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Iran Demands Bail to Release American Hiker; San Bruno Gas Fire Investigation; Republicans, White House Spar Over Tax Cuts; Controversy Arises Over Miners' Request; Falcons Get Live Lessons for When Out of Uniform
Aired September 12, 2010 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Right now on CNN: a massive hurricane churning in the Atlantic. Barely a storm a day ago, now a major threat and it's headed our way. The severe weather center is tracking Igor.
It's a provocative question: do American-Muslims need a reality check? Even more interesting, the person asking is a Muslim. We'll discuss it this hour.
And against NASA's warnings of a possible explosion, mining officials in Chile will send down cigarettes to 33 men trapped 2,000 feet underground in the space a size of a large hotel room. We're live with new details on the life inside that dangerous and dark mine.
(MUSIC)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Thank you for joining us.
It was on, then it was off. Now, it's supposedly on again. We're talking about Iran. It says it will release one of three hikers for a price, though. Sarah Shourd's lawyers say she could go free as early as today, but Iran wants half a million dollars in bail first. Iranian officials have flip-flopped on the decision for the past few days.
Our Susan Candiotti has been following all the developments for us.
Susan, what's going on now?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're right, Don. It has been a seesaw all on a along. Could Sarah Shourd be released in the coming days? It's been on again, off again. So, it's hard to say.
However, Iran's official news agency says the judiciary is asking for a half million dollars in bail to free Sarah. The Iranian lawyer hired by the American hikers' families tells CNN everything's in place except for the money. He made the comment after being allowed to visit with all three hikers for the first time since they were detained last year -- Don.
LEMON: Susan, so, I have a question for you. Then, once she posts bail, will she still need to stay in Iran?
CANDIOTTI: Well, we don't know. We talked with some experts who say this process is hardly typical and given the strained relations between Iran and the U.S., this is both a political and legal minefield. Her family clearly wants her out of there as quickly as possible.
LEMON: So, what about the other two hikers, then, the two young men?
CANDIOTTI: Yes. Well, prosecutors are ramping up their case against them. Today, a judge indicted them on spying charges and their families have consistently denied the children are spies and said if they cross the border, it was by accident.
Now, if they do go on trial, would Sarah be forced to come back and testify? Well, that seems unlikely but that's yet another possible complication.
LEMON: I can only imagine what the families are going through and you have been in touch with the families, Susan. This must be a very difficult time for them.
CANDIOTTI: It has been a tough 13 months for them. Sarah's mom in particular is especially concerned about her daughter's health because Sarah discovered a lump in one of her breasts and she's also worried about her daughter's mental health because Sarah's been in solitary confinement this entire time except for one hour a day.
We're going to play back for you what Sarah's mother -- what Sarah herself rather said about that loneliness last May when the moms were allowed to visit them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH SHOURD, DETAINED AMERICAN HIKER: Shane and Josh were in the room together but I'm alone. And that's the most difficult thing for me. But I see them twice a day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, Susan, who is doing the bidding for the moms on all of this?
CANDIOTTI: Well, don, because the U.S. and Iran, of course, have no diplomatic ties, the Swiss ambassador is an intermediary and she tells CNN that technicalities in these latest demands are being reviewed. The State Department says it is, of course, monitoring developments.
LEMON: All right. Susan Candiotti following the story for us from New York -- Susan, thank you very much.
The Obama administration is taking this news out of Iran with caution. As White House adviser David Axelrod tells NBC, Iranian officials have gone back on this decision once already. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID AXELROD, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: We're hopeful and we're encouraged by this news, but there have been starts and stops in this before, and until that actually happens, you know, we're on a wait-and-see basis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We'll follow that story for you.
We want to go to California now. New questions about the gas main that exploded in San Bruno, California. A newspaper has found documents showing the utility, PG&E -- well, it considered a portion of the gas main that ruptured to have a, quote, "unacceptably high risk of failure" as far back as 2007.
The first residents were escorted back to their neighborhoods today just to see that damage. Thirty-seven homes were destroyed in Thursday's explosion and fire. Four people were killed, six are still missing.
Let's go to CNN's Ted Rowlands who's reporting now from San Bruno with the very latest -- Ted.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, pretty emotional scene up there where these residents are getting back for the first time and they're seeing firsthand the devastation. We went along with a couple who is just two houses away from the beginning of the area that was completely flattened. And they said it was surreal to be there and to see that their neighborhood had been pretty much demolished.
