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Oil Cleanup Health Dangers; Washington, Moscow Working a Deal?; Get a Job or Get Your Money Back

Aired July 07, 2010 - 14:00   ET

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

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Thad Allen of the Coast Guard says it's going to have the capacity to suck up 53,000 barrels of oil a day. That would be up from around 26,000 barrels right now.

The choppy water causing problems for more than a week. Dozens of skimmer boats still can't get out of the dock. Only bigger boats allowed out right now.

And the biggest skimmer boat still hasn't been cleared to take part. It's called the A Whale. More testing -- can you believe this? -- being done today to see if it can suck up the oil and dispersant that's a mix in the Gulf.

As for the cleanup workers themselves, the spill continues. There are concerns now that workers are coming in contact almost daily with oil, fumes, dispersants. Federal health officials tell us they insist they're keeping a close watch on this, and BP insists the workers are safe. But back in 1989, the workers cleaning up the Exxon Valdez spill say they were told the same thing, and some say they've been suffering ever since.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): He coughs. His breath short. His eyes tear. His vision failing.

Roy Dalthorp says he started getting sick 21 years ago when the Exxon Valdez hit a reef in Alaska, which at the time he thought the Valdez was a blessing.

(on camera): You were out of a job at the time?

ROY DALTHORP, GOT SICK FROM EXXON VALDEZ SPILL: Yes, I was out of a job. I was in hurtsville (ph). I had no choices on that, because I was behind in my house payments. And no health insurance.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): For six weeks, he worked on a ship that superheated seawater to pressure-wash Exxon's crude oil off of rocks. His photos on board show the steam. He says an oily-smelling mist permeated the ship where he worked 16-hour days. That's when the cough began.

(on camera): Were they concerned about your health?

DALTHORP: They never asked us. They never said anything. Nobody ever checked with us. Nobody.

They never did a follow-up on us, never asked if we ever had any consequences of it. They could have cared less. I'm serious. There was no follow-up.

GRIFFIN: Dalthorp didn't follow up either. He never filed a lawsuit, never filed a claim. He could never prove the work he did on the Valdez made him sick.

(on camera): Exxon did pay to study the health effects of almost every single creature that came in contact with oil in Prince William Sound. Every creature but one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From clams and mussels, to fish and otters, to ducks and eagles, and even deer and bears, but they never studied what this oil was doing to the workers, to the human being in Prince William Sound.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Why? Well, tonight at 10:00 Eastern on "AC 360," my full investigative report on the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez cleanup and why a congressional committee investigating the current cleanup in the Gulf right now wants to look back on what happened in Alaska 21 years ago.

Well, this Russian spy case is getting even juicier. Signs Washington and Moscow are working a secret deal. Secret agents, exchanges -- the latest live from Moscow, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Back to that alleged Russian spy ring now. Lots of chatter today about some new covert ops, not by double agents, but agents of the U.S. and Russian governments, potentially a swap of sorts between our spy and their spy, though nobody is saying who's a spy.

Matthew Chance, you're live in Moscow. Sort this out for us if you can.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Drew. Thanks very much.

Well, it's all very speculative at the moment, but what we're hearing is from the mother of a convicted spy being held in a Russian jail here, that he's told her that he is part of a spy swap deal that is expected -- that he expects to take place tomorrow, Thursday, local time, of him and 10 of his co-convicted spies, as it were and those 10 alleged members of that spy ring that are in detention in the United States. All very vague at the moment.

This individual, his name is Igor Sutyagin. He says he's had to sign documents confessing to his crime, which, of course, he never did in the past. And he says that the exchange is going to take place, first of all, in Vienna, Austria, on Thursday. There's no confirmation at the moment from either Moscow or Washington on this, but there's a great deal of buzz, a great deal of speculation that some kind of deal is afoot -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: And we were just showing a picture of this scientist who has been jailed now since 2004. He was arrested in '99, convicted in 2004. And we're told, I guess by his mother, that he has a long beard now. He looks completely different.

CHANCE: Yes. Igor Sutyagin is his name. He was a researcher at the Institute of Academy of Science here in Moscow. He's a specialist in nuclear weapons.

And he was convicted in 2004 of selling very sensitive, secret nuclear details to members -- employees of a company from Britain, a company which is now believed to have been a front for the CIA. He was sentenced to 15 years for that. Again, he's always said he was innocent, but he now told his mother that as part of this deal -- he's had to sign this confession -- that he did indeed spy for the United States.

