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Coral Reefs Tainted by Gulf Oil; Clapper Nominated as Intel Chief; Anti-immigration Rally

Aired June 05, 2010 - 16:00   ET

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

RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: OK. We're at the top of the hour. And here is a brief look at the headlines for you. Crews trying to divert the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico may be making some progress. But the gunk that is already in the water continues to spread. We're watching that.

And President Obama made it official today, he'll nominate Retired Air Force General James Clapper to be the new director of National Intelligence. Plus, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga says everybody makes mistakes. He talks with us about the blown call that cost him the perfect game. We'll have highlights of that interview later this hour for you.

But first off, the oil disaster, the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico is still spreading. But the latest attempt to control new oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is about one-third successful so far. BP says it is diverting about 30 percent of that oil to a ship on the surface and that they hope to step up that percentage gradually.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB FRYAR, BP SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT: As you know from the beginning of this, our goal has been very clear. We have had three areas we have been fighting. The subsea, offshore, and at the shoreline. This morning Admiral Allen shared with you exactly how the operation is going subsea.

He talked about the cap that we put on to the LMRP. That operation has gone extremely well. Over the last 24 hours, we have been able to collect over 6,000 barrels of oil. So we're very pleased with that operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: Yet the oil still flows as you can see. Less than a year ago, marine scientists working in the gulf rejoiced when they discovered a previously unknown coral reef. This was a huge find, a reef is big and beautiful as any in the world. Push forward nine months to today and that celebration turns to dread as the same scientists watch BP's oil spread.

Richard Charter from the Defenders of Wildlife joins us right now from San Francisco, California. You've done research on this. You've been a senior policy adviser for marine programs on this very issue. Richard, first of all, a lot of people don't know there is a coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico. When was that discovered?

RICHARD CHARTER, DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE: Well, there are many coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Some of them are subsea and some of them are actually reefs that comprise parts of the Florida keys. And coral reefs are home to more kinds of life than any other ecosystem on earth, including the rain forest. And they absolutely depend on clean, clear, nutrient-free water.

LUI: And most of these were found - well, one was found nine months ago. But you're telling me there is much more than this one big find.

CHARTER: This is a very critical habitat throughout the Gulf of Mexico. It is not everywhere, but the places where it is located is an extremely important habitat. Coral is a living animal that grows very slowly over geologic time. Typically half an inch a year. And coral reefs are the only living environments on the planet you can see from space. They serve as a habitat for much of the marine life in the ocean.

LUI: Richard, I'm going to get into the oil and the "Discover" by the University of South Florida, according to them, there is an underwater plumes. But how large are these reefs?

CHARTER: Well, if you consider the third largest barrier reef in the world really compromises a large part of the Florida keys. Now, we don't know that these plumes under water or even the surface slick yet are going to travel as far as the Florida keys, but there are certainly possibilities that it could.

If that happens, the danger of the underwater plumes if they're proven to exist, probably now been measured about six feet, six miles long, if one of those comes into the keys at night, for example, under water, undetected, it could kill sea grass beds, it could kill mangroves without anybody knowing about it until everything started to die. Those are part of the reef system.

LUI: Are these, when we compare coral reefs to the marshlands, the estuaries that are clearly seen on the surfaces all around the gulf coast, are the coral reefs more important?

CHARTER: Well, everything is important in the ocean, obviously. This is all a food chain upon which we depend as human beings. And many other animals as we're seeing also depend on these ecosystems. The problem with coral reefs is they are very sensitive. There have even been indications that coral reefs can be damaged by a slight sheen of suntan oil on the surface of the water. They're that sensitive. So very low concentrations of pollution can damage coral reefs. They're certainly like the canaries and the coal mine of the ocean.

LUI: Yes and one of the discussion issues was as the dispersants were applied to the oil, that some of the oil may fall to the bottom of the ocean, therefore affecting those coral reefs. Let me think on the other side of this. How might we protect the coral reefs? What can be done? CHARTER: Well, this whole incident has now grown to such a scale that our efforts as human beings are really small in comparison to the size of the event. If there are, in fact, subsea plumes now moving on the currents throughout the gulf, we can't track them from satellites. There are ways to track them, but they're very complicated. And so booms don't work. And we think some of the oil that has come ashore has come under the booms.

