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First Lady's Plane Had Close Call; Airlines Told to Stop Hiding Fees; New Jersey Governor a Bully?; Gulf Oil Disaster, One Year Later; Securing the Royal Wedding; Oysters, Part of Gulf Coast Culture

Aired April 20, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. in the West. I'm Carol Costello sitting in for Kyra Phillips.

In Texas, wildfires are churning across the landscape from border to border. One million acres now burn, nearly 200 homes lost, and only a bit of relief on the horizon.

More ferocious weather today and the Midwest and the south are again under the gun. Over the last week, strong storms and tornadoes have killed at least 46 people and many of those areas are in the path of today's violent weather.

And President Obama on the road is trying to sell his plans to whittle down the national debt. Today, he is asking, will you be his friend on Facebook?

We begin this hour with yet another reason to question the safety of our skies. And this incident showed that even the first lady and all the safeguards afforded her are not immune for mistakes.

Air traffic controllers were forced to direct a plane carrying Michelle Obama to abort a landing at Andrews Air Force Base. The reason? Mrs. Obama's plane was flying too close to a military cargo jet.

Kate Bolduan is live at the White House.

And, Kaye, I know Mrs. Obama was unaware of this. But come on. The FAA is on a tour right now to make sure mistakes like this don't happen.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They absolutely are. They are on a tour trying to make sure that mistakes do not happen. It's been a tough few weeks for air traffic controllers. It's been in the news quite a bit.

The FAA is investigating the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board, they're also gathering information. But -- and right now they believe that it was, this did happen as part of a mistake of an air traffic controller somewhere along the line as the first lady's plane was coming in.

But it's important to note at this moment, we do not know what that mistake was or what the circumstances really were that created this mishap, this close call.

And, you know, the FAA, their requirements, I know you know this, Carol, but to remind our viewers. Their requirement is that there be five miles of distance between planes and we're told by senior officials that the first lady's plane came within three miles.

So too close is very relative but a small mistake can become a very big mistake very quickly in terms of when you're talking about a plane and especially one carrying the first lady. So they're definitely looking into it but the White House, they're -- they are trying to downplay it, stressing the fact that they do not believe, the FAA does not believe that the first lady was -- or anyone on her plane was ever in any danger. And that they call it they briefly had to circle and land one more time -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kate Bolduan live at the White House.

We do want to take a closer look at exactly what happened in this apparent foul-up and what didn't.

CNN's Tom Foreman walks us through the chain of events.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN ANCHOR: What we understand from all of our reporting and from the "Washington Post" at this point is that the first lady left New York City. She was headed down to Andrews Air Force Base just south of Washington, D.C. here.

And as she came in to the base, coming in from the north to land, she was supposed to be about five miles at least behind the plane in front of her. This big cargo plane. But the folks at Andrews, when they picked her up on their radar, said that simply was not the case.

To the contrary, they said the distance was only about three miles. That was a concern, because of possible turbulence coming off the back of this plane which could upset this one and because of runway space.

The first lady's plane was told to do some S-turns like this, to try to eat up some time, and lengthen this gap. But it didn't lengthen it enough. The concern was quite simply is that if this plane landed and hers came in too closely behind it, it simply couldn't get off the runway in that time. So the first lady was told to go around.

COSTELLO: So there you have it. And if you're counting, there have been nine suspensions of air traffic controllers and supervisors around the country including five for sleeping on the job.

If the latest air travel snafu doesn't test your nerves, this image might. Airline passengers stuck on the tarmac for hours. No air conditioning, no drinks, little hope for keeping sane. Today the FAA is rolling out a new bill of rights to better protect your sanity and your wallet.

So let's get right to the details, shall we? And whether these changes offer more hype than hope.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve is at Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington.

So Jeanne, fill us in.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, these rules are going to take effect 120 days from now and they should address some of air travelers' pet peeves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): Feeling ripped off by hidden airline fees for pillows, food, seats, luggage, reservation changes? Under new Department of Transportation rules, carriers are going to have to disclose them up front on their Web sites.

RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We're trying to look out after passengers who in some instances have been treated prettily shabbily.

MESERVE: If lost luggage is your gripe, you aren't alone. Last year airlines lost, damaged or delayed more than two million bags. They've always had to compensate you for the bag. Under the new rules, they will also have to refund that pesky baggage fee.

If you were involuntarily bumped from an overbooked flight, the new rules will ensure a refund double the value of your ticket up to $800. And the rules say no more tarmac delays of more than four hours for international flights, instituted in part because of extended delays at New York's JFK during last December's blizzard. Delays of more than three hours are already banned for domestic flights.

Advocates for passengers' rights are delighted at the new rules.

KATE HANNI, FLYERSRIGHTS.ORG: This is really groundbreaking for airline passengers even to have been noticed by the government is amazing but the fact that they are passing meaningful regulations that are going to make a big difference for airline passengers is just a -- it's a miracle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Now the airline industry hasn't yet responded to the new rules. But while they were under discussion, the industry was concerned about this expansion of the tarmac delay rules.

They said it could lead to more cancellations. However, the DOT says it's been in place for domestic flights. They say it's been very successful, hasn't led to more cancellations, and you've had far fewer stories of people -- about people stranded on the runway without bathrooms and water and food.

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: And that is the best thing. Jeanne Meserve, live at Reagan National near Washington. Thank you.

Overworked firefighters in Texas might catch a little bit of a break today. For once, the weather might help, not hinder them. A cold front could bring rain but the fire danger is expected to return tomorrow.

Sometimes, you know, still pictures tell the story a lot better than moving pictures. That's why we're showing you these pictures from Strawn, Texas, that's two hours west of Dallas. But the whole state is burning from border to border. So far, 170 homes have been destroyed as new fires flare up and separate ones merge into giant blazes.

Parts of seven states have spent the morning under a tornado watch after a very rough night. Severe weather has been blowing through the Midwest and the south.

You're looking at some of the storm damage from central Ohio. One area near Columbus reported winds near 100 miles per hour. Wind, lightning and heavy rains slammed Memphis, Tennessee, overnight. More than 50,000 customers lost power.

And farther up the river in St. Louis -- in the St. Louis area, weather spotters reported tornadoes on the ground. The storm barreled into downtown while thousands of people were packed inside Busch Stadium for a baseball game. That had to be scary. So far no reports of injuries anywhere.

And there are reports of storm damage but so far this round of weather isn't nearly as destructive as last weeks but it is still pretty scary out there.

Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras right now.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Carol. Yes, it is. And you know a lot of this happened overnight when people are sleeping.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Jacqui, thanks.

President Obama has been reaching out to Americans through social media. Today, he heads to Facebook headquarters in California.

Our deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, is in our Washington bureau, with more on this story.

Hi, Paul.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, Carol.

Yes, this is the second of three town halls the president is holding this week to kind of tell Americans his plan to reduce the nation's deficit, which as you know pretty darn large. And he's doing it, as you said, in Facebook headquarters, Palo Alto, California. Probably a good place to do it if you want to get with social media.

We hear that Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Facebook, will be moderating and that the questions are coming from Facebook users.

He had a town hall yesterday in Virginia. He's got another one tomorrow in Nevada.

While he's out in California, Carol, that's a pretty good place to fundraise. A lot of money out there. And that's what the president will be doing tonight. He's got two fundraisers tonight and another tomorrow morning in the San Francisco area. Remember, he's running for reelection, of course. And well, he is raising money for that bid.

COSTELLO: That's right. He's got $1 billion to raise so he better get moving.

