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Islamic Center Near Ground Zero; Pres. Obama Visits Panama City Beach; Stabbing Case Moves Forward; Selling Sex on Craigslist; New York's Bed Bug Brouhaha; Message in a Bottle; Preparing for Disaster in New Orleans
Aired August 14, 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. We're coming up on the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
First up, we talked about the planned mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks and the President has now jumped into the conversation. And he is now getting some praise and some harsh criticism after he has come out and says in fact he does support the building of an Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero.
His support announced at a White House dinner last evening celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and every culture, drawn from every end of this earth. And that diversity can bring difficult debates.
This is not unique to our time. Past eras have seen controversies about the construction of synagogues or Catholic churches. But time and again, the American people have demonstrated that we can work through these issues and stay true to our core values and emerge stronger for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg supports the Islamic center and mosque and he came out with a statement supporting what the President has done now.
Meanwhile, a lot of other New Yorkers see this mosque and Islamic cultural center so close to Ground Zero as a slap in the face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Politically it's probably not wise to interject yourself into a local issue that's very visceral here for obvious reasons. And obviously that we all believe in freedom of religion, but it's sacred ground for New Yorkers and Americans. So it's difficult topic for New Yorkers and Americans. I don't know how wise it was for the President to necessarily interject. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm glad that he's doing it. It's very civilized. it doesn't matter that -- whether you're a Muslim or Jewish, or Christian you should be able -- this country stands for freedom of religion and we should be able to express our faith.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry on the line with us now from Panama City Beach, Florida; that's where the President is going to be spending some time with his family today.
Ed thanks for jumping on the line. I know you just got there a short time ago. Remind our viewers first of all on this issue of the mosque so close to Ground Zero. What has been the President's and the White House's stance when they keep getting the question over the past several weeks?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good question, T.J., because that's what's so curious about this story, is that there has not been a White House position. We've asked Robert Gibbs several times in the last few weeks to weigh in on this as the controversy was growing and he kept saying that the White House did not want to meddle into what they saw as a local decision, basically a decision being made by the city of New York in lower Manhattan and that they didn't see any place in getting involved.
And so you ask now, why then would the President weigh in? When you talk to senior officials, they believe that the President just felt like this was the right thing to do. That number one, he did it in the setting of an Iftar where -- in celebrating Ramadan last night at the White House just after 8:30 Eastern Time.
It's the celebration of the breaking of the day's fast with a Muslim-American audience. The President felt like that was the right place to do it and he also felt that basically Mayor Bloomberg, as you mentioned, had started sort of moving forward on this and had spoken up in favor of this mosque and community center being built.
And so the White House feels that the President had the right now to weigh in and this is the President, let's not forget, who last year delivered a dramatic speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, Egypt, where he spoke a lot about trying to turn the page on some tense relations and trying to show that the U.S. is tolerant towards Muslims who want peace.
Nevertheless, it's clear that the White House is going to take a lot of heat for this. They know that. And you can certainly look at the timing of it, after a couple of weeks of not commenting. For the President to finally comment late on a Friday evening in the middle of the summer when a lot of people are on vacation may have taken some of the early sting out of this. That could have been a factor and obviously, in terms of when they rolled it out.
But at the end of the day, they know that even if in the first hours it sort of happened at a quiet time, they know they're still going to take heat for this. Let's make no mistake about it. But as people learn what the President said, that you saw Republican Congressman Peter King last night put out a tough statement saying the President's wrong, that's he's insensitive and uncaring and that this is going to cause, you know, needless suffering for people who are families of the victims of 9/11.
We should point out, though, as you noted the President in his remarks last night said this is about tolerance but also that he understands that lower Manhattan is sacred ground. He doesn't want to offend anyone, but he thinks that this shows that America is doing the right thing.
HOLMES: Ed --
HENRY: And I think at the end of the day when you talk to senior officials they say the President knows he's going to take heat. He knows that there's going to be a lot more controversy because of this, but at the end of the day he feels this is the right thing to do and decided to step forward regardless of the heat he's going to take -- T.J.
HOLMES: Ed -- wrap this up for me by hitting on this point. And this is a President who has and still has to battle, and in some small percentages, there are some people out there who still believe this President is a Muslim.
HENRY: Right.