Nobody who lives in the areas of the homes that were demolished, those homeowners of the 37 homes, they are not allowed to go back. They're not allowed to sift through because investigators are literally sifting through the debris still there, looking for any potential human remains. We're talking about fragments here and that is a painstakingly long process which continues today and is likely to continue over the next few days.
Meanwhile, you mentioned that documents that did surface and CNN has obtained a copy of them, basically saying that PG&E years ago identified this pipeline area as being in need of repair and potentially dangerous in the aspect that it might produce a gas leak or fail. It doesn't mean that they thought by any stretch of the imagination, however, that it would be a potential life-threatening situation. But it is still something that critics of PG&E say was a red flag that they should have been more attuned to when there were reports of people smelling gas.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK TONEY, EXEC. DIR., THE UTILITY REFORM NETWORK: Nobody, PG&E included, could have imagined something as horrible and terrible as the San Bruno blast and fire as happening. But the fact remains that when PG&E got the reports of gas leaks from several customers over several days, they should have realized that this was an area that was old, that was at high risk, that they identified as high risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: And, Don, PG&E really hasn't said much in the last few days. The NTSB is the lead in this organization. And PG&E has said basically they're not going to have any comments until the investigation is complete.
LEMON: All right. Ted Rowlands, stand by, we'll be getting back to you throughout the evening here on CNN. Appreciate your reporting.
You know, my next guest is very familiar with the events of 9/11. In fact, he helped write eulogies for all New York firefighters, police officers and port authority officers and other emergency workers killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. He says a rally yesterday was a desecration of the significance of that day. He's going to explain why next. You want to hear what he has to say.
Plus, living half a mile underground. Can you imagine? What 33 miners are doing to survive. We're going to take you there live.
We want you to be part of the show, part of the conversation. Of course, make sure you send us a message on Twitter or Facebook, comment on our stories, check out our blog, CNN.com/Don. And look for us on Foursquare, check in with us there. We want to hear from you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We're going to get now to a controversial topic so you probably want to pay attention to this one. Yesterday, the nation remembered those lost on September 11th, 2001.
But some people say the anniversary this year was unlike the last eight. They feel the controversy surrounding the proposed Islamic center two blocks from Ground Zero turned a patriotic day of mourning into a political football.
John Avlon, a regular contributor to CNN, was at the rally in New York City yesterday where people were protesting that cultural center and some of it, obviously, some people there were agreeing with it. There were two protests.
So, you call it a desecration of the significance of 9/11. Desecration, that's harsh. Why do you say that?
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Because I think, you know, to a degree, a 9/11 amnesia we're starting to see in our politics, particular around this anniversary, an increased politicization. You know, one of the things that came out of that awful day wasn't just the beginning after wider war that we are still engaged in, but an awareness that what unites us is fundamentally more important those things that divide us as Americans.
And what we're seeing with the rise of partisan politics and an ugliness at some of these rallies marks the fact that I think we're forgetting that again. That the divisions that are deeply divisive to Americans, whether Democratic or Republican, completely unimportant from the wider lens of the war we're in and that was an awareness that really sunk in with people after the attacks in 2008.
LEMON: What did you specifically see, John, at the rally -- at these rallies -- that made you use such harsh words?
AVLON: Just on both sides, a lot of politicization, harshly political rhetoric, and a lot of -- not just anger but hate. Keep in mind, one of the big organizers of the big rally in the afternoon is somebody who's referred to President Obama as the Muslim in the White House over 250 times on her blog. There's an inherently partisan political nature to this. It's not about Democratic and Republican but really a divisiveness.
And that's what we need to push against. That's what we need to remember. Back to the day when McCain and Obama went to the Ground Zero ceremony in 2008 together, that is the spirit of this day, that is the spirit we need to keep in mind and in our hearts.
LEMON: OK.
AVLON: We're losing it right now.
LEMON: You were talking about the politicization of this and yesterday, I had a conversation here and everyone agreed that everyone needs to take a step back and take a deep breath and not call people names and listen to both sides. Now, in listening to both sides, that would mean that Muslims would have to listen to the people who, you know, don't want this proposed mosque and cultural center near Ground Zero and the same thing, the people who do want it will have to listen to the Muslim community.
