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Sealing the BP Well; "Barefoot Bandit" Busted; Nail-biting World Cup Win for Spain; 15 Million Americans Watch World Cup; Film Documents American Woman's Help for Kenyan Student; Risky Attempt to Rescue Turtles from Gulf Oil
Aired July 11, 2010 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And the winner is -- Spain. That entire country is celebrating a World Cup victory right now. We're going to take you live to Madrid.
You know, he's been a criminal since he was 12 years old, terrorizing people and communities, eluding police and developing a cult following in the process. But today, finally, at 19 years old, the "Barefoot Bandit" is behind bars.
And how one small act of kindness can last for decades and change lives in the process. This hour, one man's personal story of inspiration and how he has now inspiring others.
We have some new developments to tell you about when it comes to the Gulf of Mexico. BP is inching closer to getting a new cap on its gushing well and it could be in place as early as Wednesday, just a couple days from now. On the surface, one mile above, a large oil collection ship is in place.
Once it's operational and the cap is in place, BP will have the capacity to capture all the oil spewing from the ocean bottom. The ship known as the Helix Producer is designed to easily connect and disconnect with the well in case of bad weather.
But, first, BP must install that new cap.
So, CNN producer, Vivian Kuo, is here to explain what is happening right now. She's been following all the developments.
What's going on right now, Vivian?
VIVIAN KUO, CNN PRODUCER: Hey, Don.
Two big crucial elements today. The first, like you're talking about, they're lowering this spool -- so it's this giant spool that's more than a story tall. It's more than 15,000 pounds and they're slowly lowering it in place over the wellhead.
Now, the second big element we're talking about is the start-up of a big oil recovery ship. This is how they expect to collect more oil than they ever have before.
LEMON: OK. So, listen, but -- in the meantime, the oil is flowing freely. So, how is BP -- are they doing anything to counteract that?
KUO: Actually, they are. They are amassing the world's largest deployment of skimmers in one area, the world's largest. This is 48 skimmers right at the well site. They're sucking up the oil, more than 25,000 barrels yesterday.
LEMON: Yes, 25,000. So, how much do they expect to cap in this new thing? Twenty-five thousand yesterday, but with the new cap, how much is that going to get -- most of it or all of it?
KUO: Should be all of it. They're talking 60,000 to 80,000 barrels. This is more than triple what they're doing now.
LEMON: OK. We're going to watch. Vivian Kuo, watching all the developments when it comes to the Deepwater Horizon and everything that's going on in the Gulf of Mexico -- we appreciate your reporting on this.
You know, as the oil continues to flow, $20 billion fund -- that fund to help victims -- has yet to be tapped. The man in charge of giving out the money spoke to Candy Crowley on today's "STATE OF THE UNION." Kenneth Feinberg says he plans to have the independent compensation program running by the first week of August.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": You found that people are not as, you know, let's all line up and get some money.
KENNETH FEINBERG, GULF VICTIMS COMPENSATION FUND: Oh, no. One of the big challenges is convincing people to file a claim. "Mr. Feinberg, I only get paid in cash. I'm afraid to file a claim. Are you going to be sending all of my information that I provide you to the IRS? I mean, I don't -- I'm not sure about what are your intentions?"
No, no, no. This is not easy to convince people that some new program will help them. It takes some work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Feinberg also told our Candy Crowley the program will give victims up to six months of emergency funding without requiring they sign some sort of waiver promising they won't sue BP.
Well, BP reportedly is trying to unload $12 billion worth of assets, including its big stake in Alaska's Prudhoe Bay oil fields. That's according to the "Sunday Times" of London. The newspaper says BP is talking with the Houston-based Apache Corporation. Apache tells CNN it has no comment on any potential sales talks.
A sale would be a way for BP to raise money to help BP pay for the Gulf oil spill.
And another big story that we're following for you tonight, the arrest of the "Barefoot Bandit." You've heard about him, Colton Harris-Moore. He's only 19 years old, but he's already a career criminal with a rap sheet beginning at age 12.
Along the way, his ability to lewd authorities made him an outlaw folk hero of sorts. His Facebook page has 66,000 fans cheering his every exploits.
The long run from the law ended this morning in the Bahamas after high-speed chase in a stolen boat.
Man, it sounds like a movie.
Susan Candiotti, our national correspondent, joins us now from New York.
So, how did they finally catch him?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It does, doesn't it? Well, it turns out the "Barefoot Bandit" is flat-footed after all, right, Don?
