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LeBron Goes to Miami; Lindsay Goes to Jail; 60-Year-Old Attempting 24-Hour Swim; Arizona Immigration Law
Aired July 10, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: All right, thanks so much for joining us, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Let's talk about our top story, right now. Day 82 of the oil disaster and BP is going to try again to stop crude from spewing into the gulf. Today it plans to remove the current cap on its ruptured wellhead and replace it with another better fitting cover. The downside, installation will take up to 10 days and more oil is going to gush into the water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM THAD ALLEN (RET), U.S. COAST GUARD: What we are going to do is put a valve on top of the current well and our first attempt will be to just close the valve and see if we can shut in the well all together. If there was a need to actually produce conditional oil to relieve the pressure, we certainly are capable of doing that, but our first intent will to be try to put a valve on top of the well that could shut it in.
DARRYL WILLIS, V.P. RESOURCES OF BP AMERICA: We have a lot of work to do. The spill in the Gulf of Mexico is unprecedented. The response is unprecedented. I wish I could stand before you and tell that you everything has been perfect up to this point. It hasn't. When things don't go well, we're working hard to get them fixed. We have a lot of work to do in this response and we realize that we'll be judged by the quality of the response and we're committed to doing that, we're committed to staying here until we get the oil cleaned up and we're going to pay the claims that need to be paid to get people the resources they need to continue with their daily lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, the latest effort would only be a temporary fix. The hope for a permanent solution is a relief well and that is still being drilled.
Meantime a compelling new view of the spill below the oil stricken gulf. CNN's Amber Lyon joining oceanographer Philippe Cousteau for a vantage point of the disaster that you'll only see right here on CNN. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMBER LYON, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We're 48 miles away from the Deepwater Horizon spill and if you look in the water, you can see it's cloudy right now. All these little pieces in front of us, it just looks like almost like (INAUDIBLE) some kind of little plant. Just little particles here all across the water.
PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, OCEANOGRAPHER: Well, that's what's so concerning about this, because the oil isn't going to the surface. It's distributing throughout the water column and it's springtime, it's a critical time of year when fish and other organisms are breeding and laying eggs into the water and it's floating through and it's deadly toxic. And so what we're seeing here, even though it's not thick, thick oil, this is still a big, big problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Amber Lyon joins us right now with more on her underwater expedition in the Gulf of Mexico. She's live joining us from New Orleans.
So, Amber, give me an idea. We saw the videotape, it looks murky, but visibility on a good day in the gulf in that area would be like what? How do you compare the two?
LYON: Well, obviously visibility in the gulf isn't always clear, Fredricka, but we were with experienced divers and scientists who saw the color of the water, the greenish color and brown color, in certain areas, and said they've never seen anything like that before. They said normally it's more of a cobalt blue.
Also we saw a foam of broken down, disbursed oil on top of the water and we actually stuck a towel down in it and it came out brown, so we defiantly knew we were diving in some type of disbursed oil combination.
And as Philippe said -- we brought him with us, you know, he's a big environmentalist -- he says the biggest concern about this oil that's sitting in that water column right now is the toxicity. He says that oil is toxic to fish in the parts per billion. That's pretty much equivalent to one drop of oil in an entire swimming pool. And as you saw from that video, the murkiness, there were millions and millions of droplets of oil that we were diving into yesterday and that's why you saw me wearing the big red HazMat suit, as well as Philippe, because we just don't know how toxic these dispersants mixed with crude are to humans or marine life, for this matter.
WHITFIELD: And so, while we're looking at the images that you were suited up for, you had to train for many days in order to be prepared for that descent, yesterday, and we're also seeing images of what appear to be the only real form of life that you were able to see, this shark. Can you give me a description, if you saw anything else besides this lonely shark?
LYON: Well, we did see the sharks and it was nice as a diver to be able to see them. That was pretty much all we saw during that particular dive. The captains on the boat said they were concerned because normally they see a lot of bait fish within the upper part of the water column swimming around and they weren't able to see those during this dive.
You know, I can think of one time when I was in the water, I looked down and saw a couple fish swimming through some of the disbursed oil. It was hard to see them. But overall those sharks were pretty much the majority of the marine life that we saw out there.
WHITFIELD: And so I wonder, you know, the conclusion of Philippe Cousteau, did he see what he expected to see or did he feel that he was, I guess, educated further on yesterday's observations?
LYON: I think what surprised Philippe the most is he had gone on the very first major dive out into this oil and he'd gone right under one of these big thick blobs we see out on the water and had, you know, big blobs of oil coming down in front of him and it was a lot more visually stimulating. I think what surprised him was how much the oil has been broken up and is just kind of sitting there, hanging in the water column, which he considers to possibly be more dangerous than if the oil was just sitting up on the surface because it can't be cleaned up.
