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Times Square Bomb Arrests; Plugging the Massive Oil Spill; Stocks Set to Fall ;Senate Panel Passes Flood Aid; Four Killed in Thailand; Bullies Killed Gay Teen; Rising Rate of Birth Defects in Fallujah

Aired May 14, 2010 - 09:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everybody. I'm Kyra Phillips. Here's what we're working on for you this morning.

Getting in people's heads after the scare in Times Square. Now a bomb didn't go off but it did trigger something inside us.

All right. You knew it wasn't a trickle. That's obvious. But now we're wondering what size it really is. Five thousand barrels a day or 70,000. Does anybody really know?

And a tale of two Marks in St. Louis. McGwire's loss, Twain's gain. Maybe all Sam Clemens' reward for laying off the steroids.

We begin the hour in New York. The city that never sleeps is more -- looking more like a city that never lets its guard down. We're learning more about the failed car bombing of Times Square.

We'll have more on that in just a moment. But first up, the latest terrorism scare to test the nerves of weary New Yorkers.

And that explosion, a bomb squad, blowing out the windows of a suspicious vehicle in lower Manhattan. The car raised concerns because gas cans could be seen in the back seat. That's why we couldn't even get close enough to videotape the vehicle.

The owner later explained to police that the gas cans were in his car because his lawn or he does lawn work.

Similar story now, different state. In Wisconsin, a bomb squad called out when a truck driver led police on a 20-mile chase and refused to get out of his truck. Nearby homes were evacuated until bomb experts determined there were no explosives.

Police believe the driver may have been delirious from lack of sleep. His cargo, by the way, energy drinks.

Back to Times Square now and the investigation. Three people from Pakistan being held in connection with the failed car bombing. Could there be a -- could there be, rather, a critical link between the suspect and a terror group overseas?

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti breaks it down for us. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Following the accused would-be bomber's money trail took investigators to Massachusetts where two Pakistani men were taken into custody near Boston while most people were sleeping.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard a -- a man. He says, FBI, hold --- hold your hands up. Get your hands up.

CANDIOTTI: Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say the men are charged with overstaying their visas. But do they know more about possibly funneling money from overseas to accused Times Square plotter, Faisal Shahzad?

A home was searched for clues that sources say may involve couriers called hawala diras (ph). There is usually no paper trail and couriers seldom know what the money is for.

Following more leads, agents also hit a gas station outside Boston and searched a car there. Another team focused on two homes on Long Island, New York but no arrests there.

The tentacles also touched southern New Jersey where the FBI raided a print shop in Camden and the home of a man who owns it in Cherry Hill. Two brothers were questioned but not taken into custody.

MUHAMMAD FIAEZ, CHERRY HILL RESIDENT: Just talked to about me and my brother. That's it. And make sure maybe some common name will show up. That's why he is coming in. Just talked to me (INAUDIBLE) questioning.

CANDIOTTI: A federal law enforcement source says agents are tracings who Shahzad talked to, met with, where he went. Every step he allegedly took to build a car bomb is being documented.

Prosecutors say some of the information is provided by Shahzad himself. And the accused terrorist hasn't clammed up yet.

PREET BHARARA, U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN NEW YORK: Faisal Shahzad is still cooperating. He is being interviewed and questioned by agents and has been since the day he was taken into custody.

CANDIOTTI: And one more bonus. When President Obama met Thursday with New York police investigators, an official photo was taken. If you zoom past the president, we get our first look at the suspect's presumed getaway car that he couldn't use.

Here its key that sources say the forgetful suspect left behind in his smoking bomb SUV in Times Square and the VIN number from that SUV that helped track him down in 53 hours.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: CNN's Susan Candiotti joining us now. So, Susan, there were hints that the FBI was closing in on Shahzad and they think that that's why he took off? Any hints in advance about yesterday's raids?

CANDIOTTI: None, none, Kyra, not at all. They really kept this one under wraps for the longest time until the raids were actually underway because they started before dawn yesterday.

But once it was out, then we're able to find out what had been happening and what continued to happen throughout the day. So, clearly, they're trying to do everything quietly as best they can.

PHILLIPS: Susan Candiotti live from New York. Appreciate it.