STEINHAUSER: That's his goal. Yes.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about New Jersey's Republican governor, Chris Christie. He's in the news a lot. He keeps saying he's not running for president but maybe?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, a lot of Republicans maybe would like him to run for president. He keeps saying forget about it. But this is interesting. A lot of people in the garden state think about him. A poll from Quinnipiac University -- if it all the normal stuff.

But look at this. They say, hey, New Jersey residents, give us one word to describe Chris Christie. Look at the one that came out the most. Arrogant -- bully, 140 times. Arrogant, 41 times, good, 41 times, aggressive, 39 times.

Listen, he is a rock star among Republicans. They love him. He's a tough guy. Other people maybe think he is a bully, I guess -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I guess so. Wow. That's something.

Paul Steinhauser, many thanks. Live from Washington.

We'll have your next political update in one hour. And a reminder for all the political news, go to our Web site, CNNPolitics.com.

A year has passed since the explosion that led to the BP oil disaster. The oil isn't gushing anymore but the story is nowhere near over. Scientists think the damage to the environment could be permanent. We'll take you to Grand Isle, Louisiana, after the break.

And remember this guy? Tony Hayward? He was the corporate face of the disaster for a while, the CEO who famously said he wanted his life back? We'll find out if he got his life back next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: One year to the day after the fatal explosion that set off the BP oil spill, many people who depend on the Gulf for a living say they're still waiting for compensation.

Here's what the president of Plaquemine Parish told CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BILLY NUNGESSER, PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LA. PRESIDENT: We still have a problem and we're still having a problem today. You know, I can't tell you who's in charge still. Doug Subtles is gone, Thad Allen is gone. Who's in charge?

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So far, the government has paid out less than $4 billion from a $20 billion compensation fund. The administrator of that money says many people haven't been able to prove the spill affected them.

Scientists say they're still trying to figure out what all of that oil has done to the environment as well.

A year later, the story is still being written. CNN is going in depth with reports from Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill, David Mattingly and Philippe Cousteau in Grand Isle, Louisiana, Rob Marciano is in Gulfport, Mississippi, Poppy Harlow is in New York.

BP oil is still in the marshes of Louisiana. We told you that. And a new government report says cleaning it out might do more harm than good.

CNN's David Mattingly has been looking into that.

So, David, explain this to us.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, when it comes to oil hitting the shoreline from this disaster, nowhere got it worse than Louisiana. And going back out to the marshes today and talking to state officials, we're finding that some of the hardest hit areas may not be recovering.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Louisiana officials are watching their worst predictions come true. BP oil spill damage to some sensitive marshes may be permanent.

(on camera): Are these marshes done for?

GARRET GRAVES, COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION: This area is likely going to be open water in a few areas.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): This is what this 40-acre section of marsh looked like when the oil hit last May. The syrupy crude I saw floating on the water then was just the beginning of the problem.

GRAVES: It's wiped out the birds that used to be here. It's wiped out the fish, the shellfish, everything in this area.

MATTINGLY: Returning 10 months later, the Louisiana governor's office gave me an exclusive and disturbing look inside this damaged ecosystem. I could still see oil everywhere, sticking to the plants.

(on camera): It's like tar. So sticky. Look at that. (voice-over): It's also saturated the fragile soil. You can find it a foot below the surface.

(on camera): Right down here. Yes, it's down into the roots. Look at that. It's like a -- it's a like a paste.

(voice-over): And Louisiana officials still look at all this oily black and see red.

BILLY NUNGESSER, PLAQUEMINES PARISH PRESIDENT: That is bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED), OK? Because don't piss me off, because that is bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MATTINGLY: This confrontation was in December as parish president, Billy Nungesser, accused the Coast Guard of not doing enough to speed the cleanup.

After months of study, the Coast Guard now tells me digging out the oil in some areas will do more harm than good.

CAPT. JAMES HANZALIK, U.S. COAST GUARD: You can actually go in, you can trample oil into the marsh, where it would make it even worse than what it would have been if you would have just left it alone.

