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Hurricane Alex Strengthens; Veterans Exposed to HIV; One Family's Immigration Battle

Aired July 01, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: As you know, we took a moment there to honor Senator Robert Byrd as he's going to lie in repose in the U.S. Senate. Thank you, Philippe Cousteau, for holding on with us there.

PHILLIPPE COUSTEAU, CEO, EARTHECHO INTERNATIONAL: I'll defer with respect to him anytime.

PHILLIPS: It was interesting. We were talking about him and you were thinking possibly he might have been somebody that would have been a supporter of your issues.

COUSTEAU: Yes. I mean there was hope that any kind of bill that will be coming through the Senate would find, at least constructive support from Senator Byrd. For many reasons it's a loss, of course.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about a little bit more about your time in the gulf. You know, you had talked about the plumes a while back. BP downplayed that. It wasn't - it - they tried to push that issue aside. Well, we have seen what has happened since then, since you first talked about it. Anything else that you're predicting that we might be missing right now?

COUSTEAU: Well, you know, as you said, about three weeks after the dive - or the spill I went diving in the gulf and we showed that the oil is dispersing into the water column and not just sitting on the top.

And so, you know, part of the problem with this spill is that it is one big uncontrolled experiment. We haven't done the science, we haven't done the research. I testified in this - on this topic in Congress about 18 months ago that we just didn't have the knowledge to be prepared for any type of spill at this level and this scale and we certainly - it has proven true that we don't.

I think coming down the pike we - there's a lot of concern, I think, as we saw with Hurricane Alex coming through, thank goodness it veered south of the spill site, but I think that we have a lot of concerns about more storms, there is still not a lot of talk about what the consequences and what could happen with the spill and the oil reaching into the gulf stream, coming past the Florida keys and up along the eastern coast of the United States and off into the Atlantic, possibly all the way to the Arctic. It is unlikely, but it is possible. That is truly unprecedented and very scary. PHILLIPS: In your blog, you tell a lot of personal moments of meeting people, and you talk about this one little girl that was standing on the beach in her bathing suit, she wanted to go into the water and there was - you just wanted to cry. There was so much you wanted to tell her. Little girls like that, even older folks that you have met, is there anybody that stands out to you that has really impacted you or moved you or inspired you in a way that maybe you didn't expect?

COUSTEAU: I think there have been people - I've been amazed at the resilience and determination of the people in the gulf, from Louisiana to Alabama, Mississippi, Florida. I visited all these different places in my six or seven trips down there and we'll be going back down in a week or so. You know, the - I remember my last trip was visiting with oyster men in Apalachicola, Florida. And these are men who have been oystering not with big drudgers, but with these tongs, these rakes that they rake up the bottom, you know, eight, nine, 10 hours a day, out there in the hot sun, doing traditional oystering.

And they have been working with the Apalachicola River keepers to try and protect their area of the gulf, this small little delta region, it's critical but very environmentally important. And just seeing the determination on their faces and the looks in their eyes about how they were going to fight this with everything that they had to maintain a heritage that they passed on from generation to generation, a sustainable form of fishing. It was really inspiring. I met people like that all along the gulf.

I think it has been the individual spirit of the people that just aren't giving up in the face of this terrible tragedy to hold on to, I think, the best of what this nation stands for.

PHILLIPS: I was talking to someone who is working within our team and she's from New Orleans. And I used to live and work there and you're obviously very familiar with that area. And we were saying there is something about the people there, they're so loving, they're so accepting and they deal with tragedy so unbelievably well because they're so family oriented.

I mean, of course, it is never easy, but they're so family oriented and they're so into their community, there is something about those people that they just rebound remarkably well.

COUSTEAU: They do. And it's inspiring. But I think one of the concerns, you know, because they have seen a lot of adversity. I mean hurricanes, Katrina, of course, many others as well -

PHILLIPS: Five years out from Katrina.

COUSTEAU: It was just like yesterday for these people. And I think that what I hear constantly from them is a concern about the spill because it is something new for them, and it is something unlike Katrina where Katrina came through -

PHILLIPS: Good point. COUSTEAU: That caused terrible destruction, and then people were able to get on with their lives and get on with restoration. This oil spill is like an insidious cancer that is spreading through the gulf, and it's something that's going to be infecting these communities for decades to come. And as I said time and time again, when asked what scares me the most, it is not what we do know, it is what we don't know, what we can't see.

