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Awaiting Word on Top Kill; Minerals Management Service Director Fired; Violence Eases in Jamaica's Capital

Aired May 27, 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 for Thursday, May 27th.

BP, 21 hours into its latest effort to choke off the oil leak in the Gulf. If it fails, expect to see a lot more scenes like this slimy mess. Just the chance of an oily beach is scaring tourists away.

Tour boat operators in Alabama want you to know they're open for business.

After four days of gun fire and dozens of deaths, Jamaican police regain control of a Kingston slum, but the accused drug kingpin remains free.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

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

Awaiting word on top kill. We could find out today if the latest effort to plug the gushing oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is a success.

BP is now 21 hours into the operation, pumping high-pressure mud into the oil well, hoping the mud going in will overwhelm the crude shooting out. BP's chief executive says it is proceeding according to plan.

Our Rob Marciano was out on the polluted waters off Louisiana yesterday, and he joins us now from New Orleans.

Rob, great to see you.

Everyone is hoping this top kill procedure works, or we will see more scenes like the ones you saw yesterday. We talked to you as you were out taking a boat tour of the area.

What did you see?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, what we saw was thick, thick, heavy, dark, dark brown and, in some cases, almost black, oil, layers of it on top of the water. And we were only out there about 10, 12 miles from the shore. So, seemingly, just on the western fringe of the main slick, still about 50 miles from the actual spill point. So you have to assume that the closer you get in there, the thicker the oil is, or at least the more consistent it's going to be.

And by the time we got out to where we were, it was as consistent as we could see, as far as the eye can see, for a couple of miles. And one thing we didn't see while we were out there -- and I mentioned this to you over the phone yesterday during our live report -- that for the 20 miles of visibility that we had out there, and then for the 12-mile journey out there, we didn't see one skimming vessel, we didn't see one boat that was charged to skim the oil.

Apparently, BP thought that yesterday, that the oil wasn't as bad as they thought, so they didn't send many skimmers out there. Well, not where we were.

Where we were, there was definitely a need to be cleaned up. The fumes were so bad, that with we got in the thickest of it, we had to wear these things. I was getting headaches, nauseous, dizzy and unbalanced. Certainly very toxic.

So it probably wasn't out there for very long. We didn't notice a huge amount of weathering. Maybe just a few days. But, again, still 50 miles from the epicenter of that spill, and it was that thick and consistent. Certainly eye-opening.

HARRIS: Yes. Hey, Rob, did you see any of the effects of this oil on wildlife?

MARCIANO: Absolutely. We saw -- on the way out there, we saw little sea creatures floating around in some of the sheen, still alive, but struggling. We saw a dead eel that was in the thickest of the oil. And in that area, I can't imagine anything living in the top layer of the ocean there.

An some of the thicker sheen we saw a shark, a small shark, swimming around and seemingly struggling, and then diving down as we got closer to it. So, there are a lot of animals out there.

And the biggest issue, Tony, is that those animals that are out there, those animals that are struggling and dying, most of them are sinking to the bottom floor, as opposed to washing up on shore. So they'll never be accounted for. We'll never get a true toll number as far as the wildlife out in the open ocean that is affected by this slick and will be affected for the months and years to come.

HARRIS: Just a sense of this, Rob. We're watching this video of you and members of your team sort of running your hands along the top -- there it is -- of the water here in the Gulf.

What is that? I mean, what are you thinking as you're doing this?

MARCIANO: You're just wondering, how could this happen? And on top of that, how could -- what's going to happen next? I mean, it's so vast, you can't -- even if you sent 10,000 skimmers out there, I can't imagine you're going to clean all of it up. So, at some point, the natural processes of the ocean are going to take over in its cleansing process, mixing it up, breaking it down.

Some of that is going to come ashore. There's no doubt about that. The hope is that a lot of it gets broken up out of the ocean.

But in order for that oil to mineralize and decompose and go through its natural process, that's something that's going to take years. So, a lot of it's going to come ashore, and the fisheries out there and the wildlife that lives out there is going to be affected, in some cases devastated, in the coming months and years.

HARRIS: Well, that video is just so vivid. Boy.

