from the former colonies.
Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it will be the end when this oil comes in, because I don't think they're going to be able to cap that well, and I think it will be a Gulf Coast Alamo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You know, I've got to tell you, some who depend on the Gulf for a paycheck don't think this giant concrete and steel dome can stop the gushing crude. The contraption -- that's what many people are calling it, a contraption -- now at the well site.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Those stories and your comments, right here, right now, in the CNN NEWSROOM.
So, we begin in Nashville. Before we get to the latest developments, let's try to bring the gravity and the magnitude and flood disaster into focus for you.
The Army Corps of Engineers calls it a 500-year flood. Water and mud did not spare Nashville's historic country music landmarks. We're talking about its honky-tonks or its homes.
Take a look at some of the statistics here.
Nineteen confirmed water-related deaths across Tennessee. Ten counties declared federal disaster areas. Crews report six rescues on the river. Twenty-six shelters are up and running for Nashville residents whose homes are literally ruined. A mandatory order to conserve water remains in effect after floods overran one of Nashville's two water treatment plants.
With that background, Nashville is getting back to work today, certainly not back to normal. The city is still a muddy mess, and plenty of people remain in shelters. Nashville's mayor says damage will easily top -- easily top $1 billion.
He spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper, who will be reporting, by the way, live from Nashville tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC 360": Are you getting the help you need from the federal government?
MAYOR KARL DEAN, NASHVILLE: Yes. The president declared it a disaster area yesterday. Senator Corker and Senator Alexander both came to Nashville, and I visited with them.
FEMA is in the city. We've set up five or six local disaster assistance offices where FEMA will be working with us.
So, so far, so good. And we are just totally committed to getting the city cleaned up and moving forward. And, obviously, this has been tough on everybody. We have a long ways to go. It's going to take some time, but we're going to get it done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. That was the mayor last night.
Let's get the very latest today, right now.
Jeremy Heidt is a spokesman for Tennessee's Emergency Management Agency, TEMA. He is on the phone with us from Nashville.
And Jeremy, appreciate your time here.
If you would, give us a real-time assessment today, this morning, of what kind of shape is Nashville in at this time.
JEREMY HEIDT, SPOKESMAN, TEMA: Nashville is getting better. The water keeps going down.
It's important to remember though that there are 52 counties in Tennessee. Nashville is only one of those. It is a large part of it, but we're still shipping water to approximately -- we've shipped 90,000 gallons of water so far, and we're expecting another 167 tractor-trailer shipments again today.
HARRIS: Wow.
Jeremy, but just back to Nashville for a moment here, because we're trying to get a sense of where that city is. So many people from around the world visit Nashville. The city, we understand, is opening government offices today and schools.
Bus services, that back up and running?
HEIDT: I believe the city has some limited bus services up and going. It's depending on the routes, but, yes, the things are starting to return to normal.
Most of our office buildings suffered some water damage. Even here at the state emergency office, we had a minor flood.
HARRIS: OK. The landmark tourist attractions, again, the reason that so many people visit Nashville from around the world -- the Grand Ole Opry, Opryland Hotel, the Country Music Hall of Fame.
How did those attractions -- I don't know if you and members of your staff have had an opportunity to visit some of those attractions. How did those attractions fare in this flooding?
HEIDT: I did a flight with the Civil Air Patrol to do some damage surveying in Nashville yesterday, and it's tremendous. The historic Opryland, and the hotel there, it's under water. You can't describe how heartbreaking that is to see, such a large complex like that with the water up over the doors.
HARRIS: Oh, boy.
So, one of our iReporters is comparing this flooding to Katrina, saying it's Katrina all over again and people don't know what to do. I am assuming that you have played some kind of role in the efforts post-Katrina. Does that comparison hold for you? Would you differ with it, take issue with it at any point?
HEIDT: Yes, I don't think so. Obviously, it's tremendous. Like I said, half of our state has been declared -- or is being requested for disaster. And so far, we have 10 of those counties that have declared by FEMA and the president.
It's tremendous. You almost can't describe it in any other terms than Katrina, but there's no other equivalent that I'm aware of, modern, in the U.S.
HARRIS: All right. Jeremy, appreciate your time. And the best with your efforts there to help so many people still in trouble, in desperate straits, in Tennessee.
