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George Clooney Goes to Washington; Chilean Mine Rescue Operation Set to Begin; Accused Fort Hood Shooter in Court
Aired October 12, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: It doesn't get much more dramatic than this. Rescuers will be pulling those 33 miners up from the earth in a capsule much like this one, but their ride to freedom will not be easy. The countdown is on.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The other Facebook movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You have just found like the tip of the iceberg.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You have got to stop the camera now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: "Catfish" captures social networking's darker side with a shocking twist. One of the guys behind the film joins me live.
Restaurants get surprise inspections, coal mines, even big-rig trucks. And you would think oil rigs are on that list. So were government watchdogs asleep on the job?
George Clooney goes to Washington -- what he's telling your senators.
Someone toilet-papered this lavish California home. Wait until you hear who it belongs to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: We are about four hours and counting now to the start of that mine operation, that mine rescue in Chile.
Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
Big, big news happening today. By the end of this evening, we could be seeing the first miner pulled to the surface through more than 2,000 feet of solid rock. Folks, this is kind of like the ultimate reality show in a sense. Think about the timeline here. Sixty-eight days, we have followed the live of these 33 men. Here they are. You have seen the video. There they are trapped in the dark, dank cave, by the collapse of this gold and copper mine that they had been working in near Chile.
And we watched as they put together essentially this life underground, this hierarchy. They formed this new social structure, developed new daily routines, bound -- bonded, really, as people stuck together in a mighty unusual circumstance, and now they are getting ready to be yanked up to this new reality, to -- to bright sunshine, their families who have been missing them and this world waiting to hear -- waiting to hear them tell their stories.
Take a look at this. These are all the reporters who have converged on the site to cover this rescue. What an assignment from all around the world. Now, keeping the miners once they're out of the mine away from the lights and the microphones and the cameras, that is priority number one for the Chilean government, beyond just their safety here.
So, this elaborate system has been set up to shield these men as they're whisked away to be reunited with loved ones, and then taken to a hospital for a couple of days.
So, here is what we're told will happen. In just under four hours -- and keep in mind that could change, as it has been here -- the road to the mine will be totally shut off for security reasons. Then, this small rescue team, they will be lowered into this cave in the Phoenix capsule to help these guys get ready.
And then, one by one by one, these miners will be climbing into this skinny capsule for what must be the loneliest, most frightening trip of their lives.
Karl Penhaul, he has been at the mine. He's been doing yeoman's work for us there in Chile.
And, Karl, let's just first talk about the big news, which is, we could finish this evening with at least one miner freed.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. That's what the mine's minister, Laurence Golborne, has promised us.
He said, you know, I can't tell you exactly what time this whole extraction operation will kick off. And he said, even when it does start, you have got to lower rescuers, five of them, down into that mine shaft first to check out the 33 medically, and to get them into some order as to who will come up first, who will come up last. He said, but my intention is to have at least one miner on the surface by midnight tonight -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: By midnight tonight, we could be seeing the first of these 33 men.
And let's talk a little bit more, Karl, about this process. We have seen this capsule, what they call the Phoenix. We know there are 33 guys down there. We know that they're talking about putting the five fittest men in first, but they're not releasing the order. Why is that?
PENHAUL: Yes, exactly, I mean, the fittest, but also the ones that have the most technical knowledge, because they want them to give feedback to the rescuers. If there are any problems with that Phoenix capsule on the way up, they want feedback from guys who know the technicalities of this kind of -- of -- of equipment.
They also want any feedback about any problems that there may be down in the mine that can help the rescuers tailor this operation. And then, after that, there will be 10 guys who we know have some kind of medical condition.
One has a longstanding problem with silicosis, or black lung, as U.S. miners call it. Another one has got high blood pressure, another diabetes, and others with various skin problems. And then the final group will be the fittest. We don't know exactly who is going to be the last man, but my money is on the -- on the -- on the fact that it could be Luis Urzua.
He was the shift foreman at the time that it collapsed. And really he has the responsibility to come up last, a little like a ship's captain leaving the sinking ship once all his men are off, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Right, exactly, the leader of the group, the guy who says, you know, he will take one for the team and wait it out and be the final guy out of there.
And, Karl, what I didn't realize is really the age range of these miners. We're talking all the way from 19 to 63. They will be getting in this capsule six feet tall by 21 inches around.
And, in terms, Karl, of the process here, we know it will be spinning. It will be spinning through about a half-mile of solid rock until it reaches that opening. Why does it have to spin, and how are they preparing these men for this journey?
PENHAUL: Yes.
I mean, you mentioned the age ranges -- 19-year-old Jimmy Sanchez, he's the youngest guy there. He hadn't been a miner for long. He never wanted to be a miner. He was frightened of the dark. He didn't like being underground.
And, also, he told his wife before this cave-in that he was afraid of the spirits and the ghosts of dead miners who had died down there in the 130 years that that mine had been operating.
