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Outrage Over BP Exec's "Day Off"; Israel Reopens Gaza; Sudan Player Dies from Stevens Johnson Syndrome; B.P. Compensation Not Easy to Obtain; Scam Artists Look to Cash in on Oil Spill Claims
Aired June 20, 2010 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: While the wealthy BP chief yachts off the English coast, some poor people on the Gulf can't pay their bills and can't get the oil giant to pay up as promised. CNN investigates that.
And the lowest of the low when it comes to this oil spill. We'll tell you about scam artists who are taking advantage of people who have already lost so much.
And the death of one of the most beloved NBA players ever stuns the league and the nation. We check in with Manute Bol's long-time friend and teammate, Charles Barkley.
(MUSIC)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
We're tracking a developing story this hour, it's in the Middle East, and it could have a major impact on that region's long and elusive search for peace. Just three weeks after nine activists died in a confrontation on the high seas as a flotilla tried to reach Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza with the exception of military-related items. More on this story in just a few minutes.
First, we want to get the latest on the Gulf oil disaster. Remember BP's estimate of how much oil was spilling from its broken well in the Gulf? On day 62 of this disaster, we find that privately, the company's estimate was 100 times greater back in April. BP said only 1,000 barrels a day was escaping from the well, but an internal BP document before the accident said the well could spew 100,000 barrels a day in the worst case. That's more than 4 million gallons a day.
The deeply religious people of Louisiana are appealing to a higher power to stop this catastrophe. Today has been designated a day of prayer in Louisiana to ask for a miracle.
Now, along with all the flowing oil is an overflow of outrage today over BP's CEO Tony Hayward taking the day off to attend a yacht race in England. Republican Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama minced no words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: I thought, Bob, that the fact that the chairman of BP had the gall, the arrogance, to go to a yacht race in one of his -- in England, while all of this was going on here, I thought that was the height of stupidity and I believe myself that he should go. I don't know how he can represent a company in crisis, like BP, and ignore what's going on in the Gulf of Mexico.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Let's get right to the ground now. And CNN's Chris Lawrence, he's down in New Orleans. Chris, the anger, outrage is growing over that yachting photo and Tony Hayward going to a yachting event?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don, you know, I talked to this environmentalist that's down on the shore, cleaning a lot of those oiled birds. And she told me, she just could not believe it. She said, you know, it's -- you know, when you see what we're dealing with every day with these animals coming in soaked with oil, all the people out of work down here, you know, to be there with this 50-foot yacht sailing around the coast of England, it -- she just said, it just -- it says everything about this idea that nobody really cares.
Now, I got to be fair, on the other hand, I also heard, you know, people say, well, you know, President Obama has been golfing, you know, while this is going on. I think he went golfing this weekend. So, you know, how is that any different?
And some other -- you know, one other person said, you know, no one can work 24 hours a day. It's not like someone can just stay up every single minute of the day, that the guy has to see his family at some point, and while, you know, the image of the yachting may be bad, it's not like he personally is responsible for getting -- you know, physically getting the oil out.
So, a mixed of emotions, but overall, obviously, a lot more outrage than understanding on this.
LEMON: Yes. And, Chris, we're going to talk to you in just a little bit, get an update on the situation there and also we're going to talk to you about a story about fishermen down there. Chris, thanks for joining us.
This hour, the fishermen frustrated, their attempts to get paid by BP. What they have been given is only a fraction of what he says he has been owed, one fisherman. And Chris Lawrence is going to report on that in just a little bit.
The man put in charge of BP's compensation fund, his name is Kenneth Feinberg. He's had a lot of experience doling out money to tragedy -- victims of tragedy.
We want to join CNN's Kate Bolduan. She's going to look deeper into this and she joins us from Washington.
Kate, what do with know about Feinberg's plans? KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Don.
Well, Kenneth Feinberg right now, you can guess that his mantra is speed and efficiency. He's tapped by BP and President Obama to oversee the $20 billion fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill. Feinberg has said, here, his biggest obstacle is really convincing skeptical Gulf Coast residents to file their claims with him. Here's his pitch he'd making today. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNETH FEINBERG, ADMIN., INDEPENDENT CLAIMS FACILITY: He files a claim and he gets paid and he gets paid promptly. The president of the United States has instructed me: get these claims paid, get them paid quickly. When I met with Governor Barbour, he told me, frankly, Ken, time is the enemy, and he's so right here.