GRIFFIN: Matthew, while we have you here, I want to see if we can have -- there was a State Department briefing in Washington, D.C., just within the last hour. And there was an exchange on this potential meeting between Russian and U.S. diplomats.

Here's what the State Department spokesman apparently had to say. First you'll hear from a reporter asking the question. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are numerous reports that there is a deal in the works to swap some of the alleged Russian spies with people convicted in Russia of espionage or other things.

MARK C. TONER, ACTING DEPUTY STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: Sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did these spying cases come up in the meeting at all?

TONER: Well, again, it wasn't the main purpose of the meeting, but I believe the case was discussed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And was it discussed in terms of a possibly swap?

TONER: Really, I'd have to refer you to the Justice Department on any speculation about a spy swap.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was the Justice Department at the meeting?

TONER: No, they weren't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Matthew, I can assume that there's been a similar news conference or exchange there with the same vague answers. So we really don't know anything except the fact that this spy's mom is kind of leaking this information.

CHANCE: Well, there's been a news conference of the spy's mom and the lawyer and some human rights activists that have been sort of fueling this speculation. But that was very interesting, what we heard from the State Department spokesperson.

He was talking about a meeting between William Burns, the undersecretary of State in the United States. And he's meeting earlier today with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

And interestingly, he didn't come out and deny that their talks were about this possible spy deal. And that's only fueling this speculation that there is something being planned over the next 24, 48 hours.

GRIFFIN: All right, Matthew. Thanks a lot. We are reading the tea leaves on many different fronts.

Matthew Chance in Moscow.

We also want to tell you, these court hearings scheduled today for spy suspects in three states here in the U.S. were planned, but not all came off.

Here's what Brian Todd is reporting from Alexandra, Virginia -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew, at this courthouse today, a last-minute cancellation of a pretrial hearing. Federal officials have ordered that all three suspects being held here and the suspects being held in Boston be transferred to New York for further court proceedings. Meanwhile, one suspect already in New York is, according to her attorney, very upset over a recent development in this case, a development that came courtesy of her former husband.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): The attorney for accused Russian spy Anna Chapman tells CNN she is aware that racy photos of her have been published by the British tabloid "News of the World." That paper says it got the pictures from her former husband Alex Chapman, who, according to the tabloid, also dished about what he claimed was her adventurous sex life.

We reached Anna Chapman's lawyer Robert Baum by phone in New York.

(on camera): What is her reaction to that?

ROBERT BAUM, ANNA CHAPMAN'S ATTORNEY: I discussed it with Ms. Chapman. She was 21 years old when she got married to Alex Chapman. He asked her to pose for some photos. She believed the photos were to be used for private purposes. She is shocked that he has kept the photos for four years after they're divorced and she's disappointed in his betrayal. TODD: Contacted by CNN, the publicist for Chapman's ex-husband said he couldn't do an interview with us citing his need for rest. Alex Chapman had spoken with British newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph. The publicist Max Clifford did talk to us. Clifford said that he didn't know if Alex Chapman he gave the photos to News of the World or not. Clifford relayed what Alex Chapman had told the papers about the demise of his four year marriage to the accused spy.

MAX CLIFFORD, ALEX CHAPMAN'S PUBLICIST: As the time went by, as the years went by, she became increasingly distant and she seemed to be increasingly enthusiastic to go to these parties, launches, gatherings where the rich and famous were which is something that never appealed to him.

TODD: Anna Chapman's attorney didn't comment on that but he denies other claims by her ex-husband including one that her father worked for the old Soviet spy service the KGB.

BAUM: Her father does not work for the KGB. He's an embassy official who has worked in the past in Zimbabwe and Kenya -- not exactly locations for KGB officials to be sent.

TODD: When we asked Robert Baum if she denies the spying charges against her, he said so far nothing has been disclosed to them about the government's evidence, so they are not making any comments about the charges.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Baum says Anna Chapman is having a difficult time emotionally right now. He says she's being held in solitary confinement, is in her cell about 23 hours a day. He says she's allowed no visitors aside from him, no phone calls, and has no access to TV or any other media -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Brian Todd.

In a state where the unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation, one college offering a deal, probably hard to refuse. You find a job, or you get all your tuition money back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: That should be good, Larry King tonight.

