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Watching Well for Leaks; The Dream Act;
Aired July 19, 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 here in the "CNN NEWSROOM", where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
The oil spill capped, but a new complication. A leak from the ocean floor. We are live from the Gulf Coast.
And immigration reform. A new push for illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it's to keep going, to keep going with my life, to have a future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The so-called Dream Act is an amnesty plan disguised as an educational initiative.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You are online right now, and we are, too.
Brooke Baldwin is following the top stories trending on the Internet -- Brooke.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I am in for the "You're Hot" segment today, Tony Harris. And I know you think this is hot.
We've got Bieber, we've got Gaga. And I know a lot of people are gaga over Lady Gaga, but Bieber may be out-beating him when it comes to our favorite site, YouTube. We'll have that story.
Plus, something that is old is new again. Old as in Old Spice, but it's new because there's this whole new ad campaign for Old Spice. I'm sure you've seen it with a parody to prove it.
We'll have both of these stories and one more coming up with "You're Hot."
HARRIS: Can't wait.
Brooke Baldwin in the house.
Let's get started with our lead story.
Day 91 of the Gulf oil disaster, and the cap on the busted well will stay closed for now. Both the government and BP are keeping close watch for any leaks after tests showed an area of seepage on the sea floor.
For the latest, let's bring in CNN's Reynolds Wolf. He is live in New Orleans.
And Reynolds, let's start with this leak, this seepage. What can you tell us about it?
REYNOLDS, WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the news came down last night, and it was kind of cryptic when it comes to the seepage itself.
The news was given to us by the federal government, and also from BP. And I think it was just very, very spoken in general terms.
But in terms of specifics, we have no idea who detected the seepage. We have no idea where precisely it is. We have no idea what it is.
Is it natural gas? Is it some kind of hydrocarbon? Could it be oil?
There was nothing specific with regard to the seepage. But the thing where the seepage comes into play and raises concerns is if you have seepage, and you happen to have at the same time pressure inside the well that drops dramatically, that would indicate a rupture in the line or perhaps a very large underwater -- rather, a subsea leak. And that could be just catastrophic.
Speaking of the oil pressure though, the pressure measured in PSI, pounds per square inch, has actually leveled off around 6,800. That's exactly where they want it to be, so that is certainly some good news -- Tony.
HARRIS: Hey, Reynolds, what about this cap that's in place right now? Are authorities confident it will stay on?
WOLF: Well, right now, the federal government has gone ahead and allowed BP to continue the testing, which is going to allow that cap to remain in place. The best news about that is it will prevent oil for the time being from actually pulling right back into the Gulf of Mexico.
And there was a time where they actually thought they were going to remove the cap. And Thad Allen had alluded to the idea of putting the riser back on top of the wellhead, which, if they were going to make that move, putting the riser back onto the wellhead, and then siphoning back up to some -- nearly a mile up to the surface to the container vessels, and then back to the shore, that process would cause oil to flow back into the Gulf of Mexico anywhere from one to three days, which is the last thing anyone wants to deal with.
HARRIS: OK.
Reynolds Wolf in New Orleans.
That's a great update. All right, Reynolds. Appreciate it. Thank you.
The oil disaster is taking a huge toll on the tourist industry along the Gulf. You don't need me to tell you that.
Later this hour, we will talk with people from two businesses fighting to survive, literally. We will also have a report from our Ines Ferre about some businesses already looking to next year and beyond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With oil, and the perception -- and the perception is almost more damaging than rebuilding. So, with people wanting to come, they may not want to come depending on how things are portrayed. So you're looking at, what, five, seven years, I think, before tourism comes back to way the volume of business was in '09?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Boy, that's a pretty tough outlook.
Millions of Americans out of work and running out of unemployment benefits. Congress is expected to vote again tomorrow on extending benefits.