MATTINGLY: But letting nature take its course could mean watching more of these vanishing marshes wash away.

GRAVES: We are losing and trying to prevent the loss of --

MATTINGLY (on camera): Wait a minute, wait a minute. The wind just shifted. You know what I smell? It smells like freshly poured asphalt.

GRAVES: It does.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): And there's fear that the oil we see is only a fraction of what's here. There is oil under water, too.

(on camera): This is how most people find submerged oil out here. It looks clean right now but not for long. Hit it.

(voice-over): Watch happens as a couple of quick spins from our air boat churns up the sediment below and releases the hidden oil.

(on camera): That's not mud we are looking at, is it?

(voice-over): Within seconds, a telltale sheen begins to form, a reminder the losses suffered in this spill are far from over.

(on camera): So, as long as this oil is here, it's going to keep killing anything that tries to live here?

GRAVES: It's going to keep killing and you're re going to have the birds that come back and get re-oiled and they're going to go fly somewhere else. And so, yes, the impacts are going to continue.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): And that, officials say, could go on for decades.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: And the relationship between the state of Louisiana and the Coast Guard, which is in charge of the cleanup, remains very contentious at times. At the height of the cleanup, there were 48,000 people out in the Gulf cleaning up this oil. Now, that workforce is down to 2,000.

The state of Louisiana is saying, "Where is everybody going? We still have a lot of work to do here." And it could be continuing probably, the Coast Guard says, until the end of hurricane season in November when that cleanup operation may finally be over -- Carol.

COSTELLO: David Mattingly reporting live from Louisiana -- thank you.

President Obama released this statement about the disaster: "The events that unfolded on April 20, 2010 and the oil spill that followed underscores the critical link between the environment and economic health of the Gulf. My administration is committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect and restore the Gulf Coast."

Also happening today, three government agencies will talk about how safe Gulf seafood is. Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal, as long as with parish presidents, will talk about the ongoing problems on the state. And later tonight, there will be a prayer vigil in Grand Isle.

You can't really talk about the BP oil spill without talking about Tony Hayward. You remember him, don't you? He's the BP oil executive that American loved to hate during the Gulf oil spill last year.

But where is he now and what is he doing?

Zain Verjee live in London tracking Hayward down.

So, Zain ,does he have his life back?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, it looks like he is trying to rebuild it, Carol. I just got off the phone a few moments ago with a friend of his. I said, well, where is he, what's he doing, what's up with him?

And he said he's basically he doing three main things right now. He said he was a senior independent director for Glencore. That's a huge commodities trading house, Carol. It's based in Switzerland. But they have a lot of traders here in London. It's also a big deal in making headlines right now because it's about to float on the London Stock Exchange.

He also told me that Tony Hayward is in the process of setting up an investment fund with two other guys, going to be an oil and gas fund where Tony Hayward will be the chief executive. And lastly, his friend told me that he's got a nonexecutive position at TNK-BP. Still, and that's a joint venture between BP and Russia.

COSTELLO: Thanks for the update. Zain Verjee, reporting live from London.

Gas prices inching closer to $5 a gallon in one Connecticut town. Actually, they've reached $5 a gallon. And now, drivers are digging deep into their pockets for premium gas. That story is next.

A California mother has a new hand. Next, details of this 17-hour procedure and a medical first for the state.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking news across country now:

In Tennessee, a reward in the case of a missing nursing student is up to $80,000. Holly Bobo disappeared a week ago today. Her brother said he saw a man wearing camouflage lead her into a wooded area near their home. Police now are going door to door in search of information.

In California, a 26-year-old mother shows off her new hand for the first time. Doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center performed that state's first successful hand transplant surgery on this woman seven weeks ago. Emily Fennell lost her right hand in a traffic accident.

And, finally, in Stanford, Connecticut, the price for a gallon of premium gas at a Shell station has reached $4.99. Customers do get a free drink whether they buy that high price premium gas, though. That makes it better.

