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A Sub View of the Gulf; Limiting Family Size in Bad Economy; Preparing for Immigration Crackdown; E-Mail Changes Life of South African Dancer; Desperately Seeking Housing Relief

Aired July 25, 2010 - 17:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: As we begin the new hour, let's look at our top stories right now.

Efforts to drill a relief well are ramping up again now that the storm threat has ended in the Gulf of Mexico. The drilling vessel has returned to the site of the project. Designed to put a permanent end to the flow of oil from BP's ruptured well. Officials say the storm threat delayed efforts by about a week.

And at least buildings and homes are destroyed and 1,000 more damaged after a dam failure in eastern Iowa. Officials blame the disaster on nearly 10 inches of rain over 12-hour period.

A swollen river broke a hole in that Lake Delhi dam about 45 miles north of Cedar Rapids. No reports of injuries.

And crews are still fighting a pair of wildfires along the California- Nevada border north of Reno. They cover a total of 775 acres and they're still only partly contained. One residence and at least two outbuildings have burned. The fires are blamed on lightning.

International forces are still searching for an American sailor abducted in Afghanistan. A second sailor is believed to be dead. Afghan sources tell CNN that the sailor's body was found in Logar Province.

At a briefing in Kabul today, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen responded to a question about the sailors heading off-base in a nonmilitary SUV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. MICHAEL MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: This is an unusual circumstance. To use the words in your question. Certainly the focus of the mission still very much on the Afghan people and it certainly is to engage with them.

So again, I don't have all the details here and I'm not sure I'm exactly where we stand. But it is a reminder of both the dangers as well as the care with which we must take in terms of executing the totality of the mission.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: We're hearing from those Afghan sources that the missing sailor was wounded in a firefight with Taliban militants. The U.S. military is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the abduction.

And this year is shaping up to be the deadliest since the war in Afghanistan began. Fifty-two service members have died there this month. The high was 60 last month and we should also point out that the U.S. has more troops in Afghanistan than ever before. The death toll for the year so far is 253.

It's 6:00 in the morning in South Korea and there's a major show of force going on right now. The United States and South Korea's military both engaged in war games. The four-day drill has really grabbed North Korea's attention, which is what -- which was actually the point.

CNN's Kyung Lah has more from Seoul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even through the overnight hours here in South Korea the U.S. military says that the exercises are ongoing and will continue 24 hours a day until Wednesday here, Asia time.

It is a large joint military operation between South Korea and the United States. Eight thousand military personnel, some 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft involved. But it is not just the size that is notable, according to the U.S. Navy. It's the timing.

This is the first major joint operation to take place off the coast of South Korea since the sinking of the South Korean warship. Forty-six crew members did die in that incident. And an international investigation led by South Korea did find that North Korea was responsible for the sinking of the warship.

The North, though, has vigorously said that it had nothing to do with the sinking of the ship.

The U.S. Defense Department noting that this was going to be taking place said that this military exercise was going to send, quote, "a clear message to North Korea," that it needs to stop its provocative and war-like behavior.

Now the North has ratcheted up its own rhetoric, saying as it started, as all of this started off the coast, that it would, quote, "react to sword-brandishing in kind," and that it would react to both dialogue and war. And it was unfazed by military threat and sanctions.

Tensions have been rising here on the Korean peninsula since the sinking of the warship. But this new sign of force -- these war games -- off the coast of the Korean peninsula has certainly turned things up a step.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Taking a plunge in the Gulf of Mexico to check on marine life. That's what our Amber Lyon did. You don't want to miss her adventure aboard a mini sub.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's the latest on what's going on in Gulf of Mexico. The vessel that engineers have been using to drill a relief well is back on site near the ruptured BP Deepwater well.

Ships critical for work on the well started returning Saturday afternoon the former tropical storm known as Bonnie lost its punch. But officials in the Gulf warn other storms still present a threat to the oil clean-up efforts.

Meanwhile the British press is reporting that BP's embattled CEO Tony Hayward will resign within the next 24 hours. BP has not confirmed that report.