We have under invested in our oceans for decades. That's part of the problem. We have not invested the funds and the science and the research to know what the consequences of this type of a disaster would be. And I think not knowing is what's one of the scariest parts of this spill, not knowing what is down the road.

PHILLIPS: Well, this is your family history. This is your life. This is your passion. And we need more advocates like you. And I hope you'll come back and visit us again.

COUSTEAU: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Phillippe.

COUSTEAU: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Just about the top of the hour, and we're going to talk about the severe weather and its effect on the oil spill, actually Philippe mentioned that as well. We're talking about Hurricane Alex and how it has been actually been downgraded to a tropical storm. That's good news. But it could still trigger flash flooding and tornadoes in south Texas.

Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is joining us live now from South Padre Island, Texas. They survived. Well, they did pretty well, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, they really did well, Kyra. We didn't have any widespread power outages. I mean, there was certainly some damage on some of the roofs, some side damage. There were times last night when we had some water in the middle of the roadways here in South Padre Island, maybe get up to a foot deep or so.

But what happened, you would actually have the heavy rain come down, the water would pile up as one of the feeder bands would come through. Then you have the drain off. So you have a little bit of a respite. Then you have another band that would come through, the water would pile up once again.

Situation was a little different across the way over in Brownsville where they had a bit more flooding but they were really prepared. They had some 60,000 sandbags in place. They had shelter provided for some 2,000 families. So they were really prepared.

Although the rain has let up, one thing that hasn't has been the wind. Also a byproduct of the strong wind has been have been some of the incredible waves that you see here. I mean, Kyra, they just keep marching towards the shore. Some of these have just been towering. Some of them not too impressive. They're beginning to recede a little bit in terms of the intensity. What is kind of a danger, though, is this area of low pressure.

We're talking about tropical storm Alex. It is kind of like a dying animal, although it is moving back into parts of Mexico, although it is losing some strength with every mile that it gets away from the warm gulf waters with primary power source, it is losing momentum.

However, what happens is when it gets up in the higher elevations in Mexico, we have what we refer to as orographic lift, that is weather geek speak for it is going to enhance the rainfall. We're going to see some heavy rainfall. With the heavy rainfall in that parts of interior Mexico, we have the potential of two of things.

One, flooding, the second, mudslides. Here, although the storm is moving off, we have the threat of tornadoes. Of course, Bonnie Schneider is going to talk more about that for the rest of the morning. Let's send it back to you.

PHILLIPS: Weather geek speak. I think you have a book in order, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet. I think so. Need to find a good agent.

PHILLIPS: OK. I'll talk to you later.

We're also talking about the battle over immigration reform. Later this hour, President Obama is taking his case to the American people. He's going to speak at American University in Washington. He'll confront the politically volatile issue in a high stakes election year. The president will call on Congress to pass reforms on securing the U.S. borders and dealing with the millions of immigrants who are already living here illegally.

And we want to gage just how divisive this issue is. Our CNN opinion research poll, or corporation poll, rather, asked Americans their opinions of federal policy toward illegal immigrants. 38 percent said that there should be a plan to allow them to become legal citizens. A far greater number, 60 percent, said the illegal immigrants should be deported and more should be stopped from coming to the U.S.. We also asked about much more rigid immigration law, taking effect in Arizona later this month. 57 percent of Americans favor the crackdown. 37 percent oppose.

Here's a story where the immigration battle hits home. One son is a combat Marine. Another son is about to enlist. But the freedom they're fighting for may not apply to their parents who are illegal immigrants and fighting to stay in the U.S..

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has this family's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona, a mother lives in fear. Her son is at war, and in many ways she is too. Her name is Maria. She welcomed us into a small apartment she shares with five children. Maria told us it was risky to go public with her story, but she wanted her voice to be heard in the national immigration debate.

Maria and her husband came to the United States illegally more than 20 years ago. Her husband supported the family as a baker. But nine months ago he was detained and now he's about to be deported. With a tough new immigration law about to be enacted in Arizona, Maria is afraid to walk her kids to school, even go to the grocery store.

(on camera): What are you afraid of?

MARIA (through translation): Yes. I'm afraid. When I go buy groceries, and my kids are at school, I don't know if I'll return home.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): She worries who will care for her young children if she is picked up.

(on camera): A lot of people are very upset that you're here without documents.