We spoke with BP, they don't have the technology to clean it up. They are realing on Mother Nature to do so and pretty much a lot of people are calling this a gamble. The EPA justified putting these dispersants into the water saying it was the lesser of two evils. If that oil wasn't sitting in the water column, it would be hitting the marshlands, it would be the beaches. But this is what people are starting to question right now, is it the lesser of two evils when you see that much sitting in the water column.
WHITFIELD: So, what is Mr. Cousteau's, you know, vision of what will happen to those droplets that are right now in the water column? Will it eventually descend all the way to the bottom or does he feel that it is inevitable that it would eventually make its way to the marshes?
LYON: Well, he thinks, above all, that it's going to affect the oxygen levels in the water which could change the entire ecosystem of the gulf. And I think that's what concerns him the most, Fredricka.
But, above all, on the whole thing dive was, it was -- we were really hoping that we'd be able just to give everyone a view as to what's going on under the water, because, as you said, we had to train for weeks in those HazMat suits just to get down there with our cameras and it was a little bit of a process, but it was great and I think Philippe was very happy we were able to bring back those pictures to everybody.
WHITFIELD: And we're glad we got a chance to see that firsthand, too. Amber Lyon, thanks so much, joining us from New Orleans, today after her excursion on the water and down below in the Gulf of Mexico, yesterday.
All right, across Afghanistan now, another deadly day for international forces and for civilians caught in a battle against the Taliban. Six American troops have lost it their lives today, five of them in combat related incidents, the sixth was killed in an accidental explosion. In other attacks, two people were killed when a bus was fired upon and a civilian was killed in an explosion. Two NATO convoys were also hit in separate bombings, but no casualties reported in that incident. All right, veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder will soon have an easier time getting their benefits. In his weekly address today, President Obama announced the V.A. Department will ease rules that require vets to provide proof of their disorder. Current rules require veterans to document events like firefights and bomb blasts that could cause the syndrome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: I don't think our troops on the battlefield should is it keep notes just in case they need to apply to a claim. And I've met enough veterans to know that you don't have to engage in a firefight to endure the trauma of war. So we're changing the way things are done.
On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs, led by Secretary Rick Shinseki, will begin making it easier for is veteran with PTSD to get the benefits he or she needs. This is a long overdue step that will help veterans not just of the Afghan and Iraq wars, but generations of their brave predecessors who proudly served and sacrifice in all our wars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Under the new rules, a vet only needs to show that he or she served in the war and experienced events that could have triggered the disorder. And we'll discuss this a bit further with the head of the veterans advocacy group, Veterans for Common Sense, and that's at 3:00 Eastern Time, later on today.
All right, the former California transit officer who shot and killed an unarmed man puts his apology to paper. CNN has obtained the handwritten letter of regret from Johannes Mehserle. He was convicted Thursday of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 shooting death of Oscar Grant. The deadly confrontation was caught on a cell phone camera, as you see right there. The victim's family is reportedly unimpressed with the officer's remorse. Mehserle faces sentencing later on next month. He faces between two and possibly four years prison time.
All right, the verdict in the Mehserle case sporked civil unrest in Oakland, as well as. According to the "Los Angeles Times," more than 80 people were arrested following the trial. Police report crowds roamed the streets, smashed storefronts, lighting fires, as well and confronting officers trying to keep the peace. Today Oakland's police chief is quoted as saying, "the majority of those arrested were out of towners."
All right, swimming for 24 hours straight, a seemingly impossible physical feat, but this swimmer is doing it right off the coast of Florida. And wait until you hear her age and why she's doing it. An exclusive live report from the site of her marathon swim, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right, in the Weather Center with Bonnie Schneider, now. It has been oppressively hot in the northeast. All my family up there are saying, this is crazy, this triple digit temperature spree. But, you're going to tell us that there is relief now, mom, dad, everybody else.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, in Baltimore, it got up to 105 this week and New York City we had records of 103, and, well, I can go on, but I want to show you, because what we're seeing right now, we have over 5,000 planes in the air at h this house. Look at all these planes, right here, and you see the green behind it, those are thunderstorms and they are bringing about some delays. And I'm speaking definitely underplaying it because wait until you see this.
Newark, New Jersey has now gone up to three hour and 10 minute delays. It says decreasing. It has to be decreasing. Can it get any worse? Well, be looking for delays also at JFK, LaGuardia Airport. Oh, that's much better, 25 minutes, there, so, we had two hour delays, so hopefully this is a changing situation as the storms roll through, we will see improvements.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Oh gosh, brutal. But hey, it's summer. What are you going to do?
SCHNEIDER: Yes, it is.
WHITFIELD: All right, Bonnie, thanks so much.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
WHITFIELD: OK, storms may be taking a sizzle out of things in the northeast, but they're certainly not taking the sizzle out of a world class swimmer who is about to undertake an incredible event. She is swimming just south of the Florida Keys and she's going to swim for quite a while in a 24 hour period. And a CNN producer is actually with her. Diana Nyad is the swimmer. You know of her. She's a world class swimmer, and she's is about to undertake this incredible mayrathon swim. Matt Sloan is the CNN producer who is there. He's joining us now via phone from, I think you're in Key West, aren't you?