After two years on the run, it looks like this 19-year-old picked the wrong place to hide out. It's a small island in the Bahamas called the Abaco where everybody knows everyone and it's also home to the -- to celebrities and even the well-heeled.
Well, police say he stole a couple of boats. You saw a little video of that just a moment ago, including that 32-foot boat that he allegedly stole and the police shut out the engines on the boat. You can see the bullet holes in it, and in fact, to make sure he didn't get away. Police also told the owner of this boat, William Sport, that, at one point, he was holding a gun up to his head and police were able to talk him out of it to put the gun down.
This is what police said about the capture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLISON GREENSLADE, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, BAHAMAS: Acting on information received from members of the public, the police responded to a sighting of the suspect in Harbour Island. The suspect, in an effort to evade capture, engaged local police in a high-speed chase by boat in waters leading to Whale Key (ph) and the Eleuthera area. After a brief chase, the suspect was taken into custody without incident. Police officers were able to confiscate a firearm and other items of evidential value.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Now, last week, the bandit was linked to a stolen plane in Indiana and then the U.S. Coast Guard tracked that plane because of a beacon on it, a locator, and they found it in the Bahamas and the FBI put out the word to be on the lookout for him. It worked.
LEMON: OK. So, listen, Colton Harris-Moore, how did he become so renowned? I mean, how do become a criminal at 12 years old?
CANDIOTTI: Well, as you said, you know, he came from, I guess, a tough family. His mother said to live in a mobile home park and he was a juvenile delinquent. He got into trouble. He wound up pleading guilty to a series of burglaries and break-ins. They sent him to a group home. He escaped and then he was on the run.
Somehow, he managed to steal a plane in Idaho and fly it back to his home state of Washington and crashed it. Then, eventually, he went on. There were three other states involved. He stole yet another plane, allegedly, and as you said, he almost became a cult figure.
He did become a cult figure to a lot of them. As you mentioned, more than 66,000 followers on Facebook. He had -- there were videos of him on YouTube.
And supposedly, his family or someone has sold the rights to his story. In fact, his mother told our CNN affiliate that she wanted him to turn himself him but she also added that she was very proud, she told our affiliate, that he taught himself how to fly -- Don.
LEMON: So, what is -- OK. So, what's next, then, here, Susan? Extradition to the U.S.? Is that going to happen? Is that possible?
CANDIOTTI: Well, it is possible, certainly. But there's no timetable. I talked with the FBI about it. First, he has to go through somewhat the system in the Bahamas as well where he is also linked or suspected in the case of a number of break-ins there.
And so, he will -- he's expected to be arraigned in the Bahamas sometime later this week and then we'll have to see. We'll hear more from the FBI tomorrow about what happens next.
LEMON: I don't know what it is -- I guess maybe it's everything, you know, him being -- becoming a criminal at 12 years old, having a cult on following, all of it. I'm fascinated by the story. Keep digging, Susan. If you're getting more information, we'll have you back. Thank you so much. OK?
Straight ahead on CNN --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think our troops on the battlefield should have to keep notes just in case they need to apply for a claim.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Taking care of our wounded warriors. President Barack Obama announces changes to ensure our men and women in uniform get the care they need once they're home. We're talking to a PTSD expert on what the move will mean for vets.
A suspected serial killer captured more than 25 years after the first killing. CNN shows you how investigators used DNA to track down their man. And don't just sit there. We really mean this. We want you to become part of our conversation. You have to see the latest vid (ph) we put up today. It's a cool treat. That's all I'll say.
So, send us a message on Twitter or on Facebook. Make sure you check out my blog at CNN.com/Don. And also, look for me on Foursquare. You can check with us there. See what we're doing, where we're hanging out as well.
We want to hear from you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: New rules could mean new help for America's military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. For years, red tape has made it hard for troops to get the help they need. And President Obama is joining the call for change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I don't think our troops on the battlefield should have to keep notes just in case they need to apply for 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Mr. Obama says the Department of Veterans Affairs will announce a new streamlined process tomorrow designed to make it easier for vets to get help for PTSD. Well, how will three things? Will it change? Will it make any difference here?
The current process requires vets to document a specific event that could have triggered PTSD. Under the new rules, vets will only need to prove they were in a war zone and worked in the position where traumatic events could have happened.
So, let's bring in Dr. Mark Goulston. He's a psychiatrist and a PTSD expert.
