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BP Steps Up Oil Cleanup; Israel Condemned for Deadly Raid; 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season; $50,000 For Bright Ideas; Al Gore and Wife Announce Separation; The Help Desk
Aired June 01, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
Day 43 of the oil spill. We're taking you inside efforts to clean up the gooey mess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's sad. It's very sad. It's very sad. Something should have been done a lot sooner than what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Job seeker frustration factor. A help wanted ad telling the unemployed not to apply?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be honest with you, it kind of angered me to think that, you know, I'm a good enough guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You're online right now, and we are, too.
Ines Ferre is following the top stories trending on the Internet -- Ines.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, most e-mails (ph) right now on Yahoo.com. See this girl? She's 7 years old from Peru, and she's become a sensation in her country. They're saying that she's a symbol of illegal immigration in the U.S.
Also, take a look at this. "Iron Baby" video, it's gone viral. I'll have more on that in the coming hour.
HARRIS: Can't wait.
All right. Let's get started with our lead story.
Day 43 of the oil gusher in the Gulf. We're following developments on several fronts.
We just heard from President Obama moments ago after he met with the heads of a special panel investigating the disaster. The president said the administration is monitoring efforts to stop the leak minute by minute and expanding efforts to help Gulf Coast residents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: More than 1,700 vessels are currently aiding in the response, and we'll ensure that any and all responsible means of containing this leak are pursued as we await the completion of the two relief wells. I've also directed Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Admiral Thad Allen, who is the national incident commander, to triple the manpower in those places where oil has hit shore or is within 24 hours of impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Also happening now, BP says its latest attempt to reduce the oil flow is under way. The procedure involves cutting a damaged section known as the riser and placing a custom-made cap over the leak.
CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning, a BP official responded to concerns the procedure could temporarily release even more oil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Do you have enough certainty in this method that you're willing to risk a temporary increase in flow of oil?
BOB DUDLEY, BP MANAGING DIRECTOR: Yes, we do. It's hard to say.
I mean, the flow rate increase could be anywhere from zero to 20. There were some large holes on the top of that riser due to the heavy flows of mud there. Even with an increased flow rate, this cap will be able to handle this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN's Carol Costello talked with Gulf Roast residents about whether BP's cleanup effort is enough or too little, too late.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So where are we going?
MEL LANDRY, BARATARIA-TERREBONNE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM: We're going to Grand Terre Island and East Grand Terre Island.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Mel Landry is an environmentalist. He's taking us on a tour to see if BP's efforts to clean up oil washing ashore are effective.
(on camera): Are you here to clean? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Locals contracted out and trained by BP are on the island suiting up and for the first time willing to talk with us.
Shane Trahan, a fisherman by trade grew up here. He's disgusted by the thick heap (ph) of sand encrusted oil on shore. It's his job now to pick them up, 61 bag-fulls in two and a half days.
(on camera): So do you feel as you're cleaning up what's already here that you're fighting a losing battle?
SHANE TRAHAN, CLEAN-UP WORKER: Personally myself, I think so. I do, I really do. But we've got to try. We've got to try. So it's something that's pretty sad to see.
COSTELLO (voice-over): One of the first things he spotted on the island was a dead dolphin. BP tested it and determined it did not die because of the oil, but the dolphin's corpse disturbs Trahan.
TRAHAN: It's sad. It's very sad. It's very sad.
COSTELLO (on camera): Why?
TRAHAN: Something should have been done a lot sooner than what it is.
COSTELLO (voice-over): He's afraid of what may come next now that BP has been unable to stop the leak. Right now, there are globs of oil and sand and drops of oil in liquid form on the rocks. Absorbent towels are used to soak them up. We leave Bon Terre (ph) to talk with Mel, our environmental expert.
(on camera): I must say the absorbent towels seemed a little useless to me.
MEL LANDRY, BARATARIA-TERREBONNE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM: You know, I mean, that's a specific technology made for oil cleanup. Those towels will only don't absorb water. They're only absorbing the oil, so they are very are useful.
COSTELLO (voice-over): BP has ratcheted up its shoreline cleanup efforts. It's hired 20,000 people so far. And officials told me BP is ready to hire thousands more. Some of them will be housed on floatels, living quarters built on top of barges that can house thousands of people and then they moved to wherever they need to be to stop or clean up the oil.