HOLMES: So in tackling this issue now, what is the real political risk possibly to this President moving forward and again, 9/11 is something that is uber-sensitive in this country.
HENRY: Stirring experience -- you're absolutely right. I mean, look, in terms of -- of the small number of people around the country or around the world who may think the President is Muslim, despite the fact that he's Christian, despite the fact that the White House has -- has pushed back on that before, senior officials just say that there's just going to be a certain number of people who are just not going to believe it and are going to believe what they want to believe.
They're focused more on trying to reach out on the majority of Americans that they think will understand that while this is a difficult issue, and that while there's going to be some feelings hurt, that at the end of the day he thinks he's trying to appeal to the -- to the better senses of Americans all across the country in showing that the American people can be better than -- than others, can be better than the terrorists and especially by putting it so dramatically, there near the 9/11 site.
But as you say, he's going to take a lot of heat for it. They know it. They know there's going to be a certain number of people who are going to be against it no matter what. He just felt like this is the right thing to do, especially when you bookend the fact that he started his presidency giving that speech to the Muslim world, trying to turn the page. They think this is another step in that direction. HOLMES: All right. Our Ed Henry, who just made it down to Panama City Beach, where the President is arriving as well shortly with his family to spend the day.
Ed, we appreciate you. You can see Ed throughout the day and this weekend there covering the President's visit.
Ed, buddy, good to talk to you as always.
HENRY: Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, President Obama, he wants the people of the Gulf Coast to know, wants people around the country to know, the Gulf Coast is back. He is going to be going there, like I just mentioned. He should be arriving any moment now with his family. He's there trying to promote the region, trying to get people back to visit even though pretty much the summer vacation season is wrapping up.
Our Reynolds Wolf is in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for us this morning.
Reynolds, good morning once again. What do the folks there think this could possibly do for them, the image of the President hanging out on the beach with his family and possibly even getting in the water? How big of a deal could that image be?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, in some respects it will be a shot in the arm, there's no question about it. He's going to meet today not only with Governor Crist over in a little bit more through east -- he's going to be with Florida Governor Christ but also locally-elected officials.
And they're really going to have a round table discussion. Not just among the officials but also with many of the small business owners. People across parts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, of course in Louisiana and Texas have been suffering since this ordeal began with the oil spill back on -- on April 20th. And this is a $1.8 billion industry in terms of tourism and they really, really have had a very difficult time in many places.
Earlier today we had the opportunity to speak to the mayor here in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And he said it has been incredibly difficult.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ROBERT CRAFT, GULF SHORES, ALABAMA: It's been a rough year, obviously, from start to finish it was really tough. But it is getting better. And once the well was capped, and confidence came back, we started seeing more people show up.
But the big event was a couple of weekends ago when the Health Department, the State Health Department lifted the swimming g advisory and people could get back in the water. That was a big deal. Because now it sent an all-clear signal to our -- to our visitors that it is safe to come back and -- and that was the big concern I think people had, was safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: Certainly some tough times. And when it comes to safety, though, in terms of the water itself, the water quality is actually quite well. They did have some oil that was kicked up from tropical depression number five that of course has died down.
We're still getting some remnants this morning that are moving through the area and giving us some wind and occasional thunderstorms that actually brought some oil up onshore just a couple days ago. It was cleaned up quickly, and the water, still a bit choppy for the time being.
Let's go right to the weather maps. You see radar there, the hit or miss showers dropping just south of Mobile right along parts of the I-10 corridor. In New Orleans, you're getting some rainfall there, Grand Isle, same deal.
And as we take a look of the national perspective, you're going to see more of that precipitation that are going across parts of Alabama and Georgia, that's certainly the good news. They really need it because of course the heat is going to be intense for much of the Midwest.
Back in the Ohio Valley, even across the plains of Texas, the Red River Valley, especially hot in places like Oklahoma City, but just north of Oklahoma and into Kansas, a different story. You've got the dividing line. You've got that frontal boundary that's going to come through with the colder air behind it. And the contrast of those air masses will give you some strong storms developing into the afternoon.
But places that aren't going to have the rain they're going to have some extreme heat. Like 104 in Dallas, 97 in Houston and 96 in St. Louis, 85 in Washington, D.C., 80s for you in Boston and New York for your daytime high, 70s in Billings, Montana, beautiful time to big sky country, 84 in Denver; Las Vegas and Phoenix into the triple digits and 57 in San Francisco. It should be a beautiful day out to the west and the southeast, and in the central plains.