MATT SLOAN, CNN PRODUCER: We are, Fredricka, we're actually in the 31.5 miles south of Key West, somewhere on the route between Key West and Cuba. And as you mentioned, Diana is attempting -- in early August, she's going to be attempting a swim from Cuba to Key West. It's something she tried to do in 1978 and they had to pull her out of the water after 42 hours because of bad weather and she was still 50 miles away from shore. It's about a 130 mile swim. And what we're doing today is a practice swim, it's a 24 hour practice swim from, like I said, about 50 miles off the coast back into Key West. By the way, did I mention the fact that she's 60 years old? She tried this when she was 30 and she's not 60 years old.
WHITFIELD: Wow! And why, why, why? (CROSSTALK)
Matt, real quick, we're looking at live pictures, right now, if you can hear, we're looking at live pictures, right now of the water. It looks fairly calm, there. But, give me an idea of why, you know, at 60 she has given herself this incredible challenge to make this swim.
SLOAN: You know, she said you would think that it was an athletic ego, because she didn't do it 30 years ago, she said that's not the case at all. She said I just want to prove to other 60-year-olds that you can do anything, it's not too late to go write that novel you wanted to write. It's not too late to adopt a child. It's not too late to go back and swim 103 miles from Cuba to Key West. So, really an incredible woman.
I also want to mention, too, that she doing it without a shark cage, 103 miles in the ocean without a shark cage. There's a kayak, I don't know if you can see the kayak following her, but he's got an electronic device on their that's supposed to ward off the sharks, but we've got a little flotilla of boats here with some shark divers, too, just in case.
WHITFIELD: And why is that, why did she make that choice? Does it have something to do with interfering with her navigation or with her swimming? Why did she make that choice?
SLOAN: She's a purist. She's a swimming purist. She told me she doesn't with an asterisk after her name.
WHITFIELD: Oh, there you are. We can see you now.
SLOAN: Right. How are you?
WHITFIELD: Hi.
SLOAN: She wants to say that she was able to do it without a shark cage and that's how they did it back the '70s, that's how she wants to do it today, so...
WHITFIELD: Fantastic.
SLOAN: She's out there by herself, just her and the elements and folks are following alongside her in a chase boat and feeding her food as we go along throughout the 24 house because she won't stop.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. We'll be watching. You'll be watching because you're there and I can't wait to hear more because now I have to hear how in the world they're feeding her while she's swimming. There's much more to the story. We're going to be dipping in, you know, throughout the day to find out how she comes along in this training, this swimming and, gosh, and nourishing herself along the way. Matt Sloan, thanks so much. Very cool assignment, there. Even cooler if you were in the water with her, but, hey, I'm just saying. Stay dry. Thanks so much, Matt.
All right, Arizona's tough new immigration law, you've heard a lot about that lately, right? Well, it's about to take effect, but the Obama administration has already filed a lawsuit to try to stop it and it's not the only one. We'll explore that legal battle with our legal guys. There they are. Right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, a look at our top stories, now. The former transit cop who shot and killed an unarmed man on an Oakland train platform is apologizing to the man's family in a handwritten letter. Letter, obtained by CNN, was dated just a few days before Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. His sentencing is set for early next month.
And in Mississippi, one person was seriously injured in an oil plant explosion. It happened in Clark County, south of Meridian. A one mile area around the plant was evacuated.
And actor Mel Gibson is making unwanted headlines, again. Audiotapes purportedly capture an argument between Gibson and his former Russian girlfriend. On the tapes, released by RadarOnline, Gibson reportedly launches into a racist, sexist rant defense her and CNN has not independently confirmed the tape's authenticity, but lots is being actually said about that tape and about that alleged rant. More top stories in 20 minutes.
All right, a dedicated Arizona policeman, sworn to uphold the law, but in the case of his state's new immigration law, he says he's torn. CNN's Sandra Endo has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANDRA ENDO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Tuscan police officer, Martin Escobar, it's personal.
MARTIN ESCOBAR, ARIZONA POLICE OFFICER: In grade school, I was stopped by a border patrol agent and asked, you know, if I was here legally and the conversation carried, I said, yeah, I'm here. And I was asked for identification. But, I don't have any identification, I was a kid at that time.
ENDO: Escobar legally immigrated to Arizona from Mexico when he was five years old. He was the first person in Arizona to file suit against the state's recently passed immigration law which he says would promote racial profiling he says he's faced before.
Now it's for a judge to decide whether his lawsuit and six others filed against the state will make a difference, including the most recent one filed by the federal government.