And in just about an hour from now, President Obama will honor some 26 law enforcement officers from across the country. They showed exceptional courage and quick thinking in a variety of crises including the deadly shooting spree at Fort Hood.

We're going to keep an eye on that ceremony and we'll bring you any highlights.

The war is a draw. Nobody is winning. A rather extraordinary assessment from the U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Despite its overwhelming superiority over the Taliban and insurgents and troops and high-tech equipment, General Stanley McChrystal, fully transparent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, U.S. COMMANDER, AFGHANISTAN: In the last year, we've made a lot of progress. I think I'd be prepared to say nobody is winning at this point. Where the insurgents, I think, felt that they had momentum a year ago, felt that they were making clear progress, I think that's stopped.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right, now, despite his "nobody is winning" comment, McChrystal did emphasize once again that he sees significant progress in battling the Taliban.

The U.S. military joined by Afghan forces gearing up for a big summer offensive in one of Afghanistan's most dangerous provinces, Kandahar. More U.S. and NATO facilities have occurred there and in neighboring Helmand Province than any other provinces.

The goal is to kick out the Taliban and return control of that region to the Afghans.

Here is where we stand in Afghanistan right now. There's more than 62,000 U.S. troops in that country. President Obama announced in December that he was sending 30,000 more troops there by the summer.

NATO and other nations have about 40,000 troops in Afghanistan and the president wants to begin bringing U.S. troops home by the summer of next year.

A drop in the bucket versus a waterfall. That's what we're talking about right now in the Gulf of Mexico. A new independent estimate says that as many as 70,000 barrels a day are leaking. BP says 5,000 barrels.

Let's make it clear. BP says 210,000 gallons a day. But a Purdue University scientist tells CNN it's more like three million gallons day. An Exxon Valdez-size spill nearly twice a week.

BP stands by the earlier estimate. Also saying that measuring -- measuring it, rather, isn't the important job here. It's stopping it.

Now the big dome, top hat, junk shot -- it all sounds a little comical. But efforts to stop the gusher are no laughing matter.

CNN's David Mattingly live in New Orleans this morning.

So, David, what's BP trying right now to try to get a hold of this catastrophe?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, BP hoping that today is the day. What they are trying right now is an insertion tube, exactly what it sounds like, inserting a tube inside that massive leaking pipe.

That tube would then have a seal around it where they would stop the flow of oil out of the pipe and then pump that oil up to the surface to a waiting containment vessel.

We are looking at the next 24 hours to see if that idea is going to work. They've had all the pieces in place since yesterday. They are trying to put that in today. They are trying to make sure that everything is operational before they come out and say we feel like we've got some progress here and this is going to work.

If it doesn't work, they have a smaller dome set aside ready to go. A containment dome, something much smaller than what they tried a week ago. That's their backup plan in case this one does not go through.

PHILLIPS: All right. Can you give us more -- more of an idea of this junk shot, David?

MATTINGLY: Well, I don't know who comes up with these names but they're sort of pretty descriptive. It tells you what they actually are. This junk shot is something that the industry uses. They essentially shoot a bunch of junk -- solid material like golf balls, pieces of tires, things like that, along with liquid into the piping when they have a leak.

The idea is to clog if it up. And it's worked before. They've never tried it at depths like this before. But that junk shot they say is what they're going to try to shut this leak off completely after they finish a way to get that leaking pipe taken care of. That leaking pipe, once they have that sealed off, they hope to collect about 80 to 85 percent of the oil it's leaking. That junk shot we're talking about is going to be put into play late next week should shut it off completely.

PHILLIPS: Something happens soon. Gary (sic), thanks.

Well, the Coast Guard is on point for handling this mess. The cleanup and protecting the coast. Next hour, Coast Guard commander Thad Allen gives his assessment from the area.

And turning overseas for many of us. Thailand is a place that we think of as peaceful, the land of Buddha and beautiful beaches. It's definitely not Thailand today.

By the thousands, Thais are hell bent on seeing their government dismantled, fed up with the perception that the prime minister and its cabinet only care about the rich. They have been on the streets for months.

But tensions now at an all-time high as protesters toss make- shift bottle rockets at the baton-wielding government troops. Today's protests come one day after an opposition leader was shot on the streets in Bangkok, right there, downtown. You could see it. It was actually caught on tape.