Last hour, President Obama pushed for lawmakers to act, and he took aim at Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Each time a partisan minority in the Senate has used parliamentary maneuvers to block a vote, denying millions of people who are out of work much- needed relief. These leaders in the Senate who are advancing a misguided notion that emergency relief somehow discourages people from looking for a job should talk to these folks. That attitude I think reflects a lack of faith in the American people, because the Americans I hear from in letters and meet in town hall meetings, Americans like Leslie and Jim and Denise, they're not looking for a handout. They desperately want to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Republicans say President Obama is politicizing jobless benefits. Last hour, I spoke with Republican Congressman Tom Price of Georgia. He says he is not opposed to extending benefits, he is against adding to the deficit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM PRICE (R), GEORGIA: If we are borrowing money from China in order to pay our citizens unemployment coverage, unemployment insurance, that's just wrong. And they understand that.
The fact of the matter is that the Democrats haven't even passed a budget in this House of Representatives and in this Congress. How do they know how much money they have if they can't pass a budget?
So, there are ways to solve this challenge, and we ought to be doing it together, but the president continues to make this a very, very partisan issue.
HARRIS: Aren't we borrowing from China to manage our debt in any number of areas, including and beyond unemployment benefits?
PRICE: Well, sure, absolutely. But unemployment insurance for our citizens who are unable to find jobs right now is absolutely appropriate. But it ought to be done under the budget priorities.
We ought to be getting together here in Washington and saying there are priorities that we have as a nation, and unemployment insurance is one of them, and we're going to pay for it. And that's what makes sense to the American people. We cannot continue to borrow and spend our way to prosperity. It won't work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Beyond the politics and the partisan back-and-forth, there are still millions of out-of-work people depending on jobless benefits to help them pay their bills.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BOYD, UNEMPLOYED WORKER: I've never been like this, ever in the history of my life, been out of work like this, for this long a period of time for no reason.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come June, you were done. What's the past month been like, then?
BOYD: Right. The past month has been a struggle. I stopped doing everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Still to come, young illegal immigrants fighting for their path to U.S. citizenship. The Dream Act playing out in Washington.
First, though, our "Random Moment." That's coming up in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, on a pricey charm offensive in Pakistan. She is pledging hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars to address Pakistan's water and power shortages, and its floundering economy. The projects will be funded with $7.5 billion in non-military aid Congress has approved for Pakistan over the next five years.
Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, spoke to CNN's Kiran Chetry about why this is strategically important. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD HAAS, PRESIDENT, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Pakistan has more than 100 nuclear weapons. It's host to the world's most dangerous terrorist organizations.
It is a population five or six times that of Afghanistan. It's the second largest Muslim population country in the world. So, she's right and the United States is right to focus on Pakistan.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It still sounds though that it's about security.
HAAS: Well, it's part about security because of those nuclear weapons, because of the terrorism. The last thing we want is for Pakistan to go from a fragile state, which it is now, to a failed state. So the United States is right to make sure that Pakistan does not unravel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants graduate from American high schools every year. There is a new push to give them a shot at becoming U.S. citizens if they were brought here before they were 16.
It's called the Dream Act. Kate Bolduan has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a dream these young people are fighting to make a reality -- becoming U.S. citizens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it's to keep going, to keep going with my life, to have a future.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am an undocumented student. I have been here since I was 6 years old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In our hearts and our minds, we feel like we're American.
BOLDUAN: Twenty-four-year-old Matias Ramos, an undocumented immigrant, and activists from across the country are gathering in Washington this week to put a new face on the fierce debate over immigration reform.
(on camera): Matias, why now? Why mobilize now? Why is this critical for you?
MATIAS RAMOS, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: Well, now is the time because, you know, we're headed into a summer where there's a lot of action on immigration. We're seeing a debate around immigration that really is framed all about gangs. It's all about criminals. And we've got to show the other side. BOLDUAN (voice-over): With little chance Congress will act on comprehensive immigration reform this year, a pared down measure targeted toward young illegal immigrants is being touted as the only proposal with any shot at winning enough support on Capitol Hill.