Hundreds of fishing boats armed with booms are busy skimming oil from the water. They're also dropping booms or floating barriers around land masses. The big question is, is all of this enough?
(on camera): On a scale of one to ten, BP's containment efforts, where would you put that number?
LANDRY: Offshore, I think their containment efforts are working very well. Once it's making landfall, I think there's room for improvement.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Landry says more bodies and more equipment are needed onshore. The oil is leaking again. The spill growing ever larger. And there's no way to know where it's all going.
(on camera): To complicate things, hurricane season is upon us. A big storm will push more of that oil on shore. BP says it's prepared for that. It's going to hire even more people.
Carol Costello, CNN, Grand Isle, Louisiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: The nation's top prosecutor heads for the Gulf Coast today to see for himself the damage done. Attorney General Eric Holder plans to meet with the attorneys general from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi while he is there. A group of senators wants the government to look at whether any laws were broken.
What makes fixing this leak so challenging is the fact that it is so far under water, almost one mile beneath the surface. The Deepwater Horizon wasn't the only rig operating at these depths.
According to a report from the Department of the Interior, there were 34 deepwater wells producing oil in the Gulf of Mexico in 2008. Most of them, as you can see, off the coast of Louisiana. At least half operating deeper than the Horizon, some as deep as 10,000 feet.
The report projects that by next year, 80 percent of Gulf production will be in deep water. And this map shows why which oil companies are drilling in such deep water.
The yellow represents barrels of oil obtained in shallow water since 1950. You can see where the blue takes over at the end of the '90s. The blue represents the more productive deepwater wells.
Ines Ferre joining me right now.
And Ines, is there anything being done to prevent a deepwater gusher like the one we're experiencing right now?
FERRE: Well, Tony, we know that in April, Secretary Salazar ordered immediate inspections of all deepwater drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. So, what has been done so far?
Well, so far, they've inspected 29 deepwater rigs with blowout preventers. Those are those safety valves, those safety valves that would prevent the flow of oil in an emergency. So that's been completed. That was done by May 4th.
Now what's going on are ongoing inspections of all deepwater platforms. And that's on top of monthly inspections of drilling rigs -- Tony.
HARRIS: Well, if you would, walk us through some of the plans, precautions to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again. FERRE: Yes. Well, we've seen that 30-day safety report that Salazar put out, and those call for tougher inspections, basically.
HARRIS: Sure. Sure.
FERRE: And one of those is the certification of blowout preventers. And that's by a third independent party. So there's definitely different measures that they want to take -- that they want to take place, different safety measures. And this is going to be one of the things going forward.
HARRIS: OK. Ines Ferre for us.
Ines, appreciate it. Thank you.
All around the world today, anger boils at Israel. Protests erupt over Israel's raid on a humanitarian flotilla.
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, this thing, the whole suit thing. Well, this particular uniform led to a "Random Moment of the Day."
CNN's Susan Candiotti spent a day covering the New York City bomb squad. The bomb techs covered her with their blast suit. It may be hard to tell on TV, but Susan is tiny. The suit is not. It is stiff, clumsy, and 85 pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now we want to see if you can just pick up the keys.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't see any keys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't you try kneeling down? Spread your -- there you go.
CANDIOTTI: You know, I can't see, but I can feel for it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go. All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Oh. We're going to a special place for this one.
When told she would be today's "Random Moment," Susan quipped, "I'm five feet tall. What do you want from me?" She continues, "That suit only comes in large and medium."
Seriously, it just goes to show how much training the bomb squad goes through to make such a difficult part of their job look easy. It takes a special person to do that. It's also our "Random Moment of the Day."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, countries around the world are condemning Israel for its deadly raid on aid ships headed to Gaza. At least nine activists were killed when Israeli commandos stormed the lead vessel. The U.N. is calling for a prompt investigation.
The raid has sparked protests around the world. Governments are demanding Israel release hundreds of activists taken from the flotilla.
Live pictures now from just outside of the White House in Washington, D.C. An American woman who helped organize the flotilla is among them. She spoke to CNN a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUWAIDA ARRAF, U.S. PASSENGER ON FLOTILLA: I saw the people on the ship just using hoses. And I saw the Israeli Navy soldiers throwing things. I'm assuming concussion grenades, because we heard explosions.
