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Deepwater Moratorium Impacting Gulf Coast Businesses; Unknown Wins Democratic Senatorial Primary in South Carolina; World Cup Continues in South Africa

Aired June 19, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES: Good morning, everybody. Good morning from the CNN Center. This is Saturday morning. It's June 19th. I'm T.J. Holmes, glad you could join us to start your day with us in Atlanta, Georgia.

It's 9:00 a.m. in Chicago where thousands of people are still without power. You can see the mess that was left after a band of thunderstorms went through the area late last night. You see the trees uprooted, you see them all over the streets. You see cars that were damaged and houses damaged.

Also, the storm blew out windows at the Sears tower, which is now known as the Willis tower, but still, there's a lot of damage downtown. Reynolds Wolf takes a look at where this dangerous band of storms is headed next.

Also, you don't see this every day, but what are we seeing? A live picture out of Sweden, where a royal wedding is taking place. Thousands have gathered outside the church, which is next to the palace, where these two are going to wed.

Who are they? This is one of those stories, folks, of a royal meeting a commoner. But this time it's a little reversed, if you will. The princess, who is the heir to the throne, has married her personal trainer.

We're told that the vows have now taken place. We're going to certainly show you some more pictures of what people are really likening to the wedding we saw when we first introduced you in a major way to Princess Diana. But we'll continue to show you pictures from, again, a royal wedding taking place today.

This is a tragedy that happened at a railroad crossing. This was in rural Louisiana, four people killed when a train and a car collided. The driver of the car was an 18-year-old woman who was pregnant. Her three brothers also killed, they were ages 16, 13 and 12.

Investigators say it's feared that she didn't slow down, the vehicle did not slow down before getting to crossing, and also there were no crossing gates at that railroad.

Also the FDA is saying not so fast to the female Viagra. They put it on hold for right now. The side effects, dizziness, insomnia, and nausea outweighed the benefits of it. The nickname, called the female Viagra, it was designed like it sounds, to boost sexual desire in women. The government telling the drug makers to continue development.

This is not a final decision, just an advisory decision. But still, oftentimes the FDA does take the advice of this advisory panel.

Also, over at the World Cup, a lot of the action going on, of course, on the field, but a little too much action in one of the locker rooms when a fan made it into England's locker room. He was an English fan. The club England spokesman said no one was hurt or anything, so no harm done, but the World Cup officials still are looking into it.

I want to turn in and out to the Gulf coast. Here we are on day 61 of this oil disaster, and the cleanup continues. But there's concern about the economic impact, as well. On Monday, some oil drilling companies plan to get to court. They're going to sue, not BP, but the government.

The companies want the Obama administration to lift its six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling. The president of Lafourche Parish is concerned. The Parish official spoke to CNN's Randi Kaye last night on "AC 360."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How has it affected your parish already? I understand companies are moving their businesses and people are being laid off?

CHARLOTTE RANDOLPH, PRESIDENT LAFOURCHE PARISH, LOUISIANA: That's correct. Some of the rigs have used the Force Mejour clause in their contract and they're shopping elsewhere in the world. It's passed near a helicopter facility just this afternoon, and it's normally full of vehicles from all states and most of the states in the union. And it was virtually empty today. So already this moratorium has impacted us economically.

It's a very, very grave concern for us. And it's difficult for America to understand that while we're fighting the oil that is approaching our shores and disturbing our wetlands, we're asking that this industry be allowed to continue. It is something we've attempted to educate America now for the past 20 years, and right now is the only attention we're getting because the oil is coming up to the shore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Randolph, who you were hearing from there, she accompanied the president when he was there to visit one of the beaches that had tar balls that were showing up. She says she asked the president to reconsider the drilling ban because it would devastate the area. Randolph says the president told her a timeout was necessary.

We're turning now to our David Mattingly. He's going to join us live now from Okaloosa islands in Florida. David, hello to you once again. A lot of the people in these areas, certainly the officials, they've got a battle on their hands with this oil. But oftentimes they have a battle with the federal government getting through this red tape, and you're finding some folks aren't waiting around anymore.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, T.J., an awful lot of impatience here along the panhandle from some communities. There's a lot of sun and surf here, and they want people to take advantage of it.