The oldest guy 63, Mario Gomez, he's the guy with black lung. But he continue to work, that really a testimony to the dangerous conditions the miners face here on any normal day.
We have seen him a number of times giving a wave to his wife on those videos. And he's lost at least two fingers on one of his hands, again, as a result of the mining accidents.
(CROSSTALK)
PENHAUL: But it's -- the good news is that they have tested that Phoenix capsule now --
BALDWIN: Right.
PENHAUL: -- and they don't believe it will spin. Initially, they thought it might gyrate up to 10 times.
But they have got a special anti-twist cable, which is about an inch thick, and also, they have got wheels on that Phoenix capsule that will kind of come out against the -- the shaft wall, and that will stabilize it.
But just in case any of these miners get sick or nauseous because of any of the movement, that's why they have been put on a liquid diet now for the last few hours, a liquid diet supplied by the NASA space agency -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Huh, a liquid diet to prepare them for this journey of a lifetime.
And, Karl, I have one more question, but I want you to stand by, because I want to bring Chad Myers in. I -- but I have a question, Karl, about this vow of silence, which I think is fascinating.
But, Chad, let's just go to you. I know let's -- do you want to talk over to this thing --
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, sure. Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: -- and take a look?
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Yes.
The -- one of the reasons they thought that it was going to spin is because it's not a straight shaft down. The -- the drill was hitting random rocks, big pieces. And so the drill was going back and forth, and it's not just a straight shaft. So, as this was going to go up, was going to around here and then back through here as it was trying to go up the hill, basically, 2,000 feet up --
BALDWIN: OK.
MYERS: -- the hill.
BALDWIN: So, this is more or less a replication --
MYERS: You want to get in?
BALDWIN: You go ahead, friend. I have got a dress on.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Wouldn't be pretty. Wouldn't be pretty.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: Well, I don't --
BALDWIN: You hop it.
MYERS: I don't have my dress on today. Anyway, I digress.
BALDWIN: See?
MYERS: Here it is. It isn't so bad for us up here --
BALDWIN: Right.
MYERS: -- that haven't been in some kind of a hole for 65 days.
BALDWIN: This is -- yes, this is a far cry from --
MYERS: I can -- I can get in it. I'm 165 pounds, 170 pounds, depending on the day. And I'm -- I'm OK in it. And if the men that were 200, 205 have lost 25 pounds, I think they're all going to get in it.
The risk was that they may -- and -- and some errant reports were saying -- not here -- but saying they may have to break clavicles to be able to fold the men into it.
BALDWIN: But we are hearing, no, that was erroneous.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: I just don't that's --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: How long do we think this ride will take?
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: I have heard mixed reports.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: I talked to -- texted back and force with ThyssenKrupp, which is an elevator company. And I said, you know, what's the fastest an elevator goes? You can go 500 feet per minute.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: OK? So, that's 2,000. That's feet four minutes. That's not going to be kind of ride.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: This is not a -- a ride to the top of the Sears Tower. OK?
BALDWIN: No.
MYERS: No.
BALDWIN: No.
MYERS: This is going to go about one mile-per-hour. It's going to be bumpy, a little bit jagged back and forth. And I think, maybe, by the time they figure it out, maybe the 33rd guy may be able to go faster. They don't want that first guy to be really -- he will be the slowest, I believe, to make sure every single bump and bruise and up and down --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Right. And don't you know that every single reporter is just sort of waiting, waiting for those big interviews.
I want to go back out to Karl, because, of course, we all want to hear what these miners have to say, how this whole ordeal has been.
And, Karl, tell me about this vow -- oh, we lost him. We lost him.
MYERS: Oh.
BALDWIN: He will be back in our next hour, but --
MYERS: No, I see him.
BALDWIN: But -- you see him?
MYERS: Can he not hear us?
BALDWIN: No. No. No.
MYERS: Oh, OK.
BALDWIN: Next hour.
MYERS: OK. OK.
BALDWIN: But, no, apparently these miners are saying, you know, they're taking this vow of silence.
MYERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: Like, once they get out of this mine, they're not going to talk about it.
MYERS: They don't know the millions of dollars that will be at stake for every single one of them yet.
BALDWIN: I'm thinking that's going to change.
MYERS: It just might change a little bit.
BALDWIN: If I was betting -- a betting gal.
MYERS: And people are asking -- people are asking me -- I don't know how much time we want -- if you want to try to get back to Karl -- but why -- why can't they just bring them up now?
Well, because they want that -- they put a sleeve in the top.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: They have to cement that sleeve in. The cement is not quite hardened yet.
BALDWIN: That's why.
MYERS: So, they're waiting another couple of hours before they --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: But the good news, it --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: -- keeps moving up, moving up, moving up.
MYERS: I know. These guys --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: So, we're all waiting with bated breath.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: I don't know if they're as excited --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: -- I feel like as some of us, we are. You know, but we're waiting for it.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: We should have had them plugging an -- an oil well leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
BALDWIN: Anyway --
MYERS: They are on it.
