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Obama Pushes for Immigration Reform; Louisiana Senator Defends Offshore Drilling; Rules for Overdraft Fees Changing; Creating Supersonic Jets For Travel; Allen and Gibbs Address Press on Gulf, Economy

Aired July 01, 2010 - 13:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take it to the next level. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes in for Ali Velshi.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Not the next level, Tony. Just trying to maintain the level you have already set here, my man. Thanks so much.

And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes, in for Ali Velshi today. This is what we've got on the rundown.

The president making a huge push, this time for immigration reform. He says it's time to move forward after years of stalling, after years of protests, after years of partisanship. But are most Americans now ready to follow him on this one?

Also, plenty of people out there in the Gulf are lashing out at BP over the oil disaster. But a lot of people also depend on BP for a lot of things. Politicians depending on them as well, for money. We're taking a look at BP's big pockets.

Also he is not just a celebrity. He is not just a basketball player. He is a one-man stimulus package. We're talking about Lebron James here now. Which team and also which city are going to reap the rewards? All that coming up for you on the rundown.

But first, we'll talk to you about what we saw today, the president making a big speech and a big push on immigration reform. We have made it through health-care reform. The president pushing for Wall Street reform now, as well. And now he's talking about immigration reform.

Made a big speech today, laid out some goals in immigration reform. But how do Americans feel about it? Let's show you some of the latest numbers we have here at CNN from some of our polling.

We asked people, "How do you feel about allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens?" Thirty-eight percent says that's what the U.S. policy should focus on. And what about deporting or barring illegal immigrants? Sixty percent say that is actually what we should be focused on.

Another poll here. You know about the Arizona law that got so much attention, that contentious law. Well, do people favor that law? Fifty-seven percent tell us yes, in fact, they do. Another 37 percent say that they oppose it. The president mentioned the Arizona law in his remarks today.

Let's turn to our foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty, standing by at the White House today.

Jill, what did we hear? Did we hear an actual outline from the president today about what he wants in immigration reform? Did he make a push today and move this whole conversation forward?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he laid out his plan, you'd have to say, three parts to it. We can get into those. But, you know, one of the hottest parts of this is border security. And the president said that actually the border, he claims, is more secure than it was 20 years ago.

But he said the government has to really make sure that it does secure that border, and yet that is not enough. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our borders are just too vast for us to be able to solve the problem only with fences and Border Patrols. It won't work. Our borders will not be secure as long as our limited resources are devoted to not only stopping gangs and potential terrorists, but also the hundreds of thousands who attempt to cross each year simply to find work.

That's why businesses must be held accountable, if they break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: OK. So those are the two top things, T.J.: the government taking responsibility for the borders; companies taking responsibility and being accountable if they hire illegal immigrants.

And then finally, the president said the third part are the illegal immigrants themselves, who have to definitely come clean with the law, pay their back-taxes, learn English, and those -- at the end, stand in line to become citizens. So those are the three components, T.J.

HOLMES: Well, Jill, one more thing to you here: where do we go from here? Does he expect some kind of an action immediately by Congress? And possibly try to get this done while he still has a pretty big majority in the House and Senate?

DOUGHERTY: Well, the consensus seems to be no. That actually they realistically don't think that it's going to happen, especially when you have an election fall coming up. But it could perhaps even slip into next year.

One theory is that the president wants to throw this out there to make the point that Republicans aren't doing what they should be doing. So there could be many levels to this. But it's true that a lot of people on both sides of the aisle feel that something has to be done with about it.

HOLMES: All right. Jill Dougherty for us at the White House. Jill, good to see you, as always. Thanks so much.

Let me bring in now our chief political correspondent, also anchor of "STATE OF THE UNION" on Sunday mornings.

Candy, hello to you. We talked to Jill there a little bit about the policy. We want to talk to you about the politics. Some might say the president's a little late in making a push for immigration reform. Others might just say better late than never. So why now?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Some might say it's just in time for the elections.

HOLMES: Yes.

CROWLEY: Listen, it's an election year. It's very hard to look at anything without that prism. The fact of the matter is the president, last year, in his first year in office, had promised interested groups, Hispanic-Americans and others, that he would get to immigration reform. It didn't happen last year.

He has been -- been pushed very heavily by Hispanic leaders to do something about this. He's had meetings with them. They've voiced their displeasure.

So and it's a very important constituency come the November elections, at any time, particularly for the Democratic Party, because Latino voters, Hispanic voters tend to vote heavily Democratic, at least at this point.

