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Stopping the Gusher of Oil; Dissecting Somalia's Al-Shabaab; NAACP Marijuana Controversy

Aired July 12, 2010 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello again, everyone, I'm Tony Harris. Top of the hour in the "CNN NEWSROOM" where anything can happen.

Is BP getting closer to capping the leak in the Gulf? We will have the latest on a new fix that could be in place later today.

We are finding out more about Americans who were in Uganda when terrorists attacked. I will speak to a pastor who knows some of the wounded.

And we're hearing from a woman who was trapped by floodwaters and was very relieved to see someone she now considers a hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got out and tried to the dog paddle because I can't swim. And the current was taking me back.

So I made it back to my car. And I have an antenna on the roof, and I just hung on for dear life until they came.

He was talking to me, and he's like, "I'm not going to let you die. I'm not going to let you die." And I'm like, "I've got a son. I can't leave him yet."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Boy, that's a good moment, huh?

Let's get started with our lead story. Encouraging news on day 84 of the oil disaster in the Gulf. Crews may be close to containing or capturing the flow of oil gushing into the Gulf.

Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen says they should be in position later today to replace a new tighter containment cap over the well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. THAD ALLEN (RET.), NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: Once we do that, we'll know how much pressure is actually in the well. That could to lead one of two positive outcomes.

It could tell us that the well is withholding the pressure and we could actually shut the well in, or just cap it, if you will, and if there is a need that we can produce oil and have enough platforms up on the surface where we can contain the oil and produce it. Either way, those are two pretty good outcomes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So let's get more details now on this new containment cap and what it is designed to do.

CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us live from New Orleans.

And Ed, is BP hoping this new cap will completely -- not shut off what's happening there, the gusher, but control the flow of the oil?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is the ideal situation. So, once again, we find ourselves in a critical couple of days here.

As you heard the admiral there say, ,they will try to move that containment cap into place. And once that happens, they are going to try to begin the process of a 48-hour -- what they are calling an integrity test to see how that cap is essentially functioning on there.

During that time we will start to get a much clearer picture as to whether or not this containment cap is working closely. But, of course, as many people have been following this story for almost three months now, you know, every once in a while they've had some success with the engineering and the work that's being done down there. But none of this has ever been done at these depths before, they say, so that has complicated things.

And we have also seen a string of failures as well. So, the admiral is sounding clearly upbeat in that clip that you played there, and that they do have some options at this point, but these next 48 hours will be crucial.

But as you mentioned, Tony, this isn't the ultimate answer here. Those relief wells that are still being dug and continue to work on -- crews continue to work on, will be the ultimate answer here and the ultimate test that essentially kills these wells for good.

HARRIS: OK.

Ed Lavandera for us with that update from New Orleans.

Ed, thank you.

Now terror in Uganda's capital city, Kampala. Here's what we know.

A short time ago, a group linked to al Qaeda admitted it was behind bomb blasts targeting World Cup soccer fans. Somalia's Al-Shabaab is made up of Taliban-style radical militants. At least 74 people are dead in three explosions at a restaurant and a rugby field where fans watched the game on a big screen.

Among that number, one American. He is identified as 25-year-old Nate Henn, an aid worker with the San Diego-based group Invisible Children.

CNN National Security Contributor Fran Townsend weighed in with her analysis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: We're seeing more of these affiliates act outside their usual regions. I expect we'll probably see some sort of claim of responsibility if it is Al-Shabaab probably in the next 24 hours. But we ought to remember, when we hear Al-Shabaab, this is really al Qaeda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Yes. Al-Shabaab translates as "The Youth." The U.S. government designates it a terrorist organization. Members are hard- line radicals who favor strict Islamic law much like the Taliban. Al- Shabaab controls wide parts of Somalia, while the Somali government only runs part of the capital, Mogadishu.

Nima Elbagir is a journalist born in Sudan and educated in England. And she joins us live now from CNN London.

And Nima, before yesterday's attacks, did the Ugandan government take seriously the threats from Al-Shabaab to target the country because of its support of the African Union peacekeeping effort in Somalia?