Look for the more muggy conditions, especially in central plains. If you don't to get outside in the peak heating hours of the day, stay inside, enjoy a nice beverage and stay tuned to CNN.
T.J., let's send it back to you.
HOLMES: Ok, well, there's a plan. Reynolds, we appreciate you as always buddy, thanks so much. We'll be talking to you --
WOLF: Right.
HOLMES: -- again here soon.
Well, it's 11 minutes past the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Up next, three states, 18 stabbing victims, five of them dead, one suspect in custody now. Now family and police want to know, what in the world triggered a murderous spree.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Two survivors of this week's deadly crash in Alaska are telling investigators what happened before that plane went down. One says they were flying along, suddenly just stopped flying. Another reports falling asleep right after takeoff, then waking up after the crash. Both recalled the pilot giving a safety briefing before that flight.
Five people died in Monday's crash, including former senator, Ted Stevens. Officials say the victims couldn't have been saved even if rescue teams arrived at the site immediately.
A serial stabber slashed his way across the country for more than two months. And Wednesday police finally arrested the man, arrested him in Atlanta just before he boarded a flight that was heading to Israel. Now investigators on two continents, looking for answers and evidence.
CNN's Susan Candiotti reports.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Flint, Michigan, there's a sense of relief among victims' families, that a suspected killer has been caught. But mainly they want to know why. Why did something like this happen? Why did someone go on a stabbing spree in three states, attacking or killing 18 people in Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia? Of course police don't have to prove a motive but they're certainly going to try to find out why.
In the meantime, CNN resources on the ground in Israel have been trying to learn more about the suspect in this case, Elias Abuelazam. He grew up as a boy there. His father died when he was very young. Friends describe him as a quiet child who moved to the United States in the 1990s.
He lived in Michigan for a time, had some minor scrapes with the law. Moved to Virginia and was married there for three years before divorcing in 2007. His ex-father-in-law says he was verbally abusive to his wife.
He also worked at some behavioral treatment centers in the state of Virginia and left that employment, that job in 2008 and then moved back to Michigan in May of this year. That is when police say the stabbing spree began.
At this point, we are still waiting to find out when this suspect will be returned to the state of Michigan to begin to face some charges.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Flint, Michigan.
HOLMES: Police say they are armed and dangerous, an Arizona prison escapee and his girlfriend are still on the run right now. You see their pictures. There they are. That is the new picture. Police believe these two may have changed their appearance, so this is what they think they may look like now.
But they're now offering a $35,000 reward for information leading to the capture of John McCluskey and his alleged accomplice Casslyn Welch. They've been on the run since McCluskey and two other inmates broke out of an Arizona prison on July 30th. The other two inmates have been recaptured.
McCluskey and Welch are suspected in last week's killing of a couple in New Mexico. The U.S. Marshal Service says it's focusing on western Arkansas, western Montana and several other sites in the U.S.
Well, sex for sale on Craigslist? Police say they found posts for underage girls. Is the Web site doing enough to police itself? For the answer, we went to the man behind Craigslist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What are you guys doing to protect these girls?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the search for answers and the view from within. We'll talk to the women who say they're virtual slaves in the online sex trade.
It's 18 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Twenty-one minutes past the hour. Taking a look at some of the stories making headlines; President Obama weighing in on that Islamic cultural center and mosque that's supposed to be built near Manhattan's Ground Zero. Citing the nation's history of religious freedom, the President says he supports the initiative. Meanwhile, New York's Republican Congressman Peter King quickly countered, saying the President is flat out wrong.
More surgery for Zsa Zsa Gabor, the actress was rushed to the hospital last night to have a blood clot removed. Her publicist says it was a complication from her recent hip replacement surgery. Gabor, 93 years old, is expected to be in the hospital for several more days.
Also, police in Buffalo, New York trying to find out what triggered an overnight shooting that left four people dead, another four wounded. This happened at a downtown restaurant where a private party was going on. We're told one of the deceased had just arrived in town for his marriage that was scheduled for later today. So far, no arrest and police believe there is a shooter or possibly shooters out there on the loose.
