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Severe Thunderstorms Across Midwest, and Heat out West; Agricultural Department Employee Resigns Due to Comments Made on 24- Year-Old Video; Youngest Senator Sworn in to Replace Oldest Senator; Bakersfield Police Searching for Couple and Three Children After 3- Year-Old Found Dead in Their Home; Blimp New Tool in Oil Cleanup in the Gulf; The Return of New York City's Famed 'Soup Nazi'

Aired July 20, 2010 - 09:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everybody. We begin with a YouTube clip that cost a government official her job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIRLEY SHERROD, STATE DIRECTOR FOR USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT: So I took him to a while lawyer that had attended some of the training that we had provided. So I figured if I take him to one of them, that his own kind would take care of him.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: His own kind? What's that all about? The lady who gave that speech says you can't trust a sound bite, that that the video doesn't tell the whole story.

Send up the blimp. We're getting a fresh perspective of the Gulf oil disaster.

And this is no blimp. And it ain't Superman either. Whatever it is in China, it's buzzing.

It's 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast and 6:00 -- or 9:00 a.m. on East Coast, 6:00 a.m. on the West. I'm Kyra Phillips and you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Pressure to leave the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shunned by the NAACP. We're pushing forward this story of Shirley Sherrod. Now she's telling us that we just don't know the whole story.

Sherrod used to be the USDA Rural Development director for Georgia. And so a YouTube clip of her went viral. It's from an NAACP dinner in March.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERROD: So I was struggling with the fact that so many black people have lost their farm land. And here I was faced with having to help a white person save their land. So I didn't give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough so I took him to a while lawyer that we had -- that had attended some of the training that we have provided. So I figured if I take him to one of them, that his own kind would take care of him.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, here's part of a statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "There is zero tolerance for discrimination at the USDA. And I strongly condemn any act of discrimination against any person."

And this is from Ben Jealous of the NAACP. "Racism is about the abuse of power. Sherrod had it in her position at USDA. We are appalled by her actions just as we are with the abuse of power against farmers of color and female farmers."

But Sherrod says, hold on a second. That clip doesn't have context and doesn't tell the whole story. Sherrod actually called in to CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" to offer some of her context.

John Roberts had a chance to talk with her.

So, John, she said that we have totally missed the mark on this.

JOHN ROBERTS, ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: We certainly don't have the whole story is what she's saying. You know when you take a look at that clip and you play it for people like Ben Jealous with the NAACP or other folks that we have talked to and they say clearly it would seem to represent a case of institutional racism.

This took place in Douglas, Georgia back on August 27th. But Shirley Sherrod says, hang on here, I was recounting a story that took place 24 years ago. Long before she joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Here's what she told us this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERROD: I was speaking to that group like I've done many groups and I tell them about a time when I thought the issue was race and race only. And I tell them the story of how I helped -- I've worked with a white farmer back in 1986.

I was not working for the Department of Agriculture. I was working with a nonprofit organization, assisting farmers throughout South Georgia and the southeast. And this farmer came to me for help.

I was telling the story about how working with him helps me to see that the issue is not about race. It's about those who have versus those who do not have.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Now, Kyra, when introducing this, she mentioned that she said she got him to a white lawyer thinking that he might be helped by one of his own kind.

But the story goes on from there. Apparently she did work with this guy and she worked with him for some two years, helped to stave off foreclosure, even became friends with this farmer and his wife.

That's her side of the story.

PHILLIPS: OK. So why didn't she fight this then with the USDA? Why wouldn't she have given this context to her employer?

ROBERTS: Yes. I mean -- now it would seem clear that if your employer comes to you and says, hey, you said this in a speech. Wouldn't you say to them, oh no, wait a minute, you've got the whole thing out of context. You've got to see it in its entirety.

I asked her about that and she said that she did go to the Department of Agriculture but that they refused to support her. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERROD: For some reason this stuff that FOX and the Tea Party does is scaring the administration. I told them get the whole tape and look at the whole tape. And look at how I tell people we have to get the young race and start working together.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: So she says that all of the recording on this that had taken place over the previous 24 hours had really poisoned the well for her and that the Department of Agriculture just was not willing to listen to her.

But we should tell you this morning, Kyra, we have taken the transcript of her interview with us this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" and we have given it to both the United States Department of Agriculture and the NAACP.

We have at this point heard back from neither of those organizations. But we hope to before the day is out.

PHILLIPS: And just to be clear, too, we've done the same thing. We've reached out to both organizations, John, since you've had this interview with Shirley Sherrod and we're hoping to talk more about this at the top of the hour. Hope that you'll stick around.