And officials were trying to get a plan implemented early to make sure that the oil doesn't get in here to get into some of the bay areas that they're trying to protect. They felt like the federal government was dragging their feet.

So they said we're going to do this whether you approve it or not. They were saying they're willing to break the law even if it means going to jail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DINO VILLANI, DIR. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: I think there's a fundamental flaw in the federal response. I mean, you know, to some degree, it's there and it has usefulness on a higher level. But when you're done in the trenches trying to respond like we are, it doesn't work.

MATTINGLY (on camera): This no-wait strategy you're talking about almost got you in trouble with the feds, didn't it?

WAYNE HARRIS, COMMISSIONER, OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA: Very much so.

MATTINGLY: Were you prepared to go to jail?

HARRIS: He wasn't and I didn't want him to and neither did any of the commissioners.

MATTINGLY: But you talked about it?

HARRIS: Sure, we talked about it. The coast guard had told us, commissioners, if you do that, there is the potential for you to go to jail. We said, so be it, but we have to protect our waterways and our people.

MATTINGLY: You know what you've done, don't you? You've gone out and set an example for every city on the panhandle.

HARRIS: That's what you're paid for or that's what your responsibilities are when you are the leader of a particular county or city or whatever the agency is.

MATTINGLY: So the lesson we learn from this, don't wait on the federal response?

HARRIS: You can't. It wasn't that we were giving them an ultimatum. In fact, we were. But the bottom line was this. If they were not going to act, we were going to act, whether we had their permission or not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: And they did get that federal permission at the 11th hour. It's a good thing because take a look at this. These are tar balls. I collected them yesterday. You can see how big they are. This came up on about a 300 stretch of beach here.

They should all be cleaned up today. The water is clear. People are expected to go back into the water and start swimming again. But this is what they're trying to prevent from coming in here. And they're also worried about the sheen as it might come back into the tide and get back into the bay area behind me and contaminate the waters back there.

So that is what they were eager to protect. They were trying to be proactive. They felt like the federal government was not acting fast enough, so they went out and very publicly said we're going to do this with or without you. But now they have federal approval.

HOLMES: David Mattingly, we appreciate you this morning. Thanks so much, David.

Meanwhile, we showed you the live pictures just a moment ago. It is summertime. A lot of people like to get married on a Saturday in the summer. And those two just tied the knot. What makes this wedding different? Well, 1,200 people were invited to the wedding, and there are tens of thousands more standing outside of where they're getting married.

Why? Because she is the heir to the throne in Sweden. He is what they call a commoner who was her personal trainer. A different kind of fairytale for you here. We'll take you live back to Sweden.

Also this morning, what we've been keeping an eye on here in the states -- nasty weather. In Chicago yesterday, you see some of the damage there. Our Reynolds Wolf will be along to tell us how bad the damage was and also what we have to look forward to today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, coming up on 12 minutes past the hour here on this CNN start morning. And it was a nasty Friday night in the Midwest in Chicago. But still, things are not done.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Thank you so much.

You heard the story -- he didn't campaign, he has no political experience, and he's facing a felony charge. Congratulations, you are now the Democratic Senate nominee in the state of South Carolina. A lot of controversy surrounding how Alvin Greene even got on the ballot in that state. Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser will be along in just a moment to explain what we're hearing.

Also, did you know today is a holiday in many states. Is it a holiday in your state? It may be something that a lot of people are not that familiar with, maybe never even heard of. It's Juneteenth. We're discussing that holiday and whether it should be a holiday. That is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 17 minutes past the hour now.

Have you heard about what's happening in South Carolina? An amazing story, really, of an unemployed military veteran. Alvin Greene has now grabbed the Democratic nomination. He didn't raise any campaign funds, he doesn't have a website, he doesn't have a staff, and he's facing criminal charges. This makes perfect sense then, does it not?

