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800 Killed in Pakistan Floods; Military Leak Investigation; 9/11 Benefits Bill; Wedding Bells are Going to Chime; Developing Future Leaders
Aired July 31, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, top of the hour here now. Good morning to you all and welcome back. Glad you could be here. I'm T.J. Holmes.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello.
HOLMES: Hey, how are you doing, Kate?
BOLDUAN: I'm very good. I'm Kate Bolduan.
HOLMES: Good to have you with us as always.
BOLDUAN: Thanks for being with us.
Big day today including the wedding everyone is talking about. Former first daughter, Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky are getting married later today. It is set to be a posh and private affair. We will take you to Rhinebeck, New York, to learn more.
HOLMES: Also, getting a closer look at what's happening in the Gulf right now. We are getting closer, possibly, to the beginning of the end of that ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. The government has the plan. They have a timeline but they are tweaking it a bit.
BOLDUAN: A bit.
And what about the leak of thousands of classified military documents from the war in Afghanistan? Well, the prime suspect is in custody and charges are flying.
HOLMES: All right. A tragedy is unfolding right now in Pakistan. Floodwaters have swept at least 800 people to their deaths.
BOLDUAN: Whole villages are flattened or under water. Government buildings, schools and crops just washed away.
CNN's Reza Sayah is in the disaster zone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One government official is calling this the worst natural disaster ever in northwest Pakistan in the 63-year history of this country. These floods have been catastrophic for many areas in northwestern Pakistan.
(INAUDIBLE) will show that the latest figure we have is 800 people killed; this according to a provincial information minister. The hardest hit region has been the province of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa. Most of the victims are here. That's where we are.
Officials say in several districts in that province, hundreds of homes have been swept way. Many of these homes are made of mud, oftentimes unable to withstand heavy floodwaters. Officials say scores of businesses, schools and government buildings have also been destroyed.
The goal for relief crews right now is to get into some of these areas as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We, of course, continue to keep a close eye on that developing story. We will continue to bring you those updates as they are available.
BOLDUAN: The suspected source of thousands of army field reports that ended up online earlier this week is in military facility and under guard; Private First Class Bradley Manning facing a possible court-martial.
HOLMES: This incident ignited a war of words now between the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, Admiral Mike Mullen and also the founder of the whistle blower Web site.
CNN's Sandra Endo, live for us in Washington with the very latest. And this was an interesting and a direct back and forth we saw between top Pentagon officials and this guy who runs this Web site this week.
SANDRA ENDO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely T.J. and Kate, certainly a war of words among those officials. But we're also learning more about the private first class who military officials say is the prime suspect in their investigation into who leaked 76,000 documents pertaining to the war in Afghanistan to the Web site called WikiLeaks.
Twenty-two-year-old Bradley Manning is being held in solitary confinement in Quantico, Virginia for a whole different case altogether. He is facing charges of leaking air strike videos and downloading documents from classified military systems back in 2007. He is from Preston, Oklahoma where childhood friends say he was extremely smart and outspoken.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHERA MOORE, FRIEND OF BRADLEY MANNING: If someone didn't agree with him on his point of views with, like on government stuff or religious, because he was nonreligious, he was, like I said, he was very outspoken about it and spoke his opinion. Sometimes he would get in heated arguments in class if he didn't agree with certain things. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ENDO: Now, Private Manning was appointed a military lawyer for those previous charges and could possibly have a hearing as early as next month but, because of this new investigation, that timeline could be delayed -- T.J. and Kate?
HOLMES: All right. Sandra Endo for us in Washington this morning. Sandra, we appreciate you as always.
Also, this week, a dramatic outburst we saw on the house floor. Congressman Anthony Weiner went on a tirade after a health benefits bill for emergency workers who were first on the scene during the 9/11 attacks failed to pass. The New York Democrat took aim at Republicans who voted against the bill because they couldn't add amendments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman from New York is recognized.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, you have one minute to the gentlemen from New York, Mr. Weiner.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman's recognized.
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D) NEW YORK: Great courage to all members who have already spoken and then stand up and wrap your arms around procedure. We see it in the United States senate every single day where members say we want amendments, we want debate, we want amendments but we are still a no.
And then we stand up and say, if only we had a different process, we would vote yes. You vote yes if you believe yes. You vote in favor of something if you believe it is the right thing. If you believe it is the wrong thing, you vote no. We are following a procedure.
(CROSSTALK)
WEINER: I will not yield to the gentlemen and the gentlemen will observe regular order. The gentlemen will observe regular order. The gentleman speaks and gets up and yells like he is going to intimidate people into believing he is right. He is wrong. The gentleman is wrong.