What would you want to tell them?

MARIA (through translation): I'd tell them not be racist, that the United States and Arizona have benefited from the work of Latinos.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Maria says she doesn't feel welcome here and she knows she has many critics. She says she wants them to know she's contributed too.

Her first born son, 20-year-old Lance Corporal Chewy Nunez, a U.S. citizen who is serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and fought in Afghanistan.

MARIA (through translation): I feel terrible because he went to fight for his country, a country that doesn't want his family or his people.

GUTIERREZ: Maria says she worries about her son who has to deal with life and death issues at war while shouldering the financial and emotional burdens of his family back home in Arizona.

MARIA (through translation): Before he left he told me if I die at war I want my last request is that you bury me in Arizona... and that's very sad.

GUTIERREZ: Even so, her two younger sons also want to become Marines. A decision she fully supports, despite the immigration battle she's fighting here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Thelma Gutierrez joining me now live from Los Angeles. Thelma, have you had a chance to speak with Maria's son about the conflict that he feels?

GUTIERREZ: Kyra, just yesterday we spoke with Lance Corporal Nunez and he told us he is incredibly conflicted. He says he feels angry because he's out there fighting this war. At the same time he says his mother is afraid to walk the kids to school. He says that he feels anxious because if his parents are deported, if his father is deported and his mother is picked up, he wonders who will take care of his younger brothers and sisters who are American citizens, and he says, you know, it's not something he can step up and do because he, after all, is fighting this war.

And so he says it is a very, very difficult question for his family. I asked him, I said, but, "you know, your family came here illegally," and he says, "yes, that is true, they came here illegally 20 years ago. They have tried to legalize through the years and it has not been possible. They don't have the money for immigration attorney." And so he says it is just been a very terrible time for him.

PHILLIPS: Thelma Gutierrez, thanks.

And just ahead, same state, very different story. We're going to talk to Arizona residents who have seen a violent side of illegal immigration. They become its victims, simply because they live near the border. You'll hear their stories at the bottom of the hour.

We're also going to have live coverage of President Obama's speech from American University. It's scheduled to begin later this hour, 10:45 Eastern time.

Thousands of veterans, possibly exposed to HIV and hepatitis through dirty dental equipment. Up next, we're going to talk to a veteran who went in for testing after receiving a certified letter. We're also going to hear from a Missouri lawmaker calling for a full scale investigation into what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're getting a lot more about that unbelievable story that we told you about yesterday. Veterans possibly being exposed to HIV and hepatitis at a Missouri VA hospital. Joining us now from St. Louis, Kassy Devine, retired from the U.S. Navy. She actually went in for testing after receiving a certified letter about the possible exposure.

We also have with us in St. Louis, U.S. Senator Kit Bond. He's Missouri's senator, senior senator, who is calling for an investigation of what he calls the "nightmare situation."

Thank you, both, for being with us. And Kassy, I want to start with you. First of all, Kassy, I want to thank you so much for writing in to our blog yesterday. Otherwise we would have never made contact with you. You saw that we covered this story yesterday. So you get home, you open up your mail, and there is this certified letter. What did it say and what was your reaction? KASSY DEVINE, U.S. NAVY (RET.): It basically just said that they were calling some people in because there was the possibility of exposure to the hepatitis viruses or the HIV virus due to tainted dental hygiene products.

PHILLIPS: And do you remember anything about the process? Did it seem unclean to you? Did you see them pulling out equipment from areas that were - didn't look clean? I mean, what do you remember from that appointment?

DEVINE: Actually I remember the appointment very well. It was - I went in, I was probably in for about three minutes and the dentist said that we cannot help you here. We're going to have to send you to a local dentist. You need to be seen right now. And we don't have an available appointment. So I was only in the dentist chair for three to five minutes, max. I think that St. Louis John Cochran Hospital is pretty clean overall, and, you know, I wouldn't go there if it didn't look clean, that's for sure.

PHILLIPS: But when you opened that letter and saw that you could possibly be exposed to HIV or hepatitis, I mean, Kassy, what went through your mind?

DEVINE: There was a moment of alarm, I have to be honest with you. But then thinking about it, I can't really freak out right now until I get the test results back. I don't see the - I don't see that it is necessary to freak out. If I do that, then it's not going to be helpful.