BALDWIN: -- we will -- we will get more from you, we will get more from Karl --
MYERS: All right.
BALDWIN: -- coming up our next hour --
MYERS: All right.
BALDWIN: -- I promise you.
Meantime, we have another story coming up. He is a man, I know you know his face, his name. He's accused of killing 13 people, many of them fellow soldiers in a stunning attack at Fort Hood last year.
But is he fit to stand trial? We are going to have an update from Texas. That is next.
Also, Facebook, got an account? Your kids have an account? What if you found out some of your friends on Facebook aren't exactly who they appear to be? That is part of this new documentary -- I have seen it -- I -- I highly recommend it. It's called "Catfish." We are going to talk to the guy who is basically at the center of this documentary. Is it real, though, is one of my questions.
Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: And in talking about this Chile story, so many of you were tweeting.
And we actually have a tweet from a Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican singer. You may recognize his name. This is Luis Fonsi. Let's roll over to the Twitter board. It's in Spanish. (SPEAKING SPANISH) "This is a big day for Chile. My -- my best wishes are for the miners and their families." (SPEAKING SPANISH) "God is good." (SPEAKING SPANISH) "We're all with you." (SPEAKING SPANISH) "Viva Chile." Stay strong, Chile.
We will keep our eye, of course, on the Chile story. And I promise you, as soon as we get more information about when these men may be getting out -- and I promise another live shot with Karl Penhaul -- we will most definitely bring that to you. We're all over it.
Meantime, the man accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood was briefly, briefly today in this military courtroom in Texas. The military opened a hearing for Major Nidal Hasan. He is the U.S. Army psychiatrist accused in last year's shootings. And then they adjourned it just about as quickly as it -- it began this morning.
The defense has essentially asked to delay the case. They want it delayed until November, citing some sort of scheduling conflict. The military officer presiding over the hearing is now considering that request, but the -- the timetable is pretty quick here. The defense has just until midnight tonight to submit its argument. The hearing, when it resumes, will determine if there is sufficient evidence to court-martial Hasan, which could potentially end in a death penalty.
Now this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RICK BOUCHER (D), VIRGINIA: We have no idea who these individuals are. This could be a foreign entity. It could be someone who has a corporate identity in the United States. It could be a -- a very wealthy individual.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, how much do you really know about the campaign ads that we have all been seeing and really the groups funding them? CNN is drilling a little bit deeper here and found some twists and turns you need to keep in mind before Election Day.
Also, why was this woman the star of the red carpet? Well, here's why. She survived a harrowing ordeal that almost cost her her life. An update on this young woman, that is ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Got some breaking news I want to get right to you. This is from Washington.
And here's what CNN is confirming, that a federal judge is now telling the military to stop enforcing don't ask, don't tell. Let me see. Here's what the -- the wire is saying.
Judge Virginia Phillips ordered the military -- quote, unquote -- "immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation or discharge, separation or other proceeding that may have been commenced under don't ask, don't tell. The judge had previously ruled that the policy regarding gays serving in the military violated service members' Fifth Amendment rights, but delayed issuing the injunction.'
We're working right now on getting some of our correspondents in Washington briefed on the story, making some phone calls right now. And as soon as we can get them in front of a camera we will, but huge news -- don't ask, don't tell, judge saying stop enforcing it.
Meantime, got another story for you out of Washington, looking ahead here to election -- to the election. You know, we're three weeks away now. And we will be, as we already have started, been assaulted here by some of these campaign ads.
And it's not just TV. I'm talking radio, Internet, full saturation. And a lot of these ads will try to convince us that this candidate or that candidate has just done something flat-out awful.
But here's the thing. A lot of these ads, they're not actually being run -- not by candidates here. In some cases, the folks behind some of these ads seem to be self-interested individuals who are posing as organizations with, you know, do-good-sounding names.
So, I want you to check this out. This is some excellent reporting from CNN's Dana Bash.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. RICK BOUCHER (D), VIRGINIA: We're doing far more than we've --
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Embattled 14-term Democrat, Rick Boucher, says he's never had an election enemy quite like the one he's facing now -- not his opponent --
BOUCHER: This is an organization that is truly shadowy.
BASH: A third party Republican group running this ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM AMERICANS FOR JOB SECURITY POLITICAL AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Boucher has failed to protect our jobs. Now it's time Rick Boucher loses his. Americans for Jobs Security is responsible for the content of this advertising.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH (on camera): Americans for Job Security is responsible.
You know who they are?
BOUCHER: We have no idea who these individuals are. And this could be a foreign entity. It could be someone who has a corporate identity in the United States. It could be a -- a very wealthy individual who has some grudge against me.