So this is something that, if you talk to people up on the Hill, they say, "Listen, we just don't see this happening this year." This is a huge, huge undertaking, a comprehensive bill on immigration. And by the way, the president in this said, "Listen, I need most Democrats are on board. And I need a couple of Republicans," so it's a nifty way to kind of blame the Republicans.

But the fact of the matter is that there are Democratic congressmen in some of these districts, deeply affected by the influx of illegal or undocumented workers. And Democrats that don't want to have a vote this year on that. They've got to go back home.

So it's not just Republicans. Is it largely Republicans? It is. But there are lots of Democrats on Capitol Hill that don't want this issue to come up before an election year.

HOLMES: Well, he might be getting some goodwill just by talking about it. But also, you talked about some of the groups that have been pushing the president to do something. Will they view this speech today as that something?

Because we know what it looks like, if the president gets behind a big reform. We saw it during the health-care reform debate. He was out there, town halls and meetings, campaigning all over the country. Does he need to do a whole lot more than just a speech to get that goodwill?

CROWLEY: He probably does, yes. They -- and in fact, we've had a couple of Latino leaders already complain that a speech just isn't good enough.

And this was not an unveiling of some major new way to go. It was a repetition of how the president feels about this. And sprinkled into that, his criticism of the Arizona, a very stiff immigration law that they passed there, which the administration is going to challenge, as far as we know, in court.

So this wasn't some big new proposal. It was urging Congress to do something. But these are people that very well understand how this works. And they understand that there is not at this point, the numbers needed to pass this.

Remember George Bush tried something very similar. He also believed in a pathway to citizenship, said we can't just close down the borders and we -- because it's too large. And we can't send everybody back. There's too many. George Bush said the same thing and got shut down.

So I don't think that you will see that sentiments have changed that much. However, as you point out, there is the power of the bully pulpit, and we'll see. But I would say the odds are against there being any such legislation this year.

And I'll tell you that Republicans have already greeted this and said, "Listen, comprehensive legislation just is too big. Because there's too many moving parts. Let's take this one part at a time." And I can assure you the part they want to do first is border control. And that's always been a no-go on -- by most on the Democratic side.

HOLMES: Yes, but a no-go, but still it plays to their base in some regards. And some would say it plays to the Democratic base, by the president just speaking on it once again.

Candy Crowley, always good to see you.

CROWLEY: Thanks.

HOLMES: We'll talk to you again very soon.

Well, stay with us. We're going to turn to talk of BP. Now a lot of money out there being thrown around. And BP's money has helped a lot of folks, including some politicians. And one in particular we're talking about, helped her get back to Capitol Hill.

Louisiana senior senator still firmly backing offshore oil drilling. We're going to crack open her campaign coffers for a closer look. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. We are on day 73 now of this Gulf oil disaster. To give you an update now on exactly where things stand. Let me tell you how one Coast Guard admiral puts it.

He says -- quote here -- "We've been held hostage by the oil. Now weather is holding us hostage."

What weather are we talking about? The storm we've been keeping an eye on. It's now Tropical Storm Alex. Back to Tropical Storm Alex. It's still causing some fits for folks, but it's still about 500 or 600 miles away from where the oil is happening. This is in the western Gulf now. Still kicking up some big winds, rough seas all the way to the clean-up zone.

Now the surface-skimming, control burns, aerial spraying of dispersants, all that stuff has had to stop for now. Big sections of boom has been damaged as well. Everybody right now, and we have been doing for the past 73 days, trying to stay optimistic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG TAFFARO, ST. BERNARD PARISH PRESIDENT: We're hoping that we'll be able to get some boats out in the next couple of hours to at least get out to where the boom has been laid and try to make sure that we secure it, that's been damaged, if we can't get all the way to the oil and start skimming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, the Coast Guard is going out for an aerial survey today. It's going to check things out, check out the conditions, and see how the storm is impacting things out there.

Well, meanwhile, even as the oil spill devastates her home state of Louisiana, Senator Mary Landrieu defends the need for offshore drilling. But is the Democrat after jobs for her constituents or after big oil and gas money for her re-election? Our special investigations correspondent Abbie Boudreau tracks down the money going into Senator Landrieu's campaign coffers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's the top recipient of BP money in the last election cycle among all congressional candidates. And Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu makes no apologies for it.

(on camera) How do you respond to people who say that, because you receive campaign money from BP, that you will not be able to hold that company accountable?