(on camera): And now with the Department of Justice files suit against Arizona, what do you think of your chances in terms of making sure this law doesn't take effect?
ESCOBAR: You know, it's -- I'm so happy. I was hoping that they would step in. ENDO (voice-over): Tucson is just 60 miles north of the Mexico border where 95 percent of illegal immigrants, who cross into Arizona, are Latino. On the federal level, the Justice Department's lawsuit argues immigration policy should not be set by each state.
(voice-over): In Tuesday's filing of the federal suit, Attorney General Eric Holder said, "Seeking to address the issue through a patchwork p state laws will only create more problems than it solves."
But Arizona officials claim the federal government isn't doing enough. Mr. Escobar, who's a 15 year police veteran, agrees with the federal suit which also claims Arizona's law would tap already scarce resources from local law enforcement.
ESCOBAR: And now having to enforce a federal law, immigration law, it's going to cut back a lot of our resources where we can do this.
ENDO: Now he's finding himself in a tough position, doing online training for the new law which is set to take effect in a matter of weeks. While waiting for his day in court to fight it.
(on camera): So, what are you hoping it to see come July 29?
ESCOBAR: I hope that they put a stop to this law. I hope the injunction goes through and the law doesn't go into effect.
ENDO (voice-over): Sandra Endo, CNN, Tucson, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, of course a lot of people are talking about that Arizona law. Just two weeks now before it actually go there is to effect, a lot of people including our legal guys. Our favorites, Avery Friedman, civil rights attorney if Cleveland, Ohio. And criminal defense attorney, Richard Herman in Philadelphia, today. Sizzling hot Philadelphia until you get some thundershowers to cool you all off. Both are professors, as well, I might add.
All right, good to see you guys. So, let's talk about what might happen with this Arizona law. It goes in to effect later on in the month, but Avery, the federal government has already said we are suing, we want to stop it. How might one impact the other -- Avery.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTY: Well, on the 29th is the day it's supposed to go into effect. It will not go into effect. The United States, along with five other plaintiffs, will succeed in the injunction. There will be an immediate appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco that will also be unsuccessful. Bottom line, this law will never go into effect. Never.
WHITFIELD: Wow. All this, Richard, while the governor, Jan Brewer, is getting incredible support by way of financial support in the defense fund to go up against the federal government.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY: Not only Jan Brewer, but the citizens of the United States, so many are supporting the legislation that was enacted in Arizona. However, if you don't think this is big- time politics, Fred, President Obama has said, oh, I didn't make the decision, I left it up to Attorney General Holder to make this decision, here.
Listen, the government brought a strict legal challenge, here. They didn't challenge any of the aspects of the bill, itself. All they said was the states cannot enact legislation which is adverse or has anything to do with federal laws. That's the supremacy causes. I'm in Philadelphia, it's Constitution 101. That's where it's at. That's a very good and strategic legal argument. The government is probably going to win this case, Fred, but it's not based on the grounds of the statute itself, because those grounds in the statute are less invasive than the federal laws that exist today which are not being enforced in Arizona.
(CROSSTALK)
HERMAN: It's absolutely right.
WHITFIELD: You disagree why, Avery?
FRIEDMAN: Well, because what The Justice Department suit reflects, as well as the individual cases, is that we have a supremacy clause and that supremacy clause says, in so many words, the function of dealing with immigration is that of a federal nature, not a state nature...
I WHITFIELD: So then, sorry, I'm just going to say that I wonder if this now precludes the federal government or lawmakers from making a more concerted effort to change immigration. Might we see this as a prelude to a much bigger effort to get immigration reform underway?
FRIEDMAN: Oh, I totally agree with it. I totally agree. I think the legislators in Arizona, at least those who are lawyers, have to really believe in their heart that their law is unconstitutional. I think the underlying political motivation here, is to say to Washington, look it, you haven't done your job, we're going to force you to do it. So, again, it is clearly political in that respect, but from a constitutional perspective, clearly unconstitutional.
WHITFIELD: OK, I almost forgot, we have other cases we have to get to. This is just so fascinating. But, let's move on to now a U.S. representative, Nathan Deal, who says, you know what, he wants to change a long standing policy in this country. You are born in the U.S., so thereby you are an American citizen. He says no, he's running for governor of Georgia, by the way. He says, no, he wants this reversed. We're talking about the 14th amendment -- Richard.
HERMAN: Yeah, it's not going to happen, Fred. People can have these great ideas to try to change these laws and wake up one day and say, that's what we're going to do, but look, there's years and years of precedent of this. This guy's ideas are going nowhere.
WHITFIELD: Avery, Constitution lawyer, this is driving you nuts, isn't it?
FRIEDMAN: It's not a great idea, it's a terrible idea. By the way, Fredricka, he's no longer a member of Congress. His legislation was proposed and sitting in the House judiciary committee. I promise you, it will never get out. Basically, he wants to take infant, newborn, and strip them of their citizenship. It is an outrageous reason. Outrageous justification.