NIMA ELBAGIR, JOURNALIST: Well, Tony, you have to remember that in the two decades of conflict in Somalia, that there have been waves upon waves of Somali refugees into the rest of East Africa, into Uganda. So there has always been this concern of such a large presence of ethnic Somalis, as well as the newly arrived refugees, and that Al-Shabaab would find it easy to disappear, driving (ph) other militant groups, including al Qaeda, using Somali nationals.

Just last week, the Kenyan foreign minister actually warned against attacks against East Africa because he felt that Al-Shabaab were ready to take the fight more internationally. So, yes, the answer is that the Ugandans have been fearing this. They've received several warnings from Al-Shabaab.

HARRIS: Well, Nima, we are actually getting some new video in from Uganda, and some of the devastation and some of the wreckage from those blasts.

What has been the Ugandan government's plan of attack for taking on Al-Shabaab? And how is it likely to step up those efforts to root out the organization now?

ELBAGIR: Well, as you yourself said, the government and the troops that support the government -- amongst them are the Ugandans, the African peacekeepers -- are limited to Mogadishu, and Al-Shabaab and the other Islamist organization that operates in Somalia, Hizbul Islam, pretty much have free rein in the countryside. So, it's a very difficult situation, and it's hard to really imagine how the Ugandans are going to be able to retaliate for this, how they're going to be able to hit Al-Shabaab on their home territory.

HARRIS: I'm wondering, does Al-Shabaab have any popular support in Uganda? Does it have any popular support in Somalia, for that matter?

ELBAGIR: Well, interestingly, Al-Shabaab doesn't have that much of a popular support in Somalia because they are viewed as targeting civilians, although they themselves have released statements and videos obviously denying that. But when I was in Mogadishu, the sense was definitely that Al-Shabaab didn't really care where they hit, as long as they hit the peacekeepers.

But outside of Somalia, amongst the immigrant community, amongst the ethnic Somali (INAUDIBLE) East Africa, they do actually have a rising tide of support. I know that having spoken to several Ugandan security officers, that they have for quite a while had a concern about recruitment amongst ethnic Somalis in Uganda. And obviously that concern is only going to heighten.

HARRIS: Yes. A couple more here if I've got time.

You know, there is, as you know, a large U.S. humanitarian operation based there in Uganda, and certainly other operations from around the world as well. I'm thinking of the U.S. effort in the Peace Corps as an example.

Any early word on whether those groups will stay or go, ,or at least demand more security for their teams?

ELBAGIR: Well, obviously prior to this, Uganda had not really been seen as an area where there was much of a terror threat towards U.S. citizens or, in fact, any foreign nationals. So, really, the sense that I'm getting from the Uganda secure services is that they want to play this by ear.

At the moment, they have raised security alerts. They are trying to get their own security personnel on the ground to protect U.S. and other foreign interests, other embassies. But they are really trying to wait and see. They want to see if this is just going to just be an opportunistic and an incredibly lucky attack by Al-Shabaab, or whether this is going to be a sign of more attacks to come.

HARRIS: OK. You know, I'm wondering if there is any word, any conversation about a stepped-up U.S. effort to help in Uganda. You know, the threat is also in place for Burundi as well. Maybe some pressure on the United States to become more engaged and more involved than the United States already is at this point?

ELBAGIR: Well, last week the Kenyan foreign minister, when he warned against the rising risk of threats for attacks, did ask the United States to become more involved, to become more involved on the ground. And, obviously, post "Black Hawk Down," that's something that's success of U.S. administrations have been very, very reticent to engage in. But the reality is that Ugandans make up the bulk of the 5,000-strong peacekeeping force in Somalia.

They have been taking the bulk of the hits to protect the rest of Africa and, indeed, the rest of the world, because Al-Shabaab is al Qaeda-affiliated. And a lot of the chatter that's already coming out of the Ugandan presidential palace is, why are we the ones who are having to take on this threat on our own? Because nobody else wants to go in when we are effectively becoming the front line against terror in East Africa.

So, I think there definitely are high-level conversations that will be going on over the next couple of days and the coming weeks about how the U.S. can play a more extensive role, hopefully without becoming bogged down in the way that they did in Somalia last time.

HARRIS: Yes. Nima, appreciate it.

Nima Elbagir, our guest from London.

Thank you for your insights on this.

As we mentioned, one American aid worker is among the dead in Uganda. Six other Americans, young missionaries, are recovering after they were wounded in bomb blasts. They are from churches in central Pennsylvania.