The gentlemen is providing cover for his colleagues rather than doing the right thing. It is Republicans wrapping their arms around Republicans rather than doing the right thing on behalf of the hero. It is a shame, a shame if you believe this is a bad idea to provide health care, then vote no.
But don't give me the cowardly view that, oh, if it were a different procedure. The gentlemen will observe regular order and sit down. I will not.
(CROSSTALK) WEINER: The gentlemen will sit. The gentleman is correct in sitting. I will not.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The (INAUDIBLE) is suspended. The gentleman is recognized.
WEINER: I will not stand here and listen to my colleagues, if only I had a different procedure that allows us to stall, stall, stall and then vote no. Instead of standing up and defending your colleagues in voting no on this humane bill, you should urge them to vote yes -- something the gentlemen has not done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: It's amazing. To yell at a guy like that and call him a gentleman at the same time. But that gentleman he was telling to sit down, he was referring to there, Republican Peter King, also of New York. King actually -- get this -- voted for the bill but he had tipped the debate in another direction focusing on the Democratic suspension of the rules. That suspension required a two-thirds majority to pass the bill instead of a simple majority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: They say they want Republican support, yet they never consulted even one Republican before they made the corporate tax increase to pay for.
They say they wanted Republican support before they passed this bill but they never applied that standard when they ran through the stimulus, health care, cap and trade or financial health care reform. No, you only apply it to cops and firefighters and construction workers. What a sad and pathetic double standard.
These heroes deserve better, (INAUDIBLE) you see here tonight. No matter what happens on this vote, I will continue to do all I can to pass this bill as soon as possible in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, Representative King tells CNN that if the bill went to a simple majority vote, he would sit with Democrats all day and defend the bill against Republicans.
Workers who were at the scene after the 9/11 attacks have come down with all sorts of illnesses. John Feal (ph) is a demolition worker who was at Ground Zero right after the attacks.
And he talked to our Don Lemon about the failure to get this bill passed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: How do you feel about this bill, the bill failing?
JOHN FEAL, FOUNDER, FEAL GOOD FOUNDATION: Well, one, we knew it was going to happen. The way it was put on the floor as a suspension bill, we knew it would fail.
Both Congressmen King and Weiner are right but both Congressmen King and Weiner are wrong. One said it was a sham, it was a sham. One said it was a shame and it is a shame.
Because of bipartisan reckless politics, it is the 9/11 responders that suffer. Because the two parties can't agree and have different ideologies on how to help somebody, we are the ones who suffer.
They should have voted like an American last night instead of a Republican or a Democrat. That vote should have been 435 to nothing. Instead, we have to wait another six or seven weeks before they come back from their long overrated recess and hope we get -- I'm sorry.
LEMON: Yes, go ahead. Finish your thought and then I will go on with my question.
FEAL: We have to wait for them to come back. Hopefully, we put the bill back on the floor at the end of September and, as a regular rules bill, which only needs 218 votes and we know we're confident we are going to win.
But the thing is, Don, we're running out of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Running out of time. And this battle over the benefits bill has dragged on now in Congress for some nine years.
BOLDUAN: The battle over Arizona's tough new immigration law could drag on for a while as well. A federal appeals court has turned down Governor Jan Brewer's request for an expedited hearing on the issue. Instead, the case is heading for a hearing in November.
Brewer filed the appeal after a federal judge blocked most of the bill's provisions. Arizona senator, John McCain, is also weighing in. He says the violence along the border with Mexico makes it imperative that the border be secure.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R): I've said and continue to repeat, we have to get the border secured first because it is obvious the violence has escalated to a degree on the other side of the border that it's become a national security issue.
We just announced the closing of our consulate in Juarez. There was a car bombing not that long ago. The list goes on and on. Warning signs to our citizens in the southern part of our state. So, look, we have to get the border secured first. I don't know how many thousands of times I have to say that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Well, legal experts say it is likely the battle over Arizona's immigration law will end up at the Supreme Court.
In the Gulf of Mexico, another delay in sealing the crippled BP oil well once and for all. Federal officials now say it will be Monday or Tuesday before they can begin on what is known as "Static Kill" -- very big deal.
This delay is putting things back a bit. Crews still have to clear away debris from tropical storm Bonnie. After mud and cement are poured into the well and a relief well is finished, the bottom, final bottom kill will take place. All this should take about a month. Even then officials say don't expect recovery crews to pull out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: We should not be writing any obituary for this event until the well is completely sealed, until we have no more oil in the surface of the water, until we understand where all the oil has gone to and until the beaches are clean.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Another step expected in the weeks ahead involves gradually removing the 11 million feet of boom we've been seeing all along the Gulf Coast -- 11 million feet, wow.