Dr. Goulston, thanks for joining us. Good to see you again today.
We're talking about a different topic yesterday. This one equally if not more important than that one.
Do you think these changes will make it easier, though, for veterans to get the help that they need?
DR. MARK GOULSTON, PSYCHIATRIST: I certainly hope so. I've got to tell you, I'm so thrilled if I was Tom Cruise, I would jump up and down on Oprah's sofa right now if this news comes through and if it passes, because I think it is very difficult for soldiers to get the treatment they need because one thing to keep in mind is men have trouble, average men have trouble asking for help and soldiers have a lot more trouble asking for help. And then, when you're questioned, when you're -- when you're told, prove that you need help , the humiliation is so huge and embarrassment is so offensive, that you can see why a lot of soldiers don't reach out to get help.
LEMON: Explain that. What do you mean -- what do you mean it's so huge, the stigma and embarrassment?
GOULSTON: Well, most men have trouble asking for help.
LEMON: But you're not saying that the military makes it harder for people to come, are you?
GOULSTON: Well, I think it's a "don't ask/don't tell," because once you start to ask for help for mental-related problems, what happens is, it's not as clear treating those as an infection or something you need surgery for. And, also, you don't know what is the proper treatment.
And so, I think what happens is, the military doesn't want you to reach out for help, even though they say something opposite, because it can be so involved and a lot of soldiers don't want to reach out to admit that they need help, especially something that has to do with their psychological toughness and fitness. There's a real sense of humiliation if you have to reach out for that.
LEMON: Yes. And even in the largest side -- outside of the military, people don't like to admit that they have issues when it comes to, you know, mental issues, so to speak. So, inside the military, a smaller group, I'm sure, and the horrors that these people see. I mean, one can only imagine -- you can't even imagine unless you've been there, Doctor.
GOULSTON: Well, it's horrible. I feel honored because one of my partners is a Lieutenant General Marty Steele and he who was the equivalent of the COO for the Marines. And together, we're working on a transition program and I fell in love with General Steele when I first met him because a lot of what he does is he talks to soldiers and he listens to them and he drills down, what's going on, son? What's going on, soldier?
And what they'll do, once he listens that deeply, is they'll say, I see things, I did bad things. And when I close my eyes, I see them more clearly. So, sir, I don't close my eyes very much.
LEMON: Yes, so --
GOULSTON: And then, what General Steele does is he forgives them. It's quite remarkable.
LEMON: So, I would imagine you think that, you know, on both sides, men don't want to come forward. You don't think they have been very well served that they get back.
So, then, what's next? What's the treatment? How do we fix this? How do we get people to come forward? How do we get the military to do better? GOULSTON: Well, I think what you need is you need some early adopters -- people who are known to be real men and real heroes to talk about how they have PTSD and how they got treatment and how it helped them. I think you need those people because without them, what's going to happen is there are still going to be the resistance to reaching out for help.
LEMON: All right. Hey, listen, what do you think? Do you think that the professional community, your professional community, can do more to help as well?
GOULSTON: You know, absolutely. I gave a presentation in St. Louis that went poorly and it's because the soldiers there told me, you know, you haven't served and you're a psychiatrist and no offense, Doc, we don't like psychiatrists because many of them are residents who are not going to treat us after they finish. Many of them answer their cell phones. Some of them crew gum.
And I promised them that I would one day get a forum, which is right now, to apologize for many of the people in my profession for treating them that way because they deserve better.
LEMON: Very big of you --
GOULSTON: They sacrificed for you and me.
LEMON: Very big of you to admit and we thank you for coming on. And we hope that they get the help. We hope the president's program works and the number that we give out that people will reach for help.
Thank you, Dr. Mark Goulston.
GOULSTON: Thank you.
LEMON: All right.
You know, one college promises, if you get a degree, you will get a job or get your money back. As you might expect, the offer is paying off for the school.
And the "Grim Sleeper," the nickname given to the killer of nearly a dozen people in Los Angeles over two decades -- we're going inside the lab that helped track down the killer through DNA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Los Angeles police say new cutting-edge technology helped them solve the decades-old case of the "Grim Sleeper" killings. During the mid-'80s, someone murdered eight women, terrorizing L.A. Police say that man is Lonnie David Franklin, Jr., arrested and charged this week. Police found him using the DNA of his family member.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez explains how and gives us an exclusive look at the lab that helped crack this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Behind these doors at the Department of Justice crime lab in Richmond, California, forensic investigators solved a landmark cold case that could change the way police investigations are conducted.