So how has marine life and the deep coral reefs endured the oil spill in the gulf? CNN's Amber Lyon got a unique and rare view to try and find out. She's joining us now from St. Petersburg, Florida.

So, you were in a special vessel, a submersible, to get a close look. What did you see?

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, we got to go down, it's such a unique experience here. We got to ride down in manned submersible. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie.

It's got a big glass dome on the front that gives you almost a 360- degree view. So we were able to see a lot of the marine life. We saw jellyfish, different types of fish, also types of sponges in these deepwater reefs that one of our scientists was saying could be used in the future to possibly create medicines to fight breast cancer and other cancers like pancreatic cancer.

Now we went out to a reef about 88 miles off the coast of Florida, about 200 miles give or take a little, from the Deepwater Horizon spill site. And with this manned submersible, scientists are saying that it really helps them be able to see what's going on under water and survey for damage.

In the past, most scientists have been using these ROVs where they control them from up on the boat. But the scientists we were with say nothing beats actually being in the water at that time.

What we didn't see was any visible oil or any visible signs of damage to this reef. But we did take some samples of corals and sponges and we brought them back up onto the vessel into their lab which is almost similar to a crime scene lab.

They were literally cutting pieces of tissues of sponges and storing them as you would store human tissue to preserve it. They're later going to give those samples to a lab to be tested for oils and dispersants and for any types of damage. These scientists are estimating it may take several months before they get the results of those tests back -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, Amber, so if the scientists with you say they saw no visible, you know, damage from the oil, do they feel like this reef is representative of other deepwater reefs in the area? And that their conclusion is on the surface - that there is no damage to these reefs as a result of the oil?

LYON: Well, Fredricka, as of now, that's a good question. I asked the scientists that myself. They've been going kind of around the Florida coast towards the Gulf of Mexico surveying all types of reefs and they say they haven't seen any visible damage so far.

But they don't want to come to any conclusions because as many scientists have found, some of this dispersed oil is not visible to the human eye. So they want to wait until they get the chemical tests back on these tissues.

WHITFIELD: OK. Amber Lyon, thanks so much from St. Petersburg, Florida. Appreciate that.

All right, some pretty nasty storms particularly in the mid-Atlantic area. Let's check with our Bonnie Schneider.

How is it looking? Still tornado warnings?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I was just going to say, Fred, finally I don't have to say that.

WHITFIELD: Good.

SCHNEIDER: No tornado warnings now but that can always change.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SCHNEIDER: I wasn't surprised to see all these airport delays, Fredricka. I actually thought it would be worse.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: With this severe weather rolling through.

WHITFIELD: Oftentimes on a Sunday it is kind of nasty.

SCHNEIDER: You just want to get home, you know?

WHITFIELD: I know.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: You can't wait to get away and then you can't wait to get home. That's the way it works.

SCHNEIDER: Right.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Bonnie, appreciate it.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, I guess you've noticed these days -- smaller families out there. An increasingly common sight apparently in these very tough economic times. It's a temporary trend or perhaps is it a sign of things to come?

We'll take a hard look at the numbers and examine the facts and fiction surrounding only children.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. It's been 10 years since a Concorde Jet crashed into a hotel near Paris. A memorial service was actually held to remember the 113 people who died.

The crash, coupled with rising cost and a slump in demand, eventually led to Concorde's retirement back in 2003.

U.S. and South Korean military exercises are currently under way as tensions with North Korea escalate. Eight thousand military personnel are taking part in this three-day drill off the South Korean coast.

U.S. officials say the exercises are in response to the deadly sinking of a South Korean ship blamed on the North. Pyongyang has blasted the drill and said it is ready for both dialogue and war.

And Alberto Contador wins the Tour de France. It is the Spaniard's third victory in four years. He cruised into Paris well ahead of Lance Armstrong.

The final stage was delayed while Armstrong's team changed jerseys. They had wanted to wear jerseys in support of people living with cancer but were overruled.

Had to make a costume change in the end.