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: I've been one of the strongest voices for holding BP accountable. I've been one of the ones that said BP has to pay every penny to everyone that has been economically injured. And I would just ask my critics, look at all the campaign contributions I've received. And if you find them out of balance, let me know.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): So we looked at her contributions. In the last Senate term, ending in 2008, BP ranked among her top 30 contributors, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

She received nearly $17,000 in BP-related money in that cycle, including checks from BP executives. And when it comes to oil and gas money, Senator Landrieu has raked in more than $750,000 during her 14- year Senate career.

Sheila Krumholtz, of the Center for Responsive Politics, says money buys influence on the Hill.

SHEILA KRUMHOLTZ, CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS: If they are giving tens of thousands, or in the case of Mary Landrieu over her career, hundreds of thousands of dollars from the oil and gas industry, that means that she is a key person in their strategy.

LANDRIEU: What are the regulations for these ultra-deep wells that you...

BOUDREAU: Senator Landrieu sits on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Compared to other members of Congress investigating BP on the Senate and House energy committees, her career oil and gas takings are only surpassed by one man: Texas Republican Joe Barton, who's known for his controversial apology to BP.

Senator Landrieu says oil and gas money is just a small percentage of her campaign fund, and she has no plan to give the BP money back.

(on camera) Would you continue to accept campaign money from BP?

LANDRIEU: Yes, well, I'll continue to accept money from the oil and gas industry. I haven't made a final decision about BP. I think that they're showing themselves to be an extremely reckless, you know, company. And you know, I will consider that. I have denied contributions from certain companies at certain times when I feel like their behavior is not in line with my personal values or integrity.

BOUDREAU: So why would you even consider accepting campaign money from BP, considering the kind of damage that this company has caused your...

LANDRIEU: Well, they haven't contributed it me in the last couple of months, and I'm probably not going to accept contributions.

BOUDREAU: But just so I'm very clear when I walk out the door, is it -- are you going to accept...

LANDRIEU: I haven't made a final decision. And I'm not going to tell you right here what I'm going to do.

KRUMHOLTZ: Members of Congress say that they can take the money on one day and vote against that same interest the next. I think the reality is that members of Congress are very concerned about being able to raise the huge resources necessary to run a successful campaign. And to turn your back or turn against a critical source of campaign cash is not something that members of Congress do lightly.

BOUDREAU: Despite the hundreds of thousands she's received in oil and gas money, Senator Landrieu insists she's been tough on BP.

LANDRIEU: Will BP pay?

BOUDREAU: And that she's not representing the interests of big oil but the jobs the industry provides.

LANDRIEU: I have 330,000 people in my state that work directly or indirectly for the oil industry. I'm going to continue to advocate, with integrity and with purpose and with passion, for an industry that employs so many people in my state. I make no apologies for it.

BOUDREAU (on camera): No conflict of interest?

LANDRIEU: No conflict of interest whatsoever.

BOUDREAU: It does not affect your job?

LANDRIEU: It does not affect my judgment at all.

BOUDREAU: Abbie Boudreau, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Well, have you ever paid $35 for a doughnut? Well, if you go to buy a doughnut, it maybe costs a buck. You don't have enough money in your account? You might end up paying $35, anyway. Yes. We're talking about overdraft fees now. You're starting to get a say, though. An update for you. We're going to tell you about it, right after the break. Stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Talking about your money today. And this is something that affects so many of us out there. These overdraft fees. This means essentially if you go buy a package of Twizzlers for $2 and you only have $1 in your account, well, they could cover you and you could leave with your Twizzlers, but then you're going to get something in the mail that says, "Yes, you owe us $35 for that overdraft protection." Well, that doesn't sound fair to lot of folks, including Patricia Wu. Patrician Wu is with CNNmoney.com.

Putting words in your mouth there. But Patricia, I tell this whole story that way, because people can relate to that. But now we're starting to get a say and get some protection now?

PATRICIA WU, CNNMONEY.COM: Absolutely. We certainly talked to a lot of people who paid for that $35 doughnut, as you talked about. Well, they're getting a break today, and they're really happy about it. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you are short $10, now you're short $34, because that's their fee. And just don't pay them for me. Let me handle it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The $35 for a $1 doughnut from Krispy Kreme is just not fair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WU: So these new overdraft rules, if you open a bank account today, the bank has to get your permission for certain overdraft fees. So in other words, you have to opt in for those overdraft fees on debit cards and ATM withdrawals. The same rules go into effect for existing customers on August 15.

