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Live From...
9/11 Commission Hearing Outlinee Vivid Details of Final Moments of all Four Hijacked Airplanes
Aired June 17, 2004 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Stories we're watching "At This Hour."
The 9/11 Commission says air defense commanders and the FAA were totally unprepared to respond to the terrorist hijackings. In its last public hearing today the panel painted a picture of confusion, mixed signal and delays. The commission also played tapes a voice believed to be of Mohammed Atta, the suspect lead hijacker.
The son of a kidnapped -- of an American kidnapped in Saudi Arabia is urging the White House to cut a deal with his captors. The kidnappers are threatening to kill Paul Johnson tomorrow unless the Saudis release al Qaeda prisoners. A candlelight vigil planned for Johnson tonight in New Jersey.
In Georgia, a frantic search for a 2-year-old boy. Authorities say Tellilious Brown was kidnapped during a carjacking in Western Georgia this morning and is in extreme danger. Tellilious was last seen wearing a white tank top, shorts, and Reebok tennis shoes.
The Modesto Police sergeant who led the search for Laci Peterson is back on the stand today in Scott Peterson's double murder trial. Yesterday Sergeant Timothy Helton testified the search for Laci Peterson shifted early on to the area where Scott Peterson said he'd been fishing.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Today's hearing of the 9/11 Commission outlined in vivid detail the final moments of all four hijacked airplanes. The commission flight planes and audio transmissions to show the chain of events. Its report concludes that due to confusion and mixed signals that day there was virtually no chance to intercept the planes.
Probably the most chilling voice was believed to be the suspected lead hijacker Mohammed Atta, reassuring passengers of American Airlines Flight 11. Let's listen to some of that testimony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER KOJM, 9/11 COMMISSION STAFF: On the morning of 9/11, the existing protocol was unsuited in every respect for what was about to happen. What ensued was the hurried attempt to create an improvised defense by officials who had never encountered or trained against the situation they faced.
PHILIP ZELIKOW, 9/11 COMMISSION STAFF: At 8:24:38, the following transmission came from American 11.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MOHAMED ATTA, 9/11 HIJACKER: We have some planes. Just stay quiet and you'll be OK. We're returning to the airport.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ZELIKOW: The controller only heard something unintelligible. He did not hear the specific words, quote, "We have some planes," end quote. The next transmission came seconds later.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ATTA: Nobody move. Everything will be OK. If you try to make any moves, you'll endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ZELIKOW: Hearing that transmission, the controller told us he then knew it was a hijacking.
At 8:34, the Boston Center controller received a third transmission from American 11.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ATTA: Nobody move, please. We are going back to the airport. Don't try to make any stupid moves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN FARMER, 9/11 COMMISSION STAFF MEMBER:The controller continued to try to contact United 93 and asked for the pilot to confirm he had been hijacked. There was no response.
Then at 9:39, a fifth radio transmission came over the radio frequency from United 93.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, this is the captain. I would like to ask you all to remain seated. There is a bomb on board. We are going back to the airport. And we will have our demands met. Please be quiet.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: This was the commission's final public hearing.
O'BRIEN: Almost three years after the 9/11 attacks and the beginning a war -- of the war on terror, there are chilling signs that al Qaeda has regrouped in and around Afghanistan. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): According to Gulf broadcaster Al-Jazeera, the first to receive these pictures, this is al Qaeda training inside Afghanistan or the nearby tribal region of Pakistan, tests of physical fitness, including leapfrogging, reminiscent of pre-September the 11th al Qaeda training videos.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: This material appears to be new material. We haven't seen it before. It also strongly suggests it was shot in the tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
ROBERTSON: On the tape, two grainy nighttime pictures of what Al-Jazeera says is a nighttime attack on a government building in Afghanistan showing dead combatants and, glowing under the camera's infrared illumination, a man Al-Jazeera identifies as al Qaeda field commander Abu-Leith al-Libi.
If authentic, and we have no independent verification of that, the pictures raise the possibility U.S. aims to deny al Qaeda the time and space to train in and around Afghanistan are failing. Intelligence experts believe al Qaeda is still actively recruiting.
BERGEN: The significance of this material is that the al Qaeda in the Afghan-Pakistan tribal areas feel sufficiently confident, as it were, to actually film some of their operations and film some of their training.
ROBERTSON (on camera): According to recently deployed U.S. Marines, they've been involved in firefights with up to 100 anti- coalition forces at one time and, although U.S. forces are bringing limited stability to the small areas where they operate, security experts inside Afghanistan say the countryside is far from secure.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: President Bush is speaking to small business owners this hour in the nation's capital. Live picture of the president. He's talking to the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents 600,000 small business owner. Tonight, he heads to Spokane, Washington where he is expected to raise half a million dollars for Senate candidate George Nethercutt. Mr. Bush will stay in Washington State to speak to soldier at Fort Lewis tomorrow.