PHILLIPS: I tell you what, I need to learn from you. Because I stress far too much. I'm impressed with your patience. So you haven't gotten your test results back, but you did go yesterday, as soon as you got that letter the day before. You went yesterday, you got tested. Tell me what happened. Did anybody show you anything, how this happened, what could have gone wrong, did you get any sort of presentation when you went?

DEVINE: I have to say that they handled it very, very well. There were people at every corridor, at every elevator to escort us directly to the dental review clinic. We went in, checked in, they made sure that they had our correct information as far as mailing address, phone numbers, things like that, so they could contact us when the results are in. We then went into a presentation, there was a group of about 10, 15 of us.

There was a brief slide show. And we were able to ask questions. They explained briefly what - what happened, what they're doing to fix it, and that they're continuing their investigation. Then we went into private counseling where if we had any questions that we didn't feel comfortable asking in a group, we could ask them there.

And then we went in to get our blood drawn. And I have to say that the whole process was pretty painless. And that everyone was very respectful and mindful of the fact that this could be a pretty serious situation and we were apologized to a couple of times. I was apologized to a couple of times. And they're really handling it very well, I think.

PHILLIPS: Well, and you're keeping an incredible attitude.

Senator Bond, you're a huge advocate for the military and for good health care. And this is not the first time that we have seen vets exposed to this type of treatment. There was the dirty colonoscopy equipment, there were letters sent out to vets saying they had Lou Gehrig's and that was a mistake. You know, we have got our troopers that are dying by suicide and suffering from PTSD. What the heck is going on within the VA to where this continues to happen?

SEN. KIT BOND (R), MISSOURI: When we send our brave service volunteers in to - into duty, we expect them to go into harm's way. But when they come back home, they should get the finest medical care and not be exposed to situations like this.

A number of years ago we had a very unpleasant problem at the Kansas City Veterans Hospital. And very disgusting and we went into action and the VA cleaned it up. I have written a letter, along with my colleagues, Senator McCaskill, Senator Durbin, demanding answers, why weren't they notified, what went wrong, what are they doing to fix it and how are they going to make sure it never happens again.

PHILLIPS: And that's what I keep hearing from the VA, from leaders like you that we have got to do something to make sure this never happens again. And the VA has put out the same statement every time we reach out to them about a story like this. And we hear the same exact response.

We're doing everything we can to fix the situation. But the problem is, these problems keep arising. So what needs to happen? Does the VA need new leadership? Do people need to be fired? I mean, there has to be better accountability, senator. And what can you do to make change?

BOND: I have talked to General Shinseki, the head of the VA. He said he would get back to me, to get better answers on what actually happened. He knows that this is his responsibility. And he has to make sure down the chain of command that all of the steps that are required, in this instance sterilization, are taken and taken properly. I'm waiting to hear back from him what actually happened. I want to make sure that they are - that it is absolutely clear from the top right on down through the chain of command that these procedures must be followed. If they're not, then somebody should be gone.

PHILLIPS: And, Senator, we will hold you to that. That's for sure. And while we have -

BOND: Well, I appreciate your coverage of it, Kyra. Stay on top of it. You're helping us a great deal.

COUSTEAU: Well, I appreciate that, sir, very much. And while we have Kassy Devine, retired from the U.S. Navy, with us still, senator, what can you say to Kassy? What can you tell her that you're going to do to make sure this never happens again when she does go to the VA hospital there in St. Louis for care and what can you tell our vets?

BOND: To Kassy and all the other vets, thank you for your service. We are embarrassed, saddened and deeply apologetic that you may have been exposed. I appreciate very much Kassy's strong attitude. They say there is minimal risk, but even minimal risk is something like this is unacceptable. And I can assure Kassy and the others that in Congress we're going to continue to demand accountability from the VA, and to demand that their procedures in the future never allow these kinds of accidents to happen.

It is totally unworthy of the United States to put people in harm's way and then when they treat them back home for health issues, to put them at risk again. That just - that will not work.

PHILLIPS: Kassy Devine, before we go, anything you would like to say to the senator?

DEVINE: Thank you, Senator. I appreciate your kind words.

BOND: Thank you, Kassy.

PHILLIPS: Kassy Devine, U.S. Navy and also Senator Kit Bond. Sir, we appreciate what you're doing to try to make a difference as well. We'll continue to follow the story. Thank you, both, very much.

BOND: Thank you, Kyra.

DEVINE: Thank you.