All right, Rob. Appreciate it. Thanks, man.

Confirmation from Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen the top kill procedure is going as planned, moving along as everyone had hoped. Allen is in charge of the federal government's response to the disaster. He has been criticized for not doing enough.

The president of Plaquemines Parish, ,Louisiana, goes a step further, telling our Anderson Cooper Thad Allen is the problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC 360": Do you think the head of the Coast Guard should step down?

BILLY NUNGESSER, PRESIDENT, PLAQUEMINES PARISH: Absolutely. Absolutely.

He's done nothing but give excuses. He has been the problem, not the solution.

He could order the dredges to be moved on location while we're waiting on the project. We could have had 15 miles of this already built in the areas most critical, Pass a Loutre, and where those pelicans are dying every day. That's where all were closest to shore, that's where we would have put the two dredges.

Shame on him for not going to work and doing the right thing. He's been sitting on his hands. He's done nothing. He's done nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The oil cleanup could be make something people sick. You just heard that from our Rob Marciano just moments ago. He felt a little woozy during his boat tour yesterday.

More than 100 boats have been pulled from the waters after nine Louisiana fishermen involved in the cleanup reported feeling ill. Some were taken to the hospital by ambulance and one by helicopter. Their symptoms included breathing issues, nausea, dizziness and headaches. A friend of the fisherman says he warned of potential problems.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINT GUIDRY, FRIEND OF SICKENED FISHERMAN: They are in the most dangerous place that they could have possibly been. They did not afford them the protection of respirators or supplied air, which I have been asking for, for almost three weeks. And this is the consequence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: President Obama plans to extend a moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits. He is expected to make the announcement during a news conference next hour.

A new poll shows fewer than half of Americans approve of how the president has responded to the crisis, and the news is even worse for BP. In the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, only 24 percent approve of BP's actions. A whopping 76 percent disapprove. Forty-six percent approve of how the president has handled the disaster, 51 percent of you disapprove.

Let's do this -- let's bring in our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

And Suzanne, you've got some breaking news on this subject.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Tony.

What we have learned just within the last 30 minutes or so is the question about whether or not heads will roll. Well, certainly, it's certainly starting to look like there are some people who are losing their jobs, or at least they're walking away.

I have learned from a source outside of the White House, Ed Henry as well, and now our Capitol Hill folks are weighing in, that Elizabeth Birnbaum -- she is the director of Minerals Management Service -- that is under the Department of Interior -- is responsible for overseeing offshore drilling, will no longer be the director, that she is out. Now, we heard from the secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, who is testifying before Congress at hearings this morning. He says that she resigned of her own will.

We have learned otherwise, that she was certainly, if not pushed out and held accountable in part for a lot of what has happened here. And what has happened is that this particular agency was responsible for not only doling out the royalties, the contracts of oil companies, but also the inspections. And that there were times -- the president has made this clear, as well as Secretary Salazar -- that that agency was just too cozy with the oil companies, and that that had to change, that they were splitting it into two separate groups.

Clearly, there is someone who is taking the fall for this. She is no longer going to be in that position on the Hill.

We heard from our congressional correspondent, Deirdre Walsh, who says that House Democrat leadership aide, according to one, that those leaders were notified of this early this morning, that people realized when she didn't show up -- she's supposed to be testifying before this hearing -- that something was wrong.

Now, we heard from Congressman Jim Moran, who said, look, he understands that there are people who are going to be held accountable, but that this is not going to be kind of a witch hunt.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM MORAN (D), VIRGINIA: -- for a moment, personally blame Ms. Birnbaum because she is not part of that culture. She only just joined the Minerals Management Service.

We had asked that she be here. It's your call who you want to be here. And I trust that no one, particularly people who are not directly responsible, are going to be scapegoated in this situation. Our interest is in getting to the heart of the problem, and in this reorganization, the most important thing is the environmental experts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And so, clearly, this is part of an effort the president is going to talk about, the fact that this is happening, that there are people who are being held accountable. He's not certainly going to be scapegoating anyone, but he is going to be talking about some changes that are being made.