We'll bring in our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser. He has to be probably by now the most famous party nominee in the country, but a lot of people are still scratching their heads. I don't even know where to start with you. Let's start with these criminal charges. Is this going to end up being a big deal playing into this campaign?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, it could. He was arrested after a university student at the University of South Carolina alleged that he showed her pornography on a computer and suggested they go back to her room. He faces a court date on July 12, and that could impact his candidacy.

T.J., you said it right off the bat. He didn't campaign. He was an unknown, but he won almost 60 percent in the primary. This primary was for the Democratic nomination for Senate was overshadowed by a lot of other races. Nobody in the media or anybody down there was paying much attention. Neither candidate was well known and some people picked maybe the first person at the top on the ballot and that was Alvin Greene, T.J.

HOLMES: A lot of people we know, I don't want to say you are guilty or I'm guilty, but people will go into a booth and they don't know the names. They just vote all Democrats or all Republicans and not knowing who these candidates are, and this could be an example we need to educate ourselves before going into that voting booth.

But some people are saying the voting machines were wrong, he was a Republican plant. Any evidence of anything like that went on?

STEINHAUSER: Yes. The charge is some Democrats in the state suggested he was a Republican plant because he paid for a $10,000 filing fee to get on the ballot in the first place. and they're like, where did he get the money? He doesn't have a job. He was discharged from the military last year. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence of that. The person he beat in the primary, a former state lawmaker Dick Rawl, he charged there were irregularities with the vote. A Democratic state party executive committee, our producer was there. They deeded to keep the results the way they are.

So for now, he continues to be the nominee. For now they've got a lot of egg on their face in a state where Republicans had been making all the scandals in the past year, T.J.

HOLMES: So now he moves on at the big show and goes up against a guy who has been at the big show for a while, Republican Jim DeMint. So what is this campaign going to look like? Are these two going to be debating? Is he going to crisscross the state? And does he, quite frankly, have a chance?

STEINHAUSER: Probably not much of a chance. DeMint is a very popular conservative in a state where Republicans dominate on the statewide level. So if it wasn't Alvin Greene, if it was somebody else the Democrats may have had a chance, probably not. DeMint looks like a shoo-in to win this election.

The Democrats are trying to scratch their head and figure out what to do next. Some Democrats are trying to look for another candidate, maybe have that candidate run as an independent. Once again, T.J., South Carolina is giving us a fascinating political story.

HOLMES: You know, again, this segment could have been shortened by just saying "South Carolina." Thank you, Paul.

STEINHAUSER: Thank you.

HOLMES: Good to see you, as always, buddy.

A lot of people are watching the World Cup out of South Africa. You're probably hearing a lot of words you've never heard before. Josh, probably right now the only word people know is Vuvuzela. There's a lot of other South African they need to be knowing about.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Check this one out. Wait, let's try that one again. "Jol," apparently I need to know that. Somebody told me these are the words I need to know. Plus, I'm about to attempt to nail a South African handshake. I'll practice during the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, it's 22 minutes past the hour now.

Did you know that team USA, if you haven't been watching the World Cup, they have not won a game in the World Cup yet, but they haven't lost one, either.

Let me explain. They are proving themselves with each game. They rallied back from a 2-0 deficit yesterday at halftime. But they ended up with a draw against Slovenia. They would have won the game if it wasn't for a controversial call.

You're seeing what was thought to be the go-ahead goal, would have made it 3-2. But quite frankly, there was a mystery call. No one can explain exactly what the ref called, but he called the shot off. So 2-2, ended up in a tie.

They also held heavily favored England to a 1-1 draw. Now, because of the controversial call, they have to win the game against Algeria on Wednesday to stay in the competition. It's a little confusing about the scoring system. But even though they tied two games, they can still earn enough points to get into the next round.

As we all watch the coverage out of South Africa, we're hearing some words maybe we've never heard before. Josh Levs is getting schooled now on South African lingo and food on today's "Levs on the Lookout."