We went inside for an exclusive look at the new DNA technology that led detectives to an elusive killer dubbed, "The Grim Sleeper."
It was the 1980s, a serial killer was terrorizing south Los Angeles. Most of his victims were young African-American women. Some had been shot with the same.25-caliber firearm. Some had been strangled, some sexually assaulted. Their bodies dumped in alleys.
Over the years, Los Angeles police would follow numerous leads that went nowhere. In 1988, after eight murders and an attack on a potential ninth victim that got away, the killings stopped.
Then, nearly 15 years later, the "Grim Sleeper" would strike again. Who was he? Where was he hiding? Police would have to wait another two decades to find the answers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have about 1.5 million samples stored in the laboratory.
GUTIERREZ: A critical piece of the puzzle would be found here, in the third largest DNA repository in the world. California has been collecting DNA from convicted felons since 2004. Police had the serial killer's DNA from the crime scenes. Was it possible he was here as well?
JILL SPRIGGS, CA BUREAU OF FORENSIC SERVICES: We are on the cutting edge of this technology.
GUTIERREZ: Jill Spriggs who heads the lab says forensic scientists recently developed a powerful investigative weapon called the familial DNA search program, a computer software that can find similarities between crime scene DNA and the DNA of a convicted felon. If a killer's DNA is not in the database, maybe a relative's is in that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is only convicted defenders that we're comparing to, not arrestees in California.
GUTIERREZ: Two years ago, detectives ran the killer's DNA, searching for a link -- but no match. Then a major break -- last year, criminal has entered the DNA of a man recently convicted of a felony weapons charge. His name was Christopher Franklin.
Months later, detectives ran the Grim Sleeper's killer's DNA again, for the second time, hoping for a match to a family member. They got it. Detectives zeroed in on Christopher Franklin's father, 57-year-old Lonnie David Franklin, who lived in south Los Angeles, within walking distance to one of the victims, 18-year-old Alicia Monique Alexander. At one time, the man described as a polite neighbor even worked as a garage attendant for Los Angeles police. Detectives were confident they found their man, but before they could close in, they would need a sample of his DNA. With Franklin under surveillance, they picked up a piece of uneaten pizza crust along with some eating utensils. Police sent it all to the lab. Soon after, they say, they had a match between Franklin and the DNA found on victims.
JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think, going forward, this is going to be a very important investigative tool for police everywhere where we have a serious crime where we have, you know, no further leads.
GUTIERREZ: As city leaders and Los Angeles police announce what they believe will be the end of the Grim Sleeper's reign of terror, the victims' families cheered.
(APPLAUSE)
GUTIERREZ: But it was a bittersweet moment for the brothers of 18-year-old Alicia Monique Alexander, who carried her frayed picture for 22 years.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We want to check your top stories right now. Spain is the new World Cup champion. Spaniards defeated the Netherlands one- to-nothing, by scoring with four minutes of extra time remaining. It's Spain's first World Cup title. The win also makes Spain the first team to be European champion and World Cup champion at the same time.
They're partying in Madrid and they should be. We're going to take you there live -- in about 10 minutes. I should transport (ph) myself there. It looks like a lot of fun.
You know, the man affectionately known as the "Voice of God" at Yankee stadium has died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB SHEPPARD, YANKEE STADIUM ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankee Stadium.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: It was Bob Sheppard's booming voice that called out the New York Yankees' lineup over the stadium P.A. system for 57 years. He died today at his home at the age of 99. Nice long life.
Sheppard began his career in 1951 and introduced all the Yankees' heroes until working his last season in 2007 when his health weakened. He also was the announcer for the NFL New York Giants for 50 years. Powerful thunderstorms stranded motorists and knocked out power in Kansas City today. Heavy rains flooded part of northbound I-35 and several other roads. Gusting winds also knocked down trees and power lines. Crews are trying to restore power to 18,000 homes and businesses.
Get a job or get your money back. That is the one-of-a-kind offer being made by Michigan community college. In a state hard hit by economic layoffs, it's attracting students waiting to learn new schools skills.
Our Dan Simon has our "Building Up America" report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eric Gibbs worked as a roofer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring it down. Bring it down.
SIMON: George Suffin, an assembly line worker at G.M. Both now unemployed in the state of Michigan.