But from the ship, all we could see -- the people on the ship, we can just see them using hoses in order to keep the soldiers away. But then they came via air also.
And then they started coming after our ship, so we took off and they charged us also. Eventually, they overtook our ship and they used concussion -- they used concussion grenades, sound bombs and pellets.
They fired at us and then jumped aboard the ship. And we tried to keep them off. We told them we are unarmed, this is an American vessel, we're international civilians, get off of our ship. And they just started beating people.
My head was smashed against the ground and soldiers were stepping on my head. They later cuffed me and put a bandage (ph) over my head, and they did that to everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: That flotilla was organized in part by the Free Gaza Movement. Its cofounder, Greta Berlin, joins me on the phone from Cyprus.
Greta, it's good to talk to you.
If you would, a couple of things here. Let me spend some time with you on this to try to get a better understanding of what happened and your organization's role in it.
Had you been in contact with the Israeli government before launching this flotilla to give them an idea as to what your intentions clearly were?
GRETA BERLIN, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT: The Israeli government always knows what our intentions are. This was our ninth voyage. And we got in successfully five times. And we were not stopped, in spite of the fact that the Israeli government has always threatened us.
So, they clearly knew who we were, what we were doing, and why we were going.
HARRIS: Well, Greta, what happened this time?
BERLIN: I think that the Israelis are terrified that the sea route to Gaza may actually open and the people in Gaza may actually have some kind of a life. And when we went for the first eight times, and got in successfully five, we went with only one small yacht.
This time, we came back with enough cargo and enough boats and enough passengers to be very impressive. We clearly said on all of our Web sites that we were taking in 10,000 tons of supplies that Israel refuses to allow in to the people of Gaza. So, Israel clearly knew months ago what we were doing and why we were doing it.
HARRIS: OK. Greta, the Israeli officials say they were -- that there were actually weapons on board the flotilla to be smuggled into Gaza.
What's your reaction to that claim?
BERLIN: Well, you know, Israel always says that every time it manages to either kill somebody else, which they did with us, or kill Palestinians. It is always the other person's fault that they manage to kill us.
There were no weapons on board. As a matter of fact, the Israeli government has slowly retracted the fact that they said there were two pistols and they couldn't find them. Then they put a videotape out that said here are the weapons that we found on board the Turkish ship, and it was marbles and slingshots and kitchen knives. So I think that Israeli is backtracking.
HARRIS: Well, but, Greta, to be fair here, there were also shots in that Israeli defense videotape that showed sticks, sticks that could be used as batons, and some of them of various thickness that could do some real damage.
What about those images on the video provided, as well?
BERLIN: Yes, but you need to realize, I think everybody needs to realize, that Israel boarded our boats in international waters, not in the waters of Israel. They came in at 4:30 in the morning. They shot at the people who were sleeping on board the deck.
Those of us who were in Cyprus watched this happen. We watched this. We watched them board.
What Israel didn't realize, that there was a live tape going when they boarded the boat. So those of us in Cyprus who were in the office watched them come down off the helicopter, look around, look at each other's guns and start to shoot. And the people who are on board the boat, the young men in particular, are saying, I'm sorry, but we have the right to self-defense.
First of all, we shouldn't be boarded. Secondly, we shouldn't be boarded in international waters. And we are facing a military force from the fourth largest military in the world. We are going to defend ourselves.
Personally, I'm nonviolent, but I clearly understand why they were trying to defend themselves.
HARRIS: Did you offer your activists any training on how to respond to the possibility of being boarded by Israeli forces?
BERLIN: Yes, we did. And there are several organizations that went on this flotilla.
The Free Gaza Movement is a nonviolent organization. And we provide nonviolent training. And most of the people who go with our organization sign an agreement that they will not be violent.
And you need to understand, first of all, that you're working off the Israeli narrative. The Israelis came on board and they started to shoot. It's been very interesting that I have seen that the general now is saying, yes, we did shoot first, but they were paint guns, we were shooting paintballs.
HARRIS: Greta, can I stop you there? Great, my job here is to ask you questions about what happened here. OK? I'm not working from anyone's narrative. I'm just asking you if your people were trained on how to behave if they were boarded.