BOND: Thank you, Kassy.

PHILLIPS: Well, many of you may be asking what can I do to protect myself from something like this? So we reached out to our team of medical experts and they tell us unfortunately in these situations there is nothing a patient can really do. They say essentially you have to trust that the right procedures are being followed to clean the equipment.

We know we're a nation obsessed with texting, but would you ignore your child in order to hit send? We're going to take a closer look at the dangerous addiction some parents are having with their Blackberry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

PHILLIPS: All right. This grabs our attention. Take a look. This actually happened during a showdown between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. The ball bounces right into the stands and belts a Yankee fan directly in his face. He obviously didn't see it coming because he was talking on his cell phone.

But seriously, it's one thing to ignore your own safety. It is another to ignore your child's. As Alina Cho reports, some parents are neglecting their children because they're just too busy texting.

ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: It is no secret a lot of us are addicted to our iPhones and Blackberries, but what happens when that gets in the way of parenting? Some parents are spending so much time looking down and typing, they're ignoring their children. And child development experts say that's a problem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPH THOMPSON, MOTHER OF TWO: How was field day (ph)?

CHO (voice-over): Stay-at-home mom Steph Thompson has three children of sorts, the two you see, and the one you may not know exists - her BlackBerry.

THOMPSON: I look at it a lot. Often, as my one son told me, more than at his face.

CHO: Like many, 39-year-old Thompson fully admits she's addicted to the very device that allows her the flexibility to work from home and be with her kids. The irony is not lost on her.

THOMPSON: You guys, hold on.

CHO: The BlackBerry that makes her constantly available to others is making her unavailable to her children.

(on camera): Don't you worry that you're taking your eye off the ball, so to speak, your child?

THOMPSON: I do worry that I - that I'm ignoring my children.

CHO: It can be dangerous. I spoke to one man who says he actually saved a baby who wandered into the street and was nearly hit by a car. He says both of the parents were texting side by side and not paying attention.

Other mothers we spoke to say their mobile technology obsession has made them take pause, too.

JUDITH KENNY, MOTHER OF 8-YEAR-OLD: I'm with my eight-year-old son in the middle of the street and he's telling me a story and I'm just kind of on auto pilot while I'm - really, where my presence is answering the e-mail or whatever I'm doing with the phone.

CHO (voice-over): More than 285 million Americans now communicate via mobile devices. That's potentially a lot of parents texting.

Child development experts call the texting, e-mailing, phoning while parenting trend alarming.

DR. LORI EVANS, NYU CHILD STUDY CENTER: You don't feel good about yourself when your mother is saying, oh, I need to just, you know, answer this e-mail. What message does this send? That you're important, but just hold on a minute. CHO: Thompson is so aware of her problem the freelance writer even wrote about it on an online parenting site, Babble.com, asking does my BlackBerry make me a bad parent?

EVANS: Sometimes, we find a middle path to everything, and it may not be that I'm not going to answer my BlackBerry or use my cell phone. I think it's about what would it be like to turn the BlackBerry off for 20 minutes?

CHO: Thompson says she's willing to try that. Her goal, to look at her kids more than her BlackBerry.

(on camera): There is very little research on the effects of texting and e-mailing while parenting, but there is no doubt that engaged parents are better ones. Experts say if you want your kids to be able to communicate well, you have to talk to them, be with them, not just physically, but mentally too.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, illegal immigration has always been a hot button issue in the nation's border states. They, of course, are on the front lines of this battle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD HUNT, ARIZONA RESIDENT: The heck with Afghanistan, the heck with Iraq, the heck with the rest of them. How about us?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: OK, couldn't be more direct than that.

The violent side of illegal immigration. We're going to actually hear from the people who have become its victims only because they live near the border. Their stories in just a few minutes.

Also, we're awaiting President Obama's speech on immigration. He's going to step up to the podium. You're going to see it live here in just about 15 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're awaiting the start of President Obama's speech on illegal immigration. He's calling on Congress to push ahead on reforms to secure the borders while also dealing with the millions of people who are already here illegally. We will carry that speech live. It is scheduled to get under way about 10:45 Eastern. We'll take it right here live on CNN.

We're covering the issue from the White House to the front lines. CNN's Casey Wian is in Arizona, right there on the border town where people have seen the violent side of illegal immigration. And Jill Doherty is cover the political side of the fight. Jill, let's start with you. What is President Obama's strategy for tackling the issue in this heated environment?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's look at where he is right now, politically.