Now, we should be clear, though, that not all overdraft fees are covered here. They can still charge you for bounced checks and those monthly recurring payments like your utility bill or your phone bill, that sort of thing -- T.J.

HOLMES: And a lot of people say they like the other option. All right, don't -- don't cover it for me. So what generally does happen? If you don't have overdraft protection, you go try to buy something, and you don't have enough money in your account. Is it just rejected?

WU: Yes. Then you're just really embarrassed, T.J.

HOLMES: Yes, OK.

WU: Because you get that awkward moment at the checkout line. If you don't have money in your account and you don't have the overdraft protection, you're basically out of luck. So if it's worth it to you, you know, avoiding that embarrassment at all costs, opt in.

HOLMES: We've all -- we've all been there, haven't we? But...

WU: Yes, we have.

HOLMES: Also here the banks have made so much money with these type of fees, these overdraft fees. Now I assume they have a plan for nickel-and-diming us somewhere else. So how are they going to make up for all this lost money?

WU: Well, you said it. A lot of money. Last year it was an estimated $37 billion in these overdraft fees. So, according to some industry groups who are watching this, they're saying that the banks are going to look to make up for this money with new fees. Possibly a maintenance fee on your account or perhaps, if you don't sign up for multiple accounts, you just sign up for a checking can account.

And speaking of checking, some are predicting it could be the end of free checking, T.J.

HOLMES: You know what, though? We'll be talking in a few more years where Congress had to pass some other legislation to do something to correct some of those other fees. Patricia Wu, some good news, at least. We do appreciate that. Good to see you. Thanks so much.

WU: Good to see you, too.

HOLMES: Well, Patricia is part of our news team here and also our financial team. But our -- also members of our financial team. You see those two. You know them well, Christine Romans, Ali Velshi. You can catch them on Saturdays, 1 p.m. Eastern, and Sundays at 3 p.m. Eastern for "YOUR $$$$$" for the very latest on money news.

We want to take a look now at some of the stories that are making headlines. First, talking about Alex. It has spared Texas a direct hit. The threat not exactly over yet. South Texas remains under a tornado watch until tonight as this tropical storm now soaks the region.

Allie -- Allie -- Alex made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane last night in Mexico before being downgraded. It also spawned several twisters near Brownsville, Texas. No major injuries, however, to report.

Also it may be several more days before the Gulf oil clean-up effort kicks back up into full gear. That's because Alex stirred up heavy seas across the Gulf, forcing hundreds of oil-skimming ships to return to shore. What's described as the largest of those ships arrived in the Gulf yesterday, but the Taiwanese company that owns it still needs the green light to start work.

And a jump in Americans joining the unemployment line. The weekly jobless claim rose 472,000 last week as 13,000 more people from the previous week. When the monthly jobs report is released tomorrow, it could show that employers cut about 100,000 jobs last month.

Well, Americans getting a new shot at health care today. Preexisting conditions no longer disqualifying you from coverage. We'll take a look at the new rules and how you can pick a plan. Stay here with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. This is a big day. This is the way, a day that a lot of people have been waiting on in this whole health-care reform debate and the passage of health-care reform. A big change goes into effect on this date.

Part of the new health-care reform legislation was that people who have been denied coverage because of preexisting conditions, they couldn't get coverage. Well, starting today, you can now apply for some special coverage if you have preexisting conditions. This is the preexisting condition insurance plan. Tell you how this thing works.

The federal government is going to be administering the plan for 21 states. You can start with the applications today in all of those states, at least. People in other states are going to have to wait until at least July 15/ Another $5 billion set aside for the so- called high-risk pools in all states.

Now, how are you eligible for this thing? First of all, you must be a U.S. citizen or need to be in the country legally. You also must have been uninsured for at least the past six months.

Also, you must have a problem or had a problem getting insurance because of your preexisting condition.

Let me tell you what this thing covers now. It's going to cover primary and specialty care. Hospital care, prescription drugs and premiums are going to vary. The price is going to be between $140 and $900 a month. But it cannot cost more than the state average for individual plans.

Also, another detail today, and this one is going to kill me. The indoor tanning tax is going to take effect today, a 10 percent fee on that indoor tanning. The government hopes this is going to raise some money, about $2.7 billion over the next ten years.

There is a new government Web site. It's launching today, healthcare.gov. Again, healthcare.gov. You can go there and see the whole breakdown. And again, the applications do start today.

Also in the news today, a case has been reopened against the former vice president, Al Gore. A massage therapist says he made unwanted sexual advances. Our legal expert, Lisa Bloom, is going to be joining me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. Bottom of the hour now. Get you caught up on some of the stories that are in the headlines. We'll start in Washington where President Obama says most Americans are ready to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform.