HOLMES: Still a long process. Looks like we are going in the right direction with getting this thing killed but we have a long way to go.
BOLDUAN: 11 million feet. That's just an astonishing amount.
HOLMES: Astonishing as well, a lot of people are saying, what we probably won't see, which is the wedding that everybody is talking about but nobody is really invited to.
BOLDUAN: Everything involved is extremely hush-hush from Chelsea Clinton and her family as the former first daughter gets ready to tie the knot in New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We are playing this because, can you believe, she was just 12 or 13 years old when she was first introduced to the country. We kind of watched her grow up at the White House. Now, she is really all grown up. Chelsea Clinton is getting married.
BOLDUAN: Exactly. And everyone is talking about this wedding and our Susan Candiotti, she's as close to the event as really are going to get in upstate New York.
Hey there Susan.
So, Susan, we've got al lot to talk about.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm not that close.
BOLDUAN: Exactly. Break out your binoculars. What have you been able to see this morning?
CANDIOTTI: First of all, let me set the scene for you. Over my shoulder is the Beekman Arms Inn (ph), and it's the oldest continuously operating hotel in America. That's how old it is, goes back to 1600's. And anyway, that's where a lot of the guests are staying.
And in fact, last night, it was the scene of a reception that took place after the rehearsal dinner, and this was apparently hosted by former President Bill Clinton and current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
And when they arrived on the scene, there was a huge outcry from all the spectators late last night, a lot of applause. They both looked very relaxed. They took their time as they got out of the car to wave to people, smiling to everyone.
Hillary was wearing a beautiful, appeared to be chiffon green dress. Actually they both looked wonderful.
And so it's clearly, just the beginning of what's going to be a very big day for everyone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): On the banks of the Hudson was two hours from New York City, Rhinebeck is a picture post card setting for Chelsea Clinton's summer wedding.
JIM LANGON, HUDSON VALLEY NEWS: You could make a case this is the most significant thing to happen in Rhinebeck since Washington's army drove the British out of Rhinebeck in the 1700s.
CANDIOTTI: Yet even police aren't allowed to blurt it out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a private event that's planned for the Rhinebeck area.
CANDIOTTI: May be the understatement of the year. But throw in a few lines like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are working with the Secret Service and providing direct support to the United States Secret Service.
CANDIOTTI: And there is virtually no doubt Chelsea and fiancee Marc Mezvinsky, are getting hitched right here, tucked into a tree top hill, party tents are in place at the late John Jacob Astor's sprawling estates.
(on camera): Lots of activity continues to go on outside the Astor Courts; this is where the wedding is expected to be. Oh, look, there's another bus going in there. And across the street you can see appears to be some kind of delivery truck -- might be a catering truck. And they even blocked out the letters on so you can't tell who it is belongs to. If we did, we would be calling them right away.
NANCY AMY, RHINEBECK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Nobody wants information about their wedding getting out before the day of the wedding.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Hudson Valley News Editor, Jim Langon, broke Rhinebeck's biggest nuptial story weeks ago. Yet even his best buddies won't dish about details.
LANGON: One of them was in a swimming pool with me about 3 days ago. And he was speaking Swahili rather than answer any of my pathetic attempts to get some information out of him.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): For an event planner, how big of a deal is this?
TATIANA BYRON, EVENT PLANNER: This is the wedding of the century.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Event planner Tatiana Byron says fashionistas are dying to see what Chelsea will be wearing. Wedding guests can even bring cell phones.
(on camera): You think anyone will try to sneak things in.
BYRON: I think, for sure people are going to try and sneak things in but it's going to be really difficult when you have the local police, the state and secret service on your tail.
CANDIOTTI: The world has watched Chelsea grow up, even comforting her parents during rocky times; eventually campaigning for her mom, always known for protecting her privacy.
CHELSEA CLINTON, DAUGHTER OF BILL CLINTON: And I do not think that's any of your business.
HANK SHEINKOPH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: This young woman has survived extraordinary tumultuous career of both of her parents and has chosen to marry in a ceremony that is open to those who are invited because they're real friends, not for any other reason.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: So, have you seen any celebrities this morning?
CANDIOTTI: We haven't seen any celebrities this morning. But I can tell you this. A little while ago, we saw what appeared to be the bridesmaids getting on to a bus at one of the locations, the hotels right around here, one of the small cottages. They were carrying their dress bags with them -- so, again, no confirmation on any of this. If it looks like a duck and it smells like a duck, I think that's what it was.
BOLDUAN: We are seeing movement.