I want you to take a listen to what Irshad Manji said this morning with Christiane Amanpour. Irshad is with NYU School of Public Service. Take a listen to this, John, and we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IRSHAD MANJI, NYU SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE: And one of the reasons that they do have those anxieties is, you know, over the last nine years, moderate Muslims have failed, moderate Muslims have failed to make the case for why there is nothing to fear about Islam. When Major Nidal Hasan opens fire on a group of fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, shouting "Allahu Akbar," God is great, and the first thing you hear out of the mouth of a moderate is, please don't misunderstand, Islam has nothing to do with, you can't blame ordinary Americans who are scratching their heads and wondering will what rule does religion play here.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Is -- does she have a point? And is this -- can you view this as a reaching across the aisle of sorts to say that there are regular Americans, many of them who are not racist and who are not anti-Islam, who have questions and concerns about Islam?
AVLON: Absolutely. And Irshad Manji makes an important point and a brave point. Look, we are in a war against radical jihadist, Islamists terrorists. But we are not and have never been in a war against Islam.
And if we are going to be a civil society, we need to just create an example for the world -- we need to always remember that America's greatness flows from our goodness. And we need to be inclusive. Good people could disagree about the mosque and many other things. That's the tone that we need to set. That's the example we need to set.
And while recognizing the reality that we are still at war with Islamist terrorism, but we are not and have never been at war with Islam.
LEMON: I have to ask you this, it leads me to the next question. Your book is called "Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America." So, I have to ask about Pastor Terry Jones. Go.
AVLON: Well, look -- I mean, that's a great example of the way of extremists have a disproportionate influence. That this guy, a fairly insignificant figure, was able to hijack media and effectively hijack much of the media surrounding the ninth anniversary of 9/11 by going from 50 congregants to being on the cover of 50 newspapers simply by threatening to burn the Koran.
It is a good example and a cautionary tale of the way that extremists are able to game the system and hijack the media with deeply disproportionate, you know, unrepresentative statements and that kind of ugliness too often occupies our attention. We need to push back on that.
LEMON: Hey, John, I have to run, and I'm really enjoying this conversation. You had some very, very smart points here.
AVLON: Thank you.
LEMON: So, then, what do we do, besides from -- beside, you know, going to each and every person's door to try to explain, you know, to them about Islam exactly is, what do we do in this situation, then?
AVLON: Look, I think we need to recognize that we are in a war -- there's a wider war between freedom and fundamentalism around the world and each of us has an obligation as Americans to try to be the change we want to see and to stand up to extremism wherever and whenever we see. Those -- if Americans do that beginning at their dinner table and extending to larger conversations, we can help turn the tide and stop these extremists from whatever form they might range, from having this disproportionate influence, from hijacking our debates. And we need to recognize that this is a wider war and it's the forces of freedom versus the forces of fundamentalism.
LEMON: Well said, thank you, John Avlon.
AVLON: Thank you.
LEMON: With all this talk of burning Korans and blocking the building of an Islamic center, a church in Tennessee offers a refreshing change, though. The Heartsong Church in suburban Memphis opened its arms to its new neighbor, a mosque.
Jamel Majors from our affiliate WMC has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMEL MAJORS, WMC REPORTER (voice-over): These words say it all.
PASTOR STEVE STONE, HEARTSONG CHURCH: Once we put up the sign, probably within three days, people from the Islamic center contacted us they were overwhelmed with emotion that we would be so welcoming.
MAJORS: Steve Stone, pastor of Heartsong Church, says when he heard about plans for the multimillion-dollar Memphis Islamic center complex being built near his church, he knew he had to react.
STONE: I didn't know much about Islam. And I didn't know -- I only knew one fellow who is a Muslim. And so, you know, I knew it was going to be a learning process for me. But we follow Jesus and he tells us to love our neighbors.
MAJORS: Stone says he hopes that by putting out a welcome mat for Muslims, it will send a strong message to those who may have associated Christians with being anti-Islam.
STONE: People that associate Christians with folks that are afraid or don't like Muslims, I can't judge those people that are Christian. I just believe to take the name of Christ and to be hateful and do hateful things is a real insult.
MAJORS: To prove his point, Stone says the Heartsong Church congregation is taking its new relationship with members of the Memphis Islamic center one step further.