Roland Martin, as you can imagine, is all over this as well, John. He's got his name written all over the subject. We knew he'd have something to say about it and he sure does. He'll weigh in with our John Roberts at the top of 10:00 Eastern Time.

All right, let's talk about day 92 of the Gulf oil disaster. There are new developments today on several fronts to tell you about. The pressure testing continues today as experts search for possible leaks at three separate areas stretching up to two miles away.

Scientists want to know if leaks could be causing the low pressure readings that have raised concerns. Meanwhile, there's a potential benefit to the lower than expected pressure readings. They could allow a new option to permanently seal that gusher. Now the static kill option involves pumping mud into the well. The decision could be made, we're told, within several days.

All right, let's get straight to Reynolds Wolf. He's still in New Orleans for us.

You know, Reynolds, let's go ahead and start with this static kill option if you don't mind. What would be the benefit if scientists are able to use that technique? Kind of walk us through it.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the benefit, obviously, is that it would stop the flow of the oil going into the Gulf of Mexico. Obviously they've also stopped that with the cap. But when it comes to the -- really the static kill, what they would do is a step very similar to what they tried back in May.

But you'll remember, Kyra, that back in May you had oil that was just rushing and absolutely pouring into the Gulf of Mexico so it made it very difficult. But this time, though, they've got things pretty much under control with the cap in place.

So the idea of the static kill would be to actually inject the mud through the cap itself and basically kill off the well. However, though, that would really be the temporary stop gap. What they would really need to do is really to base -- the final decision on it would be the two relief wells.

So one which is fairly close to completion. And it would basically follow the same type of thing. That they would inject the combination of both the mud and concrete into the well itself and that would certainly kill it all.

PHILLIPS: So what kind of time frame are we looking at? I mean, that's I guess the $50 gazillion question. That's the question we ask every time we report on this story.

WOLF: That is the million-dollar question, or more money, as you might have mentioned.

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF: It really is --

PHILLIPS: I made that up, by the way.

WOLF: They're still waiting. Hey, whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. You know that hasn't been approved as of this time. I think it could be something to come in a couple of days, possibly a couple of weeks. But, really again, the thing that's going to be the end-all for this.

They still believe, and Thad Allen mentioned this yesterday, is going to be the relief wells. That's going to be it. Not one but two of them. And we're hoping now it'll be the final fix.

We should mentioned, yesterday, I mean, all of this stuff, once you finish the flow of the well, once you kill the well altogether, you still have the long-term damage, the long-term effects of what they've had covering the coastlines of Texas or Louisiana back into Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

The long-term effect it's going to have on the economy, obviously the environment. This is the only one step of many to really end this crisis.

PHILLIPS: Reynolds, gazillion is defined as a hell of a lot. Bottom line. We'll talk more.

WOLF: Works for me.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Reynolds.

All right, we're also keeping a close eye on a second day of hearings getting under way in Kenner, Louisiana. Appearing before investigators today, a BP official who was on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig when it exploded.

This week's hearings are trying to explain what went wrong leading up to that disaster and criminal charges could eventually be filed. The BP official isn't likely to shed any light. He's expected to exercise his Fifth Amendment to remain silent just as he did at a similar hearing in May.

Now CNN has brought you all the angles of the oil disaster. And today we take the coverage to new heights, shall we say.

CNN's Amber Lyon is going to give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a blimp that will actually be helping spot the oil slicks and dispatch skimmer vessels to the troubled spots.

So, Amber, you're getting ready to board, is that right?

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Kyra. They've been revving up the engines. In about 20 minutes we're going to hop on this 178-foot long blimp, go out, look for oil.

But first let's head over to Rob Marciano who's going to be on a vessel right below us.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Kyra, CNN has a unique opportunity today to tag along, actually be right there in a coordinated skimming effort.

I'm going to be on board a vessel of opportunity that's going to be in command of several skimmers out there in the Gulf of Mexico. You can actually see that skimmer out there that's waiting to be deployed just over my left shoulder here along the Orange Beach, Alabama shoreline.

We're also going to be working in conjunction with the Navy blimp. Amber Lyon from CNN is going to be up there as well and we'll be communicating with that Navy blimp, which will be reckoning the waters to tell our command where the oil is to be skimmed and we'll be telling the smaller skimmers around us where to go get that oil. Certainly a unique vantage point to see exactly how this operation works. Skimming these oil -- these oiled waters is a difficult process. There's so many little ponds of oil out there. You need a lot of small skimmers and we're just one piece of that puzzle and you're going to get a live look at the beginning of the next hour.

PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Rob and Amber, we look forward to it.