I must make sure that this $20 billion fund provides for prompt payment, full compensation. It's an independent program. I'm not beholden to the administration. I'm not beholden to BP.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Now, Feinberg is best known for overseeing the September 11th victims compensation fund. And at least one aspect, this job that he's taking on now is more complicated because the damage is still unfolding as the oil continues gushing below the surface. There's no way really of knowing just how much damage the residents and businesses in the Gulf will suffer.
And, Don, today Feinberg said many of the initial payments he'll be approving will be the first of multiple payments for many of the victims, many times over. So, he has a very big job ahead.
LEMON: Kate, thank you very much. Appreciate your reporting.
And you've seen the devastation and heard the complaints. Now is your chance to help. Monday night, make sure you join Larry King for an all-star relief effort to help rebuild the Gulf Coast. The special two-hour "LARRY KING LIVE" event takes place at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
And the BP oil disaster is bringing out scammers like sharks in the water. If you're planning to file a claim or know someone who is, you need to pay attention to keep from getting taken. Make sure you stay tuned. We're going to tell you about that.
We have a developing story also to tell you about. It's from the Middle East. Israel with a landmark decision in how it treats Gaza.
And don't just sit there. Make sure you become part of the conversation. Send me a message on Twitter or on Facebook, or you can follow me on Foursquare as well, and check out my blog at CNN.com/Don.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: It is a major shift in Israel's policy toward Gaza and it could bring major changes in the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel plans to ease the restrictions on Gaza that were imposed three years ago this month. The restrictions will continue on military-related items. Although eased, the naval blockade of Gaza remains in place and military officials will continue to inspect goods on ships bound for Gaza.
Today's word comes three weeks after nine Turkish activists were killed in a confrontation with Israeli forces aboard an aid ship trying to reach Gaza. Minister Netanyahu announced the new policy and he was also quick to mention the continued captivity of an Israeli soldier held inside Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Our government's policy towards Gaza is clear: Israel seeks to keep out of Gaza weapons and materiel that Hamas uses to prepare and carry out terror and rocket attacks against Israel and its civilians. All other goods will be allowed into Gaza.
Gilad Shalit is now approaching four years in captivity. The international community should join Israel in strongly condemning Hamas for holding him captive. Now is the time for all of us, Israel and the international community, to redouble our efforts to secure Gilad Shalit's immediate release.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And CNN's Paula Hancocks is tracking the story for us in Jerusalem.
Paula, let's talk first about the easing of restrictions in Gaza. Why is it so important at this point?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, Israel has said all along that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But the United Nations, which is pretty much based in Gaza on a daily basis, says that that's not true. There is a humanitarian crisis and they have been pushing, along with much of the international community, for the last three years really for this blockade to be lifted.
They say it's collective punishment. They say that's against international law. And they really have been putting pressure on Israel to ease this blockade. But it's not the kind of pressure we've seen over the past three weeks since that flotilla.
The pressure has been immense and this is why we're seeing this easing, although Israel says that it intended to do it all along. And certainly, it's very important for 1.5 million residents of Gaza any extra aid that can get in will be very welcome. Certainly, by the NGOs as well who've been petitioning for this for a long time.
But what people in Gaza are also saying is allow them to send exports out. People want to be able to fend for themselves, to rebuild their small businesses. They don't want to rely on hand-outs.
At this point, 80 percent of the Gaza Strip relies on hand-outs, and any people -- is a pride people, and they want to be able to make money and to provide for themselves -- Don.
LEMON: So, Paula, listen, that incident that happened on the seas about three weeks ago where -- nine deaths occurred with those nine Turkish activists, how much did this play into it, if at all?
HANCOCKS: Well, certainly, the international pressure has been immense over the past three weeks. First of all, it was immense because of those deaths -- there has been calls for an investigation, Israel is having an investigation into what happened and why it happened. And there's been a real blame game between Israel and the activists. Israel is saying the activists started the fight. The activists are saying that they weren't armed. So, a lot of discussion about that.