In a speech just a short time ago, he said people are frustrated by the lack of progress. And that sparked tough new state laws like the one passed in Arizona. But he also says those laws are, quote, "ill-conceived."

The Gulf of Mexico now, what's being called the worst or the world's biggest oil-skimming ship has arrived at a Louisiana port, but it's still waiting for permission to start work at the oil disaster site.

The skimming operations in limbo because of choppy seas and high winds that come from the tropical storm Alex.

Also back in Washington, the longest-serving member of Congress being honored in halls where he served. The body of Senator Robert Byrd now lying in repose at the Capitol building before being taken home to West Virginia. Byrd died Monday at the age of 92.

Meanwhile, former vice president is the subject now of a sexual assault investigation. Police in Portland, Oregon reopening a case involving Al Gore stems from a licensed massage therapist visit to his hotel room nearly four years ago. Why are police taking a second look, especially after releasing a statement last week citing insufficient evidence? Legal experts, lawyer and friend of ours here, Lisa Bloom from thebloomfirm.com joins me from Los Angeles.

Lisa, always good to see you. Thank you for being here. Tell me why-if they go in a week's time from saying there's nothing there to reopening the case, what are we supposed to glean from that?

LISA BLOOM, ATTORNEY, THEBLOOMFIRM.COM Well there's only one possible explanation, and that's there is some new evidence in the case. Now we shouldn't jump to any conclusions and investigation is not the same thing as being charged and it's certainly not the same thing as being convicted. But what has changed in the last week is the :National Enquirer has published a lengthy article which they claim contains new evidence against Al Gore.

They got the interview with the massage therapist. They say that she has not a witness to the incident, but a witness that she talked to shortly after the incident. So a contemporaneous witness that she told at the time about what happened. And they claim there is some DNA evidence. I think that is enough for the police to reopen the investigation. Which simply means they're going to take a continued look at the evidence and at the facts.

HOLMES: OK. When we say evidence, people are used to some hard evidence of some kind. You have a weapon, you have video, you have something. But can evidence also mean quite frankly, just a witness or just a friend? Or just a new statement? Can that also be considered new evidence?

BLOOM: That's a great question. And there may as well be hotel surveillance tapes, him going into the room, her going into the room. That would that just put the two of them in the room and I don't know that Al Gore is denying that happened.

But you're right, evidence in a court of law can be hard evidence or DNA or forensic evidence. And in a sex scandal case it can also be testimony. So a lot of people say oh, this is just a he said/she said. Well a lot of cases boil down to testimony. And the question will be, is this a credible witness. Now on Al Gore's side, she canceled several police interviews at the time. Looking as though she didn't want to go forward. And the National Enquirer now says she tried to sell her story for $1 million. So that's going to damage her credibility.

HOLMES: OK what -- in trying to piece this thing together for us and what we should make of it. The incident was back allegedly in 2006. The police like you said tried to set up interviews with her. She canceled, canceled. And it came back up in 2009. How is that going to hurt her case? It's four years ago. She wouldn't talk to police then. And then three years later she wanted to talk. What are we supposed to make of that this.

BLOOM: Right. Well you know I represent a lot of sexual harassment and sexual assault victims in my practice and it's very typical for somebody it take two steps forward and one step back because it's very embarrassing to be in that situation and they don't want to bring allegations against a major celebrity.

So that makes some sense to me that she would behave that way. But on the defense side they're going to use it against her and say if she was really assaulted by Al Gore, if he groped her and he was moaning and groaning in the room, and all the things she alleges now, why didn't she come forward at the time? Why didn't she stick with her story. Is she just in this for money? So she's going to have a tough time on cross-examination. If this ever got into to a courtroom.

HOLMES: And Lisa, is there really any a possibility of some kind of DNA? Because we're talking about groping, we're not talking about a sexual assault or anything like that. So are we - I mean what are we supposed to make of the possibility of any DNA being saved over four years?

BLOOM: Well remember that DNA doesn't just come from bodily fluids, it can come from hair. It can come from fiber. And so if Al Gore was in the hotel room, simply getting a massage innocently his DNA can be in the room. It doesn't necessarily mean that there was a sexual encounter in the room.

HOLMES: All right. Lisa, we appreciate having your expertise. But again, the case right now reopened against a former vice president, Lisa Bloom, always good to see you, thank you so much. Enjoy Los Angeles all right?