Toyota cutting back on building cars here in the United States and around the world. We'll tell you what that means for thousands of workers here in the United States.

Also ahead, ballistic boxers heading to the war zone, protecting our troops in -- well, you know.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Toyota has announced another slowdown in making cars due a shortage of parts following last month's earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This will affect assembly plants in the United States and other places across North America and China. The automaker says it is suspending production two days a week and operating at only half capacity on other days between now and June 3rd. The good news is that no layoffs are planned during this time period, at least.

Stocks on Wall Street are poised for a big gain at the open. And it is not just stocks that are on the rise. Fraudulent tax returns have skyrocketed this year, too.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Checking our top stories. Taking some of the hassle out of flying. Today National transportation officials issued new rules to address passions or gripes. Among other things, it requires airlines to disclose all fees, increase compensation for bumping passengers from flights, and limiting tarmac delays.

Critics are panning the makers of Colt 45 malt liquor saying their new brew targets children. Blast is a fruity blend with twice the alcohol content in a typical can of beer. Some fear this will encourage kids to take a swig. The beer maker says Blast is meant for people above the legal drinking age.

And check this out. Next month, the Army is going to start sending ballistic boxers to soldiers in Afghanistan. They're heavy silk shorts that provide troops better protection from debris kicked up by explosions.

I just like the name, ballistic boxers.

Hi, Jeff Fischel. How are you?

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Speaking of ballistic boxers.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Anything to protect our boys.

Anyway, let's talk bas -- no, we're going to talk hockey first, right, because there was -- it ended a nightmare for one team.

FISCHEL: You know, we've seen comebacks but almost never like this, one of the greatest ever. Twenty-nine years ago, the Los Angeles Kings celebrated the Miracle on Manchester, erasing a five-goal deficit to beat Edmonton, the biggest comeback in NHL playoff history. Last night, in L.A., the skate was on the other foot.

The Kings were leading the San Jose Sharks, 4-0. That's when the Sharks started fighting. Joe Pavelski capped a five-goal second period for the visitors. That tied the game. Pavelski scored the overtime winner in game one, then in overtime last night. Devin Setoguchi, the wrist shot past Jonathan Quick for the goal and Quick falls to the ice. The Kings can't believe it. The Sharks win, 6-5. That ties the second biggest comeback in Stanley Cup playoff history.

Coming up in 20 minutes, the Knicks and Celtics go down to the wire and you know we love that rivalry between Boston and New York. I'll have NBA highlights coming up in 20 minutes.

COSTELLO: We look forward to it. Thank you, Jeff.

One year ago, the explosion at the Deepwater horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and triggered the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Philippe Cousteau just spent the week in the Gulf talking to fishermen, community advocates and scientists there. We'll talk to him about how the oil spill has affected the animals, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: As you know, it was one year ago, the explosion at the Deepwater horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and it triggered the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. The spill also had a huge impact on the Gulf Coast economy and, of course, on the environment.

Cousteau was a name synonymous with the ocean and its beautiful creatures. Philippe Cousteau just spent a week in the Gulf talking to the fisherman, advocates, scientists there.

Philippe, I want to center on the wildlife there, because when you go to Louisiana, it's just plentiful and the wildlife is beautiful. And we're just wondering about any permanent effects the oil spill has had on wildlife there.

PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Louisiana is a beautiful state full of wildlife. And, in fact, the key to the wildlife here is the rich marshland. Louisiana has 40 percent of all the coastal marshland in the lower 48 states of the United States. So Louisiana is really full of wildlife. And, of course, an event like the Gulf oil spill had a tremendous impact on that wildlife.

We've had 150 or so marine mammals that have been discovered dead. We've had 600 sea turtles, thousands of sea birds, and, of course, what we have to remember is that the multiplier effect is a lot higher. For every bird we find, we believe there are eight others that we didn't find. For every marine mammal, it can be up to 50 that we didn't find. So the oil spill had a tremendous effect in the Gulf and it's going to continue to do so if any indication of other oil spills around the world gives us an idea that the impacts of this disaster will be long-term.