But beyond that, once the international community had digested what had happened, then they started to focus on Gaza. Once again, they started to look at this blockade that's been in place and that is making the people of Gaza suffer.
And according to the United Nations, Israel is doing it for security, but the U.N. says it is counterproductive. It's actually making Hamas stronger or other groups stronger because of the illegal tunnels between Egypt and Gaza. Hamas is taxing for those. They're getting $10,000 a year from every single tunnel that's expected to be hundreds of tunnels.
So, really, this flotilla and the incident on the flotilla brought attention back to this blockade -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Paula Hancocks in London -- thank you very much for that.
We've heard from the Israeli prime minister on this. So, let's get another perspective from Ramzi Kysia. He's an organizer of the Free Gaza Movement and he joins us now from San Francisco.
Thank you, Mr. Kysia. What is your reaction to today's word that Israel is going to ease its blockade of Gaza?
RAMZI KYSIA, ORGANIZER, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT: You know, it's not clear yet what is actually going to happen. The Israelis have made similar announcements, literally dozens of times, over the last three years. And only thing that has really changed has been the wording on the press releases.
But even if this announcement is followed up by actual action on the ground, it's still unacceptable. The so-called restrictions on dual use items apply to things like spare parts for factories, fuel to run the electrical plant to provide electricity for everyone, and concrete to rebuild homes, schools, hospitals -- many of which were destroyed during Operation Cast Lead a year and a half ago. So, these are basic necessities that have to come in and that will still be blockaded under this announcement.
LEMON: But do you understand that there are some in Israel who believe that there are people in there who are using the things that you mentioned for untoward reasons, using them for explosives, using them to get back to the Israeli people and to make bombs and IEDs and all those things, because some of those parts can be used for that?
KYSIA: Yes. Well, you know, I'm not sure that that argument can be sustained. The restrictions that we've seen on Gaza have been in place since 1967, many of them, attacks against Gaza fishermen, against farmers. Our ships are the only ones that have gotten in since 1967 from the rest of the world.
So, if this is simply about Hamas, then why did some of these restrictions exist, you know, decades ago?
LEMON: Yes.
KYSIA: But even if this is the case, it doesn't make any difference.
(CROSSTALK)
KYSIA: Whatever Israel's concerns are with the government in Gaza, they cannot be applied to the civilian population. This is collective punishment.
LEMON: Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned Gilad Shalit? Do you join him in calling Hamas to release Shalit? Do you think it's going to happen?
KYSIA: I call on all parties -- Free Gaza calls on all parties in this conflict to release all of the prisoners, including the 11,000 Palestinian prisoners that are in Israeli jails, including hundreds of child prisoners.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Mr. Kysia. We appreciate it.
KYSIA: Thank you for having me.
LEMON: If you're in Canada and looking for some extra money, listen up. We'll tell you how camel and tiger spotting can earn you some big bucks.
And years after a community is his hard by Hurricane Katrina, a teacher from New York is trying to help with his field of dreams. You'll meet him -- straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We'll check your top stories right now.
Twin bombings kill 29 people in western Baghdad today. At least 65 others were wounded. Suicide bombers detonated two cars packed with explosive near a government building and a bank. A wave of violence has killed 100 people across Iraq this week. It's feared insurgents are trying to wreck Iraq's financial and political system and the situation as politicians continue to wrangle over forming a new government there.
Sons, daughters and grandchildren of veterans who lost their lives in Vietnam paid special tribute on this Father's Day. They scrubbed clean the granite wall of Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. In the process, they polished each of the 58,000-plus names on it. Once the wall was cleaned, the families laid roses at its base.
Twenty thousand dollars could be yours if you spotted a missing tiger and two camels. The animals were in a trailer that was stolen from a motel parking lot just outside Montreal. They were being taken to a Toronto zoo, which is offering the reward. Zoo officials are afraid Jonas the tiger and the camels, Shawn and Todd, will die if they don't get enough water.