And, Tony, in addition to those changes, he is also going to be announcing, with Salazar, some things, including the extension of a moratorium on any kind of new oil drilling projects, at least for another six months. He is also going to be talking about the delay or cancellation of some exploratory drilling that was supposed to happen off the western Gulf Coast, as well as Virginia, Alaska. All of these things now either put on hold or cancelled as they try to get a grip on what is happening out there off the shores of Louisiana.

HARRIS: A quick one for you, Suzanne. The woman who is losing her position, losing it, leaving it, whatever the case may be, is she a Bush holdover or an Obama appointee?

MALVEAUX: She's been in the department since July of 2009. There has been a lot of concern and sensitivity over not scapegoating her in particular or singling her out.

We had heard from the secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, who just said she resigned of her will, that she was not fired. We have heard otherwise from our sources outside of the White House.

But, you know, there's going to be people who are going to be held accountable, and the president wants to make that very clear, despite the fact that it is a very sensitive situation, that people are going to be losing their jobs.

HARRIS: All right. Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, for us.

Suzanne, great to see you. Thank you.

President Obama takes questions from reporters about the oil leak and other issues in a news conference next hour. We will bring that to you live with Wolf Blitzer anchoring special coverage here in the CNN NEWSROOM beginning at 12:30 Eastern. That's 9:30 Pacific.

A lot of you are weighing in on our blog about whether federal officials should take over efforts to stop the oil leak. Some examples here.

Corey says no. He says, "They simply don't have the equipment or expertise for that. What they should be doing, however, is playing a larger part in cleanup and containment."

A similar sentiment from Jim, who writes, "It is not rocket science. The government should do everything to lead the way in protecting the coast and cleanup -- with BP paying for it. BP should focus stopping the leak."

But Sunflower 717 says, "I think the federal government should take over the entire process of stopping this leak and stop trusting BP to be honest with the American people. The federal government has dropped the ball."

Let's keep the conversation going. Send me your thoughts, if you would, please, to my blog. There it is, CNN.com/Tony.

We've got an expert coming your way to discuss what might actually be going on right now with this top kill procedure.

Plus, the Atlantic hurricane season. The forecast is in, and Reynolds Wolf is tracking weather for us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know, by all accounts, the top kill maneuver is going according to plan. BP admits success is not guaranteed. Engineers hoping heavy mud will plug the leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

Don Van Neiuwenhuise is Petroleum Geoscience professor at the University of Houston. We talked to him yesterday about what to expect. He is back with us today to discuss what might be happening today right now, about a mile under water.

Don, good to see you again.

All right. So, what are you hearing? And maybe you're getting the same information that we are, maybe you're getting something different, but what's your assessment? How is it going?

PROF. DON VAN NEIUWENHUISE, PETROLEUM GEOSCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON: Based on what I've been seeing and hearing, it seems that everything is going as planned. I would say that the fact that they haven't attempted a junk shot suggests that the kill with the mud alone is working quite well.

One of the things that they do when they do this sort of thing is they will pulse the pressures and see what the return pulse is from the well pressure. And that way, they can get an idea if they're making any success with this and how deep the mud seems to be penetrating.

It's a very tricky thing to do, and they have to do a lot of calculations to sort it out. And that's why they don't want to say anything is working well until they know for sure.

But based on what I've seen, we've got mostly mud coming out of the riser. That suggests that the dynamic barrier that I discussed yesterday is working. In other words, the mud flow that's supposed to sort of force the rest of the mud down the wellbore is actually working fairly well. And because of that, they haven't tried the junk shot, which would have assisted that dynamic seal.

HARRIS: Wow. That was perfect.

So, are you encouraged?

NEIUWENHUISE: Yes, so far I'm encouraged. You never know until they get the well completely under control. And, of course, once they do get complete control of the well, because the open end of the blowout preventer is really similar to having a type of rupture in a well if it was a sub-surface well, instead of just a well that's at the seafloor, you would actually have a sub-surface rupture like this. And the mud, instead of escaping into the sea, would be escaping into, say, sand, where it would start to essentially clog up the sand pores and eventually seal itself.

In this case, it will not seal itself. So they will always have that open on the blowout preventer until they get the cement in. But they want to control the pressure of the formation at the bottom of the well, which is on the order of 20,000 PSI, before they start pumping that concrete or cement in there to seal it up.

