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Stocks: Bear on the Prowl; Finding a Job: Getting a Foot in the Door; Electric Cars Face Speed Bump; Tricking Birds to Avoid Gulf; World Cup Affecting Workplace

Aired July 05, 2010 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the big stories for Monday, the 5th of July.

A report card today on the giant oil skimmer A Whale. After a weekend of tests near the oil leak, the modified tanker comes up a question mark.

The Republican chairman keeping his head down today. Some would like to see it roll. Michael Steele's comment on the war in Afghanistan has the GOP squirming.

The East Coast sweating out a hot summer day. Get used to it. A dangerous heat wave with 100-degree temperatures is here to stay. For a while at least.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

Those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.

So, for many of you, this is a day off work. Many others would rather be working but simply can't find jobs.

Frustration is rising over the shrinking labor market. Here's what some of you are saying on our blog.

From Amy D., "I am very frustrated that there are not enough jobs to get Americans back to work. I have been looking for work for almost two years now, sending my resumes to employers every day with very little to no response in return."

This from Randy from Jacksonville. He weighed in on the unemployment figures. "Why don't you give the real number? I am still unemployed but not counted because I don't get a check anymore."

And from Hopeless in Rochester, "Insult to injury is being deemed overqualified for even menial, minimum wage jobs. This is not the American dream. It's the American nightmare with no light at the end of the tunnel."

The weak job market is one factor driving down stocks. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq may be hearing the growls of the bear market.

Alison Kosik is in New York with details.

And, all right, Alison, share with us the grim news here.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, unfortunately, it is grim news, Tony.

You know, stocks are getting pretty close to bear market territory. And what that is when the markets drop 20 percent off their recent highs. And for all the major averages, the recent highs were in April.

We've watched the Dow fall 13 percent from April. But I want you to really see the bigger drop in the Nasdaq. That's fallen 17 percent.

But it's the S&P 500 that's taking the biggest hit, down 16 percent. And that's why we're really feeling it in our 401(k)s. It's the broadest of the three major averages, and many investors' mutual funds mirror the S&P 500.

Sure, we've got a lot of concerns weighing on the markets. We've got the European debt crisis. That's what set the worries in motion. So did the crisis in the housing market. And signs of improvement in the housing market just aren't there. New home sales, pending home sales, both fell by the double digits last month.

The job market, who could forget about the job market? You were just talking about it, Tony. It's at 9.5 percent unemployment. It did tick lower, but that's because a growing number of discouraged workers have stopped looking, and they are no longer counted in the labor force.

You know, for the U.S. economy as a whole, Tony, that fear is really growing that recovery is fizzling out, and that's why we're seeing the markets tumble as much as they are -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. Alison, what happens if stocks actually do fall into a bear market territory?

KOSIK: Well, what analysts think is it could trigger another wave of selling. It's also bringing up more talk of double-dip recessions. But on that question, you know, economists are split.

Some traders say yes, we're in for it. Other economists say this is just an extended period of very slow growth.

Ah, but earnings could give the markets a boost, Tony. Second quarter earnings season, that kicks off next week. If companies can show that they've got profit growth, that could give the markets a boost. Many traders are telling me that the markets are oversold, that we are ripe for a rally.

We'll see if that does comes to pass -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. All right. Alison, good to see you. Thank you. See you next hour. KOSIK: Sure.

HARRIS: The nation's unemployment rate actually fell last month even though the economy lost jobs for the first time this year. The jobless rate dipped to 9.5 percent, but economists say that's because discouraged workers, as you just heard from Alison, stopped looking for jobs. Many who are still looking are discouraged.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBRA ROUSEY, DEALING WITH LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYMENT: It's not just not even being able to get a job, it's not even being able to get an interview. I probably average five resumes online to various companies and job site locations daily, and with nothing. It's just quiet.

There is no response whatsoever. And it's just heartbreaking, because I've always been a person who has been able to find a job, who has not had a problem keeping a job. And this is my longest time I've ever been unemployed, and it's just devastating for me and my family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. So Debra is not the only one with this problem. Here is a blog comment from Curtis. He writes, "With today's system of application submissions, it is impossible to distinguish yourself or personalize your application."