CANDIOTTI: Last night, we did -- that's right -- last night at reception that took place afterwards, no celebrities were spotted but some recognizable faces including the former secretary of state, Madeline Albright. She was one of the guests that attended the reception here at the Beekman Arms right over my shoulder. That was fun.
BOLDUAN: All right. We'll see. Keep your eyes peeled, my friend. You are our eyes and ears on the ground. Thanks Susan.
HOLMES: A failed polygraph test, medical records promised but never delivered and an accuser suspected of selling her attempted assault tale to the tabloid press.
BOLDUAN: All of this casting doubts on accusations against Al Gore. Now, he is off the hook.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Taking a look now at some of the stories making headlines.
Three wildfires and dozens of homes destroyed in southern California. Right now more than 1,300 firefighters are battling 30,000 acres that have been charred so far out there in Los Angeles after these fires. California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger says crews are doing everything they can trying to extinguish these three fires.
The largest is the crown fire. Firefighters say barely a quarter of it is contained right now.
Also look at this video out of Russia. See just how tough it was for people trying to escape what is being called the worst wild fire ever to hit western Russia. This blaze is blamed for 25 deaths, destroyed more than 1m200 homes. The Russian government says it has deployed nearly a quarter of a million people to fight the fire.
Also, there will be no sex assault charges for former vice president, Al Gore. Both Portland police and the local district attorney say there isn't enough evidence for the case to move forward. A female masseuse claims Gore groped and fondled her during a massage session back in 2006. A gore spokesperson says the former vice president is pleased with the decision -- Kate.
BOLDUAN: Great African-American scholar WEB Dubois coined the phrase "The Talented Tent". He was referring to the importance of building leadership among the most able 10 percent of blacks in an effort to create future leaders. In today's "Building up American" Allan Chernoff shows us how that is being put into practice in a summer program at Princeton University.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Summer in the city, playing ball, hanging out. Getting in trouble? Not Robert Emmanuel. This 15-year-old from Newark, New Jersey is a W.E.B. DuBois scholar this summer, in a different world 40 miles south on the campus of Princeton University.
For five weeks, the DuBois Scholars Institute takes promising African-American students from underprivileged backgrounds and mixes them with equally bright black students from wealthier families, bringing more than 50 students to Princeton University.
ROBERT EMMANUEL, W.E.B. DUBOIS SCHOLAR: It really changed my thinking about myself, by bringing out a new me which I thought -- which I never knew was there.
CHERNOFF: Psychology professor Sherl Boone is putting DuBois' "Talented Tent" concept into practice, hoping to develop tomorrow's black leaders by building students' confidence and intellectual skills.
PROF. SHERL BOONE, W.E.B. DUBOIS SCHOLARS' INSTITUTE: DuBois was founded with the hope that we could begin to develop those who I believe have the greatest potential for solving some of the problems that confronted us.
CHERNOFF: Today, Robert's class is studying the BP oil crisis and business ethics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) BP should try to involve other oil companies, because they're also affected by this, too.
CHERNOFF: The institute wants these students to remember that they can be leaders who will take on the nation's most challenging problems.
EMMANUEL: Going back to school, I'm more prepared. I feel as though I can do anything in school, I can get straight A's. I can get a 4.5 GPA.
CHERNOFF: Allan Chernoff, CNN, Princeton, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We have a first for you here: a woman in Texas planning a wedding even though she does not have a groom.
BOLDUAN: Yes. We are not making this up. But she does have a lot of people talking about this. Josh Levs spoke with her this morning. So Josh, what did she say?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, my goodness. I have to tell you something. After we spoke with her four hours ago -- we were up pretty early this morning -- we got so many responses. People are talking about this like crazy. People have a lot of opinions on this one.
You know, maybe in a way, it is anything for love but it is certainly an idea unlike anything you have heard before. I got a chance to speak with her. And I asked her what everyone wants to know.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: I've got to start off asking you this because everybody is hearing about this. You have this huge wedding planned for February. You have every detail, the dress, pretty much everything, the venue, the food, but no one to marry. What are you thinking?
LISA LINEHAN, "PROJECT HUSBAND": Well, I just had this spontaneous idea in February at my friend's wedding in New York, that if I planned my wedding a year in advance, then I would have to married.
The more I talked about it, the more it gained steam and momentum and I went on a mission. I'm on a mission. I have been dating quite a lot. I'm learning a lot and I'm hoping I will find my soulmate in time to get married on February 15th.
LEVS: Now since you announced this, you have gone on dates with 50 different guys?
LINEHAN: That's correct.
LEVS: And talk to me, how many of them have been repeat dates?