I've got to tell you, one woman lost her husband, her daughter and her home to the floods. The creek behind her house swelled into a raging river that swept the home away. Her husband moved their son to higher ground, then tried to rescue their teenage daughter. She was hugging a tree in the rushing water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERRY QUALLS, HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER SWEPT AWAY: From his neck up, just staring at me. He didn't say nothing. He was just staring at me, and she was screaming for her daddy to help her. And then, by the time the rescue squad got here, I didn't see him no more. I didn't see him float away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: It's the last time Sherry Qualls saw her husband and daughter alive. Bob Qualls' body was found yesterday a mile downstream. Caley's (ph) body was found in a field.
Later in the hour of CNN NEWSROOM, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen discusses the challenges facing the state after this historic flood.
And the next hour, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean updates everyone on the recovery in the city. We will have that live for you at noon Eastern Time.
(NEWSBREAK)
HARRIS: The suspect in the Times Square attempted bombing did a practice run the day before. That is according to a law enforcement source. It is one of the new details we're learning about the bomb plot. Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve live from Washington now with the latest.
And Jeanne, good to see you, first of all.
Attorney General Eric Holder is testifying about the incident right now on Capitol Hill. Any clues on what he's saying so far?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes. We've been listening.
We do know that Shahzad waived his Miranda rights and has been talking to investigators, but it has revived that debate over whether terror suspects should be given their Miranda rights. And this morning, the attorney general was asked about that during this hearing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: The fact that you have to give Miranda warnings is required. Did that in any way hinder your investigation?
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: No, it did not. As we have seen in prior investigations, the giving of Miranda warnings has not deterred people from talking to us. And Mr. Shahzad is, in fact, continuing to cooperate with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: And some other new information from a Pakistani intelligence official. U.S. and Pakistani investigators have now questioned the suspect's father. In addition from -- again, from a Pakistani intelligence official -- four men with links to the group Jaish-e-Mohammed are being interrogated in Pakistan. Jaish-e-Mohammed is a militant group there that has been associated with both the Pakistan Taliban and also al Qaeda.
Back to you, Tony.
HARRIS: And Jeanne, just a couple of quick ones here.
Not surprising that Faisal Shahzad would try a practice run. What can you tell us about that?
MESERVE: Yes. On Friday, we're told by a law enforcement source, he drove his car, an Isuzu, into Manhattan, scoped out some potential sites, and then parked his car there, took the train home. The next day, he comes in with a Pathfinder. He ignites that bomb, leaves the car with its lights blinking, and leaves his keys in the Pathfinder, the keys to his Isuzu.
So he couldn't use it. He had to jump on a train and then go home that way.
HARRIS: Yes. And have authorities learned much more to help them in their investigation as to who might have helped him?
MESERVE: Well, you know, they're still looking very carefully at those international links. As we mentioned earlier, they're talking to people. They detained some people, trying to figure out exactly what sort of support system he might have had over there.
As yet, U.S. officials say they are not prepared to draw any definitive links. As for this country, we are told by a federal law enforcement source they have no indications that he had associates here in the U.S. helping him to make, assemble or place that bomb.
HARRIS: Yes. Jeanne, anything on motivation at this point?
MESERVE: Well, I did talk to one administration official last night who said that he's indicated that he felt Islam was under attack. That would appear to be the motivation here.
HARRIS: I see.
All right. Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, for us.
Jeanne, good to see you. Thank you.
MESERVE: You bet.
HARRIS: Marine life at risk from that oil spill polluting the Gulf of Mexico. We will look at the contingency plans to protect the wildlife.
And Reynolds Wolf is tracking weather for the Gulf and Tennessee. We will talk to that man in just a couple of minutes, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Good to see you, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good to see you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. A major experiment to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is set to begin. A boat carrying a 100-ton steel and concrete containment dome -- can you imagine that? -- has arrived at the gushing oil well. BP plans to lower it 5,000 feet on to a ruptured pipe.
Take a moment and consider that.
The four-story structure is designed to collect the leaking oil and suck it up to a drill ship on the surface. This has never been tried before at such depths. If successful, BP will deploy a second smaller dome to deal with the other ruptured pipe.