ERIC GIBBS, UNEMPLOYED ROOFER: When I got laid off from my roofing company job, I searched for probably a good six months straight nonstop.
SIMON: Equally bad luck for George, who at 56, has it even harder with employers.
GEORGE SUFFIN, UNEMPLOYED AUTO WORKER: It became clear the jobs I wanted weren't out there. The skill set that I concern 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 places.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, we need to be able to cut that out.
SIMON: Lansing Community College is hoping to attract even more students with this tempting offer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get a skill, get a job or your money back.
SIMON: Lansing says if you enroll in its school and do not find a job, it will indeed give you back your tuition money.
George and Eric see it as a win/win. They learned some new skills and if they don't find a job, there's nothing lost.
(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. A money-back guarantee where this time, the product happens to be an education.
Dan Simon, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Dan.
The world's biggest sporting event is over. Listen to the vuvuzelas.
Spain is your World Cup champion, everyone. And Spaniards are celebrating in the streets of Madrid right now. We're live from there and we'll talk to CNN's -- so jealous -- Ali Velshi, who attended the final game. Stinker.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Look at that. It was a nail-biting finish for the biggest sporting event South Africa has ever seen. For the first time ever, Spain is soccer's World Cup champion, defeating the Netherlands 1-0, today. Actually, just a short time ago, a little over an hour ago. Spain's Andres Iniesta (ph) scored the winning goal, the only goal of today's final.
CNN's Ali Velshi -- and I say that with disdain because I'm very jealous. He is in Johannesburg with all the excitement. He joins us now by phone.
You're at the final game and I hear you're hobnobbing with super celebrities, Mr. Velshi.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don. Charlize Theron, the actress, was in the booth right next to me in the area where I was sitting, next to me. We don't know each other all that well, or at all, for that matter.
LEMON: Yes, right.
VELSHI: We were both there to watch this game and, Don, it was remarkable. A soccer game in normal time is 90 minutes. They always go a little bit long, but this thing, no score, at 90 minutes. There was a little bit of extra time they allowed. Then the referee announced two extra 15-minute periods. The first 15-minute went through, nobody had scored. Then, more than 110 minutes into this match, Spain scored, as you say, the only goal. This was Spain and the Netherlands, neither of whom have ever won a World Cup. And Spain wins that thing after 110 minutes. That was the only goal. Long game, but finally over in and finally a brand-new World Cup champion, Don?
LEMON: Ali, explain to me and our viewers this picture we're looking at. Didn't you see "Seinfeld" about the body painters, the face painters? Didn't you see that episode? VELSHI: Yes, I didn't do it for this game. But for the semifinal match in Cape Town, which was Holland versus Uruguay, I walked by and I couldn't resist it. Don, in our business, we have to wear makeup. I'm used to having somebody apply something to my face. I'm not sure that's an ideal look for me. Don, I think --
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: I don't think you've ever looked better.
VELSHI: It accentuates my nose, which I'm concerned. They say your nose and ears get bigger while the rest of you shrinks. I'm a little concerned about that nose.
I'll tell you one thing, Don, that's very, very interesting about this World Cup. I leave very pleased about one thing. South Africa, you heard this, Don, there were a lot of naysayers. They said this place has too much violence, that those stadiums they built were not up to par and a lot of people thought there was going to be a problem. Very, very, very heavy security. More than I've ever seen at a sporting event in my life, but I have to tell you, 31-game -- 31 days, 65 games, everything went off largely without a hitch.
LEMON: Ali, here's what I want to ask you, here's what I want to ask you, this is the important question, just being there when this happened, explain to us what it was like being there.
VELSHI: Well, you know, 85,000 people roughly. You know, they got these vuvuzelas everybody blows, so it sounds like bees buzzing all the time. Take the Super Bowl or some great college football and the World Cup and put it all -- and the World Series, and put it all together. It is just absolutely electric. Fantastic, fantastic game. The world is involved. And the pregame, before the game, there was the official closing ceremonies for the World Cup and it was just so fantastic to watch. This is the great event where, for a few, you know, months we forget some of the world's problems and just realize, in fact, there are things the world can get along about and come together for. What a fantastic celebration.
I just -- I'm glad everybody got to see it. and I just hope that this kind of tradition continues to bring us together as opposed to all those things that keep us apart.
LEMON: Very well said, Ali Velshi. Everyone needs a little fun and to get along.
VELSHI: Yes.
