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Obama's Oil Panel Commission Under Fire, Terrorist Killings In Uganda

Aired July 12, 2010 - 13:00   ET

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

RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks a lot, Tony. Richard Lui in for Ali Velshi on this Monday. Hope you're having a good one. Here's what we've got on the run-down for you today.

It will be a temporary fix, but 84 days into the Gulf oil disaster, we will take it right now. BP might be very close to capping that devastating leak. We're going to look at it from every single angle for you this hour.

Plus, do you remember this guy? He's been mostly out of sight for four years. But today we're expecting to see and hear from Fidel Castro.

And this isn't the kind of custard you get at the bakery. This custard could save you from a bullet, and it might be tougher than Kevlar.

All right. Let's get started in the Gulf where we're getting perhaps the most encouraging news from the spill at the moment. We take a look at what's happening in the Gulf, that disaster that began 84 days ago. I'm going to show you what I've got right here.

I've got 12 different live video feeds coming into us here at CNN. And just showing you very briefly what we understand these different roving cameras from those vehicles that are underneath the sea about 5,000 feet.

On the left-hand side here, what we believe could be the top of this new ceiling cap. And it's hard to tell, but at the very bottom here, that is also a different angle. And way off to the right here -- and I'm going to ask you to move around here pretty fast. That is the top of the current transition spool that they just put in this morning. I know it's hard to -- tough to see because it's out of our camera's sight. But that is what's happening live. Want to make sure to get you what is happening.

BP says, though, that the work to install a new, improved cap is running ahead of schedule. And it could be in place sometime today, and we're going to know by looking at a lot of what you see here.

Oil has been gushing freely into the Gulf for the last 48 hours, since BP removed the containment cap. But they're also saying here that this new, tighter fitting cap, when it's in place, it could contain most, if not all, the oil. Now, that "all" part we'll get into in just a little bit. All that is spewing out of what is the top of that broken wellhead.

Now, that's welcome news for sure. With 35 to 60,000 barrels a day spewing out, but when you take a look at what's coming out of the Q-4000, it s a little bit less than that. But even if it does work, it's not a final fix. Let's listen to Thad Allen, the government's top man behind this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: What we're talking about now is containing the oil. That's far different than actually killing the well and plugging it with cement. We will need to do that ultimately. But this will significantly improve ours situation regarding the amount of oil coming to the surface while we finish the relief wells, which are the final solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: All right. That would be the final solution. They're hoping that cap will work out well.

But speaking of those relief wells that BP has announced today, the first one is now within five feet of the main well and just 30 feet above what is the hoped for that intersection point. Of course, they may not make it on first time. Have to go at it two, three more times because it is only about this wide of a point that they're trying to hit from 18,000 feet at the surface.

Now, they hope to be ready to pump mud and concrete through that. Once they're able to hit that spot to try to kill the main well by the end of the month.

Another positive develop many to tell you about today. That's the huge oil collection ship helix producer which should be on the job after this -- afternoon. Later this afternoon. After a couple of setback that happened Sunday, they had weather issues, equipment issues. It should be able to collect up to 25,000 barrels of oil each day once this is fully operational, and plans are in the works to bring in three more vessels.

Now, with all of these containment ships -- just showing you one of them right here -- they are estimating, BP is, that they could collect 60,000 to 80,000 barrels as day. Hey, that's more than the 35,000 to 60,000 that's estimated to be leaking, so over capacity.

And then one other quick note for you to get you up to date. We are hearing reports the Obama administration is likely to announce some revised rules banning deepwater offshore drilling.

Ed Lavandera is, of course, watching this live from New Orleans and everything that's happening there in the Gulf. He's live in New Orleans in the moment.

And Ed, what is the latest? We've been watching this video. What are you hearing right now in terms of what's happening underneath the sea?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you summed it up really well there, Richard. But essentially, what we're hearing, waiting to hear from BP right now, is just how far along they're moving with that new containment cap. They say they've been making good progress in bringing it closer to the site of where so much oil is spewing.