All right, this tough economy, well, it's causing many people to actually cut back in so many different ways. Even apparently on the number of children they have.

In a recent survey, 64 percent of women with household incomes below $75,000 said they can't afford to have a baby right now. And some couples are choosing to stop at one for other reasons.

Social psychologist Susan Newman is the author of "Parenting an Only child." She joins us live from New York right now.

Hi. Good to see you, Susan.

SUSAN NEWMAN, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: OK. So if the economy is one reason why people are choosing to have only one child, what might be the other reasons?

NEWMAN: The economy is one factor right now but this trend has been going on since the '90s. We're following Europe. And the reasons range from women are working, more women are working. They are feeling the stress of working.

The divorce rates are high so you have a baby and then you don't have time to have another one. Also infertility is becoming increasingly a problem.

The reasons just keep escalating. And the trend is more and more predominant. We're living now, according to many surveys, in a much more adult-centered lifestyle rather than a child-centered lifestyle.

So with women starting to have their babies at 35. They want to travel, they see the only child as more flexible. And those are just some of the reasons. I mean it just goes on and on.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

NEWMAN: And --

WHITFIELD: That's -- that's quite the host of reasons. So it really sounds like it's more so because of circumstances than purely choice?

NEWMAN: Well, it's choice, it's circumstance. And it's the fact that people are realizing you can be a parent and you can be a mother and you can be a father if you have one child.

And they're looking at particularly at the stress factor. And the policies in this country -- the work-life policies -- are when you compare them with other countries, just terrible. For example, if you look at --

WHITFIELD: Really depressing.

(CROSSTALK)

NEWMAN: Yes. I'm sorry.

WHITFIELD: Kind of.

NEWMAN: I didn't mean to depress you.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Informative, but depressing.

NEWMAN: If you look at Sweden, they give -- they have a parental leave policy of 390 days. That's 13 months that mother and father can divide up into hourly blocks. I mean consider what we have in this country. You have -- you have three months, if you're lucky.

And women want to keep their jobs. And right now many women need to keep their jobs.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

NEWMAN: There are more women in the workforce than there are men right now.

WHITFIELD: And then if you break it down --

NEWMAN: We finally did it, women.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And if you break it down to the economics, which was the first thing out of the gate you're talking about, it's $280,000 to raise a child -- and that's based on some estimates -- through high school.

So you focus all of this, you know, money on the one child, say for example, you don't expand and have, you know, more kids there are a lot of myths, I guess, some would put it, associated with the only child that perhaps the only child will grow up to be a little less social or spoiled.

And you say, as the author of, you know, "Parenting an Only Child," what to those things?

NEWMAN: I say they're absolutely not true. They're based on studies that were done in 1896 and have perpetuated for 100-plus years. And it's like with any group, you get an image and a picture and myths die hard.

Only children are no more lonely than other children. Children today are socialized so early. You put -- you know, you have your child in day care, in pre-K and then in school. When those studies were done, children lived in very isolated areas so they didn't have -- learn how to share and be empathetic.

And even the myth about children being independent versus dependent, and people have in their heads that only children are very clingy and dependent. And quite the opposite is true because only children want to be with their peers.

They're outgoing, they want to be social. So this maladjusted --

WHITFIELD: So if this is a --

(CROSSTALK)

NEWMAN: Go ahead. Sorry.

WHITFIELD: Well, I'm wondering if this is a trend because of the many reasons that you talked about, you know, the working families, working mothers, et cetera, do you see that this is going to continue for some while? Or do you see that there's likely to be -- kind of a turn in things in terms of how people plan on their families?

NEWMAN: I don't think people are going to go back to large families, even if the economy changes.

WHITFIELD: Wow. NEWMAN: Women are hard-core in their jobs. They're not giving them up. And I don't see it changing at all. I think this trend -- we're following Europe, you know, and Japan, for example, and European countries. That -- we're not at replacement level.

WHITFIELD: OK.