How do you change course when you can't find a job in the only field you know? Well, a Michigan college is hoping to bridge the gap by offering not only an education, but a money-back guarantee to students transitioning to a new career.

Dan Simon has more in today's "Building Up America."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Set it to the ground.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eric Gibbs works as a roofer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring it down. Bring it down.

SIMON: George Suffin, an assembly line worker at GM. Both now unemployed in the state of Michigan.

ERIC GIBBS, UNEMPLOYED: When I got laid off from my roofing company job, I searched for probably a good six months straight, nonstop, eight to 10 hours a day, applying anywhere I could, driving anywhere I could. I mean, going even to McDonald's and trying to apply.

SIMON: Equally bad luck for George, who at 56 has it even harder with employers.

GEORGE SUFFIN, FORMER ASSEMBLY WORKER AT GM: It became clear that the jobs I wanted weren't out there. The skill set that I currently have, I needed a different skill set for the work I want to do.

SIMON: Then came along an offer that sounded almost too good to be true. And it came from the most unusual of place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to be able to cut that out.

SIMON: Lansing Community College is hoping to attract even more students with this offer.

BRENT KNIGHT, PRESIDENT, LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Get a skill, get a job or your money back.

SIMON: Sounds like something from a late-night infomercial. Lansing says if you enroll in at school and do not find a job, it will, indeed, give you back your tuition money.

School President Brent Knight came up with the idea.

KNIGHT: This is an effort to try to help people who are very discouraged. Michigan has had high unemployment. So, there are thousands of people here who are discouraged and don't think that they can get a job no matter what they do.

SIMON: George and Eric see it as a win/win. They learn some new skills. If they don't find a job, there's nothing lost.

GIBBS: There's no way you can lose. If you don't get a job within 12 months, they give you your money back and you're in the same boat as you were since you started.

SUFFIN: Fairly confident. I think there will be job offers.

SIMON (on camera): A job or money-back guarantee might sound insane, especially during a recession. But Lansing is being careful about whom they admit for what is now a pilot program. It's only available to 26 students they believe will be successful in the job market. And it's only available right now in two areas, one for computer machinists, the other for pharmacy technicians.

KNIGHT: We're acting like an employer, in a sense. We admit people to the program who we think an employer would hire.

SIMON (voice-over): If it's successful, Lansing will expand the program. A new spin on old-fashioned marketing; a money-back guarantee where this time the product happens to be an education.

Dan Simon, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: Barbara Starr is covering a big issue. It's the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

We've been waiting for this, Barbara, a survey, I guess, from the military itself on all the details surrounding whether or not this should or should not be implemented, et cetera, et cetera. Why don't you just fill us in from the Pentagon.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Drew, a big step forward today.

Earlier today, the Pentagon began sending out a Don't Ask, Don't Tell questionnaire survey to 400,000 troops around the world: 200,000 active duty, 200,000 reserve, more than 100 questions in the survey to those troops asking them very pointed, very direct questions about how they would feel if the ban -- the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on openly serving in the military if you are gay or lesbian -- if that is repealed by Congress, how will the troops feel about it?

We expected this survey. It was a long time coming. We've now got a much clearer understanding of some of the questions being asked to the 400,000 troops.

The questions include basic questions such as, "If there are gay or lesbian people openly serving in the U.S. military, what would be the impact on unit morale or readiness, especially if you had a commander that you believed was gay or lesbian?" The troops have to answer, what do they think about that?

Other questions, "If you have to share a room, a bathroom, open- bay showers in a war zone with other service members that are openly gay or lesbian" -- very different than today, because it's not allowed to be open -- "what would you feel about that? How would you handle it? What would you do?"

And "Would the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell basically affect the military so much that you would no longer be willing to serve?"

These are some of the 100 questions at this hour going out to troops around the world. They will fill out the questionnaire. It will come back to the Pentagon. The Joint Chiefs of Staff will look at the results.

And this is what they've been waiting for, Drew. They want to see the impact on the troops.

President Obama says he wants the law repealed. This is not about how they feel about repealing it. They don't get a vote in repealing it. But they are going to say how they feel about it, and this is going to, if you will, inform the Joint Chiefs as they give the president their best advice about how this could all shake out -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Barbara, I'm going to try to sound, well, not too snarky, but why do they care? These Joint Chiefs, these guys are paid to make decisions. Why are they sending out this public relations survey asking whoever wants to respond to this and supposedly going to use that to make a decision on this?