LUI: All right. Richard Charter, Defenders of Wildlife, I guess you're a diver? Are you a diver?

CHARTER: I am not a diver but I have studied this for 30 years.

LUI: That counts for a lot. I'm a little bit of a diver and certainly those reefs are beautiful. Your concern, of course, is protecting all of those. Thank you so much, Richard Charter, Defenders of Wildlife.

We head on over to the surface, if you will, where CNN's Ed Lavandera has been on the story from the beginning. He's been looking at the issues including dispersants that we were just discussing and how they may affect this floating oil and how it might sink it, maybe. He's right now in New Orleans for us with the very latest. Hey, how is it going there, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Richard. Right now, we're taking a close look at the containment effort that BP is in the process of doing, putting that containment cap on top of the blowout preventer where so much of that oil is spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.

As you see the live pictures coming from the bottom of the ocean there, that containment cap has been put in place, but it is not completely sealed up and they have not closed off the valve. That's why you see so much of that oil still spewing out from it.

BP says in the first 24 hours of this containment process they were able to capture 250,000 gallons of oil, which is about 6,000 barrels. Still a small fraction of the amount of oil spewing into that, but they want to close down those valves and those vents on the sides of that containment cap and they hope over the course of the next 24 to 48 hours that they will continue capturing more of that oil.

Of course, this is not a long-term solution to killing off this well, but so far BP says that this containment effort is going in their words, "extremely well." But regardless, even if it does work as good as they think it might, this would only capture about - or could capture up to 90 percent of the oil spewing from that oil leak there at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

In the meantime, the concern here is clearly about the environmental impact and as we have seen over the last few days is that oil and globs of oil and tar balls creeping along the shore from Mississippi to Alabama, now we're seeing it in Pensacola, and Admiral Thad Allen of the Coast Guard says he anticipates this eastward trend to continue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: We're starting to see a product actually come ashore in the form of tar balls, small oil patties and mats, if you will. And the impact is from western Mississippi over towards Pensacola. The oil generally starts to move north and slightly east. So the area we're concerned about is basically from the Mississippi, Louisiana line to Port St. Joe in Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And Richard, of course, all eyes basically on how all of this will eventually come to an end and the best we can say is that we're really looking at a time frame of August before this well is successfully killed off for good. Those relief wells as they're doing these containment efforts, and that sort of thing.

There are other teams that are drilling these relief wells alongside of where this oil leak is occurring at the bottom of the ocean floor. But they need to go about 16 to 18,000 feet below that surface of the ocean there. And they're only about 7,000 feet of the way there. Richard.

LUI: And, Ed, they know that will work, at least from previous experiences when they look at (inaudible) from 1979, another huge leak. In the meantime, as you were telling us, solution number four, that cap is working, it appears, at least somewhat right now. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much live there in Louisiana since the beginning on this very story.

The effects of the oil disaster, they aren't confined to the gulf coast, though. We got seafood lovers everywhere that may be feeling the pinch.

Also, the president names his choice for the National Intelligence director. Jeanne Meserve has that.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: James Clapper and he's been picked in the face of congressional opposition. We'll have that story after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: President Obama has made his choice for National Intelligence director just a few hours ago. The president nominated Retired Air Force Lieutenant General James Clapper. He will replace recently Dennis Blair who resigned just last month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to constantly evolve and adapt and improve. That's why I ordered a series of reforms to strengthen intelligence earlier this year. That's why I'll be looking to Jim to ensure that we have the most capable and efficient intelligence community possible. Intelligence must be collected and analyzed quickly. It must be shared and integrated effectively. And it must be acted upon decisively.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: All right. We got to go to CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve for more on this. She's live in Washington. Jeanne, there certainly are some special challenges for anyone moving into this job. We can just take a look at the revolving door as of late.

MESERVE: That's right. General Clapper, if he's confirmed, would be the fourth director of National Intelligence in five years, which is probably a pretty good indication there are problems with the job. The position was created after 9/11 to coordinate the nation's 16 different intelligence agencies, to break down stove pipes and then improve information sharing.