(on camera): The Dream Act, as it's called, would offer undocumented young people a way to become U.S. citizens with conditions, including they graduate from an American high school, have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and they must attend college or join the military.
RAMOS: For thousands of people, the Dream Act is the only hope, that immediate hope of a bipartisan bill that is in Congress.
BOLDUAN: So how many people are we actually talking about here? The Non-Partisan Migration Policy Institute estimates that well, about 2 million people would be eligible under this legislation. Less than 40 percent, a little over 800,000, would actually obtain legal status.
(voice-over): Critics of the measure warn it's a slippery slope.
BOB DANE, FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM (FAIR): The so-called Dream Act is an amnesty plan disguised as an educational initiative. And like all amnesties, it's simply rewards illegal behavior and encourages more.
BOLDUAN: That is a debate Ramos says they are ready for.
RAMOS: This is about giving them an opportunity to prove that they are what this country needs.
BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, it is sleek and shiny, and Boeing hopes it will really take off this week in England. We will take you inside the state-of-the-art airliner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, lots of planes over England today, a lot more than usual. And it could mean big business on the ground.
Our Richard Quest looks at one of the stars of the Farnborough Airshow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A quick look, a first glance. Yet, without the name on the tail, it isn't that easy to see what is different. But look more closely, and there are plenty of telltale signs that this is a new aircraft.
(on camera): Let's start at the nose -- a sharper, sleeker, much more pronounced nose on the front of the 787 with large side windows. Look out from the front, and just at the side, well, it could only be the 787.
Now look at the windows. Boeing has made a lot of noise about the fact the windows on the Dreamliner are much bigger, allowing more light into the aircraft.
But what will really excite us will be the new technology -- innovative, interesting. And fiddle to your heart's content. You can make them darker. When you've got bored of that on those long flights, you can make them lighter again.
Oh, yes, hours of fun.
They call them the chevrons, or maybe the cookie cutter at the back of the Rolls-Royce engine. It's probably the most distinctive part of the 787. Rolls-Royce put them there to reduce the noise from the engines and help the performance.
If all else fails, then look to the beautiful wings of the 787. Everyone pretty much agrees the uniquely shaped wing with its sweeping arc at the end gives it a very distinctive profile.
JIM MCNERNEY, PRESIDENT & CFO, BOEING: The wings, those carbon wings, very graceful the way they're swept back, the way they unload when the plane lands. It's beautiful, just beautiful. I think if you're around airplanes, you look for things that are fundamentally different and improved. The wings on this airplane are very special.
QUEST: With its four engines and double-deckers, you can instantly recognize the Airbus A380. But now you'll also be able to recognize the 787 Dreamliner, even when it doesn't have the name on the tail.
Richard Quest, CNN at the Farnborough Airshow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Our Richard Quest.
All right. Day 91 of the Gulf oil disaster, and authorities detect seepage coming from the sea floor, but not from the busted wellhead. The government has given BP another 24 hours to continue integrity tests at the site.
And flash flooding in eastern Kentucky over the weekend killed at least two people and damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.
You know, last month was the hottest June on record. And a man in Arizona is living proof July won't be much better.
Here's what happened when he went to get his mail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES WANKEL, BURNED FEET ON PAVEMENT: Both the right and the left feet had blistered all the way across the balls of my feet.
TERRI CRYAN, NEIGHBORHOOD: By the time he turned around, he couldn't run back to the grass. So he fell down, and then he was burning his knees and his hands. So both of us had to pick him up by his arms and then run him to the grass.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Gulf Coast businesses hurt by the oil disaster struggling to get tourists to return. We will check in with two businesses to see how things are going.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The oil disaster has taken a heavy toll on tourism along the Gulf Coast. You don't need me to tell you that. Some businesses are already looking ahead to next year and beyond.