The Reverend Kathleen Kind is pastor at Christ Community United Methodist Church, and she is joining us now.

Boy, it is good to talk to you. And Reverend Kind, have you been able to talk to any of your injured members? And, if so, how did they describe what happened?

REV. KATHLEEN KIND, CHRIST COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: I have not been able to talk with any of our injured members. However, family members have. And what they are hearing now is primarily in response to how they are doing, the optimism that they have for their recovery and the encouragement that they are sharing with one another as they receive medical treatment and anticipate what will come next for them.

HARRIS: What can you tell us about -- and first of all, what can you tell us about the condition of who we understand to be the most seriously injured in your group, 18-year-old Chris Sledge (ph)? Do we have our facts right? Is Chris (ph) a member of the group, your church?

KIND: Yes. He is a member of our church.

HARRIS: OK. Do you have an update on his condition? My understanding is he has got a pretty nasty leg wound.

KIND: He has a significant leg wound, and he also has some shrapnel wounds. However, he is in very good spirits. And he has been a voice of encouragement to our other team members as they are awaiting treatments as well.

HARRIS: OK. We have now a claim of responsibility from Al-Shabaab, the group there. I'm sort of curious as to the kind of instruction you give your teams who are going out to these countries and doing this kind of missionary work.

Were you aware of the potential threat from the group Al-Shabaab in Uganda?

KIND: Specifically, no. However, the reality that we do know is this: evil exists in the world. Evil is perpetuated in the world, in continents and countries around the world, ,as well as our own. And when persons go out in faith, and as a response to God's call, we trust that while there is evil that exists, that God is still very present in the lives of our team members, as well as all of those persons who have been affected by this tragedy.

HARRIS: And Reverend Kind, if you would, describe the kind of work your organization and this particular group was doing in Uganda.

KIND: This church has a heart for mission, and specifically in Africa, and particularly with this congregation Bawaise (ph). And they were doing some hands-on work on the ground regarding construction, and also some mission evangelism and some relationship building. But really, spending a lot of time witnessing to their faith and talking about their experience with Christ and what it means to grow in a relationship with Christ. That was their primary, primary work.

HARRIS: Yes. And one last one, Reverend Kind. My understanding is that the group was planning to leave Uganda today.

Any idea on their plans moving forward?

KIND: At this point we are waiting to hear how the mobilization happens as far as the injuries and the wounds that persons have sustained. And then travel home will be arranged after that.

HARRIS: Reverend Kind, thanks for your time. We appreciate it. And the best to your members.

KIND: Thank you.

HARRIS: He has been mostly out of sight for years, but today former Cuban leader Fidel Castro steps back into the spotlight. Details and a live report from Havana.

First, though, our "Random Moment" in 60 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got to tell you, there is a battle brewing in California's NAACP over legalizing marijuana. Alice Huffman, the group's leader, supports it. Some religious leaders do not, and they are demanding she resign.

Here's CNN's Mary Snow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Californians debate over whether or not to legalize marijuana, the NAACP state conference head is taking heat for her vocal support to make it legal. ALICE HUFFMAN, PRESIDENT, NAACP CALIFORNIA: We at the NAACP see this as a civil rights issue. This is not a drugs right issue. This is civil rights issue.

SNOW (on camera): Why do you think this is a civil rights issue?

HUFFMAN: It's a civil rights issue because when you look at the number of African-American young people and Latinos that are disproportionately targeted and entered into the criminal justice system, it's an unequal application of the law.

SNOW (voice-over): Alice Huffman's stand is prompting opposition. Bishop Ron Allen of the International Faith Based Coalition is leading a group of about 20 community leaders calling for Huffman's resignation saying legalizing marijuana will hurt the black community.

BISHOP RON ALLEN, INTERNATIONAL FAITH BASED COALITION: Alice Huffman is giving the NAACP a black eye and we're saying she must step down. She must resign. She must give up that post to someone that clearly understands why the black community is being devastated and will not open the door to drug dealers and pushers to push their poison to our children and our next generation.

SNOW: Huffman isn't budging saying what she's trying to do is keep young black people out of prison and keep them in schools. She cites a study by the Drug Policy Alliance, a group describing itself as one working to end the war on drugs. It finds in California blacks and Latinos make up less than 44 percent of the state's population but together constitute up to 56 percent of marijuana possession arrests.