Laura Silsby's nightmare not over. You could remember the American missionary accused of trying to take 33 children out of Haiti after the January quake. Charges have been dropped against the rest of her group.

Now a Haitian prosecutor is recommending a six-month prison sentence for Silsby. The judge's decision could come down in just a few days.

Now for all of you out there who are outraged about the Arizona immigration law, the governor has a message for you. You're not getting the whole story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Arizona's governor is fighting back against the backlash from her state's tough new immigration law. Just to remind you how the law works. Police will be allowed to ask a person about his immigration status or her immigration status if the person is suspected of committing or being involved with a crime.

The law doesn't go into effect until August and all points, Governor Jan Brewer say, a lot of people have missed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAN BREWER (R), ARIZONA: Seventy-three percent of the people of the United States agree with what Arizona has enacted here. The bottom line is that there's a lot of mistruth about the bill. So it's going to be incumbent upon us in regards to that bill to tell them the truth. I mean there has been so much bad information out there, and flash cards, if you will, that people have wanted to grab on to that is ridiculous.

It's false and it's wrong.

(CROSSTALK)

BREWER: -- there's racial profiling, you know. Racial profiling is illegal. You're not going to be asked for identification unless you're committing a crime. You know, for those people that are flying in, they already have that identification, most of them, when they get off the plane.

You know, it's a great place. We're all living here. We're all happy. You know, it's -- there's a lot of drama out there that's unnecessary.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Despite what the mayor says, cities are joining a boycott against Arizona. Add Austin, Texas to the list. No more city business travel to Arizona. There are some exceptions to the rule. Unanimous city council vote is seen mostly as a symbolic gesture.

Now a massive protest against the immigration law is set for tomorrow in Phoenix. Protesters from the Dallas area are traveling there in what they call a freedom bus. One organizer says what's happening now in Arizona is turning the American dream into a nightmare.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN MCGOVERN, PROTEST ORGANIZER: It's just as important for me that everyone be able to come to this country and do the things that we have provided to so many before.

TONDE OBAZEE, FREEDOM RIDER: Any opportunity for racial profiling, well, we know the history of this country is a travesty to the Constitution and to those who died and fought for you and I to walk in this country.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Other caravans from around the country are also heading to Phoenix for that protest.

Well, Arizona's antics in the news all weeks. And on our blog, we've been talking about the move there to ban ethnic studies classes.

Boy, did we get a lot of responses. Here's just a sample. Paul wrote, "Go Arizona. Finally a state government with the courage to stand up for our country and not trying to be PC."

Nikky says, "Arizona has taken a step back in the education of her students as white Americans have easy access to literature by white Americans, so should Americans of color."

This comes from Gerald. Doesn't anyone recognize that Arizona is in the front lines in the war against the invasion of our country? Arizona's hand was forced by the refusal of the federal government to protect its citizens in Arizona."

Janelle writes, "This law is absolutely racist. America is a melting pot of all races. To say that ethnic education promotes resentment is an ignorant statement and suggest that any one person of any ethnicity is incapable of nothing more than ignorant vengeful acts of violence."

Remember, we want to hear from you always. Just log on to CNN.com/Kyra and share your comments with us.

Kansas, living up to its stormy reputation. Trees down, pour out, gas pumps ripped from the concrete. The unlikely ending to this severe weather story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now people in northeastern Kansas are pretty thankful to be alive right now after this extremely dangerous storm system ripped through the state. Fierce winds blew out windows, knocked down power lines trees, gas pumps were even pulled out of the concrete.

Amazingly, there were no injuries but boy, it was close for one family who had not one but two trees fall on their house. They say despite that damage, they feel extremely lucky.

I think we feel extremely lucky that we live in this part of the country right now -- Bonnie.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You're right. I know, it's interesting that that wasn't tornado damage but straight line winds, Kyra, they could be just as severe in terms of damage and the winds are intense as they work their way across the plains.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: OK, Bonnie. Thanks.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Checking top stories now. Could a six-inch tube be the key to plugging that massive oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico? BP is trying to move the tube into the well's broken pipe and use it to siphon oil to a ship.

The feds are following the money trail in that botched Times Square bombing case. Three people were arrested yesterday. Investigators want to know how that plot was bank rolled.