BLOOM: My pleasure T.J.

HOLMES: Well -- World Cup team suspended from international competition by their own president. We're going "Globe-Trekking" after the break. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right we are "Globe-Trekking" now, and we're going it start in Afghanistan where we just finished up the deadliest month for coalition forces since the war began some nine years ago. 101 NATO-led troops died in June. The month was also marked by a big change in command.

Top U.S. military commander, Stanley McChrystal was replaced by General David Petraeus, after that Rolling Stone magazine quoted McChrystal and his staff criticizing the administration over the war.

Also we turn to Paris now with a story about L'Oreal, but it has nothing to do with makeup here. This involves secret recordings, butlers, bank accounts, billions of dollars and the heiress to the L'Oreal Cosmetics fortune.

A photographer is accused of scamming 87-year-old Lillian Bettencourt out of a billion euros that she allegedly gave him. Bettencourt' daughter says her mother, France's richest woman is not mentally competent to handle her own affairs and took the case to court to recover the money.

The trial was suspended today its first day, amid allegations of government influence. Two weeks ago a website published secret recordings allegedly made by Bettencourt's butler of conversations between the heiress and her financial advisor. . The recordings mentioned payments to two ministers to President Nicolas Sarkozy's government. They also mentioned secret Swiss bank accounts.

Also you do not want to play poorly if you play for Nigeria in the World Cup. Because you are going to have a problem. The leader of Nigeria, the president there, Goodluck Jonathan is his name, suspended the team from international competition for the next two years, after the team's performance in the tournament.

The president Goodluck Jonathan says the ban will help the country reorganize its soccer administration. The Nigerian team hasn't won a World Cup match since 1998. In 2002 they were eliminated with two losses and a draw. They didn't qualify for the World Cup in '06. And in this year's tournament which still goes on without Nigeria, they finished at the bottom of their group. They lost two of their three games. And only came up with one single point in group play.

Well stay here with us, you're going to want to see and hear this one. A plane that goes faster than the speed of sound. That's a twist on the Concorde, that's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well checking some of the stories making headlines right new. The Coast Guard is assessing the impact of Tropical Storm Alex on the Gulf oil clean up. Skimmer boats were sent back to shore because of high waves. The delay could last until this weekend at the earliest. Meanwhile, a massive Taiwanese oil-skimming ship has arrived in the Gulf, but right now awaiting approval to start work.

John Pistole was sworn in as the new head of TSA today. The former FBI deputy director takes over an agency that's come under fire for lapses of airport security. The TSA has been without a permanent chief for 18 months now.

And Israel and turkey sent officials to a not so secret meeting in Switzerland today to talk about their fractured relationship. It's the first meeting between the two since Israel's deadly raid on a Turkish aid flotilla that was headed for Gaza. Both sides say the other arranged the meeting.

Well Time now for today's "Big Idea". and this is a huge idea. Supersonic technology today. NASA is working on something that could get you to your destination a lot quicker than you've been getting there today. You remember the old Concorde? That supersonic technology well it's coming back and Peter Coen with NASA is a part of the effort right now.

Sir thank you for being here. This is something that a lot of people are certainly interested in today. So let's start at the very top here. For people who are just casual travelers who go to the airport and get on their flight. Now how could this change their lives, if they're flying from New York to L.A.?

PETER COEN, NASA SUPERSONIC PROJECT: Well basically it's could cut the travel time by about a factor of two. So instead of taking 4 four and a half hours, it would take you just over two hours to get to L.A.

HOLMES: Now Tell me how NASA is involved in this project in the first place?

COEN: Well NASA works a lot -- you know, technology for all sorts of aircraft and spacecraft, too. And supersonics -- we're trying to develop the technologies that will make air travel better. Make it safer, make it more efficient. Make it more environmentally- friendly. In this case, faster. Enable -- eventually enabling people to get to their business, get to their vacations in about half the time.

HOLMES: Now where are you in the process of the research and development right now, and in other words, when can I head to the airport and hop on one of these things?

COEN: Well this is-this is we're really just getting back into supersonics after getting out in the late 1990s. We've been working this program for about three years. We just finished up the concepts that have been shown recently. The supersonic green airplane just finished up a study. Looking at what technologies it takes to have a supersonic airliner in the 2030, 2035 timeframe. So don't pack your bags quite yet. But it's coming, hopefully in my lifetime.

HOLMES: Now what about this, this sonic boom that's always associated with flying supersonic? You're working on eliminating that?