COSTELLO: Philippe, we know that some dead baby dolphins have been washing ashore in some of the states near Louisiana.

Does that have anything to do with the oil spill?

COUSTEAU: Well, there's been an unusually high mortality rate of dolphins this year, up to 90 percent more than previous years. And so every -- it's certainly -- the preliminary scientific reports and toxicity reports are still coming in. But we have every indication that certainly the oil spill had a significant contribution to that.

COSTELLO: Philippe Cousteau, many thanks for joining us live this morning.

Let's take a look now at stories making news later. At 11:30 Eastern, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will announce the implementation of the national terrorism advisory system. It's designed to replace the color-coded threat advisory program.

At 12:15 Eastern, federal officials, including the FAA, will give an update on the safety of Gulf seafood. This comes one year after the massive BP oil spill that polluted the ocean.

And at 4:45 Eastern, President Obama holds another town hall style meeting. This one will be at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, and it will focus on bringing down the deficit with input from the administration and the private sector. The Great Gatsby mansion is going up in smoke now. Next, we'll tell you who's bringing down the multi-million dollar mansion.

And there's a mug shot contest in Maricopa County, Arizona. And the sheriff there, you know Sheriff Arpaio, wants online viewers to choose the winner. We'll delve into that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking news Cross Country now. The Arizona sheriff known for dressing inmates in pink underwear is asking online voters to choose a mug shot of the day. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is hoping the competition will drive web traffic to his department's online site.

A scary site in Highland Township, Michigan. This car teeters at the edge of a bridge spanning a canal. Police say the woman lost control of her car and rammed the concrete bridge abutment. The impact lifted the car to a near 45-degree angle. Everybody got out safely.

And finally, on Long Island, New York, the stately mansion that did inspire F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" will soon be history. Demolition began on Monday. The house was up for sale on $30 million but the owner says it was costing way too much to maintain it and nobody took him up on the asking price.

My favorite music of the morning. Nine days and counting to Britain's royal wedding and police there are promising massive security to protect the prince and princess to be.

Atika Shubert is in London with details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The big date is drawing near and the royal wedding route is under constant watch. The metropolitan police check everything, from streetlights to drains along the route, while London's closed circuit TV cameras -- more than a million of them -- silently monitor the city.

Tens of thousands of well-wishers are expected to flock here and police have a message for anyone hoping to disrupt the wedding by infiltrating the crowd.

LYNNE OWENS, METROPOLITAN POLICE: If you are thinking you're coming to use -- to come to London and intend to use those crowds as a shield, just don't come. My police officers will spot you in the crowd and they will take quick and decisive action to remove you. We won't let anybody disrupt this very exciting day for the royal family and the country.

SHUBERT: So what are the threats police are looking for? Well, a terror threat is on the top of the list. Sniffer dogs will be used to check for explosives along the wedding route and inside Westminster Abbey. Police say they have no specific intelligence of a terror attack but are watching for threats from both Islamic extremists and dissident groups from northern Ireland.

But this attack on the car of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla last year also put police on alert. Their car was splattered with paint and a window smashed in but the royals were unharmed. Police don't want to take any chances with so-called black law (ph) tactics by an anarchists.

OWENS: There's no specific intelligence in relation to this event, but we'd be really naive, wouldn't we, to ignore some of the chatter that you season some of the social media network sites.

SHUBERT: So we checked the chatter online and reached out to several known anarchist groups that are clearly anti-royal and one agreed to talk to us on camera.

Martin Wright and Yodet Gherez are not fans of the royal family or the wedding.

MARTIN WRIGHT, WHITECHAPEL ANARCHISTS GROUP: I'd like to see direct attention. Anything from paint to hand grenades. But quite honestly there's nothing being planned. There's going to be no march in the royal wedding, no attempt to disrupt it.