And it's the final voyage for the space shuttle Atlantis. It blast off this afternoon to take more gear to the space station. Just two more missions left in that shuttle program. Dreams for sale. Or rather the "Field of Dreams" for sale. That's right. The place that Kevin Costner actually made a good movie for sale. Maybe he should buy it. Relive those glory days. Or it could be yours for the right price.

So how much does a dream go for?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "FIELD OF DREAMS")

RAY LIOTTA, "SHOELESS JOE JACKSON": Hey, this heaven?

KEVIN COSTNER, "RAY KINSELLA": No. It's Iowa.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Iowa, heaven, all right, come on, they're synonymous. They built it, they came. And now it's for sale.

We're talking about the "Field of Dreams" field near Dyersville, Iowa. The owners say that they're ready to retire. Take a seat in the bleachers, so to say.

That movie is more than 20 years old but still 65,000 people show up to that field every year. The asking price? It's reported at $5.4 million. And you also get the farmhouse, by the way.

Well, Mark McGwire getting kicked to the curb so to speak. Missouri lawmakers approved a name change from Mark McGwire Highway. It will now be named after Mark Twain instead.

McGwire, the former Cardinal slugger lost his superstar status when he admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs while he was breaking homerun records. He's now the Cardinals' hitting coach.

That stretch by 70 was renamed for McGwire after he hit 70 homers in 1998.

The next big thing in baseball is just 5'1". I'm talking about Ari Yashida. The 18-year-old Japanese girl who just graduated high school and now she's playing pro-ball in California.

She signed with the Chico Outlaws of the Independent Golden Baseball League. They call her the knuckle princess because of her killer knuckleball. She credits the Red Sox's Tim Wakefield with helping her perfect it, by the way.

The princess makes her mound debut May 29th.

And remembering a legend today, Francis Albert. Old blue eyes, chairman of the board, the voice. You know Frank Sinatra. He died on this day in 1998, 83 years old. Too many hits to even name, "New York New York, "Fly Me to the Moon", "My Way." All classics. A day to remember the legend and the legacy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Spirit Airlines. You heard about this? You know, it's just getting so bad. They've announced they're installing pre-reclined seats on all of their planes.

Seats already reclined. They can't move up or back. They're locked like this. You can't bring them up. Yes. And they're not doing for your comfort. It's when they take off, all the change falls out of your pocket so they can walk down the aisle --

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Felicia Taylor, you've had some loose change swinging around in those pockets from time to time. Maybe that's what all that extra numbers, you know, moving up on the Dow there.

(LAUGHTER)

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, sure, yes. That extra loose change is going to do it for me.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: All the traders on Wall Street, they're taking all the loose change in their pockets, putting it back into the market and that's why we're seeing it rise.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: All right. I'm trying. I'm desperate. Sorry.

TAYLOR: You know what? I love your theories, but --

PHILLIPS: Yes.

TAYLOR: Not sure it's OK.

PHILLIPS: Not happening.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: All right. Save me.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: My loose mind. Take my loose mind and my loose change.

TAYLOR: You know what? It's Friday.

PHILLIPS: Yes, there you go. Yes, you're right.

TAYLOR: It's Friday. Anyway, the U.S. stock market today, Kyra, is pretty much casting its eye overseas again this morning. The major European markets have been pretty much in the red and overseas trading on continuing fears about debt.

We've been talking about this for quite a while now. Greece and the other European countries are getting bailouts. But listen, you know, that $1 trillion -- let me say it again -- trillion sticker price is still a pretty big concern.

The euro is also under intense pressure today. It's now at $1.24. That is the lowest level we have seen since November of 2008.

OK, so the good news is -- and frankly if I could right now -- I would go to Europe in a heartbeat because obviously it's much cheaper but the flip side to that is that the weaker euro makes U.S.-made goods more expensive overseas.

Now we did also see a better-than-expected retail sales report today. Sales rose 0.4 of 1 percent last month and that makes the seventh straight increase. That may not be enough to lift stocks. We've seen over, you know, the cattle stocks in the futures pretty much trading to the downside.