LINEHAN: I would say about 10 of them have been repeat dates.
LEVS: Wow. I've got to ask you though, but when you have this pressure in front of you, how can you build a relationship that's solid enough for marriage and to make a marriage last?
For marriage you have to get deep, really connect, have time and grow together and talk about kids and future? How can you do that when there is this deadline in front of you?
LINEHAN: Well, first of all, I think anything is possible where there's a will, there's a way. I'm 35 years old. I'm not in my 20s anymore. I know what I want and I'm hoping that I'll find a guy who feels the same way.
That he is ready to be married and would like to have a family and our goals will align and stars will align. I realize it is not conventional and it is not for everyone. I am hopeful it will work for me. I do have a goal and a deadline. It's an honest platform for dating.
LEVS: You know what, you are a singer songwriter. You put together a little song you put together on Youtube. Let's show up a little clip of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINEHAN: I want to get married, married will you marry me. I'm looking for that special boy to share my life and share my joy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: You are certainly taking off online. People are watching this. Talk to me about what you are looking for. There are guys out there watching right now who are thinking, OK, you know what, I am looking for love too. So what are you looking for a guy and what do you have to offer?
LINEHAN: Well, I'm looking for a sense of humor, confidence, someone who is intellectual and educated and motivated and someone who can handle situations with ease, whether it is a social situation or just a life situation, you know, things happen.
I prefer a tall, dark, and handsome guy, but I know good things come in all packages so I'm pretty open-minded there. But, you know, consistency and honesty are big things. Personality and character go a long way. So I am looking for someone with substance who is willing and able and ready to be in a committed relationship.
LEVS: But aren't guys scared off? I mean, you know, a lot of guys might be interested in dating, but they know you only want to look at someone who is ready to get very, very married on a specific date. Are you finding guys running away from that?
LINEHAN: Sure. Some are, but, you know, more often than not, the guys are embracing it and they'll say things like why not? You are a cool chick.
Some guys will say, when I heard about this, I thought you had to be psycho, but then we had a date and actually, I'd like to hang out some more. And then some will say, you know, I really like you, but there is no way I'm going to be ready to be married in February and that's OK too. So at least it is honest. I think it's kind of save time.
LEVS: It is triggering this discussion. I was looking at your Facebook page, you got a post of the top right now from someone saying you are a moron.
But you got a lot of others saying, you know what, you're really inspiring me to believe that I can still find love that I could still find everything. Are you finding that this project of yours is actually turning into something a lot bigger than you?
LINEHAN: Absolutely. You know, I never really dreamed that I'd be kind of worldwide talking about this story, because it was something that started so close to home.
But I'm finding it really resonates with people. It makes some people furious and it makes other people extremely hopeful. But the vast majority of people who are responding are excited. Everyone loves a good love story.
LEVS: Yes, and then (INAUDIBLE) for you. Listen, I have to ask you this before you go. What if you get to the date, no one to marry, do you still show up?
LINEHAN: Yes, I will still show up and have a party. I'd like to see someone get married. So, you know, I think there might be a couple out there that would step in. But I'm hopeful that it will work out.
LEVS: Wow. Now, you have some couples out there hoping it doesn't. Listen, I ...
LINEHAN: I'm sure.
LEVS: I know that all these sponsorships now, a lot of people have gotten excited about your project. Everyone -- at least everyone "roots for love." So I am rooting for you. Everyone is rooting for you. Give me a call or send me a Tweet or something as soon as this actually happens for you.
LINEHAN: Absolutely.
LEVS: All right, listen, Lisa Linehan, projecthusband.com. Thank you so much for joining us today.
LINEHAN: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: You never know which stories are going to get everyone talking. It's just amazing. Of all the segments we have been doing today, that's the one that people are weighing in like crazy. You can join the conversation.
I'm sure you have a lot to say about it. It is facebook.com/joshlevscnn. Let me show what you think. It is up on the blog now too cnn.com/josh.
So T.J., Kate, we can expect more people joining in on that conversation with their views. It is an extremely unusual idea.
BOLDUAN: It is definitely unusual. I can't wait to find out what happens come February. We'll be watching.
HOLMES: All right, see you guys. Well, last week, we told you a story after bravery. A visually impaired woman accidentally stepped off Atlanta's train station platform and fell on to the tracks.
BOLDUAN: Now, Samuel White saved her as the train pulled into the station, pulling 57-year-old Addi Norfleet from the tracks just in the nick of time. The train actually stopped four feet in front of her. We talked with him earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMUEL WHITE, PULLED WOMAN OFF THE TRACKS: I did not think at the time. I just relate acted because if I was to think, it would have cost her life. You know, so I just reacted, after seeing the shadow of her falling over towards the train and I just jumped into action.