SHUBERT: They say as much as they'd like to protest it, they won't do it on the royal wedding day.

YODET GHEREZ, WHITECHAPEL ANARCHISTS GROUP: So I'd like to turn around now with a light (INAUDIBLE) and set alight all of these flags but I'm not going to do that, you know?

WRIGHT: It would be simply suicide. They're going to have armed police, snipers on the roof tops, armed plainclothes police in the crowds. I mean, you'd probably get torn to pieces by the crowds themselves if you attempted to do anything, never mind shot dead like a dog by the police.

SHUBERT: There will be 5,000 uniformed officers on the street. Stop- and-search tactics might be used at rail stations and other areas. The royal wedding is a happy event for many but underpinned by police determination that nothing will disrupt the festivities.

Atika Shubert, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO: The countdown to the most anticipated wedding in decades has begun. CNN has it covered like no one else on Sunday, April 24th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, we take you behind the scenes with CNN presents, "THE WOMEN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN" and on Friday, April 29th at 4:00 a.m. Eastern, celebrate William and Kate with family friends and the entire planet. Or you can always set your DVR to CNN and watch it when you wake up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All around the Gulf Coast, oysters are more than just part of the menu, they are part of the culture. A nature conservancy is working to maintain the oyster status of culture and cuisine as well as protect the Gulf Coast from erosion.

Photo journalist Ken Tellis (ph) takes us to the Gulf Coast to look at the success of the Oyster Reef Projects, as part of today's "Green Solutions in Focus" series.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 800 to a thousand of us are going out today.

We are putting together the largest oyster (INAUDIBLE) in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have over 20 chefs here participating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And each different restaurant is doing their little spin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stuffed artichokes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Calling this an oyster BLT.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is real New Orleans, you all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The oyster is a staple in our food. We love the oyster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's nothing like a Louisiana oyster. They are great.

MICHAEL STERN, REALFOOD.COM: It's impossible to imagine New Orleans without all kinds of oysters on the menu.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the Grand Isle Shoreline Protection Oyster Restoration Project.

CINDY BROWN, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: Around the world, oysters have declined 85 percent. It's the most imperiled marine ecosystem type in the world.

AMY SMITH KYLE, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: The goal of the project is to install artificial oyster reefs along particularly vulnerable marsh shore lines.

MARK GAGLIANO, COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS INC.: The structures of vertical oyster reef, it's metal frame with bags filled with recycled oyster shells.

BROWN: Baby oysters will settle on adult oysters and develop shells and grow into adult oysters. Eventually what we're going to see is these cages completely encrusted in oysters. They are going to form a living reef.

These oyster reefs are really important for protecting shorelines. The way that it works is that we get wave energy and waves coming through this region. Eventually those waves eat away the shore lines. KYLE: The reef actually stop and absorb that wave energy. And as you can see behind the reefs, the water flattens out.

BROWN: The wake of our own boat just immediately lays down when it hits the reef back here. It's amazing.

In Mobile Bay, we're using a different technique.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Looking good.

BROWN: Well, that is we are laying bag shells down on the floor of the Gulf. Volunteers formed a human chain and passed and painstakingly passed (ph) one bag of oyster shell to each other to create these reefs. We're going to see oysters come in on these reefs. We're going to see fisheries rebound. And other thing we think we're going to see is more baby oysters put out into the water so that the natural reef system can replenish itself here, as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Poppy Harlow.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hey there Carol. Well, you know, today of course marks the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill. So we headed out 150 miles into the middle of the Gulf of Mexico to take a look at where that deep-water oil drilling stands one year after the crisis. We'll give you an in-depth report coming up at the top of the hour.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Stephanie Elam also in New York. Toyota gauging, getting ready for some production cuts. It's going to really affect some people here in the United States. We'll tell you what this means for American workers? That's coming up in the next hour.