And tonight's "Building Up America," a young teacher from New York is raising money to build his field of dreams in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. He sees a football stadium as a way to rally a community that desperately needs it. CNN's Tom Foreman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Carver High Rams are training for their third year of football since the big storm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Set, hut!
FOREMAN: The team looks good, the coaches are hopeful. But the Rams are getting a big boost --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go.
FOREMAN: -- thanks to a wild idea from the school's 24-year-old athletic director, Brian Bordainick, brought in from New York by the "Teach for America" program.
(on camera): What is your vision for what you're going to put here?
BRIAN BORDAINICK, G.W. CARVER HIGH SCHOOL: We want to put a state-of-the-art community space, a synthetic turf football field, eight-lane Olympic track, with stadium seating and lighting.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Always a troubled institution in the toughest part of the Ninth Ward, Carver was destroyed by Katrina, students scattered.
And yet, since he launched his field of dreams project to serve not just Carver, but every public school in the area, Bordainick has raised -- no kidding -- $1.3 million. Selling individuals, government leaders and companies like the architectural firm that has designed the new field for free has not been easy.
But gradually, Bordainick's relentless enthusiasm and conviction that a sports center can rally a whole town have won supporters.
MARK RIPPLE, ESKEW, DUMEZ & RIPPLE ARCHITECTS: It's something that gives kids self-esteem and in areas of the city that, you know, where they desperately need it.
CROWD: Way to work.
FOREMAN: Bordainick and the Rams still need a half million dollars to break ground, but they have faith it will come because just like football, they are working on it.
CROWD: Go, Rams!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go and walk on my field. Let's go and walk on my field. Let's go.
FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: A basketball player and an incredible humanitarian, former NBA center Manute Bol has died after contracting a rare skin disease. Former teammate Charles Barkley remembers his friends and a doctor tells us more about this disease -- straight ahead.
Plus this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All we want is BP to cover us for our losses, get the well capped like everybody wants, and let's move on and let us fish. I got salt water running through these veins.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Gulf Coast residents jumping through hoops to get paid by BP. But for many, the checks being offered aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The pro basketball world is mourning the death of Manute Bol, a Sudan native who became an instant hit in the NBA because of his height and his shot-blocking skills. The 47-year-old Bol died yesterday at a Virginia hospital. His cousin said he suffered from a kidney condition and other complications from Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare skin disease that he reportedly contracted from kidney medication he received in Africa.
Seven feet, seven inches tall, Bol was living in rural Sudan when he was discovered by an American basketball coach. He never played the game. He didn't speak English, but he had tended cattle and once killed a lion with a spear. He went on to play for four NBA teams known as much for his generous spirit as his basketball prowess.
And one his early teammates was Charles Barkley, the NBA star and future Hall of Famer. I asked Charles what he remembered most about Manute Bol.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES BARKLEY, FORMER NBA PLAYER (via telephone): One of the funniest people that I ever met in my life. You know, he was just a wonderful person. You know, and he would always talk about the civil war that was going on in Sudan because he was sending all his money back to Sudan. And I can honestly say, I never played with a better person.
LEMON: You know, what did you think the first time -- the first time you laid eyes on him?
BARKLEY: Well, first of all, you know, he's a -- he's a physical freak. He's 7'7". So, any time you see somebody 7'7", it gets your attention. So, then you wonder, can this guy play?
But I got to tell you something, he's one of those guys, any time you're going to the basket, you are looking for him. There are a bunch of guys who they said they're shot blockers who are not shot blockers, but any time you went to the basket, you were looking for Manute.
I mean, he all -- he tried to block every shot, it didn't matter if you were physical with him. It didn't matter if you dunked on him. Nothing fazed him. He wanted to keep just trying to block shots.
LEMON: Yes. And it was amazing. You know, I was just reading up on him. And on average, he never averaged really more than four points a game. But, man, he could touch the rim without even jumping, just standing there.
BARKLEY: You know, he did that all the time. But I just got to tell you, you never met a more funny guy, but -- like I say, you never met a better person.
LEMON: Yes.
BARKLEY: I mean, he would always talk to us about every time he got paid, he would send all this money back to Sudan. You know, living here in the states, we don't have any concept of what a civil war is.
LEMON: Yes.