COEN: Well, we're working on reducing it to the point where it will be barely audible. You know, not too many people have heard a sonic boom recently because there's not many other than military aircraft, we don't hear them all that much.

But it is a really jarring, loud sound that's caused by the pressure from a supersonic airplane as it flies overhead. It all arrives instantaneously at an observer. We're just spreading that out so it arrives over a few milliseconds and then the sound practically goes away.

HOLMES: You guys are so smart, man.

Do you foresee a day, will there be a time where this is, and again, we're talking about maybe getting the first few of them, 2030, 2035, but do you foresee a time in the future where all of the planes we get on now will be replaced by these supersonic jets?

COEN: No, I don't think so. I think the market will be limited by perhaps the longer-range flights where the time savings can be most beneficial, such as coast to coast or overseas in particular. That's where you really, if you imagine sitting on a plane for seven hours, instead of 14, if you're going overseas, that would be most beneficial to businessmen and vacationers.

HOLMES: I guess that makes pretty good sense. It doesn't make sense for me to get on a supersonic jet from Memphis to Atlanta. That's a 45-minute flight now.

COEN: Exactly, exactly. You wouldn't even have time to accelerate to top speed.

HOLMES: Now, can these work? Will we be able to put as many people on these flights as we do with the commercial jets now? Or even more people?

COEN: At least to start, the airplanes will probably be a little bit smaller. The sonic boom problem really is a tough one. So we've got technology, but the size of the airplane does play a factor.

So the initial airplanes will be about the size of the Concorde, but they'll be boom-free or relatively boom-free. They'll have takeoff and landing noise, airport noise pretty much like a conventional subsonic airplane.

HOLMES: Put this in as laymen's terms as you can come up with. We get in a plane and we see those big engines out the window. How does this technology differ from what we're used to in the -- I mean all of us don't have that great of an understanding about how planes work, but we see engines and wings and we go up. So how is this technology, frankly different with the supersonic technology? How are the engines different? How are they placed differently? How is the whole thing a little different than what we're used to?

COEN: Well, it really is -- you're actually got about it pretty close. It's all in the integration. You still have a fuselage, but it's thinner and longer. The wings have higher sweep. The engines don't have the big, large -- the large-diameter fans you see on a typical subsonic airplane. They tend to be a little smaller and they have something up front that helps compress the air and slow it down for supersonic speeds.

So the technology bits that go into all of those things. But really the important thing about it is developing the design knowledge and the design tools to be able to integrate all of those pieces into a whole that's efficient and environmentally-compatible.

HOLMES: Well, man, we appreciate you giving us the rundown today. Fascinating stuff. Again, Peter Coen working on this with NASA. Sir, thank you so much, hope to see this in our lifetimes. We appreciate you being here.

I need to turn quickly, though, now to the White House for today's briefing. We have Thad Allen, who is in charge of the Gulf response, he's giving the briefing from the White House today. Let's listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS) ADM. THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: -- distance of 11,641 feet below the sea floor. As you know, they're going through a series of operations which we call ranging; they're into their fourth cycle of this. In ranging they withdraw the drill pipe and put down electrical cable and actually try and sense the magnetic field around the wellbore.

They are within around 15 feet of the wellbore at this point. They will continue down 700, 800 more feet, slowly close into the wellbore. And when they know they've got it exactly, in range, know exactly where the drill pipe is in relation to the wellbore, then they will attempt to move in and drill through the wellbore and then the casing as well.

That will -- at that point, they'll be in a position to be able to try to bottom kill or to be able to insert the mud and hopefully, after that, put a cement plug in that will kill the well.

The Development Driller II is 6,720 below the sea floor and is making progress as well.

Our on-shore and near-shore skimming and recovery operations have been significantly hampered by the weather. The small vessels that do the skimming have a difficult time operating out there. We had to pull them back. The same with the vessels operating in and around the well site itself.

The drilling rigs were able to continue, but we are now massing our forces to be able to move back right out, once the weather will allow us to get on the water and skim.

In some of the areas, such as Barataria Bay and other places, we were able to have back-bay skimmers and -- and actually make some progress there, but, in general, waiting for the weather to abate so we can move on with recovery operations.

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: All right. Happy to take questions on this or other topics today.

QUESTION: I have one for Admiral Allen.

Can you talk about this new 20-meter safety zone and if that was done at BP's request, or what's the reason to do this at this stage in the crisis?

ALLEN: Can you be more specific?

QUESTION: The safety zone for vessels around booms and other oil response.