All right, let's talk politics. West Virginian Carte Goodwin has some big shoes to fill. The Charleston attorney is being sworn in this afternoon to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator Robert Byrd.

Byrd was the chamber's longest and oldest serving member. Goodwin at 36 will now become its youngest member. He's expected to cast a key vote when the Senate considers extending unemployment benefits this afternoon.

Now that extension would help more than two million jobless Americans by stretching benefits through November. Republicans have opposed any extensions saying that they should be offset by spending cuts.

The extension would cost $33 billion. And despite those concerns, the Democratic controlled chamber is expected to give the extension a thumbs up.

And this could be Elena Kagan's big day. The Senate Judiciary Committee set to vote just about an hour from now on her nomination to the Supreme Court. A full Senate vote will follow if Kagan is confirmed by that committee, as expected.

All right, take a look up in the sky. It's no blimp and it ain't Superman either. Whatever it is has China buzzing. We're going to try to get to the bottom of it after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Scanning our morning passport, blinded by the light in China. People thought that they saw a UFO. But sorry, Chinese media. It's not X-Files material. Here's the real deal. A weapons analyst from MIT says that the video got so much of the mainland in a twitter that most likely it's a Chinese missile launch that has been photo shopped. Nevertheless, it's gotten plenty of hits on the web and it's stirred up blogs around the world.

Meanwhile, here in the US, there are thunderstorms are the picture for the northeast and Midwest. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras with your Tuesday forecast in the CNN Severe Weather Center. Hey, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kyra. Lots of space enthusiasts a little disappointed in that one, hey?

PHILLIPS: They were kind of hoping for alien life.

JERAS: I know. It would've been kind of fun. Something to think about. Anyway, you never know. Lots of people think it's out there.

Anyway, the thing that is definitely out there unquestionably is the heavy rainfall and it is just been a real mess. And I know that a lot of you folks woke up this morning and said, "Really? Again I'm dealing with this?" Yes, the rain is heavy. We have flood concerns across the nation's midsection, through the Ohio River valley. And some of these storms are severe.

We're real concerned about this line right here between Springfield and Columbia. You can see the yellow box. That's the severe thunderstorm watch. And the orange one, these are severe thunderstorm warnings, meaning we're probably going to see some wind damage with these storms in excess of 70 miles per hour.

And they are diving down towards the St. Louis metro area. Even though you're not under the warnings now, you may very well be in the next 30 to 60 minutes. So a big heads up for that one, if you're thinking about heading out the door where the thunderstorms are severe, you need to stay inside.

The rainfall totals with this is going to be really incredible, and the threshold for flooding is pretty minimal. It may only take an inch or a couple of inches to bring those water levels back up. So we've got flash flood watches across much of the area. Warnings into the dark red.

We've had a lot of flooding in the Kirksville area in northern Missouri earlier this morning. The thunderstorms this afternoon are likely to become severe as well. Not just what we're seeing in Missouri, but that threat from Colorado stretching all the way into the state of Ohio.

South side of this system, what are we dealing with? Yes, we're dealing with that heat once again. Unfortunately, no big breaks for you. Excessive heat advisories and warnings. Kansas City, 94, but you're going to be feeling more like 100 to 110 degrees this afternoon. Phoenix dealing with excessive heat here, too, 111. You're going to feel a little bit warmer than that.

You're doing a little better across the northern tier of the country, but everybody else pretty much dealing with those 90-degree temperatures or.

All right. I want to show you a picture today out of Puerto Rico. Take a look at this. Talk about flooding problems. We could see a good five inches of rainfall here. We've got an area of disturbed weather, as we'll call it, a potential for some tropical development. And so, heavy rain, flooding, mudslides is going to be a concern here over the next couple of days. At this time we don't think this is going to develop into a tropical storm today. Maybe tomorrow.

Let's show you what the computer models are doing on this thing. We really want to give people who live in the Gulf of Mexico states and also the east coast of the Atlantic here a heads up. Because this could be approaching you by Friday and well into the weekend. Now, the wind conditions up here towards the Bahamas and across parts of the Greater Antilles are not very favorable for development. We've got some strong wind shear in this area, and that's why it's not going to get developing into much over the next couple of days. But as it approach this is area by Friday, it becomes more favorable and increasingly so if it gets towards the Gulf of Mexico, potentially by the weekend.

That's when we could start to see more significant intensification, Kyra We want people to know that it's out there. Not a huge concern today but by the end of the week could be trouble.

PHILLIPS: Got it. Thanks, Jacqui.