LEVS: So throughout the World Cup, we've been looking at some of the unique expressions coming out of South Africa. And schooling me on all this is our Nadia Bilchik, our editorial producer and an anchor from South Africa, who knows every piece of lingo.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN PRODUCER: Hello, Josh.

LEVS: Hi. So help me out on this.

BILCHIK: Jol (ph), it means we're go to a party. You and I couldn't have go tonight on a big jol or we can go joling, partying.

LEVS: So it's a South African party is a jol.

All right, zhoosh (ph).

BILCHIK: Zhoosh, like you look sharp, you look great, or I'm feeling very zhoosh.

LEVS: Zhoosh.

BILCHIK: I feel sharp.

LEVS: Like sharp, but sharp. Help.

BILCHIK: Gatvol (ph). Now, I am full up, I have had enough, I can be gatvol of a situation or gatvol of a person.

LEVS: And last one?

BILCHIK: Babbelas (ph). I have a hangover, I have such a babbelas.

(LAUGHTER)

Last night when we went on that jol (ph), I drank so much that now I have a babbelas.

LEVS: Speaking of eating and drinking, you have some special foods you're going to show to us?

BILCHIK: Yes. So I say to you, josh, before we go.

LEVS: So tell me about the food.

BILCHIK: We have a ruske (ph) in the morning. That's a staple. So I have to show you one. They are quite delicious and you dip them in your tea or your coffee and you eat them once they've been dipped.

LEVS: OK.

BILCHIK: Now, biltong is dry meat. The big difference is that jerky is. That is much of the consumed at the World Cup. Then we have Mrs. Bhools (ph) chuck meat. We have some chakalaka (ph), which is tomatoes, onions and garlic and you would cook it in a poike (ph). That means a little pot. This is the staple South African food. It could be like grits. Everybody eats this and then you can have a brye (ph).

LEVS: Now I'm jealous of people who are in South Africa getting to eat all this.

Real quickly, you have a handshake you want to show me.

BILCHIK: There are many versions of the South African handshake, Josh, but let me show you this version. We shake, we shake, we shake and we claps clap.

LEVS: This isn't that bad.

BILCHIK: No, but you have to do it very quickly. Shake, shake, shake, clap.

LEVS: What if you miss?

BILCHIK: Darling, you never miss.

LEVS: Thank you so much.

BILCHIK: Thank you. Have a laka (ph) day.

LEVS: We'll go have a jol (ph). Back to you.

HOLMES: All right, 27 minutes past the hour now.

And coming up, men have had the little blue pill for years. Could there be a little pink pill for women now? The FDA is taking up a possible female Viagra. Did they give it the OK? The answer is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's the bottom of the hour here now on this CNN Saturday Morning.

An FDA advisory committee has put the so-called female Viagra on hold. The side effects outweigh the benefits, this panel says. The government tells the drug makers now to continue your research, however, so we could see this come up again in the future.

As CNN's Elizabeth Cohen now reports, there would be a lot of demand for a drug that works.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When a man has a sexual problem, he can go to the pharmacy and get some help.

(on camera): How many drugs do you have for men with sex problems?

IRA KATZ, PHARMACIST: Currently, three prescription medications.

COHEN: And how many drugs do you have for women with sexual problems?

KATZ: Currently, no prescription medications.

COHEN (voice-over): It's been 12 years since Viagra came on the market, and still, there's no similar drug for women.

(on camera): Cheryl Kingsburg, you're an expert on female sexual health. This just seems unfair.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It does seem unfair.

COHEN: Will we at some point see the demise of this double standard for men and women?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are two potential treatment options right on the cusp of being available for women.

COHEN: Let's meet the contenders. The first one is from Biosante Pharmaceuticals in Chicago. Here is your product, Fluigel. There's no drug in here, just a gel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right. We call it a pea sized amount of gel. We rub it into your arm and that's the dose for 24 hours.

COHEN: That's it, once a day?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once a day.

COHEN: So in the real drug, there's testosterone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.