All right. Let's do this -- listen up, Curtis, Debra, and everyone else out there who might be in a similar situation. Josh Levs is here now, and he has some unique tips to help you get your foot in the door. Folks need some help.

Josh, what do you have for us?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Tony, I'm going to tell you something. I was so psyched when I saw this, because I've been doing so many segments throughout this economic crisis, trying to help people find jobs. And honestly, it's so rare that anyone comes to me with new ideas that you haven't heard before, and some of these I think are pretty amazing, genuinely might help you.

I want you all to pay attention, anyone out there who is looking for a job or who is dissatisfied with your job. Want to know some tricks to find it? Listen to what these people did.

This is from a blog from Yahoo Finance. And I'm going to show you all where you can see the whole thing in just a minute.

The first one is called "Show Me What You Got." Listen to what some of these people did. Here's an example of one that worked.

There's someone who was applying for a position to be a poker dealer at a casino. Went in for the interview, but instead of doing the interview, just started dealing cards on the table and pretending there were players there. A teacher did something similar. A teacher came in, and instead of going ahead with the interview, brought in a box of props and pretended to start teaching. This person who was there to the side suddenly saw this person action. They got their jobs.

Look at this one: "Show Added Value." There are a bunch of people out there who have done a lot of research about a company in advance, and instead of just showing up for an interview, they show up with a portfolio, or even send something in advance that shows how to solve a problem at that agency, or something that they can offer that's very specific to what that company is going through right then.

And that brings me to this next one. Tony, check this out, the "Coffee Cup Caper." This might be my favorite.

This is a guy who was a banker for decades, lost his job, sent out 1,500 resumes and got nothing. Then he got an inspiration. He started sending -- reaching out to former employees of a bunch of banks out there, and he found out from them what the problems were at banks.

Then he took a coffee cup and a resume, and he FedExed it to the head of each of these banks. And as soon as FedEx informed him of the person that just signed for it -- because you can find that out instantly -- he immediately called that person who signed for it, said, "Can we have coffee?"

And you have got to hear these numbers. He got eight interviews and six offers in five weeks.

HARRIS: Wow.

LEVS: Because these people are being clever, original, whole new ideas. A couple more here.

"Raise Your Profile With Your Peers." Start giving speeches if you can. Start reaching out to the agencies where the people who are in your field gather.

If there's a professional association, do that. If you want to run a blog, do that. It gets people to know your name. Suddenly, they want to help you.

And one more here that I love, very me, "Trail of Digital Crumbs." A lot of employers out there saying right now if you're not on Facebook, Twitter, if you don't have a blog, if you don't have something online, they're not going to find you.

So, Tony, this is another thing. A lot of these places are saying trail of digital crumbs. Put those digital crumbs out there. Create a blog for yourself, or one of those things.

And here is where you can read the whole article.

HARRIS: Come on. LEVS: It's all about Facebook, Facebook.com. Speaking of digital crumbs -- right, Tony? -- Facebook.com/joshlevsCNN. And I've also got it there at Twitter.com/joshlevsCNN.

HARRIS: So, are we all connected here, Josh? We've got the Twitter.

LEVS: You are.

HARRIS: We've got the Facebook.

LEVS: You tweet now.

HARRIS: We're doing it all, right?

LEVS: We are doing it all.

HARRIS: This show is connected.

LEVS: We are connected to you because we want you to know where our digital crumbs are.

HARRIS: OK. Good stuff.

LEVS: You got it.

Josh, see you in a bit. Thank you.

The pros and cons of green energy, specifically electric cars. With the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, many people are saying now is the time to get away from gas. But some electric gurus say not so fast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So, here's the thing. There is no such thing as perfect. Take electric cars, for example. Better for the environment, but too many in one neighborhood could be trouble.

Here's CNN's Alison Kosik.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK FABLE, TESLA OWNER: The car's running.

KOSIK: Is the car running?

FABLE: It's running. That's it. No vibration.