Police officers find a three-year-old child dead, her foster parents missing. Now they fear for the safety of the couple's biological kids.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking top stories. An agricultural department employee resigns after criticism that she made remarks 24 years ago that aired on conservative media outlets. Shirley Sherrod told CNN this morning that her remarks were taken out of context. She says on the video that she did not give a white farmer, quote, "the full force of what I could do to help him avoid foreclosure." Sherrod says that the video failed to include the point of her story, that people need to move beyond race.

Pressure testing on that well head in the Gulf continues today. Workers are searching for possible leaks at three separate areas stretching up to two miles away. Scientists want to know if leaks could be causing the low pressure on the new well head cap.

And from the oldest to the youngest, West Virginia Carte Goodwin is being sworn in this afternoon to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator Robert Byrd. Byrd was the chamber's longest and oldest serving member. Goodwin, at 36, will become its youngest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's take a look at stories that are making headlines across the country right now. We begin with dateline, Bakersfield, where police are trying to find Alberto and Carla Garcia. Three children believed to be with them. They've been missing since Sunday after police found a 3-year-old girl dead and a 4-year-old boy sleeping inside their home. Police aren't saying much about this case. Neighbors say the family appeared normal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY REAFSNYDER, NEIGHBOR: I can't imagine them doing anything like this. Honestly, I really can't. They always seemed to dress well enough, always were taken care of, never were cussed at or anything like that. They always seemed decent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Investigators now say they believe the couple may be in Mexico. The Garcias face felony endangerment charges.

Troubled Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan has been there and done that for a few minutes, but in about two hours, the 24-year-old actress will serve some extended time behind bars for failing to abide by the terms of her probation from two DUI charges. Lohan set to report at LA's all-female jail to begin serving a 90-day sentence.

In Chicago, the corruption trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich should get interesting as the accused is expected to testify in his own defense. The two-term Democrat was impeached last year amid accusations that he tried raffling off the US Senate seat, formerly occupied by President Obama. Blagojevich has long maintained his innocence, despite hours of secretly recorded audio tapes.

CNN has brought you all the angles of the oil disaster, and today day we take the coverage to new heights. CNN's Amber Lyon working to bring us an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look on board a blimp that's actually used to spot oil slicks and dispatch skimmer vessels to the trouble spots. So, Amber, you're getting ready to head out and look for oil?

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Kyra. About, I'd say ten minutes from now we're going to be hopping on this massive, 178-foot long blimp to go out over the Gulf, look for oil, distressed wildlife, any displaced boom.

What's going to happen when we take off? If you can see those guys standing over there in the yellow vest and orange vest, the blimp is going to levitate, and they're going to actually grab ropes and pull us out to where we need to go, and then we're just going to float away over the Gulf.

Now, the Coast Guard is saying that this blimp is more efficient than what they've been using in the past, which is helicopters, to spot oil. Because if you compare the two, a helicopter uses about 150 gallons of fuel an hour. This about ten gallons of fuel. In addition to that, a helicopter can stay out for about 3 1/2 hours tops, whereas this blimp can glide over the Gulf for about 10 to 12 hours at a time. We're going to be on there, thankfully there's no bathrooms on board, for only about six hours at a time.

In addition to this, we've got -- we're tag-teaming it today on CNN, We've got Rob Marciano, who's going to be riding below on a vessel. And when we spot any oil or distressed wildlife, we're going to radio down to Rob's vessel, and then they're going to dispatch the skimmer vessels nearby to go out and clean up this oil.

Now, unfortunately, yesterday when the blimp was up taking a tour of this area of the Gulf, they say mostly they saw oil too close to the shore for skimmer vessels to get at it. As of today, we don't quite know yet. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: What kind of response is this getting from Gulf residents? Obviously, Thad Allen among others are looking forward to this new tool in this disaster response.

LYON: Well, you can imagine how big this is. It surprised residents here that have been driving out trying to take a peep at it. They're not used to seeing something like this out here. Also, it's raised a bit of concern with some people wondering why it's taken until day 92 to get this out here. We talked with one of the pilots, he says there's just been a lot of red tape to go through.

The blimp's on a 30-day trial right now. It's on about day 11. If all goes well, they're going to be using this as a permanent thing to spot and clean up this oil, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll track your live hoist there, Amber. Thanks so much. I hear they're calling it to go. Is that right?

LYON: Yes, they are, actually, want us to get on board now. I'm going to head on, and we're going to get a shot of us as we're taking off.

PHILLIPS: All right, go ahead.

LYON: I've never been on board a blimp before, so it should be an interesting process.

PHILLIPS: As long as you can hear me and you can talk to me, Amber --

LYON: I talked with the pilot --

PHILLIPS: Go ahead and describe it to us.