Essentially, to do this step, they've cut it off back on Saturday. They removed the other containment cap which wasn't containing everything. But they've decided that to take this giant step forward in what would be a monumental breakthrough here, given what we've seen over the course of the almost last three months, they took away that other -- that other containment cap, which is essentially -- let this well freely flow here over the last couple of days.

And they're trying to move in that tighter cap that would give them that seal. And essentially, they're waiting now to begin the testing process to test the integrity of that well. And it's very possible, according to federal officials and BP officials, that that well could be contained and we'd see the end of the flow here.

LUI: So Ed, let's take a look at an animation. I'm not sure if you can see it. This is an animation that we got the information from BP. In terms of what has happened over the last 24 hours. And that is basically they're moving over what is, what -- a giant adapter, isn't it, that they're trying to put on top, that transition spool. And that's on right now?

LAVANDERA: That's on. And they're moving that new containment cap over.

LUI: OK. So the containment cap, if we go to that video really quickly, once they've got that transition spool, that adapter on, they're going to move over -- it's sort of like -- a small VOP, isn't it? It's got a lot of capabilities to this new cap that they're trying to line up and put on top of that transition spool. Can you talk about that?

LAVANDERA: That's a pretty god -- pretty good way of looking at it. It's not small by any means. This is a massive structure that's being -- that is being lowered down there. So -- you know, and we've heard over and over from BP officials that this kind of technology, these kinds of -- this kind of work, has never been done at these depths.

So -- you know, that's why it's still -- we've seen a series of failures. We've seen some successes with some of these caps. But you know, these next 48 hours will be extremely critical in determining whether or not they'll be able to cap the flow of this oil well while that relief well work continues to move ahead.

LUI: So Ed, yes, you're right. I mean, that's -- new ceiling cap they're putting on. You're right; it's small by no means. It's something like 150,000 pounds, quite large; 16 to 18 feet, or whatever it is. And what has been discussed out there, if you can help me with this one, is that -- it could -- what, shut in the well? Does that mean it could stop all the oil from coming out? Is that a possibility here?

LAVANDERA: That's what -- that's what they're saying, which is, you know, fascinating.

There is a backup to this. If this containment cap isn't able to completely mitigate -- mitigate the flow, they do have those pipes, if you will, connected to the -- to this equipment and vessels on the surface of the water and it would kind of return to the way it was before Saturday where you had that one containment cap...

LUI: Right.

LAVANDERA: ... over it, and the oil that was getting sucked into that would then be brought up to these vessels on the surface of the water. Those vessels -- there are a few in place. There's a couple of others that are coming online. That's a little bit more fluid out here over the next couple of weeks. They can switch over to that, if this tighter seal does not totally work.

LUI: That could be a lot. It can mean a lot to the people behind you there in the Gulf coast.

Ed Lavandera, a lot of details, a lot of action happening for BP right now. And of course, you're on top of that for us. We can only watch it from these live video feeds.

So thanks a lot, Ed, for filling those gaps in for us about what this new ceiling cap could mean for us.

And of course, we're going stop in with Ed a little bit later to get more details on what's happening, because this is minute by minute, hour by hour.

It's been six months since an earthquake rocked Haiti to its core. But looking at Haiti right now, you would think the quake struck just yesterday. Why is the nation still in ruins? What does it look like right now? We will take you to Port-au-Prince for some answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Six months later and little progress. The people of Haiti are stuck in mounds of rubble with little shelter six months after one of the deadliest earthquakes in its history.

Now, the January 12 quake killed more than 230,000 people and injured 300,000 more. Take a look at these pictures we've got for you at the moment. Shortly after the earthquake hit, right there, and then here pictures from Haiti now. And you can see there's not much difference. Can you tell the difference there when we show you these pictures?

One difference, if you look closely: hundreds of displaced families now living in makeshift tent cities along busy roads. Only 28,000 of the 1.5 million Haitians left homeless by the quake have moved into new homes.

