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International Medical Aid Workers Executed in Afghanistan; Gulf Fisherman Still Finding Oil; Elena Kagan Confirmed to Supreme Court; Internet Becoming Central Hub for Entertainment; Colorado Election Primaries Heat Up; Organization Attempts to Save Illegal Immigrants From Dying in the Desert

Aired August 07, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, there everybody. From the CNN Center, this is CNN Saturday morning for this August 7th. I'm T.J. Holmes.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Kate Bolduan. Thanks for starting your day with us.

We have been following breaking news, developing news really out of Afghanistan unfortunately this morning, and we should get right to it too. Six American medical aid workers have been killed execution style. They were among a group of ten medical personnel over there.

HOLMES: Bodies were discovered on Thursday. And this has been a fast developing story. Our foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty has been live for us this morning following these breaking details. By all means, Jill, update our viewers.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Let's set the scene, T.J. This is a group, as we understand it from the organization they were working for, and it is called the International Assistance Mission. That's the humanitarian organization. It provides health care, other services in the primarily in the health care field to Afghans.

There was a group that was traveling in a very remote part of Afghanistan as they were, we believe, going down the road. They were stopped by the Taliban, forced to get out of the car. Their goods and possessions are taken from them and then they are shot.

Now, as you mentioned, there are six Americans who died, one German, one British, and two Afghans. This is according to the head of that organization, Derek France. Also there were two Afghans that escaped or were allowed to escape or go free.

The bodies still have to be transported. The U.S. embassy is not saying really anything yet on who the people were, any names, et cetera. As you can imagine, it is still pretty early. What were they doing? They were there providing medical services to the Afghan people.

The Taliban has taken responsibility, claimed responsibility for this. They spoke directly with CNN and also on their website. They said that these people were spies. That, of course, is not what the organization is saying. The Taliban say that the people tried to escape, that they wanted to take them alive, but they killed them.

So that's the situation right now. It does raise, of course, issues for the security of international aid organizations and other NGOs like the International Assistance Mission.

HOLMES: Jill, you bring up that security issue, there are so many people, NGOs in Afghanistan doing work right now, voluntarily doing their work. Safety is always an issue. Was this particular group traveling with security?

DOUGHERTY: We don't know that, T.J. We believe that at least one of the afghans was a translator. There might have been some drivers. It doesn't, at this point, appear that they have security, but I wouldn't want to say that definitively, until we get a little bit more information.

But that area was not particularly, at least as far as we know, particularly known as the Taliban area. It is, however, in the northeast, and that does get you over into some areas, again, very remote, going toward the border but not completely on the border at all with Pakistan.

HOLMES: Jill Dougherty for us in Kabul. We appreciate you this morning, Jill, thank you.

We do want to take a look at some of the other stories making headlines this morning, including what we're going to see here in about four hours. The U.S. Supreme Court will officially get a new justice. Chief Justice John Roberts will be is swearing in Elena Kagan as the next justice. She was just confirmed on Thursday in a 67-33 vote in the Senate.

She will become the third female justice to sit on the current court, the fourth female justice in the history of the court. We'll air the ceremony live right here on CNN. It is set to start just after 2:00 eastern time.

Also California's governor and attorney general calling for the courts to allow same-sex couples to marry while Proposition 8, that appeal, goes through. The state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage was ruled unconstitutional this week.

Also happening now, outside the International Space Station, astronauts trying to fix a bit of a problem. We have this live picture now. They were trying to fix an issue they had with their cooling system. They had some issues with it last week. But they are taking a space-walk now to try to replace a part. They are installing an 800-pound ammonia part.

We are keeping an eye on what's always a fascinating picture in space.

Well, hidden in view, that's what we are hearing from fishermen about the remaining oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Our Reynolds Wolf live on Pensacola Beach, Florida, for us once again this morning. It is starting to get a little later in the day. People are starting to hit the beaches just yet. I know that's what a lot of folks along the gulf are hoping for.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This particular hotel was pretty loud last night in some places. So I think people are getting out to the beach. But they are doing so pretty slowly. The sun is coming up. We are expecting a lot of folks out here. At this particular hotel, it has been sold out, which is a great sign considering how things were a month ago when you had very few people coming here and plenty of oil washing up on the shoreline.