Well, if you want to sell some stuff, old couch, new phone, maybe no better marketplace out there than Craigslist. It's been around for a while. A lot of people use it. But the Web site is also tied to a more seedy commerce, the selling of sex, sometimes underage sex.
So why is the illegal trade still posted for all to see when the company vowed to be more diligent? Our Amber Lyon investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
"JESSICA," AGE 20, SELLS SEX ON CRAIGSLIST: I don't know. The men just disgust me. Everything about them, they disgust me.
You know, doing the things I do with them is just not, like I said, what I pictured myself doing when I was a kid. You know, I wanted to work with animals, and -- or be a meteorologist or a doctor or something, not a whore.
LYON: Why Craigslist?
JESSICA: Craigslist is just the quickest, fastest, easiest way to get money.
LYON (voice-over): We found 20-year-old Jessica after spotting her ad on the Virginia adult services section of Craigslist.
(on camera): So, you spend most of your life in a hotel room like this?
JESSICA: For the past two to three years, yes.
LYON: How many guys do you sleep with on an average day?
JESSICA: Three to five on an average day.
LYON: How -- how much money is that?
JESSICA: I get $150 for a half-an-hour and $250 for the hour. That's what I charge, I mean.
LYON (voice-over): Jessica says she and most of the girls she knows who sell sex on Craigslist are being trafficked by pimps, who take their money and their freedom.
(on camera): What would happen if they said, you know, "I'm sick of this, I'm done selling myself on Craigslist, I want to leave?"
JESSICA: I can't leave. I cannot leave. I'm his. I'm his property. He owns me. I cannot leave him. And that's how it is with most girls, I would think. They can't.
LYON: Since our investigation aired last week, anti-sex- trafficking organizations took out an ad in "The Washington Post." And, in it, two girls who claim they were sold for sex on Craigslist plea with Craig to shut down the adult services section. They even addressed the letter to Craig.
One of the girls says: "I was sold for sex by the hour at truck stops and cheap motels, 10 hours with 10 different men every night. This became my life. Men answered the Craigslist advertisements and paid to rape me."
Another one of these girls was underage when she was being sold on Craigslist. And she writes: "Dear Craig, I am MC. I was first forced into prostitution when I was 11 years old by a 28-year-old man. I am not an exception."
So, Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster wrote a response to "The Washington Post" ad. He wrote this blog.
(voice-over): Buckmaster says: "Craigslist is anxious to know that the perpetrators in these girls' cases are behind bars." He asks the advocates to e-mail him the police the reports, so "Craigslist can improve preventative measures."
CNN has seen the police report for the so-called AK, MC is still a minor, so her records could not be released, but two sources tell us they have seen her arrest records for prostitution.
This is Malika with The Rebecca Project, and her organization posted that ad in "The Washington Post."
MALIKA SAADA SAAR, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE REBECCA PROJECT: I think that it's also important for him to acknowledge that the stories of these girls are true. It's thoughtful that he wants to catch the perpetrators. I think, if he wants to catch perpetrators, then he ought create better screening processes, so that children aren't raped and sold online.
LYON: Sex-for-hire ads are against Craigslist's stated policy. The company says it, quote, "manually screens all adult services ads" and will reject any that look or sound like they are selling sex.
We caught up with the Craig in Craigslist, Craig Newmark, at a speech he was giving in Washington, D.C. on trust. He agreed to this interview on trust on the Internet.
(on camera): What are you guys doing to protect these girls?
You guys say in the blog that you will remove any ad that looks like the person might be suggesting they're going to offer sex.
Look at this ad. It says, "Young, sexy, sweet and bubbly." Clearly here she writes $250 an hour. I mean, what do you think she's selling in her bra and underwear, a dinner date? And she's in her bra and underwear.
What are you guys doing?
NEWMARK: Have you reported this to us?
LYON: But you guys say you screen all these ads manually in your blog.
NEWMARK: Have you -- I have never -- I don't know what this is.
LYON: But in Jim Buckmaster's blog, he says these are being screened.
NEWMARK: Have you reported -- have you reported this to us?
LYON: Why do I have the responsibility to report this to you, when it's your Web site? You are the one posting this online.
(voice-over): Under the Communications Decency Act, Craigslist is not liable for what users publish on its site. But if Craigslist knows it's happening and vows to stop it, why do they allow it to continue?