HUFFMAN: Right now, my young brothers and sisters are in the prison system over marijuana when young white kids smoke marijuana ten times more than we do and they are arrested ten times less than we do. This is not justice. We're fighting for justice.

SNOW: On the disparity of blacks being incarcerated, Allen agrees. But as a former crack cocaine user, he fears legalizing marijuana will encourage drug use among young blacks.

ALLEN: Why would one of our African-American leaders, Alice Huffman, advocate for the blacks to stay high? It's in their name, for the advancement of colored people. How do you educate an intoxicated mind?

SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: That's pretty hot.

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro stepping back into the spotlight. He has been mostly out of sight since undergoing intestinal surgery four years ago.

CNN's David Ariosto joining us live from Havana.

David, great to see you.

We have new pictures surfacing, and we're hearing Fidel Castro is supposed to be making a speech tonight. What can you tell us about this?

DAVID ARIOSTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. Former Cuban president Fidel Castro is set to speak tonight around 6:30 p.m. on Cuba's evening newscast. This comes on the heels, like you said, of some recently released photos over the weekend.

What was interesting about these photos is that this is the first known public appearance that Fidel had made since his illness in 2006 that forced him to step down. He stepped down then. Raul Castro took over and assumed power more officially in 2008. But the question has always sort of remained in the back of people's mind as who is really pulling the strings?

Fidel Castro, since becoming ill, has become sort of a columnist in chief, writing daily columns and blogs for Cuba state-run newspaper. Sometimes those remarks do conflict with Raul Castro's administration.

What's interesting about this is this comes immediately on the heels of one of the -- or the largest prison release in over a decade. Fifty-two political prisoners are set to be released in the next three to four months, few are to be released just in the next day or so. So the timing of all of this is very interesting.

But yes, indeed, Fidel Castro will speak live tonight on Cuban state television.

HARRIS: Hey, David, I'm not expecting that we are getting regular medical health updates on the former Cuban president, but are we getting on any word on how he is doing physically?

ARIOSTO: The only thing we that get basically are reports from the government that are, frankly, old, as well as just visual images of him in which we can deduce how he looks. In this recent set of photographs, he has been wearing an athletic jacket. He seems fairly frail, but at the same time healthy, although very difficult to tell -- to deduce from these photographs.

So, in a word, no. We don't know how the former Cuban president is doing. But from the photographs and in the fact that he will be speaking live tonight, we can make our own deductions about his health.

HARRIS: All right, David. Good to see you. Appreciate it.

David Ariosto in Havana, Cuba, for us.

An off-duty firefighter leaps into action as floodwaters rise, and he saves the day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK) HARRIS: Flash flooding around Boston left some drivers swimming for their lives this weekend. Look at these pretty dramatic pictures. Huh? Boy, that's up to the entire wheel well there.

One driver just could not swim in the rapidly rising waters. Her savior? An off-duty firefighter on his lunch break.

Tim Caputo with CNN Boston affiliate WHDH has this pretty heroic story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE MARINO, RESCUED STRANDED WOMAN: How are you doing?

CHRISTINE BRODERICK, STRANDED DRIVER: Thank you so much, again.

MARINO: No, no problem.

BRODERICK: Oh my God.

TIM CAPUTO, WHDH-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She calls it divine intervention, but this Somerville firefighter says he was just doing what he is trained to do.

MARINO: I just knew she was there. I would hope someone would do that for my mom, you know, stranded out there. So, yes, you know, that's what you do. That's what you do.

CAPUTO: As rain was pouring down, Christine Broderick and three other drivers got struck on the Route 28 underpass at Assembly Square. One stuck driver says the water was at least 10 feet deep.

JENNIFER DELACEY, CAR WAS RUINED: The water was coming higher and higher and I didn't know what to do. I was telling my dad, and he said to open all the windows.

CAPUTO: Three of the drivers got out quickly. Broderick didn't. She can't swim.

BRODERICK: I got out and I tried to do the dog paddle because I can't swim. And the current was taking me back, so I made it back to my car. And I have, like, an antenna on the roof, and I just hung on that for dear life until they came.