STARR: No, no. Right, it's a terrific question, because I think there is a lot of confusion about it. Because we all know, in the military, once the commander-in-chief gives an order, salute smartly and carry on.

That's the way life goes when you're in the military. You don't really get a vote about what orders you want to follow and what orders you don't. But this is part of, if you will, a very delicate political compromise that's been fashioned over the last several months.

The president says he wants the law repealed. Congress is looking at it. Many oppose it, many are in favor of it. We don't really know how any vote would sort out.

So they have gone out to the troops to say, OK, tell us what you think. Not whether you're in favor of it or not, because the policy the president wants is a repealed policy, but tell us what the impact would be. Because what they need to determine, Drew, is, if you will, if so many troops are opposed, what happens if the majority of those surveyed say, hey, I just don't feel I can deal with this, I'm going to vote with my feet and leave?

Nobody really thinks that's going to happen. But what if that did? Then what does President Obama do?

So this will be the first really statistically significant survey of the force about what they think what their lives will be like in the war zone if they serve with openly gay and lesbian people.

Some very delicate questions in this survey: Would you use a shower facility in an open-bay area if you thought there were service members in there that are gay and lesbian? What would be the standards of conduct? How would you handle it? Would you talk to them about it? Would you talk to a chaplain? Would you just carry on your life in the U.S. military as you already do day-to-day?

These are the kinds of questions they want answers to.

GRIFFIN: All right. Let me ask a more refined question. They're sending out surveys, and so the recipients have to send them back in. So, is this indeed a scientifically random survey, or are we setting ourselves up for a return of the passionate, one way or another, that potentially is going to be used by a political sides one way or another? In other words, is everybody compelled to send the survey back? How are they going to keep track of that?

STARR: Well, that's a really good question, you know, because what we -- we're not getting a lot of details. What we know is it's going out via e-mail. And the service member will click on some e- mail link and respond in what we are assured is a confidential manner.

There is a firm -- a research firm -- that is doing this work for the Pentagon that says they can keep it confidential and that this population of about 400,000 is statistically valid and statistically significant. Are people going to use it if the survey results are made public to their own -- to their own point of view? I think, you know, absolutely, they will.

But I have to tell you, even today, as we know, I'm looking at the clock, in the last 2 1/2 hours, the survey has begun to be distributed. The Pentagon is not officially commenting, not even officially telling us what's in the survey because they say there's a lot of concern that it might, if you will, corrupt the confidentiality and the statistical validness of the survey. It is so sensitive inside the Pentagon right now. They won't even publicly acknowledge that that's what's happened in the last 2 1/2 hours.

We can assure from multiple sources, that is exactly what's going on.

GRIFFIN: All right. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon -- Barbara, I apologize. I'm married to a market researcher. So, statistic -- you know, statistics are everything, samples are everything in her world.

STARR: I'm going to talk to her and get her to explain it to me.

GRIFFIN: Yes. I'm not so sure about the scientific validity of this whole thing. But thank you for explaining that whole thing. Wow. What a survey that's going to be.

Well, talk about another wow. There's a nation in shock. It is Japan. The national sport of sumo alleged links to gangsters? "Globe Trekking" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Time for "Globe Trekking."

A shocker in Japan. The country's ancient sport of sumo wrestling hog-tied over a gambling scandal linked to organized crime gangs known as Yakuza. Today, Tokyo police raided training facilities for evidence.

Three days ago, sumo's governing body fired a top wrestler and a powerful coach. The charge? Betting on baseball games in a gambling ring run by the Yakuza. This on the heels of an apparently unrelated scandal involving the sell of front-row sumo seats to dozens of Yakuza members.

This brazen act outraged Japanese because the Yakuza were clearly visible during nationwide televised broadcasts of these bouts. Japan's national broadcaster NHK so mad it said it's not going to broadcast the next tournament live.

Sumo dates back thousands of years, of course, before it broadcasts. Grand champions are treated like national heroes and make salaries that match their hefty size. These guys aren't the man- mountains for nothing. And this isn't the first scandal to hit the sports. A few black eyes include marijuana use, media allegations of bout rigging and fatal beating of a teenage novice wrestler.