BASH: Americans for Job Security is one of those outside groups likely benefiting from a Supreme Court decision which, on free speech grounds, said corporations can spend unlimited money to promote or defeat candidates without disclosing donors. (voice-over): It does have this Web site, which says it promotes "free market ideas" and its more than 1,000 members are, quote, "businesses, business leaders and entrepreneurs from around the country," but also bluntly states it won't disclose donors because, "too often politicians or the media define an organization or message not by the merits of the argument, but rather by the perception of the people associated with it."
(on camera): Republican sources say Americans for Job Security only has one full-time employee, Steve DeMaura, whose offices are right across the river from Washington here, in Alexandria, Virginia. Now, we've left multiple phone messages for DeMaura, to try to get more information about his group and we never heard back. So we came here to his office, knocked on the door and we were told he wasn't there.
DAVE LEVINTHAL, OPEN SECRETS/CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS: Because of the type of group that they are, you don't know if that's one American for Job Security, a million Americans for Job Security.
BASH: What we do know, with the help of the nonpartisan, OpenSecrets. org, is Americans for Job Security has spent nearly $8 million against Democratic candidates nationwide, and, overall, conservative outside groups have already spent $108 million; liberal groups, $69 million.
Tim Phillips, with Americans for Prosperity, another GOP group, did talk to us. It's been singled out by the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Even though they're posing as non-profit groups with names like Americans for Prosperity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH (on camera): By the time we reach election day, how much will your group have spent?
TIM PHILLIPS, AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY: This year, we'll have spent around $35 million.
BASH (voice-over): That money funds ads like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY POLITICAL AD)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To small businesses, Betsy Markey is the same as Nancy Pelosi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Who are its donors?
The Texas billionaire Koch brothers are the group's founders and give significant dollars.
Besides them, who knows? PHILLIPS: Most of it is private individuals. But we're glad to have their support and -- and we do tell them, look, we're going to protect your privacy, as the law allows us to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: By the way, you have probably read about this and seen this, but the fact is, Vice President Biden has been alleging that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is running political ads bought with foreign money, money from overseas.
The Chamber is now saying that is flat-out false. It is challenging the vice president to admit he is wrong. We're waiting to see how the vice president responds to that.
Also, today, the White House lifted a drilling moratorium in the Gulf for the first time here since BP's catastrophic spill. That was back in April of this year. But there is some new reason here still to worry about the safety of these massive oil rigs -- up next, an eye-opening report about some of the questionable inspections that have been going on for way too long.
Also, you have got to see this. Look at this beautiful sky. While many of us were sleeping, the sky was putting on quite a show. Could this be real? No way. Or is it?
Also, we're going to get back to that breaking news. A federal judge has ordered the military to stop enforcing don't ask, don't tell, basically, the policy that bans openly gay men and women from serving in the military. We're working on it. We're checking our sources.
We will be right back. CNN NEWSROOM rolls on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: OK.
Oil companies, they have watched their deepwater drilling rigs do nothing, you know, essentially sitting still in the Gulf of Mexico since April. Well, officially, today, they can now go back to work. But it won't be like before.
President Obama's ban, the moratorium on the deepwater drilling, was lifted today, but the oil giants have a brand-new set of safety guidelines. But they can also expect plenty more attention from federal inspectors, both when they're expecting it, but here's the key, also when they're not.
And that's the part I want to talk about today. Who was watching those offshore rigs before BP's Deepwater Horizon blew up this year? You know, who was making sure they were safe? The federal government, right? Inspectors, right, showing up unannounced, writing up the companies for cutting corners, you know, risking spills, risking accidents, issuing fines, they were doing that, right?
That sounds like a great system. By the way, those surprise inspections are indeed required by law. But the man you see right here, this guy, pretty smart guy here with "Wall Street Journal," this is reporter Russell Gold. And he dug very deeply here into some of these numbers of unannounced inspections, and found pretty surprising numbers.
So, Russell, I'm going to let you break your news, break your story. But it seems that the crux of this article -- and I have read it through about three different times -- the crux of the article is that virtually no one was dropping by these rigs unannounced.
RUSSELL GOLD, STAFF REPORTER, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well, thanks for having me.
You're absolutely right. What we found was that, starting in about 2000, the number of surprise inspections of deepwater oil and gas facilities out in the Gulf of Mexico just plummeted, dwindled away to next to nothing. Back in 2000, one out of every nine inspections was a surprise inspection. And that number had dropped to one in 80 by 2009. So, if you are running a drilling rig or a platform out in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, you pretty much could count on not having a surprise inspection.
In fact, the platforms, which are the -- the facilities that produce oil and gas, they didn't have a single surprise inspection since 2004.
BALDWIN: Wow. So, as the -- as the inspections were going down, the surprise inspections going down, the -- the drilling in these deepwater wells --
GOLD: Mm-hmm.
BALDWIN: -- are going up. Just want to make sure everyone gets that.