The bell about to ring in literally in just a few seconds. You had Express at the opening bell. You wouldn't believe what they've got outside. There's a fashion show expected, music, so on and so forth. They are clearly excited about being listed here at the Dow -- at the New York Stock Exchange, I should say.

OK, at the open right now, we've got things just off fractionally. The Dow right now is down about ten points as is the Nasdaq is also trading slightly lower as is the S&P.

Now, Kyra, I don't know if you are a fan of Little Orphan Annie.

PHILLIPS: Oh, come on. That was like one of the first musicals, yes, the first musical, the first song you learn how to sing, you know, sun will come out tomorrow, yes.

TAYLOR: Tomorrow, yes, well --

PHILLIPS: That's pretty good, Felicia. I think you got a side job on the weekend on Broadway.

TAYLOR: Oh, I am tone deaf. Anyway, the point is, Little Orphan Annie, she may only have a few more tomorrows left. The Tribune Company, I know, is going to stop syndication of the comic strip on June 13th. As we've been talking about, the iconic red head made her newspaper debut back in 1924, but then, pretty much she took center stage on Broadway, films. She even had her own radio program. Basically, it comes down to money. The Tribune says the cost of creating the strip outweighs its revenue. It's all about the bottom line.

PHILLIPS: You know, it's such a sign of the times we're losing our comics, our newspapers, and now our orphan Annie. It's just not right. TAYLOR: And Kyra, I hate to say, but it ages us a little bit.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I know, we're old. OK.

(LAUGHING)

PHILLIPS: No, we're historic. That's what we are.

TAYLOR: Yes.

PHILLIPS: We're wise. I'll keep to get a better words.

TAYLOR: Wise.

PHILLIPS: Thank you, Felicia. Happy Friday.

TAYLOR: You too.

PHILLIPS: This is a story that we have definitely remained committed to, staying on top of the flood damaged area of Tennessee. The state may soon be getting more federal aid that we're told about now. Damage in Nashville alone estimated to be about $1.5 billion. Now, a key Senate panel has approved a bill providing tens of millions of dollars in additional relief. The story at homes, businesses, may be the most obvious flood damage, but there are also mental scars caused by that historic illusion. While they may not be outwardly visible, the resource of tremendous inner turmoil to the people who managed to survive what others could not. Here's Sky Arnold with CNN affiliate, WZTV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I'm stopped in traffic, I get nervous. So, I try to avoid traffic now even on the street.

SKY ARNOLD, AFFILIATE, WZTV: The flood is hard to forget. You survive seeing your own car swept away. That's especially true for metro school custodian, Carlton Steger. He is never far from this souvenir of the experience.

CARLTON STEGER, FLOOD SURVIVOR: That's basically all I could get. These school keys and they are all rusted.

ARNOLD: The school keys were the only things Steger salvaged from his vehicle. It was part of this May 1st mess on I-24. Carlton says he was moving the last load of clothes to his new home. The traffic stopped.

STEGER: I thought it was a wreck.

ARNOLD: He didn't know is the heavy rains were flooding the interstate and some serious danger was headed his way.

STEGER: Once the water got up to my door, my car start floating toward the truck of trailer (ph), so I moved in. I had to before I hit and get out. ARNOLD: Carlton got out and followed other drivers who fought the currents to climb over the barrier wall.

STEGER: I've been in a pool before, but never in water that's pushing you faster than you can walk.

ARNOLD: Once there, he walked several miles on the side of the interstate to Harding road where more flooding had him praying.

STEGER: Am I going to make it? That's all I could think. I'm praying to God, please, whatever I've done, please forgive me.

ARNOLD: Carlton's prayers were answered when his wife made it through the flood to find him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, the flooding is blamed for more than 20 deaths in Tennessee. Forty-two counties have been declared disaster areas.

See, do you remember this? The little boy became the face of international outrage. The American woman who adopted him shipped him back to Russia. In just a couple of minutes, new developments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A story that stirred outrage both in the United States and in Russia. You may remember, an American mother sent her adopted son back home to Russia unannounced and unescorted. The R4 (ph) has forced both countries to negotiate new safeguards to protect the children and the future of U.S.-Russian adoptions. CNN's senior national correspondent, Matthew Chance, in Moscow. So, Matthew, is there a deal?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At the moment, nothing has been finalized, but there's a great deal of interest amongst the hundreds of couples, of course, Kyra, in the U.S. that are waiting to get their adoption papers agreed to and finalized here in Moscow. These teams from the U.S. and Russia that have been trying to hammer out some kind of agreement. They say they've agreed in principle to the main issues mainly that there are more rigorous controls over the adoption agencies that put the couples and the kids together.