LEMON: Thank you very much. I'll be tweeting with you. It's @alivelshi, right?
VELSHI: That's right. Thanks very much for covering my own show so I can be down here and covering the World Cup.
LEMON: Yes, whatever.
(LAUGHTER)
Ali, let's tweet, @alivelshi
Also you can go to at Don Lemon and we'll tweet about the World Cup and Ali's experience. You can see Ali in face paint.
Ali, be safe, enjoy. And I'm really just joking around. I'm not jealous and actually happy you got to go -- kind of.
This was a sight many in Spain dreamed of seeing, their national team winning the coveted World Cup trophy. and a lot of people will be partying until dawn to celebrate their country's first ever World Cup title.
Don Riddell is in the Spanish capital of Madrid.
Oh, my gosh, Don, what is that crowd like? Looks like the streets are clearly out but looks like pandemonium in a good way.
DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I tell you what, Don, it's been an absolutely fantastic day here in Madrid. This win means so much to the Spanish people.
During the game, this street was absolutely packed. But given the game ended 90 minutes ago, the fans are still streaming down the road. I don't know where they're going to, but I can tell you one thing, they're not going to bed. These people are not going to bed any time soon. Tomorrow will not be much of a workday in Spain.
LEMON: All right, Don, thank you very much. We appreciate it.
We'll go from Spain now back here to the United States.
Our sports business analyst, Mr. Rick Horrow, has been following this month-long World Cup closely.
Rick, some people in this country lost interest when the U.S. bowed out but what about the viewership overall compared to football, basketball, baseball here?
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: I'm a little jealous about the Johannesburg trip but I'm now in Newark, heading for Scotland for the British Golf Open. We'll do that next week. So there are major international events all over the world this month.
As for your question, one billion viewers today, 15 million Americans, watched the Ghana match last week and has not a lot by international standards. It's bigger than the Masters. It's bigger than the final four. It's bigger than both championship series. It's not as big as the Super Bowl.
But the question is, does the excitement wear off? Hopefully not. We can build on it.
By the way, in December, FIFA awards the 2008, 22 World Cups. And it may very well be the United States that gets one of those. If it is, they're back in the momentum saddle again.
LEMON: We have seen interest spike in the U.S. after other World Cups and then we've seen it taper off. Any signs this will be different with this particular one?
HARROW: Yes, because of the excitement. I think the commissioner of Major League Soccer said it best. He said, people now understand soccer. The game was 1-nil. Ali talked about it. It was exciting. and for South Africa, by the way, they're talking about a 25 percent increase in GDP for Americans. They saw a very exciting game. And most people who say soccer is boring. They can't say that after that game, I guarantee.
LEMON: I enjoyed watching it but, Rick, I'm so glad I don't have to pass a television and hear that awful sound. I know people love it but that vuvuzela. After a while it just kind of grates a little bit. It's just me. I'm just saying.
HARROW: Let me tell you really little quickly, I hope they don't bring that out at the British Open down where I'm covering that. Can you imagine the golfers? I think they're going to eliminate that. They're not going to allow those in.
LEMON: I hope they bring it just for you.
Thank you, Rick Horrow.
We've all seen the ads that say, "A dollar a day can feed a child in need." Just a few more dollars can give them a good education. You might have wondered if children in third world countries see that money. Up next, proof that one young man did, and it led to a Harvard law degree. That amazing story is coming up.
And an unprecedented and risky move to try to save a threatened species in the gulf. We'll show you exactly what they're doing to save sea turtles from the oil disaster.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We want to check your stories right now. The fugitive teenager known as barefoot bandit is behind bars. Police in the Bahamas captured Colton Harris-Moore early this morning after a high- speed boat chase. Officers had to shoot out the motors of his stolen boat. The 19-year-old Harris-Moore had been on the run for two years after a lengthy crime spree in the Pacific Northwest. He arrived in the Bahamas last weekend in a stolen plane.
In the Gulf of Mexico, B.P. hopes to have its new and improved containment cap in place as early as Wednesday. The massive device is designed to completely seal the broken well so that all the oil can be collected by a fleet of surface ships.
Lance Armstrong's hopes to win an eighth Tour de France came to a crashing halt today. The cycling champion saw precious time lost when he got caught in three crashes in today's stage of a steep alpine mountain. He crossed the finish line 11:45 behind the day's winner and is in 39th place in overall standings.