Now, you're going to catch on with me. Well, shifting focus now to the World Cup in South Africa, today's semifinal match between Germany and Spain is off and running. It's going to determine who's going to play the Netherlands in what's going to be, Michael Holmes, an all-Europe finish to this long World Cup.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. It is. And remember, this breaks the record. It's going to be the first time that there's been a European winner in a World Cup, in a World Cup played outside of Europe.

And you're right, the Netherlands are there through. We talked about the men in orange -- no offense, Tennessee -- yesterday. And today, you've got Spain and Germany, really two stories here. You've got the Spanish, very defensive side. It only allowed a couple of goals the whole tournament.

GRIFFIN: Right.

HOLMES: And a friend of mine put it this way, he said that they can, you know, bear down teams or wear them down by death by kicking, death by 1,000 kicks, because they'll just hang on to the ball and keep it going, keep it going, keep it going. They (INAUDIBLE) get tired.

Whereas Germany, on the other hand, they've been scoring machines. Remember, they dismantled Argentina.

GRIFFIN: Right.

HOLMES: They dismantled the U.S. They dismantled Australia. Let's not talk about that little four-nil drabbing. So, they're big on the goal-scoring.

The Netherlands would like Germany to win. And why is that, because the last time the Netherlands were in a World Cup final, 1978, they played Germany, they lost.

GRIFFIN: Despite which team is better, it seems the odds are on Spain to win because of an octopus.

HOLMES: This here -- we touched on this yesterday. It's actually extraordinary. This octopus called Paul, you pronounced it like that, Paul to you and me -- he's in an aquarium in Germany. And there he goes -- you can see what he's doing.

Every time that Germany's played, they put down these two containers with food in it and a flag of the nations involved in the game. And he is 5-0. He's correctly picked Germany's four wins and just to show that he's not attracted to the flag only. He picked Germany's loss as well. So, he went in there today and you can see where he's headed. He's headed across to the Spanish flag. Yes, he's tipped Spain to win.

GRIFFIN: And right now, they're under way. No score.

HOLMES: I'm going 2-1, Spain. I've thought about this -- although I'd love to see Germany and the Netherlands play.

GRIFFIN: Yes.

HOLMES: Yes. It's going to be very exciting, right? It's very exciting. And remember, the German team, very much an international team, 11 of their 23 players, we're discussing at the last hour, could have played for other countries because of their parents, where they were born.

GRIFFIN: It's amazing how many people play on different countries in this World Cup.

HOLMES: Yes.

GRIFFIN: I didn't know. I guess all the pros really go to Europe, England to play.

HOLMES: They go to Europe. Yes, they do.

Yes, you look at teams like Nigeria or Cameroon, any of their top players are all playing in Europe. All of them are.

And, you know, there's no such thing as like in England, Premier League, Liverpool. There was one team, and I think it was Liverpool, it might have been Chelsea, (INAUDIBLE) quite too much. But there was no English players in the team.

GRIFFIN: Really?

HOLMES: None. None. They were all from other parts of Europe or the world. Yes.

GRIFFIN: Michael Holmes, look forward to it and the final game of the whole match is Sunday.

HOLMES: Sunday. And don't forget t game for third place.

GRIFFIN: Yes, whatever.

HOLMES: Yes, who cares?

GRIFFIN: Thank you, Michael Holmes, on the World Cup.

Well, basketball, sport played around the world as well. But can it breaks down fear, mistrust, hatred? A former pro-basketball player will tell you how he's doing just that every day of the year. "Mission Possible" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Here's our top stories.

Judges in two states ordering five suspects charged in a Russian spy ring all be moved to New York. Two of them being held in Boston. The other three had a scheduled appearance in Alexandra, Virginia, today, but it was canceled. Court documents show the Virginia judge there wants them moved promptly. Some other developments on this we're working on as well.

An arrest warrant is out today for a high-profile Brazilian soccer player named. His name is Bruno Fernandez Souza, accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant woman. She's believed to have been in a relationship with the married goalie. Five others have already been arrested including Souza's wife. The body is not found yet.

The head of an Alaskan pipeline with ties to BP is stepping stepped down. CNN has learned the Kevin Hostler, expected to announce his resignation today. He came under scrutiny during a congressional investigation looking into allegations cost-cutting measures put the pipeline at risk. BP owns 80 percent of that pipeline. Hostler, a former BP executive.