You have states, a lot of them, who passed their own laws because they're so frustrated with the fact that the federal government basically hasn't done anything for a number of years. And right now you have that Arizona law looming out there, some people, the White House included, think it is draconian. So they, in fact, are -- we expect are going to be challenging it in court next week. So that's kind of the context.

And so what are you going to hear from the president? He's going to say the focus on the illegal immigrants is part of the issue, but not the entire thing. You have to include other issues. So he's going to talk about the government, beefing up the border, also talking about employers, that they should be taken to task if they hire illegal aliens, and then finally the illegal immigrants themselves, that they should be paying their taxes, certainly getting right with the law, and then applying for citizenship. So what he's really saying is comprehensive reform with at least three different facets to it.

PHILLIPS: All right, so Arizona's law will the Obama administration challenge it in court?

DOUGHERTY: Yes, we do expect that they would be doing that next week. They think it is draconian. They think that it is focusing too much in a punitive way on the people who are here. And that it doesn't address the overarching issue.

But, you know, that could be perceived as kind of a weak argument. So you have the president just recently talking about and ordering beefing up of the national guard on the border between Mexico and the United States. So he's trying to show that, you know, he is not weak on this issue, that he understands the threat, the security threat, and yet you need these different facets of the reform, which also include business people who might hire these people.

PHILLIPS: Jill from the White House, thanks.

For many people living near the U.S. Mexico border, the debate is more than political. It is about their safety, maybe even their survival. In Arizona, the passions flared even more this past spring when an Arizona rancher was gunned down. Police say an illegal immigrant pulled the trigger.

CNN's Casey Wian looks that the potential turning point in the debate. He's joining us live from Arizona -- Casey.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kyra. You and Jill were talking about that Arizona law, SB-1070. A lot of folks believe the spark to getting that law through the Arizona State Legislature earlier this year was the death of rancher Rob Krentz. It really galvanized the community, the rural communities along the border here. Many residents say they no longer feel safe in their own homes and they're tired of waiting for the federal government to secure the border. border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN (voice-over): Howard and Rosemary Hunt live 40 miles from the Mexican border in southeastern Arizona. In January, they were tied up and robbed by two illegal immigrants, one wielding a machete.

(on camera): Is this where had you your first confrontation with them?

ROSEMARY HUNT, ARIZONA RESIDENT: Yes, standing right there.

HOWARD HUNT, ARIZONA RESIDENT: But I told him when he took her down there, I said, you harm her and I will kill your (EXPLETIVE DELETED)." He cut my hand, because I reached back to grab the darn thing. I said, hey, wait a minute, that hurts. I said, you know, Rosie, they're going to have to kill us because they can't leave us be, we will identify them. And they never did, thank God.

ROSEMARY HUNT: He wanted me to go in here. I got this far and went, pow. He just says, you hit hurt.

WIAN (voice-over): The intruders tied up the Hunts in this bedroom and fled in their vehicle. They were caught and sentenced to long prison terms. The Hunts feel fortunate to have escaped with their lives.

The residents of this nearby house also escaped by selling their property and moving to Montana, where we spoke with Terry Stoller via Skype.

TERRIE STOLLER, FORMER ARIZONA RESIDENT: And we thought, oh my, you know, that -- that could have been us.

WIAN: Then another neighbor, rancher Rob Krentz, was shot and killed by a suspected illegal immigrant.

STOLLER: When the rancher was killed, we knew we had to make a decision not to go back. It was no longer safe for us to be walking out on the ranches, hunting quail. We were not well armed and they would make quick work of us.

WIAN: Even though government statistics show a decrease in violent crime in cities near the southern border, rural border residents say drug and immigrant smugglers are a bigger threat than ever. Yet Chet Miller just bought the Stoller property and plans to move his family there.

CHET MILLER, ARIZONA RESIDENT: The violence is going to be here. It's like anywhere else, it's going to be here. And to me it is a better lifestyle for my family to be out in the country versus being in the city. WIAN: We asked what these current and former Arizonans want President Obama to say about illegal immigration and border security.

MILLER: I would like to hear him say we are going to secure our borders first.

STOLLER: The only thing that would make us feel safe enough to go back is if the border were secured.

ROSEMARY HUNT: If they're coming across the way they should and getting their papers, fine. But this illegal stuff, no.