BERLIN: And you know what? I just answered you. And I'm also trying to tell you that they are responding -- let me finish. You asked me on to tell --
HARRIS: Well, don't make claims about why I'm asking questions that I'm asking and suggesting that I'm working from someone's narrative.
BERLIN: No. I didn't suggest you were. I said people -- I said the Israelis are working off the Israeli narrative.
Let me make this very clear to you. Not to you, but everybody listening.
Israel has said that they shot us and killed because they were acting in self-defense. But those of us who were watching the live camera know that the Israelis started to shoot first. The general who was on board, who said he supervised this, is now saying, yes, we shot first, but we were shooting paintballs.
Now, if they were shooting paintballs, there would be paint all over people's clothing, unless, of course, the Israelis now remember that maybe there would be paint so they should plant some painted clothes. I'm trying to explain that whether or not this would have been something that our organization would have done, there are many people who believe they have a right to self-defense. And from the point of view of the people on board that boat and, by the way, the other boat -- it wasn't just the Turkish boat that they attacked. They attacked all of the other boats.
They have wounded two of the captains, and they have wounded many of the other people on the other boats. But we're not seeing that because there was no videotape on the other boats.
HARRIS: All right, Greta. Another question for you.
We are hearing claims of there being terrorists on board these ships, and even a connection between your organization and Hamas, your organization to al Qaeda. I want you to take a listen to this comment from the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., and then I want your reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL OREN, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Now, these ships are bringing in supposedly humanitarian aid to Gaza. But the organization that is leading that effort is an organization which the CIA has identified as closely linked to al Qaeda. It is an organization whose members chanted "Death to the Jews!" as they got on board these ships.
HARRIS: All right, Greta. Your response?
BERLIN: Well, he's such a silly little man. First of all, nobody chanted anything. Nobody chanted anything. We were there. We were watching.
People were very careful and very respectful. When they were boarded, people were sitting with their jackets on, their life jackets on with -- waving white flags.
It's so absurd to say that the charity that comes out of Turkey, which incidentally was the first charity to show up in Haiti with boats of supplies for the Haitians, would be anything but what they are. And that's a registered charity that comes out of Turkey. I think this kind of scurrilous propaganda that comes out of Israel has got to stop now.
As far as al Qaeda and Hamas, well, first of all, Hamas, whether we like it or not, was elected. America has dealt with people that we were not particularly crazy about, such as the Russians, for example, in the '50s, or the Japanese in the '40s. You have to deal with partners and you have to be able to resolve your issues.
Israel does not want this issue resolved. It does not want Gaza opened. It does not want the people of Gaza to live in any kind of a life that is normal.
And this is why they attacked us, because this was a huge flotilla that was taking in supplies that Israel forbids to come in to Gaza. And those supplies are reconstruction supplies, paper, crayons, chocolate, all of the things that Israel says the people of Gaza are not allowed to have.
HARRIS: Greta, the reality of the situation here is that you have nine of your activists who were killed in this operation by Israel. My understanding is you have at least one vessel on its way to Gaza and a second one scheduled to leave, if it's not already on its way to leave soon.
Will you turn those vessels around?
BERLIN: Absolutely not. I think that you need to start asking Israel why they aren't changing their policy of collective punishment and what I call slow motion genocide of the Palestinians.
It's not our policy that is illegal. It is Israel's policy that illegal. And if governments would step up and do the right thing, we wouldn't be needing to go.
We go as civilians because governments are doing nothing to help the people of Gaza. When Israel massacred all the people a year ago in Operation (INAUDIBLE), the world body pledged $4.5 billion to the reconstruct Gaza. Not one penny has gotten in. Not one penny. So, as civilians, we feel a personal responsibility that we are going to do the best that we can to open up a sea lane from Gaza to the world.
I think people need to understand clearly that Gaza is the only territory in the world that does not have access to its own sea. The people can't leave, they can't come back. They can't go to school, they can't get good medical care. All Israel does is barely feed them. I've heard the apologies.
HARRIS: And Greta --
BERLIN: Let me -- one more thing. I heard what Israel has said. They said they send in 100 trucks a day of food and medicine. But before this blockade happened three years ago, it took 450 trucks a day to just barely feed the people of Gaza.