HARRIS: Now, that hasn't started yet, the process of pumping in the cement? That hasn't begun yet?

NEIUWENHUISE: I have not heard of anyone saying that they've started pumping the cement. I think they're currently trying to get control of the well with the mud.

And what you have to do is -- it's like two pistons in the well. There's a piston that's made out of mud that's pushing down on the piston that's made out of the oil and gas that's trying to escape. And those two pistons, it's been mentioned, is a tug-of-war, or a wrestling match, or an arm wrestling match.

But the weight of the mud is pushing down on the pressure of the oil and the gas coming up from the bottom of the well. And as this goes on, they're hoping and measuring to make sure that the mud is winning and pushing down farther and farther into the wellbore. And when they get a good column of mud, it will actually be able to maintain the pressure that's coming out of the rocks in the sub- surface.

HARRIS: Don, terrific. I'm done. I totally understood that.

We appreciate it. Thanks for your time.

NEIUWENHUISE: Thank you.

HARRIS: Good to see you again.

A lot of you are sounding off over the Gulf oil leak. Here are come some of your comments to our NEWSROOM hotline.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This problem is creating an environmental hazard, as we all know, but to keep allowing this to continue, this must be stopped immediately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is BP's problem, but I also think the government and everybody should just come together and do it all together. This is a world disaster.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Jamaica's capital mostly calm today after four days of violence. The violence sparked by a U.S. request to extradite a drug kingpin.

Our Rafael Romo is in Kingston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the middle of downtown Kingston, a scene of desolation and destruction. Empty streets littered with trash and debris are patrolled by police forces and the military. Only a few residents there to venture out in the open.

Kevin Bailey used to have a stand in the middle of the commercial district.

(on camera): What is the situation here right now?

KEVIN BAILEY, STREET VENDOR: Well, it's sticky and it's bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. I haven't been able to sell anything.

RICHARDSON: How long has it been since you haven't been able to sell anything?

BAILEY: From Sunday until now. ROMO (voice-over): Police and military forces have regained control of some streets, but the threat of violence is ever-present.

(on camera): Normally on a week day in the middle of the afternoon, you would see many people here shopping and going around their businesses. But as you can see, all you can find right now are barricades and the remnants of fires that were burning here just a few days ago.

(voice-over): Even with a state of emergency in place, several police stations have been attacked by heavily-armed gangs believed to be tied to drug trafficking. The volatile situation is terrorizing residents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No business is open. Everybody is staying indoors.

ROMO: Police say they have arrested more than 500 people, mostly males, in connection with the wave of violence that started on Sunday. Violence broke out in Kingston when Jamaican officials announced they would comply with the U.S. extradition request for alleged drug kingpin Christopher Coke, who remains at large. Violent gangs loyal to Coke have been attacking police in an effort to block his extradition.

MARK SHIELDS, SECURITY CONSULTANT: Much of the gang activity in Jamaica has been built on 30 years of links between politics and crime. Many politicians now are trying to divorce themselves from that position, but clearly, there are links.

ROMO: Until recently, the government of Prime Minister Bruce Golding had been supported by the drug gangs protecting Christopher Coke and had hired a Los Angeles based lobbying firm in an effort to block his extradition. But a high government official says the only link between the prime minister and the drug lord is that both come from an area deeply loyal to the Jamaica Labor Party.

DARYL VAZ, INFORMATION MINISTER OF JAMAICA: The area is and has always been a very strong hold for the governing party and Mr. Coke's family, leading back even from his father's days, has always been an ardent supporter of the party.

ROMO: Police in Kingston searched door to door for Coke Wednesday, didn't find him, but arrested several other gang leaders.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Kingston, Jamaica.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Movement in the investigation of the attempted bombing in New York's Times Square. A senior intelligence official tells CNN an 11th person is now in custody in Pakistan. All are suspected of having ties to accused would-be bomber Faisal Shahzad.

Right now a House committee is looking into quality control problems in Johnson & Johnson's McNeil line of products. The company recalled Liquid Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl for children earlier this month. Some of the medicines were too potent for children.