WHITFIELD: OK, now what happened to this 7-year-old boy? Kyron Horman, Oregon, been missing for a long time. The family had this united front meaning his parents and stepmother, as well, there was a united front and now some members of the family are starting to look at the stepmother a little differently. Avery, how might this impact the police investigation that is underway of this very sad missing person's case?
FRIEDMAN: Well, they should be looking it at the stepmother. Terri Horman was the one who left little Kyron off at school, elementary school, that was six weeks ago. She's taken a polygraph test, which is of very low value, but she flunked it. She actually took it again. She flunked it. Police claim that she's not a person of interest. I don't know who else would be.
HERMAN: It's one thing for police to look at her. It's another thing for them to have tunnel vision on her, which is what they have. They tried a sting operation on her. It botched up, it's failed. She's retained herself a competent attorney who's going to defend her constitutional rights. I think the police are completely lost on this case, Fred. I don't think they have a clue. We cover this had on Nancy almost every night, Nancy Grace. They don't have a case. They would have arrested her already. The father went in, the ex-husband's gone in, he's got a restraining order against this woman based on the fact that she allegedly put a hit out on him with a gardener which was disclosed to a judge. He's got custody of their child. You know, there's a lot of problems with post-partum depression allegations and everything else. But this little child is missing for so long, right now. This a horribly tragic case.
WHITFIELD: Oh, it's so sad.
FRIEDMAN: Six weeks. Six weeks, terrible.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. All right, let's now add some punctuation to this Russian spy case that got many people's attention last week. We talked about it last weekend. Now, the spies who love me, they have swapped. They're gone, at least the ones -- the Russians that were here are gone and now, there was an interesting little swap between the U.S. and Russia.
Richard, I'll let you take a stab at this.
HERMAN: Well, one of my favorite judges, Kimba Wood, was the judge in this case in the southern district of New York. All the pleas were entered.
WHITFIELD: Kimba Wood gets everything.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All the big cases.
HERMAN: That's right. One of my big ones, too. Anyway, she made her -- she took the pleas this week and like within a day or within 24 hours ...
WHITFIELD: Yes, quick.
HERMAN: ...they were whisked back off to Russia, I'm sure to their discernment. They don't want to go back to Russia. They love it in the United States. They want to stay here. They each pled guilty to one count, Fred. They faced a maximum of five years in prison.
There was no showing that any intelligence was transferred over the years in this investigation, yet these people are gone. We got some of our spies back and that's the end of the saga.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and so, that's what's so interesting ...
FRIEDMAN: Legal ...
WHITFIELD: ...you know, Avery, is that there were no apparent real stealing of information that took place.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, I guess if they were spies, they really were not very good ones.
WHITFIELD: But they were having fun living here.
FRIEDMAN: But what happened is -- apparently yes, and they didn't want to go back, that's right. But legal turned diplomatic. What happened is through the Department of Justice, Department of State, this is a very quick deal. People were saying we need more information. Public should be given more information. It will never happen. Those 10 are now back in Russia. We are getting four of -- Russians back who spied for us. That's the end of the game. It's over, yes.
WHITFIELD: Fascinating. All right, good stuff. All right, but it's not over for you guys. You're going to be back in the hour. We're going to talk about Lindsay and LeBron, not together but you know, separately, separate cases. I can't wait to hear your take on what's going on with them.
HERMAN: Oh, this will be good. This'll be good.
FRIEDMAN: You bet, you bet it will.
WHITFIELD: All right, of course it is. It's always good with you guys. All right, thanks so much.
FRIEDMAN: See you.
WHITFIELD: All right, more of our legal guys in a moment. Meantime, right now the Senate majority leader facing a tough election fight from a Tea Party favorite, but he's getting some support from political heavy weight. Details straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is facing a tough election challenge from a Tea Party favorite and President Obama tried to do his part for the politically embattled Democrat, stumping for him while in Nevada.
Let's turn now to CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser. And so, usually the president can help significantly, particularly when it comes to fundraising. How was this helping Harry Reid?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: That's exactly what the president was doing the last couple days out in Las Vegas with Harry Reid.
Fred, as you mentioned, there were a lot of good high profile Senate races this year, but the marquee one really is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and as you said, he got some big help, President Barack Obama out there. Thursday night, they were in Las Vegas together for a fund -- two fundraising events and a big rally, as well. And the president helping Harry Reid help fill those coffers, those campaign cash coffers.
Hey, polls suggest that Reid faces a very rough road to re-election this year as he bids for a fifth term in the Senate. Fred, the president said you know what, we don't want it to go back to the failed policies of the last administration. He says we are moving forward.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are moving forward. We are not going to move backwards. And I'm absolutely confident that if we keep on moving forward, if we refuse to turn backwards, if we're willing to show the same kind of fighting spirit as Harry Reid has shown throughout his career, then out of this storm, brighter days are going to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: That was the president yesterday at an event, an economy event in Las Vegas. And Fred, we saw also the president in Missouri helping out another candidate. You're going to see I think a lot more Barack Obama on the campaign trail as we get closer to those mid-term elections.