Most experts will tell you things have gotten better, but not good enough. For instance, a recent report by the Senate intelligence committee on the attempted Christmas day bombing, the underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdumutallab, that report identified 14 failures of intelligence, and with the terror threat no longer coming from Al Qaeda Central but from affiliates in other countries and even from American citizens, some say it is critical to make further improvements in the U.S. intelligence apparatus. The president thinks General Clapper is the man.

LUI: And Jeanne, when you say 16, I keep on putting in my head that 16 cultures, 16 organizations, we both know just talking about two, the FBI and the CIA, that in itself and getting them to work together certainly could be a challenge. Is there a way to make all of this complexity operate more smoothly?

MESERVE: Well, opinions on this vary. Some say that there needs to be a legislative fix, that they need to give the position more strength, more clout, budgetary authority, for instance. So the DNI can get things done. Others say the person in the job won't ever have the power he or she needs unless the president is four square behind them.

President Obama reportedly did not click with Admiral Dennis Blair. That might have contributed to the fact that Blair lost some important power struggles inside the intelligence community, for instance with John Brennan, the president's top counter terrorism adviser and with Leon Panetta, the CIA director.

Panetta, by the way, put out a statement this afternoon saying he looks forward to working with Clapper in his new job. Richard.

LUI: So, I guess we have to ask the question here, Jeanne, will he pass the test? Will he be able to make a pass and get confirmed?

MESERVE: There are indications that he could have some problems. The chairman of the Senate intelligence committee Dianne Feinstein has raised concerns about Clapper's close ties to the military side of the intelligence community. Senator Kit Bond, the ranking Republican on that committee, says Clapper hasn't been forthcoming with Congress and has actually blocked recent efforts to empower the DNI.

And Congressman Peter Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee issued a hard hitting statement this afternoon raising the same concerns, opposing the nomination and accusing the administration of trying to micromanage intelligence from the White House. Richard?

LUI: A very important job as you've noted for us here. We'll be watching that. You will, especially, for us, thank you, Jeanne Meserve. Thank you.

MESERVE: You bet.

LUI: Israeli Navy commandos have intercepted another humanitarian aid ship headed for Gaza. An Irish cargo ship this time around trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza today but it was taken to an Israeli port instead. The Israeli military boarding the ship in international waters with the compliance of the ship's crew.

No helicopters were used in today's operation. That was unlike the Israeli raid on another aid flotilla earlier this week. There were no clashes between the commandos and crew this time around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. AVITAL LEIBOVICH, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESWOMAN: This is the difference exactly from this ship and the last flotilla. The last flotilla chose the method of violence and unfortunately the result was nine people dead. Here in this situation, it was done in a non- violent manner and I think we are both - both sides actually are winning in this situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: A spokeswoman for the Free Gaza Movement says the passengers on board that ship seized today were not armed.

Supporters of Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigration plan to rally today in Phoenix. We'll have a live report for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: We have all got that dream job. What would you do to get it? An intern's big chance for a career in show business has him navigating some shady business. We'll look at the new movie releases with film critic Ben Mankiewicz.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Let's check our top stories.

An increasing amount of oil is being sucked to the surface. Thanks to the new cap in place over the broken well in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard now saying 250,000 gallons a day are being pumped up. All right. So that's about a third of the total that was spilling into the gulf before that cap. You can see these live pictures right now. Still a bunch of oil, though, there.

They still have to close the four vents on the cap after that happens, more oil will be captured. We are just waiting for them to happen. They're looking for the right conditions to do that. You might remember you should absolutely stay here as we watch the developments in this situation coming out of the Gulf Coast. We'll have it right here for you.

Joran Van der Sloot is now in police custody in Peru. He's accused of killing a woman there. Now Van der Sloot was extradited from Chile. Remember him as the prime suspect in the disappearance of U.S. citizen Natalee Holloway in Aruba. That as five years ago. He was arrested twice in connection with that case but he was never charged. And now this case this week.

McDonald's is recalling 12 million drinking glasses that are part of their promotion for the new "Shrek" movie. The paint evidently used on the "Shrek" glasses contains cadmium. Cadmium can cause help problems after long-term exposure and you're advised, if you do have any of these glasses in your kitchen, to keep the glasses away from children and return them to McDonald's for a refund if you can.