KOSIK: I don't hear anything.

FABLE: You don't hear anything.

KOSIK (voice-over): Silent on startup, they're soon to be at a dealer near you -- electric cars. Ad executive Mark Fable couldn't resist. (on camera): This is the Tesla Roadster. What possessed you to buy it?

FABLE: It's 100 percent electric. There's no gas, there's no emissions. And what a lot of people don't know is it's incredibly fun to drive. It's extremely fast -- the fastest car I've ever driven.

KOSIK (voice-over): With a list price of over $100,000, the Tesla is beyond reach for most. But there will be other options. And if more drivers go from the pump to the plug, will power grids withstand the energy drain?

MALCOLM WOOLF, DIRECTOR, MARYLAND ENERGY ADMIN.: They say that charging an electric vehicle is roughly equivalent to half a house. So, if you buy an electric vehicle and your neighbors on both sides of you buy an electric vehicle, you could blow that transformer if all three of you decide to charge it in peak hours when you're running your air-conditioners.

KOSIK: And that's a real challenge. Listen to the chairman of one major utility at a recent electric car conference.

PETER DARBEE, CHAIRMAN, REP. PG&E : If three to five electric vehicles show up in one neighborhood, you're going to overwhelm the electric circuits. And that will lead to blackouts and other problems.

KOSIK: Now, PG&E does emphasize that it supports the electric car industry and sees it as an opportunity. So, how to address the overload issue?

TED CRAVER, EDISON INTERNATIONAL: We do believe that customers are going to primarily charge late at night, early in the morning. This is the best time to charge, and we will incent them to do that with lower rates.

KOSIK: But there is another speed bump for drivers.

(on camera): So, let's say I'm not driving a gas-powered vehicle, but instead I'm driving an electric vehicle and I'm running out of power. What am I going to do? I'm going to try to find somewhere to charge it.

So let's try to find one. Follow me.

Hi. I'm with CNN. I'm doing a story about electric vehicles. And just curious, do you have somewhere I can charge an electric vehicle?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A charging station? No.

KOSIK (voice-over): It's called range anxiety. And in a recent Cars.com poll, 54 percent of consumers are afraid of running out of electricity on the road. According to the Department of Energy Web site, 27 states currently don't have any charging stations and 22 have 10 or less.

And Fable admits road trips require a little extra planning.

FABLE: The big difference is I'm not going to be able to, anywhere I am, refuel. I can't pull into a gas station. I need to have an electrical outlet or a high-voltage charger in my garage. So, when I start a day, I want to know that I have enough battery power to comfortably meet that range.

KOSIK: Enough battery power, the only cure for range anxiety.

Alison Kosik, CNN, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: So how about this: India wishing it didn't rely so heavily on fuel? A price hike on gas putting the brakes on commerce today.

We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: On strike. We're talking about thousands across India protesting an increase in gas prices and going out on strike. In some areas, trains are empty, traffic literally parked.

CNN's Mallika Kapur has more from Mumbai.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's Monday morning in Mumbai and the city is at a standstill. These roads would normally be packed with hundreds of trucks as they head towards the port which is just behind me. Today, you'll find thousands of trucks parked on the sides of the roads because they're all participating in a nationwide strike against a hike in fuel prices.

BAL MALKIT SINGH, PRESIDENT, BOMBAY GOODS TRANSPORT ASSN.: In a democratic country we have the right to show our products.

KAPUR (voice-over): Last week, the Indian government took a bold step to stop subsidizing petrol and raised the price of petrol, kerosene, cooking gas, and diesel which powers India's trucks.

SINGH: Diesel is a major component in our cost of operations. And if there is a regular (ph) hike (ph), it does badly affect our industries.

KAPUR: Money saved by scrapping fuel subsidies will be used to cut India's fiscal deficit, which is 5.5 percent of GDP. The finance minister says it could come down to 4.5 percent next year.

(on camera): The opposition, which has called for today's strike, has slammed the price hike, saying it affects the common man the most. There is concern inflation, which is already above 10 percent, could be pushed higher still.