However, from this point, I can tell you that the oil has not been seen here in a very long time. The people have come back. Oil is a tremendous problem, especially in parts of southern Louisiana, where you have a lot of people, a lot of fishermen and people still very angry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACY J. COOPER, FISHERMAN: That is oil, that's crude. There is no doubt in my mind. You can look at it. I'm a fisherman. I like to sell my seafood. I need to make money. This is what I do. But health is more important.

Before we get any family or any kid sick, we need to think about what we are doing. Let's take another look at it. BP pays for it a year. Hold back as long as they need to do it until we have this cleaned up. We don't want anything to happen to anybody, because we know if it happens, we may never sell our seafood again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF: You know, T.J., the federal government released a report last Wednesday that said that only about a quarter of the oil remains out in the Gulf. Much of that is expected to burn off quickly. There has been some evidence of tar balls and a few patches of oil. But again, it is expected to deteriorate mostly naturally.

However, the exception is going to be in parts of southeast Louisiana where you have plenty of the marsh lands that are still inundated with oil. So it's certainly going to be a tough time for many of the creatures that live at the bottom, crabs and oysters.

A bit of good news, though, happens to be that some of the waters have opened, especially in Mississippi where you now are going to see many fishermen that are going back out, not only commercial fishermen but also recreational fishermen where the waters are open for not only shrimp but also the fin fish but in terms of the crab and oysters. They are going to be doing testing on the effects of oil. It may come in a week or so.

HOLMES: We will wait for that word. Reynolds, we appreciate you, as always, buddy. Talk to you again, soon.

WOLF: You bet. BOLDUAN: Let's turn back to Elena Kagan joining the Supreme Court. A big day ahead for her, and we want to talk about it all. We have two guests joining us now, CNN Supreme Court producer Bill Mears, a good friend of mine, who has been covering the Supreme Court since 2003. He's joining me from Washington.

And from Los Angeles, "In Session" legal contributor Midwin Charles. Thanks so much for joining me, you too.

Bill, let's start with you. We know Elena Kagan is confirmed but she is not quite a justice yet. Many people don't know how much tradition comes with this institution she is joining. What can people expect to happen today?

BILL MEARS, SUPREME COURT PRODUCER: The final step is she is going to have to take two separate oaths before she can become the next justice on the Supreme Court. The first is a constitutional oath required of all federal employees. That would be conducted in private just before 2:00 eastern. Then the will walk down the hall of the Supreme Court where she will take a judicial oath before the cameras. And after that, she is officially a justice.

BOLDUAN: She has got a lot of work ahead of her before the fall term begins. Midwin, Elena Kagan will be the youngest justice replacing the oldest justice on the court. How is she going to fit into the mix of the way the court is right now?

MIDWIN CHARLES, "IN SESSION" LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think she will fit in in a remarkable way. I think, as T.J. said earlier, she is going to be the fourth woman ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court, currently, the third. There has never been three women at the same time.

I think right now one of the concerns that a lot of people had on both sides is that she did not have a particular record, because she was not a judge, but I think she will do just fine. I think she will weigh all cases before her fairly and adjudicate the way the rest of the other justices do.

BOLDUAN: A big question, a lot having to do with personalities. This can go to both of you as we are talking about the ideological makeup of this court. We talk about it all the time when we look at these cases coming before the court.

We are talking about a liberal-leaning justice replacing a liberal-leaning justice. So is it likely anything will change philosophically, that she will sway the pendulum of the court at all?

CHARLES: She might. I think she might be one of those judges that does sway the pendulum. I think when you look at her and compare her to Sonia Sotomayor, who is not particularly very liberal nor very conservative, I think it is going to be interesting to see how she comes down on some of her cases.

BOLDUAN: And Bill, you and I talk about this a lot. It also has to do with your tenure on the court. John Paul Stevens had been in the court for decades. She is coming in and she is the junior justice. That has an effect on the makeup of what she is joining as well, right?

MEARS: Yes. Because she has never been a judge before, she will have a little bit of a learning curve to get used to the nuances of working with very smart, very strong-willed colleagues. Whether she will have influence on the court is pretty unlikely.

You build the power over decades, the relationships that you build with the other members of the court. This is a conservative court. you have five conservative justices there, and they hold the power in the court right now, especially on those hot button social issues that are so important to many Americans.