And why should they need that? Why should they need to be fed? They're perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.
HARRIS: So, are you willing -- are you, with the two other vessels on their way to Gaza, are you willing to allow Israel to guide those two ships into port so that perhaps we can avoid another confrontation?
BERLIN: Into what port, the port of Gaza?
HARRIS: Wherever -- Israel has offered to offload the ships and to deliver the aid. Will you allow that to happen?
BERLIN: But they haven't offered that. And that's another spin.
Israel has offered to have us come in to Ashdod and take off the supplies, which they will now inspect even though we've already had them inspected, and then they will consider which supplies are going to go into Gaza. But every single supply we have on these boats, almost every one, are items that Israel forbids into Gaza.
No cement, for example. No water purification system, for example. Notes to print your books, for example. These are items that they are never going to get in, and frankly, we don't trust Israel, and we certainly don't trust Israel's words. They are the ones that have murdered us.
HARRIS: Greta, let's leave it there. I think you've had a fair hearing.
BERLIN: I think so.
HARRIS: Greta Berlin is the cofounder of the Free Gaza Movement.
Greta, thank you.
It's what the Gulf Coast doesn't need right now, a new hurricane season to worry about. What would happen if the oil leak -- if a big storm went through the Gulf?
We will talk about that with our Chad Myers. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. This just in to CNN. A long-time family friend of Al and Tipper Gore confirms to CNN that the Gores have sent out an e- mail to family friends announcing that they have made a mutual decision to separate.
More information on this story as we get it.
Got to tell you, some of the fiercest criticism of the Israeli raid is coming from Turkey, which is an important ally to both Israel and the United States. Turkey's foreign minister calling the raid a criminal act. He has been meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
CNN foreign affairs Jill Dougherty is at the State Department.
Jill, you've been talking to the Turkish foreign minister. He's been talking to the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.
What is it at this moment that the Turks want?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Tony, I can tell you, based on that interview that we had with the Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, there is fury, as we all know, in Turkey about this. He was telling us that 650 people, roughly, were in that flotilla, and about half of them, 300, were Turks.
So, what do they want? They've want an apology. They are saying that the anger in Turkey is very serious and they want an apology from Israel. And as you mentioned, the foreign minister was here today, about midday, over here at the State Department, talking with Secretary Clinton. And in that interview, that exclusive interview with the foreign minister, we sat down and asked him, "What do you want to say and what do you want to hear from Hillary Clinton?"
Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMET DAVUTOGLU, TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER: We want to have an international, independent investigation, not by Israel. An independent, international investigation to find out all the facts related to this. And out of that investigation, we want clear compensation. Clear compensation for the people who lost their lives, for the injured and all these.
We have to agree on certain principles. In this world, all the nations, all the countries are accountable, accountable by international law. No nation is above the law. Unfortunately, today, some Israeli leaders think that they are not bound by this. (END VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGHERTY: And there's another complication, Tony, which is there are actually American who were on that flotilla. We were told by the State Department that there could be up to a number of Americans on that flotilla. They are being held by the Israelis. And then you have the other factor that you heard just a few minutes ago from the woman you were interviewing, that there could be other flotillas, other ships. So what is Israel going to do if that happens? This is quite serious on many, many levels.
HARRIS: Do you expect we will hear from the secretary of state after this meeting today?
DOUGHERTY: Well, interestingly, we understood there would be some type of press availability. That has been canceled. However, she has another press availability with another official and we'll try to ask her a question at that point. And if we get something, we'll get back to you.
HARRIS: All right, our foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty for us.
Jill, appreciate it. Thank you.
Let's take a quick break. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Words every state along the Gulf Coast dread hearing, it's headed our way. Oil and slime now threatening Alabama. And it's officially hurricane season weather. Because of the growing threat, another 12,000 square miles of the Gulf, which extends into the Alabama coast, is now closed to fishing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's totally depressing and sad. Can't fish. Can't shrimp. It's going to be sad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think BP needs to do more. They're not doing enough.
(EC)
HARRIS: All right, let's get to Chad Myers now in the severe weather center.
And, Chad, boy, the first day of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. We know a lot of those storms make their way and churn and grow right there in the Gulf. I can't imagine what a mix of hurricane force winds and oil. Well, that's got disaster all over it.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, Tony, you put the "l" there, you kind of wind, because the winds come this way, right? That's a slight -- that's a slight wind.