Still at the Capitol now, votes are expected today on the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Even if it passes, gays could not serve openly until a Pentagon review is complete and it is certified by the president.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So let's get you to Reynolds Wolf in the Severe Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Life on the unemployment line. We talk to jobless Americans to find out how they're paying the bills.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So the number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits dropped a bit last week. The Labor Department says 460,000 workers allied for benefits. That's 14,000 fewer workers than the week before. But take a look at the trend so far this year.

Initial jobless claims are running in the mid-400,000s each month. They were just 20,000 fewer claims based on monthly averages in May, than in January. Now that suggests a stagnant labor market.

The House votes to extend unemployment benefits through November. Congress begins a 10-day break tomorrow. For most Americans, without a job, an unemployment check is the only lifeline they have.

CNN producer Amanda Hobart (ph) talked with people at a New Jersey unemployment office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been unemployed for a year today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since October last year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going on three years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A year now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since last summer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just need to go to work. I have four children and they need to continue to see that environment. They need to see parents working because that's what about. You have to work for what you want.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today you're going to take a job anywhere they offer you a job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you'd told me 20 years ago, 10 years ago, that I was going to be in this position at 59 years old, I would have laughed at you and told you you were nuts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The waiting. The waiting is probably the most frustrating part. Waiting. And then when you finally get the call you find out many people are after that same job and have the same qualifications.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't pay all my bills so I just basically try to choose which ones to prioritize, and I kind of fall back on other ones.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inadequate. That's my only personal feeling, you know? This has been a kick in the stomach, but that's the way it is, you know? I don't -- has it brought extra stress to the family? Of course, it has.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you go to 5,000 doors somebody might open the door for you and not slam the door in your face, hopefully.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Teaching again. I like being in front of the classroom. I'm good at it and I do miss it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just put my faith in God. So I believe that He's with me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I took it as a positive spin, more like, OK, this is time for a change, to go back to school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm hopeful. I'm sure something will come through for me soon because I'm determined to find a job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a matter of time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just a matter of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: You've got to stay positive. You've got to do it.

We have all seen the images, globs of oil on the beaches and that is causing a lot of sleepless nights for Gulf Coast business owners. We will check on worries over tourism. Plus a very special random moment -- in 80 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know, professional tennis is hardly grunt work especially when you're planning in Paris, for goodness sakes. But listen to the ladies of the French Open. It's an early bird random moment of the day.

(VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: What is all of that? What's going on with all that noise? Staring down four match points, reigning French Open champs Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Andrea Petkovic to advance. The Russian got so angry that she whacked herself on the thigh with her racket. And that's just a random moment that set a pretty high decibel level there. Can you feel the love?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Heading for the beaches this Memorial Day weekend. What about the Gulf? Business owners are worried you'll stay away because of the oil. One boat captain says the coast is clear where he is.

Our all-platform journalist Patrick Oppman has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMAN, CNN ALL PLATFORM JOUNRALIST (voice-over):

PHILIP TAYLOR, OWNER, DOLPHIN CRUISES ON COLD MILL FLEET: As far as the dolphins, it could be a few minutes, it could be an hour, but we do guarantee we'll see them. Just be patient, keep an eye out. Let us know if you have questions. It is a non-smoking boat.

My name is Philip Taylor. I'm the owner of Dolphin Cruises on the Cold Mill Fleet. This will be our 14th full season doing this down here in Orange Beach. We're a spin off of people who reserve condominiums, who come to the beach to stay in the hotels. And once they get here we're just something else for them to do. When you get tired of the beach, you've got your dolphin cruises, you have your inshore fishing, you have the Putt-Putt, you have the Waterville, the (INAUDIBLE), the places like that. We're simply a spin-off from those condominiums being full. The summer months, that's 80 percent of what we make in a year and the timing is bad for that. It could not be worse.

There's actual dolphins right over there.

That's what we call a belly flop. You hear how loud that is? Free ride. Because they're surfing the wave just like you'd be on a surf board.

Thank goodness these dolphins are on the back bay and these waters are a lot easier to protect. But you still don't want it anywhere because everything suffers from (INAUDIBLE). You've got to have the fish to come in here that they eat, have got to be able to go back and forth in the Gulf of Mexico. If the Gulf of Mexico is polluted that's all going to be an issue with us in here.