(CROSSTALK)
GOLD: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: Now -- and, now -- and, now, I'm sure part -- part of the springboard, of course, of your article is the fact of what happened with the deepwater rig in April, the explosion.
And -- and, when we look --
GOLD: Mm-hmm.
BALDWIN: -- at the numbers, which you point out, there was -- the last unannounced inspection in that particular rig, that was four years ago, October of '06. There was an announced inspection --
GOLD: Right.
BALDWIN: -- that was three weeks before that explosion. I think they spent like two hours on that rig, right? They looked at the -- the blowout preventer.
GOLD: Right.
BALDWIN: And this is a question --
GOLD: Mm-hmm.
BALDWIN: -- you may not be able to answer, but when you -- when you listen to these statistics, the question on everyone's mind is, might that have been prevented had someone showed up unannounced?
GOLD: Well, that's a great question. And, unfortunately, we really don't have the answer to that, because they weren't inspecting.
But what we do know is that there really was a culture where the companies that operated out in the Gulf, they just knew not to expect any surprise inspections. And what's more, the way the rules were written, if an inspector showed up on an announced inspection, that inspector couldn't really look at an operation that wasn't going on.
So, let's say that you had a type of equipment you know wasn't working quite the way it should, and you were worried you were going to get a fine or a citation. Well, if you knew the inspector was coming, you could just shut that piece of equipment down, and the inspector couldn't really look at it in action.
BALDWIN: But, then, that's counterintuitive.
GOLD: And so one of the concerns was --
BALDWIN: But that's counterintuitive, because then you're announcing the inspection, and therefore you can't find what's wrong.
GOLD: Well, I mean, that's really what the criticism has been.
And this criticism actually has come from the inspectors themselves. There was a report that came out not long ago that was given to Interior Secretary Salazar, and they asked inspectors anonymously what you thought, was the system working?
Ninety percent of them said they wanted to do more unannounced inspections, because their argument was, that's where you actually get a sense what's going on out there. They themselves felt like they weren't getting a good view of what was going on, on these deepwater facilities, some of which are 100 miles and more offshore, well beyond the -- you know, can't see them from shore.
BALDWIN: Sure
GOLD: They're just way out in the middle of nowhere.
BALDWIN: So, if the 90 percent are saying, yes, we need to be doing these inspections, we need to be, you know, just dropping in --
GOLD: Right.
BALDWIN: -- then who's preventing them from doing that? Who's preventing them from doing their job?
GOLD: Well, that's a great question.
There are really two -- two things to keep in mind. One, the -- the federal government required an annual inspection of every single platform out there, not just deepwater, but shallow water. And there are almost 4,000 platforms out there.
So, some people I talked to said, look, by the time we were done with that requirement and dealing with hurricanes, and trying to make sure we were collecting the right amount of royalties, there really was no time.
They're required by law to do a periodic unannounced inspection, but it didn't specify what periodic was. Was it every week? Was it every 10 years?
BALDWIN: Huh.
GOLD: So, that really became very -- a low priority.
The other issue is there actually was a policy introduced in 2005 which specifically said, look, new security rules post 9/11. We can't drop in, this "we" being inspectors. We can't just drop in on some of the large facilities.
But as I continued to report that I found out there was no basis for that. That was just something the old Minerals Management Service, which is the offshore regulators, had come up with.
BALDWIN: And we were sitting around and thinking, though, about other industries where you would certainly have this sort of unannounced inspection. You think about coal mining and maybe the airline industry. Why, then, does it appear that the unannounced inspections seem to be a little bit more lax in the Gulf?
GOLD: That's a great question. We don't really have a great answer for that. We know that the agency was not particularly well funded.
And I would have to say I think it's because mostly taste really a matter of experience. In the airline industry they've just come to -- the type of accidents can be so catastrophic and so deadly that the public has demanded essentially there are surprise inspections of maintenance facilities, et cetera.
And even in the coalmines they've come to learn by experience that surprise inspections matter. In fact, just a few days ago at the end of September there was a surprise inspection of a coalmine in West Virginia, only six months after the big explosion in the Upper Big Branch Mine. And this surprise inspection found some very serious safety flaws. Three people were fired because of it.
So really it's just a matter that in the offshore oil and gas industry, I don't think there really ever was a huge push to make sure that you had these surprise inspections.
BALDWIN: Well, perhaps your article will shed some light on what may need to be done. And with the moratorium now going away today, we're hearing from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar saying there are new security and safety checks in place. I trust you and other reporters will hold them to that. And we will watch to see if it will be a different story or you'll be writing the same story a year from now. Russell gold with the "Wall Street Journal," we thank you.
GOLD: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Mexico bracing for a hit from hurricane Paula. How strong is it and might she threaten the U.S.? That is next.
And George Clooney says American involvement now could prevent an imminent war in Africa. Mr. Clooney passionate enough to take the fight to the White House. We're going to have details of his trip to Washington in our next hour.