COSTELLO: Thanks to both of you.

We'll also tell you how some Americans are dealing with $5 a gallon gas. They're jumping in their cars and driving out of state in search of savings, really? That's also ahead in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The Celtics and the Knicks, it's a great NBA rivalry going back decades. Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports is here. So, Jeff, the playoff series is adding new fuel to this rivalry.

FISCHEL: It sure is. I mean, you take New York, you take Boston. In baseball, you have the Yankees and the Red Sox, right? In football, you have the Patriots and the Jets.

And in the NBA, the Knicks and the Celtics. And they've been going at it, game one came down to the final seconds. So did game two last night. It went back and forth. How about Carmelo Anthony? His first playoff series with the Knicks, look at him bury this shot. He had 42 points for New York to put the Knicks on top. Spike Lee not afraid to celebrate in enemy's den, just over one minute left. New York up 1.

When in doubt, go with the superstars, right? Paul Pierce, he has the rock then he goes inside to Kevin Garnett. The Knicks had a chance in the final second but couldn't get a shot off. Boston wins and leads the series, two games to none.

The biggest, baddest big man in the NBA, Dwight Howard trying to help the Orlando Magic even their series with the Atlanta Hawks. Look at that dunk. Superman was spectacular; 33 points, 19 boards. He also had this nice spin move. The magic win and that series is tied.

The Mavericks and the Blazers in crunch time, Dallas does Dirk. Dirk Nowitzki almost loses the ball, recovers and gets it up and in. He led everyone with 33 points. The Mavs, Dallas leads that series, two games to none.

Let's do some NHL playoffs, Vancouver trying to sweep the defending Stanley Cup champions, Chicago Blackhawks in the first round; it won't happen. Brian (INAUDIBLE) -- it's a sweet move in and goal.

Chicago scores early, scores often, kind of like voting in the Windy City. 7-2 is the final. Put away those brooms tonight, fans. Back to Vancouver for game five.

Now, this is a real sports event. Winthrop University alum, Yohanish Snyder got married on campus and he was given away by the team mascot. It was actually the bride's idea.

CAROL: It was? Come on.

FISCHEL: Snyder and Big Stuff -- Big Stuff being the mascot, not the bride -- were together at all the school's basketball games. We don't know if the eagle flew the newlyweds on their honeymoon.

COSTELLO: Oh, I hope not.

That was the funniest side I have seen in quite some time.

FISCHEL: I know. We have one more thing for you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Ok. I'm ready.

FISCHEL: What do you get when you have a YouTube sensation and one of baseball's craziest characters? My gift to you, Dynamite.

(VIDEO CLIP)

FISCHEL: Ok. So there's teen lip-synching star Keenan Cahill and Giants all-star and lead pitcher, Brian Wilson.

COSTELLO: That is the cutest thing ever. FISCHEL: Wilson -- what were you doing? His teammate Cody Ross also got into the video later on. They made it actually for a cool. The Giants are doing a fund-raiser for Keenan; he suffers from a rare syndrome. So one of the games coming, they're helping to sell tickets and raise the money for the kid. It's great.

And the video is so hilarious.

COSTELLO: That is terrific.

FISCHEL: Great. The guys got into it for him. It was a lot of fun.

COSTELLO: We need those players to join the Tigers team like now. Detroit Tigers' Phil Coke, 11 walks. I don't know if they're all attributed to Phil Coke, but it was pitcher after pitcher after pitcher failing, Jeff.

FISCHEL: Maybe he needs to make a YouTube video. At least the Tigers fans would be a little happier about the 11-walk performance. It's pretty rough.

COSTELLO: I know. It hurts me -- it hurts me deeply.

FISCHEL: We need a little 60-second, little loving cuddle for, a little intervention for Carol after the Tigers' defeat.

COSTELLO: Yes. I think I just need a drink.

Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate it.