We feel like this area could be protected. Yes, you could save all the wildlife, the majority, do your best to get the oil out of here. But still it would kill our business because there's nobody staying in the condos. If the beaches shuts down, that shuts us down 100 percent.

Some nights it's hard to sleep because it's one of those acceptance issues. You don't want to accept the fact that this could happen. It has happened in the past in other areas and you know, we do not want that here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Boy, you know, there is a big concern the Gulf oil slick will keep tourists away this Memorial Day weekend. The Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coast attract people from around the world, as you know.

With me now from Biloxi, Mississippi, Ken Montana with the Harrison County Tourism Commission. Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi, are the hot destinations there. And in Orange Beach, Alabama, Mike Foster with the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. Let's see. Orange beach, Gulf Shores are the top choices for tourists there in Alabama.

And let's see, Mike, let me start with you. We were just talking about Orange Beach. We were talking about Gulf Shores.

How are your beaches looking?

MIKE FOSTER, ALABAMA GULF COAST CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU: They're looking great. In fact, you know, I have to tell you that, of course, we, like everybody down here are concerned about the oil. But what we're trying to do right now is to tell people what it really looks like.

And the sand is white. The water is blue/green and the water is beautiful. And one of the things that we've done to kind of help people know that is we're doing a live shot from our beach. Actually, live, recorded. It's on the web at about 1:00 every day.

In other words, we show people what the beach looks like that morning. We show them what else is going on in town. And we invite them to come down and spend the weekend.

HARRIS: That's terrific.

All right, Ken, let's see here. Biloxi, Gulfport. Hot destinations for you.

How are your beaches looking?

KEN MONTANA, HARRISON COUNTY TOURISM COMMISSION: The beaches are fantastic, just like over in Alabama. We're open and you know, we are the premiere resort destination for down here in the south with our gaming and casino industry, our family water attractions, our shrimp and seafood restaurants. It's just unbeatable down here and we are open for business.

HARRIS: Hey, Ken, look, after the explosion of the rig there in the Gulf, boy, what we were hearing from a lot of so-called experts is that by this time, your beaches, both of your beaches in your states would be covered by oil.

Did we -- were we too quick to show report some of the dire predictions from engineers, from academics and scientists?

MONTANA: I think the only problem there was, quite frankly, the national media did not have your reporters here actually on our beach and shooting the live shots from here. All of the shots were coming from out there at BP.

Obviously, and I'm going to walk here just a second, but our beaches are open. And the shrimp boats are out there, the fishermen are out there. The water is beautiful. The picture is worth 1,000 words and we should have been doing this all along.

HARRIS: You leally do know how we do our job, don't you? You're moving the camera, you're giving us a view.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Hey, Mike, how about you? I'm giving you an open shot at folks who do what I do. We were certainly reporting the dire predictions from people, so-called experts.

Did we get ahead of the story here in predicting that the oil would be covering your beaches by now?

FOSTER: I think that's a very nice way to put it. And that is, that I think you got out ahead.

I think there wasn't as much concern for another side of the story which basically said that, you know, millions of people down here make a living by people coming down and spending time either on the sand or at the casino or on the golf course.

And we get calls every day into our welcome center that says, I'm so sorry for what's happening with you. I'm so sorry you got so much oil on your island. And the reality is it's hard to convince those people that that isn't the case because, of course, someone at an anchor desk said it must be true.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes. A final word on this.

And, Ken, let me come to you on this.

You may get some of this oil -- we hope it doesn't happen, but you may. And if I'm calling you and I'm trying to plan a trip for June with the kids and the week before I'm set to arrive, you've got a bit of a problem on your hands, do you have a cancellation policy in place?

MONTANA: Let me speak to the issue of our tourists and tourist base.

HARRIS: Yes.

MONTANA: We have a tremendous repeat history and a loyal tourist base down here. And most of our existing folks can call down here and talk to someone that they have spoken to in the past, or have a direct relationship with and they can get a straight answer. So, yes, just pick up the phone and call, go to our web site, anything, type in "Mississippi Gulf Coast," or go to our gulfcoast.org. If you're a new listener or new tourist, you'll get all of the information you want straight up and to the minute and honest and straightforward.