A comedy, documentary, and a horror film with serious questions for humanity all on the big screen this weekend as you kick your feet up and you enjoy a good flick. Host of "Turner Classic Movies" and film critic for What the Flick on the youngturks.com web site, Ben Mankiewicz, joins us from Los Angeles. Ben, what kind of movie is "Get Him to the Greek" for us?

BEN MANKIEWICZ, HOST OF "TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES": Richard, "Get Him to the Greek" is a comedy. You have Russell Brand playing Alda Snow, a rocker with a very serious drug problem, same character he played in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." And it is Jonah Hill's job, he works for Sean Combes to go to England and get Russell Brand to come back to the U.S. and get him into the Greek theater in Los Angeles for a big reunion show, which could save his career.

LUI: You know, Russell is always a hoot. Let's take a look at a clip from this movie and see how he does.

MANKIEWICZ: All right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Next month is the 10-year anniversary of Alda Snow live at the Greek theater. We need to put on an anniversary concert. He is rock music personified.

I want you to go to London and pick him up and bring him back here for the show at the Greek.

Can you handle it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: All right. "Get him to the Greek," there we go. What is your grade on this? It looks like it is an appropriate film for Russell Brand.

MANKIEWICZ: It's definitely an appropriate film for Russell Brand. He's a star and I don't find myself saying this about a lot of men, but Russell Brand lights up the screen, Richard. He's terrific in this as he was as Alda Snow in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

Everything is good in this. The first half of it is funnier than the second half which takes on a more serious tone about sort of loneliness. But after the movie, I found myself liking the second half just as well, really, as the first. Everybody is good in it. I got to mention the character who plays Alda Snow's ex-wife -

LUI: I got to say, you know - and your grade?

MANKIEWICZ: Yes, Rose Bern from "Damages." She's wonderful. Everybody is great in this. I gave this movie an A-minus. It's one of my favorite movies of the year, so far. It's terrific.

LUI: Yes. I love Sophomore (inaudible) so I'm going to go see it if I can based on what you said there.

Let's move on with science tinkering with human and animal DNA. It's the premise behind the movie "Splice." What is your take on that horror film?

MANKIEWICZ: Well, it is a little more science fiction than horror with a little elements of horror. Adrian Brodie and Sarah Polly play scientists who are romantically involved and they're trying to sort of splice together animals and they use a little - secretly used a little human DNA to get some sort of genetic breakthrough that will be a scientific and medical breakthrough that they hope will help people sort of cure diseases. But as you might imagine, Richard, it goes terribly wrong.

LUI: You know, Ben, I've seen some of the footage here and for folks that are going to be watching this, it can be a little gory. Let's take a peek at this.

MANKIEWICZ: All right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's empty.

Clive? Clive? Clive?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: All right. So, what do you think, Ben? What's the grade? MANKIEWICZ: Well, I gave this movie a B-minus, Richard. I thought it was pretty tense. You sort of don't know whether this creature they create is going to be more like alien or more like E.T. but there is a moment in this movie that a character does something so unbelievable and unrealistic that it lost me a little bit.

But I decided to ignore that and not wreck the entire movie because of that or not sort of judge the entire movie based on that. It is tense. It is a little dramatic. I wish that character had not engaged in that behavior. I still gave it a B-minus. I think it is worth seeing especially for science fiction fans.

LUI: And if you want a fright as well. Legendary comedienne Joan Rivers also coming out this weekend. Her shows - the way she does she showed some of her serious side in the new documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work." And Ben, how much does Rivers really reveal about herself in this?

MANKIEWICZ: I think she reveals a tremendous amount. This is one year in the life of Joan Rivers. And, you know, at times, Richard, she's a little narcissistic. But also I think very human at times, and ultimately I think she's very likable. And the word you mentioned is a good word to use. She has also at times extremely revealing.

LUI: All right. Let's look at what is in some of that documentary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAN RIVERS, ACTRESS: These are all my jokes. These are jokes over the last 30 years. These are just - every time I write a joke, I try to remember to get it on a card.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: She writes that down. OK. What is the grade?

MANKIEWICZ: I gave this movie a B-plus. It's from Ricky Stern and Ann Sundberg. They know how to make a documentary. You know, Joan Rivers, you see her plastic surgery she's had done, and Joan Rivers, over the last few years I think she's become a little bit of a punch line for plastic surgery.