Right now, more than 200,000 gallons of oil is spewing into the ocean every day. I've got to tell you, the massive oil slick is within two miles of the Louisiana bayous, and it is posing a threat to marine life.
Our Rob Marciano is in Gulfport, Mississippi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): As efforts continue to contain an oil slick the size of Delaware, there are big concerns for wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.
CNN came across this sea turtle struggling to swim in the oil slick. Dolphins were swimming near, but not in the oil spill this week. But if they do get into the slick and are rescued, dolphins and other oiled mammals will be taken here.
MOBY SOLANGI, DIRECTOR, INST. FOR MARINE MAMMAL STUDIES: This facility is designed to rescue and rehabilitate dolphins.
MARCIANO: Dr. Moby Solangi runs the Institute for Marine Mammal studies in Gulfport. He says dolphins are especially vulnerable to oil spills.
SOLANGI: You and I take a small breath. These animals will go --
MARCIANO: Holding it for several minutes, allowing the toxins to go right into the bloodstream.
Inside the medical facility, simple solutions like Dawn dishwashing detergent are used to clean off the oil, along with more advanced medicines to treat injuries and infections.
(on camera): These are pills. How do you go about feeding a pill to a --
SOLANGI: You put it in a fish, or we put a tube into him. This is the area where we would be conducting surgery on larger animals.
MARCIANO: What's it like having a porpoise or a dolphin or manatee on this table, trying to save its life?
SOLANGI: Well, it takes quite a bit of effort. There's no difference in trying to save an animal versus a human being as far as our capabilities are concerned.
MARCIANO (voice-over): The dolphins and larger animals are stored in these big saltwater pools.
SOLANGI: These are the tubs that we'll be using for turtles. This is where we'll be able to clean them and wash them out.
MARCIANO: This week, 38 sea turtles washed up on coastal beaches, but none showed obvious signs of oil. Not entirely unusual, but --
(on camera): To have that many of this endangered species --
SOLANGI: That's what is unexplainable.
MARCIANO: -- that's a bit of a red flag.
SOLANGI: That's right.
MARCIANO (voice-over): Lots of uncertainty as the region braces for a potential environmental disaster.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Tony, they're still waiting on the pathology reports from those turtles to say officially, that the oil didn't have an effect on them.
The other unknown is the use of dispersants, the chemicals used to break apart and dilute the oil. Well, environmentalists and common sense would say it's probably not that good for the environment either, but from the experts we've talked to, there hasn't been much in the way of long-term studies on the dispersants. So they really just don't know. But in the event that any oiled mammals are rescued, there's a place here for them to be taken to -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Rob. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
Rob Marciano in Gulfport, Mississippi.
You know it's called that special relationship. Americans -- or us "Yanks," as they call us -- try to decode today's election in Great Britain.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. And, of course, we bring the world to your fingertips here at CNN.com. A lot of big stories featured now at CNN.com, but the one we're going to pay particular attention to here is going on in the U.K., of course. Stories in Africa and Asia, the Americas, at CNN.com.
Let's focus for a moment now on today's national election in Great Britain. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is fighting to hold on to his job. His Labour Party has held power for 13 years now. Voters may decide it's time for a bit of a change and put conservative leader David Cameron at Number 10
CNN's Richard Roth is in New York. He's got a decidedly American look at politics across the pond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICKY PERRY, OWNER, TEA AND SYMPATHY: You don't vote in England, do you?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nicky Perry follows the British election from her store in Greenwich Village. It's called Tea and Sympathy, but she is not offering any tea, or especially sympathy, to the three major candidates for prime minister.
PERRY: Well, I just don't believe what any of these politicians say. And what happens with an election is they all promise a huge amount. And then when the election is finally over, nobody does anything.
ROTH (on camera): Well, what do you expect them to say? They want to win, and they're saying what their promises are.
PERRY: What do I expect? I expect that if they say they're going to do something, then they should bloody well do, is what they should be doing.
ROTH (voice-over): Emotions were also high during those first- ever televised debates in the U.K. A few former colonists were watching.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You kind of see that there's some Americanization taking place in British politics.