CNN's Ines Ferre has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm in Pensacola Beach, Florida, and so many people around here have told me that tourism was just crushed this year by the oil spill. So I came here to ask them how long do they think it would take before tourism would pick up again once the well is fixed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They say any good press is good press, but not when it comes to tourism. I think a lot of people are going to stay away and stay away for years.
FERRE: This shop rents out kayaks, little sailboats, jet skis.
KIRK NEWKIRK, KEY SAILING SHOP: With oil and the perception -- and perception is almost more damaging than rebuilding. So, with people wanting to come, they may not want to come depending on how things are portrayed. So, you're looking at, what, five years, seven years, I think, before tourism comes back to the way the volume of business was in '09?
FERRE: It's also rental properties. Folks around here say either the value of them has gone down, or this year they simply can't rent them because of the oil spill.
MIA HUBERT, REAL ESTATE AGENT: As soon as this happened, I mean, the amount of closings that had just absolutely stopped was unbelievable, unprecedented.
FERRE: How does this make you feel?
HUBERT: I'm very angry, very upset, you know, because that's my income. BOB SAVAGE, RENTAL PROPERTY OWNER: We do vacation rentals here on the beach. And it's kicked us in the teeth. So we're hurt pretty bad. Reservations have all stopped. People have given up coming down for this year. So, if they stop it, and we keep the beaches clean, we get pretty good outlook for next year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All right. So, some Gulf Coast businesses are trying to hang in there until things get better, while others are really struggling to stay afloat.
Joining us right now, Cindi Berry, owner of Sweetwater Marina in Louisiana.
Cindi, good to see you.
CINDI BERRY, OWNER, SWEETWATER MARINA, LOUISIANA: Good. Nice to be here.
HARRIS: And Kenny Glavan is the general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton in Biloxi, Mississippi.
It is good to see you, sir.
Cindi, let me start with you.
Louisiana has been hit hardest so far. How much oil is in your area right now?
BERRY: Well, they have some oil, but it's kind of like far away. Delacroix is in the interior marsh, so the oil is basically out into what we call the Breton Sound area, which we have -- you know, by the Chandeleur Islands and such. And, you know, that's an area that we really would like to protect. It's America's wetlands.
And we're more of an interior marsh. So we haven't seen so much of the oil in our area in Delacroix.
HARRIS: Got you. So you've invested a lot, obviously, in starting up that business along the Louisiana coast.
How about your business? What are you experiencing?
BERRY: Well, we opened on April the 2nd, the lodging part of our business. We've been developing it since November of '07, and so we opened up on April the 2nd. And they closed down zone one, which was our fishing grounds, on April the 30th. So we were pretty much out of business then.
HARRIS: How have you been hanging in there?
BERRY: Well, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' agents came calling because their base of operations is in Shell Beach and Hopedale, is where the major operation is for our area. And that's where they go to and they work their shifts, policing the waters of the closed areas around us.
HARRIS: Well, that's a bit of a silver lining.
How about BP? You been able to get any help, any relief from BP?
BERRY: Well, yes, actually, we have. And I was really concerned because we're a business that just pretty much opened, you know, when we really don't have the records that can show.
I mean, we were opened April the 2nd. So we don't have business records.
So, I pretty much have to base it on financial projections. And I'm pretty concerned about that. But, you know, BP, I have to say, was pretty good at letting me know that I would be part of a large loss team. And I was really concerned because I wanted them to at least visit our Web site and to at least know what we put into it.
I mean, we have everything we own that's on the line for this. So, you know -- and I just want to let BP know that if the fishing grounds is ultimately ruined after the cleanup, then, in fact, so are we.
HARRIS: Yes. Long way to go.
Cindi, if you would, stand by there.
Kenny Glavan, good to see you again.
Thank you, Tony.
HARRIS: What are conditions along Biloxi's beaches today?