Victims' advocates say it's about one thing: money. The Internet research firm AIM Group projects the site will make $36.5 million, a third of its total revenue, from the adult services ads this year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LYON: After our first story aired we were contacted by craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and he sent CNN this response. He says, "Craigslist is vigilant in barring child sex ads and prominently features anti-trafficking and exploitation sites."
He also says, quote, "We will continue to work tirelessly in tandem with law enforcement and key nonprofits to ensure that any of these victims receive the assistance they desperately need and deserve."
Amber Lyon, CNN, Washington.
HOLMES: All right.
Take a look at this behind me. Would you want to sleep on that? Some people are sleeping on this in some hotels in a particular town in the U.S. These little visitors check into the hotel, but they don't exactly have to pay the expensive room rate. We'll tell you where the ritzy hotels are being invaded.
It's 28 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, we're at the bottom of the hour here now.
And they call it the city that never sleeps, New York City. Well, now we might have an answer to why the city never sleeps. It's hard to sleep when you've got bed bugs crawling up your backside.
CNN's Mary Snow tells us about this latest infestation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Consider them the vampire of insects, creeping out a lot of people, and they're keeping dogs like Champ here very busy in New York.
TIMOTHY WONG, M&M ENVIRONMENTAL: We're going to find the bees. OK? Find the bees. All right. Let's go.
SNOW: "Bees" are the buzzword for bed bug at the pest control company Champ works for. On a recent job at a senior citizen facility, he picks up a scent.
WONG: Good boy. Yes. Show me the bees. Good boy. OK, buddy. Come on.
When he finds the bee, basically, he finds a scent of a bed bug, and there must be a bed bug in here, or either a live bed bug or a viable bed bug egg. And the scent is emitting out from one of these crevices, and so he picks up on that.
SNOW: Timothy Wong owns M&M Environment Pest Control and says dogs like Champ cuts the time of finding bed bugs from a day to 30 minutes. And Wong has had to build a division just for fighting bedbugs.
WONG: I would say about five years ago we would probably get about one call for bed bugs, and today we get probably close to -- on an average day, about 75 calls just on bed bugs alone. So it's changed a lot.
SNOW: The bloodsuckers have spread far beyond beds, crawling into some ritzy addresses in New York City. Although they have not found any, Fifth Avenue's famous Bergdorf Goodman department store acknowledges it has hired a dog to patrol for bed bugs. An Abercrombie & Fitch store had to get rid of them, and Victoria's Secret says after active proactive testing at one of its stores, it had to deal with them. And now so does the Time Warner Center which houses CNN's New York offices.
And while everyone is trying to get rid of bed bugs, bug expert Louis Sorkin actually welcomes them.
(on camera): You're probably the only person I've known to say you actually like bed bugs.
LOUIS SORKIN, AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: I like them when they're in containers. I wouldn't like them home.
SNOW: Sorkin shows us what a bed bug looks like after it's drawn blood. And to keep his specimens, he allows them to bite him, picking up a container with thousands of them to his arm.
(on camera): Do people think you're crazy?
SORKIN: Some probably do, yes. But doing this, I am working on their behavior. By learning how they do certain things, it actually help to get rid of them in places.
SNOW: After a few minutes, besides his red arm, he shows us how small the bugs are. As he looks for ways to get rid of them, he says for many people, these bugs also leave a psychological mark.
SORKIN: Every little bite they get or think they get, or every little thing that crawls is a potential bed bug, which then really stresses people out.
SNOW (on camera): This is a problem across the country. And one of the things that Louis Sorkin gets asked about is what to do when you're staying in a hotel. He advises brings a flashlight to check the bed, and he says don't only check behind the headboard, but also check the straps on the luggage racks before you put any bags down.
Now, for more on this story, you can go to CNNMoney.com.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, it's a story and a scenario you hear play out in movies, in fairytales, but it actually happened. A message in a bottle washes up on the shore.
We'll tell you who sent it and who found it.
It's 34 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, taking a look at some of the stories making headlines.
Serial stabbing suspect Elias Abuelazam is awaiting extradition to Michigan now. Atlanta police arrested him Wednesday in Atlanta as he was about to get on a flight headed for Israel. Abuelazam is suspected of stabbing 18 people in three states, killing five of them. He's been charged with one count of assault with intent to commit murder. More charges are expected, however.