NEWMAN: They're at 1.3 in Japan. And we're -- we're at replacement level only because of immigration.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. Susan Newman, fascinating topic. "Parenting an Only Child" is the name of the book that you authored. Thanks for your time. Appreciate that.

NEWMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And definitely more informative than depressing.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: How's that?

NEWMAN: Definitely. Only-child families are fabulous. People just need to redefine family.

WHITFIELD: Right. OK. Thanks so much, Susan, appreciate that.

All right, preparing for the new law that many will be seeing go into effect this week. Arizona's sheriff, well, he's clearing space. We'll see how he's getting ready for the state's new immigration law that kicks in this week.

Plus our Josh Levs with the language of the law.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. I'm going to bring you some highlights of what's in the law itself to help you understand what's at the center of this controversy and how the different sides could interpret it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A federal judge is considering challenges to Arizona's new immigration law. It's scheduled to take effect next Thursday unless the judge issues an injunction to stop enforcement.

But as CNN Espanol's Valeria Fernandez reports, the top cop in Phoenix has already set aside extra space just in case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA FERNANDEZ, CNN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Controversial Maricopa County Joe Arpaio wants to put the people he arrests under Arizona's new immigration enforcement law in an outdoor facility he calls tent city.

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: Under that new law, they book them into this jail. They're going into these tents. We have room for 100 to begin with. And if we have to make room for 500 to 1,000, we will do that.

FERNANDEZ: Arpaio has held illegal immigrants and other prisoners in the tent city for exactly 17 years. The expanded area will be called Section 1070 after the new law, which goes into effect next week and requires police to ask anyone stopped for a possible crime to prove their citizenship.

Critics point out that temperatures under the tents could reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Fifty-degrees Celsius here in the summer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would like to see, you know, some of the people that put us in here to see what it's like in the here. You know have them spend a day or two in here just to see what it's like in here. And it's really not right.

ARPAIO: Our men and women are fighting for our country. They're living in Iraq right now. The temperature is the same as here, did you know that? So why don't they feel sorry for our soldiers? Why are they concerned about these convicted inmates living in tents?

FERNANDEZ: Activists opposed to the new law say the sheriff is going too far.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Through Translator): He's playing with the law. In this country, how can we allow for a sheriff to mistreat the people that he jails?

FERNANDEZ: The sheriff has been accused of racial profiling. As he's taken an aggressive stand against illegal immigrants.

Regardless of the law's future, Arpaio says he plans to continue his pursuit of illegal immigrants in his city and says he can make plenty of room in this tent city for those who are arrested.

For CNN International, Valeria Fernandez, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So what exactly is in the Arizona legislation? CNN's Josh Levs has been piecing through it, combing through it all.

Now what are some of the highlights, Josh?

LEVS: Yes, you know, Fred, it's complicated because it's gone through so many versions along the way. There have been changes chosen along the --

LEVS: Yes, you know, Fred, it's complicated because it's gone through so many conversions along the way. There have been changes chosen along the way as well.

Let's do this. I want to start off with a little bit of language here. That will help you get a basic idea of where we're coming from. This is the part that's gained a lot of attention. This is one section I want to share with you.

It says for any lawful contact that law enforcement basically makes where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made when practicable, to determine the immigration status.

Now clearly, we're talking about a lot of legal language here, but there's a lot of room in there. You're talking about "when practicable" and you're talking about "reasonable." What you have in the very beginning of this whole conversation is a lot of opportunities as both sides say, to interpret it in their own ways, right?

To say what's practicable, what's reasonable. There's something else I want to point about this is it also says except if the determination may hinder or obstruct an investigation. This is something that has concerned some people along the way as they followed the language in the bill.

They say they want to make sure that people are not afraid to go to police if there's some kind of investigation going on. Because they're afraid that having the lawful contact will then lead police to check the immigration status. They want to make sure that this won't hurt investigations of all types into all sorts of crimes that may be going on.

I want to tell you about another trick here, something that's complicated it that is an important piece of language in this bill. There was a time when this bill said, and I'll tell you about it, Fred, it said for a while that law enforcement may not solely consider race, color or national origin in implementing certain requirements in this bill.