ALLEN: It's not unusual at all for the Coast Guard to establish either safety or security zones around any number of facilities or activities, for public safety and for the safety of the equipment itself. We would do this for marine events, fireworks demonstrations, cruise ships going in and out of port.

QUESTION: Right, but we're so far into this disaster now, why do it now? And why the new --

(CROSSTALK) ALLEN: Because I actually had some personal complaints from some county commissioners in Florida and some other local mayors that thought that there was a chance that somebody would get hurt or they would have a problem with the boom itself. Had not presented itself before, but once presented with it, logical thing to do.

QUESTION: So it wasn't a BP request?

ALLEN: Not at all.

QUESTION: And one, very quickly, for Robert -- the climate bill, is it -- I think some environmentalists are under the impression that the administration is now asking for a vote before August and limiting any kind of, you know, cap or pricing to the electric utilities.

Is that accurate?

GIBBS: Well, look, we have -- we have said that, and the Senate has said that, after coming back from the recess, one of the things that they will do is likely take up energy. We think that's the right thing to do.

The president had a good meeting a couple of days ago with bipartisan -- with senators from both parties that have led on this issue.

We've not made any final determinations about the size and scope of the legislation except to say that the president believes and continues to believe that putting a price on carbon has to be part of our comprehensive energy reform (ph).

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GIBBS: No, again, this is -- whether this is energy or immigration, this is going to have to be something that's discussed with Democrats and Republicans alike.

Yes, sir?

QUESTION: Thanks.

First to the admiral, do you believe -- will skimming operations start again this weekend, or do you know when that will start again?

ALLEN: Well, it depends on the type of skimming equipment and the sea state. Some of the larger vessels that operate offshore will be able to get out quicker. When you get over three to five feet, some of the smaller skimmers, say, 30, 40 feet in length, have a very difficult time operating and being effective, so it will be weather- based.

QUESTION: And there were some rumors in the financial markets today that the well had been capped, which is obviously not true. Is there any information that we haven't gotten about progress -- GIBBS: Including me?

(LAUGHTER)

ALLEN: Nothing that I'm aware of.

I would say this: As they get closer to the wellbore, getting into the position to make that final drilling into the wellbore and the casing itself, there is a chance, a slight chance they could nick the wellbore. Because of that, they have a vessel up there that's full of mud waiting to be able to shoot it in if they have a problem there, but nothing to my knowledge.

QUESTION: Robert, along the same lines, can you give us an idea as to when the administration will be releasing its new report on -- or its new decision on offshore drilling moratorium?

GIBBS: I -- I think that will come from the Department of Interior I would expect in the next few days.

QUESTION: In the next few days?

GIBBS: Yes.

QUESTION: Great.

And one non-oil spill-related question.

There is growing fear among economists and financial markets about the possibility of a double-dip recession. The president met with Chairman Bernanke earlier this week. Is that a concern that the president has? And is there -- are you preparing plans or a way to address that now?

GIBBS: Well -- well, look, we -- we continue to work towards improving our economy, creating an environment for job creation. The Senate took up, I think two days ago, a cloture vote on our small- business lending initiative that the House had previously passed. Obviously, we believe financial reform is -- is a big part of our economic recovery so that we don't find ourselves in the same situation this September that we did two years ago.

So I would just simply say we continue each and every day to look at and to monitor events here, and obviously we now understand over the course of the past several months, the news that -- from overseas, how much that can affect our markets here and economic prospects here.

So the economic team continues to look at and advise the president on -- on anything that they believe would be important to continuing our economic recovery. You heard the vice president a week or so ago come in here and describe the ramping up of projects inside the Recovery Act that's taking place this summer. We'll get new jobs numbers obviously tomorrow, and we'll get a chance to evaluate, sort of, where we are.

QUESTION: But does that word "double-dip" come up in those morning economic briefings?

HOLMES: All right, been listening into the White House briefing. You see the White House spokesperson there, Robert Gibbs, but also retired now Admiral Thad Allen who is still in charge of the response there in the Gulf gave you a couple of updates about what's happening there.

It's nothing we didn't know really already, but the fact that how severely hampered the efforts have been to skim the oil off the surface of the Gulf of Mexico because of the weather. They've had to call in so many of those skimming ships, doesn't know when they'll be allowed to go back out. But he says the drilling of those relief wells, that has not been stomped, that has not been hampered by the weather so far. But, of course, Tropical Storm Alex still giving fits.

Meanwhile, Russia now firing back over spying allegations. We're going to be live in Moscow. Stay with us.

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