Millions of soccer fans around the globe have been watching the World Cup. But in Singapore, an unlikely group of players competed for the world soccer titles of a different kind. Deborah Feyerick has the story in today's "Edge of Discovery."
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LEMON: One small act that pays off in a big way. How an American woman's generosity has helped a Kenyan student achieve a distinguished degree. We're talking to a filmmaker who was so touched by the story that she's bringing it to television.
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LEMON: In the middle of the night when you can't sleep or you're coming back from, you know, hanging out or something or from dinner and those late-night ads, they're pleading for you to help needy children in a remote country. HBO is going to give you the follow-up you rarely hear about what happens to the child after the money is donated. If you donated to any of those organizations. HBO's new documentary, "A Small Act," airs tomorrow. Here's part of it.
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CHRIS MBURU, RECEIVED DONATIONS, FOUNDATION FOUNDER: A woman named Hilda Back walked into my life and totally changes it.
If I'd not been sponsored by Hilda, I do not believe I would have made it to Harvard so I decided to start a foundation that would support bright children from families.
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LEMON: So Hilda Back is the woman who gave Chris Mburu, the man who just spoke there, $15 a month to sponsor his education when he was a young boy in Kenya.
That small act, that small act, Jennifer Arnold, heard -- you couldn't ignore that. and because of that, you decided to talk about what his story and what's going on. You're the director and producer of this documentary. So, how did $15 a month turn into a Harvard law degree for him?
JENNIFER ARNOLD, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER, "A SMALL ACT": The thing that happened is that he couldn't afford to go to primary school because, at that time, even primary school cost money in Kenya. So he was a top student but because he couldn't afford it, he got kicked out. Because he was sponsored by this woman Hilda Back, he could stay in primary school. He did really well. He got to secondary school. He got a scholarship to stay in secondary school or high school, if you're an American. Went to University of Nairobi, which is free in Kenya, or it was at this time. Now it costs money. Then he got to Harvard and got a Fulbright to pay for that. Now he's just doing all this work around the world. His classmates, who were just as smart as he was, but didn't get sponsored, they're still in the village and they're picking coffee. That one small donation really changed the course of his life.
LEMON: You see these -- and, to be quite honest, they're on a lot. You see them in the middle of the night. It's like wallpaper. You walk wake up and turn the television on and these ads are on. And you wonder, has anybody given to this personally. I should say, I have not ever given?
ARNOLD: Yes.
LEMON: But you wonder if the money goes where it's intended to go. And now you see it here with Chris Mburu. Are all these organizations legitimate? Does the money go to the people that it's supposed to be going to?
ARNOLD: It's important to investigate when you donate money. Like the Hilda Back Education Fund, it's started by Kenyans. It's a thank you to Chris' sponsor. It's run by Kenyans. It's people who know the money needs to go to the students. And there's other organizations that may not be as legitimate. You can go to our web site, asmallact.com. You can link to charity navigators, see, of all the charities you may want to support, who gives most of the money to the kids in need? How much money is spent on overhead? There is a way to check. Some aren't legitimate. Definitely, this one is for sure. That's a success story. There are other people you can point to as well by giving a small amount of money.
LEMON: She's a success story but there are lots of success stories. Probably, not as big as his but there are other people I'm sure that you could point to that have done well by people giving a small amount of money.
ARNOLD: Yes. You meet these kids. They're in little villages. They're in Kenya. They're in school. You have no idea what their potential may be. Chris went to Harvard. He's a United Nations lawyer. He's dedicated his life in investigating and to fighting genocide. His cousin, who was also sponsored, also went to Harvard. She's working for the United Nations.
LEMON: Wow.
ARNOLD: There's millions of kids out there with potential. They need a chance to go to school. That's really the thing that drew me.
LEMON: So, Jennifer, listen, this documentary airs tomorrow night. You mentioned it on your web site. It airs on HBO, I want to say, because I think it's amazing. People should watch it. It's been airing at film festivals. I understand you got some surprising responses. It led to a charity web site where people can pick "A Small Act" to do on their own.
ARNOLD: One thing that happened, we premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. We were just hoping people would like the film. But the audiences went way beyond that. They started handing cash and checks to Chris. They wanted to do their own small act. $90,000 was donated over the ten days of the Sundance Film Festival. HBO, which has been so supportive, wanted to continue the action and allow ways for people to do their own small acts. If you go to networkforgood.com/asmallact. It's in partnership with HBO. You can go to that site. You can search by zip code for any organization in your neighborhood you may want to support. Search by keyword. Put in education, environment, Africa. We just want people to do their own small acts.