That and more on this breaking story out of Washington on "don't ask, don't tell." We have this federal judge who is now essentially saying to the military stop enforcing it. Stop enforcing this controversial policy. We're working on it and making phone calls. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Oh, busy, busy day here, several stories making news. I want to get you a quick update.
Of course enough with the waiting already. We're all waiting on this one. There are 33 men trapped deep underground in Chile. All the pieces in this whole puzzle, they're beginning to come together. They'll in a couple of hours start to haul these guys up one at a time in that metal capsule you see there.
The rescue is still on track to begin tonight maybe after midnight. That's also kind of fluid. We of course are there. You'll see the rescue when it happens on CNN.
And into the unknown. The world's medical community is watching for any word from the spinal injury patient who is the first known recipient of human embryonic stem cells. Being totally transparent we don't know a whole lot about this man or woman at the center of this historic experiment. They're not saying a whole lot.
Doctors say the goal here is not to treat the patient's symptoms but to regenerate brand new tissue with this controversial therapy. The patient, by the way, was injected with these stem cells just a couple of days ago in a hospital in Atlanta. The cells are just a few days old, and the theory is that they can turn into any cell in the body. Until now trials have only been conducted on animals.
And watch out, Cancun. Watch out Cozumel. Her she comes, hurricane Paula. Looking at the radar, the loop is not geographically huge, but it's rated as a cat two hurricane. That means sustained winds of 100 miles per hour or stronger. It is now churning in the Caribbean, headed for Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Most models show it banking east moving toward Cuba. The next hurricane center update today 5:00 eastern time.
And we have some breaking news coming out of Washington. Again just to reiterate we're working the story for you right now. We're hearing from a federal judge that she is essentially saying to the military to stop enforcing "don't ask, don't tell." We promised we would get you correspondents on. We have Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence joining me by phone. Chris, what do you know?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke. What this does is basically it's ordering the military to suspend or discontinue any investigation, any discharge that was started under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. This is the same judge that previously ruled that the policy violated service members' Fifth Amendment rights. Now, the group that initially sued the military, the Log Cabin Republicans, the gay rights group, they are happy about this but urging service members to be cautious about coming out now because, as they say, the administration can and likely will appeal this injunction.
All kinds of opinion flowing around. When the initial ruling came down, I spoke with one veteran who had been in the service for 22 years who told me, look, you know, joining the military is not a right. It's a privilege. The military is legally exempt from a lot of laws that apply in civilian laws. It discriminates against the disabled. It discriminates against the obese. But it does require certain things to be in the military.
And he felt just because a private company accepted homosexuality, that doesn't mean that necessarily the military had to follow suit.
On the other hand, you'll talk to -- I talked to a lot of people both here and in the field, in Afghanistan, who tell you we knew one or multiple people in our unit was gay, and it was no big deal, nobody talked about it. They didn't ask. They didn't tell. We had no problem with it.
So I would imagine if you talk to military members, you're going to finds different opinions. That's what the military is doing right now. The Pentagon is right now compiling the results of a massive survey they did of hundreds of thousands of troops trying to gauge their opinions on it. And that's really what the Obama administration and Pentagon are waiting for December 1st when they get those results back --
BALDWIN: Got it.
LAWRENCE: -- to go forward.
BALDWIN: December 1st we start hearing from the troops. I think you may have mentioned this, but we're also hearing an appeal by the Department of Justice is anticipated. Obviously huge news on "don't ask, don't tell." Chris I appreciate you hopping on the phone. I know you were involved in a totally different story at Ft. Hood, and I appreciate it.
We're also hearing more breaking news. Let's roll over to the Twitter board and do this together. It looks like this is on that falcon lake story. The Zapata county sheriff who we had on last night or, rather, last week, confirms a Mexican investigator in the Falcon Lake case was decapitated. Oh, my goodness. His head delivered to Mexican military today.
Sheriff confirms Mexican investigator in the Falcon Lake case was decapitated. That case as we've been telling you, this is about that young couple out on this lake, wanted to go take some pictures of an historic site and went on their sea-doos to the Mexican side of the lake. And still that young man's body David Hartley, the husband, has not been found. They were frustrated with some of the Mexican officials. And now we're hearing tough news, wow, out of Mexico. A lot going on today. Let's go to break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I want to get right to this story here out of Falcon Lake where we're hearing now according to this Texan sheriff that one of the Mexican investigators in this Falcon Lake story has been beheaded. Let's go straight to this affiliate reporter Will Ripley who's breaking the story for us on CNN. Will, how did you come to know this information?
WILL RIPLEY, KRGV-TV CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): What happened was our local state representative Eric Pena put out a tweet on his twitter account about an hour ago reporting that one of the homicide investigators in Mexico had been decapitated.
So I immediately called the Zapata County Sheriff Alfredo Gonzalez Jr. and we met up in parking lot about 20 minute ago. I interviewed him and he confirmed the information that one of the homicide investigators never came home last night and his head was delivered today in a suitcase to the Mexican military.
