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Rough Weather Threatens Oil Response; Beer Summit for Sherrod Unlikely; Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Doesn't Take Stand in His Defense; Heavy Rainfall in Much of Country, and Extreme Heat Along Gulf Coast; Receiving Compensation from BP Difficult for Many Gulf Fishermen
Aired July 22, 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. If the Gulf oil disasters the injury, this system could be the insult. A potential cyclone could set back our recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROD BLAGOJEVICH, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: I learned a lot of lessons from this whole experience. And perhaps maybe the biggest lesson I have learned is that I talk too much.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, there's one place where the former governor of Illinois doesn't talk too much. The witness stand. In fact, he refused to talk at all.
And the death, terror and pain of Juarez, Mexico. Hey, it will look great on you. At least a couple of makeup companies think so. Vanity doesn't get much lower than this.
It's 9:00 a.m. in the East, 6:00 a.m. in the West. I'm Krya Phillips and you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And we begin with the rough weather that's churning. More challenges and more delays. We are talking about the oil disaster response and how it's in jeopardy. Right now a tropical disturbance is whipping up trouble near the Bahamas and causing some serious havoc in parts of Puerto Rico.
If it strengthens and stays on its current track, the system may set back efforts to permanently plug the ruptured well. But if the weather cooperates, a static kill procedure designed to finally end this nightmare, could be in play within 48 hours.
A lot of big ifs in the Gulf right now. Rob Marciano live in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
So, Rob, let's talk about what's at stake.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, what's at stake is this -- this static kill that we had some hopes of may very well be delayed just before -- coming to me here, my source from BP was calling me back so I don't have a firm answer for you as to what they're going to try to do.
But I can tell you this. It takes five to seven days to set the casing of this relief well. And they want to do that from start to finish. And with this weather question, they are probably not going to start that.
They need to at least start it and line that well before they do the static kill. So my guess is they're not going to try that static kill here in the next day or two and we're just going to have to wait out this weather. We'll get official word from those officials later in this morning and later on this afternoon. And that's for sure.
But the problem is how strong is this storm and what is the track. I'll leave that up for my colleagues back in the CNN hurricane headquarters. But it looks like it's going to become a tropical depression if not a storm here by -- by the lunch hour.
If winds gets to 20, 30, 40 miles an hour, then they have to evacuate a certain amount of people. And they've got to stop operations. What does this mean for the cap? The successful cap that have stopped oil from leaking for seven days now.
Well, they can do one of two things. If they think it's strong enough, and they bail out, they'll just leave it there. But they'll leave it there unmonitored. The other issue or the other option is they'll open the vents if they think it's too weak. And then you've got oil coming back into the Gulf of Mexico.
So those are the two options if they decide to abandon ship. My guess is, at this point they'll begin to mobilize some personnel and some assets but not the entire kit and caboodle until we get a better handle on where this storm is going -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. So you're following the storm, you're following the static kill. You've also been following the cleanup efforts. As a matter of fact, you've got a special coming up this weekend. Right?
MARCIANO: Yes. We wanted to highlight the effort that's happening because, you know, so many Americans are angry at BP, at the spill, are sad for the wildlife and the people that are suffering down here.
But we want to highlight the people who are getting it done. Who are out there every day tirelessly cleaning up the spill, saving the wildlife. And I have the opportunity to embed with a number of these operations both military and civilian and go shoulder to shoulder with these -- these people, these heroes who are saving the Gulf of Mexico.
And we're going to highlight their efforts in an hour-long weekend special airing Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00. I think you'll -- you should join us. It's an inspiring hour of television.
PHILLIPS: All right, Rob, thanks.
And as you mentioned, our Reynolds Wolf is back here tracking the bad weather. So what do you think about the storm system? How is it looking?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I think it's going to be interesting. What we've seen is really some -- some pretty dramatic development over the last couple of hours.
You'll remember, Kyra, at one point this had dropped to about a 40 percent probability of actually strengthening, becoming something. Now later this morning, got up to 70. Right now the National Hurricane Center believes that this area of deep convection may --by 11:00 Eastern Time -- be a tropical depression or a tropical storm.
If it is tropical storm it will be tropical storm Bonnie. And the reason why there is a little bit of a hedging on this is because they're waiting for those winds to be right above 38 miles an hour. Once it's 39 miles per hour it would then be classified as a tropical storm.
Question is, where is this thing going to go? Well, very quickly, let me show you the latest computer models that we have, indicates that most of them in agreement that the storm is expected -- if it does become a storm, the system expected to go right between the strait of Florida -- probably in south Florida and near Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico.