ROTH: This area is known as Little Britain. The White Horse Tavern is where Welsh poet Dylan Thomas allegedly drank himself to death. British-themed food shops abound.
However, people here view the election campaign here as over there.
(on camera): Have you been following this from New York, the British elections, the prime minister's debate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all.
ROTH: Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I've got my head full of the politics that go on around here, so I didn't quite go across the pond.
ROTH (voice-over): So much for the so-called special relationship the USA and United Kingdom have maintained since those wars ended.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's two countries divided by the same language, isn't it?
ROTH (on camera): Are you attracted to British men with accents?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There will always be a bond between the U.K. and America. You know? There will always be a strong bond. Do you know what I mean?
ROTH (voice-over): That means, of course, Americans can recognize England's strong James Bond, 007, but do they know the man running to be Bond's boss, the next prime minister?
(on camera): Who is this man?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh no, one of these. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like a Kennedy.
ROTH: Who is that man?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that man is the prime minister of U.K..
ROTH: Gordon Green?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
ROTH: Gordon Red?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
ROTH: Gordon Black?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gordon Brown. Aren't I smart?
ROTH (voice-over): Identifying challenger Nick Clegg was much harder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know.
ROTH (on camera): Where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York.
ROTH: Where are your papers?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He looks like Michael J. Fox. I don't know if it is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know who he looks like? That guy from "Family Ties." But I know he's not.
ROTH (voice-over): The current candidate shouldn't feel too bad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness. I've seen that face, but I don't know his name.
ROTH (on camera): That's Winston Churchill.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is sad. Is this live?
ROTH (voice-over): Richard Roth, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK.
It is after 4:00 in the afternoon in Britain right now, and voters have several more hours to cast ballots. And you can get a jump on the vote count in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. CNN exit poll information coming your way at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
A $1 billion flood, maybe more. The latest from Nashville, and top stories. And we will hear from singer Kenny Chesney.
The markets have been opened a couple of hours now. Let's take a look at the Big Board. There it is, right behind me.
Another down day for stocks. We're down 95 points so far.
We are going to continue to follow this sell-off right here in the CNN NEWSROOM throughout the day for you.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Historic flooding in Tennessee requires historic cleanup efforts. We will hear from the state's governor and a country music star.
We're back in a moment.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. We put together a bit of a slide show for you from photos taken by one our I-reporters on the front lines of the historic flooding in Tennessee. Pictures here from Jeb Wilson, and he tells us he went into downtown Nashville on Sunday to help friends on the Cumberland River and was absolutely shocked to see what he saw, right? Virtually, everything under several feet of water. Just take a look at these pictures here and consider the mess that Nashville is trying to recover from.
Jeb Wilson says it's like Katrina all over again and people just don't know what to do. I'm going to tell you, country music singer, Kenny Chesney, was out of town when the flooding rolled through Central Tennessee. He rushed back to check on his city, his friends only to find his Nashville home under floodwaters. He says he's never seen anything like it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHESNEY: I've been affected by this tragedy, but there are so many people in Nashville that are really hurting that, you know, the things I lost I can replace, thank God, but, you know, there are people -- there have been people that have lost their lives and their livelihood, and I'm glad you said that about you guys coming to Nashville to let the world know that people here are hurting because we need the world's help right now and it's just -- it's a really sad thing to see especially because people that you know and people that you love and people that, you know -- because I do feel like because the people here in this town are really a tight community and it's just sad to see it happen.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I know you've been tweeting, trying to get people to help and donate money.
CHESNEY: Right.
COOPER: What's the best thing people can do, you think?
CHESNEY: Well, I think that they -- of course, I'm telling everybody at radio stations and on my own radio station that I have, you know, just to give whatever you can. I mean, people have lost everything, you know? I know what you -- you know, we all saw what happened in Haiti and we see -- and we all saw what happened all over the world. I mean, these people need just bare essentials here in Nashville. I know it's crazy to think that, but they really do, and, you know, yes, you can give money to the American Red Cross and all that kind of stuff, but these people need toothbrushes. They need toothpaste.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And that that something, just the basics, right? Nashville's mayor expects it will cost his city more than $1 billion to repair the damage. Ten Tennessee counties have been declared major disaster areas. Governor Phil Bredesen says 52 need federal aid. He talked about the clean-up task ahead on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. PHIL BREDESEN (D), TENNESSEE: There's an awful lot of work. Nashville has obviously been hard hit and it's a well-known city, but there are so many other counties in the state in the general area that have been hit very hard as well. A lot of people who didn't have flood insurance because they never thought the floodwaters would ever come anywhere near their home. I mean, they're really looking at, you know, a total loss of their home at this point. So, it's very, very tough on a lot of people right now. Right now, we're just trying to reach out and help those people.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: So, Governor, how great is the need going to be in your state and what is the need going to be? Can you quantify it for us at this point and qualify it as well?