HARRIS: Hey, yes. Yes.
MYERS: You put the "l" on the other side of this oil spill and the wind goes the other direction.
This is the very latest from NOAA. This is literally drawn from their map today and how close it's getting to, let's say, Dauphin Island and then, obviously, the pristine beaches of western Florida all of the way down here. And then we knew and have known that for a while it's been in the delta. And then a couple of pieces of thick oil a little bit farther off to the west.
Now let me close this up and I'm going to get to a more detailed map. This is the end of the Mississippi River. The very end. There's the Mississippi River. There's Venice. We've had crews there for days or months now it seems. And then all the way back out here. Everywhere that you see red, very thick oil has completely poisoned the areas. Now those aren't beaches per say. But fly a little bit farther to the west and we will get into, let's say, Grand Isle, where there are beaches. Where people do go to lay on the beaches and do enjoy. And then from Elmers Island, all the way back, all the red areas here and the yellow areas are contaminated with oil. And it has been a bad couple of days.
Where are we going to go from here? Well, you know, the weather service is saying, hurricane center saying, you know, maybe 20 storms. Alex, Bonnie, all the way down through Earl and Fiona and Gaston. I mean I just can't think about getting all the way down to Tomas.
HARRIS: Right.
MYERS: It would just be one ugly season. But we already have something that's kind of popping east of Belize. It was part of the storm that made all of that rain, Tony, for Guatemala and Honduras and El Salvador. I don't know that the low hung together, but storms got on the other side of the mountains and developed here in the Caribbean and now more storms are developing from those storms and that could be something we watch in the next couple of days.
What does hurricane season mean to the oil? Well, it means a lot when it comes to, again, the direction, but also the mixing. If you put a low right here and the winds blow here and you get a storm surge here, Tony, we're devastating areas that are finally coming back a little bit from Katrina.
HARRIS: Right. Right.
MYERS: We're pushing oil on the shore, polluting and killing some of this land here, all the way from the northern sections of Mobile and Dauphin Island to the east there.
HARRIS: Ah -
MYERS: I know.
HARRIS: I don't even want to think about it.
MYERS: Got to get it plugged. I can't believe we're talking about day 40 something.
HARRIS: Yes, 43.
MYERS: Wow.
HARRIS: Chad, appreciate it. Thank you.
MYERS: Sure.
HARRIS: And this just in. A long-time family friend of Al and Tipper Gore confirming now to CNN that the Gores sent out an e-mail to family and friends announcing that they have made a mutual decision to separate. More information on this story as we get it.
A college competition tests business students' ability to sell the next big thing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Athletes are always eager to find the next great hitting tool to help boost their average.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many of you gentlemen think that men's undergarments can be more comfortable?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And investors, believe it or not, are ready to write a big check.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: The economy is showing signs of life. At least some signs of recovery. So we're launching our "Next Big Thing" series, stories about entrepreneurs and innovation. Up first, a college contest for students trying to get their start-up ideas off the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): While students cram in the quad for final exams, graduating seniors' thoughts turn to the tight job market.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty tough out there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What were you hoping to get a position in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Marketing. Making around like $40,000 to $45,000 a year. But I don't really think that's going to happen.
HARRIS: In fact, employment's not going to happen for a lot of young people this year. The National Association of Colleges and Employers found only 25 percent of graduating seniors who applied for a job this year actually got one. Despite that bleak outlook, inside this classroom at the University of Georgia, these business students' hopes are high.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to do -- work on transitions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our brand is the main thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we can't touch it with the mission statement, what we have is going to suffice.
HARRIS: They're rehearsing scripts, business pitches, for their own real startups. Tonight, real life investors are flying into town to hear them out. The context is called "UGA'S Next Top Entrepreneur." $50,000 goes to the team that can convince investors their product is the next big thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fix. Taking out the (ph) success, one swing at a time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to get three minutes and that's it.
HARRIS: Kind of like the reality TV show "Shark Tank" meets "American Idol."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I say "American Idol" meats entrepreneurship, but I don't want to be like Simon, you know, and just say, OK, well your business stinks and get out of here.