STONE: Their facility was not quite finished, still isn't, and they came and asked us if they might be able to use our facility for Ramadan prayers which we took as a high compliment.
MAJORS: Stone says it's the beginning of a friendship he hopes will inspire others to love their neighbors.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Hurricane Igor is picking up steam. Could it be a threat to the U.S. coast any time soon? Our hurricane headquarters is checking on it, our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras as well.
And another wildfire is forcing people from their homes in Colorado. We'll have the latest details -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We want to check top stories right now.
Denmark has raised its terror threat level after an incident involving this man. Here he is at a Copenhagen hotel on Tuesday. On Friday, he was injured in an explosion in a bathroom at the hotel that police say he triggered. They are investigating whether he was targeting a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad back in 2005. The man who was carrying identity papers from three countries has denied attempting to explode a bomb or carrying an illegal weapon.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to the Middle East this week to try to keep Israeli/Palestinian peace negotiations on track. Talks resume in Egypt on Tuesday, two weeks after they begun in Washington. Israeli settlement expansion is expected to take center stage. The Palestinians want Israel to extend a freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank. It is due to end September 26th.
A wildfire that has burned 40 acres is forcing people to evacuate their homes near Loveland, Colorado. The fire is centered between the pine wood and flatiron reservoirs. It's not clear how many homes are in danger, but fire officials say they know about 100 structures are in the area and one has been damaged. No word on a cause.
You know, there's another hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean and it's growing stronger as we speak.
Let's turn to meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, who joins us from our hurricane headquarters to talk all about Igor.
OK. Not very big, but strong and how far away?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Crazy strong, Don. But we're talking at least a week away --
LEMON: OK.
JERAS: -- before the U.S. needs to get worried about this just yet. But it's important that you know that it's out there because it is extremely intense and this thing has just been ramping up all day long. Igor just became a hurricane late last night, 11:00 Eastern Time, and now, it's a category 4. So, you know, less than 24 hours, this thing has s a major hurricane with winds of 140 miles per hour.
Look at that satellite imagery. You can see just how symmetrical that storm is, how big that eye is. It's like 20 nautical miles around. So, this storm is really almost as strong as it gets and could potentially get stronger in the next couple of days.
The water temperatures are very warm and it's heading into even warmer water. We're talking mid to upper 80s. So, there's a lot of fuel that will help hold this hurricane. Now, there will be some changes in intensity because they often go through things like these eye wall replacement cycles and it's hard for it to maintain that intensity for a long period of time. But best estimate is that it will be a major hurricane throughout the time period and this is the position by Thursday. So, that's when it gets its closest approach towards the Lesser Antilles. We think it will stay north of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. But if this storm grows in size, it could get some wind lashing, certainly we'll get some whipping because of these waves.
Now, the computer models go a long way out, and the farther out in time you go, the more room there is for error. But, right now, best estimate is we're looking more of an Earl-type storm but hopefully to the east of there. So, we'll watch this thing as it continues to develop and continues to pull further towards the west.
Last but not least, before I let you go, we're watching a little area of disturbed weather in the Caribbean has some potential in the next couple of days to become a tropical depression.
LEMON: Igor, small but mighty, as they say.
JERAS: Absolutely.
LEMON: All right, Jacqui. We'll be keeping an eye on that. Thank you, Jacqui Jeras. We appreciate it.
And coming up here on CNN: an incredible crash caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The flights were getting pretty intense. It was high. I could knock them down with a fire extinguisher, as soon as I get them knocked down. I believe there was some oil or gasoline or something under the hood and it kept igniting. And every time it would ignite, we'd get flames again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Three deputies try desperately to free a car -- a driver whose car burst into flames. That's story is straight ahead.
But, first, could this man soon be the next speaker of the House? Some Republicans are predicting yes. And Democrats, well, they aren't taking it lightly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Right now, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has high hopes for fellow Republicans in the November elections. He says their success might even eclipse a 1994 Republican landslide that made him speaker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't beat our record and get more than --
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS HOST: Of 54.
GINGRICH: -- of 54. I would not be shocked.
WALLANCE: So, we're talking Speaker Boehner.
GINGRICH: Oh, I think -- I think for all planning purposes in eight out of 10 futures, Boehner is the speaker and then Pelosi has to decide whether to stay or leave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Paul Steinhauser is CNN's deputy political director and he joins me now.
