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Theme Parks Investigation; Hamas Ignores Ceasefire, Israeli Killed; TSA Posts Contraband On Instagram; Underwater Cameras Capture WWII Shipwrecks

Aired July 15, 2014 - 15:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Myers told police he wouldn't have really gone through with it, and he has pled not guilty.

Universal told us, "We have zero tolerance for this kind of activity. We deal with situations such as this immediately and permanently." Like Disney and SeaWorld, the company also said, "All our team members undergo thorough background checks as part of the hiring process."

SeaWorld said, "The safety of our team members and employees is our top priority," adding that it has, "policies and procedures in place, and we take appropriate action as needed."

SHERIFF GRADY JUDD, POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA: What we're doing with Disney and everyone else is we're putting shackles on them and then wondering why they can't win the race.

PHILLIPS: Sheriff Judd says businesses that cater to children need to go one step further and use polygraph tests.

JUDD: Anyone that works around children, whether it's in church, in the nursery, or whether it's at Disney or any other of our theme parks or whether it's in schools, we should be able to give a polygraph examination to them.

PHILLIPS: Reality is, Congress, citing privacy and civil liberty's issues, has made it illegal for most private companies to polygraph employees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a one tool that hasn't been --

PHILLIPS: Florida Congressman Dennis Ross, a former attorney for Disneyworld in the late 1980s wants to change that.

REP. DENNIS ROSS (R), FLORIDA: They are doing all they can with what we have empowered them to do.

PHILLIPS (on camera): The sexual predators are still getting hired so.

ROSS: Which is why we need to be vigilant as a policy maker to give more tools so that we can prevent the next one from occurring. PHILLIPS (voice-over): After learning about our story, Congressman Ross introduced legislation that would give companies that serve children the option to polygraph employees. Something Disney told us it would consider.

(on camera): What's the ultimate result here?

ROSS: That we save the next person that's out there. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our children. We owe it to our future to make sure we do everything we can to make sure that the next victim never happens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: That's correspondent, Kyra Phillips, is here. She's behind the CNN investigation that brought this situation to light. The question is, you know, are these parks safe?

PHILLIPS: And that's a great question. Look, Disney, Universal, SeaWorld all insist they are, right? And all the parks take immediate action when this happens. None of those individuals are still working at the park. And we pointed out that there were no teenagers or children visiting the parks that were assaulted.

But clearly, more can be done. That's where Congressman Dennis Ross comes in. Look, we need to give them more tools and as a policymaker he says, that's what I can do. The sheriff made it really clear, too, the predators go where the children are so the congressman, in particular, wants to provide that extra tool so these places have an option, another option to try and prevent these guys from getting hired.

LEMON: I think parents probably know this is not just a problem at theme parks.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely not. And Congressman Dennis Ross pointed that out as well. He said, look, this is a calling to law enforcement officers across the country. If you did aggressive sex stings like Sheriff Judd, can you imagine how many sexual predators would you catch across the country? They mentioned megachurches, daycares, schools, theme parks. The congressman's opinion is that could make a big difference if there were more states getting more aggressive with these types of sex stings.

LEMON: Good to have you here in New York with us. Thank you very much, Carol. We'll be watching tonight. Tonight, the congressman who wants to make a change after seeing that report lays out his plan. His name is Dennis Ross. He's live tonight on "AC360," 8:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN. Thanks again, Kyra Phillips.

Next, Hamas declines a proposed ceasefire with Israel calling it a joke. Israel's prime minister's response Hamas will pay for that decision. So a failed ceasefire and continued shelling for both sides? What could possibly end this conflict? Wolf Blitzer is in Jerusalem. We're going to ask him live. That's next. Plus, what are some of the weirdest things people have tried to sneak through security at American airports. A TSA has an Instagram page and we will show you some of the most unique items confiscated.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Just a short time ago, Israel suffered its first death in the week-old war with Hamas. The first Israeli to die is described as a volunteer who was killed by a mortar near the Israel-Gaza border. The death toll is nearing 200 for the Palestinians. Take a look here at rockets going up from Gaza. They are bound for Israel.

The Israelis say the attacks never stopped even as Israel held its fire for about six hours now. No more Israeli ceasefire. That is an Israeli strike on Gaza shortly after the ceasefire failed. I want you to watch this.

Goodness. Well, that's another Israeli air strike just a little too close for comfort. The death toll in Gaza as we said now nearing 200. Meantime, today across Israel, lots of apprehension, lot of air raid sirens.