BARKLEY: But, the world is not a better place today, its worth (ph), because we don't have Manute Bol.
LEMON: Hey, have you -- had you spoken to him recently because he had been sick recently and some people knew about it, some people didn't? Had you had the chance to talk to him in?
BARKLEY: We had not talked but we found out when he got sick about -- probably about two weeks ago, he had an emergency with his kidneys during the NBA playoffs. So, I had not talked to him personally. But when I got the phone call earlier today, it ruined my whole day. It just sucks, to be honest with you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So joining us now is Dr. Kimberly Manning with the Emery University School of Medicine and she's going to tell us about this.
Dr. Manning, thanks for joining us. What is this disease, this Stevens Johnson disease? Tell us about it.
DR. KIMBERLY MANNING, EMERY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Stevens Johnson Syndrome is an idiosyncratic or often unpredictable skin reaction that often happens in response to medications or with infections. The response to infections often happens more with children than adults. And usually, what happens is that people develop fever first, and then they start to develop these skin lesions that can dramatically lead to breakdown of the skin and sloughing off of the outer layer of the skin or epidermis.
LEMON: You say it happens in the mucus membranes, mouth, eyes and genital region.
MANNING: It can involve any part of the surface area of the body, but specifically, Stevens Johnson Syndrome involves the mucus membrane, like you said, the mouth, eyes and genital tract, which can be very serious.
LEMON: Usually, people usually live from it, especially younger people? 47 is not that old, though.
MANNING: 47's not that old, but with Stevens Johnson Syndrome, it's very serious and one of the problems that can happen is that people can often develop what we call super infection, infection on top of it. Children and young adults do the best with this. And the overall mortality or death from Stevens Johnson Syndrome is usually around 1 percent to 3 percent, which doesn't sound that high, but as you grow older, that chance gets greater.
LEMON: People are wondering, as did I, is it anything to do with this pigment, you saw his pigment, the pink lip, whatever, that was just because he was from the Sudan, had nothing to do with Stevens Johnson?
MANNING: Absolutely not. It had nothing to do with that. And, in fact, his complexion might have made it harder for people to know what was going on at the very beginning, because one of the first signs that you see, in addition to fever with Stevens Johnson Syndrome, is a redness of the skin. And that might have been difficult to appreciate in someone of a darker complexion.
LEMON: Good information. It's so sad, because we know what he did for the Sudan, and what he did for us here in the game of basketball. We really appreciate it.
MANNING: And things for people to know is that this is something that's unusual, but it's really important that if a person develops any kind of reaction to a medication, even as late as 14 or 15 days later, which is what happens with Stevens Johnson Syndrome, to alert their doctor and stop taking the medication.
LEMON: Good information, Dr. Kimberly Manning of Emory. Appreciate it.
Ten people killed as a day of democracy comes to a deadly end in Colombia.
And one way to get out from behind that desk at work and get healthy at the same time. We'll tell you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Sitting at a desk all day can be boring. And some studies say it can also be bad for your health. So if you could work and walk at the same time, what would happen? Gary Tuchman explains in today's "Edge of Discovery."
(EDGE OF DISCOVERY)
LEMON: Imagine losing $100,000 in income because of the oil spill. You'd expect B.P. to pay as they promised, right? Yet, one man says, what they did pay was nowhere near what he lost. You're going to meet him next.
Also, the oil spill and the frustrating claims process presenting a tempting opportunity for scam artists. An expert will join us to explain what people need to watch out for.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have some developing news in our top stories here. This is just in to CNN and it involves Chicago and the CTA, specifically the Redline on the transit system there, the subway system. Chicago firefighters are -- this is according, again, to "The Chicago Tribune" and to media reports. Firefighters are reporting there are reports of smoke on the Redline subway, one of the major subway lines, near Clark and Division Streets. It's happening this afternoon. That's a spokesperson again, but this is being reported by "The Chicago Tribune" and also other agencies there. Redline trains are being rerouted to elevated tracks between Fullerton and Surmac (ph), in Chinatown, because of firefighting activity. That's all the information we know. If it turns out to be anything more than a precaution or just a fire, we'll report it to you right here on CNN.