Senator John Kerry is continuing his Midwestern swing aimed at middle-class Americans. He's speaking to the AFL-CIO in Detroit this afternoon, plans to attend a couple fund raisers. The Democratic presidential candidate had more events planned but had to scale back his schedule because of celebrations for the NBA champion Detroit Pistons. O'BRIEN: Questions over whether a new radio show debuting today is news or politics. The show provides news and commentary courtesy of the National Rifle Association. CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 35 after the hour here at NRANews.com.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Move over Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live in Sirius Satellite Radio.
WALLACE: The National Rifle Association is taking its daily Internet program to satellite radio later today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I made a promise to our members that we would not be silenced under the campaign finance law speech gag, and this is in keeping with that promise I made to our members.
WALLACE (on camera): It appears to be an unprecedented challenge to campaign finance laws, which prevents organizations from using unlimited contributions to directly support or attack a candidate in ads in the 60 days before the general election.
(voice over): But media organizations and their news programs are not bound by those laws.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that we have every bit as much a right to provide news as General Electric does through NBC, as Disney through does ABC and as Time Warner does through CNN.
WALLACE: Campaign finance experts say the move is likely to lead to a debate over exactly what is a news program.
LARRY NOBLE, CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE POLITICS: If the NRA can do this in such a way that it looks like a normal radio show, then they can do it. On the other hand, if what the NRA is really doing is just an extended campaign commercial, an extended discussion of the candidates using corporate money and that it really doesn't have the trappings of a media-type event, then they're going to have problems.
WALLACE: Gun control advocates say they are not worried.
JOSHUA HORWITZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE: And this is saying, wow, we were really not very effective in Congress this year. What can we do to show our allies that we matter? And if this is the best they can do, I'm comfortable with that.
WALLACE: But if NRA News is successful...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of that and a lot more coming up.
WALLACE: ... campaign finance watchers say, look out. Many more groups may soon flood the airwaves.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Still ahead on LIVE FROM..., the U.S. Open. Can Tiger Woods break his drought? We'll take you live to Southampton, New York, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Tears, consoling words, and uplifting scripture tops the look at our "News Across America." Two-thousand people attended a memorial service today in honor of four people who drowned during a church trip to Texas. Myron Dukes and two of his children died last night after being pulled from a pool at the Water Gardens in downtown Fort Worth. An 11-year-old girl also drowned. Swimming is not allowed at that park. Investigator believe one of the girls either fell or jumped into the pool. The others drowned trying to save her.
Paying last respect to one of their peers. Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Billy Preston, just among some of the stars expected to attend tomorrow's memorial service in Los Angeles for music icon Ray Charles. As you remember, he died last week from liver disease at 73.
Not on company time. That mandate from oil giant Exxon bans its employees from talking on cell phones while driving to work. The new company policy come after studies showing cell phones can cause dangerous distractions behind the wheel.
O'BRIEN: Motor City is roaring today. Let's see some pictures of downtown Detroit, shall we? Yes, there you have it. Thousands fans lining the streets to celebrate the Pistons' first NBA championship in 14 years. Big celebration is also planned in a couple hours up there in the burbs, Auburn Hills, where the Pistons play.
The U.S. Open golf championship is in full swing. Tiger woods say he's close to getting his A game back. But Can the world's No. 1 player do it in time? Big question.
We turn it over to Josie Burke who is in Southampton, New York following the action.
Hello, Josie.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
I can tell you that Tiger Woods is still searching for that A game. He's already done. He played his first round. And he did it in two over par fashion, and at this point in time, that put him six shots off the lead. So not the greatest day for Tiger Woods.
On the other hand, one golfer who's not so great days have been very few and far between over the last couple months, want to talk about Phil Mickelson. Ever since he broke through, won his first major at the Masters two months ago, he's really been living the high life, doing all sorts things he's never done before. He did the late night talk show circuit. He slept in a green jacket for the first time, but the real music to Phil Mickelson's ears, that's easy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Are you the best player only to win one major?
PHIL MICKELSON, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: That is such a nice question to answer, so much nicer than the ones in the past. And I don't know if I have an answer for you, but it just sounds a lot better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURKE: Ever since getting that green jacket, Phil Mickelson has worn a huge grin right along with it over the past two months or so. He said he has big plans no to try to make sure that that first victory in a major was not his last.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICKELSON: I'm looking at it a little bit different. I'm looking for big picture. I want to try to build on the Masters victory. It was a wonderful, exciting moment for me. And I don't want it to be the pinnacle, per se, I want it to be kind of a stepping stone to playing at that level more often in majors, and having more chances, because I enjoyed it so much that I'm hoping I'm able to do it some more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURKE: Mickelson still reaping the rewards of that victory. He's always been well liked. But he teed off about 45 minutes ago, and normally on golf courses, especially, Miles, out here in Southampton, it's a little more of an austere environment, but he got a huge ovation, as loud as you'll ever hear on a golf course, when they introduced him -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Just raucous there in Southampton.