Israel says Hamas fired 47 missiles during the failed ceasefire. As of yesterday, the Israelis say their anti-missile system as scored 200 kills. About 750 incoming rockets have hit ground and now the Israelis, as we said, have suffered their first death.

Wolf Blitzer with us now from Jerusalem. Wolf, does the failure of the ceasefire make it a lot more likely that there will be ground offensives, which will likely result in many more deaths?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": I suspect the Israelis will engage in some ground activity. There was a commando raid the other day, spent about 30 minutes on the ground, went after specific targets and then left. Four Israeli soldiers were slightly injured in that operation.

I do anticipate more of that. I would be surprised if there were a full-scale Israeli ground invasion with all of the tanks, all of the armored personnel carrier, something designed to reoccupy, if you will, all of Gaza. There are almost 2 million Palestinians and I don't think there's any desire on the part of the Israelis to do so.

Certainly not the government, Prime Minister Netanyahu, but there may be some significant pressure to launch limited ground strikes and I wouldn't be surprised to see that. The ante has been raised.

LEMON: So Wolf, you're in Jerusalem. Do you have any idea what Hamas is thinking? They have lost 200 people in Gaza and yet they ignored the ceasefire. Could Hamas believe that it is winning something?

BLITZER: They obviously think this is serving their goals. They have other demands that were not included in that initial Egyptian ceasefire demand. The Egyptians said reopening the border crossing, easing the restrictions off the coast of the Mediterranean, getting some prisoners freed, if you will, the Egyptians said, you can come to Cairo with a high level of Hamas delegation and the Israeli delegation can come to Cairo.

You can deal with all of that during a ceasefire, but in the meantime, stop the Israeli air strikes and stop the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel. The Israelis were clearly willing to do so. They did so for six hours. Hamas was not. Clearly Hamas thinks they are putting pressure on the international community to come up with some more concessions and maybe that's why they are doing it. Maybe they think in the long run this will benefit them.

LEMON: All right, Wolf, we'll be watching. Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem, thank you very much. He's going to anchor "The Situation Room" at 5:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Up next, a message to all travellers, don't try to take any of these items on your next flight. The TSA has an Instagram page showing off some of the most unusual items they have confiscated and we'll show you more of them. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Nervous flyers, turn away. You will not believe what your fellow passengers are trying to bring on your flight. TSA has an Instagram account and they are sharing what they are finding. Here it is. I'm talking mortars. That's right, snakes, and rocket launchers. Joining me now, Alison Kosik, sorting through all of this. Alison, what the hell?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This TSA Instagram page is one of the most entertaining I've seen in a long time because it's a hilarious array of pictures that TSA post showing what passengers packed in their luggage. These passengers actually thought they can board the plane with this stuff.

Let's go to the luggage with marijuana. This is 81 pounds. All I have to say is duh. They barely threw some clothing in there. Maybe they were high, but who actually thinks they can get away with this. I don't know. Another one of my favorites -- I know. I can't believe it. Let's go to the knife shaped as the gun.

What's really interesting about this, first of all, again, do you really think you can get on the plane with this thing? I like the Jesse James' face on it and the caption of the page says, all knives, including knives that look like guns, aren't allowed in carry-on bags. You would think that the TSA doesn't have to remind you about this.

Yes, this is more common than I ever thought, that people actually try to board airplanes with fireworks. You see the fireworks and what else? Improvised explosive devices. That is a good one, too. They really try to get anything through.

LEMON: It's not laughable. The pot one, that's just -- OK.

KOSIK: The good thing is the TSA agents actually caught this stuff. That's important to say.

LEMON: And it's sad that they are trying to do this. Once they get through security, there's a proposal for a new type of seat. It reminds me of a bicycle seat. Here are the sketches. Are they serious?

KOSIK: It looks like a torture chamber, doesn't it? It's like you get off a horse, not off the plane. How uncomfortable is that? Airbus patented that design. It's kind of like a bicycle seat, but it doesn't have the creatures of comfort. There's no back rest, no tray table, no headrest and very little legroom. So why in the world with a passenger plane be designed this way? It's all about money.

LEMON: They want to get more people in.

KOSIK: It's probably not going to happen, but they want to sort of get their claws on this idea just in case this comes to pass one day.

LEMON: I could see that on short commuter flights, like 45 minutes or so.

KOSIK: Exactly, yes.