Paul, that is a very bold statement. He seems pretty confident. So, I'm sure top Democrats have something to say about this.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. I don't think they agree with Newt Gingrich. One of those top Democrats, Don, was on "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley today and that was Steny Hoyer, the number two House Democrat. And he told Candy that, you know what, he acknowledged, we're going to lose seats in the House but he was confident that his party was going to keep control of the chamber.
We have something, Don, called the CNN 100. We rank the top 100 House seats that are most vulnerable and we just updated the list this weekend. Of those 100 seats, 85 of them are Democratic seats, 85 of the 100 we consider the most vulnerable Democratic, 15 to Republican. You can see right there.
Don, the magic number, 39 still. That's the number of House seats, the net gain Republicans need to win back control of the chamber.
LEMON: Awfully tidy and neat little graphic you have there, Mr. Steinhauser. But let's shift to the debate over extending the Bush tax cuts.
You know, the man who could be speaker, Republican John Boehner, he signaled today that he would vote with President Obama but only under the right circumstances. I want to you listen to what he had to say and then we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), MINORITY LEADER: If the only option I have is to vote for some of those tax reductions, I'll vote for 'em. But I've been making the point now for months that we need to extend all the current rates for all Americans if we want to get our economy going again and we want to get jobs in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: And, Paul, I'm sure you got the e-mail as well here at CNN, President Obama's spokesman issued a statement just a few minutes ago saying the White House welcomes what he called Boehner's change in position. So, what's going on here?
STEINHAUSER: Listen, the Democrats, the White House, they want to extend the Bush tax cuts for those making -- families making under $250,000 a year. The Republicans, you just heard John Boehner say, they want to extend the tax cuts for all Americans.
But Boehner -- he doesn't want the Republicans and himself to be blamed for stopping the tax cuts to be extended for Middle Americans. You know, he's going, he doesn't want to be going for all or nothing and getting blamed for that. So, kind of a tactical move here.
Don, what do Americans think? We did a recent poll, and about half of the people we asked say extend the tax cuts just for those making $250,000 or less. Only about three in 10 said extend it for all Americans. And, Don, only about one in five say, stop it. No more tax cuts for anybody. Don't extend them at all.
LEMON: I don't remember talking this much about John Boehner. You're talking about the tax cuts and what he said about then. But since we had the health care vote, he played a big role in his opposition to that.
Speaking of John Boehner, the president mentioned him eight times in a speech last week and new Democrat party ad criticizes him by name. And my question is, why are Democrats targeting him personally?
STEINHAUSER: They're going after them because, as you mentioned, Don, if the Republicans went want control of the chamber, he would become the next speaker of the House. What they're trying to do? They're trying to say, John Boehner is for you, mainstream America, that he's in the hands of Wall Street and big banks. And that's what you'll see in this ad that the Democratic National Committee says they're going to come up with on Tuesday.
And they're also -- Don, the Democrats are trying to say that Boehner and the Republicans will take you back to those failed policies that didn't work and got the U.S. into the mess it's in in the first place. but it's a risky strategy. Why? Because we had a poll out just last week that indicated that most Americans, the majority, don't know enough about Boehner to form an opinion on him. It's different with something like, say, Nancy Pelosi. Republicans have been using Pelosi in their ads for a while. But most Americans know the House speaker. They're not so familiar with the House minority leader -- Don?
LEMON: It's just like the holidays, the election just around the corner. It will be here before you know it.
Thank you, Paul.
Fame, money, power -- there's no limit to the temptations for many NFL players. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT RYAN, QUARTERBACK, ATLANTA FALCONS: I wish stuff off the field was like throwing a football. I know how to throw a football.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We're going to tell you how one team is pushing players to make better decisions when they're out of uniform.
And I want you to meet Emily. It's a radio-controlled lifeguard that could save your life if you get in trouble at the beach. Our Gary Tuchman shows us how in today's "Edge of Discovery."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, there's always next summer. Labor Day weekend might have been your last chance to cool off in the ocean for a while, at least for a couple of months, through the winter. But next time you're at the beach, a new lifeguard could be there to help keep you safe. CNN's Gary Tuchman explains in today "Edge of Discovery."
(EDGE OF DISCOVERY)
LEMON: Wow. Very cool stuff on "Edge of Discovery."