CNN's Ivan Watson was first there at the start of this aftermath.

Ivan, former president, Bill Clinton, is now heading back to Haiti. What does his visit plan to accomplish?

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the things he'll do is attend a small memorial ceremony for some of the more than 220,000 people killed on that terrible, tragic day. It's part of why we're wearing these blue ribbons that some Haitians gave me and some of the other CNN staff here, in honor of the people that died on that terrible day.

He is also trying to unlock some of the funds that are supposed to come for Haiti's reconstruction and probably try to kick start a recovery effort that does appear to have stalled somewhat. Take a look at this report, Richard.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON (voice-over): On January 12, 2010, the earth shook Port- au-Prince. More than 220,000 people were killed, more than 300,000 injured. The city and large stretches of surrounding countryside were devastated.

Six months later, not much appears to have changed. It still looks like a bomb just dropped on this city.

(on camera) When you walk around Port-au-Prince, it often looks like the earthquake just happened yesterday. The government has barely begun the cleanup process. Roads in the center of the city are still blocked by debris. And some experts predict, at the current rate of removal, it could take up to 20 years to remove all the rubble from that terrible earthquake.

IMOGEN WALL, U.N. HUMANITARIAN SPOKESWOMAN: We have moved 250,000 cubic meters of rubble, which sounds like a lot until you realize there's 20 million cubic inches of rubble here.

WATSON (voice-over): The United Nations estimates 1.5 million people currently live in camps. That's roughly one in nine Haitians homeless.

(on camera) Can we expect things to continue looking like this six months from now when we come back?

WALL: Realistically. With that -- with the numbers that we are coping with here and with what we know it takes to do long-term reconstruction well, it will take time to get 1.5 million people back into the kind of long-term living arrangements that they want or need.

WATSON: Most Haitians are left fending for themselves. In this impoverished hilltop slum, they live side-by-side with the rubble of their neighbor's homes.

On Saturday, locals made a terrible discovery here. (on camera) So this is a neighbor of this young woman, Agenal (ph), who was pregnant in her 20s, who disappeared in the earthquake in her house. And they found some of her body parts today, six months later. And that kind of thing is happening still all over this city.

(voice-over) The Haitian government says it can't tackle debris cleanup or the resettlement of homeless right now, because it faces more immediate threats.

JEAN-MAX BELLERIVE, HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER: The real priority of the government is to protect the population from the next hurricane season. And most of our resources are -- is going right now in that direction.

WATSON: Many Haitians are now taking matters into their own hands. Jean-Jacques Jerome (ph) is building a new house to replace the one that was destroyed in the earthquake.

"I couldn't afford new construction material," he says. "So I scavenged parts from the street, from junk piles, and from rubble."

From the rubble of a devastated city, a new generation of makeshift housing is going up, which will likely be even more vulnerable to the floods and killer storms that plague this country.

If it sometimes feels like Haitians are resigned to their fate, it's perhaps because the presidential palace is still in ruins. Even the most powerful people in this country have barely begun picking up the pieces six months after the earthquake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Now, Richard, when I asked the Haitian government, when I asked the United Nations why things aren't moving faster, their answer is this could have been much, much worse. They insist that one of their successes here has been to prevent the outbreak of widespread -- widespread diseases, rather, in camps like the one over my shoulder right here, that they've been able to prevent wide-scale starvation and the outbreak of violence in the six months since that earthquake -- Richard.

LUI: Ivan, if you could, essentially, you were alluding to it. The tent city behind you, as you've gone through these, what is it that we see on top? These are made of tarps, basically, and branches. What sort of -- facilities do they have? Do they have bathrooms? What have you seen?

WATSON: Let me get out of the way here. What you have back here, and six months ago, this was basically a spontaneous camp. And the tents were mostly made out of bed sheets attached to sticks. And people were trying to get shade there.