Well, now that was changed, that's one of the changes the governor made to take "solely" out. So it does say in the latest version that race in that sense cannot be considered in choosing the requirement or rather in following the requirements of this bill.

But what we still have in this debate are two sides that say they've actually read every word in this. This isn't like one of those cases in Washington where you see people debate something and neither side has read it. What they see is the same language and different ways it can go, different ways that police can handle it.

You have the governor and you have the entire side that supports this bill. Saying what it does really what a lot of the bill is about here, is about the state saying it has the right to enforce federal law, right?

They're saying that federal law does oversee immigration and they have every right to enforce it and nothing can get in the way. They're laying out how to enforce the federal law.

What you have on the other side is people saying no matter how you change this bill. The reality they fear on the ground is police could make the choice. Based on someone's race in their own mind to stop them for a traffic violation, to stop them for a technically unlawful reason and while they have them go ahead and do that. That's why that side says they think they'll be profiling anyway.

WHITFIELD: Well, it's going to be an interesting week unfolded and we know that the Justice Department is trying to do what it can to make sure that this law does not go into effect come Thursday. But that, too, has to run through the judicial system so we'll see exactly what happens later on this week.

LEVS: Yes, and this will be instructive to all states everywhere. Not only in the way it battles out who has control over this kind of issue, but also if you're going to create a law, how do you word it, how do you stab it in order to pass that kind of scrutiny. We don't know where that will go.

WHITFIELD: All right, Josh Levs. Thanks so much for that breakdown. Appreciate that.

LEVS: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, of course, immigration is just one of the issues that could influence voters in the upcoming congressional election. So how are people leaning? CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser is checking the pulse and the polls.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Fred, we're now just 100 days away from November's mid-term elections. Up for grabs on November 2, the Democrats' large majority in the House and Senate and their lead in governorships, so where do things stand right now?

In May when we asked if you would vote for a generic Republican or Democrat in your congressional district, things were pretty much all tied up. But in our new CNN Opinion Research Corporation national poll, the Republicans now have a five-point advantage.

What about independent voters? According to our survey, they say they would vote for the Republican candidate by a 2-1 margin. Independent votes are crucial. Their support helped the Democrats win the last two elections.

So which party has got more energy right now? Our survey indicates 47 percent of Republicans are very or extremely enthusiastic about voting right now. That's 15 points higher than Democratic voters. Remember, the mid-terms are still 100 days away and people can change their minds - Fred.

WHITFIELD: Just 100 days, that's extraordinary. All right, thanks so much, Paul.

A New York police officer injured in the line of duty gets back on his feet and into the Yankees Clubhouse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is very exciting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were trying to go do sleep, but we couldn't. We're so excited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A real-life hero comes face to face with his personal sports heroes. That story, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, there are all kind of heroes, some are stars in the world sports, others are stars in everyday life and yesterday, those two worlds collided. Monica Morales from our affiliate WPIX has the story.

MONICA MORALES, WPIX (voice-over): Thirty one-year-old officer Carlos Olmedo, his wife, his baby and his sergeant from his 62nd precinct are VIPs today at the Yankees stadium.

Olmedo is a living, breathing miracle. He was also almost killed in the line of duty back in May when he was struck by a motorcycle trying to chase down suspects in Brooklyn. His head trauma was so severe, Olmedo was in a coma for 11 days.

Everyone thought he wouldn't make it, but he did. The first face he recognized was on television in his hospital room. His hero, number two, Derek Jeter. So today, the (Pix-11) News and the Yankees made his dream come true. He's going to meet Derek Jeter and so much more.

CARLOS OLMEDO, INJURED POLICE OFFICER: This is very exciting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was trying to go to sleep, but we couldn't. We were so excited.

MORALES: But before he meets Jeter, someone was waiting for him in the clubhouse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice to see you, how are you?

OLMEDO: I'm all right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And who is this?

OLMEDO: This is our son.

MORALES: I had to take a picture of this.