You forget that Joan Rivers is used to delivering the punch lines. She's incredibly funny. She's a really interesting character. And a very talented comedienne and I think fans of Joan Rivers and fans of comedy and fans of documentaries and fans of learning more about people should go see this movie. I really, really enjoyed it. It made me re-think how I feel about Joan Rivers.

LUI: And Ben, what is great about it, she is not afraid of making fun of herself as well as the plastic surgery that she's taken on over time.

MANKIEWICZ: Totally true. That's exactly right, Richard. LUI: Ben, thank you so much. You can catch Ben's in depth movie reviews online, by the way, at What the Flick on the youngturks.com web site. There, Ben, gets into the full details and plots, twists as well of the new movie releases.

Almost perfect. Almost. An umpire's bad call though ruining historic pitching performance. What does the pitcher think about it now, days after he was robbed of perfection.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Backers of Arizona's tough new immigration law planned to rally today in Phoenix, dueling events last weekend drew both opponents and supporters of this law. CNN's Casey Wian joins us from Phoenix with the latest on that.

Casey, you've been following the story since the start. What is bringing people from other states now to Arizona? What are you seeing?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, supporters of this controversial Arizona anti-immigration law say that their voices have not really been heard yet. That's why they want to travel here from all over the country. They're expecting thousands of folks here this afternoon to show support for Arizona's tough new immigration law.

What we've heard through much of this debate is opponents rallying outside Arizona's state capital angry and protesting the law, supporters say today is a day to celebrate this law.

They also wanted to be spread to other states. Many activists participating in this event today are involved in pushes to try to get this law, or similar versions of this law, in place in their own states. They also want to show support, financially, for the state of Arizona because so many cities around the country and organizations have announced boycotts of Arizona because of this law. These folks say they want to come here, spend money in hotels, spend money in restaurants and show a little economic boost to this state.

We asked one rally organizer why he believes that this generation of illegal immigrants is different than those who came to the U.S. legally in previous generations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN AMATO, SUPPORTS ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW: Now the immigrants that are coming here illegally and their children that are born here are being -- having their hands held, the schools provide, you know, Spanish-language instruction if they don't understand English. They're not being forced to learn it and their parents that are coming here are not instilling in their kids that it is important that they learn English to succeed. It is very important in this country that you learn English to succeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WIAN: And rally organizers want to stress that they say they are not racists, this law is not racist, they do have an issue, though, with cultural assimilation. They believe that many of the current generation of illegal immigrants don't, as that one organizer said, aren't willing to assimilate into the U.S. culture.

They are expecting appearances here from some of the lightning rod figures in this debate. Arizona state Senator Russell Pierce is expected to appear here later. He is the chief sponsor of this legislation. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has also been very controversial for his department's aggressive pursuit of illegal immigrants in the Phoenix area for years, he is also scheduled to speak. Several other speakers as well. They're expecting more than a 1,000 people here in an hour and a half, Richard.

RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: All right. Casey Wian, certainly two sides to this issue, what is happening in Arizona. Thank you so much, as you watch what is happening live there for us today.

We have got Jacqui Jeras, we are watching what is happening with the oil, where it might go in the coming months and weeks. She's got that for us in a little bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Tar balls have now turned up on the beach at Pensacola, Florida. We were reporting that today. And CNN Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is here to tell us where the oil slick is and where it may be headed.

You're about to show us some of the time span, right?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. We can show you a time span of where we think it is going to be going in the future. And we're talking long-term, a couple of months down the line.

LUI: Right.

JERAS: But I'll go ahead and start out and show you where it is now and where it is expected to be throughout the rest of the weekend.

This is a map from NOAA, and this shows you the light blue area is just light oil. The medium blue, the medium oil and the dark blue is the really thick oil. You can see the red Xs along the top, which is where quote/unquote, landfall is. By that, we don't mean a big huge gush of oil coming is going to come on the beach, we're talking about little tar balls and little pools of oil that we have been seeing in a lot of those pictures.

The areas we're talking about where it is spreading to now, here is Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. We're talking places like Fort Walton Beach, Destin. This is what we call the Emerald Coast, it is a very big tourist area and then heads over towards Freeport.