We're going to move on now to your other top stories. Election Day in Colombia has turned deadly. Seven police officers and three soldiers were killed in attacks blamed on leftist rebels. The police were on patrol in the north when a roadside bomb destroyed their truck. Meantime, to the south, FARC guerrillas are blamed for an ambush on soldiers carrying election material. The attacks come as voters headed to the polls in a presidential runoff.
Bloodshed also in Mexico. Gunmen shot and killed the mayor of the town of Guadalupe. Authorities say Mayor Jesus Manuelar Rodriquez (ph) was killed in front of his wife and child as he walked to his car in his home in Juarez. Northern Mexico has become a battleground between drug cartels and police.
Israel is promising to allow all goods into Gaza, except for weapons and military items. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government plans to ease the Gaza blockade. He met with Middle East envoy Tony Blair in Jerusalem today. The former British prime minister and the White House praised Israel's decision, but Hamas dismissed it, saying the blockade should be lifted entirely.
B.P. promises to pay victims of the oil spill for their monetary losses. It makes a wonderful sound bite, doesn't it? But it real can be something else.
CNN's Chris Lawrence has a story of a charter boat captain who is having a difficult time getting B.P. to pay up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It took 40 years for Stu Scheer to build his business, running charter fishing boats for tourists in the gulf. Now, it's all falling apart, between the oil spill that shut down business and haggling with B.P. over his claim.
STU SCHEER, CHARTER BOAT CAPTAIN: Excuse me. You wonder how a guy my age, 260 pounds, could be emotional. Sorry. But, you know, it's like I told you, salt water runs through my veins. It's all I've done. It's all I've ever wanted to do is fish.
LAWRENCE: Stu walked into the local claims office, but B.P. classified him "large loss" and moved his claims 90 miles away. He only speaks with his adjuster by phone.
SCHEER: They wanted 2007, 2008, 2009 returns. They wanted my log books. They wanted my bank statements. They wanted all my licenses, P&L statements.
LAWRENCE (on camera): So you layed out --
SCHEER: Everything.
LAWRENCE: All this paperwork?
SCHEER: Everything.
LAWRENCE: To the number?
SCHEER: To the penny, virtually.
This is what I calculated from May 9th through the end of December that I had on the books, actual books, not projections, not people still calling me.
LAWRENCE: When you itemize these costs with B.P., you even accounted for -- that you wouldn't be using fuel.
SCHEER: That's right, if my boat didn't leave the dock, I wouldn't have fuel, bait, rods, reels, ice, contract, labor. My gross was $162,800, less expenses, daily boat expenses, came out to $107,982. My bookings for this year amounted to a gross net of $107,000 and they basically offered me $33,000.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): He turned down that offer and is now hassling to make up the difference.
(on camera): Are you any more confident in the government running the claims process as you were with B.P.?
SCHEER: Well, again, like I said, there's always an air of optimism. And the fact that the Obama administration has gotten B.P. to put the $20 billion in escrow and, supposedly, a new regime is going to come in and handle the claims, yes, there's optimism.
I hope it works out, but I'm suspicious.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Chris Lawrence joins us from New Orleans.
So, Chris, where does -- where do they go from now? What do they do next?
LAWRENCE: Don, more than likely, he's probably going to have to take that initial off, that $33,000 offer, which will pay him for the last couple months. Then he'll have to wait for July, August, refile another claim. And if it keeps going like it probably will, wait through September, October, refile another claim. This is probably just the beginning.
We tried to call B.P. on this. They say they don't discuss individual claims. But we should point out, they have cut about 31,000 checks and paid out more than $100 million over the last seven weeks.
The thing is, the actual claim amount is somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 million to $700 million.
LEMON: He seems frustrated and he was almost brought to tears there. Is he mad at B.P.?
LAWRENCE: Well, he's not mad at B.P. That's the funniest thing, Don. He said, you know, things happen. I'm not happy about all this oil in the gulf and what it's done to my business, but he said, we've coexisted with the oil companies for years. And he actually pointed out, those oil rigs have provided a great habitat for fish. The environmentalists don't like to hear this, but it is a great breeding ground for fish and they have provided us with some of our best fishing in years. LEMON: Chris Lawrence, thank you very much for that.