GURDEV SINGH, TRUCK DRIVER (through translator): The cost of everything has gone up from diesel to food. No one is helping the poor man.

KAPUR (on camera): Truckers say they're finding it difficult to swallow the recent price hike, and many say they've had no choice but to transfer the cost on to consumers. In fact, many truckers say they've increased their prices by 12 percent since last week.

They now want the government to roll back the price hike. They want their government to meet their demands. And this, today's strike against the government, they say, is just one way for them to make a point.

Mallika Kapur, CNN, Mumbai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: How about this -- one man's solution to a world fuel crisis, building a nuclear fusion reactor in his spare time? OK. That story in about 30 minutes.

While we are bringing you news from around the world, we are also watching what's hot online. Ines Ferre is surfing the Web for us.

Ines, good morning.

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

And this is what so many of you have been looking at all morning long on CNN.com, the most popular. A former hot dog eating champion, well, he tries to take center stage at this year's contest.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Late details now on the Gulf oil disaster, day 77.

Officials say tests conducted over the weekend of the A Whale skimmer are inconclusive. The converted cargo ship could skim 21 million gallons of crude each day if everything works.

Other top stories we're following for you.

The chairman of the Republican National Committee is facing sharp criticism from his own party. He called Afghanistan a war of President Obama's choosing and suggested it may be unwinnable. Some prominent Republican commentators want Steele, Michael Steele, to resign.

Senator John McCain did not go that far. Neither did Senator Lindsey Graham.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: It was an uninformed, unnecessary, unwise, untimely comment. This is not President Obama's war. This is America's war.

The deadline of July, 2011, in terms of withdrawal has to be clarified. But I want to separate myself from that statement. And the good news is Michael Steele is backtracking so fast, he's going to be in Kabul fighting here pretty soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK.

And CNN iReporters are sending in photos and video of their small town Fourth of July celebrations. Let's see some of this.

This event in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, almost got canceled -- wow, look at that -- because of cuts to the city's budget.

Enjoy this for a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Let's go here: the Gulf oil disaster, day 77.

After a weekend of testing, the results are in today on the giant A Whale oil skimmer. The modified cargo ship is capable of skimming 21 million gallons of oil a day, but the ship's owner says the effectiveness of the skimmer remain uncertain.

And the fishing industry gets another setback. The federal government has closed another 1,100 square miles -- imagine that -- of the Gulf of Mexico off central Louisiana. A third of the Gulf is now off limits to fishing.

Millions of birds that will migrate south for the coming winter could become the next victims of the BP oil disaster.

CNN's Sandra Endo shows us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Soaring brown pelicans, foamy waves washing the shore, sand untouched for miles. Welcome to Assateague Island National Seashore on Maryland's coast, home to these small, fluffy Piping Plovers.

It's nesting time for these endangered birds. Since 1986, they've been protected.

CARL ZIMMERMAN, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: These Plovers nest in these open sandy areas, right directly on the ground. There are a number of animals here on the island that would just love to make a meal out of those eggs.

So, those cages protect those eggs from things like crows, fox, some other birds. So, it's our attempt to help give that bird, this rare bird, a little leg up. We've probably got somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 or 90 birds.

ENDO (on camera): That doesn't seem like a lot.

ZIMMERMAN: Well, it's not.

ENDO (voice-over): Now another threat: the massive oil spill along the Gulf Coast, where the Piping Plover migrates in winter. These pictures of oil-covered birds could foreshadow the Piping Plover's fate.

Because of the concern, a team of scientists tagged and took blood samples from the birds to record their condition before they migrate south.

ZIMMERMAN: The idea is to try to, over the course of this coming year, to recapture some of those birds down in their wintering grounds, take additional blood samples, and then try and see whether or not they're being affected by it.

ENDO (on camera): This barrier island is so unique. It's been able to maintain its natural habitat. Even wild horses roam freely here. And it's also home to many other bird species which could be affected by the Gulf oil spill.

(voice-over): It will take at least a year to find out the oil's impact on these feathered families. The American Bird Conservancy says the problem could take a global toll.