HARRIS: Just three minutes to pitch ideas ranging from a prepaid cab service for drunken college students -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ensure that your daughter gets home tonight. With gift cab, they're available. It's 24/7.
HARRIS: To a new concept in men's underwear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What (INAUDIBLE) is an innovative design to create a more comfortable design or experience for men.
HARRIS: Nerves are high, but the moment of truth is here. The investor group listens intently to 19 budding entrepreneurs, taking notes on real investment possibilities. Like the FishList. A new online concept in wholesale seafood buying for restaurants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have personally invested over $30,000 in this business.
HARRIS: The investors whittle the contestants down to six and grilled them intensely.
First, a young man pitching a mobile phone application for store coupons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What percent of apps get 500,000 people to download them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know that. That was --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to find that out.
HARRIS: Then a guy pushing a podcast that reads out Wikipedia article on your iPod.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it looks just like Wikipedia, but we've got this bar across the top. You can hit the speak button --
HARRIS: Which prompted a Simon Cowell cringe moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do I want to listen to Wikipedia?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot of time-starved information seekers.
HARRIS: Tough, real world questions from real investors. Meanwhile, out in the hall, the newbie entrepreneurs await the verdict.
ERIN MCCRARY, STUDENT CONTESTANT: It's definitely nerve-racking. Just -- there were a lot of, you know, great competitors in the room.
HARRIS: The FishList took the top prize.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their presentation, their work ethic and their ability to answer the questions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. Definitely.
HARRIS: But here's the clincher. The guys refused the $50,000 and just took the trophy. Accepting the money means giving up a percentage of the decision-making to the investor, a common dilemma for the new entrepreneur.
DAVE GOLDSTEIN, CO-FOUNDER, FISHLIST: You know, even giving up a small percentage like that is just a bad decision on our part.
HARRIS: But one investor says the young idealists will change their minds soon. He's been there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No business grows as easily as you think it's going to. They'll be back for money. I guarantee it.
HARRIS: Tony Harris, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Tony, that's me.
Next week on "The Next Big Thing," a field of dreams. A logger takes his son's sweet swing to a whole new level and gets a bright idea for a baseball invention.
The latest on the oil leak and a check of our top stories after a quick break.
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HARRIS: OK, let's get you caught up on our top stories right now.
We're going to start in, let's see, we'll start in the Gulf, we'll get to Ft. Hood, Texas, and then over the Gaza.
To the coast now. BP is calling it "cut and cap." It involves sawing through the pipe spewing oil in the Gulf then capping it. President Obama says he is monitoring the disaster minute by minute. Last hour he met with the two men charged with investigating what went wrong and what needs to be done to prevent it from happening ever again.
Let's see. Let's close that up and let's get you to Ft. Hood, Texas, now. OK, the trial of the accused Ft. Hood shooter has been delayed until October. Major Nadal Hassan was in court this morning as his lawyer asked for a delay. And the Army psychiatrist, as you know, is charged with killing 13 people and wounding 30 others last fall.
And it's going to take a second here, but let's get to the Middle East. See if I can make that work here. And to Gaza. Pop up there? There you go. And countries around the world are condemning Israel for a deadly raid on aid ships heading to Gaza. At least nine activists were killed when Israeli commandos stormed the lead vessel. The U.N. is calling for a prompt investigation.
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HARRIS: Let's get more on our breaking news story. Al Gore and Tipper Gore have announced their separation. For more now we go to CNN's senior political analyst Gloria Borger.
And, Gloria, boy, first of all, good to see you.
Were there even rumors that there was trouble in this marriage?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: No, not that I know of. And I've spoken with somebody close to the Gores who did receive this e-mail, who says that they've asked for their privacy. That clearly this has been something they have been talking about for quite some time. And it's kind of, you know, for those of us who have watched political couples over the years, it's kind of sad because the Gores were this fabulous couple to watch when he was running for president. Remember at the Democratic Convention, when he gave her that big kiss.
HARRIS: Oh, yes. Yes.
BORGER: And we talked about it for years and years after that as sort of the one -- there it is -
HARRIS: There it is.
BORGER: The one emotional moment we recall from Al Gore. A couple that's always been quite supportive of each other and of their families. So it's one of those things that people are scratching their heads about, but it's very clear that the Gores have given this a great deal of thought.