Also, a new joint Russian-U.S. commission is going to be set up, eventually, we think, that would have the power to vet these couples independently and the power to carry out follow-up checks on the kids once they've been settled in their adoptive families. It's not been finalized at this point, but certainly, Russian officials are saying they're very optimistic that it will be very soon indeed -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. So, what actually happened with that little boy who was returned?

CHANCE: Yes, of course, all of this comes from the fact that that kid, Artyom Savelyev is his name, seven years old at the time, he's now turned eight, was returned by his mother from Tennessee to Russia with just a letter in his hand saying that he was mentally unstable and had violent tendencies. It's outrage at the people of Russia.

The courts effectively put a block on all future adoptions to the United States. He's now been shown in images that we recently received at a care center. He is being rehabilitated in the words of Russian officials. He's meeting with other kids. Eventually, he will be put with parents here in Russia, we're told -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We will definitely follow up. Matthew Chance, thanks.

Other top stories now, four people killed in an anti-government protest in Thailand today. Today's violence comes a day after a government opposition leader was shot in the head by an apparent sniper.

In Haiti, a prosecutor now recommending a six-month prison sentence for the American missionary accused of trying to take nearly three dozen children out of the country. The judge is expected to make a ruling in the next few days.

And in the Gulf of Mexico, a new independent estimate says that as many as 3 million gallons a day are gushing out of that busted oil pipe. BP insists more like 210,000 gallons.

Now, a whole lot of ideas but nothing is working, obviously. That's what's going on in the Gulf of Mexico right now. BP is unable so far to stop the oil gushing out of that broken well, but here's an idea. It worked before. The soviets had this kind of problem more than once. Their solution, nukes. That's right. They use a limited nuclear explosion to basically blow the well shut. End of story.

CNN's "American Morning" John Roberts joins us now live from New York with a little AM Extra. Now, John, you talked to BP's CEO, Doug Suttles, this morning. They may not be ready to try nukes yet, but then again, the soviet report is pretty intriguing.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a report that I finally found in the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in 1996. In 1966, the Soviet Union had a runaway gas well and had been on fire for three years. They didn't know what the heck to do about it. So, they sunk a hole beside the existing well. They dropped a 30 kiloton nuclear weapon, set it off, and within 30 seconds, the fire went out. This works so well, let's try it again.

They did it four more times. It was successful another three times. The last time they tried 1981 wasn't very successful, but we should caution that while the Soviet Union did this a number of times way back when, no one is even remotely considering the use of a nuclear weapon to close this well, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Hey, you know, nothing's working so far. So, all right, what are they considering then because they are looking at a number of other ideas. ROBERTS: First of all, I don't think you want to be delivering a nuclear weapon at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

PHILLIPS: We're trying to end this, right? We're trying to get rid of them, but then again -- all right. I'm pushing it. Go ahead.

ROBERTS: It could create a lot of problems. What they are going to try this top hat thing over the next couple of days, but what they're going to try immediately is to -- you have a pipe down that's 21 inches around. They're going to try to insert a smaller pipe in that. Sort of like putting a straw inside of a hose and sucking on it to try to suck some of the oil up to the surface to decrease the amount of flow. Every day, it seems they come up with a new idea. Remember, in that House hearing the other day, Congressman Ed Markey said, it sounds like BP is just making it up. I put that question to Doug Suttles this morning. Here's what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG SUTTLES, BP, CEO: I understand the frustration. I mean, you can imagine, I'm just as frustrated as everyone that we haven't been successful yet to do the stopping or containing it, but you know, just earlier this week, Secretary Salazar and Secretary Chu visited our office in Houston where the efforts to contain and stop the floor underway. And they referenced that, you know, this is the best scientific minds in the world working on this. The best engineers. So, I think we're trying to find everything we can do here and apply the best technology and the best thinking possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: OK. Best thinking possible. Best minds. Best scientists. Who's in there? Who's in the mix?