LYON: Yes, I can still hear you. Hey, guys. So I talked with the pilot right here, and he says that this is actually one of the safest form of flight. So I know because when I think of a blimp I tend to think of my history books and the Hindenburg. But he says we should be good to go. And what's super neat about this is we'll just kind of be gliding over the water. We'll be able to -- the skimmer boats will be able to see us in the air and head towards us whenever we spot some oil.

Another thing about this, a first for CNN, we're trying to go live from the air. We're crossing our fingers heaping that will work out okay. We have an antenna attached onto the blimp, and hoping we'll be able to get a signal to you guys so we can let you know what's going on, get you some aerial shots.

In addition to that, we should be out here until about 2:00 this afternoon, hoping as everything goes well. And I have the pilot right here. Kyra, can you hear him?

PHILLIPS: Yes, I can --

LYON: Can you say hello?

UNIDENTIFIED US NAVY BLIMP PILOT: Hi, how are you doing?

PHILLIPS: All right, I've got the pilot. Amber, have him describe what he's going to do.

LYON: OK. Can you tell us a little bit about our flight plan for today?

PILOT: Well, today we're going to go and establish contact with your CNN boat, and then we're going to --

LYON: And that's the boat Rob Marciano's going to be riding on?

PILOT: Exactly. And then we're going to cruise up and down the coast, see if we can find any targets. And we're also going to coordinate efforts with the surface Coast Guard boats.

LYON: And you had a spotter plane up earlier this morning. Did they detect any oil off the shore?

PILOT: They found some light skim a couple miles out. We'll probably take a look at that while we're out there also.

LYON: OK, great. And what -- you say that these aircraft are the most amazing aircraft that exist. Why is this such a special machine for you as a tool in the oil spill cleanup?

PILOT: Mostly, it's affordability. The airships operate at a lot less cost than other aircraft do. And plus, sometimes you want to go low and slow when you're looking for something. And airships are a good platform for that.

LYON: And how will this help you guys find any distressed marine life? You know, the Gulf's home to amazing whale sharks, sperm whales, dolphin. How does this help you spot them?

PILOT: Actually, we've been carrying a Florida Fish and Wildlife observer, and she's been up here looking for the same stuff also. And she indicated that she sees more stuff from the airship than she has from any other air platform because we're going low and slow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mostly, it's affordability. Our ships are less cost than other aircraft here. unless, sometimes, you want to go low and slow and you're looking for something, and our ships are a good platform for that.

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And how will this help you, guys, find any distressed marine life? You know, the Gulf is home to amazing whale sharks, sperm whales, dolphin, how does this help you spot them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, we've been carrying a fish and wildlife observer, and she's been up here looking for the same stuff also. She indicated that she sees more stuff from the air ship than she has from any other air platform because we're going low and slow.

LYON: And have you, guys, spotted any in the 11 days you've been out here? Have you been able to rescue any marine mammals? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There haven't been any distressed animals in this area, but she's located some turtles and sharks and dolphins and other wild lives. So, we are seeing the stuff, but we haven't found anything distressed yet.

LYON: And what about the weather? I see some clouds that look a little scary out there, kind of black. How is that going to affect us?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That shouldn't be a factor today. If we see anything that may be threatening, we'll just fly around it.

LYON: And normally when we're not hijacking your air ship, how many people are on here and what everyone doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Particularly grab (ph) a crew of four. Two people on the front upright in the air ship and two great spotters (ph) in the back. But this is actually demanded the air ship on went up there (ph) and responded to where they going to go and what they want to do.

LYON: OK. So, we're getting ready to take off. Can you describe the process of what exactly we're going through and how does this work? I see two of what looks like giant ceiling fan engines on the side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. We're going to have you guys take your seats. We got to push off from the mask. We have to do some weigh off stuff. That's all straight. The engine is far off and we'll just take off.

LYON: OK, great. And we were also mentioning earlier, some people are questioning, you know, it's day 92. Why has it taken so long for this glimpse to get out here surveying the coast?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The navy had to wait for request from forces which came from the coast guard and then once we got that, money has to transfer, contracts have to get in place. We'll fetch (ph) you all to get there, so we got here as quick as we could.

LYON: OK. Great.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Amber --

LYON: Do you have any question?

PHILLIPS: As you're getting ready to go, and I don't know, maybe you can do this or the pilot. Totally up to you because I know that you want to get going. The equipment that's on board, where are the cameras? Is it a combination of human eye and special cameras and certain locations within this blimp? Tell us about the technology that is so helpful in this air ship.

LYON: All right. Captain, what type of technology are you guys using to help you spot wildlife and spot the oil and communicate with the ship's below? Do you have cameras on board? Any type of sensors? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a good question. Right now, we have the sensor (ph) that is going to be showing up this week. We're going infrared camera, a high-resolution camera and a data link and we're going to start with that and see how that works out. Right now, we're just using the coast guard observers looking out the window.