However, all of the models agree also that the storm is expected to die out, if it becomes a storm at all, into the Gulf of Mexico. But a lot of things can change with these systems. These are very, very fickle systems. So it demands certainly a lot of monitoring. And we're going to do that here at CNN. No question about it.
Kyra, that's the latest. Let's send it back to you. We'll have another update coming up shortly.
PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Reynolds, thanks.
As if Americans aren't already fuming at BP about this oil disaster, senators are trying on another PR nightmare for the energy giant. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee says it has questions about possible links between BP and last year's release of the Lockerbie bomber.
And the panel wants answers from BP chief executive Tony Hayward. He's actually been invited to Capitol Hill next week to answer to allegations that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was set free in order to help secure a valuable oil deal with Libya.
Two hundred seventy people died in that 1988 terror attack. Many of those victims American. And those nerves are still raw.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: What was the interplay between the British and Scottish government? What was the interplay between BP as a company seeking a contract for drilling off the coast of Libya for oil and what was their intercession was the former British government? All of that is incredibly important to know and to come out. So that we create, number one, what is the truth. Two, see where that truth leads us. And three, make sure that this could never happen again.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: We talked to Senator Menendez yesterday. And a former British ambassador to Libya accuses Senator Menendez and his colleagues of grandstanding, saying there's no evidence of any such deal.
Hope Shirley Sherrod is going to get a full night's sleep tonight. It's been a hell of a week for her. Accent on hell. And she's got a big decision to make. Whether to take a new job with the USDA and what she's going to say to Tom Vilsack.
The Agriculture secretary made the offer yesterday. It's a 180- degree turn from a couple of days ago when the department pushed her out for a racist speech that she didn't give.
Sherrod says that she isn't sure going back to the department is the right thing to do.
She'll get back to you on that one, Mr. Vilsack.
Vilsack did apologize. And the White House press secretary Robert Gibbs did, too, on behalf of the White House. They admit that sacking Shirley Sherrod was a knee-jerk reaction without the benefit of all the facts.
So why did they throw her under the bus so quickly? Good question. When it came to her supposed racism, why were they so willing to take a conservative blogger's word for it and just can her?
Here's what CNN's senior polite analyst David Gergen thinks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: What is surprising to me, in fact, astonishing to me is that the White House and the -- and the Agriculture Department seem stampeded by what was coming out over FOX and what has started to get out the culture.
There is -- if you are in the White House, it is important at all times to take that second look and we didn't do that back in the Reagan years some time. I made mistakes like this. I understand it.
But it is important to be a little more deliberative. After all, you're the elected official. And they fired a woman who was working for her. Due process. For any employee. Requires it before you fire them, you get the facts.
I don't care if she is white, black or green. You owe that to her. And what is astonishing to me is they got stampeded by the politics of this. It wasn't -- it wasn't the reality. It was what they were fearful of politically.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: The politics of this. Political fear that could have ruined Shirley Sherrod's life. Reminds you of the last time that the White House got involved in an issue on race.
A year ago today, President Obama said very publicly that the Cambridge Police Department, quote, "acted stupidly," when a white cop arrested a black Harvard professor at his house.
Well, that led to this. The famous beer summit. Just two examples that have us asking, how does an African-American president deal with high-profile race issues?
Let's bring in CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
Suzanne, what is the filter process? How is it decided whether the president gets involved in a race issue or not?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, first of all, in covering the president during the campaign, it's very clear that this president does not want to talk about race. Very reticent to kind of jump into it.
He was really forced during the campaign to talk about it in a way because of his Reverend Wright controversy. Those racial remarks by his pastor. Once he did it, however, though, Kyra, he tried to do it in a thoughtful way, a way that would make people take away their own prejudices and to think about their own feelings about this.
He doesn't want to do it in a kind of some drive-by way. What happens is it's a case by case basis. You brought up the example of Sergeant Crowley and Skip Gates.
In that situation, in that circumstance, President Obama knew Skip Gates, Professor Gates. The first lady knows him. A lot of his friends and insiders knew about the controversy. They were talking about it at the White House.
When he was asked to address it at a press conference that's when he took Skip Gates' side. It was later he realized that he made a mistake by doing that and then showed up at the briefing room in a surprise appearance, if you will, to announce this beer summit.
Clearly there was a personal connection when it came to that story. He also realized he made a mistake so he had to come out and correct that mistake.
This go-around with Mrs. Sherrod is markedly different here because, A, he doesn't have a relationship with her, he doesn't know her. He wasn't involved in this initially. This was something that was happening to the Agriculture Department.