KENNY GLAVAN, GENERAL MANAGER, FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON, BILOXI: Well, we're looking at them today, and there's cleanup crews walking along the beaches, looking for weathered oil or something. The beaches are in good shape, but they continue to find from time to time weathered tar. And they're doing the cleanup as fast as they can.
HARRIS: So, you've just opened this big hotel, the largest non- casino hotel, I understand, in Biloxi. And obviously it's a difficult time to do that.
But what kind of business are you getting? How would you describe your business flow?
GLAVAN: You know, we're getting what we've labeled the curious tourists. And our weekends are pretty strong. And it's amazing. They come down here out of curiosity to see what's going on.
Now, we've had some cancellations because people have the perception that oil is all over our beaches. That's not entirely true. There are some weathered oil strands that come on some remote areas of the beach, and those are cleaned up as quickly as they come ashore.
HARRIS: You have got to be pretty optimistic that the cap on the wellhead, at least for now, is holding.
GLAVAN: Well, you know, you're absolutely right. In fact, when that news broke, we did see a spike in our reservations. And I think it instilled a little bit of a confidence in some people that have cabin fever that wanted to salvage some of their vacation to come to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
HARRIS: And Cindi, what about you? I mean, you know, for you and your area and your marina, perhaps the damage is done. But what are your thoughts on the fact that the cap, at least at this moment, is holding?
BERRY: We're thrilled that it's capped. I mean, this was like watching a hurricane that never lands. You know?
And at least now we feel like it's capped. And at least it's not flowing anymore. Because when people start talking about the cleanup, the cleanup, well, let's get it capped first.
That was a major priority, I thought. So now that it's done, we certainly can breathe a little bit better. But I'm kind of really skeptical. I kind of like -- I'm very happy, but I'm cautiously optimistic, I guess.
HARRIS: Well, Cindi, ,keep your spirits up. It's great to see that smile on your face. You're absolutely adorable.
BERRY: Thank you.
HARRIS: And Kenny, as always, it's great to talk with you. And the best with the casino -- not the casino, the hotel.
It's great talking to you.
GLAVAN: Thank you, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. We'll talk to you again.
GLAVAN: Thanks a lot.
HARRIS: BP says it has spent almost $4 billion responding to the oil disaster. We're following the money for you in a live report from New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right, cnnmoney.com, walk this way here, the best financial website on the web. You see our lead story here, secrets of extreme savers. Maybe this is the story I would direct you to.
A lot of us are saving now more and more, makes sense. What financial reform means to you. The president has signed that into law Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
OK, so cnnmoney.com. We are three hours into the trading day and you can see here the big board that Dow is up 22 points. NASDAQ is up 6. We'll continue to follow these numbers throughout the day for you.
Got to tell you almost $4 billion that's how much BP says it has spent so far responding to the oil disaster in the Gulf. Patricia Wu joining us now from New York.
Patricia, let's see here that includes more than $200 million in damage claims?
PATRICIA WU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Tony. You know, the oil has stopped gushing, but the claims, they keep coming and get this, more claims have now been submitted to BP in Florida than in Louisiana.
Twenty nine thousand claims have been filed in Louisiana. Thirty one thousand in Florida, but Floridians hasn't gotten nearly as much money.
So far, BP has paid out more than $100 million to Louisiana residents and businesses, but only $37 million to Floridians and that is a big difference, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, Patricia, why such a big discrepancy here?
WU: Well, a couple of reasons. One is geography. Louisiana was affected first, so those claims were filed first. Also, BP is now requiring more documentation than it did early on in the disaster.
And that makes it a lot tougher for Floridians because their claims can be more complicated. Why? Well, some are based on public perception. And, Tony, you talked about this a bit in the last block.
Let's say people canceled their vacation at a Florida beach because they're worried about oil washing ashore. That is going to hurt local tourism. But if there's not actually any oil on that beach, how does a hotel owner or beachfront restaurant prove those damages?