MICHAEL PARR, AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY: It's really birds from all over North America and birds that do move on to South America as well. So it's a real mix. But we're talking about millions of individual birds.

ZIMMERMAN: We've got to be optimistic and hope it will turn out OK for these guys.

ENDO: For a chance to thrive in this place of protection.

Sandra Endo, CNN, Assateague Island, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: So the federal government has a deceptive yet clever plan to help save migratory birds from an oily doom. Dave White heads the Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Dave, it's good to see you. Thanks for taking the time this holiday weekend to be with us.

DAVE WHITE, USDA, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE: Good morning, Mr. Harris. HARRIS: Good to talk to you.

Tell me what it is you're attempting to do here.

WHITE: Well, what we'd really like to do, Tony, is to minimize the chances of these migratory birds encountering oil and to also ensure they would have food and shelter to replace that which may be degraded or lost because of the oil spill.

HARRIS: And, Dave, how are you doing this?

WHITE: Well, we've got an idea from central Missouri down through Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, across Texas, over to Florida is try to create or enhance wetland habitat that's formerly been lost to provide water for them -- shallow water, deeper water -- and food sources for these birds as they come south this fall.

HARRIS: So are you -- are you flooding fields?

WHITE: Yes, yes indeed. In Missouri we have -- this is all going to be done by farmers and the response has just been tremendous, Mr. Harris. Missouri has a hundred applications where we believe we can create right now 18,000 acres of new, shallow water wetland habitat for these migratory birds when they come south.

HARRIS: Well, is there any science to suggest this, you know, this could actually work? Has this been tried?

WHITE: No one has ever tried it on this scale before to my knowledge and there is a risk that we could fail, I won't kid you on that. But the hope is if they see this open water, if there is food, it'll be like the movie "Field of Dreams", if we build it, they will come.

HARRIS: All right. Let me play the role of a migratory bird here.

WHITE: OK.

HARRIS: I am the Black Necked Stilt. There I am.

WHITE: There you are.

HARRIS: Here's the thing. I am used to flying to the Gulf. What makes me for example stop over Stewart County, Georgia, instead of continuing on with my normal flight plan that I have executed successfully for years?

WHITE: Well, you know, your migratory urge is deeply embedded. The hereditary is there and I don't know that we're going to stop anybody. But we might slow them down and we might give them some food.

And if you look at -- they call them neotropical migrants, the migratory birds, they're song birds, they're sparrows, they're warblers, they're martins as well as waterfowl and other shore birds like the lady was talking about previously, the plovers, the terns that are going to come. A lot of those birds will come to the Gulf, particularly, and then they will rest up. They'll feed -- a lot of them will actually fly over the Gulf.

So if you're that bird in Stewart County, Georgia, we want to make sure you can rest there, get a lot of calories, feed up, before you make that trip --

HARRIS: I love it.

WHITE: -- that flight across the Gulf.

HARRIS: Well, I want this to work, but let me ask another question here.

In many cases, you know, we have water issues in this country and I'm wondering where the water is coming from, for example Georgia has huge water issues. Is anyone pushing back suggesting this is not the best use of limited water resources?

WHITE: You know, at this particular time of the year we're not seeing that in any of the areas I'm aware of. And as far as anyone pushing back, we have nothing but overwhelming support.

HARRIS: Yes, I would think you would.

WHITE: From the Environmental Defense Fund to the Audubon to the Cotton Council the rice growers, Ducks Unlimited, state fishing and games, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. We've got so many offers to help and the response from the farmers, they really, really want to help in this, Mr. Harris, and that's why in Louisiana we have over 900 applications and we've only been taking them for a week.

HARRIS: Dave, I hope this works. I really do. I think everyone watching hopes it works.

Let's look at a couple of these pictures of these birds again. It's a terrific effort. Who knows if it'll be successful, but it seems to me to be worth the attempt. These are beautiful birds.

Dave, again, appreciate your time and don't call me Mr. Harris. That's my dad, I'm Tony. Have a great holiday weekend.

WHITE: All right, Tony.