He wasn't involved in pushing that resignation. When he was briefed and realized that his own secretary was in trouble, he stood up for the secretary. He initially defended him and his decision.
It wasn't until later when he was briefed again and they brought this full tape -- the disclosure of the NAACP, the full tape, that he did this reversal and made sure that at least a messenger from the White House went and pushed the Agriculture Department to reopen this and to re-examine this.
PHILLIPS: So --
MALVEAUX: So, clearly, the -- you know, there are mistakes that were certainly made inside this building and -- by this White House. It's going to be interesting to see if the president does personally get more involved.
White House aides initially have been telling me this is not the occasion for another beer summit. This is --
PHILLIPS: Yes, let me ask you about that, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Let me, because, you know, that's what I want to know. Is there a filter system? Is there a group of individuals that because the president is African-American, right, and these are issues of race, whether he knows who's involved or not, he knows Skip. Doesn't necessarily know Shirley that well.
Is there a heightened sensitivity to race issues because the president is black and because we're talking about race? And is there a filter system -- filter system? Are there a group of individuals that say, hmm, maybe we should bring this to the president, shouldn't bring this to the president's attention? We should tell him to get involved, not get involved.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
PHILLIPS: This could be a touchy issue.
MALVEAUX: Sure. Well, there are different people he talks to. So obviously there's the formal filter system, which is the staff meeting that he's having early in the morning, which involves his communications team which is telling him, look, this is what happened overnight. We may have a problem here. This is how this story has developed.
There's an informal filter system, too, as you can imagine, Kyra, where you have people like his very senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett, like his wife, the first lady, who are obviously paying attention -- close attention to what people are talking about, weighing in on specific issues.
They did that in the Skip Gates example. It's unclear what their position is on this particular story. So, yes, there is a filter system.
Is there a heightened sensitivity? Yes, there is a heightened sensitivity. We saw that in the campaign from the very beginning that this was a president who said, I'm a president of all the people. Very reticent to tackle the issue of race.
But once he was pushed in that direction to do so he made this pledge, saying he wanted to elevate the discussion, if you will.
It's unclear whether or not we have gotten to that point or this White House has gotten to that point where we've elevated the discussion. That is still a challenge for this administration.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Got it. All right. Great conversation. Thanks, Suzanne.
Well, today could be a pivotal day for Arizona's controversial immigration law. A federal judge will hear two legal challenges. One from a group of citizens and civil rights groups who say that the law promotes racial profiling.
The other challenge is from the Obama administration. It's trying to block the law before it goes into effect a week from today. The law requires police to question people about their status if they have been detained for another reason. And if there is reason to suspect they're in the U.S. illegally.
All right, let's talk Rod Blagojevich, shall we? He's a pretty chatty guy. He's admitted to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLAGOJEVICH: I learned a lot of lessons from this whole experience. And perhaps maybe the biggest lesson I have learned is that I talk too much.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: But there's one place where his lips don't flap. The witness stand.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Closing arguments set to begin Monday in the Rod Blagojevich corruption trial. The defense rests its case yesterday, but didn't call the former Illinois governor to the stand to testify.
Blago was quiet inside the court, but not outside. He talked about the tapes that prosecutors say prove that he tried to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROD BLAGOJEVICH, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: I said from the beginning, I did nothing illegal. I said from the very beginning that the government -- and all of us should hear the tapes, the tapes should be played, the tapes when they were heard would prove my innocence. The government played some of the tapes. In the tapes the government played, they proved, as I said all along, that I did nothing illegal. In fact, they proved that I sought the advice of my lawyers and my advisers. They proved I was on the phone talking to them, brainstorm about ideas. Yes, they proved some of the ideas were stupid. But they also proved some of the ideas were good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: He's got no problem talking when it's on his own terms, and he also talked about why he didn't get on the stand. Maybe the one time he refused to talk about the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLAGOJEVICH: I learn a lot of lesson from this whole experience. Perhaps maybe the biggest lesson I've learned is that I talk too much. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Blago's lawyer let the media have it as well. He says that reporters aren't covering the trial fairly. We're actually going to talk to a reporter with the Chicago Tribune later this hour about that trial and the circus.
Let's talk weather now, shall we? We've got a lot of severe storms in the Midwest. Reynolds, you're talking about flooding in the Ohio Valley, correct?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Flooding like we're seeing here?
WOLF: Yes. They really got hammered hard in parts of the Ohio Valley. Even in parts of the northeast, the rain came down like a sack of hammers. They're expecting more of the same today.