Is it a legitimate claim? Well, the man to ultimately answer those questions is Kenneth Feinberg. He's overseeing the $20 billion fund set up by BP and he talked about that perception issue at a hearing last month.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNETH FEINBERG, GULF VICTIMS COMPENSATION FUND: If there's no physical damage to the beaches and it's public perception, I venture to say, that it is not compensable. How we deal with that problem is something that I've got to address.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WU: And that's not exactly what worried Floridians wanted to hear, but since then Feinberg has visited Florida twice and has eased some of those fears indicating that lost tourism may be compensated. We'll get more details in the next few weeks when Feinberg outlines the rules and documentation requirements for all claims. For more on this important story, check out cnnmoney.com - Tony.
HARRIS: Terrific. All right, Patricia, good to see you. Thank you.
Still to come, the music of the deep south. One state surviving the oil disaster dancing and singing along the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Sprinting in skivvies. It's not for you if you're a little shy, OK, but for us, it is a random moment, especially if that guy -- yes, the naked cowboy -- well, he had to be the grand marshal, right?
He led the pack at the annual Jamaica Underwear Run in New York Central Park. He is also planning a run for mayor. Not sure if he'll be running that campaign in the buff, but his leadership ability and the naked ambition, the random moment today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Day 91 of the Gulf oil disaster and the cap on the busted well stays in place for now. BP is still testing the pressure in the well, despite seepage coming from the sea floor. Scientists say they don't know yet what is seeping, but it is not coming from the busted wellhead.
Other top stories we're following for you. The Tea Party Express is distancing itself from the Tea Party Federation. The latter group expelled activist Mark Williams after he posted an inflammatory blog last week.
The coordinator of the Tea Party Express says most of its activists are, quote, "focused on taking back their country, not silly power games being played by individuals such as those in the federation."
No word yet on how Zsazsa Gabor is doing. She was scheduled for hip replacement surgery about six hours ago. The 93-year-old actress was injured falling out of bed.
Some incredible music has risen out of the deep south. For one Mississippi town, it is a saving grace.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: I love this next story already. The Blues music has deep roots in Mississippi's history, its economy and its livelihood. The state has been through a lot in the past five years, Hurricane Katrina, a failing economy, now the oil disaster. But the Blues is helping Mississippians build up. Here's Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Any time, any day you can hear Blues in the Delta. This is the land of legends, muddy waters, BB King. And it's home to their musical heirs, like Terry "Big T" Williams.
TERRY "BIG T" WILLIAMS, BLUES MUSICIAN: I don't care if it's a fast-played Blues or slow-played Blues, it's still saying something about, I'm feeling bad, but, yes, it's still -- life is OK.
FOREMAN: And lately, life has been more than OK here, even in the wake of the oil spill, Katrina and all the economic turmoil because of a rising tide of Blues tourism.
At the Delta Blues museum, the crowds are growing so steadily with people from every state and dozens of foreign countries, that it will soon be expanded to more than twice its size.
This town alone pulled in $54 million from visitors last year, people tracing the history of Blues and Rock through a string of historic sites throughout the region called the Blues Trail. Kappi Allen is with the County Tourism Commission.
KAPPI ALLEN, DIRECTOR OF TOURISM: This year, so far we've seen an increase of 13 percent in our tourism tax numbers.
FOREMAN (on camera): And all of that in the middle of a recession?
ALLEN: Absolutely. We are open for business.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Some say the surge is because the Blues speak to folks in hard times. Some say it's because people here are doing a better job marketing their attractions.
But Bill Luckett, an owner of the Ground Zero Blues Club says whatever the cause, the results are undeniable.
(on camera): How important do you think that is to building up this part of America in these hard times?
BILL LUCKETT, GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB: Well, we have lost a lot of our factories, a lot of our base manufacturing wise. Blues music and tourism, an interest in Blues music is replacing that as an industry.