BREDESEN: I don't have numbers. We're doing assessments right now working with FEMA. FEMA's done a good job coming down here. They were down when the first drops started falling and the administration has been in touch with us through all of this, but what we're trying to do right now is get a handle on the amount. Obviously, for people who didn't have flood insurance, there's no amount of help that's going to make them whole again, so it's a very tough time.
But, you know, we're through the part now where the first responders have done, you know, just a great job in saving lives and now starts the cleanup and figuring out where people go from here. KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: So, when you say that you think these first responders have sort of been able to make their way through and make sure no one else needed rescuing. How many died as a result of this flooding?
BREDESEN: We have counted right now 21 and there are still some -- we still have some missing people so that number could go up just a little bit from here.
CHETRY: That's in the state of Tennessee alone?
BREDESEN: It's been enormous. Pardon?
CHETRY: Twenty-one in the state of Tennessee alone?
BREDESEN: Twenty-one in Tennessee, yes, and it's broader across the south. I don't have the updated numbers for the entire region that was affected, but it's been 21 in Tennessee. We now have ten counties that the president has declared as disaster areas. We've applied for 52 and I suspect that many more of them are coming along. They're just processing them as fast as they can.
ROBERTS: You know, Governor, a moment ago, we saw some of those aerial pictures of entire neighborhoods that have just been inundated with floodwaters, 10 feet, 12 feet deep in some cases. Of course, Nashville famous for its country music landmarks and the Grand Ole Opry hit really hard. What's the situation at the Grand Ole Opry?
BREDESEN: Well, as best I know, they were hit fairly hard with the floodwaters. I don't know, and I'm not sure they know at this point how long they'll be off line. They've relocated back downtown here from where they went 30 or 40 years ago. So, they're going to keep going and broadcasting, but the old Opry Hall that people have seen has had a lot of water in it and a lot of water around it and there's a lot of cleanup to do in that whole area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And once again, just another programming note, a reminder, that we will hear from Nashville's mayor, Karl Dean, at the top of the hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM and tonight on CNN, Anderson Cooper will be reporting from the scene of the floods in Nashville as survivors go home and re-assess their lives and really picking up the pieces and trying to move forward. That's "AC 360" live at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEMI MOORE, DEMI & ASHTON FOUNDATION: Hi, I'm Demi Moore. I created the DNA foundation, and my desire is to end child slavery which is a global issue. This is not exclusive to Haiti, but you know, we became aware of the rest of the system which, you know, has about 300,000 children who are enslaved who do all the work, who sleep on the floor, and in most cases, it's the young girls are sexually exploited. We, as Americans, have to carry out Lincoln's promise and bring about freedom. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join the movement, impact your world, CNN.com/impact.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, it is an annual observance dating back to President Harry Truman, but this year's National Day of Prayer takes place against the backdrop of something of a legal battle. You'll recall that last month, a federal judge declared it unconstitutional. Congressional correspondent, Brianna Keilar, is live from Capitol Hill where events are taking place, and Brianna, another bit of controversy here has to do with the role of prominent evangelist Franklin Graham, correct?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That is one of the controversies. There's actually a couple surrounding this day of National Prayer. First, though, Tony, I just want to show you where I am and what's going on. This is the west front of the Capitol. This is where presidents are inaugurated, and we have a number of people who have been reading the bible, the entire bible, and this is one of the many events going on here in Washington, D.C. and all around the country.