HOWARD HUNT: The heck with Afghanistan, the heck with Iraq, the heck with the rest of them. How about us?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN: Frankly, no matter what the president says about border security and illegal immigration, residents here along the border are likely to remain skeptical. They have heard several successive administrations dating back to the mid-1980s make promises of border security and it clearly hasn't happened yet -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Casey Wian, what about the 1200 National Guard troops that the president says he's going to send in? Do residents think that will make an impact on what is happening?

WIAN: Most people here think that's a Band-Aid, a political maneuver, sort of an effort bit administration to show they're trying to do something. You'll remember I'm sure that President Bush deployed 6,000 National Guard troops to the border a few years ago in a support role. It did have some impact, but not nearly enough to stem the tide of illegal immigrants and drugs across the border -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Casey Wian, thanks.

Again, this reminder, we're going to have live coverage of President Obama's speech from American University. It is scheduled to begin just minutes from now, 10:45 Eastern time. We'll take it.

Legal yesterday, but a crime today. New state laws taking effect and they could change the way you text, tan, and gamble.

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PHILLIPS: Top stories now.

Day 73 of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. The Coast Guard taking an aerial tour to see Hurricane Alex's impact on the oil today. Five hundred skimming ships remain on shore and oil burning and dispersant operations are on hold. The storm's winds have pushed the spill away from Florida and toward Mississippi and Louisiana now.

President Obama is a step closer to getting a financial reform bill to sign into law. The House has passed a landmark bill to rewrite the nation's financial regulations. The measure would strengthen consumer protections and establish a new process for shutting down giant financial institutions in trouble. The Senate won't likely take up the bill until mid-July.

One of the accused Russian spies arrested in Cyprus skipped bail and disappeared. The other ten suspects arrested earlier this week are set to appear in federal court this afternoon in separate hearings. They're accused of recruiting intelligence agents in the U.S.

And leave it to late night host David Letterman to find some humor in the Russia spy story. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": What is that over there? Is that -- Alan, what is that, I'm sorry. What are you doing?

ALAN KALTER, ANNOUNCER, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": I'm not sure what you're talking about, D.L.

LETTERMAN: That stuff, that equipment.

KALTER: This stuff has always been here.

LETTERMAN: Alan, are you spying for the Russians?

KALTER: Cover's blown, Comrades. Abort! Abort!

LETTERMAN: Uh-oh. Who are those guys?

LETTERMAN: Who are -- now, who are those guys?

KALTER: I just brought my kids to work, Dave.

LETTERMAN: All right, after the show, I'm calling Interpol.

But here's how sad the Russian spies are and were. They knew four years ago that Ricky Martin was gay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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PHILLIPS: Legal yesterday, but a crime today. New state laws taking effect and they could change the way you text, tan and gamble. Josh Levs does all three.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On a good day, I guess, yes.

PHILLIPS: On a good day, OK. I'm sorry, it is the spray tan, that's right.

LEVS: I was just telling Kyra during the break about my failed efforts with that. And we're about to see actually what you can no longer do at the same rate anyway, which is this.

Beginning today, the 10 percent tax on tanning if you're going to do any of the ultraviolet things in tanning salons around the country. You know, you were hearing about this during the health care debate. This is a way that the government is saying could help make a bunch of money to go toward health care reform. It is projected to net $2.7 billion over 10 years, but it does not apply to the things that are not involved with ultraviolet light. So spray tans and airbrush tans, those kinds of things, do not have that additional cost.

Let's get into this next one here that is affecting those of us who are here in Atlanta, Georgia, and also people in several other states which is texting while driving. A whole bunch of new laws now going into effect as of today that are banning texting while driving. This there is already about half of the states have some kinds of laws. One of the new ones is in Georgia where you can get fined $150 if you're caught -- and this includes if you're stopped at a red light and just want to pick up that BlackBerry and check a message, which I'm guilty of as well. And you know what, I can't do that anymore in Georgia either. So that is one of the new laws going into effect today.

Let's get into this next one here, this is going to affect everyone. This is a federal law all over the whole country and this is about bank overdraft fees. Right now, most banks, a lot of them, if you overdraft, if you are using your check card and you spend more than you have, or if you go to an ATM and you try to grab out more cash than you have, they'll let you, and then charge you an overdraft fee for that. Well the new law says that they can no longer do that. So instead they'll just deny the charge or deny the cash when you're trying to get it. Or they'll work it out with you so that they are allowed to charge you that overdraft fee because you have given them permission to do so.