Now what you see is shelters, makeshift shelters, made out of some of the plastic tarps that have been distributed by aid organizations, by the United Nations. That is another one of the successes they are claiming to the armies of 1.5 million homeless people.

And also you can see that people have been scavenging. As we have spoken, to residents of these camps, they've gone out picking up sheet metal, picking up plywood. I've seen one house that was using pieces of desks, the wooden tops of desks, from school desks, to try to build up the walls there.

An interesting thing they do: they also take bottle caps from bottles, and they hammer the nails into them, because that helps hold them, the plastic, over a larger surface area.

And these are some of the steps that people have taken to build slightly more sturdy homes. The danger here that aid organizations are warning about, that the Haitian government is warning about, is that the hurricane season is approaching. And if a killer storm hits these types of shacks, it could be a really, really -- a nightmare if any killer winds or rains come tearing through these types of communities -- Richard.

LUI: Yes. Ivan, using bottle caps as washers up against large hurricanes -- we expect a very busy season -- could be devastating to them. And one of the solutions is money. And we'll talk about that next hour. We'll dig into that a little bit more live.

Ivan Watson there in Haiti for us six months after the devastating earthquake has hit, there in front of one of the tent cities.

Thank you so much.

Our Anderson Cooper, by the way, is in Haiti, as well. Tonight, he goes one-on-one with former president, Bill Clinton, the U.S. envoy to Haiti and co-chairman of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission. That's tonight at 10 Eastern right on "AC 360," so stick around for that.

One in every four U.S. citizens now has a risky credit score. If you're one of those people, it could be pretty hard to get a loan for your house or car. We'll tell what you can do about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: All right. These days, wallets are a lot lighter, making it harder to pay the bills. But when the bills don't get paid, your credit suffers, and getting a loan becomes absolutely impossible. But don't blame this one on the bank.

Alison Kosik joins me live from the New York Stock Exchange.

Let's talk about those all-important FICO scores and the very latest on that. Because that's very important to you and me.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They definitely are. You know, if you're looking to take out a loan, this directly affects you. I mean, but think about this. Twenty-five percent of people have a score of 599 or below. And what I'm talking about are FICO scores. And lenders use these scores to figure out what kind of loan you can wind up getting.

Now FICO scores go up to 850; 599 or below is considered a red flag. It means you're considered a risk. Now, AP says historically, 15 percent of people have a score of 599, but credit scores are dropping these days because of the recession. The bottom line, Richard, is that people just can't pay their bills.

Now, there is some good news. The biggest portion of people, about 37 percent, have top tier scores in the range of 750 to 850. It's also a silver lining of the recession. People are getting their finances in order -- Richard.

LUI: If you have a difference of a couple hundred points or even 60 points, that means your credit card rates could be much higher by four, five points. Loan rates that you're alluding to also, very, very costly.

KOSIK: Exactly.

LUI: So the question is how do you make it better? Other than paying your bills, obviously. Right?

KOSIK: Well, that's what's important to do. I mean, what you -- what the main thing you want to do is you want to pay your bills, and you want to pay them on time.

Think of it this way. Raising your score is like losing weight. It takes time, and there's really no quick fix.

But once again, your payment history is really important. It makes up 35 percent of the score, and if you pay your bills on time, over time, your credit score can improve.

Now, the next most important factor is how much you own. This makes up 30 percent of your score. Now the fix, of course, is to just pay down your debt and keep those balances low.

One way people try to get around it, though, they try to open up new credit cards. That's really not a good idea, because if you get too many credit inquiries in a short period of time, that also dings your score, and if that happens, that makes up about 10 percent of it.

Other factors that come into play here, your credit card history. If you've carried credit a long time and you show a pattern of paying on time, that, of course, is good. And then the type of credit you have, Richard, is important. Credit cards are good but once again, you really need to show that you know how to manage them -- Richard.

LUI: Just plainly paying your bills, as you're saying.

KOSIK: Yes. Pay them on time.