HARRIS: Still to come, will a new police training video keep racial profiling out of enforcement of Arizona's new tough immigration law? We will take a look at it and you decide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, Day 77 and the oil impact is undeniable with health advisories and warnings popping up just about everywhere the tar balls are. The latest this morning, a new swim warning for Alabama's Gulf waters.

Here is John Zarrella from nearby Pensacola, Florida, where beachgoers can hit the water at their own risk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More cleanup crews than we have seen in days scoured this section of Pensacola beach. Perhaps just a coincidence, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson dropped by for a firsthand look at the work.

LISA JACKSON, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR: It has no odor.

ZARRELLA (on camera): Yes.

JACKSON: So it no odor, so the (INAUDIBLE) is long gone out of there.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): While it's pretty clear the beach is a mess, what isn't clear to people here is whether the water is safe for swimming.

(On camera): "Oil Impact Notice." These are the signs that have now been posted on all of 40 miles of Escambia Country's coastline. And they say avoid wading, swimming or entering the water, but they don't say you can't get in.

(Voice-over): What would Administrator Jackson do?

JACKSON: Based on the fact that this beach has oil, no, I would not go into the water today.

ZARRELLA: Cindy O'Sullivan and Janie King couldn't agree more. They've lived in Pensacola for years.

(On camera): Would you get in that water right now?

CINDY O'SULLIVAN, PENSACOLA RESIDENT: There's no way. I don't understand why people are in it. It looks good, looks pretty, but it's not.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Well, that depends upon who you talk with.

DR. JOHN LANZA, ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA HEALTH. DEPT.: Right now I would go into the water.

ZARRELLA: Dr. John Lanza heads the county health department. Lanza believes the water is safe unless you see tar balls or sheen on the water, or you feel oily and not from suntan lotion.

For now the county commission is not banning swimming until the EPA gives them concrete guidance.

LANZA: Until we get a standard from the EPA on the levels of the petrochemicals in the water so that we don't suggest people go into the water, specifically for that, we can't do anything. JACKSON: There is nothing that I'm going to be able to tell you in a chemical lab that you can't learn about the safety of the water from a bathing purpose by looking at it and smelling it.

ZARRELLA: It looked pretty good to the Van Schlitz family vacationing from Oklahoma. They played in the surf, they had not seen the "avoid the water" sign, and no one told them not to go in.

(On camera): If they were warning you to stay out of the water --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would not have gotten in.

ZARRELLA: You wouldn't have gotten in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): The bottom line seems to be this. Right know scientifically no one is sure whether the water is safe. You are on your own, just smell it first.

John Zarrella, CNN, Pensacola, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK. Let's get you caught up on the top stories right now.

Day 77 of the oil disaster and we will have to wait a while longer to see how well the A-Whale works. Weekend tests on the giant oil skimmer were inconclusive. The company that owns the ship says rough seas made it hard to gauge its success.

Check out these pictures, a massive march for the release of a captured Israeli soldier. Thousands on a 12-day walk to the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They want the prime minister to do whatever it takes to get the soldier freed. Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants four years ago during a cross-border raid.

Happy 4th of July. Cities across the United States celebrate Independence Day with pops in the sky.

(VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So Arizona has a new training video to help police officers avoid racial profiling, but reactions are split on whether or not it will work. Ines Ferre, here now with more on the video -- Ines.

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony. People can check actually out the video on Arizona's official website, and a big part of the 90-minute video deals with racial profiling. It shows a series of law enforcement officials talking about racial profiling and tells officers how to avoid being accused of it.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN LIVINGSTON, ARIZONA POLICE ASSOCIATION: There will be those that fully intend to test our officers and their professionalism and to determine whether or not they will use race as a determining factor in stopping them for one of various different types of activities.

I urge you not to use race, not to be baited by the questions that may be posed to you by individuals whose purpose is to find Arizona police officers discriminatory in nature.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FERRE: And the video goes on to explain the law in detail and gives officers clues to consider to form a suspicion on whether someone is here illegally like for example dress, if a vehicle is overcrowded and significant difficulty communicating in English.