Down here this is Panama City Beach. And you can see the forecast as we head through the weekend into Monday, this black line right here, that's kind of an area of uncertainty, meaning we're not real sure. It could potentially get here, we'll have to watch it because winds are becoming more westerly. That's going to help push it along that coast, we think, over the next couple of days.

Let's talk about this time lapse here, Richard. This is a computer model forecast. What it does, it basically says if I drop oil, continuously in the ocean, in this area, what is going to happen over the next couple of months? Remember, computer models are not perfect. Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're wrong. And I'll be honest, a lot of the computer models we have been looking at throughout this entire spill have not been terribly accurate.

A lot of that just has to do with the fact that there is so many different factors, ocean currents, you know, wind speed, wind direction, storms that begin to develop and change everything altogether. But it does bring it down towards the Florida Keys, up towards the Mid-Atlantic coast, and eventually through that Gulf Stream and bringing it even -- all the way over to Europe.

This is a maybe scenario. This is not a definite. People shouldn't be changing their plans on the East Coast of the United States at this time. But it is something that we have to watch for and continue to monitor in the next couple of months ahead.

LUI: As you were saying, it is the best guess that these models are doing. I was watching the days time, as you were showing us that, to keep that in mind, it looked like it was about day 80 before it made around Florida. And if we just look back maybe 30 days, they thought the oil would be hitting a lot of the areas, which it didn't.

JERAS: Right. The models for the most part have been very aggressive.

LUI: Yes.

JERAS: And actually bringing oil much farther north and east than it actually has gotten.

LUI: You're right.

JERAS: So, in fact, I want to say it was like three weeks ago that we were concerned that Florida was going to get hit and now that's just happened in the last couple of days.

LUI: We will take that, though. We will take that. Thanks a lot, Jacqui Jeras.

JERAS: Sure.

LUI: Thank you.

Tanning beds are joining the growing list of cancer threats now. These beds are especially popular with girls and young women. Now concerned health groups are trying to get the word out to you, but this group does not like the message. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: In today's "RX Factor", the unhealthy glow from tanning beds. You've seen them around, you've seen them in pictures. There is some new research that shows that people who tan indoors have nearly a 75 percent greater risk of developing melanoma than people who never use a tanning bed. Well, melanoma is the deadliest form of cancer as many of you know.

Doctor Susan Evans is a dermatologist in Beverly Hills and co- founder of the Skin Deformities and Research Foundation.

Doctor Evans, I see this 75 percent number. It is frightening. What do you think?

DR. SUSAN EVANS, CO-FOUNDER, SKIN DEFORMITIES & RESEARCH FOUNDATION: This is alarming. It is a real epidemic. There is an increase in skin cancer making it the most common cancer out of all cancers.

LUI: So if that is to be true, what should we be looking out for things such as in moles? If we develop a mole on our skin?

EVANS: Well, first of all, for the large group of people that are going to the tanning booths, apparently it is estimated somewhere around 30 million people per year are going -- still going to tanning booths. Stay away from the tanning booth altogether. As you mentioned it is an increased risk of getting melanoma, as much as 75 percent.

But if you have a mole on your body, you look at the ABCDs of that mole. Is it asymmetrical, meaning if it is cut down the middle, is it even on both sides? Are the borders normal? Is it changing color? Also, you want to know what is the diameter. Is it bigger than the end of a pen, say for instance or a pencil. I always add an E for evolving. If something is changing, you should get into your dermatologist as soon as possible and get it evaluated.

LUI: So self-analysis, self-evaluation and go see your dermatologist like yourself to make sure you're OK. Right?

EVANS: Right. Self-analysis is good, but you always have to get it backed up by your dermatologist.

LUI: And how, and how. What are some of the alternatives here when we look at this, Doctor Evans to going to the tanning beds?

EVANS: Alternatives?

LUI: Yeah.

EVANS: Well, there is spray-on tans that, you know, they may not be ideal but they're still safe. There is other type of tans that you can get at the drugstore that you can just apply daily until you get the even sort of bronze tones that you want to be. And the last, but least, is learn to love the skin that you're in. LUI: Loving the skin you're in, but if you do not like the skin that you're in, and you decide to put on that tanning lotion, isn't that also toxic?

EVANS: No, tanning lotions are not. I mean, I cannot speak for each of them, but there are definitely safe alternatives available to you at the drugstore that are OK.