And until that changes, until we have potentially more liberals coming to the bench, the conservatives are going to hold sway, and it is going to be hard for a liberal justice like Elena Kagan to have an immediate influence in that area.

BOLDUAN: One thing she does have is time in terms of building that respect to sway some colleagues. What is she going to be facing? That's a big question. What are some of the big cases that the court is going to be taking on this year?

MEARS: Well, immediately when she starts up in early October, there are three interesting cases. One deals with protests at military funerals. There is a case dealing with state bans on violent video games. And there is an interesting death penalty case coming out of Texas. So she will have some important cases she will be dealing with.

But the three big cases that everybody has been following may not reach the court for another year or two, and those deal with the Proposition 8 in California, the ban on same-sex marriage, immigration laws passed in Arizona and other states, and the health care mandate recently passed by congress. Those issues will bubble up to the Supreme Court potentially for quite some time.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. One thing we talk about quite often, especially during the confirmation process, a Supreme Court pick is any president's longest lasting legacy. And now we see that Elena Kagan will be officially sworn in today and begin the very long journey with the court. We'll be watching.

Our Supreme Court producer, Bill Mears, thank you so much, sir, Midwin Charles, thank you so much to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.

BOLDUAN: Going to the web seems to now be the preferred method for entertainment, my friends.

HOLMES: Yes, a lot of folks love it. People are logging in. We will tell you exactly what they are logging into these days.

(WEATHER BREAK) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER BREAK)

HOLMES: We're going to update that story we have been keeping an eye on, a developing story this morning. Medical aid workers killed in Afghanistan, six Americans among the dead.

BOLDUAN: And later, why California's governor wants to allow gay couples to tie the knot despite an earlier ruling that banned it. Plus, how web videos will change what is on TV. Josh is back with that.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey there, guys. They are already changing the face of entertainment in America, and they are going to impact what and how you watch TV. I have this for you, the top web series in America, coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: In this next story, we're talking about two billion views a days. That's how much traffic the YouTube Web site getting now.

BOLDUAN: Who is getting the most and what does this say about the future of the entertainment industry? Josh Levs is here with a look at which web series is winning the battle for viewers.

LEVS: And guys, this is really interesting. The reason I'm showing you this today is for a business reason. Sometimes we take these segments and point to you some videos that are fun. Today, what I want to talk to you about is the future, because right now, you are watching me on a TV.

But in just a couple of years, when you turn on what you now think of as a TV, you are going to have every option, what Google TV calls a million channels. You will have not only all the TV shows but all the web videos to choose from, massive, massive choice.

So what's happening now is producers, advertisers and entertainment executives are closely watching the web series out there that are winning and getting millions of views every month because those are going to be incredibly commercially viable when you start to have all these videos available on your TV.

There is a Web site called "Visible Measures." They keep track of the most popular websites. These things are what more and more executives are excited about because they know you can get lots and lots of people interesting.

All right, enough set up. Let's start off with what they have as the number ten most popular web series on TV as of right now. It is a parody of the end of "Lost." Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So that's the reason for everything, a giant cork?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Considering all we have been through, I was sort of expecting something different.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Actually, that's not part of the video. That's my thing. That's getting a ton of traffic, and parodies in general are doing really well.

Number nine, what this video is doing is called from RedVersusBlue.com. They have taken popular video characters from a series called "Halo." Crazy -- 4.7 million views. Lots and lots of video game characters coming to web series and should be coming to your TV.

Number 8 now bringing us back to the world of parody. People are wild about this, Harry Potter acted out through puppets and comedy. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: It's frantic and random, but people are crazy about this. It has nearly five million views in June alone. And number seven, a video you might have seen before. This is Charlie, the unicorn. People love this. Look at that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Charlie, candy man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please stop bouncing on me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Mashup.com describe this as the quintessential example of obscure humor people are crazy about online. Let me tell you about the numbers on this. I believe there were about 6 million views, 5.4 million views in June alone.

Number six here is another parody. This is a parody of Lady Gaga. So lots of people were trying to parody Lady Gaga and it was not working out well online. This guy comes along and does a story about a man who gets picked on in school and now turns things around. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: This guy is singing to the tune of Lady Gaga's "Alejandro." We're talking about 12 million views. Next hour, I will count down all the way to number one, from number five to number one most popular web series. Watch out for these things. They are going to start taking over the Internet more and more.