The atmosphere setup is similar. You've got a stationary front that's going to be across the Ohio Valley. Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, all may see some heavy rainfall. Delays certainly are going to be expected. There will also be a chance of rough weather in parts of the central plains. Also northern plains by late afternoon.
Here's the setup for you. Notice this area of low pressure, this big "L" on -- this big line we've got encircled here. That's your stationary front. We have, basically, two distinct different air masses. You've got an air mass from the north, that's very cold, to the south, very muggy air. Where it lines up, you have almost a front in war. You have you a battlefront. A cold front, a warm front. We call this stationary because it's moving very little, and right along that boundary is where we're going to have a good chance of storms, especially by the late afternoon.
Something else we're going to be dealing with will be some extreme heat along parts of the Gulf Coast. And in speaking of heat, one thing that has definitely been heating up in parts of the Gulf Coast has been that warm water. We're also watching some development of what may be either a tropical depression or perhaps a tropical storm. It is going to develop just over, say, possibly the next several hours and has a possibility of moving into the Gulf of Mexico.
What's interesting about this specific system is that as it makes its way to the east -- or, rather to the west-northwest, it's going to run into some land. Meaning, it's going to move into parts of the Bahamas, parts of Cuba, even the Florida Keys. And any interaction that it's going to have with land could cause it to weaken a little bit.
That's really the only big thing we're going to see over the next 12 to 24 hours that may hinder the development of the storm system. When it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, all the models right now tend to agree that the storm should fall apart. But even then, you can expect a lot of the oil recovery areas, you're going to have some heavier surf, possibly some strong thunderstorms. But still, you can't rule out the chance of this still becoming a named storm and moving into the Gulf. So we're going to have to watch that for you very carefully.
By the way, Kyra, if it is a named storm, this one will be Bonnie. We had Alex first, Alex, of course, is part of history. But Bonnie would be the next one up.
PHILLIPS: OK. Got it. Thanks so much, Reyonlds.
WOLF: You bet.
PHILLIPS: Gulf Coast fishermen, out of work and hoping to be compensated by BP. But not paying taxes may be an even bigger concern now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Vice President Biden heading back to the Gulf. He'll visit Theodore, Alabama to assess the response there. Things have changed quite a bit since his last visit, too. Back then, the broken well was gushing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf. Now, a new cap is containing that flow.
As you know, BP has been compensating fishermen who lost their jobs and their livelihood because of this disaster. But many more are complaining that they aren't getting any help from BP because they can't prove how much they earned from fishing and shrimping. Let's have more on that, now, from Allan Chernoff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Louisiana fisherman Kevin Prats usually sells his catch for cash. But he doesn't have documentation. As a result, he says, BP hasn't paid him a dime in compensation, while his boat sits idle, unable to fish the Gulf. KEVIN PRATS, FISHERMAN: They want me to show them my tax returns for the last three years, and I haven't filed tax, and I haven't made much money, you know?
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Prats says when he makes good money, he does file taxes. But for the past three years he hasn't. So he complains he's had no luck in getting BP to pay him for his lost work.
PRATS: They want '07, '08, and '09 tax returns, and I don't have them. So they've just me on a file.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Faced with similar complaints, BP has eased its requirements. The company no longer is requiring tax returns. People unable to pursue their regular work simply have to show some proof of income.
DARRYL WILLIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF RESOURCES, BP: If you don't have a tax return, we'll take a W-2. If you don't have a W-2, just show us a paycheck stub. If you don't have a deposit slip and you're a shrimper or a fisherman, we'll take shrimp tickets, boat tickets, anything that shows you make a living in Louisiana. You make a living on the water.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): But that didn't work, complains Prats.
PRATS: I brought them about ten check stubs. That wasn't good enough.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Along the Gulf Coast, residents acknowledge that fishing often is a cash business. Buyers come to the dock and pay cash for seafood fresh off the boat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKER: It's been like that for generations. You go down there, and give them your $200, you get your 100 pounds of shrimp and you leave.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): So some political leaders argue for an amnesty program to help those in need.
CRAIG TAFFARIO, ST. BERNARD PARISH PRESIDENT: Does it mean that these fishermen who may have operated on a cash basis will have to change the way they do business? OK, that might be what it means. But let's not penalize them in the face of a disaster.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): BP easing its requirements has helped some fishermen collect compensation.
MICHAEL ANGLIN, FISHERMAN: If you can mildly document what you're trying to say, they'll take care of you. They've done right by me.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): But those who have poor records, like Kevin Prats, feel BP's compensation system has left them out in the cold.