Incidentally, this is the same investigator who released documents to us on Sunday evening about the investigation.
BALDWIN: And I had talked to the Zapata County sheriff last week here on CNN and he had explained as he had later in the week that some of their worry in simply investigating this story and going on the Mexican side was simply that they might be ambushed, fears that some of the drug cartels as he explained -- this is sort of a turf battle among a very horrific drug cartel. So I imagine some people this doesn't come as a surprise, the brutality of this.
RIPLEY: Unfortunately, no, it doesn't come as a surprise, because as we've been reporting here along the border for years, it's not unusual for police officials in Mexico who go against the cartels to turn up dead.
This man, Mr. Vegas, was very courageous in bringing the documents to Channel 5 News. We broke the story over the weekend two suspects were named in the case and this man provided the names and documented information about two of them. It appears that he may have paid for that with his life unfortunately.
BALDWIN: And we're lacking at pictures of this young couple, Tiffany and David Hartley. Just briefly, I don't know if you had a chance, will, to reach out to any of the family, what kind of reaction are you getting to this story there in Texas? And also, still no update on the location of his body, correct?
RIPLEY: That's correct. It's been 12 days since this attack on Falcon Lake and there's still no sign of his body. The family met with the Zapata County sheriff just a few hours ago. And all though we weren't with them at that meeting we were told it was to update the family on the progress for the search of the body and progress of the investigation.
Lawmakers and officials here who are in law enforcement are going on the record now saying they do not expect to find a body. This is the first time people are openly saying there's a very good chance David Hartley's body was not in Falcon Lake. Perhaps it was disposed of long ago and this search has been for nothing. The family has to deal with that possibility.
BALDWIN: And now the news that this investigator's head is delivered in a suitcase. If you can just briefly, Will, speak to the violence in this specific area, both -- this lake that straddles the Texas-Mexican border. For people who aren't familiar with this, give me the lay of the land.
RIPLEY: We are talking about Falcon Lake. It's a very large lake that shares waters with the United States and Mexico. It straddles the border. Half of the water is in the U.S. and half is in Mexico.
And there's really not a significant border patrol presence out there. There are some border patrol who are stationed there, but no port of entry. And so with such a large area to patrol, it's known as a haven for drug smuggling.
And it's believed that the Zeta cartel actually controls the smuggling routes in this area where the attack apparently happened and that the Zetas may have been involved in the disappearance of David Hartley. That's what this homicide investigator told us a couple of days before his death.
BALDWIN: Horrific news today. Will Ripley with our affiliate KRGV. I thank you for breaking that news for us on CNN. Appreciate you. As soon as you get more information let's hop back on the phone and chat.
Meantime, take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've just found like the tip of the iceberg. You've got to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put the hammer down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That is a scene. This is this new film. It's called "Catfish" with the shocking twist that will leave you asking, how could this really happen?
Also, the man -- there he is -- at the center of the suspense. He is here. I'm going to talk to him when we come right back. Stay there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: In an age where social networking often replaces face- to-face contact, there's a new documentary that things are not as much as they appear online.
A quick synopsis of the film. You have a photographer in New York. So one day he gets this painting in the mail from this eight- year-old artist in Michigan. And the painting is based on one of his photos that leads to this friendship -- virtual friendship with this young girl and then her sister and mother and all of the other friends and family members all on Facebook.
So eventually Nev falls in love with the girl's 19-year-old sister, Meghan, and decides he wants to meet her. So he and his film making friends, one of who is his brother, take a leap of faith and drive to Michigan.
So what or who they find is surreal, and then the story after the fact even wilder. So Yaniv Schulman, good enough to come to New York City to talk about "Catfish." Congratulations on this whole film.
Full transparency. I saw it Sunday. I thought it was awesome. But at the same time, I walked out of there and I thought, no way this thing is real. So let's go out of the gate. Is this fiction or nonfiction? Is this the real deal or not?
SCHULMAN: The film is totally the real deal. Completely true. It's a life experience I had captured on home video with pocket-sized still camera HD recorders. And we never thought it would turn to a feature film. And we certainly never dreamed it would be in theaters. But it made its way out to the public.
BALDWIN: Yes, here you go. In part of thinking no way it could be real, you have the guys filming your every move and parts of this documentary, you sort of don't seem like a willing participant. How did this start? Was it accidental because you're friends are uber- filmmakers always walking around with cameras or what?
SCHULMAN: Yes, my brother and his business partner, they share an office with me. I'm a photographer and I do some film production.
But I started getting these little e-mails from this adorable girl in Michigan telling me how much she liked my photos and if she could paint from them. I became friends with her mother and from her family, and we became Facebook friends.
And I didn't understand why my brother was filming the whole time, but he was, because he thought it was interesting. So when things got interesting and weird, we filmed more. And the story unraveled and discovered we had been on a wild ride.