CAPUTO: Firefighter Mike Marino was off duty, getting lunch. When he saw the flooding, the former Navy rescue swimmer jumped into action and dove into the murky, sewage-filled water.

MARINO: I couldn't touch the bottom. No, you couldn't touch the bottom. So that was my nervousness with her, because she couldn't swim. I wanted to make sure that we got her out of there as quick as possible.

BRODERICK: He was talking to me, and he's like, "I'm not going to let you die. I'm not going to let you die." And I'm like, "I've got a son. I can't leave him yet." CAPUTO: Marino hung on to the side of her car until rescue crews arrived. The four submerged cars are totaled. Marino refuses to call himself a hero, but the woman he saved begs to differ.

BRODERICK: He is a lifesaver. He deserves a medal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And I guess you warn, you warn, you warn. And sometime the flash flooding is just that and it comes in so quickly, you don't have much time to react.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Still to come, Spain's soccer team -- man, was this something this weekend -- wins the World Cup. Pretty amazing game, too.

We will go live to Madrid. Are they still partying there? We'll find out.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Spain's soccer team is still celebrating today. Pretty classy goal (ph), huh? They won the World Cup for the first time. The 1-0 victory over the Netherlands. The game with just four minutes of extra time left in the championship match. Let's see it again. The win set off incredible celebrations. Take a look at this one. CNN's Don Riddell is in Spain, where the winners have returned home. He is live in Madrid.

And, Don, what great fortune for us that the celebration, the parade, is actually scheduled for this hour?

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'll tell you what, this is just an incredible situation here in Madrid. Thanks very much, Tony. Welcome to the Spanish capital.

These are just incredible scenes here. As you can see behind me, we've got tens upon tens of thousands of fans streaming into this fan park where they are going to be partying for hours and hours and hours. They've been partying all night. Many of them were up until about 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning last night following that incredible World Cup victory.

Take a look at the main stage here just over the river here. This is where the main party will be taking place tonight. We're going to have Shakira on stage, Debbie Bisbal (ph) as well. And then, of course, the main act, the new world champions, the Spanish football team.

They've been back in country for a couple of hours. They had a bit of a rest. They've just met the king of Spain a short time ago and they are about to commence what will be just a fabulous open top (INAUDIBLE) parade. They're going to spend two hours touring around the city. They're going to go through the center of Madrid. They're going to take in some of the working class areas just to say thanks to the fans and to allow the fans to say thank you to them.

These are troubled times, as you may know, in Spain. The economy here is really struggling. Their unemployment rate is running at a staggering 20 percent and that is the highest anywhere in Europe. And a lot of the people don't really have very much to look forward to at the moment. And the team's success over the last month really has given everybody a very welcomed distraction. And they are, quite literally, on top of the world today.

HARRIS: Yes, absolutely. As for the game, Don, I know you're a sports guy at heart. As for the game, it wasn't exactly the beautiful game, was it, with all of the yellow cards and the one red card? But a win's a win, I guess.

RIDDELL: Well, I'll tell you what, there should have been more red cards. It was not a beautiful final. And I think that really frustrates some of the Spanish fans because they do play some of the best football anywhere in the world. They love keeping the ball on the ground. They pass it and they pass it and they pass it. And at times it really is something of a work of art.

And the Dutch team decided last night that they couldn't beat Spain at their own game. You know the phrase, if you can't beat them, join them. I think the Dutch felt, well, you know, if we can't beat them, we might as well just beat them up. Most of the Dutch team were booked (ph). And it really did spoil the final.

I think, you know, most of these fans here now don't really care. They've become the world champions. Something that some of these fans thought they'd never see in their lifetime. But one or two of the purists (ph) that I've spoken to are really quite saddened by the fact that the rest of the world couldn't see Spain play the beautiful game that they can. They just weren't given a chance.

HARRIS: All right. Don, terrific stuff. Enjoy the celebration. And tell Shakira I said hello. Whatever.

Don Riddell for us in Madrid.

Pinpointing the cause of an environmental catastrophe. The president's oil commission gets down to business in New Orleans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right. The best financial news website on the web is cnnmoney.com. I love what we're doing today at cnnmoney.com, "America's Best Places to Live," best places for affordable homes, best home deals in the top 10. So this is cnnmoney.com, your place for financial news.