LUI: Another recent study is bringing up a word called "tanorexia". What is tanorexia?

EVANS: Unfortunately I'm all too familiar with the term.

LUI: Really?

EVANS: I have a practice in Beverly Hills and I have many celebrity clients that are very concerned about the way they look. And they still go, despite the fact they know there is a risk of cancer. When you get to the point where you're going so regularly, frequently, that you're defying any sort of logic, you're a tanorexic.

LUI: That goes back to your point, being fine in your own skin, being very comfortable in that. What are some of the indications, if you think someone might be or be able to tell if someone is suffering from tanorexia?

EVANS: Well, surprisingly, even with all the risks being known, people are honest and say, you know, I am still going to the tanning booth, doctor. I'm so sorry, but I saw this mole and I want to check it. There is plenty of celebrities that go public with the fact that they're still going and have even home tanners. So it is not as much detective work as you would think. And also, of course, when they come in and they're really tan, and we know it wasn't because of sun exposure, they have been to the tanning booth.

LUI: My producer and I were talking about this, is this something that is only of the 2000s, and in the '80s and the '90s, you know, it really necessarily a big think to do. To go out and get a big tan, is this something you see that happens in cycles?

EVANS: There is now -- during the '70s, most people were doing a lot their tanning outside.

LUI: Right.

EVANS: You know, from the regular ultraviolet rays of the sun, which is not as dangerous. But now there is an ample supply of these tanning-indoor tanning places that allow you to get these super intensive rays for a shorter length of time. They're also causing an increase rate of skin cancer. It may not directly be related to the tanning booth, but there is an increase in incidents. There is over a million cases of skin cancer each year.

LUI: So technology is good. It is faster, more efficient, but worse for your body if you do want a tan. Doctor Susan Evans, thank you so much for filling us in on all of this. EVANS: My pleasure.

LUI: We appreciate it. Very, very interesting.

EVANS: My pleasure. Thank you.

LUI: Check our top stories for you now, BP officials say they're pleased, so far, with the results of their latest attempt to collect oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. Live pictures for right you here. At this point, about one-third of the oil is being collected and funneled to a ship on the surface. That is some progress. They do hope to step up that percentage gradually to about 80 percent.

President Obama announced today that he is nominating retired Air Force General James Clapper to be the new director of National Intelligence. Now, if confirmed, Clapper will replace Dennis Blair who resigned last month. Some critics already voicing objections about him that top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee says Clapper has not been forth coming, open, or transparent in previous dealings with Congress on that.

Fourteen years old, she is, she's from Ohio, she is the winner of this year's National Spelling Bee. She successfully spelled an eight- letter word most of us have never heard of. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stromuhr, S-t-r-o-m-u-h-r.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: With stromuhr, according to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, she won that. That word, by the way, is an instrument that measures the amount and speed of blood flowing through an artery. Congratulations to her.

The perfect game that was not. The Detroit Tigers Armando Galarraga missed baseball history by just one out. Problem here is, it wasn't a batter that did him in on this. It was an umpire who blew the call at first base. He got it wrong. It was a mistake. But that does not change the outcome. Last I talked with Galarraga about the disappointment of losing perfection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: What were you thinking?

ARMANDO GALARRAGA, PITCHER, DETROIT TIGERS: I mean, so many feelings coming together. And I was so nervous that I had a lot of feelings coming. And, I mean, when the game was over, and I see that replayed and I see that replayed again, and see it over and over. And I mean, I was like, oh, my God, it was out it was not even close play. And, I mean, everything happened so fast. But I still feel a little upset.

LUI: Are you surprised about how people are reacting to how you were so calm after this entire incident?

GALARRAGA: Oh, yeah. Because, you know, how you say, I mean, a lot of people are angry and watch the TV, watch the game. I be like, oh my God, how did the umpire mess it up so bad? And you know, all that kind of stuff, but we're human and we make mistakes. In that moment, I mean, I was so happy to throw a really good game. For me, I don't know, for some reason, I don't get mad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: Let's listen to what the umpire said a little bit later. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I walked down that tunnel, and when I got the reception that I did from the Tiger fans, I had to wipe the eyes. I didn't expect that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: Now, Armando, later on you walked up to him on the field, what was that like? Was he emotional?