BALDWIN: Indeed. We're looking at video where you photo shopped yourself, picture yourself and Meghan, who is Abby's sister. We don't want to give away the ending. But I want to play this clip, because it gets to this point where you fall in love, I think, with this gal, Meghan, and this is the point where it goes beyond virtual and the first time you pick up the phone and you talk to her. Let's play the clip and talk on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULMAN: Hey, Meghan. Hey, it's Nev.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, how are you.
SCHULMAN: Your voice is not at all what I expected. No, it's -- really, it's a terrific voice. You never really think of the voice when you only know somebody in a certain way. I happen to think my voice is sort of irritating.
Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, were you really in love?
SCHULMAN: I was head over heels for this girl. We talked on the phone -- that was the first conversation. But we were talking after that almost every day, 30 minutes, an hour and a half. And you really start to open up someone in a long distance relationship and you start to trust them.
And I was ready to leave everything behind in New York City and move to Michigan and live on this farm with her and take care of horses and, yes, I really thought I was going to go for it.
BALDWIN: But because of that, you have to understand why the critics are questioning the veracity of the film thinking no way could this guy who has to know this young woman essentially virtually -- I mean that is gullibility, capital G, right?
SCHULMAN: Yes, I mean, I live in New York City. Of course there are girls in New York, I could date them. But I've never lived anywhere else. I've really always dreamed of this really country life. And I just kind of like to go for things head first and have new experiences and take some adventures. And that's just my personality, and happy that it is because it led me down this path.
And now here I am, and we've got this film, and people are seeing it and really connecting with it, and I'm happy to be at the center of a very important conversation about social networking.
BALDWIN: And really I think that's the crux of the issue, and we won't give it away. You go on this adventure, we go on an adventure with you. We sort of watch it, and in the end, you're left with a cautionary tale of who am I really talking to on the Internet? Is that what you walk away with?
SCHULMAN: Absolutely. I also hope people when they see it become more aware of themselves on the Internet and the presence that you have. Now, when you put something on the line, it exists sort of forever. You can never take it back because you never know if someone is going to see it or re-tweet it or download it and then repost it. And I've had so many people who have contacted me since the film's come out with stories very similar to mine which is also scary but also wonderful that I think this film is creating a venue for people to express themselves and talk about experiences that they've had similar to mine.
BALDWIN: I think it is opening up a whole other world of conversation. Nev Schulman, best of luck to you. Congratulations, thanks for talking to me.
SCHULMAN: Thanks so much, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Still to come, here, there are things you have to see from the world of politics, like George Clooney trying to stop a civil war in Sudan by seeking help on Capitol Hill. That story is in the next hour.
Also, Wolf Blitzer is on and has the latest developments from the campaign trail. He's coming up next with his updates from the political ticker. Be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: It's 21 days till the Election Day. It's time to look at the latest campaign developments, including a much-anticipated Senate debate. CNN has all your latest political news with the best political team on TV led by Wolf Blitzer. Wolf, what do you have?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Let's go through some of the items on the Political Ticker at CNNpolitics.com right now, Brooke.
One item is this battle between Karl Rove and the Democratic leadership really heating up over this organization. Rove and others have been raising a lot of money, tens of millions of dollars from anonymous donors to go out and support Republican candidates.
This is legal. The U.S. Supreme Court decision that said these so-called, quote, "social welfare organizations," these 501-C4 organizations can go ahead and raise a lot of money, do not have to disclose the donors and use this money to support candidates. And that's what these Republicans are doing.
The language is heating up between Rove and the Democratic leadership. The president has gone after these groups and saying they need transparence and the American have a right to know who's funding the campaigns. Vice President Joe Biden has done the same thing.
In the meantime, though, this Crossroads GPS, part of American Crossroads, they will continue to distribute this money that presumably will help a lot of Republican candidates are November 2nd.
On a very different note, we also learned that the actor George Clooney just back from the Sudan is going to be at the White House meeting with President Obama discussing the situation in Sudan which, of course, is awful right now. The White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, saying the two will "discuss the steps that we're -- we're taking to try to bring peace to Sudan."
Clooney also, by the way, will be meeting with a ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar of Indiana.
Finally, we're getting ready for tomorrow night's big debate, tomorrow night, Brooke, at the University of Delaware, the Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell vs. the Democratic candidate Chris Coons.
I will be co-moderating that debate. If you're interested right now, we're going through lots of questions for these two candidates, and we will see which ones we whittle down. It's a 90-minute debate. You think that's a lot of time, but, as you know, it goes really quickly.
BALDWIN: Yes, quite a task, show -- gets to come up with all these questions Wolf Blitzer will be looking for tomorrow in Delaware.
Thank you.
Want to remind you we will get another political update in half- an-hour. And you can always get the latest news. Hop online at CNNPolitics.com or on Twitter. The Twitter handle is @PoliticalTicker.