OLMEDO: You know, if you're going to be around us, we're going to make you a catcher.

MORALES: Then Jorge Posada wanted to meet him, too.

(on camera): I just pinched myself real quick here. My god. Then we got free rein of the Yankees' dugout. Carlos, what's this like?

OLMEDO: This is great.

MORALES: This is pretty cool?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it is.

MORALES: What do you think, just standing in the dugout?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's -- I'm speechless right now.

MORALES (voice-over): And guess who surprised us, next.

(on camera): He loves the Yankees, the first thing on his mind were the Yankees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fantastic, has he met Derek?

MORALES: He's going to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, he's coming out soon.

MORALES (voice-over): And here comes the captain.

DEREK JETER, NEW YORK YANKEES: It's nice to meet you.

MORALES: And when we told Derek, his first words coming out of the coma were "Derek Jeter."

JETER: It depends on what he said first.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was watching a Yankee game and I asked him, who's number two and he said, Derek Jeter and it was amazing, because he didn't remember anybody.

MORALES: Derek, you're amazing, you really are.

JETER: No problem, I didn't do anything.

MORALES: He's your hero.

JETER: Hey, what can you say.

MORALES (voice-over): Yes, they put us on the big screen, too. Can't get any cooler than this?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So, so sweet. Olmedo got to watch the game, of course, in style from the owners' suite.

All right, well, for some of you this has been a pretty stormy, pretty terrifying weekend in large part. We'll look at what happened in upstate New York when a tornado blew in from nowhere. The weather update, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, a look at our top stories right now.

Reports from Afghanistan say one of two missing American servicemen has been killed. Two U.S. sailors disappeared Friday in Logar Province, a provincial official said that one of the bodies has been found. A Taliban spokesman says the dead man was killed in a firefight. He says the other American is alive and in a safe location.

And efforts to drill a relief well are ramping up again now that the storm threat has eased in the Gulf of Mexico. The drilling vessel has returned to the site of the project designed to put a permanent end to the flow of oil from BP's ruptured well. Officials say the storm threat sent efforts back by about a week.

And crews are still fighting a pair of wildfires along the California-Nevada border north of Reno. They cover a total of 775 acres and they're still only partly contained. One residence and at least two outbuildings have burned. The fires are blamed on lightning.

All right, let's check in with our Bonnie Schneider because there's been a lot of tornadic activity or at least threats of such along the east coast, very strange stuff.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: From the Jersey shore to Long Island's south shore, Fredricka. We've seen severe weather break out on a busy Sunday where a lot of people were heading to the shore to get relief from the heat.

It's been so hot out there, but you can see the storms still rolling through. We're getting a lot of intensity with it particularly down in Delaware and in Maryland where we've had reports of wind damage as these storms continue to persist and roll across the Jersey shore working their way towards coastal Delaware and certainly through the Hamptons and Long Island.

And then now up towards Boston though up in Boston the weather is not as intense as it is a little further south. I think it's much worse in the mid-Atlantic in terms of severity. So some severe thunderstorm watches are in effect through 7:00 tonight. They may get extended longer than that.

That includes New York and more of the western areas into New Jersey I'd say Philadelphia down through Dover, Delaware and Washington, D.C. These orange boxes you see here right now, these are severe thunderstorm warnings.

Now even if it's not a tornado warning, you could get a sudden gust of wind at 60 miles per hour or even greater. So that makes it very damaging as well. We're tracking this severe weather. We're also tracking other stories across the country.

You saw the threat, the wildfires, this is important to know because especially as we into tomorrow, Nevada and parts of California are still under red flag warnings. We have dry lightning strikes causing fire, gusty winds and low humidity that will persist tomorrow as well.

Heavy rain through the southern plains, and this front, the big weather-maker coming through, it's causing severe weather in many locations, particularly in Pennsylvania today. Behind it, it's finally nice, which is good because Illinois could use a break. They had so much flooding on Friday. It's going to be better weather.