Well, every day at this time, we do a segment called "Mission Possible." It's all about people coming up with solutions to seemingly impossible situations. One insurmountable condition: helping kids overcome intense feelings of fear, mistrust, hatred in conflict areas around the world. One group, PeacePlayers International, is trying to do just that through basketball. PeacePlayers is based in Washington, has four programs in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, South Africa and Cypress.

Its co-founder is a former pro basketball player in Ireland, Brendan Tudhey. He joins us from our Washington studio.

I mean, you couldn't have picked four more troublesome areas to get kids together to play basketball to work out conflicts. How does this work?

BRENDAN TUDHEY, FOUNDER, PEACEPLAYERS INTERNATIONAL: Well, we have an idea that sport cannot only bring people together but it can unite, it can inspire, it can help build peace and the lessons that we learned growing up and making friends from all sorts of different backgrounds through basketball. We started running clinics in Northern Ireland with Catholic and Protestant kids, and then in South Africa, and so, it worked.

We bring kids together through sport, through competition. They break down barriers and they become friends.

GRIFFIN: And is it breaking down barriers because they're on the same teams? I assume they're not playing against each other.

TUDHEY: Correct. Our programs all involve mixed programs where kids and Israeli in West Bank, Israeli-Palestinian, Cyprus, Greek, Turkish Cypriot, black, white and Indian kids in South Africa, and Protestant kids and Catholic kids in Northern Ireland, all playing at the same teams, working for a common goal.

GRIFFIN: And how do you know this works long term? They don't just come, have fun, exchange emails or exchange letters, and then go back and start hating each other all over again. Do you have any long term track record?

TUDHEY: We do. This is our tenth year. We now have kids that have been in the program that serve as coaches. We have outside evaluations done by, you know, experts in the field that show that our programs are working, that kids are not only changing their perceptions through their participation with PeacePlayers but are applying it to their everyday lives.

GRIFFIN: And does it go beyond basketball and the teaching and in the coaching?

TUDHEY: Sure. Basketball is really the tool to bring kids together to help them work for a common purpose. There's a curriculum that's delivered on and off the court. And these kids are not only learning to become basketball players and teammates, but to become leaders, to develop life skills and to help change their communities.

GRIFFIN: Where do you get your money?

TUDHEY: It started out all family and friends. When my brother had this idea -- my brother, Sean's idea after he spent a year in Northern Ireland. He came back home, we pitched this idea to my mom and dad who were supportive. We raised about $7,000 from family and friends. In 2001, my brother showed up in Durbin, South Africa.

And since then, we've been able to build a pretty good network, been able to get not only individual funding but funding through Adidas, which is our biggest corporate partner, the United States government, United Nations.

And what I'm probably most proud of is that we now get significant support in the communities that we're in. So in Northern Ireland, for example, the government in Belfast and in Dublin supports a significant portion of the program. And that's really key to sustainability and long-lasting impact of the program is that you have people and institutions in this communities that believe in it and that support it.

GRIFFIN: It's called PeacePlayers International. Brendan Tudhey from our Washington studio, thanks a lot. Good work. Part of our "Mission Possible." Thanks, Brendan.

TUDHEY: Thank you, Drew.

GRIFFIN: Well, cars.com is out with an annual listing of the top American-made cars, cars made here, sold here. See if that Ford or G.M. you're driving made the cut.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Hey, guys, want to buy an American-made car? Ford and General Motors likely come to mind. But what's in a name, right? Cars.com out with its list of top-selling American-made cars and they're not all made by American companies.

Here's the top five. Coming in at number five is that Chevrolet Malibu. It's made in Kansas City, 75 percent U.S. parts. Number four is the Ford Focus, Wayne, Michigan, 90 percent U.S. parts. Number three, will that would be the Ford Escape. This is not the hybrid, but the escape. Also Kansas City, 90 percent U.S. parts.

Now, number two -- a surprise for you -- the Honda Accord. That is made in Ohio and Alabama, 75 percent of the parts come from the U.S. And number one seller: Toyota Camry, assembled in Kentucky and Indiana, 80 percent of those cars are made with U.S. parts.

The automobile Web site also took U.S. sales into account to come up with these ratings.

Well, it is going to be an all-European final in South Africa. The Dutch punched their ticket already and they are setting us up for some World Cup "Wordplay" -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: "Wordplay" now. We want to take you to the World Cup for the day's "Wordplay." And more specifically, "Clockwork Oranje." Yes, that's what they called the Dutch World Cup team. They are headed to their first World Cup final since 1978 after Uruguay yesterday.