LUI: I want to focus in on that one piece of pie that we were showing, that 35 percent, that payment history. A big one. That will affect that. As of late, unfortunately, for a lot of people that we may know, foreclosures. How long does that take to hit the credit report and those scores?

KOSIK: Sure. This is what's really disturbing, because we've heard the stories of people who are kind of upside down on their homes.

LUI: Right.

KOSIK: They owe more than their homes are left, and they just walk away. Well, here's something to really think about, because if you've got a -- if you're thinking about walking away, it will stick on your credit report for seven years. I mean, that's a really long time. If you're thinking of getting a loan at some point, it's going to be really tough.

Late payments of credit cards also, stick around for seven years. I'm talking about missing one payment. That sticks around and follows you. If you file for bankruptcy, it can stay on your credit report for ten years. These all, of course, fall into the payment history category. And remember, that is the most important factor in your score.

But the bottom line, Richard, get back on track as soon as possible. And also talk to your creditors. They may be able to work out a payment plan where you can actually pay these bills without having them stick to your credit card score and lower your credit score -- Richard.

LUI: And as well, Alison, you and I both know, get out there and take a look at it if for yourself. Reach out and get those free credit reports so that you can manage it. It's like your cholesterol level. Right?

KOSIK: Oh, exactly. You know, get that checked every now and then, and then you can keep up on it.

But once again, you want to pay those bills on time. And as best you can. But you know, the scary thing about this is, as we see our unemployment rates sticking around and staying high...

LUI: Right.

KOSIK: ... we could see these credit scores stay low for a very long time, because people are making decisions: do I pay my -- do I pay my mortgage or do I pay for food or medicine? I mean, some people are having to make these really dire decisions. And that's why we/re seeing these credit scores go down like this, Richard.

LUI; And Alison, of course in most cases, we want our cholesterol level to be lower, but something like this can make it go higher because it's very concerning.

KOSIK: Yes.

LUI: All right. The very latest on the FICO scores and how important, how they affect us. Alison Kosik, thank you very much at the NYSE. Have a good one.

And Alison is, by the way, part of the best financial team on television. You can catch more of them on "YOUR $$$$$." That's co- hosted by Ali Velshi and Christine Romans, Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Eastern.

All right. Let's check some of our top stories right now.

It is day 84 of the Gulf oil disaster. Crews are expected to put a new containment cap over the ruptured well today. Once that's in place, the cap may be able to close down the valves and contain all the leaking oil. We're watching all the live pictures coming out from a mile underneath the sea.

Then to the White House. President Obama is holding talks with -- next hour with the president of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez. The White House saying they'll talk about, quote, "various issues facing people in the Americas." A top issue there: the stalled rebuilding of neighboring Haiti.

And then the Swiss government has decided not to extradite film director Roman Polanski to the United States. Polanski faces charges of unlawful sex with a minor dating from 1977. The Swiss government saying there's a possible fault in the U.S. extradition application.

All right. A controversial diabetes drug back in the FDA spotlight. Also, President Obama to unveil a new plan of attack against AIDS. Those details straight ahead for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: All right. This just in to us here at CNN, "CNN NEWSROOM". It's still developing. News out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

What we're hearing are some reports of a workplace shooting at a company called Emcore. What they do is they make components for solar power systems. This is a map, what we're showing you, where we believe it to be.

Albuquerque police telling CNN that they've got some multiple gunshot victims and, unfortunately, some fatalities as well. This coming in from our affiliate, this video right here.

Officers are searching for the gunman right now. We can get some sense of it right now as we can see some of the vehicles in the far left-hand side. We'll keep an eye on this story. But again, a gunman entering a solar company there that makes products related to that process.

All right. Now into the medical spotlight at the moment. The once widely popular diabetes drug, Avandia, should it be pulled from the market?

The Food and Drug Administration is holding a special meeting tomorrow to decide what to do with the drug. It's been linked to heart attacks and other heart problems. The FDA approved Avandia back in 1999. Avandia controls, basically, blood sugar levels. A study -- a study that was done in 2007 linked Avandia to heart attacks.

Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline says the drug is safe, though. And there's a 700-page FDA review of Avandia that was issued Friday that says Glaxo -- the study there has some serious flaws and is biased.

Now in the battle against AIDS, President Obama is expected tomorrow to unveil his strategy -- strategy, rather -- for cutting the number of HIV infections. "The New York Times" today says this first- ever national AIDS strategy has been in the works since the beginning of the Obama administration.

The goal here: try to cut annual HIV infections by 25 percent within five years. About 56,000 people get HIV in the U.S. each and every year. That's more than one million Americans that are living with HIV at the moment. Tens of thousands of these people are not getting any care. Now president--the president's plan calls for no major increase in federal spending, though. The government now spends more than 19 billion a year on AIDS programs.

President Obama's commission on the Gulf oil disaster, getting down to business today. Even as some folks are questioning the panel's objectivity. Who is on it and what's the big deal here? We will have that look for you next

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

As the oil continues to spew, presidential commission's working in real-time to investigate the Deepwater Horizon blowout. They've got six months here to report back to the White House on what caused it. What effects it is having and how to prevent or mitigate future oil disasters.

So today in New Orleans, the commission's first day in public hearings, you have been watch something of that, mainly getting a status report from the coast guard and BP. As we've heard some of the opening statements. Tomorrow we will have a hearing from real folks, representing the communities, being choked by all this oil. They have been hurt so much.

Now the panel's representation has made a few waves, by the way. And Patricia Wu joins u right now in New York with more on that. The question has really been here, Patricia right, about objectivity. Are they neutral?

PATRICIA WU, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Richard. You know the critics are already accusing the members of bias. And to give you a better idea of what this controversy is all about, we will do a quick run-through of the who's who on this seven member panel.

All named by President Obama. We will start with the co- chairman. First you have former Democratic Senator and Governor Bob Graham of Florida. He's pushed for a drilling ban off the Florida coast in the past. The other co-chair, William K. Reilly, 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. Next, there's Francis Beinecke and Donald Boesch, President of the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science. Also on this panel, there's Terry Garcia, a National Geographic Society executive and Cherry Murray, dean of Harvard's engineering school.

Finally, Francis Ulmer, is also on this panel Chancellor of the University of Alaska at Anchorage. So, Richard, you might have noticed that there is no one from the oil and gas industry on this commission and that omission has been at the is center of the criticism of the panel.

LUI: Yes and Patricia when we look at this, that is the center of the argument. And we look at the issue of objectivity they don't have any representation from the oil company or from rather the oil industry. How is that going to affect their efficacy going forward once they come forward with what their findings are?

WU: Well you know, I actually spoke with the panel's communication director this morning about the criticism and he says that they just hired a science adviser who worked for 30 years at Shell as a deepwater drilling engineer.

I asked if it was in response to all of this criticism and he said no, they were planning to do that all along. You know, there have been pretty harsh words. Take a listen to this op-ed from GOP Senator John Barrasso in last week's Washington Examiner. He says, "Instead of appointing unbiased scientists engineers and drilling experts the president appointed extreme environmentalists and politicians who have already made up their minds about offshore drilling".

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

LUI: Okay. Patricia Wu following the later there on this new panel. As it goes forward and what it is trying to do which is come with recommendations and really break down what is happening, what had happened 84 days ago.

And of course, here what we will do is continue to watch what is happening live underneath the sea. And we've got some of those routers, as you can see, on screen at the moment and we will continue to give you updates.

As we understand whether or not we will be able to see some success today as they try to put on this latest ceiling cap. So you can watch along with us right here and we'll also keep you updated in terms of what we are hearing and all of your producers that are watching this story.