HOLMES: Did you look to see if a train was coming first?
WHITE: Yes, I did. The first thing I did, I immediately ran down closer to the train to get Ayana's attention and motioned to stop and let her know there was someone on the tracks.
She then proceed to stop the train and with that, when I knew the train was totally stopped, I proceeded to jump down on the tracks, remove the lady from the train and put her on my shoulders and then I handed her over to two coworkers after I got to the edge of the track.
BOLDUAN: Ayana, you are just doing your job and going about your work. You stopped four feet before Miss Norfleet. I mean, that doesn't sound easy and can't be. How did this all transpire for you? What did you see and how did you pull this off?
AYANA DUNLAP-BELL, MARTA RAIL OPERATOR: Well, when I was coming into the platform, I saw a lot of people on the platform waving a lot.
But what caught my attention was Samuel pointing to the trains. I had already gun to slow the train down. Then, we have emergency procedures that we use for situations that are abnormal situations. I just followed it to the letter.
HOLMES: You said you had already started to slow down. How long does it take to slow that train down? How many feet do you need even?
DUNLAP-BELL: I can't give you an exact, but the platform is about 600 feet. The train is about 450 feet. So, you know, I can't give you all the numbers but ...
HOLMES: But for you as you were getting closer, you did the emergency procedure. Did you still think in your mind, oh, my goodness, I'm going to hit this woman?
DUNLAP-BELL: Yes, yes. Actually, because like I said before, machines fail. I did everything I could do on my part to get the train to stop and I've made this statement that there was more than just me operating that train that day.
It had to be somebody else there to give me the strength to do everything I needed to do and just to get the train to stop. And when he jumped down on the tracks, I was like, now it is two people on the tracks.
BOLDUAN: I mean, have either of you had a chance to speak with Miss Norfleet. We heard in some of the sound we were playing she would just want to thank you. I could only imagine she had so much to be thankful for. Does she had the chance to speak to you?
WHITE: No.
DUNLAP-BELL: No.
WHITE: But I would sure like to meet her. I wondered about her after the incident and how, you know, she was being cared for.
HOLMES: Was she -- when you got down there on the tracks, did she seem disoriented or injured or confused about what was happening? What was she like when you got to her?
WHITE: She was despondent, like she was in shock. She was in shock because the train was coming up on her.
BOLDUAN: So this whole group of people together -- you stopped the train, did you get out? I mean, how did -- once you stopped the train, thank God, you know, the immediate problem was solved. Did you then all have to pull her out? It's a pretty big drop down on to the actual tracks.
WHITE: Well, not actually. Because, see, there got to be like maybe 2.5 to 3 feet. Once I got to the edge of the platform, I was able to get so close where there were two co-workers of mine who then had grabbed her.
BOLDUAN: I can only imagine this is something you train for, but something you have never experienced before.
DUNLAP-BELL: Never. It was the scariest moment I have ever had, to know you are not in control of something all the way and to have someone's life watching it unfold before you. There are not words to put it into. I could never tell you exactly how I felt at that time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: You know, great they could come and join us and share their story. They still, again, have not talked to the woman they helped save that day.
But maybe that meeting will happen somewhere down the road. It's about 20 minutes to the top of the hour. Quick break. Be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Let's get a check of some of our top stories now. A major rescue effort is underway in Pakistan, the nation's Air Force is scrambling to rescue survivors from days of monsoon rains and epic flooding. At least 800 people have been killed in one province alone.
A very sad, a very angering situation. That's how U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow sees the oil spill in Michigan's Kalamazoo River. Nearly 20,000 barrels of oil leaked from a pipeline earlier in the week. The cause is still under investigation. The cleanup is under way, but crews still have a pretty long way to go. All eyes are on Rhinebeck, New York. Former first daughter, Chelsea Clinton, and investment banker, Marc Mezvinsky, set to exchange "I dos" later today at a posh estate along Hudson River. We don't know many details. They're keeping it very private. Everyone involved including the bride's parents are under strict orders not to talk.
And some serious flash flooding to talk about in the southwestern United States. Folks in Nogales, Arizona know all about it. In fact at one point, they were considering evacuation.
Back to back nights of heavy rain turned retention ditches into raging rapids. A flash flood watch remains in effect until later tonight for much of southern Arizona as another round of rain is possible.
HOLMES: Let's turn to our guy, Reynolds Wolf. He has been doing double duty for us down in New Orleans covering the Gulf oil disaster and also the weather for us.