Tell me about the course. Who does it favor, do you think?
BURKE: Well, everyone says it favors shot makers. It's not particularly long; it's less than 7,000. However, it really puts a premium on placing the ball, because if you get in that really thick rough or in the fescue, you're going to have a lot of trouble.
Look at the guys who have won here the last two times it was played, Raymond Floyd and Cory Pavin, they're not the longest hitters, but they showed that you have to be very careful as you navigate the golf course.
O'BRIEN: All right, Josie, enjoy the show. Thanks for dropping in, appreciate it -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Still ahead, pictures in paradise. We'll take you to the Maui movie festival.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, surf's up for the fifth annual Maui Film Festival. The five-day event in Hawaii is a must for movie lovers looking to simple -- or sample rather, the hottest new indie film.
CNN's Sibila Vargas joins us now from the tropical paradise with more on the film considered the "Jaws" of the 21st century.
Well, Sibila, I got to say, you are one beautiful background, but you combined with that background. It's just really unfair.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I'm sorry about that. You know, I had to do this. It was my job, they asked me to do it, you know, I just had to do it. But I'm here at the beautiful Fairmont Kelani (ph) Hotel, where the Maui Film Festival got off to a great start. And last night, thousands of people showed up at the outdoor cinema, the celestial cinema, to watch "Two Brothers."
And tonight, they're going to be treated to a thriller. It's called "Open Water," and it's about two scuba divers that are stranded in the middle of the ocean.
And I've got two of the very brave stars with me, Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis. And the reason I call them brave is that you two were out there in the open water with sharks.
BLANCHARD RYAN, ACTRESS: Yes, we were.
VARGAS: So nonchalantly.
RYAN: We're very nonchalant now. I was not at the time. They were beautiful, powerful, gorgeous creatures. We were lucky to be -- to have them as our costars.
VARGAS: Whatever possessed you to get out there and actually do that? I don't care how much money I get paid, I'm not going out and swimming with sharks.
DANIEL TRAVIS, ACTOR: Blind ambition.
BLANCHARD: It was such an amazing story, and both of us, it was the characters that were created that we got the chance to play. Basically it was an offer we couldn't refuse. It was such an amazing project, and Chris and Laura are so visionary and such a great plan in line for this project. I just couldn't say no. I knew I probably should, but I couldn't.
VARGAS: You know, I heard that during the auditioning process, they said if you can't swim with sharks, you better not even try to go in this movie.
BLANCHARD: Absolutely.
TRAVIS: Yes, if you weren't in a position to think of putting yourself in that position, don't even bother, and...
VARGAS: And you guys spent so much time in the water, 120 hours?
TRAVIS: Yes, over 120 hours in the water.
VARGAS: Did your fingers start to raisin?
TRAVIS: For weeks afterwards, we were still prune-like.
BLANCHARD: And then some. We were so beat up, the shots that, if you see the film at the end of the movie, when we look like we're not doing so well, Chris had brought all this special effect makeup to do us, and he took one look at us and he was, like, no, we're pretty much good to go, you look awful.
TRAVIS: You're all set, get in the water.
BLANCHARD: Yes, my lip was split open. We had dark circles under our eyes, sunburn.
VARGAS: And you told me that you'll never go back in the water again, or at least you won't ever...
BLANCHARD: I don't know about never, but I haven't been diving since. I've been on a few vacation where I had the opportunity and I took a pass on it. I've thinking of maybe going here, but maybe not, I don't know. After a lot of time in the water, I'm not in that big a hurry to get back in.
VARGAS: But you also told me that at one point you had to get a closeup in there, and you were dying to get out of the water, but then Chris says, I might -- you know what -- we have to go, though.
Thank you so much for joining us.
BLANCHARD: Thank you for having us.
TRAVIS: Thanks you very much.
VARGAS: Thank you so much, Daniel. We'll be back with LIVE FROM, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 17, 2004 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Stories we're watching "At This Hour."
The 9/11 Commission says air defense commanders and the FAA were totally unprepared to respond to the terrorist hijackings. In its last public hearing today the panel painted a picture of confusion, mixed signal and delays. The commission also played tapes a voice believed to be of Mohammed Atta, the suspect lead hijacker.
The son of a kidnapped -- of an American kidnapped in Saudi Arabia is urging the White House to cut a deal with his captors. The kidnappers are threatening to kill Paul Johnson tomorrow unless the Saudis release al Qaeda prisoners. A candlelight vigil planned for Johnson tonight in New Jersey.