There's another dark side to this story. B.P.'s $20 billion compensation fund is like blood in the water for scam artists. Their potential victims are people desperate to get paid by B.P., or those looking for work in cleaning up the spill.
Are investors hoping to cash in on the new technology there, oil technology? Michael Haaren is CEO of Staffcentrix, a firm that specializes alerting the U.S. government and public to the latest scams.
Michael, we just watched Chris' report and the piece on the battling to get paid there. Scammers see this as golden opportunity. Explain why for us.
MICHAEL HAAREN, CEO, STAFFCENTRIX: Well, there are a lot of people desperate to have their businesses be made whole. There are a lot of claims and losses out there, as you saw with the charter boat captain. The scammers study these things. They study the headlines all the time, Don, and see this as an enormous opportunity to prey on the desperate.
LEMON: What about these phony cleanup job offers? What's that about?
HAAREN: We're seeing a lot of those on craigslist, not exclusively to craigslist. They're also arriving as spam in people's e-mail in boxes. We're seeing them as ads online. And that's where people are lured into paying for training, hazmat training, for example, to qualify for a job assisting in the oil spill cleanup. But, in fact, a lot of companies, B.P. included, are hiring people, and they're training them, paying them to be trained. And so you don't have to pay for training to qualify for these jobs. But the scammers are -- they're depending on people not knowing that.
LEMON: Michael, anybody that tells you, in order to get something, either get money back or be trained for something and you have to pay, don't do it.
HAAREN: Yes. A general rule, Don, is you shouldn't pay to work anyway. You normally get paid to work. But the state of Florida, for example, has over 3,500 jobs related to the oil spill that are on their web site, florida.gov. And if viewers want to go and have a look, they can see legitimate jobs where they don't have to pay to go to work.
LEMON: It's hard to believe that someone would want to take advantage of the people who have already lost so much down there.
Michael Haaren, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
HAAREN: Good to be here.
LEMON: You've seen the devastation and heard the complaints. Now, it's your time to help. Here's your chance. Monday night, make sure you join Larry King for an all-star relief effort to help rebuild the gulf coast. The special two-hour "Larry King Live" event takes place, 8 p.m. eastern on CNN.
An action-packed sports week draws to a close. Everything from World Cup action in South Africa to the Lakers taking home the NBA title to U.S. Open and golf. A lot of sports. Our guy, Rick Harrow, will be along in a bit to talk about all of it.
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LEMON: It has been a huge sports TV week with the NBA championship game, the World Cup and the U.S. Open golf tournament. Our sports business analyst, Rick Harrow, is just back from the tough golf duty in Pebble Beach. I know it was a tough one.
So, Rick, what can you tell us about the TV audience and the general interest? Is the World Cup soccer making any inroads in game seven and the U.S. Open featuring Tiger Woods?
RICK HARROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Yes, of course, game six and seven were in the 16, 17, 18 rating, which is unheard of, the World Cup game, the first one with the U.S. And England was in that range as well. The U.S. Open going on right now. So 40 to 50 million homes, collectively, these were huge days for sports. I know how big a sports fan you are. And, hey, listen we had basketball and golf was there. And we're excited about the World Cup as well, my friend.
LEMMON: Pebble Beach one of the few U.S. courses open to the public. And since you were just out there, you were roughing it. What does it cost the average golfer to play the course and to stay at the lodge? Is it that expensive?
HARROW: Hey, only about $450 to pay the course and the lodge suites are going for $2200. If you're lucky enough to be a corporate entertainer and you want one of those meeting rooms, it's going to be about $325,000 for the week. I'm sure now, with some of the corporate issues, nobody wants to advertise that. But it's a huge tournament. And because of that, by the way, $150,000 or so for the Monterrey Carmel area, which, of course, in this economy is incredibly important.
LEMON: Let's switch topics a little bit. There was a lot of buzz last week about the likely collapse of the big 12 conference, with several teams, including Texas, and apparently headed to the PAC- 10. How did the big 12 commissioner manage to head off this break-up in a major NCAA realignment?