One more piece of video here that is just fun and I didn't know about this law until this morning. Burmese pythons, there is a new law out of Florida now, you can no longer own Burmese pythons or a handful of other large exotic reptiles. The state has been having problems with these pythons in the Everglades. What happened was a lot of pet owners let them loose. These things last years and years and years, they get tired of taking care of them or feeding them, so they're let loose and then they're breeding like crazy, taking over the everglades and that has problems on the ecosystem. So that is one new law in Florida.

A few more to show you here, just a sampling of the hundreds and hundreds all over the country. Take a look at this, in New Mexico and Virginia, there is a new law that you are allowed to bring in a concealed weapon if you legally own one into restaurants that serve all alcohol. You're just not supposed to drink once you're in there doing that.

We got a couple more here. Not that one. No. This actually is not it at all. OK, so we're going to stop right there. But these are just a couple of examples. I'll mention one more, hair braiding in North Carolina. Now you can no longer go to a hair braiding place unless that place has a special license to do that for you.

And I really like this one, Kyra, speaking of gambling, Florida, you can now, in Florida, do high stakes poker for basically any amount of money that you want. There used to be a $100 limit for a buy-in. Now you can make as big a pile as you want if you want to play poker in Florida. They're hoping to lure in some of the big tournaments, make money for the state, gambling, tanning, gun ownership, alcohol, a lot of stuff here.

PHILLIPS: Some good addictions. Others not so good.

LEVS: Depend house you s how you do it.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Josh.

We'll have the president's speech from American University. It is scheduled to begin any minute now. We'll take it live.

Toxic FEMA trailers, a symbol of the failed disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Guess what? They're back.

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PHILLIPS: FEMA trailers, they became the symbol of disaster response embarrassment -- an eyesore, a health hazard, and just downright demoralizing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You would wake up, you could feel like a weight on your chest. You could feel that you couldn't breathe.

SUSAN SAUNDERS, LIVED IN FEMA TRAILER: My eyes ran a lot more and I had that hacking, like, everybody has got around here, just that hacking cough.

LINDSAY HUCKABEE, LIVED IN FEMA TRAILER: It was a real strong offensive smell. We had science issue sinus issues going on . My 6- year-old immediately started having nosebleeds, along with my 4-year- old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: It turns out many of those 120,000 or so FEMA trailers provided to the people who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina are toxic. They had such high levels of formaldehyde that they had to be banned from ever being used for long-term housing. They were auctioned off, hauled off and put out to pasture in lots across the country, until now.

Kudos to "The New York Times" for exposing the latest outrage within the oil disaster. Apparently, the formaldehyde-consumed trailers are now being sold to clean-up workers and companies in the Gulf so they either have a place to live or a house that their wives and children can stay in so they can all visit after work.

We have already talked about the health risks involved with cleaning up this oil spill. Now some of our workers are living in trailers exposed to a chemical that can cause nasal cancer and respiratory problems. I wonder where BP workers are living while working this oil disaster? Think Tony Hayward should trade his yacht in for a FEMA trailer?

So are you living in one of these trailers? Have you ever? If so, we want to hear from you and our viewers. What do you think? Should oil cleanup crew workers be living in these trailers? Head to my blog, CNN.com/Kyra and sound off.

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PHILLIPS: And it is time to honor our fallen, sending out a tribute to our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who have given the ultimate sacrifice for us. Working with CNN.com on home and away, and we'll tell you how you can be part of it a minute.

We want to lift up Sergeant Joel Lewis (ph) from Sandia Park (ph), New Mexico. Joel was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in may 2007. His mom Gale Poindexter called him an adrenaline junkie who loved to skydive, tinker with computers, play chess and ice hockey. She said Joel had a wonderful smile that would light up a room and he would make friends with strangers in five minutes and have them laughing with him. And how is this for a tribute? A fellow soldier said, Joel made me laugh during the worst times imaginable and that is something I'll never forget.

All right, we need your help to turn out more tributes to the heroes. Go CNN.com/homeandaway, put your service member's name, pull up the profile, upload your thoughts and don't forget the pictures. We'll keep this living memorial on display for everyone who visits it.

That does it for us. We're back here tomorrow.

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