(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: Allan, obviously, you're back in New York now. You just got back from the Gulf. What do you think? Does the IRS have sympathy for these guys?
CHERNOFF: Not all that much. You know how the IRS is. In fact, people who are getting compensation from the IRS, they've got to pay taxes. That is income, and the IRS wants to collect its share. There hasn't been yet any sort of amnesty program established, but certainly that is something that's being looked into.
PHILLIPS: We will track it. Thanks, Allan.
An EMS worker may be the first person that you see if you've been in a car accident or you've suffered a heart attack, right? So do you care about the color of their skin? One worker says his race not only cost him promotions, it ultimately cost him his job. Hear his story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Fed chief rattled financial markets yesterday. Ben Bernanke said the economic outlook is unusually uncertain. We heard that a lot. It actually sent the market falling in the final hours of trading as well. Carter Evans has been following that for us. We're getting too used to that kind of speak -- Carter.
CARTER EVANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but the problem is no matter when it's said or how it's said, Wall Street hates uncertainty. And with the fed chief himself says that word, in fact, goes the step further and says, unusually uncertain, it's especially worrisome to investors. That's why we saw that big drop yesterday. By the way, Bernanke is going to be back on Capitol Hill for a second day of testimony today. But the market is bouncing back this morning. Thanks to very solid earnings from corporate heavyweights.
Caterpillar, AT&T, 3M all beating expectations. The companies are also now raising their forecasts for the year, and that's a sign of confidence in the economy, but we're taking the good with the bad these days. Unemployment lines are growing again. New jobless claims jumped last week to 464,000, up 37,000 from the week before. Just can't seem to get a handle on that unemployment number. At the top of the hour, we could get some more disappointing news. Economists think sales of previously owned homes fell last month.
And this is interesting, big story today from General Motors. It's getting back into the lending business. Now, the automaker is paying $3.5 billion for AmeriCredit, a subprime lender. GM has been without a finance arm since it sold the majority stake in GMAC when the economy turned south. Let's go ahead and take a look at the early numbers because they're actually looking pretty good right now. The Dow is currently up 118 points. The Nasdaq is gaining about 34 points. So far, things are looking pretty good. Hopefully, we can hold that gain through these housing numbers that are going to come out in just a bit -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Thanks, Carter.
Shirley Sherrod got a big decision to make, whether to take a new job with the USDA or -- I don't know, something else possibly. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, actually made the offer yesterday. It's a 180-degree turn, by the way, from just a couple of days ago when the department pushed her out of her job for a, quote, "racist speech" that she didn't even give. Sherrod says that she isn't sure if going back to the department is the right thing to do right now.
Meanwhile, Secretary Tom Vilsack admits that sacking Shirley Sherrod was a big mistake. It was based on a speech that she gave a few months ago in South Georgia that was edited to make her look like she was a racist. Parts of that speech, well, it definitely proved that she is not a racist. It was conveniently left out when that was posted on a conservative website. Some of the people who were actually at that speech talked to Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. RUDOLPH PORTER, ATTENDED SHERROD'S SPEECH: This (INAUDIBLE) was honoring young people for academic excellence and excellence in various high school endeavors. She was inspiring young people by talking about man humanities to man. And her theme was really, if I can help somebody then my living will not be in vain. And she was challenging us to help somebody using our time and our talents, and she made that appeal to the young people and the small rural town in Douglas, Georgia, that is known for tobacco, cotton, peanuts, chicken, and she was saying, you can use your talents and come back to your community and make it a better place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Another audience member said no one at the speech was applauding racism, by the way, as that conservative publisher, Andrew Breitbart had claimed.
Race is also a driving force in a lawsuit against Detroit once known as the blackest city in America. A white EMS worker there says his skin color cost him promotions. And this whistle blower lawsuit cost him his job. Here's the story from our affiliate WDIV in Detroit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CHRISTY, FIRED DETROIT EMS WORKER: as it currently stands it's not fair.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A 42-year-old Michael Christie has been working for Detroit EMS for over 20 years. It was in 2008 that he says a once stable working environment turned nasty.
CHRISTY: I heard conversations between the administration in management about reducing the number of white EMS personnel.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The assistant EMS supervisors who works out of Detroit Fire Headquarters says he became a target. CHRISTY: Constant harassment. Constant micro management from my crew of supervisors.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: In 2009, Christy along with several colleagues filed a whistle blower lawsuit charging reverse discrimination and failure to promote. And not long after that, he was fired.