Making the most of their life underground, 33 miners trapped in Chile, and we'll show you how they are living and what they're requesting to be sent down to them. It's causing a little bit of controversy with NASA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Top stories right now on CNN.
A Sunday boating trip in Texas took a horrible turn. Two boats collided in Lewisville Lake north of Dallas. At least 11 people have been rushed to the hospital, including several children. A number of the injuries are said to be serious. No word yet on the cause of that accident. We'll check on that.
The Homeland Security secretary says there is no 100 percent guarantee that the U.S. will not face another terror attack. Janet Napolitano appeared with her predecessor from the Bush administration, Michael Chertoff, today on "State of the Union" with Candy Crowley. Napolitano talked about the ongoing terror threat facing this country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The United States, we're not immune. And we do see U.S. persons who, for whatever reason, have been radicalized to the point of violence, maybe violence in the name of Islam. And they travel to the Fatah. They train. They learn the trade craft. They come back. And that is something that is relatively new in a kind of the known threat stream we've been dealing with. But it's not unique, nor was it unanticipated really that that could occur.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That was from CNN's "State of the Union with Candy Crowley.
At last two people were killed today in Afghanistan while protesting against a Florida pastor who had planned to burn the Koran. Security forces opened fire to prevent the crowd of 600 people from storming government offices. Protests over the burning had started in Afghanistan before Pastor Terry Jones abandoned his plan. Four other demonstrators were hurt.
They have been trapped 2,300 feet underground, 23 hundred feet, that's about half a mile, in a space the size of a studio apartment, and they have been there for more than a month. Now, 33 Chilean miners are getting two of the things they crave most -- electricity and smokes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MINERS: (SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Looks like they're keeping in good spirits. and probably keeping their sanity is of utmost importance right now. The earliest crews will be able to rescue these men -- November. There's really nothing for them to do but settle in and ride it out.
Let's go to Patrick Oppmann, live in Copiapo, Chile, following this for us.
Listen, I want to talk to you first -- I know there are several plans that the rescuers have put into place. Let's talk about the tobacco products being lowered down and allowing them to smoke. NASA warned against it, but mining officials are letting them do it. Is it so the men can keep their spirits and their sanity?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And it was so surreal yesterday to here the Chilean health minister say that they were sending cigarettes down to the men. It's obviously something he approves of, necessarily. But you have to remember, Don, these men never wanted to quit smoking, most of them, and even though over the last few weeks they have been sent the nicotine patch and nicotine gum -- this is something the men have been asking for day in and day out, we're told. And finally, Chilean officials relented. They figured the benefits were worse than the harm and danger, because they were obviously using tobacco products, obviously using fire in an enclosed space. Not a good idea. Everybody realizes this. But they're also trying to keep these men comfortable, trying to keep their spirits up, and this is one thing they just absolutely insisted on getting. A lot of these men have had to quit cold turkey and, apparently, they really like to smoke.
LEMON: More of the concern from NASA, I believe, and other officials, is probably the threat of an explosion. Answer for me quickly, and then we'll move on and talk about the plans.
OPPMANN: Officials here have said that they've studied it, they said, the last few weeks, looking at the danger, because they knew it was something the men really wanted. Several of the miners are apparently heavy smokers. They're only getting about two packs a day to divide up amongst themselves. And officials have said they looked at it and that the danger is minimal. I would say it's a very enclosed space. But once they improved the ventilation in the area, they felt it was safe. They made those upgrades yesterday and that's when they began sending them cigarettes.
LEMON: We were talking about it here. Probably at this point, if you're trapped that long for that small a space, you just want your darn cigarette. And then you'll work it out on the other end.
So, Patrick, we understand plan "C" --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: -- the drill has arrived on the scene. How long will it take to set up that plan "C" drill and what's the status of plans "A" and "B"?
OPPMANN: It was amazing to be here this morning, Don, when they brought in some of the last pieces of that oil drilling platform. This is a drill that is usually used to work for oil in other parts of the world.
We've talked to some of the engineers and they said, in their long history taking these drills all around the world, looking for oil, they never looked for anything but oil, certainly never people. It's going to take about a week officials hope to get it set up and running. It's the fastest drill they will have out there, that they will be throwing against this mine.
Still, though, even with this increased speed, probably not until November, Don, until they reach these men, free these men.