COHEN: And that does what to a woman's sex drive?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It increases the desire to have sex and subsequently it increases the number of events. We're not looking to make women wild. It's just to restore the testosterone they used to have.

COHEN: Stop number two on our tour of female sexual dysfunction is to the New York area, where another pharmaceutical company has developed a drug, this time it's a pill. And I'm here with Michael Sands who is in charge of the clinical research. Now, the drug is called Flebanterin (ph). In studies, what has it done for women that have taken it?

MICHAEL SAND, DIRECTOR CLINICAL RESEARCH, BOEHRINGER INGELTHEIM: About half of the women that have taken it notice significant desire on their desire for sexual activity and a decrease in their stress.

COHEN: So there are chemicals in the brain that deal with how sexy you feel. And what does your drug do with those chemicals?

SAND: We think Flebanterin is altering those chemicals in a way that restores that balance from what women had before they lost that desire.

COHEN: The company that comes up with the female Viagra, they have a lot to gain, don't they?

SAND: I think the company has a lot to gain and maybe women have more to gain. Some women I think will do well with the testosterone treatment, some will do well with Flebantarin, and some will do well with a new partner. It's not fair to say one treatment for one problem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The FDA advisory panel on Friday asked the drug maker for more conclusive data. The committee is sending recommendations to the FDA and the FDA oftentimes does follow the recommendations from that committee. The decision does not affect the gel that you saw. That supposedly does the same thing and the gel is still being studied right now.

We're going to take you to a royal wedding, some of the first pictures we're seeing now of a royal wedding that took place in Sweden. She is the heir to the throne. He is a guy who owns some gyms. Yes, a commoner, they're calling him over there. Some history being made in Stockholm -- a live report coming up. It's 36 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Let me just take you to this fairytale here. Let me tell you what you're looking at here, a live picture. This is a royal wedding that just took place. And there you see the couple waving. Live pictures, this is in Stockholm, Sweden.

Now, she is the heir to the throne. That is Crowned Princess Victoria. She has married, as you say there, Daniel Wesley. Now, he is what is referred to -- and I am not insulting the guy by using this word -- but they call him a "commoner." By that, it simply means he is not of royal blood, if you will. Live from the Swedish capital, Per, please, a lot of people didn't know this was taken place, but this is a big deal.

PER NYBERG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is an enormous deal. They just drove by here on the street next to me. And you have around 250,000 Swedes who came here today to celebrate the princess marrying her former gym instructor. They call it a Nordic saga.

A couple years back you saw the Danish crown prince marrying his commoner princess. It is a Nordic saga that keeps on happening. Even the Swedish king a couple years back, he married a girl from Germany that he met during the Munich Olympics. So it keeps on happening.

I think it's something that is in the air. Here in Stockholm right now, we're seeing love in the air. There is an enormous festival going on. You just feel the love. A couple minutes back we went across to some of the people and asked them why have they come here to Stockholm today?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via translator): Somewhere in all of this, of course, we want to feel like this is our own wedding. In the end, it's Daniel I'll have by my side at the altar and I think we'll have an intimate feeling, as well. I'm not worried about that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): We've talked a lot about how we need to be very included and hopefully everyone will be able to be happy for our big day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a day. We've been looking forward to it for three years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an opportunity for Stockholm and Sweden to have such a wedding occasion. It doesn't happen very often.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have our Swedish soon to celebrate. And we will wave.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's an enormous day in Sweden, yes. It's really a fantastic day.

NYBERG (on camera): How excited are you about the wedding?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very excited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NYBERG: Those were some of the voices that we heard a couple of minutes back when we went down to the street. We spoke to some of the people here.

And before that, you actually heard the crown princess and her now husband speaking about what it's like to have millions of people watching this intimate ceremony as they get married. That's going to be in the news, future Swedish queen and future Swedish king. Back to you, T.J.

HOLMES: Last thing, explain to us now, what is his role? I know he was a personal trainer, he owned some gyms. What is his role now? Does he go back to his day job or does he take on a role now with the royal family?