So let's combine those two stories for a second and then we can get to weather nationwide. Is the weather going to cooperate for these critical next few days of this process of trying to kill this well.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, I think weather is going to be picture perfect down here all things considered. I mean, comparatively speaking to what we had last weekend, when we were dealing with the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie, certainly rough times then, very, very tranquil speaking (ph) out in the Gulf of Mexico.
Things are fine on the Gulf waters. For everything they are going to be doing in terms of trying to finish up the relief wells and in terms of cleaning things up. But, in terms of what's happening along the coast itself, brutal heat could be expected today.
All along the Gulf Coast, in fact, we've got incredible heat, high humidity. Right now, conditions are sweltering in many locations. In fact, you see right here in the southeast and on this map as we spread out a little bit, you will see 10 states this time under some kind of watch warning or advisory all due to the heat.
The national perspective on temperatures shows the heat, not just limited to parts of the southeast, no, but even to the central and southern plains. That is something that should last through the weekend.
In fact, here in New Orleans, highs may actually reach the triple digits. Just forget about the high humidity, just temperature wise by tomorrow. Now, in terms of national perspective, we will talk about the heat in the southeast.
Towards the extreme west coast, dry conditions with the fires, but if you look at radar here in parts of the desert southwest, rain is still going to be the story. Many places -- if you have ever made the drive from say, Phoenix heading southward to Tucson, you're going to over parts of the interstate where you're going to have this dry river beds.
Those are going to be full today. Lots of water going through there today. Please be careful if you are making that drive. And of course, out west, we are not getting much relief, of course, for the fires.
They should be roaring for a good part of today if possibly through the rest of this week. Guys, we have brought things up. New York looks pretty good for the big wedding today. It should be mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Highs in the 80s.
Let's send it back to you guys.
HOLMES: All right, Reynolds, we appreciate you, buddy including the weather forecast. Thanks so much.
BOLDUAN: Thanks, Reynolds. For anyone getting married today, I guess.
HOLMES: A lot of other people probably getting married today somewhere around New York as well.
BOLDUAN: Congrats to everybody.
HOLMES: Congratulations as well for a Pennsylvania man who got a really special something on his birthday.
BOLDUAN: Yes, that's right. He delivered his own baby. You'll hear his story after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: A Pittsburgh area man got the birthday present of a lifetime earlier this week, David Barbacow celebrated his birthday by delivering his wife's baby.
He delivered his own baby at home. The new dad got home from work to find his wife having contractions. She was scheduled for a C- section on Wednesday, but there was nothing stopping Baby Nichole from coming into the world and she wanted to come.
It was -- she was coming out. The military man jumped into action by grabbing clean towels, hot water and laying his wife down in the bathroom and then he went to work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE BARBACOW, MOM: I was extremely frightened because you hear about all of those crazy things that could happen.
DAVID BARBACOW, DAD: It was like somebody was guiding my hands and somebody was whispering in my ear what to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BOLDUAN: The new mom, baby, and dad are doing great.
HOLMES: Like I said, military man. Those guys are ready for anything.
BOLDUAN: They can handle pressure.
HOLMES: Yes, well, coming up and it's coming to a car lot possibly near you soon. The new hope for Detroit.
BOLDUAN: Yes, Detroit's new electric hope, the Chevy Volt. Hope to recharge Motor City manufacturing has even got President Obama pretty amped up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, look who we got with us?
BOLDUAN: Looky, looky, looky.
HOLMES: Look what the cat dragged in?
BOLDUAN: Washington taking over.
HOLMES: OK.
BOLDUAN: OK, so "NEWSROOM" ...
HOLMES: Don't say that now.
BOLDUAN: OK, so "NEWSROOM" is going to continue at the top of the hour. I know you never are.
HOLMES: Good to have you here with us this weekend. You're coming up here in a few minutes. What do you have is on tap? It will be a long afternoon.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: It will be a long afternoon, but we'll buckle up and fasten our seat belts. It's going to be a good afternoon because we've got a lot to talk about.
You know all too well there's plenty in the news today. Our legal guys are coming on. We're going to be talking about, of course, they're here on the weekends with us with Fredricka Whitfield every Saturday.
We're going to be talking with them about the Arizona Immigration controversy. A ruling came down, as you know, for the state of Arizona that the governor down there isn't too happy about. We'll be getting into that. Talking to our legal guys about that.
A woman out in California, get this, convicted of sending texts to herself. I'm not sure I fully understand the story. I hoping our legal guys can break this down. Apparently, these were threatening texts ...
BOLDUAN: To herself?