President Obama coming out in support of the plans to build an Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. The president made the statement after a White House dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg praising the president's statement. Others, though, denouncing the president's endorsement. Critics say the mosque is offensive to family members of those who died in 9/11.
Also, the president is making his way to Panama City Beach today. Actually, should be on the ground there at any moment.
The White House says this is a chance for the president to show the Gulf is open for business. The president and first lady, as well as one of their daughters, will be there for the visit. The president and first lady taking part in a roundtable discussion with small business owners while they're there. They will address recovery efforts in the BP oil disaster.
Well, here's a story for you really don't hear. This is kind of a fairytale. You see this played out in movies sometimes as well.
But a British woman's son, he's killed in fighting in Afghanistan. She writes a note, put it in a bottle, tosses it out to sea. Yes, the message in a bottle story actually happened.
Months later, that bottle washed up on the shores of the Gulf. Workers there were cleaning up.
Here's the rest of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH ADAMS, MOTHER: This is James -- one of James' kit bags, full of Afghanistan dust, I think, as I left everything as it was when it came back.
That's James in there. We don't wash him away.
He was a warrior driver for the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Welsh, and he'd only been in the army just over a year from training. He went over an IED.
I was just on the beach in Barbados, looking out to sea and remembering holidays that we'd all had together as a family. And I just decided that it would be nice to include him in some way, so chose to -- I don't know, just came up with the idea of sending him a message in a bottle.
We threw the bottle into the sea and said a little prayer privately, individually we did, and never thought anything of it again. It wasn't about anybody finding it, it was just basically sending messages to James.
DOUG KIRCHOFF, CLEANUP WORKER: And we were actually doing a scouting mission looking for oil, trying to find where we were going to work the following couple of days, when we found -- came across a message in a bottle. And we didn't know what to expect at first.
There were four individually-wrapped letters inside the bottle. It was about a soldier who had lost his life in the Afghanistan War. You know, the whole occasion turned really somber. We really were taken aback, like, wow, this is a little more than we anticipated at first.
ADAMS: It was about half past 9:00 in the morning, and my mobile rang whilst I was in work. They found the messages in Mississippi by the cleanup guys in the Gulf oil spill.
I was just completely shocked. It's almost like if I know them -- you know, known them for a long time, and it's only been just over a week. They sent us a signed T-shirt and everything that all of the crew signed for us. And (INAUDIBLE). The way that they're feeling about it, and it's exactly the same as we're feeling.
KIRCHOFF: It's like we knew James. You know, like he was a friend of ours, because his friends say, you know, he touched so many lives and he was such a great person. Yet, even though he's not here, he's still touching lives and he's still bringing people together.
ADAMS: I am just absolutely astounded by it all, amazed. And amazed that it survived, amazed the journey that it's taken, and amazed at who has found it. I like to feel that James is finding (ph) some way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And you just thought it just happened in the movies.
Well, coming up, preparing for a future disaster is tough, especially if you're still recovering from the last one. But the people of New Orleans gearing up for the next storm now.
And "Building Up America" is straight ahead.
Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The people of New Orleans, of course, have made enormous strides in rebuilding their city in the five years since Hurricane Katrina, but they're also mindful that another devastating storm could strike. One group is working hard to make sure everyone is ready for it.
With today's "Building Up America" report, here now, our Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the wake of Katrina, tens of thousands of New Orleanians were stranded because they lacked transportation, information, or the inclination to evacuate before the storm.
Beverly Mitchell, with a clunker of an old car, was one of them.
BEVERLY MITCHELL, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: I really didn't believe Katrina was going to be so devastating.
FOREMAN (on camera): You found out otherwise?
MITCHELL: I sure did. Yes, I did.
FOREMAN (voice-over): She wound up in the Superdome's heat, squalor and darkness for days.
Now, in the shadow of that same building, a group is building up their plan to avoid a repeat of this calamity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need this to save lives.
This is evacuteer.org. Volunteers from all over town who are training to help their fellow citizens get out when a big storm comes in.
Robert Fogarty is the founder. ROBERT FOGARTY, DIRECTOR, EVACUTEER.ORG: If we're not preparing our vulnerable residents for a way to leave, and have them feel safe in that process, we're not doing the best that we can.
FOREMAN: About 30,000 residents lack reliable transportation. So when an evacuation is called, 700 evacuateers man collection points all over, offering information, assistance with bags, help with paperwork, getting those people on to buses and on their way.