We are - sorry, sorry -- three hours into the trading day, just passed, and we're still trading in negative territory, but we are off lows for the day. Let's just call it flat for now, down close to three points. And the NASDAQ, last check, down four points. So pretty much flat as well. What caused the oil disaster in the Gulf? And how can it be prevented from ever happening again? The presidential commission charged with finding those answers is holding its first public meetings today and tomorrow in New Orleans. Patricia Wu joining us now from New York.

And, Patricia, let's start here. Why don't you run down some of the names on this commission. It's pretty stellar whose who on the commission.

PATRICIA WU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Tony. We'll give you a quick run-through of all seven members. Of course, they're all named by President Obama. We'll start with the co-chairmen. First we have former Democratic Senator and Governor Bob Graham of Florida. Of course he's known for having pushed for a drilling ban off the Florida coast in the past. Now the other co-chairman, William K. Reilley, he headed the EPA under the first President Bush and was at the helm during the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989. He's also on the board of oil giant ConocoPhillips.

And there's also Frances Beinecke, who's president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Donald Boesch, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Also on the seven member commission, there's Terry Garcia, a National Geographic Society executive. And Cherry Murray, dean of Harvard's Engineering School. And finally there's Frances Ulmer, chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage and a former Alaska lieutenant governor.

So, Tony, did you notice that there's no one from the oil and gas industry on this commission?

HARRIS: Can I tell you, Patricia, we have talked to so many people impacted by this in the Gulf and that is the number one complaint we hear about this commission. So the question is, can this commission really be objective?

WU: Well, that is the question. And, of course, the critics are saying no. I asked this of the panel's communications director this morning. He says that they just hired a science adviser who worked for 30 years at Shell as a deep water drilling engineer. I asked if that was in response to all this criticism and he says, no, that they were planning to do that all along.

But, you know, Tony, the comments have been pretty harsh. Check out this op-ed from GOP Senator John Barrasso in last week's "Washington Examiner." Barrasso says, "instead of appointing unbiased scientists, engineers and drilling experts, the president appointed extreme environmentalists and politicians who've already made up their minds about offshore drilling."

Barrasso is even getting support from the other side of the aisle, Tony. Five Democrats on the Senate Energy Committee voted for his amendment to create an alternative commission to investigate the oil disaster.

HARRIS: Wait a minute. How would that panel be different from the one that's meeting today and tomorrow?

WU: Well, a couple of things. The alternative panel would have 10 members, instead of seven. It would be modeled after the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. But really the key difference, it would have subpoena power. The presidential commission does not.

So we'll see where this idea goes. But, you know, there are already eight other investigations into this oil spill going on, plus a Justice Department probe. So we don't really know. Is another commission really that necessary?

Tony.

HARRIS: Well, yes. One that gets the answers that we want would be nice.

All right, Patricia, good to see you. Thank you.

New DNA technology leads police to a suspected serial killer 30 years later. We are going inside the crime lab to see how they nabbed the alleged grim sleeper.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right, checking our top stories for you now. Day 84 of the oil disaster. Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen tells CNN that crews should be able to install a new cap on the gushing well later today. Once that containment cap is on, scientists will test it to make sure it can withstand the pressure.

Israel has released its report on the May raid on a Turkish aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The Israeli army found that the soldiers acted, quote, "operated properly with professionalism, bravery, and resourcefulness." Nine Turks were killed in the incident.

Fidel Castro is expected to make his first public appearance in years today. A state run newspaper reports the former Cuban president will appear on a government TV show to discuss the Middle East. Castro has made very few public appearance since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in 2006.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A serial killer hiding in plain sight. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez takes us inside the crime lab where innovations in DNA research and a crust of pizza cracked a case that had gone cold for 30 years.

(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, the Los Angeles police would follow numerous leads that went nowhere. In 1988, after eight murders and an attack on a potential ninth victim who 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.

KEN KONZAK, CRIMINALIST: 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 have the serial killer's DNA from the crime scenes. Was it possible it was here as well?

JILL SPRIGGS, CALIFORNIA 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. Computer software that can find similarities between crime scene DNA and the DNA of a convicted felon. If the killer's DNA is not in the database, maybe a relatives is.

STEVE MYERS, CRIMINALIST: It is only convicted offenders 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, criminalists 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 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 Lonny 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'd 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 no further leads.