It was a mixed bag today. The plan "B" drill, the drill bit was totally destroyed this week when it ran into a steel reinforcement beam. Of course, this was a working mine. They have things like reinforcement beams and this drill bit went right into it. It's totally destroyed. They're trying to fish out piece by piece the shattered drill bit so they can put another drill bit on and continue drilling again there.
The plan "A" drill, it's a traditional mining drill. It's been drilling the longest. It's making a steady but somewhat slow speed, only about a third of the way down. It stopped today for routine maintenance. and when -- all of a sudden this afternoon, you couldn't hear any drilling going on, some of the families became quite upset because they tell us that the miners can hear the drilling and when they know there isn't drilling going on, it worries them.
LEMON: Yes, they know something is wrong or there is a hitch or glitch of sorts. Thank you very much, Patrick Oppmann, in Copiapo, Chile.
Coming up, tea partiers are rallying across the country today.
Plus, you're looking at the cover, right now -- there it is -- of the most expensive books in the world. It's going on the auction block for millions. So, what is it? I'll tell you straight ahead.
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LEMON: Time now for "CNN Equals Politics" update. We're keeping an eye on the latest headlines on the CNN.com political ticker.
Let's join CNN's senior political editor, Mr. Mark Preston. He knows all about politics. He's part of the best political team on television, the person to give us what's going on now.
What's crossing right now, Mark?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Don, very, very busy Sunday, as I'm sure our viewers know or are certainly trying to catch up as we head into the week.
First of all, tea party activists converging here in Washington, D.C. They marched on Washington. Of course, they are talking about how angry they are at the federal government.
Shannon Travis, who is sitting behind me, just came in from the rally. He has the story up on the political ticker.
Tea party activists gathering Washington ahead of the midterm elections. Don, these people are fired up. These are the folks that could help the Republicans take back the House of Representatives if enough of them come out in November.
Moving on to that. Michael Moore, big story yesterday. On the September 11th anniversary, Michael Moore, that liberal filmmaker -- some would call him a provocateur. He came out and said he doesn't want this controversial community center that would house a mosque to be built near Ground Zero. Don, he said he wants it built on Ground Zero. Of course, that has fired a lot of people up. And right now, Don, nearly 1600 people have recommended this story, using the CNN Facebook application. Another 120 people have commented on it. Some of those comments were supportive. I got to tell you, Don, some are not.
And, of course, Candy Crowley's crib sheet. Our own Candy Crowley from "State of the Union," she has a crib sheet out, kind of wraps up the whole day, all the talk shows. Tells you everything that was said regarding the tax cut fight, what is going on, the discussion regarding the terrorist threat here in the U.S. and, of course, the midterm elections. Check that out on CNN.com -- Don?
LEMON: Mark Preston, rolling up his sleeves, got the tie undone. I like this look. Great energy. Usually you're sitting there with me and you're kind of my foil. I'm wacky. You're the straight man. But I like that. I like that.
PRESTON: Hey, man, I like to get dirty.
(CROSSTALK)
PRESTON: Down and dirty.
LEMON: Nice job.
Hey, listen, we just got a statement from John Boehner. We're going to talk to you about it in a little bit. We want to read it over first, Mark, and then we'll get your take on it, probably in the 7:00 eastern hour. OK, sir?
PRESTON: Sure. Sounds good.
LEMON: OK.
And I want to tell our viewers, for the latest on all things political, make sure you go to CNN.com/politicalticker, go to CNN.com/politics or CNNpolitics.com.
Keeping NFL players on the straight and narrow for a new season.
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ARTHUR BLANK, OWNER, ATLANTA FALCONS: I think we did whatever we could with Michael. A lot of it was him. And a lot of it was folks he associated with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Applying lessons learned from pro football scandals.
Plus, a fiery crash caught on video. The driver is trapped as cars burn. I'll show you how this all ends.
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LEMON: This next story involves the Falcons. It's about the NFL, but it involves the Falcons. By the way, they lost today, 15-9, to the Steelers. The wait is over. It is kickoff weekend for the NFL. But that also means we can start looking for those instances where a players let some money and the fame go to their head, and does something not so bright.
One team is hoping to avoid that by inviting speakers, including me, to do a very different kind of coaching.
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LEMON (voice-over): When you're an NFL player on the field, there's always a coach watching to whip you into shape. Off the field, it's a different story. Players making names for themselves in all the wrong way, bad decisions, bad role models, bad habits that teams like the Atlanta Falcons have seen too much of in the past. BLANK: I think we did whatever we could with Michael. A lot of it was him and a lot of it was folks that he associated with.