Here is where you can see the whole list itself. Josh Levs at CNN. Think about the future there. Someday when you are sitting down, you will have not only every TV you have as an option but every web video as well plus the video your aunt sent you of your nephew walking for the first time all right in front of you. That's why they are so interested in the top web series in America.

T.J. and Kate, what does that tell you guys about the future here?

BOLDUAN: All right, I don't know about that.

(LAUGHTER)

Thanks so much, Josh.

Let's get a check of some of the other top stories we are watching right now.

Six American aid workers have been killed execution-style on a roadside in Afghanistan. It happened Thursday but it only came to light today. All ten members of the International Assistance Mission were stopped by the Taliban, robbed, and then shot.

Police in Maryland this morning have charged two people in connection with a multiple murder. Investigators found the bodies of two women and two children in a home outside Washington, a very disturbing story. The police chief in Riverdale is now saying that the scene of the killing was extremely disturbing. He says the apparent motive had to do with drugs.

Tomorrow, BP will resume drilling on its relief well, the final stage of capping the oil spill. Engineers could wrap it all up in a week or so. The static kill filling the pipe with mud and cement from the top is finished and has held. The relief well will plug the pipe from the bottom. T.J.?

HOLMES: All right, well, we're going to introduce you to one of our CNN heroes now who took it upon herself to do something about a statistic she didn't appreciate, her home state being the fattest in the country. Our CNN hero today -- take a look at what she did to try to get people to lose 17,000 pounds in 17 weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDA FONDREN, CNN HERO: Mississippi has held the title of being the most obese state for six consecutive years. My sister passed away at the age of 54. Cancer took her life but obesity restricted her from living it.

You have made a commitment for a healthy community. Let's walk.

I knew that I wanted to do something to help people like her who wish they could live a better life.

My name is Linda Fondren, and I challenged my community to the 17,000 pound weight loss 17,000 pound weight loss challenge. I decided to make the challenge permanent, because we did not reach enough people.

We have a walking club and a nutrition program. On Saturday, the gym is open for free. You have to give them the tools and the opportunities to want to do better and they will jump at that chance to do better. You have to give them the tools and the opportunities to want to do better. And they will jump at that chance to do better.

MAYOR PAUL WINFIELD, VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI: She takes no prisoners. She is committed to community involvement as we wrap our arms around this obesity issue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's to benefit my life. I like that.

FONDREN: Obesity affects us all. The only way to combat it is to stand together and help each other. We need to make a commitment to change.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: They seem pretty committed right now. So far Vicksburg residents have lost 15,000 pounds through Linda's weight loss initiative. You can see one woman's journey to get rid of the bulge or you can help Linda out by going to CNN.com/hero.

It's the bottom of the hour. We're right back.

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BOLDUAN: Topping our news this morning, the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the deaths of six American aid workers in northeastern Afghanistan. They were among a group of ten medical personnel on a mission of mercy, really. Their bodies were discovered Thursday, shot execution style on a road to Kabul.

HOLMES: The dead also include two Afghans, a Brit, a German, as well. They were all members of this nonprofit group, an NGO that was working there in Afghanistan for the past 40 years, according to the group. They are called the International Assistance Mission. They give a lot of medical assistance to people there in Afghanistan.

The Taliban, on the other hand, is calling the group spies that they came across. Again, Taliban speaking to us and also putting on a statement on a website taking responsibility. The director of this relief agency spoke with our sister network, CNN International.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DIRK FRANS, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE MISSION: We know that the chief of police in the province where the ten people were murdered actually said he thought it was a robbery. We understand he says that on the basis of the fact that they had been stripped completely of any valuables, no phones, no money, passports, satellite phones, no nothing. That is the only thing we know at the moment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were members of your team physicians or were they missionaries?

FRANS: They were not missionaries. We are an NGO and we have actually been working here since 1963. We registered with the government of Afghanistan as an NGO and we abide by the Afghan law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Again, we will continue to update you on this fast- moving, developing story this morning. Again, six Americans among ten dead, also, two Afghans, a Brit, and a German. They were all killed in northeastern Afghanistan. Again, these were aid workers, the Taliban claiming responsibility for that attack.