(on camera): What is the number one sort of mission for you?
LAINE FREY, VP OF OPERATIONS, EVACUTEER.ORG: For me, personally, it's to get every person in this city somewhere safe if there's a storm coming.
RAFAEL DELGADILLO, VP OF OPERATIONS, EVACUTEER.ORG: We're here to make sure that there's grease between the gears and that people are calmed down.
SHAWN CHOLLETTE, SR. VP OF OPERATIONS, EVACUTEER.ORG: So, evacuteer.org is about me taking care of my family, my extended family. And hopefully the rest of -- everybody feels like we're family.
FOREMAN: Hurricane Gustav tested their skills two years ago and they say it went well. But the evacuateers keep improving, always mindful of the chaos of Katrina.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think our organization exists to reduce and never have happen what happened five years ago. I mean, that just can't happen.
FOREMAN: Beverly Mitchell is counting on that.
(on camera): There are people here who don't have transportation, there are people who have medical problems, there are people who have financial problems, people have questions, who are afraid.
MITCHELL: Yes. Yes. You know? So, Evacuteer is a blessing for all of us.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And assurance that as long as the evacuateers can find a way in, they will have a way out.
Tom Foreman, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And five years after Hurricane Katrina, three extraordinary CNN Heroes determined to bring New Orleans back. You can watch their stories hosted by Anderson Cooper. "CNN Heroes: Coming Back From Katrina," that's tonight, 7:30 Eastern, and an encore presentation tomorrow evening again, right here on CNN.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I have a bone to pick with this young lady sitting next to me right now, my dear friend Brianna Keilar. I guess I can take the "dear" and the "friend" out of that introduction.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, T.J., you hurt me so.
HOLMES: You just show up, not telling anybody you were coming to Atlanta. But it is so good to see you.
KEILAR: It was a busy week on the Hill despite recess, but it is so good to see you.
HOLMES: Oh, nothing ever happens in D.C.
KEILAR: I wish sometimes, but, no, it was very busy.
HOLMES: But she's sitting in, if you haven't figured out, for Fredricka Whitfield today.
So, in a couple of minutes we'll see you, 11 minutes from now.
What you got going today?
KEILAR: Well, we're going to be reading the tea leaves with our legal experts, of course. We'll be talking about everyone's favorite -- well, maybe not favorite, but everyone knows him, the flight attendant from JetBlue, Steven Slater. Will he get his get his job back? And also, ,what kind of time might he be facing?
And then, also, we're going to be talking about testimony in the war crimes case of former Liberian president Charles Taylor.
You know, T.J., that Naomi Campbell -- this made big headlines -- she testified. But now a different actress. You can see Mia Farrow there. So we're going to talk to you about how that went.
HOLMES: Fascinating to see this play out.
KEILAR: Yes, it's very fascinating.
And then coming up at 2:00 Eastern, we will be doing a financial segment. This is going to be all about kind of going back to school, obviously, but how do you pay for school? It gets so expensive.
And then, say, like, you've already gone through school. How then do you pay off all of those loans?
HOLMES: Oh man.
KEILAR: Yes. We have a lot of really good tips for people.
HOLMES: We're focusing more so on the younger kids and parents having to pay for the young kids to go back to school and all that stuff, or are we talking about college-age kids?
KEILAR: We'll be talking about college-age kids, but we'll also be talking about people our age who may still even --
HOLMES: Paying off those loans.
KEILAR: Exactly. I mean, you could be paying these things off for years and years. Hope you really enjoyed your college experience, right? Because it's still coming out of your pocketbook.
And then this is really my favorite, because at 3:00 we're going to be counting down the top five viral videos of 2010.
HOLMES: Of the year already, huh?
KEILAR: Yes. So far.
HOLMES: Give me a hint.
KEILAR: Well, you know the Old Spice guy.
HOLMES: He's in there?
KEILAR: He is in there.
HOLMES: OK. But not the top?
KEILAR: No. We're going to kind of -- I think we'll let the viewers decide. But no, he's definitely in there.
You know, "The man that your man wants to smell like," or could smell like, or whatever. And it's just hilarious. There he is.
I mean, I think of Tony Stewart, too, right, the Old Spice man. But this is the viral video right here.