NYBERG: Daniel has actually been in training for the last couple of months to become a real royal. His title right now is "Your Royal Highness" the prince of Sweden. So if you speak to him, you have to call him "your royal highness."

So he's supporting the princess in her role as a symbol for Sweden. The Swedish monarchy is a constitutional monarchy where the monarch doesn't have actually any political or military power. He's just a symbol that travels around the world to do PR for Sweden and be a symbol.

That is what Victoria is going to do and what Daniel is going to do. He still has his gym business. If I can tell you a secret, my sister is a personal trainer at one of his gyms. He still goes there, he still manages his gym, but his main task to support the crown princess.

HOLMES: We got a little insight to the royal family, your family, and everybody's family now. Per Nyberg, thank you so much. My wedding seems kind of weak now after seeing those pictures.

Let's move on. It's important to invest in education. Our latest CNN hero undertook that very tough task in the impoverished nation of Cambodia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PONHEARY LY, CNN HERO: In the countryside in Cambodia, some children, they come to school, but not very regular because the family needs to have them in the farm.

The school is free, but they don't have any money. How can they have the money for uniform and supplies? My name is Ponheary Ly. I help the children go to school.

The education is important to me because my father was a teacher. During the Khmer Rouge time, my father was killed. If we tried to study, we could be killed.

My soul always go to school. In the beginning, I got only one girl. After that, 40 children, and now 2,000. And after several years, I see the change, because they know how to read and write and they borrow the books from our library to read for their parents.

I need them to have a good education to build their own family and to build their own country. My father, he has to be proud here in heaven and in my heart.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: So do you know someone who should be a CNN hero? We invite you to submit your nominee at CNN.com/heroes. Make your own choice and make your choice known to us. And you can see our top ten CNN heroes of 2009 in their compelling stories of making the world a better place.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It is about ten minutes to the top of the hour. Checking some of the stories making headlines.

Four people are dead after an Amtrak train hit a vehicle at a train crossing. This happened in Independence, Louisiana. Four victims, they were all siblings, including a pregnant 18-year-old driver. Her three brothers were ages 12, 13 and 16.

Taking you to Lexington, Kentucky now, where police there are apologizing. Police there assumed that a woman who had been severely injured, they thought she was dead when they got to the scene. They didn't get her to a hospital until three hours after they found her.

The woman did die the next day. This incident has prompted a change in policy at that police department.

Also they're taking a look at security at the World Cup after a fan got into the England team's dressing room. This happened just after Prince William and Harry reportedly had just left that locker room. The club spokesman downplayed the incident saying nobody was hurt here, but still the South African police are investigating.

Coming up next, did you know, it's a holiday today? Several states are celebrating Juneteenth. Do you know what that means? We're going to have a conversation about whether or not it can even be a holiday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: An Alabama commuter resolved to fight with everything he's gone to block oil from reaching its waters. Our Mary Snow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jamie Hinton has a battle plan to block oil from approaching his community and he took us out to show us. Yes, there's containment booms, but he's not trusting it.

CHIEF JAMIE HINTON, MAGNOLIA SPRINGS VOLUNTEER: You can see hear from the low wave action we've got right now, it's almost going over the top of it.

SNOW: And that's why Hinton mobilized nine majors at the bay. But he had to fight and he was eager to show us why. The bay is home to estuary that leads to the Magnolia River. Hinton has served here his whole life and served as the chief of the fire department.

Mail is delivered by boat and wildlife dots the landscape. But there is an underlying anxiety.

HINTON: And to think that if we can't stop the oil from getting in here, it could be lost for multiple generations.

SNOW: In early may when CNN first visited Magnolia Springs, Hinton had sounded the alarm and was told by some locals he was overreacting. BP had provided a single line of booms, so Hinton drew up a plan to use barges along the containment boom.

BP has since provided much more boom, staff and equipment, but Hinton says he is relying on his community and not the government.

HINTON: Are they going to handle it like they did Katrina and Ike and the Valdese?