Now critics say it's impossible to form a reasonable suspicion about a person's legal status without taking race into account. Proponents say nothing in the law allows racial profiling.

But we're asking you, what do you think of the training video? Do you think that the video will help prevent racial profiling? You can go to CNN.com/Tony or on Facebook, TonyHarrisCNN.

And we will also ask former FBI Assistant Director Tom Fuentes to weigh in, Tony. He has watched the video and will join us next hour with his take on whether this training video is or if it can be effective at preventing racial profiling.

HARRIS: Can't wait. That should be a great conversation. All right, Ines, thank you.

Millions of you glued to the TV watching, wait for it, guys, ready? Watching the -- the -- guys? You going to help me with this or leave me out here alone on this? The World Cup. Some of you are watching while you're supposed to be -- you guys are pathetic.

Christine Romans looks at how the games are affecting productivity.

Sorry, Christine. We had a better production in mind for you. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Oh, stop already. Really.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK -- Not yet. That yelling coming from your co- workers' cubicles may be from World Cup fever. People around the world and millions here in the United States have been glued to the games in spite of the -- now, guys. Now, now -- that sound, the vuvuzelas.

So how is the World Cup affecting productivity in the work place? Christine Romans live from New York with details.

Silencio, gentlemen. Thank you.

Christine, it's all yours.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Tony, I was taping a show last week and I'm telling you, the whole crew went, whoa, all at the same time and I kind of had to stop because I didn't realize what was going on. They were watching it behind the camera.

OK, look, 99.2 million viewers in this country --

HARRIS: Wow.

ROMANS: -- have tuned in for at least six minutes of World Cup action. That already, Tony, surpasses all of the 2006 World Cup. That's one in three people in this country have tuned in at least for a few minutes. The top markets, Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C. This is according to the TV rating people, Nielsen.

Wanted to take a look at the economics of this for you because still, it's a valuable comparison. U.S. lost productivity is really not very much compared with the U.K., $7 billion in lost productivity. And look at the World Cup fever around the world. You know, not necessarily -- yes, the viewership has been higher than 2006 here in the U.S., but really when you look worldwide on the World Cup fever, it's something that you see mostly outside of this country. Sixty percent request days off, 26 percent take some time off of work, 17 percent either come in late or leave early, and 3 percent report in sick for the World Cup.

Another report from Challenger Grant Christmas actually found that actually World Cup in the U.S. is number four or five on the list of productivity, you know, drains. You've got -- fantasy football is actually usually above World Cup. But this number, this 99.2 million surprised me. One in three Americans has at least spent six minutes watching a match.

HARRIS: You know what it is? The World Cup cycle four years ago was pretty big. But, you know, in that time, in the four years, we have been exposed to more soccer here in the country.

One of the teams I think -- it was the team in Los Angeles brought in a big international soccer star in David Beckham and all of the fuss and hoopla around that, even though he didn't perform particularly well.

And kids, particularly girls, are playing this game all over the country in big, big numbers. So I'm not surprised that the numbers are better in terms of our viewership.

ROMANS: Do you think there's a little bit of escapism going on, too? The economy is a lot different today than in 2006. HARRIS: I think you're right there.

ROMANS: Maybe it's a reach, but it's something. You want to root for somebody, and watch real talent and people who are really good at something. I think there's some escapism there, too.

HARRIS: You have to give some credit to the folks over at ESPN who did a terrific job in marketing this. They did a terrific job, and we had a pretty good American story, a U.S. story for two weeks there. So I'm not surprised at all by these numbers.

ROMANS: It's not over yet. The numbers could top 100 million, right? I mean, it's not over. You've got some big matches ahead, I'm told.

HARRIS: Watch Germany. Fast and young, that's a heck of a combination in World Cup soccer.

Christine, see you next hour. Thank you, lady. Have a good holiday weekend.

And here's what we're working on for the next hour.

Could you stop the oil leak? Our Josh Levs takes a look at a video game that puts the challenge to you.