And after the broadcast, which is tomorrow, if you go to the Facebook page for HBO documentaries, they're actually giving away gift cards. So on HBO's dime, you can get a gift card for networkforgood. You can redeem it to any charity you want. You can donate it to the fund that's in the film. You can do your own small act. And it will make a difference.
LEMON: I think I'm going to go there right after this and do that.
ARNOLD: Please do.
LEMON: Very interesting. You have some big supporters, some impressive fans here, billionaires, including Bill Gates, George Soros, plus Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. How did they help you out?
ARNOLD: Well, Gates saw the film at Sundance. We heard he cried after the movie. We don't know if he's helped out. There's been a lot of anonymous donations in the fund. We know he enjoyed the film. George Soros came and saw the film at Sundance. Ban Ki-moon just introduced the film. We had a screening and partnership with the United Nations. He is the secretary general. And yesterday, Harry Belafonte introduced the film. So we've been getting a lot of big fans. We're waiting for Oprah to see it. That's the one that we want.
(LAUGHTER)
So if you know Oprah out there, get her to see the movie.
LEMON: I'll call her up or send her a tweet.
ARNOLD: Please call her. Call her for us.
LEMON: "One (ph) Small Act," and it's Jennifer Arnold. Thank you. It airs tomorrow night on HBO.
Really appreciate it. Good cause.
ARNOLD: Thanks so much.
LEMON: All right.
And still ahead here on CNN, answering the call to save a threatened species. The risky attempt to rescue turtles from the gulf oil disaster that has FedEx and the Kennedy Space Center pitching in.
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LEMON: According to our tracking, more than 156 million gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. With numbers that big, some of the gulf's tiniest creatures don't have a shot at survival at all. That's why a band of biologists felt they had to step in to save dozens of loggerhead turtles.
CNN's Brooke Baldwin has their story.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's one.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One by one, and very carefully, biologists, like Lorna Patrick, pluck loggerhead turtle eggs from their nests within the white sands of Florida's gulf coast.
LORNA PATRICK, BIOLOGIST: You may want to think it a little bit about being a surgeon. You have to have steady hands. Be very careful. You have to think about each and every move you do with the egg, and every egg is individual.
BALDWIN: They placing them egg by egg, 107 in total, into a new home for now. This cooler. This is where these sea turtles will eventually hatch before being released into the water. But the purpose of this process saved this threatened species from near certain death, the oil looming in the gulf.
(on camera): Aren't you nervous about their chances of survival?
PATRICK: Absolutely. Like I said, this is something we would never, ever normally allow or even condone. It's something we hope to never have to do again. We feel the risk is so high for mortality if we let them enter the northern gulf waters that we feel like this is the best option.
BALDWIN (voice-over): 90 percent of the nation's sea turtles are from Florida according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 700 nests hatch here on the state's panhandle alone.
But according to Tom Strickland, assistant secretary of the interior, removing this number of eggs this late in the incubation process is unprecedented.
(on camera): There are multiple risks at play here in these loggerhead's chances of survival, starting with pulling them out of the sand.
TOM STRICKLAND, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR: Right. Well, it's rarely attempted to take the eggs so close to hatching. These are just a week or 10 days away from hatching. The reason we waited this long is we want them to imprint with their natural geography as much and as long as they could.
BALDWIN (voice-over): Every movement, another risk. Removing the soft shell eggs from the sand, placing them in a specially designed truck donated by FedEx and driving them 7.5 miles away to Kennedy Space Center, where NASA will house these coolers in a temperature-collected room until they're ready to hatch. Then it's up to nature to take its course on the Florida's Atlantic coast where wildlife experts hope to preserve the species far from the reaches of the oil.
(on camera): Does it make you angry at B.P.?
PATRICK: Obviously, we are not at all happy with the situation. This is not just affecting this year's production. The larger turtles and the juveniles and adults use the waters of the gulf as forging and developmental habitats. So their habitats are going to be affected for years to come.
BALDWIN: This here was the first nest rescue of about 700 more to come. They're hoping to save somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 of these precious sea turtles for the oily gulf.
As for who is footing this bill, I spoke with the assistant secretary of the interior. He said he will definitely be looking to B.P.
Brooke Baldwin, CNN, Port St. Joe, Florida.
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LEMON: All right, Brooke.