ACOSTA: She sent them to herself. She's blaming all of this on other relatives. It sounds a little messy. We're going to drill down and get to the bottom of that. Speaking of drilling down, the oil spill down in Louisiana, you have federal officials, BP officials says, hey, look, the oil is clearing up, it's magically disappearing.
Our beaches are getting better. Our shores are getting better, but there are folks down in Louisiana who aren't buying it and one of those folks is a charter captain, a boat charter captain, name is Mike Fernette. He's going to be joining us in the 3:00 hour.
He says if anyone thinks the oil is disappearing, just come on out with me ...
BOLDUAN: Yes, follow me.
ACOSTA: Yes, and I did a piece on this a couple of days ago where, you know, looks can be deceiving. You know, one day it looks like the oil is vanishing out there on the Gulf, but as we know, this is an ebbing and flowing disaster out there.
So in a week from now, you could have oil covered beaches because there's so much oil that's unaccounted for at this point. We'll have that. It's going to be a full afternoon.
HOLMES: Good to have you here in Atlanta, both of you Washington types.
BOLDUAN: Washington types.
HOLMES: We get you covered. We're hospitable, but not that hospitable. We'll see you.
ACOSTA: Appreciate it. Thanks, guys.
BOLDUAN: So recharging Detroit one volt at a time, earlier this week President Obama got a sneak peek at GM's next generation of electric car.
HOLMES: Let's go ahead at CNN's one other Washington person, White House correspondent, Dan Lothian now reports the vehicle could not only pave the way for the city's economic recovery, but for the president's political future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How fast can you go with this car?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Up to 100 miles an hour.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the Jolt General Motors hopes will drive the industry's recovery, and I'm in the driver's seat of the new electric car they call the Volt. (on camera): Wow. That is amazing.
LOTHIAN: The car that's expensive battery technology comes with a $40,000 price tag that critics say will scare off most buyers, but there's a tax credit and a lease option that makes its more affordable. Its production has also brought jobs to the GM Hamtramck plant President Obama visited.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of you saw me drive the Volt about 12 inches. They don't let me drive much these things.
LOTHIAN: Stephanie Carpenter who's on Volt's launch team says the car offers a reprieve after years of uncertainty and pain in a state dealing with an unemployment rate of more than 13 percent.
STEPHANIE CARPENTER, GM DETROIT-HAMTRAMCK EMPLOYEE: You think about all the jobs lost. You think about all the people you're missing. All the people you worked with and they're no longer there. You think about that, and it's heartbreaking.
LOTHIAN: But the Obama administration says the $62 billion bailout of Chrysler and GM, which some lawmakers resisted is working. The Volt and the new Grand Cherokee, they suggest, are signs of life. Keith Crain covers the auto industry.
KEITH CRAIN, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS: The American auto industry was on death's door and today it's revived and it's healthy.
LOTHIAN: But better products, not bailout money he says is what will sustain the industry long term and while GM sees the Volt as that better product, they've been down this road before.
Remember the EV1, the electric car of the '90s, cutting-edge that fizzled, but Andrew (Farah) who worked on that car and is now the Volt's chief engineer says they've learned from EV1's shortcomings.
ANDREW FARAH, CHIEF ENGINEER, CHEVROLET VOLT: Being an electric vehicle, it had the issue of at some point those batteries are going to run out and if I'm nowhere near a plug, you're stuck. With the volt, I think we've really addressed all of those issues.
LOTHIAN: While each charge will only drive the Volt 40 miles, once the battery runs low, a gas engine kicks in, but there's another big difference.
(on camera): To get a sense of how far this battery technology is coming in 13 years, all you have to do is look up. This is a giant battery case for a four-door prototype of the EV1 of the '90s.
This is the battery case for a four four-door Volt. This one's 1,200 pounds. This one, just 400.
(voice-over): And Tony (Modafferi) runs the lab that's making sure the Volt's battery will go the distance. TONY MODAFFERI, MANAGER, GM BATTERY SYSTEMS LAB: I think we're changing the way that people will think about the automobile. I think we're creating history.
LOTHIAN: And for workers in the auto industry that means speeding away from their past, in the rearview mirror.
CARPENTER: And everybody's looking real positive towards the future.
LOTHIAN: The president plans to visit a Ford plant in Chicago next week and they expect more such trips in the fall.
LOTHIAN: With the upcoming midterm elections, the White House is jumping on a good news economic story to remind voters that some of the steps they've taken while sometimes unpopular are having positive results.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Detroit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: That is it for us this morning.
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: We made it through.
HOLMES: We did. Jim, good luck to you as well, making it through. Jim Acosta here on loan from Washington, D.C. Jim, good to have you in the house, but it's all yours. Go right ahead.