But fresh on the minds of a lot of these folks who are participating and organizing the events here have to do with a legal battle, a U.S. district court judge in Wisconsin said it's unconstitutional, basically, for the federal government to endorse a day of prayer. This is something that's coming up at some of these events, including one just a stone's throw away from where I am now on the Capitol where we heard from Shirley Dobson. She is the chair of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and non-profiting.
She's also the wife of James Dobson, a prominent evangelical Christian. Here's what she said about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHIRLEY DOBSON, FOCUS ON THE FAMILY: There are 150 prisons today where the prisoners are participating in this day of prayer led by many prison chaplains, and yet, a small band of self-proclaimed atheists and agnostics based in Wisconsin have filed a lawsuit to try and take down this magnificent day of prayer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Now, the other controversy has to do with Franklin Graham, obviously a prominent evangelical Christian as well, the son of Billy Graham. He was -- his invite to a prayer event at the Pentagon was rescinded after he actually said on CNN to Campbell Brown some controversial comments about Muslims, basically, saying that he didn't think true Islam could be practiced in the U.S. and insinuating that true Islam means you can beat your wife or you can murder your child if they commit adultery.
So, he is, though, at an event on the Capitol where we just heard Shirley Dobson speak, and I don't know if you can hear it, Tony, but you maybe can hear people behind me, reading the final book of the bible and they have been going since Sunday night, some of these around the clock reading in all different languages, all different translations.
HARRIS: Well, you know, it's interesting, Brianna, some watching may be wondering if a federal judge has said this National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional, how come you've got this event going on right behind you here, and my understanding is that while that is true, that was the ruling of the federal judge, and correct me if I'm wrong here, that the court also said it's OK to go ahead with the observances until all of the appeals have played out. Is that correct?
KEILAR: That's exactly right. That is what the Judge Barbara Crabb said because the Obama administration is appealing that ruling, and so, it hasn't gone through all of the -- I guess the avenues that they can pursue with this. That very judge said, you know, keep going with these events until it is decided finally which it hasn't been at this point, Tony.
HARRIS: Right. OK. Our congressional correspondent, Brianna Keilar for us. Good to see you, Brianna. Thank you.
And let's get a quick check of top stories for you right now, six days after record-setting rains swelled rivers, to historic levels most of the water has receded in Nashville, most, but not all. Tennessee's governor says the death toll from the weekend flooding is up to at least 21 in his state, and some people are still missing.
NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor under arrest in Montebello, New York. Police are investigating a report of a rape at a hotel. They have tentatively scheduled a news conference for this afternoon.
And in Ohio, DNA tests vindicate a man serving a life sentence for the rape of a girl in 1981. Raymond Towler is now 52. He deflected a question about demanding an apology and says he understands justice can take time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAYMOND TOWLER, RELEASED FROM JAIL: They had the wrong person, you know, and it took them a while to straighten it out. All I care about right now is that they did straighten it out. Now, I can go on with my life. I'm still trying to, you know, gather it all in, actually. You know, I don't know what's going on.
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HARRIS: OK. The debate over illegal immigration becoming more polarizing by the day. The sports world is also jumping into the immigration debate in a big way. Our Carol Costello is in Washington with a look at how that is playing out.
Carol, good to see you. I know the Suns jumped into the middle of this thing last night in a playoff game, no less.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, boy did they ever, Tony. Questions you were asking this morning, should basketball or baseball or any sport, for that matter get involved in politics? The Phoenix Suns wore jerseys that read Los Suns in protest of Arizona's tough new immigration law. Their look was met with both support and with protest. In fact, hundreds of people gathered outside. In fact, this protest and vigil was led by Al Sharpton.
This was in protest of the immigration law. You can see hundreds of people there. Al Sharpton, himself, wore the Los Suns jersey, as you can see. The Suns' guard, you know, Steve Nash, who happens to be from Canada -- Tony.
HARRIS: That's right.
COSTELLO: So, he is not -- he's not an American citizen, but he's an awfully good basketball player, right?
HARRIS: He's a great basketball player, yes.
COSTELLO: He's a Sun's star. He said wearing the Los Suns uniform was important and so was jumping into the political fray.