WHITFIELD: And so, is the feeling from this White House that being on the campaign trail, a lot is going to help these Democrats who are a little nervous about the whole incumbency curse?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, yes, you're exactly right. I think when it comes to the key of raising money, the candidates know -- the Democratic candidates know that President Obama can definitely help. There's maybe some places where you won't see the president, but I think you will see him and Vice President Biden a lot on the campaign trail.
You know, the Republicans countered the president's trip to Nevada by pointing out that you know what, the state has the highest state unemployment level in the country.
Take a listen to this brand new ad the Republicans put out yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It took thousands of men to erect Hoover Dam and build modern Nevada, but it only took two men to help tear down its economy: Barack Obama and Harry Reid. They've dealt bailouts, handouts, and takeovers, giving us a $1.5 trillion budget deficit, a $13 trillion national debt, 14 percent unemployment for Nevada.
When it comes to Nevada's economy, Obama and Reid are a bust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: You know, when the president did take over the White House, Nevada's unemployment level was 9.6 percent. Reid faces off, Fred, against Sharron Angle. She's a former state lawmaker out there in Nevada and she is a big supporter of the Tea Party and is supported big time by the Tea Party, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much. Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much. Nevada, Nevada. I think I didn't say it right. Potato, potatoe, right? All right.
STEINHAUSER: I think it's Nevada, but they'll call us out if we get it wrong.
WHITFIELD: I know, I know. I think we have a resident Nevadan who likes to correct me often. Dan, did I get it right this time? OK, Nevada. All right, Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
STEINHAUSER: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, 10 more days for freedom for Lindsay Lohan; the actress is actually going to jail. It's going to happen. She may not like it, but it's going happen. Our legal guys are ready to weigh in on what her appeal chances are like. There's Richard waving. He's like bye-bye, Lindsay. Oh, I got it. Ouch.
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WHITFIELD: All right, a look now at our top stories. A deadly day for American troops in Afghanistan. Six U.S. service members are killed in separate incidents. All the attacks occurred in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
And in the Gulf of Mexico, BP gets ready to remove the cap on its ruptured undersea well. It wants to install another, better fitting cover, but that could take seven to 10 days. In the meantime, even more oil is going to spew into the water. And there they are, the newest members of the Miami Heat. They really had a big old party, a big old welcome. LeBron's like, oh yes, I'm No. 6. Uh-huh. Miami Heat -- his jersey's feeling good right there. He just jumped from Cleveland and he joins Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and of course among others. I feel badly for the other team members because their names don't get mentioned like these three now at the Miami Heat.
And of course, he together with the other two right there, they're promising together that they will give Miami, quote, "multiple championships."
All right, oh look, OK, our guys, Avery and Richard, are ready to chime in on this one. You guys not liking the party scene there?
FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes. It's a wonderful scene.
HERMAN: Big mistake, big mistake.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I know but -- I know, I know.
FRIEDMAN: Terrific.
WHITFIELD: Avery, here you are in Cleveland, you are just hot under the collar. What in the world?
FRIEDMAN: Hey, you know, look, free agent, free agency, free country, free will, what the heck.
HERMAN: Knicks, Knicks. Could have been king of the world with the Knicks.
WHITFIELD: I'm sorry, sorry it didn't happen for New York, either.
FRIEDMAN: Hey, you know, what can I tell you.
WHITFIELD: What can we say?
FRIEDMAN: Hey, you know, you don't own them, you rent them. That's it, so it's fine.
WHITFIELD: OK, fine. And just when it gets comfortable, right? You got say good-bye.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, yes.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, you know, somehow LeBron has found his way into our legal segment today as we have our legal team back ...
FRIEDMAN: He sure has.
WHITFIELD: ...with us, Richard Herman and Avery Friedman. This way, it might be a little unwelcome for LeBron James. I hope I'm going to be able to hear you because I'm having a little problem with my ear piece here. But now, we're talking about someone who said I am LeBron's father. He's a Washington attorney and he has sued. Now, I'm not quite sure, why do you sue to become someone -- to be, you know, named as someone's parent, Avery? I mean, is it the all mighty dollar? What's going on here?
FRIEDMAN: Well, I'll tell you something, this guy is no federal litigator. When you look at the 22-page complaint, he actually says at paragraph 52 that he's aware that the statute of limitations to bring the case has run, but he brings it anyhow. It's sort of like reading a novel. It's just really not a typical lawsuit.
It actually is going nowhere. He's claiming to be the father of LeBron James, that he impregnated Gloria James, his mother, when she was 15-years-old. And then, he goes on in detail about telephone calls and DNA tests ...