HARROW: A really tough question. The answer is money, like anything else. The offer Texas the ability to take their $30 million in revenue, which is more than any other school, and parlay that into their own television network. They share money with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, all those other teams, and they said, yes, we'll share that and give you a piece, but you can also have your minor sports and women's sports and have your own network. Notre Dame has a contract with NBC, that's separate, but now we'll let Texas do its own thing. By the way, let me just give you an idea. The big 10 has 12 teams. The big 12 has 10 teams. And the PAC-10 has 12 teams. What do you think about that? Kind of confusing.
LEMON: I think I'm going to have to have a scorecard or either you on the phone like that explaining to me what's going on, because I can't figure it out.
HARROW: I'll stay with you on the phone all week. I'll call you later tonight, how is that?
LEMON: I hope we're on the same plan.
HARROW: Yes.
LEMON: Thanks very much for that, Rick Harrow. We'll see you next week. Bye.
HARROW: See you next week.
LEMON: All right, you can read Rick's blog at CNN.com/Don.
It's time now for some news you missed. Every weekend we like to bring you some interesting news items you might have missed throughout the week. "A Day in the Life" is now worth $1,202,500. John Lennon's hand-written lyrics went to the Beatles classic sold Friday at auction to a private collector in the U.S. That's nearly 13 times what the single sheet of paper sold for when it last came to auction. That was back in 1992. Lennon is believed to have written the lyrics on January 17, 1967. The Beatles began recording the song just a few days later, and eventually it turned into a 5.5 minute tour de force that changed rock music forever.
LEMON: So what's the first thing you remember the Obama's first state dinner at the White House?
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ANNOUNCER: Mr. and Mrs. Salahi.
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LEMON: If you're think Tareq and Michaela Salahis 15 minutes were up, you're wrong. Bravo announced this week, the party-crashing couple will star in the network's "Real Housewives" reality series come this fall. The setting? Where else, Washington, D.C. A spokesperson for the couple admits they had been auditioning for the series during that infamous state dinner fiasco. No word from the White House tonight, not from the former social secretary who resigned over the incident.
Sometimes it's ricks to stick a microphone in a politician's face.
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UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Hi, Congressman.
REP. BOB ETHERIDGE, (D), NORTH CAROLINA: Hi there.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Do you fully support the Obama agenda?
ETHERIDGE: Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Clearly, Democratic Congressman Bob Etheridge, of North Carolina, did not appreciate having a camera shoved in his face by two strangers. And you can see that they never identified themselves, so Etheridge was compelled to say he was sorry.
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ETHERIDGE: I came here today to do one thing, and that was to apologize for my actions. Because as I said, no matter how intrusive or partisan politics have begun, it's no excuse. I know better.
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LEMON: The video of Etheridge lashing out was posted anonymously on the web.
The war in Afghanistan just got a bit more complicated. Up until now, the country was believed to have almost no valuable resources, certainly none worth fighting for. But now the U.S. says parts of the country hold large deposits of gold, copper and other minerals worth at least $1 trillion.
Happy Father's Day to dads everywhere. Sons and daughters of veterans -- hold on one second.
I can see every movement you're doing there. You're distracting me on camera. Thank you.
From veterans of Vietnam. They pay tribute to the fallen fathers. They gathered at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington to scrub the wall clean.
Among them was Wayne Jones. He talked to CNN's Kevin Bond about what this day means to him.
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WAYNE JONES, SON OF VETERAN: What we do is we wash off any of the dirt or whatever that may have gathered on the face of the granite so that the wall has the reflective capability that the black granite, polished granite, gives it. I've spent all these years since 1967 celebrating Father's Day without my father. And being here with this group gives me a means to honor him.
I'm working down towards my dad. He's on 25-E.
My father was returning from a courier flight to his home base of Plaikou (ph) and was flying in bad weather and crashed.
Wayne (ph) Jones. Don Harter was his co-pilot.
It's the 20th anniversary of Sons and Daughters in Touch, to begin with.
I don't live near here. I live just north of Houston, Texas, and I don't have an opportunity to come and remember my father in this way very often.
Oh, that was exhilarating. It's a great day. It's a great day.
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