LEMON: But not on long. Thank you, Alison. Appreciate it.

World War II relics found after more than 70 years. They were found at the bottom of the ocean and were discovered because of a unique mission. We're going to take you underwater and show you the wreckage, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: For more than 70 years, they have sat at the bottom of the sea, all their secrets kept deep with them. But thanks to an underwater exploration team led by "The Nautilus," we're getting a chance to see the wreckage of some sunken World War II era vessels. Look at that, beautiful pictures.

Two of the ships they are exploring, the Robert E. Lee, a 1940s passenger steam ship and this German U boat that sank with all hands lost in 1942 after its crew torpedoed the Robert E. Lee. Both ships now sit about 1500 meters down. Expedition logistics specialist, Christine Denison, joins me now.

CHRISTINE DENNISON, EXPEDITION LOGISTICS SPECIALIST: It's good to see you too.

LEMON: So listen, this is discovered what, in 2001, but the teams have finally been able to do what, to get a closer look? How do they get down to find all of this?

DENNISON: They're working with the two RVs, the Hercules and the Argus. What these machines are capable of doing is going down very deep. They are going down to depths of 13,000, 16,000 feet. So they really have an opportunity to get up close and see what's going on at that depth. And this is in my opinion what Bob Ballard heading up the expedition does best. He can bring an audience to the site and share it, which I think is a great thing for everybody. LEMON: It's fascinating to look at the pictures and begs the question what makes shipwrecks so popular. A popular deep sea habitat because it's beautiful like this to look at?

DENNISON: Well, it is. It gives you an idea there is a lot of life down there and a lot of garbage on the seafloor. There's a lot off marine floor.

LEMON: Obviously they take it on and make it their own. It's amazing.

DENNISON: They do. There's also the tremendous challenge of trying to reach these depths and being able to bring to light -- we have the technology. The problem is that a lot of this technology is funded privately. So that is not really shared with the public. What this expedition is allowing is for people to see in realtime and live time what's going on down there, what this looks like.

When there's loss of life, it's a graveyard. That's also as bittersweet as that is to define that, I know I worked on discovery VR-12 with 42 men on it. It's a very solemn place. It's dark and eerie and yet, what we're seeing is that it isn't such a terribly dark and dank place. It's alive.

LEMON: What makes a decision to either raise them or leave them there?

DENNISON: According to the Navy, that is their final resting place. When you have submariners lost at sea, that is the tradition that they're there to remain there. Their final resting place. It should be undisturbed. What we're doing in this case and most cases you can get cameras very close to the site hovering over it, getting images, giving them back up to the control center and sharing them with us, and as you see, there is something very eerie, but very beautiful about them, as well.

LEMON: It is very beautiful and to see the life.

DENNISON: There's a lot of --

LEMON: A lot of sea life down there.

DENNISON: There's corals. There's a lot of marine life that I'm sure because they're working live, you might see a large.

LEMON: I could look at it all day. Thank you. What a pleasure to have you here. We've all had the customer service phone call that leaves us shaking our heads in disbelief. Now one of those calls has gone viral and once you hear it, you're going to cringe next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: No one, trust me, looks forward to a phone call with customer service dealing with long waits on hold, annoying music. Ryan Bloc who was just trying to cancel his Comcast service had to deal with a very persistent Comcast representative. The call took so long that he recorded part of it, posted online and it went viral just a sample now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: The way you can help me right now.

UNIDENTIFIED COMCAST REPRESENTATIVE: By doing all this.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: The way you can help me is by disconnecting our service.

UNIDENTIFIED COMCAST REPRESENTATIVE: How is that helping you though?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: That's what I want.

UNIDENTIFIED COMCAST REPRESENTATIVE: OK. So why is that what you want?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Because that's what I want.

UNIDENTIFIED COMCAST REPRESENTATIVE: OK. So I mean, there has to be some sort of reason behind it. We just want to find out what it is that's causing a customer that's been with us for a long time to leave.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Because that's what we want.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Because that's -- Comcast issued this statement in response. It says we are very embarrassed by the way our employee spoke with Mr. Block. And Ms. Belmont and are contacting -- and Miss Belmont and are contacting them to personally apologize. It is unacceptable and not consistent with how we train our customer service representatives. We are investigating this situation and will take quick action. Let's hope it's quicker than that particular phone call.

Don't forget to watch CNN tonight 10:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll be covering the latest on the top news of the day. But now that's it for me. Thanks for joining us. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.