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STEVE NASH, PHOENIX SUNS: We have a lot of love for, you know, our Latino friends. We have Latino players on both teams and, you know, unfortunately, that's the group that seems targeted by this bill and it's a shame.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Not all fans are happy with Nash and the Suns. On the team's Facebook page, there are plenty of comments that read like this. This is from Ryan. He says sports are no place for politics. It's split Suns fans into bickering factions. Not a good move. The Arizona law, by the way, is designed to identify, prosecuted deport illegal immigrants and allows police officers to ask people for papers, proving legal residency.
Critics say it will lead to racial profiling and in case you're wondering, Tony, according to the "Phoenix Business Journal," Arizona's baseball team is now taking a political stance despite the fact that its managing partner, Ken Kendrick, personally opposes the law. Some politicians nationwide wish all of basketball and all of baseball would take a stand. New York congressman, Jose Serrano, he wants major league baseball to pull the all-star game out of Arizona in 2011. Tony, he's thinking of introducing a resolution.
HARRIS: Yes. Well, I got to tell you, we knew that there was a big sporting event coming up, so it's the all-star game then that's scheduled for next year.
COSTELLO: 2011, not this year that could be targeted.
HARRIS: Right.
COSTELLO: That could be targeted, but who knows.
HARRIS: That's interesting, Carol because the person sending a note talking about political factions and sports fans and allegiances, has anyone listened to sports talk radio these days? Come on. This is more fuel for that debate. Good to see, you Carol. Thank you.
COSTELLO: Sure.
HARRIS: Stopping the oil leak and cleaning up the mess, BP says it is supporting the bill but how much will it cost?
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HARRIS: All right. We're keeping an eye on the markets right now. I want to get you to the best financial website on the web. Of course, it's ours. Come on. CNNmoney.com, and you can see it here. Just right there, the Dow, 10,769, but we're in negative territory again. We're down 98 points. Closing in on triple digit losses. Still early in the day. Time for a bit of a rebound to the day. Take a look at this. This is the big dome that's heading out to the well site. If I call it correctly, it is already there. And pretty soon, the operation is going to begin to take this giant dome, take it down to the well head and try to cap the spill.
If it works, it will try a similar device with another smaller spill, but the pictures coming out of -- these are pretty new pictures for us. So, we're going to bring those to you as well. You know, we're spending a lot of time we were talking about the spill and the financial ramifications for BP. Bp says it's going to pick up the entire tab but that could be costly. Stephanie Elam following this story for us from New York. And Stephanie, this could be really expensive for BP and it does have some wiggle room here, doesn't it?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it is going to be expensive. I don't know if you can say whether they can afford it or not if it's not going to be expensive. But Bp was the company leasing this rig, so therefore, they're responsible. Now, the estimates, they're all over the place. They're ranging from $2 billion to $14 billion. We won't know the full cost until all of the leaks are stopped, but that's case scenario.
Let's say this containment device that you were just shown us works, if that happens, analysts say the clean-up cost could be $1 billion of $2 billion. All right. Worst case scenario, the spill hits land. If that happens, clean-up will be much harder because you've got beaches there, you've got the fishing areas, you got animal habitats, all being affected. That would easily top the highest estimate of $14 billion, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, yes, and then there's the other factor of damage to the local economy to consider here, Stephanie.
ELAM: That's what a lot of people are talking about. That's what we're seeing in all these stories that are coming out of that that we've been broadcasting. And the seafood industry, just take a look at that industry alone, they're going to take a major hit, as will local business and tourism, but by law, BP is on the hook for $75 million in economic damages. And then there's the federal government trying to do its part is trying to help local businesses.
The SPA announced today that they're offering loans with 4 percent interest rates to businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi that are still affected by the spill. And the government is setting aside $2 million for this. All this uncertainty has really hit BP shares. They're down 15 percent since the explosion. As for the markets, the Dow off 88 at 10,779. Nasdaq is off more than 1 percent right now, Tony. So, we're in our third down day here.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
ELAM: We'll see what happens by the time we get to the bell.
HARRIS: OK. Stephanie, appreciate it. Thank you.
A U.S. government watchdog agency is under fire accused of being too cozy with the oil industry that it regulates. CNN's Ed Lavandera brings us that story in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
Plus, coastline companies aren't the only ones being affected by that massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, for example. We'll tag along with a CNN photo journalist on a trip to alligator alley. We're back in a moment.
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