And bracing for a royal visit, the queen hits New York City tomorrow. My goodness. Her first visit in more than 30 years. Is the Big Apple ready?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So we asked you to share your frustrations about the economy on our blog.

Here is Joyce, "I am 68 years old," listen to this, "on Social Security and have watched our family construction business go into the tank. My husband of 48 years walked out of the door and I'm in danger of losing my home. Other than that, the economy has not affected me at all."

And this from Kathleen, "Out of work at 57. At my age, jobs are few, if any. I am too young to collect my Social Security so basically I am homeless right now, penniless, and maybe unemployable. I've worked every day since I was 16 years old. I never stayed home with my kids, except to give birth, and recover for a few weeks. Now I am basically destitute, and there are no benefits for me, now that I need them."

A man spends seven years perfecting two inventions that could change how the world gets its electricity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lithium is right up there with gasoline. It has a lot of energy potential, the key is to unlock it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Loni Johnson (ph) is famous for making a top-selling toy, right? Now he is breaking new ground in green energy. Watch my "NEXT BIG THING SERIES: ENGINEER'S LIFE MISSION." That is tomorrow at noon Eastern.

Nuclear fusion in a Brooklyn warehouse? Our Carol Costello caught up with one man whose DYI project could fuel the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A warehouse in Brooklyn. Inside a dream that is realized could change everything.

MARK SUPPES, AMATEUR NUCLEAR PHYSICIST: You can hear it sounds like a jet engine.

COSTELLO: This is Mark Suppes, a web designer for Gucci by day, an amateur science junkie or fusionist by night.

SUPPES: You can hear it. It kind of get - getting higher and higher. The anticipation is building.

COSTELLO (on camera): It is.

SUPPES: Are you excited?

COSTELLO: I am excited.

SUPPES: OK.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Suppes has built a nuclear fusion reactor. A machine he hopes one day will imitate the sun's power and power our world.

(on camera): So what is the hope? What is the goal?

SUPPES: The hope and the goal are that this will lead to a viable energy technology that will one day replace coal and oil.

COSTELLO: Suppes' dream is not new. Nuclear fusion has long been considered the Holy Grail of energy production. Atoms are forcibly joined releasing energy, produce enough and you get Suppes' dream.

The problem, even the most brilliant, trained scientists haven't figured out how to do it in a way that creates more energy than it consumes.

(on camera): Professor, meet Mark.

(voice-over): Professor Bob Park admires Suppes' passion, but says his reactor is primitive compared to the sophisticated gigantic reactors physicists use now. Still - PROFESSOR ROBERT PARK, PHYSICIST, UNIVERSITY OR MARYLAND: There is always that possibility that he might come up with some little trick that nobody else has thought of.

COSTELLO (on camera): You can figure it out?

SUPPES: I mean, I'm not saying that I can figure it out necessarily, but I think that it can be done and I think that I can be instrumental in doing it.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Suppes has spent $37,000 of his own money and two years of his life to create this nuclear fusion reactor.

SUPPES: The first step is we suck all the air out of the chamber.

COSTELLO: He bought the mechanical parts on eBay. As for the necessary ingredients like the isotope element Deuterium -

(on camera): But where do you buy it?

SUPPES: In - there's a company called Matheson Tri-Gas in New Jersey.

COSTELLO: So you bought the Deuterium in New Jersey?

SUPPES: Yes.

COSTELLO: These are normal people.

SUPPES: And they FedEx it - they FedEx it over.

COSTELLO (voice-over): After a series of steps, Suppes makes fusion. He says it happens inside that tube with a glowing purple star.

(on camera): Some people might just imagine, you know, Jerry Lewis in the lab, you know, the crazy scientist. Is that who you are?

SUPPES: And minus the hair.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Suppes just might be a little crazy, but he is passionate about changing the world.

(on camera): And so how would you like to go down in the history books?

SUPPES: I want to go down as the progenitor of the fusion era.

COSTELLO (on camera): Suppes' next step, raising $200 to $400 million to build a bigger reactor, the kind you need to solve a scientific problem that no trained physicist has ever managed to do in 50 years.

Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)