HOLMES: I love this guy.
KEILAR: So we've got this. We've also go -- I don't want to give too much away, but maybe a kid who's singing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi," one of my very favorites.
And then we're also going to be looking at movies at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. You know, this weekend we've got -- it's kind of like the battle of the sexes, because here you've got "Eat Pray Love." I'm sure you read this book.
HOLMES: Oh, it was a book?
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: A very, very popular book.
HOLMES: Was it really? OK.
KEILAR: Julia Roberts, who everyone I think loves. And she is going to be -- she is the star of "Eat Pray Love" here.
But then the other movie out this weekend, "The Expendables." HOLMES: I read that book. It wasn't a book. I'm sorry.
KEILAR: It wasn't a book, no. But every sort of action figure you can imagine, and they're all thrown into this one movie.
So, I don't know, I guess you can go as a couple and each go to your respective movie, maybe? Or maybe you don't.
HOLMES: OK. What is "Eat Pray Love" about? I really don't know.
KEILAR: "Eat Pray Love" is about this woman who's kind of trying to find herself, and she goes to three different -- I read the book. She goes to three different locations. She goes to Italy, India, and Bali. And this is sort of her life's journey of a year in travel.
It's really good for girls, maybe. For girls.
HOLMES: Yes. I'll take "The Expendables."
KEILAR: I'm sure you will.
HOLMES: Brianna, good to see you here with us.
KEILAR: It's so good to see you.
HOLMES: You have to surprise me like this all the time.
KEILAR: I won't surprise you next time.
HOLMES: But good to have you here.
And she'll be up in just a couple of minutes, filling in for our Fredricka today.
See you in just a second.
All right. And coming up as well, they're calling her the mini Susan Boyle, the little girl with the big voice. She's straight ahead.
Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, fans of "America's Got Talent" couldn't believe what they were hearing or what they were seeing. Could that voice really be coming out of a little girl?
Our Jeanne Moos looks into questions surrounding America's newest TV sensation, a 10-year-old opera singer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You never know what's going to come out of a kid's mouth. (SINGING)
MOOS: Mama mia.
From "Britain's Got Talent" we got Susan Boyle.
(SINGING)
MOOS: And now from "America's Got Talent," we've got a pint- sized kid singing Puccini.
(SINGING)
MOOS: But the minute 10-year-old Jackie Evancho finished, the doubters started. "Absolutely, positively lip-syncing fake," read a typical post.
(SINGING)
MOOS: One conspiracy theorist wrote that after investigating the claims, he concluded Jackie's older brother was the actual vocalist.
(SINGING)
MOOS: We're happy to have a voice coach drive a stake into the rumors. Glenn Seven Allen spoke via Skype from where he was performing at the Bard SummerScape Festival.
GLENN SEVEN ALLEN, PROFESSIONAL SINGER/ACTOR: I'm positive she's not lip-syncing because I can literally see the vibrations of the sound in her face, and I also can -- you can hear her breathing.
(SINGING)
ALLEN: I saw a sort of naturally poised young lady with sort of a freakish talent.
MOOS: Good, freakish, he specified.
On Wednesday night, as Jackie made it into the semifinals, judge Howie Mandel addressed the lip- syncing rumors and comments he heard.
HOWIE MANDEL, JUDGE: They said, "Was it really her?" Is there any way you can just sing a note right now?
MOOS: Jackie-mania swept the crowd.
JACKIE EVANCHO, "AMERICA'S GOT TALENT" CONTESTANT: I feel like I'm just about to burst in tears.
MOOS: That was before this kid from Pittsburgh heard some doubted her voice.
(on camera): You want bad lip-syncing? This is bad lip-syncing. Do not adjust your set.
(voice-over): And do not adjust your set when you hear an adult voice come out of a 10-year-old.
ALLEN: You're looking at Dakota Fanning eight years ago, basically, who sang like Maria Callas. I mean, it's absolutely strange.
MOOS: Maria Callas, as seen here, singing the same Puccini aria.
(SINGING)
MOOS: A star is born -- born just 10 years ago.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right.
It is now time for me to hand it over to my good friend who I have made up with in the commercial break for not telling me she was coming to town, Brianna Keilar, here for our Fredricka Whitfield.
Brianna, it's all yours.
KEILAR: Thank you, T.J., very much.