CHRISTY: I've lost part of that (ph). You know, I've lost half my annuities. Just so I could keep my family fed and my house, keep up on the bills so we don't lose the house.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: It wouldn't be until two months later that the Department Trial Board would dismiss the accusations against Christy and put him back on duty. He says the harassment continues. He's even received death threats, but he pushes on.
CHRISTY: It affects everybody. There's way too much at stake to let this type of management continue on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Even though it was determined that Christy's firing was unwarranted, there has been no talk of compensating him for the lost income. A top fire official told our affiliate, WDIV, that these incidents did, indeed, take place, but the official could not fully comment because the issue is still in the legal system. Both sides are headed back to court this week.
Next time your spouse forgets to take out the trash, don't be too quick to call him lazy. They may just be under diagnosed. We're checking the symptoms of ADHD marriage right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. So, when you think of attention disorders, chances are of hyperactive kid on the playground is what comes to mind, but those kids grow up and they get married. And according to "The New York Times," ADHD can take a huge toll on your wedded bliss. Next hour, we're talking to a psychotherapist about how to spot the symptoms and hopefully how to defuse the fallout. But we want to hear from you. Head to our blog, CNN.com/Kyra and sound off. I want to know, is your husband or wife or partner, lazy or could they be undiagnosed? We're going to put the questions to our therapist coming up at about 10:20 Eastern Time. So, tell me what your issue is with your partner.
All right. Let's check top stories. Rough weather churning in the Atlantic could mean more challenges and more delays on the horizon for the oil disaster response. Right now, rough weather is whipping up trouble near the Bahamas and drenching Puerto Rico. Several weather forecast models show that the system heading for the Gulf of Mexico.
Today could be a pivotal day for Arizona's controversial immigration law. A federal judge will hear two legal challenges. The other challenges from the Obama administration, it's trying to block the law before it goes into effect a week from today.
And a judge is scheduled to hold a hearing this morning on a restraining order that actor, Mel Gibson's, ex-girlfriend filed against him. She says he hit her in the face. Right now, you probably heard all the finger pointing in this case. Police are looking at allegations of extortion by Gibson's ex-girlfriend.
This is where we usually play a punch line from one of late night guys like letterman, leno, Jimmy Fallon, and this time, we got a different funny man for you. Ladies and gentlemen, from Sacramento, California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CALIFORNIA: And then you get up in the morning, the first news you hear is good news, but there are also bad news. The good news is that BP has contained the oil leak. The bad news is that no one has figured out how to contain Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson, no one knows how to contain. So, this is why I want to ask all of you to just please turn off your cell phones because we're expecting a call from him. Since last week, I lifted 375 pounds. Yes. 375 pounds. I lifted Rush Limbaugh out of the chair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: We got to hear from Blagojevich in the courtroom this week, but it was Robert, not Rod. The former governor may be for the first time ever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROD BLAGOJEVICH, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: I learned a lot of lessons from this whole experience, and perhaps, maybe the biggest lesson I've learned is that I talk too much. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the first step towards fixing your problem is admitting that you have one. We're talking more about this one in 60 seconds.
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PHILLIPS: Rod Blagojevich, reality star, funny guy, TV interview guest, and oh, yes, defendant. The former Illinois governor accused of trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat. With the Blago circus, that last part is almost easy to forget. Remember all this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLAGOJEVICH: I'm competing because I've been wronged and maliciously accused of things I didn't do. I'm fighting back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the number one question Rod Blagojevich asked himself before appearing on "Celebrity Apprentice" --
BLAGOJEVICH Will my hair get along with trump's hair?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, there you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. There was "Celebrity Apprentice," "Letterman," and don't forget that Blago moment getting ready for the reality show right here, "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here." That actually didn't happen. And now, we've learned that the witness stand is about the only place where he keeps his mouth shut. The defense rested its case yesterday but didn't call the former Illinois governor to the stand to testify. Closing arguments set to begin Monday. Blago was quiet inside the court, but not outside. He talked about the decision to skip the stand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLAGOJEVICH: Seniors (ph) most compelling argument and ultimately the one that swayed me was that the government in their case proved my innocence. They proved I did nothing illegal and that there was nothing further for us to add. And that he believed it was proven to rest the case, and when you rest a case, that means you can't take the stand and testify.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: His defense attorney ripped into the media for the way reporters are cover this trial. He says in a nutshell, why are you singling us out?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM ADAM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I don't understand you media talking about him not testifying. What happened to Resco? You don't follow that, too. We had all those stories about Resco. They said constantly they were going to call all these witnesses for four months, and they never did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jackson?