LYON: And the infrared camera, how they can help you in the future?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The oil has a different temperature than the water around it, so we look for infrared scarring on the surface. We have information from the coast guard research guys that the oil is visible and the infrared, and so, we think that's going to enhance our detection capability.

LYON: And I heard from some people that you guys might be even flying at night as well?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to try a couple of night to find out how the camera works at night on the oil. The oil is always changing temperature. So, the target is going to be easiest to find in certain, you low, low satellite conditions and the infrared may be a primetime where it really manifests itself well. We're going to experiment with that to find out what the (INAUDIBLE).

LYON: Above all, if you can summarize the past 11 days out here on this area of the Gulf, have the amount of oil you've seen surprised you or been less or more than what you thought you've seen?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's been -- I'm not from around here. This is my first time really seeing it. I thought it would be worse than it is. We are seeing spots and stuff, but the coast guard is really the one that makes the assessment on that.

LYON: OK, great. And Kyra, earlier we were in a debriefing and they said that they did spot some oil off of the coast about half a mile off they spotted a sheen. So, we're going to head out there right now and see if we can assist the skimmer vessels in getting out there, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. Let's get going.

LYON: All right. We're taking off. These guys are getting anxious. So, we are going to try to speak to you live in the air. Hopefully, that will work. If not, we'll just get some really cool ground shots -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Sounds good. We'll look forward to it and report back to us. We'll try and connect with you. Thanks to the pilot for giving us a little extra time there. And Amber, as you're up there, let us know later on if, indeed, Thad Allen and the guys on the ground, especially in Houston that BP will be able to see these pictures real time once the cameras are fired up because it'll be interesting to see how quickly they'll be able to dispatch help as you're seeing things from the air. Interested in the real time capability. Amber Lyon, great job. We'll see you in a little bit. Hopefully, we'll be able to talk to Amber once she's airborne there in that blimp as they get ready to launch. CNN exclusive right there. You're watching it live and we will follow the trip.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And with the opening bell yesterday, Wall Street was waiting on corporate earnings today. They're coming in, but investors don't like really what they're hearing. Carter Evans at the New York Stock Exchange with a preview of the trading day. Hi, Carter.

CARTER EVANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Yes, we were expecting some disappointing numbers today, and we got them, disappointing numbers all around. The results of these earnings are important because they really tell us if the recovery is on track or not. And today, it's not looking so good. Goldman Sachs quarterly profit tumbled more than 80 percent. Much of that was because of that $550 million fine Goldman agreed to pay to the FCC settle charges that it misled investors, but there was also a slowdown in trading.

Other banks are saying that as well. And last night, both IBM and Texas Instruments, posting quarterly revenue that missed estimates. Goldman shares right now are down about 2.5 percent. IBM is off 6 percent. Texas Instruments is off about 5.5 percent. It's just not looking so good. Mixing a week housing report which is what we got this morning. And here's how it all looks on the big board.

The Dow is currently down 141 points and the Nasdaq is off about 37 points. That's a loss of almost 2 percent. So, it's not looking so good today. That's for sure. Hopefully, we can keep it where it is. We're looking for more earnings, and we're looking for positive numbers. Apple reporting after the closing bell. And Kyra, this is really cool. I know you come up to New York frequently. Remember the phrase, "no soup for you?"

PHILLIPS: Of course. No soup for you. That's how it is said. Come on, Carter, a little more passion, a little more energy.

EVANS: But you know, I was giving it a little bravado. No soup for you.

PHILLIPS: There you go.

EVANS: So, here's the thing. This is all from the soup Nazi. Remember him? He is coming back here to Manhattan. This is the man who inspired the Seinfeld sitcom character. He's going to reopen his original soup shop later today. Al Yeganeh, he first opened the shop in 1984, but then he closed it in 2004 and franchised the brand. The one rule you need to know, get in line and have your money ready. But Kyra, since you are in Atlanta, I'm sorry, no soup for you.

PHILLIPS: No soup for you. Remember, it was such a hit such a smash. He made so much money and then he opened up some other ones and it didn't do so well because people wanted to see him. They didn't want to go to these other sites, right? EVANS: Exactly. They didn't want to go to a franchise. They wanted the soup Nazi himself, and today, they might get it.

PHILLIPS: OK. Sounds good. I'll soup (ph) with you some other time. Thanks, Carter.

Some people refused to let the road distract them from their cell phones. If you're someone who talks, texts, or twitters while you drive, we got some stats that should make you stop. And if the numbers don't grab you, one woman's tragic story definitely will.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's one full step for man.