FOREMAN (voice-over): According to (Lor) the Great Blues man, Robert Johnson, he met the devil at this crossroads and traded his soul for the gift of music. That's just a legend. But this is a fact --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tourist attraction used to be seasonal. Now it's year-round. They come all the time.
FOREMAN: And in the wake of so many problems for many folks, that feels heaven-sent.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Up in towns like that, Clarksdale, they have long known how important the Gulf is to their region. Now that the Gulf is struggling, Tony, with the oil spill and still the vestiges of Katrina, they're happy to know they're helping to build up the state, which will help everyone here -- Tony.
HARRIS: Tom Foreman showing off the chops a little bit. OK, Tom, where are all these Blues tourists where are they coming from?
FOREMAN: You know what, Tony, what's interesting about that is a lot of them -- obviously from all over this country. People all over here love it.
But an enormous number of Europeans are there, the Dutch, the Germans, the French, lots and lots of Europeans come here and they say first of all, they go up to Memphis and check out the Memphis sound. They'll do all that and they work about hour south.
They'll hit Clarksdale to get the roots of it all and spread out through the Delta region hitting all those places on the Blues trail and a lot of them will just go right on down here along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and on into New Orleans. That's what they call a big tour for a lot of those Europeans out there. It's a tour a lot of Americans could enjoy too - Tony.
HARRIS: How much are you enjoying this assignment? You are -- this is really, really good stuff you're finding, "Building Up America."
FOREMAN: Thanks. Listen, it's easy to find because the truth is, Tony, you know, this is to me pretty important stuff because people are remarkably resilient out here.
They faced Katrina. They faced the oil spill and all over the country, people have been facing the recession. We're finding people who are finding ways to make a success of it anyway. Doesn't mean they don't have problems. They all have problems and they'll tell you in a heartbeat this is hard stuff.
But they find ways to rally and move ahead and that's what the Blues was all about, it was about saying, as Terry told us in the beginning of the story, you're admitting you have hard times. Everybody's got hard times. But you're also saying there's a way to pull together and move forward.
HARRIS: Good stuff.
FOREMAN: Next time we get together, I'll bring out the ax and I'll find some chops for you.
HARRIS: Perfect. All right, Tom. Good to see you, Tom Foreman. That's good stuff.
All right, this is interesting. You know, if you're sweltering in many parts of the country right now, I think we've found a bit of a cold front we're going to talk about cooler weather at least?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
HARRIS: Hail?
MYERS: Yes, what do you put in your iced tea to make it iced?
HARRIS: You put ice.
MYERS: Yes, in Minnesota, they put hail. Ninety five reports of hail on Saturday from these big storms that moved out there and 150 reports of wind damage. Ever had a car with hail damage?
HARRIS: Yes. Not pretty.
MYERS: That's not too fun.
HARRIS: No.
MYERS: Yes, I've had dents, not missing glass. It came down bigger than this in some spots. That will cool you down. That will cool down your car too. Keep driving eventually it's going to get bigger and it's going to break your windshield.
So the best thing to do is to do what that car is doing. That care is slow down and let it go. You can't drive in that stuff. It can turn into marbles. All of a sudden, like you're driving on ball bearings. So slow down, Tony. Talk to you soon.
HARRIS: Yes, that's good advice. Thank you, Chad. Hello, ladies. Look at me --
MYERS: Looking.
HARRIS: Now, look at your man. Those old spice ads. Yes, yes, an internet phenomenon. We didn't quite have the timing right there. It's a trending story. It's coming up right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We've got a speed race through this, but we've got to get to what's trending online because at this hour, this is a big hour for folks being online, right?
They're headlines and they're online and so we've got what's trending. Look at this lady.
BALDWIN: We've got it. A couple of different things, first being careerbuilder.com put out this huge thing basically listing seven jobs that rock.