We'll see improving conditions there, which is good news, but it will take a little while to dry out and that's why we still have flood watches in advance of that. Across the south, in the Gulf Coast, stormy through South Florida, it's been ongoing in Miami-Dade area all the way across I-10.

If you're driving on Florida's panhandle into Alabama, into Mississippi, you'll still have to deal with some isolated showers and thunderstorms. And as we go also into the work week, you're probably wondering, will we get any relief from the heat?

I would say the answer is yes. Particularly if you live I'd say north of the D.C. area, we're starting to see these advisories for the oppressive, excessive heat warnings break down from north to south. So they're kind of popping off the map through the evening hours.

Now, it will still feel like it's 100 degrees in Raleigh, North Carolina tomorrow and likely, as well into Virginia, but slowly, but surely as the front works its way through, it will pull down a little bit less-oppressive air. It's not going to be a dramatic change, but I think it will feel a lot better, which is some good news there.

All right, let's check the airports once again for those of you flying maybe trying to get home on a busy Sunday evening. I know a lot of people are watching us from the airport monitors and maybe you're delayed if you're in Boston or New York or any of the airports there because of the storms rolling through.

You know it doesn't only take the thunderstorms that have low visibility with the clouds lingering behind it. So we're watching for delays in D.C. as well as into New Jersey.

But the good news is that once these storms roll through, and they will within the next two hours, I think for the Monday morning business traveler, you'll be looking at better conditions so we'll get through these storms tonight. Like I said --

WHITFIELD: Don't fly tonight, fly tomorrow.

SCHNEIDER: Fly early tomorrow. Take the first flight. You get the least amount of delays.

WHITFIELD: It sounds good. All right, thanks so much, Bonnie.

All right, from harmony in South Africa to a ballet company here in the United States. We'll tell you about a young dancer's leap of faith, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, with a testament to technology and a caring person, one e-mail has changed the life of a young South African girl who dreams of one day becoming a professional ballet dancer. Here's her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As time went on, I realized it's not just for fun. It's that everything I want to become.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Ghetto ballet, a documentary recently featured on HBO chronicles the lives of four young dancers living in one of the poorest towns on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa.

They're vying for two coveted spots in a local dance company that could be their ticket outs of poverty. Director Jeremy Simmons was compelled to tell the story.

JEREMY SIMMONS, DIRECTOR, GHETTO BALLET: The kids were amazing. I mean the kids were amazing and I knew after that first day that -- these kids would speak to a broader audience, you know. They had incredible personalities. They were so open and honest and talented, you know? It was -- I was blown away.

WHITFIELD: It was the end of a dream for Sibahle Tshibika, when she didn't make the company or so she thought.

SIBAHLE TSHIBIKA: I was so hurtful inside. I thought my dancing -- I will never be able to be a dancer again.

WHITFIELD: When the film made it to BBO, it prompted an e-mail from one viewer, which set in motion a chain of events that has now changed Sibhale's life.

ROSEMARY RINGER, VIEWER: After watching it, I was so overwhelmed by the circumstances of the dancer, Sibahle and her environment that she was raised in. That she lived in shanties, the poverty-stricken shanties.

But that she had a desire far beyond the reach of her environment. I felt compelled and to e-mail Atlanta Ballet and express to them that if they could be so kind, would they please outreach to Sibahle and to the producer and bring her to the United States.

WHITFIELD: After viewing the film, the head of the Atlanta Ballet's School for Dancers offered Sibahle a full scholarship.

SHARON STORY, DEAN, ATLANTA BALLET: I watched it and I knew immediately that I wanted to invite Sibahle to Atlanta for the summer for our summer program. That she should not give up dance.

That even though those decisions were made at that time, you know, know, she has so much passion and so much spirit and determination that I wanted to give her another opportunity.

TSHIBIKA: I was excited to know that people who are willing to me to continue dancing and I'm really thankful for the offer. What they did.

WHITFIELD: The long journey from South Africa to Atlanta began and Sharon Story quickly saw Sibahli's commitment.