Clockwork Oranje plays off the Stanley Kubrick film but in name only. Clockwork describes the precision play the Dutch team is known for. And they wear orange. So there.

The Red Fury, the team, are playing for the right to face the Netherlands in the final on Sunday. But that's not how they say it in Spain. It's La Furia Roja. They've never been to the finals.

Germany's national team is called Die Mannschaft. Die Mannschaft, the team. Germany has won the cup three times, the last time in 1990. In 1974, they beat the Dutch to win the World Cup.

Now, when I say Lindsay Lohan, you might roll your eyes. But I want you to keep your eyes on my "XYZ," especially you, Lindsay.

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GRIFFIN: We've been talking about this heat wave. But Jason Carroll is going to make you feel it in this report.

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JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Those on the east coast didn't need to see triple-digit temperatures to know how hot it was. They felt it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm melting. I'm melting. This is very hot. We're not used to this.

CARROLL: So hot in New Jersey, a state of emergency is declared.

While in New York City, Con Edison concerned its customers will crank up the air in their homes and strain the system.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do expect for isolated outages.

CARROLL: But for those living without air conditioning --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know how to do without on air conditioner. It's just brutal out here.

CARROLL: Alfred Roblero lives without it in a six-floor, walk- up apartment.

ALFRED ROBLERO, LIVING WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING: The elevator doesn't work, doesn't go up.

CARROLL (on camera): So, not only do we have the heat, we've got to now walk six flights up to your apartment?

ROBLERO: Yes.

CARROLL (voice-over): City officials don't keep records on how many people there are like Alfred, without air conditioners, suffering in the heat.

ROBLERO: You can come in.

CARROLL: But they do know when the temperatures hit the 100s.

ROBLERO: Oh, yes, it's hot in here.

CARROLL: Living in apartments like this can be dangerous.

(on camera): How difficult is it for you?

ROBLERO: This is terrible. You know, most of the time, my heart is -- it's bumping like, you know, (INAUDIBLE), like the air --

CARROLL: Yes?

ROBLERO: -- because of the heat.

CARROLL (voice-over): Alfred and his wife keep lights off, fans on, windows open. It helps, but not much.

(on camera): How hot would you say it is in here?

ROBLERO: I don't know, probably 98 degrees.

CARROLL (voice-over): Buying an air conditioner, not an option. Instead, the extra money is needed to buy supplies for their college-bound daughter.

ROBLERO: I need something for my daughter. She needs a book or something. I had to make the decision. I preferred to take the -- you know, the heat and provide to her.

CARROLL: The city's mayor encouraging people like Alfred and his wife to spend their days, if possible, in library, theaters or cooling centers like this one -- 480 now operating in New York City, similar sites set up in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

But there's always those who sweat it out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a pair of pants made out of talcum powder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't mind it. I just remember what it's like when all the snow is on the ground and it doesn't bother me that much.

CARROLL (on camera): Always good to keep a sense of humor when it's hot outside. Those hot temperatures aren't expected to last. We're hearing from the National Weather Service that the temperatures are expected to cool off by a few degrees by the weekend. But, Drew, you've been in hot temperatures out here in the city before. You know that every degree counts -- Drew.

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GRIFFIN: You can smell every one, Jason. Thanks.

In today's "XYZ," why do we care so much about Lindsay Lohan sobbing in court? What is it about human nature that draws us to train wrecks? Think you can turn away.

Let's roll the tape, shall we? Watching the starlet in court yesterday learning she will actually spend time in jail for her drunk driving and probation violation escapades. Cue the tears. I know you don't want to watch this but can you really turn away?

The fact is when famous people fall, I think we all feel a certain sense of gratification. She's been living that fun and crazy rich movie star life while the rest of us toil. But in the end, look, her life is in ruins. Gratification, temporarily, until many of us are attracted again to Lindsay's return. The talk shows around telling us she learned her lesion, a dramatic role that shows she's matured emotionally and professionally. Who knows? Maybe even an Oscar.

Today's train wreck, Lindsay, just a speeding bullet train towards your eventual resurrection in the world of shallow fame and a nice distraction on our not-so-famous daily grinds.

That's my "XYZ."

Here's Rick Sanchez and "RICK'S LIST."