BOLDUAN: And it's been a long week of legal wrangling over Proposition 8 and it is a long way from over at this point.

HOLMES: We have one decision but many more decisions to come. Joining us now from Los Angeles, In Session legal contributor Midwin Charles. Midwin, good morning to you, once again. How long of a process are we looking forward to just to get to the appeals process?

MIDWIN CHARLES, "IN SESSION" LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, T.J., it could take years. After a federal district court renders a decision, which is what we saw earlier this week, you then file the appeals, and it can take a year or two to get to the circuit quart here in California being the ninth circuit.

And after the ninth circuit reviews it, which would be a three- judge panel, oftentimes the side that loses can apply to have all judges who sit on the ninth circuit to hear that decision. And then after that, it is on to the Supreme Court. So we could be looking at years before this issue is actually settled.

I have to tell you, T.J., this is major, because this is the first time that same-sex marriage is being litigated in federal court, which really makes it a speedy way to Supreme Court. Who knows? In a few years we could have an actual affirmative decision from the Supreme Court on what is the law on same-sex marriage.

BOLDUAN: And Midwin, it seems right now that it is probably not surprising, because this is such an emotionally charged legal issue, that a lot of these marriages or unions are really in limbo, a lot of people not knowing which direction to go, where things stand for them.

The governor and attorney general of California are pushing to allow people to continue to get married until this whole thing is figured out. Is that even legally possible to go against what this judge has said to put a stay on these unions?

CHARLES: I think right now they do have to actually wait until the judge lifts that stay. I think the judge has only put that stay on temporarily so that both sides can submit briefs to show and prove why he should not allow these other people to get married.

But I have to tell you, if someone's fundamental rights are being curtailed and a judge finds that that law is unconstitutional, I see no reason why gay couples can't get married.

And remember, there are 18,000 gay couples that did get married between the four-month period that the state Supreme Court of California had found it was legal to marry and at the time Proposition 8 was passed in 2008. So what happens to those 18,000 marriages should this law subsequently be overturned by the ninth circuit or the Supreme Court?

BOLDUAN: This is far from over. We will be talking about a lot more and looking for you for legal advice to understand it all. Midwin, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

CHARLES: Sure.

HOLMES: We have some crucial primaries scheduled for Tuesday in Colorado. Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is on it for us this morning.

BOLDUAN: That's right. As a matter of fact, he is chasing the story from the CNN express. We are catching up with him in St. George, Utah. Paul, what are you doing out there?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Don't tell Tom Foreman I have his bus. I'm going to get busted if you do.

Here we are, St. George, Utah. Remember, we had the express bus in phoenix for about a week and a half covering the Arizona immigration law. We have to go to Colorado as you mentioned for the primaries. I am sending Jessica Yellin out there to cover those crucial primaries.

The bus team, the guys that make them go, they let me ride along, basically. We are going to cover issues here in south Utah. Immigration, a big issue here as well as Arizona which is just a neighbor to the south, guys.

BOLDUAN: Another big topic that's going on right now. We are talking about jobs and the economy. The latest numbers, I guess we call it, everyone as seen as a disappointing employment report that came out Friday. How is that going to factor in? What are you hearing out there?

STEINHAUSER: It is such a big issue. Immigration is a big issue in the southwest, but still among all American jobs, issue number one. It's been that way since December, 2007, when that recession started. And it is still by far the top issue. We asked in our recent CNN Corporation poll, we asked which party could do a better job fixing the economy? The Republicans right now have a slight lead on that, and that could be crucial, because among independent voters, especially, they are tending to move towards Republicans. That could be crucial in those midterm elections.

Guys, that is less than three months away now.

HOLMES: Less than three months away. Paul, we talked about some of the national issues, but specifically there in Colorado, the folks in Colorado, do they have something that might not be on the radar for the rest of us in the rest of the couldn't think that they are so much concerned about in their state?

STEINHAUSER: You know what, immigration an issue out there, jobs an issue. The primaries in Colorado, guys, are getting really nasty. You have two Senate battles, one of the Republican side and one on the Democratic side, and they are getting pretty down and dirt, and there's a governor's race as well.

It is a fascinating place. This is a state, Colorado, where the Democrats did really well this past decade. Republicans think they can make gains in this election.