ROBERTS: You got all of the BP people and you got, of course, the coast guard is working in conjunction with them. They got this joint task force. And the government has sent a number of its top thinkers as well, somebody who is involved in the precision guidance of bio medical needles. Another person who is an expert on potential mining on the surface of Mars, and they also sent somebody who helped design the very first hydrogen bomb. It's not to say, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK. All right. See, I'm getting closer. Hydrogen bomb, nukes. OK. I'm in the realm. There might be a former soviet scientist in that mix. I'm just saying.

ROBERTS: I think it is just because this fellow is probably a pretty good engineer. I think we can put away this idea that we are going to be seeing a report like this at any time in the future on nuking close to BP oil well. I think you can give that one up, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: More to follow. More to follow. Thank you so much, J.D.

School bullies driving their victims to suicide. We've reported so many of these stories lately and not sure if it's an epidemic of cruelty or awareness, but in some cases, the bullies don't give their victims any outs. In one case at least, police say the bullies did the job themselves.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Young bullies taunting their targets to the brink. Some of those victims seeing just one solution; 15-year-old Phoebe Prince in Massachusetts hangs herself; 13-year-old John Carmichael in Texas killed himself. A second grader in Houston tries to end it all, jumps off the balcony but survives. All of them picked on, teased, taunted, harassed and threatened to a point of no return. Those are just some examples from this school year.

Now, let's talk about Carl Joseph Walker Hoover, hanged himself last year in Massachusetts. Bullies put him through daily hell, called him gay nonstop and made fun of his clothes. Carl was just 11 years old, not really old enough to know or care about his sexual orientation.

Fifteen-year-old Larry King of Malibu knew he was gay, he was out and he was proud of it. Yes, he had to deal with bullies. Only they didn't drive him to suicide. Police say the bullies did the dirty work themselves.

Here is CNN's Randi Kaye.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a sea of students at E.O. Green Junior High School outside Malibu, California, this eighth grader stood out. A boy who came to school dressed like a girl; 15-year-old Larry King wore jewelry and makeup, even lipstick and mascara.

Most days, he showed up in high-heeled boots. He asked his teachers to call him Leticia (ph) instead of Larry. Friends say Larry was proud of who he was, these photos are from his family's Web site.

Larry was gay. He'd come out at age ten. Teachers and students say he frequently acted out making clear his sexual preference. That made some students so uncomfortable, they bullied him.

His friend, Alexis Chavez was one of the few who stuck up for him.

ALEXIS CHAVEZ, VICTIM'S FRIEND: They just mocked him. And every time he came around, they ran. And painful things, they said painful things about him.

KAYE: More than two years ago in February 2008, the bullying suddenly stopped, not because Larry was finally accepted but because he was dead, murdered police say by a fellow students.

(on camera): That awful day began just like any other Tuesday for Larry King in English class along with two dozen students and his teacher. They were in the computer lab so the students could type up their papers. Larry was seated in the middle of the room, his classmate Brandon McInerney behind him.

When suddenly, police say, Brandon stood up and pulled out a gun that he'd managed to bring in to school that day. They say he pointed the gun at the back of Larry's head and fired.

(voice-over): According to some accounts, Brandon dropped the gun and calmly left the classroom. Someone called 911.

911 OPERATOR: OK, do you know where the person with the gun is?

CALLER: No.

911 OPERATOR: Joel, who is the victim? Is there a victim? I'm on the phone with dispatch. Larry?

KAYE: Larry was rushed to the hospital. Cops picked up Brandon within minutes just blocks from school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's over. It's over.

KAYE: The next day, Larry was pronounced brain dead, but kept alive for two days so his organs could be harvested. Brandon who turned 14 just weeks before the shooting is being tried as an adult, charged with first-degree murder and a hate crime and stands to get more than 50 years in prison. But he says he's not guilty.

(on camera): Brandon's lawyer won't tell us what their defense might be, but in court police testified that Brandon may have been bullied, too, by Larry, in fact. Larry had reportedly told people the two were dating, but had broken up.

And just a couple of days before the shooting classmates say Larry had asked Brandon to be his valentine. And Brandon's friends joked the two would make gay babies together.