GALARRAGA: When I gave the lineup to the guy?

LUI: Yeah, right.

GALARRAGA: Yeah. I mean, we-in that moment, because the night before we talked and I mean, he apologized to me. I give him a hug, and the guy, I feel bad, but I'm sure -- I'm 100 percent the guy feels more than me 20 times, because he was, like, crying and telling me I'm so sorry. I mean, you're perfect, I can't be perfect in that situation. And I'm so sorry. I mean, and when you see the guy, he don't say too much. His body language, his face, I mean, it says a lot to me. And the next day we changed the page. He is a professional. I'm a professional.

LUI: What was the discussion that you and your manager had after this call had happened? What did you say to each other?

GALARRAGA: Everything goes so fast. Everything goes so crazy in that moment. Not many people say too many words because, I mean, they don't want to make me more sad, or -- some people just give me a hug.

LUI: You had said that you would tell your son that you had pitched a perfect game. Will you still tell your son that?

GALARRAGA: Oh, yeah, yeah. I believe and in all my heart that I do throw a perfect game.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LUI: All right. There is a baseball player, a lot of class there, Armando Galarraga who spoke to us just moments ago, about that entire incident, the loss of that perfect game.

Tagging along with the president's point man in the Gulf. What would that be like? Kyra Phillips had special access to the man and the mission.

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LUI: Some of the survivors of the oil rig disaster in the Gulf are speaking out about their harrowing ordeal right now. More than 100 managed to escape the explosion and the fire that rocked the Deepwater Horizon before it sank; 11 crew members were killed in that. Now yesterday some of the survivors sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG BROWN, BP EXPLOSION SURVIVOR: I looked up at the fire on the rig floor and it was getting larger. And that was scaring me. It was starting to spread on down to the main deck. And it was actually so bright you can't even look at it anymore.

And it actually started sounding like a living thing because it was hissing so loudly. It was almost sounding like the beginnings of a roar of a creature

(END VIDEOTAPE) .

LUI: Yeah. So frightening for so many. The president's go-to guy on this, on the recovery, the disaster, Admiral Thad Allen, saying this is the toughest assignment of his career. CNN's Kyra Phillips has seen first hand. He is not exaggerating here. She had an exclusive look up close at what the people fighting for the Gulf are dealing with, and she was the only journalist on the rig near the source of the disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (On camera): Explain the connection, the bottom kill here, and how that is going to make what's happening on the Discovery Enterprise successful?

ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN, NAITONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: The intention is to intercept the well bore, well down below the surface near the reservoir. Then pump heavy mud in, to counteract the pressure of the oil coming up that will allow them to basically plug or kill the well. Once that's done, you can do things like remove the blowout preventer, bring it to the surface and try and find out what happened.

PHILLIPS: How soon do you think that could happen, Ted, or are you working as fast as you can?

TED STUKENBORG, TRANSOCEAN: We're working as efficiently as safely as possible. PHILLIPS: I know you don't want to make any mistakes.

STUKENBORG: That's right.

PHILLIPS: How has it been for you? What is it like to get up in the morning and deal with media scrutiny, and have to come out here and do everything you can to make this happen?

CAPT. NICK SCHINDLER, TRANSOCEAN: It can be frustrating at times. The thing is we have to make sure that the crew is focused on the job. At the end of the day, we want to drill this well as efficiently as possible. We want to do it with no incidents. We want to do it with no injury to anybody. We want to have everyone that comes on this rig go home in better condition than when they came on the rig.

Part of the problem is that there is a lot of outside scrutiny on what it is that we're doing out here. I think the American population is wanting this well to be done. They want it now. We all want it to be done now.

But we all have to understand this say well that killed 11 people. We have to understand that we're sitting over top of one of the world's best drilling rigs. The well we're drilling right now killed 11 people, and sunk a rig, and so we're not going to speed up and we're going to do this as safe as possible, and we're not going to hurt anybody. That's our goal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LUI: All right, our Kyra Phillips with that exclusive again with Admiral Thad Allen.

Thank you for joining us, by the way on this Saturday. I'm Richard Lui sitting in for Fredricka Whitfield. Don Lemon is up next with a look at how BP now is using Google to put a spin on the Gulf Coast oil disaster. That's in a little bit.

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