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PHILLIPS: And possibly one of the biggest steps modern men has taken. Flashback 41 years. The first real moonwalk. Astronaut, Neil Armstrong, doing what no man had ever done before, taking the first step upon the moon surface. That was a Tuesday, July 20, 1969.

And how is this for some history? A list detailing Illinois war volunteers from 1830. It was handwritten by none other than President Abraham Lincoln. And it's on display now at Cal State Library in Sacramento. It lists Lincoln and one of his military buddies who fought in the Black Hawk war. That friend is believed to have taken it with him on the ill-fated expedition. The less ward (ph) pioneer is in 1840 that had to resort to cannibalism to their way to California.

PHILLIPS: Texting and driving: multitasking doesn't get much riskier. And here's a crash course on the stats; distracted drivers about four times more likely to crash than someone who's focused on the road. In 2008 about 6,000 people were killed and a half a million hurt in crashes where distracted driving was a factor.

Now, here's a got you, texters are 20 times more likely to crash. Does your teenager text and drive? How about your parent? Well, one in four teens actually admits to doing it. And get this, using a cell phone while you drive hands on or hands free, impacts your reaction time as if you were driving with a .08 blood alcohol level. That's legally drunk folks.

And if these numbers don't grab, you maybe Jennifer Smith's story will. A drive who was texting crashed and killed her mom. Yesterday would have been her 63rd birthday. We're talking with Jennifer and also with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

This week, two cities, Syracuse, New York and Hartford, Connecticut, are cracking down on distracted drivers.

It's good to have you both. And Jennifer, I've talked to you before. And you have quite a message to tell. As a matter of fact, you gave up your full-time job to get your message out. Why?

JENNIFER SMITH, MOTHER KILLED BY DRIVER TEXTING: It was just really important to me. I have a teenage daughter and I didn't want to get another phone call that this had happened to someone else I love or probably any of these other families in the country. It's -- it's not an easy phone call to take.

PHILLIPS: Well, talk about not an easy phone call to take, what about when you found out about your mom? Tell us how that happened and how did you react when you found out what it was that actually killed her?

SMITH: Well, he was actually talking on the phone. He -- a driver that -- I couldn't believe it. I had always been on the phone with my hands-free device and I didn't understand how my mom could be gone so quickly.

So I just -- I jumped up and had to do something and then saw that thousands of people have lost their lives from this. And it's -- it's just senseless and it's preventable. We just can put the phones down and focus on our driving.

PHILLIPS: Secretary LaHood, how many times have you heard stories like Jennifer's on a regular basis and maybe not doing the texting or the driving themselves but others that are -- that are causing tragic stories like this? And what can do you about it?

RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Well, I've called it an epidemic, Kyra, because everybody owns a cell phone. Many people have Blackberries and people think that they can drive safely and use their cell phone. And you just simply can't do it because you don't have both hands on the wheel.

It's an epidemic because people have very bad habits. And we've heard too many horror stories like Jennifer's and many other Americans around the country who've come forward and told us about the loved ones that they have lost or that have been injured because of the stupidity of people believing they can talk on their cell phone or use their Blackberry while driving. You cannot do it safely.

PHILLIPS: But laws have to be enforced and there are laws out there in various states that tell you not to do certain things with your devices because of the threat and because of the deaths that happen.

But the problem is, people don't pay attention to those laws. I mean, how can you make an impact on -- on those laws and make sure that people know there's going to be a consequence if they do this?

LAHOOD: Ten years ago people were not using their seat belts. Because of click it or ticket and the tickets that were written over the last ten years, 85 percent of the people buckle up now.

We gave two grants to Syracuse, New York and to Hartford, Connecticut. A grant each $200,000 matched by $100,000. In the first week the combined tickets in both of those cities was 4,000 tickets. That's what it will take.

We want law enforcement to enforce the laws that have been passed now, Kyra, in 30 states. Thirty states have passed laws against texting and driving and against using cell phones and driving.

So now we need the police to really step up the enforcement. If that happens, we will change people's very bad habits of thinking that they can talk and drive or text and drive.

You cannot do it safely. We will save lots of lives and lots of injuries with the cooperation of our friends and law enforcement by the tickets that they are writing to change people's bad behavior.

PHILLIPS: Jennifer, is this enough? And if -- if not, what more needs to be done?

SMITH: You know it's a great step in the right direction. We need to have stiff penalties so people do realize the consequences and when people see these laws being enforced, they are going to stop. It's as simple as that. It's what history has shown.