(AUDIO GAP)

HARRIS: Mike, I'm guessing you would echo that?

FOSTER: I would echo it. Gulfshores.com. And remember, that gives you an opportunity to see our beach as of right now.

The other thing is that we found, very similar to Mississippi, that people like to come down and like to talk to somebody who lives here. One of the things we found is we had several of our people put guarantees on it -- oil-free guarantees. And what we found is that the cancellations that were kind of growing stopped because all people wanted to know was if we can come down there, do we know it will be oil-free? And we said yes.

HARRIS: Yes. Let's hope you have a terrific weekend. Let's hope you have a terrific summer, gentlemen, and let's hope the oil stays away.

Appreciate it. Thank you both for your time.

FOSTER: Thanks very much.

HARRIS: Battling illegal drugs and immigration. A day on the border with federal agents.

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HARRIS: President Obama is sending 1,200 National Guard troops to help guard the border with Mexico. That's because there aren't enough trained border patrol agents and immigration officers.

Reporter Joe Waldman spent time with ICE, that's Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He's with Tucson affiliate KGUN.

JOE WALDMAN, KGUN REPORTER (voice-over): It does not look like much of a war room. In fact, it is just a barren, nondescript hallway inside Tucson's Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. But this is where ICE's daily battle begins against illegals convicted of crimes.

MARTIN BYRUM, ICE FUGITIVE OPERATIONS: The target we're going after tonight is a gentleman by the name of Noe Nubes-Nidez. Looks like He has a conviction for possession of transportation of marijuana.

WALDMAN: That crime happened 13 years ago. The target had a green card but lost it after a conviction. Now the United States wants him sent back to Mexico. That's ICE's job every day and it's a dangerous one.

BYRUM: The important thing I need to stress to everybody tonight is safety, safety, safety.

WALDMAN: Guns loaded, the hunt for the man takes us to this quiet neighborhood on Tucson's south side. ICE intel puts Nubes here at his parents' house just feet from this school. But it's not what they know about their target that scares these officers.

BYRUM: The unknown. We don't know who this person knows. We don't know who he's associated with. We don't know who else might be inside the house with him.

WALDMAN: No one's in there right now.

BYRUM: What's the description of the red vehicle again?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a 1998 red Chrysler.

WALDMAN: Too many cars are passing by, but not the one they're looking for. Afraid to lose their cover, ICE regroups.

BYRUM: We'll wait for these guys will come out and then we'll figure out how we're going to hit it.

WALDMAN: Another try and a break. The target's parents are now home.

BYRUM: We've been in contact with the family inside. Talked to them about their son right now.

WALDMAN: With little choice the parents tip ICE to another vulnerable area. They say the target is staying here. And suddenly, a stiff walk turns into an explosive run. It's their man, Noe Nubes- Nidez, cuffed, then processed. But still processing what's happened to him, Nubes-Nidez decides to talk to us.

NOE NUBES-NIDEZ, WANTED FOR DEPORTATION (through translator): Give me the opportunity. I gave myself to the lord.

WALDMAN: Nubes-Nidez pleads on for immigration reform. But for now, that door has closed for him and all he can do is hold his head in his hands.

Reporting from ICE Headquarters in Tucson, Joe Waldman, KGUN-9 on your side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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HARRIS: CNN is your source for money news.

Let's get you to CNNMoney.com. The lead story there. Investor fear, calm. We've got a nice run on stocks right now. U.S. stocks rebound after China says it will remain invested in European debt. And we've got a nice run-up here. Stocks up 212 points and we're about two and a half hours into the trading day so we've got a really nice run going. Stock markets in Asia, Europe, and certainly here at home, rallying.

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HARRIS: You know we keep hearing calls for the Military to take over the battle against the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr looks at what the Military could actually do. Her Fact Check next hour of the NEWSROOM.

Plus, our Wolf Blitzer will be taking over CNN's Special Coverage as President Obama answers questions about the gusher and other issues in the live news conference next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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