Seven jobs you just play all day. So pediatric occupational therapist, pet photographer, pretty cute. A scavenger- hunt organizer, who knew that's actually a job, but it is. Toy magazine editor, this would be kind of fun. A video game party host, you just test videogames. This is you, right, your side job, stand-up comedian and finally, a playground builder.
So that is trending, but we also and I know as we were joking at the break, this is Tony Harris' body double, just some other dude's head.
HARRIS: In my body!
BALDWIN: We were talking about the old spice ad. You know the ad. Stay with me Tony Harris.
HARRILS: Hello, ladies.
BALDWIN: That's the old spice guy. He's become an internet phenomenon. Way pass 5.2 million hits and counting. Well, we have a new ad. This is a new take on the old ad. Let's roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, scholars. Look at your grades. Now look at mine. Now back at your grades, now back to mine. Sadly, they're not like mine. But if you started studying like me, they could be like mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Sounds just like him. This is a student at Brigham Young. He did it in one day. Hopefully he got an "A" on this thing. And by the way, we found also - I did some digging, he's the president of BYU Standup Comedy Club. Final thing. We have your gal, Gaga.
HARRIS: Love Gaga.
BALDWIN: But Gaga has been eclipsed now by Beebs. The Bieber fever. Justin Bieber now on Youtube, 250 million people have clicked on him versus her. You know he's tweeting about it.
What's going on with the baby video, that's his song, by the way, I'm sure it's on your iPod.
HARRIS: Yes, sure.
BALDWIN: On Youtube is crazy. I started on Youtube. So thanks for the support. He's shouting out to Gaga saying, I love you, too.
HARRIS: You have rocked the trending segment. What's hot? That's Brooke Baldwin. You brought it. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN "Newsroom."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: He has been called a political man of mystery, a mistake, even a political plant. South Carolina surprise Senate candidate Alvin Greene took the stage to try to show there's more to his campaign. CNN National Political correspondent, Jessica Yellin was in Manning, South Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): If there's one person who believes Alvin Greene could be South Carolina's next U.S. senator, it's Alvin Greene.
ALVIN GREENE (D) SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE NOMINEE: I'm the best candidate in the United States Senate race here in South Carolina. I am also the best choice for the Image award next year.
YELLIN: He does not lack confidence. In his debut campaign speech, Greene offered some specifics.
GREENE: Let's pick up what some of the projects that were put on hold after 9/11, such as improving transportation and infrastructure.
YELLIN: Some standard rhetoric --
GREENE: My campaign is about getting South Carolina and America back to work and moving South Carolina and America forward.
YELLIN: And a glimpse of his political philosophy --
GREENE: The punishment should fit the crime. Fairness saves us money. Let's reclaim our country from the terrorists and the communist. I know this guy that some folks got in trouble --
YELLIN: There are a few unusual moments, especially here where Greene seemed to be referring to his own run-in with the law. He faces felony pornography charges.
GREENE: Anyhow, this guy met the criteria for pretrial intervention but was denied. That same guy -- this same guy's trial was scheduled for last week, but was put off. Anyway, moving on.
YELLIN: The audience at this NAACP gathering was skeptical at first.
LORETTA BOWERS, ATTENDEE: After I heard about him a few months ago, I was very curious. And when I heard that he was going to speak today, I came so I could find out who he is.
YELLIN: But became away largely impressed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought he was wonderful.
YELLIN (on camera): Will you vote for him?
LEE MILLARD, ATTENDEE: Yes.
YELLIN: And you think he could beat Jim Demint?
MILLARD: Hopefully.
YELLIN (voice-over): When it was all over, Alvin Greene ducked reporters' questions and snuck his one-person campaign out the back door. (END VIDEOTAPE)
YELLIN: And we're told there are no speechwriters for this one. Alvin Greene handwrote his own remarks on spiral notebook paper. Jessica Yellin, CNN, Manning, South Carolina.
HARRIS: OK, the man is back. "CNN NEWSROOM" continues right now with Ali Velshi.