HARRIS: Yes. I'm just getting world that this is a couple that's been together for, as a married couple for 40 years.
BORGER: Forty years, right.
HARRIS: Forty years.
BORGER: Forty years.
HARRIS: And they were definitely a power couple and certainly an issues as couple.
BORGER: And -
HARRIS: What were you going to say, Gloria?
BORGER: Well, I was also going to say, you know, it's interesting, if you think back to the whole Monica Lewinsky saga, internally at the White House, the Gores were kind of the strong couple and the Clintons were the couple having all the problems.
HARRIS: Yes.
BORGER: And I think that that created a lot of friction between the president and the vice president. And so it's very surprising to people that -- and sad, as I said, to their friends that this is happening right now.
HARRIS: You know, I remember Tipper Gore talking about the two of them being an issues couple. I remember pretty vividly Tipper Gore fighting for families and decency. You remember those days?
BORGER: Sure. Yes.
HARRIS: Yes.
BORGER: She came out against all the lyrics, (INAUDIBLE) lyrics. Remember that?
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
BORGER: Yes. And she's always been - you know, she's somebody who's documented the life of the second lady and the life of the vice president. She's in a book. She's a photographer. She's always, you know, she's always managed to have a separate life. They're quite an informal couple. They used to have -- open the vice president's house for Halloween parties, which were pretty famous in Washington because they used to get dressed up in these kind of lavish costumes. So family was always a very big thing to them, which is why I think their friends are trying to give them a little bit of distance here and a little bit of quiet to deal with this.
HARRIS: Right. And let's make the point, at least the reporting right now indicates that this is a separation.
BORGER: Yes.
HARRIS: Separations don't necessarily end in divorce.
BORGER: That's right.
HARRIS: So we'll wait and see what happens here.
Gloria, good to see you. Thank you.
BORGER: Good to see you, Tony.
HARRIS: Let's take a break. We're back in a moment.
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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Donna Rosato, a senior writer for "Money" magazine, and Valerie Morris, a financial journalist.
Ladies, thank you so much for joining us. I want to get right to the questions.
And the first one comes from KP where writes, "where do credit cards get their applicant listings? My 16-year-old son received a credit application, and when I called the company to ask where they got his name and remove it from their list, I was told I was not allowed to have his name removed. Do I not have parental rights here?"
Donna, what's your answer? DONNA ROSATO, SENIOR WRITER, "MONEY": Well, mailing lists are a big business. And it's easy to land on one of those things. If you buy a product online, if you sign up for a frequent flier program, if you even give money to a charity your name can end up on a list and a company can market things to you.
Now as far as whether you can get removed from a list, that's a little bit tougher. You know, there is a new credit card law that was passed in February that does not allow credit card companies to give preapproved offers to people who are under 21 years old. But it doesn't mean that they can't send offers asking them to be part of -- to apply for a credit card.
So the bottom line is that, as a parent, you don't have any particular rights, but you can call organizations that your son may be a member of and ask them to have his name removed from any list that they sell to marketers. You'll have to plead with them and then make sure you read the fine print any time that you are joining something or giving your personal information when you're purchasing something.
ELAM: All right. Thanks for that one. And let's move on to the next question, which comes from John. And he writes, "can you provide me with the name of an organization that will help me get my credit card debt down? My only income now is Social Security disability, and I need help negotiating a decent settlement and affordable payments."
Can you help him out, Valerie?
VALERIE MORRIS, FINANCIAL JOURNALIST: John, actually I have a couple for you. Number one, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. A very good place to start because I think you probably need a not-for-profit group to help you with this. Your situation is a little complicated.
Whenever you try to negotiate credit card debt, it is never really an easy thing to do. I have two other suggestions. The Employee Benefit Research Institute and also the National Consumer Law Center. These are excellent resources for you. The main caution I give you, avoid any kind of pitch that you get by mail, e-mail or snail mail. Let's go to a not-for-profit that will look at your situation and truly help you figure it out.
ELAM: Ah, some practical advice there.
Thank you so much, ladies.
And "The Help Desk" all about getting you answers. So send us an e-mail to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com. You can also log on to cnn.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions. And you can pick up the latest issue of "Money" magazine. It's on newsstands now.
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