ADAM: Yes, Congressman Jackson, Valerie -- Rahm Emanuel. Thank you. Valerie Jarrett. They're going to call all these people to show we tried to -- the governor tried to sell the Senate seat. We heard all those things. They never called them. You guys in the media ought to get on their case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: You media. Letting the media have it. When we talk to John Chase, he's new media. A reporter with "The Chicago Tribune." John, seriously, this got to be one of the most entertaining cases that you've ever covered.
JOHN CHASE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE REPORTER: Yes, I actually cover politics. So, I don't know (ph) too many cases, but yes, this is about the most entertaining. PHILLIPS: Oh, come on. This is politics at its best. This has got to be --
CHASE: I don't know about best.
PHILLIPS: OK. That's a good point. Politics at its worst. It's giving you a whole another outlook with regard to Rod Blagojevich, probably because he's deciding not to talk and his attorney is lashing out at the media. Why?
CHASE: You know, I think that's a little bit of the politics of distraction by the -- by the defense lawyers. You know, Patrick Fitzgerald wasn't on David Letterman saying I'm going to bring Tony Rezko on the stand. He wasn't -- you know on "Bonnie Hunt Show".
He -- you know, he -- they presented a case and they decided to, you know, stop -- stop calling some witnesses for whatever reasons it is that they're -- they are doing it.
Rod Blagojevich is the one who has been screaming from the mountain tops and saying a thousand and one times that "I'm going to testify."
So I mean, he's -- you know, trying to deflect back and, you know, that's understandable. That's what they do. That's what they are supposed to do. So, that -- that's where that's coming from.
You know, he was not actually seriously angry at the media. I think minutes later after the camera shut off, he was --
PHILLIPS: It's entertainment.
CHASE: -- joking around with reporters.
PHILLIPS: Yes, it is --
CHASE: It's a bit for yes --
PHILLIPS: -- it's so, I mean, it fits perfectly with the circus act.
CHASE: yes. I think I agree with that.
PHILLIPS: But John, you know, he -- Blago is not one to not talk. He -- as a matter of fact, he comes out of there and then he has no problem holding a huge forum with the media and talking on camera.
I mean, it's obviously -- he's not taking the stand because he's probably afraid of what might get thrown at him.
CHASE: Yes. And -- you know, sources told the "Tribune" and we reported today, you know, when they were prepping him, in the last couple of weeks, he did not do very well.
And they would have opened him up, subjected him to just a brutally cross-examination where they're going to ask him what did you mean when you said "blank the people of Illinois". This is the governor who has been saying "how much do I love the people of Illinois, you know, I love them so much that I'd be willing to sacrifice my political career for them."
And then these tapes show that he wasn't saying that privately. And that's just the political, you know, not the criminal. And that -- and that's really what it ended up being is, you know, Rod Blagojevich is happy to talk to -- to talk to the media and talk with the cameras. And talk all he wants when it doesn't -- when it didn't really matter.
When it really matters when he's on the stand for this criminal trial, he decided "I'm not going to do it". And it might be the right move on his part. And because the cross-examination was promising to be fairly devastating.
PHILLIPS: Well, it'll be interesting to see what happens here. Obviously you'll be following it and so will we.
CHASE: Yes we will.
PHILLIPS: John -- John Chase of "The Chicago Tribune." John thanks.
CHASE: Thanks.
Death, terror, and pain of Juarez, Mexico. Hey, you look great wearing that. At least a couple of makeup companies think so. Vanity doesn't get much lower than this, folks.
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PHILLIPS: San Diego has been conquered by tens of thousands of self-proclaimed nerds, geeks, movie lovers, sci-fi fans, all of it for the Annual Comic Con Convention. It's trending now but it means much more than funny costumes and die-hard fans. Wait until you hear how much dough this convention rakes in.
Josh Levs, our favorite techie nerd. He's taking a look at the stars and the sites of comic cons.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I'm sure some of our viewers are shocked that I'm not there. We have someone in fact. But let me tell first and I know, right. There you go, you're laughing.
Listen to this, $163 million. That's the estimate, right now the latest estimate for what kind of impact this one convention -- this just lasts several days -- has on San Diego. In fact, San Diego itself is now on a battle to hold onto this convention up against Anaheim in L.A. and some other cities that really want it because even if it means some Klingons running around you're town for awhile, who doesn't want that economic impacts?
We have someone inside right now, our most viewed iReporter ever, Chris Morrow who is here with us, joining us by Skype. Chris are you there?