(voice-over): On Larry's final day he left his makeup and high heels at home and went to school wearing his uniform, just like everyone else. It's unclear why, but if he had decided to try and blend in, he never had a chance.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

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PHILLIPS: Well, you've heard people say that kids can be so cruel, but this is ridiculous. Like I said before, I'm not sure if this is an epidemic of cruelty or awareness. Either way, parents and teachers have got to look for the warning signs in school and online. Act on them, protect and empower the victims and hold the bullies accountable.

Clearly lives are at stake. At least one school in Texas lets kids report bullies via text or e-mail and their identity is protected. This school says that this program has cut concerns about bullies drastically. Bravo. More schools should follow suit.

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PHILIPS: Small babies with big problems. Hundreds of babies with birth defects are being born in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. Fallujah was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the Iraq war. Some parents are blaming U.S. weapons used in battling the insurgents there.

No matter your nationality it is indeed a sad story. And our Mohammed Jamjoom brings it to us.

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MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Akram (ph) is just a day old. He was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate and is one of many children of Fallujah's General Hospital suffering from severe birth defects.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is one-month-old.

JAMJOOM: Mohammed has cardiac problems, the most common defect among the children here. Down the corridor we meet Sofian. He is just 2 years old but has already had 7 operations to alleviate the swelling around his brain. Doctors tell his mother still more will be needed. Overwhelmed by medical bills she says she has to borrow cash just to get to the hospital. Sofian's health problems have forced her and her husband to make a difficult decision.

"I will not have children anymore," says Shukriay. "I need to take care of the one that I have now. When me and his father saw his situation we decided not to have children anymore."

The cause of these defects is unknown, but doctors here say they are increasing.

DR. SAMARA ABDUL GHANI, PEDIATRICIAN: We may see four or five patients weekly, if not daily. They many times ask me or ask other doctors what can we do? What can we treat our children? I told you we have no facilities. Many such defects can't be treated here.

JAMJOOM: At the Fallujah branch of the Iraqi Handicapped Society parents seek help for their disabled children. Since 2004 Hussein Matrood (ph) says he has seen a sharp rise in the number of deformities.

"The number increased after the Military operations that took place in Fallujah in the first and second state of the operation," says Hussein. "They used all kinds of weapon, even the forbidden ones."

In 2004, U.S. forces launched two major offensives to clear insurgents from Fallujah. Large parts of the city were reduced to rubble. Hundreds of tons of munitions were used.

"There is a concern for the people of Anbar and the people of Fallujah that they were exposed to weapons' effects," says Iraq's deputy minister of health. "But to be scientifically accurate we don't have the accurate scientific analysis to prove this case so far."

Many residents believe the weapons used released toxic chemicals that are causing these deformities. Five-year-old Zahra was born with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. Her mother was pregnant with her when the Fallujah offensive began. Her father blames American weapons.

"They bombed the house. They claimed we were terrorists," says Mohammed. "I told him that it is just me and my wife. We were married three months ago." And he is still angry. "We were comfortable," he says, "and then the occupation came. Our families were destroyed. My child is not the first child that got this in Fallujah. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of children are suffering."

Two years after Zahra was born, Mohammed and Rahna (ph) had another child, a son named Abrahman (ph). His deformities were even worse and he died just three days after being born. Rana also rules out having any more children. She says her family's situation is far too difficult.

"It is indescribable, it's torture," says Rana. "The child is suffering. She can't play. She can't stand on her feet. She can't even eat. Someone has to feed her,"

But there are no reliable statistics for birth defects in Fallujah, no studies on their cause or causes. No comparison with other Iraqi cities. There are simply no answers.

RA'AD FAHMI, MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: These deformations, we think, and also we think that these are the causes are more complex than some people think. We are not denying the existence and studying the complexity is necessary, is important so that we can deal with the problem.

JAMJOOM: Now the World Health Organization plans to investigate, saying in a statement to CNN that it wants to verify and confirm the increase in the differential incidents of the cases of the birth defects.

At the hospital Dr. Abdul Ghani says the international community has to help. In the face of so much suffering, she is on the verge of despair.

ABDUL GHANI: I feel shame when I answer my patients. Sometimes I feel sometimes I feel want to cry because I can't do anything for them.

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