WHITFIELD: Oh boy.
FRIEDMAN: ...and his middle name is Bryce and LeBron named his second child Bryce and he's trying to kind of patchwork it all together into a great big bowl of nothing.
WHITFIELD: Interesting.
FRIEDMAN: Nothing.
WHITFIELD: Oh boy, OK. So Richard, this man, his name is -- I hope I pronounce this right. Lysester Stovell or Stovell? Why am I even trying if I don't have the right pronunciation, but you know, the guy, he does have a name.
HERMAN: It doesn't even matter, Fred.
FRIEDMAN: A name that you will never remember, by the way. It doesn't matter.
WHITFIELD: OK.
HERMAN: Whether he's the father or not, maybe he owes some child support if he's the father.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, good point.
HERMAN: But there's no other legal obligation from LeBron to this guy. You know, where was he all these years LeBron was playing? Now, he's on the verge of ...
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: ...signing a billion dollar contract and all of a sudden, the guy surfaces. He's not going to get a dime. He's going to get thrown out of court probably. And you know, I guess it's worth a shot, I mean it's a billion dollar contract he's signing, but you know, I don't know.
WHITFIELD: $4 million, ouch, OK.
HERMAN: Yes, I mean -- but he comeses from D.C. where this Avery's favorite you know, pants luster (ph) case came from, too, so.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, the pants job. Maybe he's the pants guy.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I was about to say wait a minute, I'm from the Washington area. What you going to say about D.C.? Hold it, wait a minute. We love that city.
FRIEDMAN: No, it's the men, the men, Fredricka, not the women.
WHITFIELD: OK, just checking.
FRIEDMAN: The men.
HERMAN: D.C. in the house.
WHITFIELD: Just checking. All right, let's move on as we're talking about court cases. Probably the most famous court case came this week with Lindsay Lohan because, you know, it's just so fascinating and amazing and it has you aghast in so many different ways. This young lady says you know what, I'm appealing this 90-day sentence that I received as a result of this probation violation.
But one other thing happened, Richard. Her attorney, who has been with her throughout this entire thing, right there, has now resigned. Why?
HERMAN: Well, she was probably resigned due to nausea. She probably couldn't take it anymore. Probably puking constantly over this. But you know, it's very simple math, Fred. Trainwreck mother, plus trainwreck father, equals trainwreck daughter. And she's absolutely an abomination, this young woman here.
She's going to prison, she's probably going to do less than two weeks due to all the overcrowding in California.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: But look, let's face it.
WHITFIELD: Less than two weeks, really?
HERMAN: She got probation. Fred, she got probation. She had two driving under the influence charges ...
WHITFIELD: Lots of chances.
HERMAN: ...and then, another drug-related charge there, all wrapped up into one probation deal. It was a beautiful, beautiful deal for her. She couldn't abide by the terms when she couldn't report to her counseling sessions. Look, she's going to prison ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: Well, there was another part of this. The fact is that you know her lawyer told her what was likely to happen and maybe she thought she was like competing for an Oscar at the sentencing hearing because you saw her reaction as if it was a total surprise.
WHITFIELD: Yes, yes, she was really stunned.
FRIEDMAN: She acted as if she were stunned. I mean, she took all the time to paint her ...
WHITFIELD: No word (ph) acting, huh?
FRIEDMAN: ...her fingernail ...
HERMAN: Use that loosely.
FRIEDMAN: ...fingernails to make sure that they were ready to be used appropriately.
WHITFIELD: Yes, oh boy.
FRIEDMAN: What a horrible, horrible event. I mean, it's sad for anyone to go jail. Richard's right. She'll spend about two weeks in jail. That's it, end of story.
WHITFIELD: Yes. OK, well her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, she in her words, she thought the sentence or the decision was, quote, "harsh and very unfair."
FRIEDMAN: And now, she's out of the case by the way.
WHITFIELD: Yes, exactly and somebody else's moved in.
Very quickly, let's talk about Tiger Woods and what is reportedly taking place with this divorce settlement. Now, I'm a little confused here, in fact I'm a lot confused because I thought when you had a pre- nup, your pre-nup actually defines what may or may not be coming to you if things don't work out. And so, now apparently there's a new figure involved right, $100 million reportedly, Avery, that might be the settlement. But that's not what the pre-nup said or is it?
FRIEDMAN: Well, No. 1, we've never read the pre-nup, but something tells me that the behavior here involving Tiger Woods probably exempted certain limitations on his wife. Actually, originally there were rumors out there like $750 million. He's only worth $600 million. So, $100 million, to be honest with you, he's sliding out in pretty good shape at this point.
WHITFIELD: Really?