SNOW: The town had to get government approval to line up the barges. Hinton said he was ready to do it even if the meant going to jail. That didn't happen. Magnolia Springs now has government money to keep those barges out here for four months.

HINTON: The barge with the crane is getting diagonally float at the swing there at the barge, and that fills the gap.

SNOW (on camera): You're confident that that will block this oil?

HINTON: I'm very confident that we're going to block the stuff on top of the water.

SNOW: How about below?

HINTON: It scares me to death.

SNOW: Oil hasn't reached here, but local officials say it's just a matter of time, that traces of oil have been found about 10 nautical miles out. But residents here say they're going to give everything they've got to protect what they call their piece of heaven.

Mary Snow, CNN, Magnolia Springs, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Today is a holiday in many states. Did you know that? Did you know it's Juneteenth? Do you know what that means? It's June 19th. It was on this day in 1865. That was the day that slaves in Texas were told they were free even though the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect some two years prior.

A Historical event commemorated by many African-Americans. Joining me now to talk about this holiday, conservative libertarian blogger. I have that right, Robert George? We'll have to do a new report on exactly what that means.

ROBERT A. GEORGE, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEW YORK POST: I'm sure you can fill up a whole hour.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: OK. Juneteenth, what did you think? How widespread in popularity would you say this date is?

GEORGE: It's not as widespread as it should be, but unfortunately, I think that's kind of a reflection of the fact that a lot of American history amongst people of all backgrounds is not taught to the extent that it should be.

But it is a significant day for many African-Americans, as you mentioned in the intro there. It was, you know, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19th, 1865, 125 years ago and announced to the blacks there, you are free and you have actually been free since January 1st, 1863.

But the Emancipation Proclamation only took effect in the slave states. And obviously, the slave states were not exactly willing to start spreading the news to the slaves there that they were free. And so when the union soldiers arrived, that's when many could feel it.

And so it became very, very well known in Texas and Texas was the only state that recognized it as the official state holiday. But across the south, more and more African-Americans are observing it.

HOLMES: Now, Robert, you said it's probably not celebrated as much as it should be. You said that's partly a consequence of it's not taught, quite frankly, in school, so people don't come up knowing about this date, if you will.

So I guess, why should it be more widespread? Why not -- we talk about the emancipation proclamation, and we don't have a specific date people hold onto to celebrate, but why should this date be a date that we should hold onto and have it, in some regards, like Texas, as a holiday?

GEORGE: I don't know if it's necessary in every state to recognize it as a holiday. But I think it's good in a cultural observation, because the real story of America that I think is something everybody can share in is really the idea of greater freedom, greater self-knowledge for all people.

And I think African-Americans, some who may often have ambivalence about July 4th, this is something for them to look at as another day of freedom and, you know, to learn from that, and to also look at it as a way to educate about themselves and about America, as well.

HOLMES: Robert, how should we celebrate? A lot of people, as you just mentioned there, we would hope to but are not going to stop and necessarily educate themselves. They're going to go out and people have family holidays and you picnic and you do all those things.

But how would you say and how should the government even go about recognizing this day?

GEORGE: Well, I mean, I think it's a -- it's a personal decision for everybody. I mean, they can -- they can -- have picnics, they can have -- they can have parades in some towns if they wish.

I think in terms of -- in terms of the government, I mean, I think it would be fine if, you know, if there is a regular proclamation. And I think President Bush, actually who have been the former Governor of Texas actually started sending out a national proclamation for Juneteenth. That's certainly -- that's certainly great.

And, again, I think one of the things that is taught the least in schools, which they should learn the most, is American history, all aspects of it. You can look at it from the fourth of July. Look at -- look at Juneteenth. You can also learn more about the emancipation proclamation and the Civil War and so forth because if you don't -- if you don't learn about the past, of the country often doesn't know where it's going to be going in the future.

HOLMES: Very well said. Robert George, I'm going to have to look down to get this right, Conservative/Libertarian blogger. Robert, we appreciate you taking the time with us on this Juneteenth. You enjoy the rest of your weekend.

GEORGE: You, too, T.J. Thank you very much.