BOLDUAN: All right, there is a lot going on with these primaries coming up, with the midterms coming up. Thank you so much. Our deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much.

HOLMES: There is a hunt going on along the Arizona/Mexican border, but it may not be the kind you are thinking about.

BOLDUAN: Later, we take you on a mission to save lives. 

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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BOLDUAN: We'll be back in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's about 10 minutes to the top of the hour now. Along Arizona's border with Mexico, a humanitarian group is fighting a different kind of immigration battle as the death toll among illegal immigrants skyrockets. Rudabeh Shahbazi of CNN affiliate KNXB shows us why these volunteers feel they must step in to help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUDABEH SHAHBAZI, KNXB REPORTER: When he is not testing plane engines, Chris Fleischman is out in the desert with his humanitarian group No More Deaths. They give food and water to migrants crossing through the deserts and also pick up the crash they leave behind.

Volunteers come from around the country and base themselves at this camp on the private land of a woman who supports their cause. CHRIS FLEISCHMAN, "NO MORE DEATHS": Here is our medical tent where people would recover if they get dehydrated.

SHAHBAZI: They drop off water and look for people who need help.

FLEISCHMAN: I am going to GPS my way to a trail and give water to people who might need it.

SHAHBAZI: It is rare to come across illegal immigrants this time of day. They usually make their trips at night when it is easier to hide and the weather is cooler. The terrain is treacherous, steep hills, thick, vegetation, harsh elements, and wild animals.

SHAHBAZI (on camera): That's a pretty big snake. We almost just walked into it.

FLEISCHMAN: If you don't have good lights, and they probably don't, and you are lost in this area, there's not very much chance you are going to walk out of here and not get injured.

SHAHBAZI (voice-over): Volunteers say by the time they come in contact with many of the people crossing the border, they are ready to turn back to Mexico and ask them to call border patrol.

FLEISCHMAN: I think more migrants are taking bigger risks to go further away from the normal roots of travel to get away from the border militarization that we've built up around here.

SHAHBAZI: So far even though we haven't seen a lot of signs that my grants have been here using trails. We have seen water bottles and blankets.

But later that night, two men come to the camp looking for help. We agreed not to show their faces.

FLEISCHMAN: They can't walk along the road, first of all, at night, because it is ease why I to get lost, and second of all, because the border patrol could pick them up.

SHAHBAZI: You can't give them a ride?

FLEISCHMAN: That's a protocol. We can't further someone's presence here, because we are not here to be a shipping service for migrants. We are just here to save lives.

Volunteers give them food and water and send them on their way.

SHAHBAZI (on camera): People would say why are you aiding and abetting these people, harboring them and letting them come into our country illegally?

FLEISCHMAN: It's a humanitarian issue. Our government needs to address why people are coming, and until that time, we want to reduce the numbers of people who are dying every day here. This has been the worst month in our history. We need to reduce the deaths. It's not an illegal thing to help people who need help. SHAHBAZI: But the group has come under fire for their work. They often find slashed bottles and several volunteers were fined for littering after leaving water bottles in a wildlife refuge where illegal immigrants had died in past. Some were found guilty in federal court. One appealed to the ninth circuit court and is waiting for a decision.

SHAHBAZI: (on camera): What about the people that say I am sick of all the litter? This is supposed to be a naturally beautiful place.

FLEISCHMAN: It is something we don't like to see either. We pick it up.

SHAHBAZI: Another backpack.

FLEISCHMAN: We need to take it to the camp and put it in the garbage.

SHAHBAZI (voice-over): The Pima County medical examiner says there have been so many deaths in the desert among illegal immigrants crossing the southern border, the office is using a refrigerated truck to store some of the bodies.

July was the second deadliest month on record. The county death toll so far this year, 153 people.

SHAHBAZI (on camera): This lush area may not be what most people picture as a deadly desert. But two and a half years ago, a 14-year- old girl's body was found here after she died of hypothermia trying to lead her younger brother across the border.

SHAHBAZI (voice-over): Volunteers leave water at the shrine so other immigrants who pass through here can avoid a similar fate. For now, the group just hopes they can save more lives no matter what side of the border they are from.

At the U.S./Mexico border, Rudabeh Shahbazi, ABC News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: A quick break. When we come back, details about a small plane crash in Pennsylvania. Stay here.

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