LEMON: In the aftermath of the Michael Vick scandal, the Falcons found themselves fighting the perception that NFL players have too much money, not enough brains.
ALICIA PHILIPP, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER ATLANTA: I really want you to think about and have a plan for what you want to do in the community.
LEMON: Welcome to Falcons U., a crash course that teaches players how to handle themselves when they're out of pads.
BEN WHITE, ALSTON & BIRD, LLP: Don't give until it hurts. Give until it feels good.
LEMON (on camera): If there were more Falcons U's or programs like it, do you think we wouldn't hear about the Vicks and Roethlisberger?
MATT RYAN, QUARTERBACK, ATLANTA FALCONS: You do see a lot of negative things about players in the NFL. But it's such a small minority.
LEMON: Quarterback Matt Ryan attended this year's summit, along with dozens of other Falcons players.
RYAN: Good things that players do within a community, taking care of themselves financially, all those kind of things, sometimes get lost.
UNIDENTIFIED FALCON PLAYER: If you have to second-guess yourself on what you're doing, if you're going to question yourself, and step back and say, should I be doing this? Or is my family going to reap the nastiness of me choosing this decision or is my name going to be tarnished?
LEMON: But Falcons U. is about more than public perception. The brainchild of owner, Arthur Blank, this year's summit also offered lessons on how to invest, which charities to give to, which endorsements to take.
BLANK: The football field, they have good counseling for many years, and they are getting here it here, great coaching. But some of these life transition, life skill areas, they haven't. We can add value there.
(on camera): In three years, I believe that's how long it takes an NFL player to lose the money that he made in the NFL.
UNIDENTIFIED FALCONS PLAYER: The window, especially playing football, can be short sometimes. You have to make the transition from college to the real world.
CHRIS REDMAN, QUARTERBACK ATLANTA FALCONS: Being one of the oldest, I'm 29 in 37 months now --
(LAUGHTER)
-- and I'm closer to the end of that time, where you need to be thinking about the next step.
It gives the opportunity to meet a lot of people.
LEMON: Given his position and importance to the team, Matt Ryan knows he's under extra scrutiny.
RYAN: I wish stuff off the field was like throwing a football. I know how to throw a football. But I've had to learn and try to listen to a lot of different people.
LEMON: A reminder that in the NFL, handling your business means more than winning football games.
Don Lemon, CNN, Flowery Branch, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: News you missed. On Sundays, we want to catch you up on news you may have missed from throughout the past week and that's why we call it, "News You Missed."
Three sheriff deputies in Georgia put their lives on the line to save a man from a burning car. Their bravery was caught on the cruiser's dashboard camera. It happened last Sunday on I-75 in Gordon County, Georgia. A man lost control of his car. It crashed and then it burst into flames. The deputies and a passerby tried to knock down the flames and finally broke a door window to pull the driver to safety.
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JEREMY BATTLE, DEPUTY, GORDON COUNTY, GA SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Well, first thing I'm thinking is how many people are in the vehicle, and if they're injured, deceased, and what I can do to get them out.
JOSH COCHRAN, DEPUTY, GORDON COUNTY, GA SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I went around to the passenger side and busted out the passenger window with my baton. And me and Deputy Phillips pulled the driver out of the car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And, again, he did survive.
Just announced, a book sale unlike any other. Call this the ultimate best seller. Love to be the author of that book. Auction house, Sotheby's says this book, "Birds of America," by John James Audubon, is the most expensive in the world. Expect it to go for about $9 million. Can you imagine that? $9 million. Wonder what it goes for -- anyway. Forget it. The auction on December 7th will offer what Sotheby's labels as the most important book in English literature. It's called "First Folio." It's from 1623. It contains all the plays of William Shakespeare. The anticipated price -- get this -- about $2 million.
Take a close look at this next video. It's a young girl running after a ball in the street. But take a close look. Or is it? Look at that. This is part of a traffic safety campaign in Canada designed to make drivers slow down as high-risk intersections. It's a decal on the pavement that creates a 3-D allusion. Reaction has been mixed. Some people worry it may cause drivers to swerve and hit something else or eventually become immune to the image and hit an actual child on the roadway.