STORY: When she arrived, I knew who she was immediately and we hugged immediately. Next day, I said you can take the day off because the day off, because she had been traveling for -- I think it was 48 hours she had been traveling, and she was like, no. So she showed up at 9:00 in the morning the next day and did the full day, no problem. I was very proud of her.

WHITFIELD: Sibahle said initially she was nervous and tense, but knew she had to push herself because of the school's high standards.

WHITFIELD: After a recent screening of the film, an emotional Sibahle was able to thank Rosemary Ringer for helping accomplish her dream.

TSHIBIKA: I will never forget it, and I will appreciate her because if it wasn't for her, maybe I would never be in Atlanta. I'm very thankful.

RINGER: I believe we are spread among each other. I believe we all have a heart and we were all a teenager once and we want to see a dream come true.

WHITFIELD: The greatest lesson that Shibahle learned, perhaps, may not have come from the dance floor.

STORY: I hope she takes from this experience that she can do it if this is a desire that she has that, there are many opportunities. That once a door closes, you have to always look for the other door, that there always will be another door.

TSHIBIKA: If you believe on something, you should I want to be sure that one day it's going to happen. And if it didn't, don't just give up. Just tell yourself you're going to make it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: But wait, there's more. Sibahle will perform with the Atlanta ballet on July 31st and then she heads back to South Africa to finish school. The Atlanta Ballet has invited her to return to continue her learning back here in the United States. The documentary film "Ghetto Ballet" can now be seen on HBO on demand.

All right, homeowners, they are ling up in the heat in a desperate effort to save their homes.

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WHITFIELD: Today, the U.S. treasury secretary said banks holding too tightly onto their money are causing, quote, "lasting distress on the housing market." Signs of that distress are apparent in Washington, D.C. today where people with troubled mortgages are lined up for help. Sandra Endo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lined up, camping out, trying to save their homes. Thousands of homeowners from across the nation are looking for relief at this housing fair in Washington.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So that would be $508 that you're looking to put back into your income.

ENDO: Delvenus Sanders from Maryland is one of them.

DELVENUS SANDERS, STRUGGLING HOMEOWNER: We've been struggling. We've been joggling bills around because we know the mortgage is the most important bill, and we want to get help now before we get too far behind and end up losing the house.

ENDO: After an orientation with non-profit housing experts and talking with a counselor, Sanders then gets to sit down face to face with her lender to hash out better terms.

(on camera): On to the banks, right?

SANDERS: Going to the bank.

ENDO: OK, good luck.

SANDERS: Thank you.

ENDO (voice-over): Bank representatives say it makes sense for them to help people like Sanders who are trying to stay afloat.

ANGEANETTE DOWLES, BANK OF AMERICA, RETENTION DIVISION: The cash is still flowing to the investor and the banks and homeowner gets to stay in their home. That is a great value ad for anybody.

BRUCE MARKS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE CORP. OF AMERICA: Not just are we saving homes, saving marriages and some cases saving lives. It's that personal.

ENDO: The Obama administration's loan modification program has been criticized for not doing enough to help homeowners. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner admits it's off to a slow start, but says the administration is tackling the ongoing housing problem.

TOM GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY: We brought a measure of stability to house prices, interest rates have come down dramatically, millions of Americans have been able to take advantage of lower rates, which is more money in their pockets.

ENDO: Events like this one still attracting thousands of homeowners, so the federal government needs to do more to fix the struggling housing prices. The people here can't just wait for a solution, they need help right now.

So what happened? Any good news?

SANDERS: Well, I didn't get a solution right now, but that's not a bad thing. What's going to happen next is since I bought my home, we haven't had an updated appraisal on it.

And because my mortgage is now upside down, they need to determine the actual value, definitely a learning experience. I've got my fingers crossed. I'll know in 10 days.

ENDO: Sandra Endo, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All the best to her and so many others in that same predicament. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. I'll see you back here again next weekend.

Our David Mattingly has just landed after a flight over the deepwater horizon oil rig. He'll tell Don Lemon up next what he saw straight ahead in the "Newsroom."

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