So, yes, this a great thing that would -- would -- that Secretary LaHood and the Department of Transportation is doing. I bet those people stop using their cell phones after 4,000 tickets were issued.

PHILLIPS: There's got to be consequences. Jennifer Smith and Secretary Ray LaHood, we appreciate both of you in what you are doing. And thanks for your time.

LAHOOD: Thank you.

SMITH: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Assisted suicide for the masses, a billboard for everyone to see. It says, "My Life, My Death, My Choice". There it is out in public in huge letters, with a helpful Web site to boot by the way. Do you think it's a good idea?

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PHILLIPS: Well, you just can't put up a billboard like this and expect people to keep their mouths shut. "My Life, My Death, My Choice". A billboard along New Jersey's Route 22 that basically says when you're ready to die, look us up and here's our Web site.

Can you imagine Jack Kevorkian doing an infomercial? Of course not. Assisted suicide has entered some bold new territory. Critics say there is no context here and that this could be an invitation to suicide for some people.

So what do you think? We're pushing it forward next hour with the man behind the message and a critic who says, this is a bad idea. They're going to debate it and we're going to get you involved to weigh in as well.

Many of you already responded to this story on our blog. Dustin says, "I've got no problem with the sign or the movement. I may not agree with their choice and their life but it isn't my place to tell them that they can't if they so choose."

And Chris says "We simply can't allow signs like this to be shown in public. We don't want our children to be exposed to the obvious immoral behavior this billboard and its endorsers are advertising."

And from Matt, "The billboard may be offensive but it's a great marketing idea to get people talking about their organization."

Well, remember we want to hear from you. Just log on to CNN.com/Kyra and share your comments with us.

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PHILLIPS: All right, whatever you're doing today, do you think it's worth showing in a major documentary? You might be surprised. YouTube has actually teamed up with two Hollywood heavyweights to produce a documentary about what people all over the world do in a day. Josh Levs is going to tell us how it works. If they followed what we did in a day, there'd be lots of bleeps and lots of censorship. I can tell you that.

I don't think that would ever make air. What do you think Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm so glad you're the one who just said that.

PHILLIPS: Full disclosure.

LEVS: It's totally true, yes. Sometimes when things are really tight around here, we have eight seconds to go with a major story, I know what you mean.

This actually is really interesting. You know, you don't necessarily have to be having the most exciting day in the world.

Take a look at this video. And as we look at it, I'll talk to you about it. This is happening this Saturday, It's this huge project between YouTube and you have two Hollywood heavyweights: you have Ridley Scott and Kevin McDonald inviting everyone in the entire world to submit a video about what you do that day. You don't have to go do something exciting or you can if you want to.

They are then going to take the best ones together and put them together into a documentary that will be released at Sundance. Kevin McDonald is the one who's going to choose them.

Here's what he says is his vision for the project.

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KEVIN MACDONALD, EDITOR, "LIFE IN A DAY": You just need to go ahead, take your camera, hopefully something of reasonably good quality. You then film something, it could be something to you seems really benign. It could be your journey to work, watching your baby at bath time, going to the hospital to visit a friend, your birthday, you're going for a walk in the countryside. Or it could be something much more meaningful to you, much more emotional.

They're knocking down the building next to where you lived that you always loved, the death of a friend. It's a little snapshot of your life.

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And Ridley Scott who's behind "Gladiator", "Thelma and Louis", a lot of -- "Blackhawk Down", a lot of major files; he says that to him this is an opportunity out there for people who are aspiring filmmakers. Even if you have another job you always thought maybe you could be a filmmaker. This is your shot to get a few minutes into a major documentary.

Here's what he says.

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RIDLEY SCOTT, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "LIFE IN A DAY": It should be personal, and it must be personal. That's what we're looking for. The key, of course, is what appeals to you as the author. Think from here. Really think about why that sunrise makes you happy or why that sunset makes you sad.

There's no excuse. You have a digital camera, go out and shoot your film seriously. There is no excuse.

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LEVS: And there's an interesting point I want to make about that. They are actually providing free cameras to places in the world where people don't have them, where they don't have the wealth that surrounds so many of us here in the United States.

They can be going around the world handing out cameras to get as many people as people as possible especially in impoverished areas able to take part in this if they choose to.

This is all taking place Saturday, July 24th. I have tones of details out for you. I know there's a lot of questions; I put them up at Facebook for you and at Twitter. I'm @JoshLevsCNN.

You can look into this. You can decide if this is something you want to take part in. If you do, let us know. We certainly look forward to this.

And Kyra, in the end, they'll have a major film documentary that will be released at Sundance in January, 2011 coming up.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll track it then. Thanks Josh.

LEVS: Got it. Certainly.