The aged revolutionary, former Cuban President, Fidel Castro, stepping out of seclusion to appear on Cuban television. We are going "Globe Trekking" to Havana. We will take you there next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Time for "Globe Trekking". We will take to you Uganda, and Kampala there the capital of Uganda Explosions ripping through venues where people were watching and enjoying the final match of the World Cp. This is what happened.

Okay. Now in all, 74 people are now confirmed dead. That number has been growing all morning as we have been watching the latest information coming into CNN. Dozens were wounded. A Somali Islamic militant group with links to Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for this. The U.S. Embassy there says at least one U.S. citizen was among those killed.

Several other U.S. citizens were also wounded. And now -- the one U.S. citizen apparently worked for Invisible Children. That's a California based aid group that helps child soldiers. Possible motive for the attack that we understand at the moment, Ugandan soldiers, are part of the African union peacekeeping forces in Somalia.

All right we are going to continue to watch that. Now we will take you to Havana, Cuba, where the aging revolutionary, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, is emerging evidently from seclusion. Today he is making his first major public appearance in years on Cuban TV. That's when we are hearing. This follows the government's announcement of its largest release of Cuban political prisoners in more than one decade.

All right. So let's get the latest in terms of what's happening there in Havana. Joining us live from there is CNN's David Ariosto. David when we take a look at this, this is quite something. After so many years, so many questions about his health and where he is, to hear that he could be emerging today on television, what are you hearing?

DAVID ARIOSTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: : That's right. Cuba state (ph) media reported that this morning that after years away from live cameras, Fidel Castro, former Cuban president will again appear on live television here on Cuban state television this evening just around 6:30 tonight.

Now this comes on the heels of the first set of public known photographs that taken of the former Cuban leader over the weekend. Cuba has grown accustomed to seeing images and still photos and some videos of the former leader.

But this would represent one of the -- first live appearances by their former leader since at least since 2007. The significance of this is difficult to tell. It comes on the heels, like you said, of 52 political prisoners that are set to be released.

That is the largest release of political prisoners since a visit in 1998 by Pope John Paul II. So what we have here, is we have this emerging leader and a seemingly shift in policy towards the way Cuba treats the political prisoners. The significance of all of this, I'm sure, is not lost in terms of Cuba's internal politics. But it is going to be interesting to see what he has to say. He's indicated in previous columns, particularly over the weekend, of a potential for a war between the United States and Iran.

These type -of analyses are commonplace with Fidel. He's become sort of a columnist in chief following his step down from power in 2006 to undergo intestinal surgery.

Since then he has been writing columns, making predictions, and basically appearing on the world stations to show he is aware of timely events.

LUI: So David, I guess what we are seeing is anything could happen. There's a myriad number of subjects that he could can talk on, including what he's calling a potential nuclear war between Iran and the United States to a host of other issues.

We are going to stop by and speak with you in the next hour to get more on that. Because so many people will be watching if he actually does show up on television today. Not only - in of course this country but around the world. Thank you so much, David Ariosto there, following the story for us.

An accused serial killer is now behind bars thanks to a very new DNA testing technique. But it's also controversial. It might have all come down to just pizza when they used this process. We will have that for you. Pizza.

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LUI: I want to get you up to date with a story we are following at CNN. Just in to us. More details about that gunman we are hearing about in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

What we are hearing at the moment is that the workplace shooting did happen there. The company is called Emcore. Police just holding a news conference. You can see the location here, on our Google maps that we've put on the screen. We now know this. We are just getting this.

Six people are dead, including the gunman. Now police are calling this a domestic incident. The gunman was evidently a former employee and his wife is a current employee. There's no word on her condition as of yet.

But again, what we are just getting in, just to update you what I was telling you 30 minutes ago is that six people, including the gunman, four more, are injured. Six are dead. We will bring you the updates as soon as we get them right here on CNN. So stick around for that.

Let's now move you the top stories. We could see significant progress today at BP's broken well head. Day 84 of the Gulf oil disaster. Robots are installing a better, tighter collection cap on the well today. And it might be able to contain the gusher.