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
HERMAN: Hey Fred, you're right, that pre -- there was a mistake when they drafted that pre-nup. This confidentiality provision should have been in there and obviously, it was not.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: And all I can say, Fred, is that this guy must be a complete freak because we pretty much know everything about him now. And yet, there are things he doesn't want to come out, so can you --
WHITFIELD: Well, how do you not know something about his ...
FRIEDMAN: We know way too much, way too much.
WHITFIELD: ...he's a billion dollar athlete, he's the most famous, most well-known. I mean, everything is public information.
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely.
HERMAN: Can imagine how bad it must be for him to pay her this much money to keep her quiet? Unbelievable.
WHITFIELD: Ow, all right.
FRIEDMAN: Well, he needs to for his own professional and personal survival. No doubt.
WHITFIELD: OK, yes, he wants to recover of course, right?
HERMAN: And meanwhile, Fred, please -- Fred ...
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: Yes?
HERMAN: ...please tell T.J. and his new, you know, on -- his new television marriage with Kate, he's got to come consult with me about that confidentiality, please.
FRIEDMAN: Oh my gosh.
WHITFIELD: OK, message I'm sure delivered. Richard, Avery, thanks so much. Good to see you guys. Appreciate it.
FRIEDMAN: Good to see you. See you later.
WHITFIELD: Have a great one.
OK, we're going to be talking about World Cup because unless you've been living under the rock, you know that it is all wrapping up this weekend. The last two games are on tap with a new champion crowned tomorrow. We'll go live to South Africa for more on that excitement.
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WHITFIELD: All right, this new information just coming in. We understand there was a teleconference that took place involving BP a short time ago and we understand that they will begin the process of installing a new containment cap on that ruptured underwater well somewhere within the next few hours. This according to BP senior vice president Kent Wells.
Apparently, that took place during this teleconference taking place a little bit earlier today. We'll get more information on this process and what will transpire, we'll be able to bring that to you. All right, meantime, it has had people around the world simply glued to their television sets for weeks now and this weekend, it all comes together, the World Cup draws to a close. Today, the battle for third place and tomorrow, a new champion will be crowned.
CNN's Isha Sesay is live from Johannesburg, South Africa where I know people are simply over the top excited.
ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fredricka. There's no doubt about that. A lot of excitement as this tournament draws to a close. In talking about that third place playoff match, which will kick off in Port Elizabeth a short time from now, some do consider that match, though, to be no more than a glorified, friendly, some go as far as to say it's the match that no one really wants to play.
Because, think about it this way, Fredricka. You've got to motivate two sets of players who have endured the heartbreak of semi-final defeat. So, really is a big ask (ph). But the coaches of both Germany and Uruguay both say that they will take this match very seriously indeed. In fact, the Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez says they will fight to the death for the third place finish -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Isha Sesay, thanks so much. We'll be checking in with you throughout the weekend where you are at the place where all the happenings are underway.
OK, so for those of you who are traveling, what do you do when the airline loses your luggage other than complain? One New Hampshire man took action in court. His story straight ahead.
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WHITFIELD: It's so frustrating when you arrive at your destination after a long flight and your luggage is missing. Well, one man decided to take United Airlines to court.
Andy Hershberger of affiliate WMUR has the story.
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CHARLIE WHEELAN, SUED UNITED AIRLINES: A lot of this was just about I felt powerless and then, it dawned on me hey, maybe I can turn the tables here.
ANDY HERSHBERGER, WMUR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlie Wheelan admits that on paper what he did doesn't make a lot of sense. It started in late March with this piece of luggage that he checked with United Airlines on a return trip from Toronto to Manchester. When he touched down, his bag wasn't there.
WHEELAN: This has happened many times before. I figured it would be found the next morning, they'd ship it out and so on. The next day, there was no sign of the bag. Three days later, there's no sign of the bag. And at that point, I started calling United. HERSHBERGER: Wheelan says days turned into weeks and he felt he wasn't getting anywhere with customer service. So, Wheelan went to Lebanon District Court and filed a small claims complaint for the $25 baggage check fee, plus court costs.
WHEELAN: It was this very tangible, very clear margin on which they had failed that I checked something, it didn't arrive, and we could just point to that and say, you know what, you have failed to fulfill what you promised to do for this $25.
HERSHBERGER: Wheelan is a professor of economics and public policy. He is also a columnist for Yahoo! Finance where he wrote about the lawsuit. A couple of days after filing, Wheelan got a call from United, saying they found his bag and shortly after that, he got a call from a lawyer who he says apologized for the situation and sent him a check for $25, plus court costs. Wheelan dropped the suit.
WHEELAN: It was really just kind of I need to send a signal and even if it costs me money, I'm willing to do it to just kind of wake them up.
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WHITFIELD: A man of principle. All right, the Bush tax cuts, by the way, they'll be ending soon, so what do you do with your money? We'll tell you that in 2:00 Eastern Time -- we'll be joined by a financial expert.
Meantime, "YOUR MONEY" is coming up next on CNN.