CHRIS MORROW, IREPORTER: I'm right here. Thanks for having me.
LEVS: There you are. Awesome. Thanks for being here.
All right, set the scene for me. Tell me what's around you. What are people doing? What's everyone excited about?
MORROW: Well, I have to tell you, I am in geek central, and I'm so happy about it, you know. These are my people. And this is a lot of fun. There are over 130,000 people here at Comic Con.
It's just about to start this morning for the entire weekend, and you're going to see costumes and you're going to see different designer toys.
You're going to see platform toys, things that you've never seen before as well as comic books, digital comic books, apps for your eye iPhone.
You're going to see a lot of other things, like movies of Angelina Jolie. Who knows, maybe Brad Pitt will show up?
LEVS: I know are people are excited about Angelina being there. Tina Fey is going to be there, Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford.
Listen what are you holding? What are we looking at? What's in your hand, what is that?
MORROW: This is what you call a do-it-yourself toy. You buy it. This is from Jermaine Rogers (ph), it's called a veil. And you buy it and you paint it up yourself. So a do-it-yourself toy. It's a lot of fun. I think it's about -- I don't know $200.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Two hundred dollars for something you have to paint yourself?
MORROW: Two hundred dollars for something you paint yourself and you know in five years, this could be a thousand dollars. These are going like hotcakes, the do-it-yourself toy. There's a brand new platform toy out and this is from Monty King (ph).
And this is something you work, you can take it and you need to put it on a wall. It's got a little peg right here, and you can put different ones together. It's a kind of little fun thing.
And then you've got the kid robots and you have fun little toys with kid robots.
LEVS: And these sell big time. There are people lining up to get these.
Actually, let's go to some of this video you gave us of people lining up last night. Because the way it works is you have to get more than 130,000 people expected to come, but there are only a couple thousand people that fit -- what you call Hall H into where (INAUDIBLE). These are going to be with the movies are so you were outside. You saw all of these people already lining up to try to get in early.
Talk to me about that. How long have they been there? Why are they doing all that?
MORROW: I was walking by the preview night, last night by the convention center. And there was a line forming from 10:00 a.m. And people were actually going to camp out. One guy was camping out with his newborn baby and his dog.
LEVS: Oh, goodness.
MORROW: And they're going to be spending all day checking out the movie stars. You know, camping outside is the thing to do. There's a whole experience with it, bonding experience.
LEVS: I have to tell you, I respect what they're doing if they want to be there, but come on, don't rope your baby and your dog into hanging out outside the convention center all night there in San Diego.
Let's talk quickly about -- look, there's a lot of people who pack in for this. You know there's a lot of competition there. Inside, is there a lot of competition within there to get everyone's attention or people jumping up and down waving their arms saying come over to us, come over to us?
Or is everybody pretty much everyone who sets up at Comics Con there get a pretty good crowd?
MORROW: They're giving away t-shirts; they're giving away hats. They have girls, sexy girls in super hero costumes. They've got terrific toys that they are giving away that are exclusive. You name it, they have it.
They have posters, everything to get you to come into their booth, and there's so many booths out there, there's a waiting list of three to four years to get a booth. There's demand and they make it. So everyone's excited about it. They are.
LEVS: Well, Chris listen; thank you -- Chris thank you so much. Listen, you go do your thing. You talk to everybody. Keep those iReports coming. I want everyone to know we've got full coverage of this.
Believe it or not, they created CNN.com/comic-con. Also we've got a discussion going on in my Facebook and Twitter pages, JoshLevsCNN. I really would love to know what everyone thinks. And I will tell -- by the way Chris morrow, thank you so much for joining us this morning.
We'll talk to you soon.
And Kyra, you know what? This is the kind of thing a lot of people love to joke about but just a few days, $163 million direct and indirect impact from this one convention. A lot of places right now jealous about it, especially in this economy.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Well, you know, it's a fun way to make a lot of money and gives us something fun to talk about, that's for sure.
LEVS: It does. And the movie studios are crazy about it. So you know what? (INAUDIBLE) for everybody.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: We should have kept all of those comic books that are worth like millions -- well, maybe not millions -- but a heck of a lot of money now.
LEVS: We should never have opened them so they would still be sealed. Can you imagine? Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: Then we can talk about raising some big cash.
Josh thanks.
LEVS: See you.
PHILLIPS: Death, terror and pain of Juarez Mexico. Hey it would look great on you. At least a couple of makeup companies think so. Vanity doesn't get much lower than this folks.
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