GUTIERREZ: As city leaders and Los Angeles Police announced what they believe will be the end of the grim sleeper's rein of terror, the victims' families cheered. 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)

HARRIS: Nature puts on a show in the dark. We are talking about an event that is very, very rare. Let's take you to Easter Island next in the "CNN NEWSROOM".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got to tell you, it is one of the hottest stories -- where's the light? I'm always in and out of the - I can't stand still. It's like I've got ants in my pants.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You're an eclipse.

HARRIS: Yes. It is one of the hottest stories trending on the Internet. We know you're online right now. We are, too. We're talking about the solar eclipse, Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

HARRIS: In the South Pacific.

MYERS: Right.

HARRIS: How cool was this?

MYERS: It was perfect.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, it really was.

MYERS: A complete solar eclipse.

HARRIS: Look at this.

MYERS: Now a lot of times it looks like this.

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

MYERS: Right. Like that. And it will look like that. It looks like that. That's usually what we get in the U.S. We don't usually get - and, you know, I always say - I say, they always happen somewhere else.

HARRIS: Right.

MYERS: Well, the odds of it happening somewhere else are high because there's a lot more world than what we -

HARRIS: There's a lot of world out there.

MYERS: I know we think the United States is the whole world.

HARRIS: It is the world.

MYERS: And that we cover the entire world.

HARRIS: It's not?

MYERS: It's not the entire planet.

HARRIS: OK. OK.

MYERS: It is not. And it's hard for us to comprehend that.

HARRIS: Yes.

MYERS: But we get two to five solar eclipses every year but only two can ever really be a total solar eclipse. And the next one happens November 13, 2012.

So on Easter Island what did they see? They used these little funky glasses.

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

MYERS: And those are not 3-D glasses that they give away at Turner Network TV.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. (INAUDIBLE). Yes, yes.

MYERS: Yes, no, those are actually the ones that are supposed to protect your eyes. Do not look at this directly into the sunshine. This is actually tinfoil that the guy put little tiny little holes in. That's helping but not as good as something that would be actually more professional. That's Easter Island.

HARRIS: Oh, that's Easter Island.

MYERS: Remember those - you got all those Easter Island things? Those guys that are all standing up there protecting but they have no idea how they got there or why.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. Yes.

MYERS: Yes, yes, that's because they were all looking at the solar eclipse.

HARRIS: Right, right, right.

MYERS: That's what it looked like. Here's how it came. And then all of a sudden there was nothing left. And then that was the perfect solar eclipse.

HARRIS: That's a solar eclipse.

MYERS: And then they were - you can see the corona around it. You can see the lights coming out all the way around it. Pretty amazing stuff. One more shot there as it just made this perfect approach to it. So, yes, I want to be -- some day I want to be that guy.

HARRIS: That is -- yes, yes, that's a good look. Good look.

Terrific stuff. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: All right. Take care.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, November 2012, all right, the next one.

MYERS: Yes. Yes, yes.

HARRIS: OK. Still to come, what do you think? What should Congress make its top priority before the August recess? You're weighing in. Your comments from our blog next in the "CNN NEWSROOM".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got to tell you, Congress is back in session this week, but they only have a month of work before their next recess in August. So we asked, what do you think lawmakers should make their top priority? And your comments literally pouring into our in-box at cnn.com/tony.

Charlotte says -- let's start with Charlotte who writes, "Congress should live on unemployment for 26 weeks. Then tell people that they would rather be on unemployment instead of working." Ouch. "As the saying goes, try walking a mile in my shoes."

This one from Becca who writes, "I think that Congress should focus on unemployment benefits. There are not enough jobs because of the recession. People are having to rely on help from local churches and food banks."

We're starting to see a bit of a theme here.

This from Clayton who says, "unemployment benefits. I'm a union plumber in California on the bottom of a long list. Unemployment extensions keep food on the table. Benefits will keep cash in the community." And he goes on to say, "we need this. Every issue is important, but having no benefits brings life to a stand still."

We want to keep hearing from you on this issue. Join the conversation, if you would, please, cnn.com/tony and leave us your comments.

Just enough time to say, "CNN NEWSROOM" continues right now for Richard Lui, in for Ali Velshi.

Richard.