If not, an oil collection ship on site, is finally ready go as well. Plus, the relief wells are moving ahead. U.S. and North Korean military brass will moat face to face tomorrow in the demilitarized zone that divides the Koreas. They'll be talking about the March sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors. An independent international investigation found that North Korea is responsible. Tomorrow's talks are part of a U.N. proposal to start a dialogue the incident that caused such an uproar on that border.

And then new details in last week's tragic boat collision in Philadelphia. A tug towing a barge colliding with a duck boat full of tourists killing two people, that's what happened. Well the duck boat crew telling investigators now they tried to reach the other crew when they saw the vessels getting closer together. But there was no response.

All right. Now to "Crime and Consequence". DNA helps Los Angeles police catch an alleged killer who has been eluding them for a quarter of a century. The man police believe to be called the "Grim Sleeper" was brought down by cutting-edge technology that looks for a family resemblance in DNA.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez takes us inside the crime lab where a crust of pizza helped to crack this cold case.

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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 reign 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.

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LUI: And really 22 years, they call him the "Grim Sleeper" because of the long periods of time between some of these killings and that process of familial DNA search does have some controversy.

Some critics saying it violates civil rights. The process, in this case, from what we're hearing this extreme cold, seems to have led to a suspect they feel very strongly about. And of course, we always try to remember the victims when we do do "Crime and Consequence". In this case, there are many, unfortunately. Let me show you some of those. Janecia Peters 25 years old , found shot in the back in January of 2007.

Then there's Alicia Alexander who was 19 years old found murdered in September 1988. Barbara Ware you see here 23 years old found dead in January of 1987. And then there's Bernita Sparks, found murdered in April of 1987.

Debra Jackson was 29 years old. A cocktail waitress Found dead in august of 1985. Henrietta Wright you see here, 35 years old, found dead in August of 1986. Lachrica Jefferson 22 years old, found murdered in January of 1988.

Mary Lowe, 26, found dead in October 1987. And Thomas Steele, the only man killed in this string, 36 years old, found shot in the dead. In August of 1986, Valerie Mcorvey, 35 found dead in July of '03

And Princess Berthomieux, 15 years old found strangled and beaten in March of 2002 , tying all of these together, tough to do. But what we are hearing from authorities in Los Angeles, they were African- American, women and involved some sort of drug use.

No matter any way you look at it it's very, very sad for many, but perhaps a moment of closure today as they look at the finding of a suspect in the "Grim Sleeper" case.

Today's "Big I" could have a big impact for the people who put their lives on the line to protect ours. Liquid body armor now a step closer to deployment.

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LUI: All right today's "Big I" section for you, this is really interesting. Sounds like something straight out of sci-fi. Instead of heavy plates or bulky ballistic material, we're getting closer to what's called liquid body armor.

This is something that's been in development for many years with scientists at the university of Delaware and the Army research lab.

Just give you an example of it the break-through technology itself. A British space defense firm called BAE was brought on to test and develop the actual armor. This is all built on nano- technology and it uses something called sheer thickening liquid or what BAE scientists are calling bulletproof custard to better protect against gunfire, knives and other weapons.

And so what you'll need is, well, just that liquid. The scientists have just reported by the way some significant progress in some field tests for you. Take a look on the left, we've got plain untreated Kevlar. On the right, we have Kevlar treated with this sheer thickening fluid. And the reaction, at least to our untrained eyes, may be hard to see a difference. But the scientists say the treated Kevlar you see over there stopped the bullet penetration better. You kind of get a sense of that, you can also see some of the liquid on it. The first main use they hope, to treat the parts of a soldier or police officer's uniform that a tradition armor doesn't cover. And you know and any sort of progress when you're trying to stop a bullet is good news.

That's your "Big I" for the day.

All right coming up after the break, we'll give you the very latest on what's happening in the Gulf oil recovery. How are they doing in terms of the number of barrels number one? Number tow the key containment cap that is brand new, is it working?

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