In Georgia, a frantic search for a 2-year-old boy. Authorities say Tellilious Brown was kidnapped during a carjacking in Western Georgia this morning and is in extreme danger. Tellilious was last seen wearing a white tank top, shorts, and Reebok tennis shoes.
The Modesto Police sergeant who led the search for Laci Peterson is back on the stand today in Scott Peterson's double murder trial. Yesterday Sergeant Timothy Helton testified the search for Laci Peterson shifted early on to the area where Scott Peterson said he'd been fishing.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Today's hearing of the 9/11 Commission outlined in vivid detail the final moments of all four hijacked airplanes. The commission flight planes and audio transmissions to show the chain of events. Its report concludes that due to confusion and mixed signals that day there was virtually no chance to intercept the planes.
Probably the most chilling voice was believed to be the suspected lead hijacker Mohammed Atta, reassuring passengers of American Airlines Flight 11. Let's listen to some of that testimony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER KOJM, 9/11 COMMISSION STAFF: On the morning of 9/11, the existing protocol was unsuited in every respect for what was about to happen. What ensued was the hurried attempt to create an improvised defense by officials who had never encountered or trained against the situation they faced.
PHILIP ZELIKOW, 9/11 COMMISSION STAFF: At 8:24:38, the following transmission came from American 11.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MOHAMED ATTA, 9/11 HIJACKER: We have some planes. Just stay quiet and you'll be OK. We're returning to the airport.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ZELIKOW: The controller only heard something unintelligible. He did not hear the specific words, quote, "We have some planes," end quote. The next transmission came seconds later.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ATTA: Nobody move. Everything will be OK. If you try to make any moves, you'll endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ZELIKOW: Hearing that transmission, the controller told us he then knew it was a hijacking.
At 8:34, the Boston Center controller received a third transmission from American 11.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ATTA: Nobody move, please. We are going back to the airport. Don't try to make any stupid moves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN FARMER, 9/11 COMMISSION STAFF MEMBER:The controller continued to try to contact United 93 and asked for the pilot to confirm he had been hijacked. There was no response.
Then at 9:39, a fifth radio transmission came over the radio frequency from United 93.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, this is the captain. I would like to ask you all to remain seated. There is a bomb on board. We are going back to the airport. And we will have our demands met. Please be quiet.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: This was the commission's final public hearing.
O'BRIEN: Almost three years after the 9/11 attacks and the beginning a war -- of the war on terror, there are chilling signs that al Qaeda has regrouped in and around Afghanistan. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): According to Gulf broadcaster Al-Jazeera, the first to receive these pictures, this is al Qaeda training inside Afghanistan or the nearby tribal region of Pakistan, tests of physical fitness, including leapfrogging, reminiscent of pre-September the 11th al Qaeda training videos.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: This material appears to be new material. We haven't seen it before. It also strongly suggests it was shot in the tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
ROBERTSON: On the tape, two grainy nighttime pictures of what Al-Jazeera says is a nighttime attack on a government building in Afghanistan showing dead combatants and, glowing under the camera's infrared illumination, a man Al-Jazeera identifies as al Qaeda field commander Abu-Leith al-Libi.
If authentic, and we have no independent verification of that, the pictures raise the possibility U.S. aims to deny al Qaeda the time and space to train in and around Afghanistan are failing. Intelligence experts believe al Qaeda is still actively recruiting.
BERGEN: The significance of this material is that the al Qaeda in the Afghan-Pakistan tribal areas feel sufficiently confident, as it were, to actually film some of their operations and film some of their training.
ROBERTSON (on camera): According to recently deployed U.S. Marines, they've been involved in firefights with up to 100 anti- coalition forces at one time and, although U.S. forces are bringing limited stability to the small areas where they operate, security experts inside Afghanistan say the countryside is far from secure.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: President Bush is speaking to small business owners this hour in the nation's capital. Live picture of the president. He's talking to the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents 600,000 small business owner. Tonight, he heads to Spokane, Washington where he is expected to raise half a million dollars for Senate candidate George Nethercutt. Mr. Bush will stay in Washington State to speak to soldier at Fort Lewis tomorrow.
Senator John Kerry is continuing his Midwestern swing aimed at middle-class Americans. He's speaking to the AFL-CIO in Detroit this afternoon, plans to attend a couple fund raisers. The Democratic presidential candidate had more events planned but had to scale back his schedule because of celebrations for the NBA champion Detroit Pistons. O'BRIEN: Questions over whether a new radio show debuting today is news or politics. The show provides news and commentary courtesy of the National Rifle Association. CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 35 after the hour here at NRANews.com.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Move over Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live in Sirius Satellite Radio.
WALLACE: The National Rifle Association is taking its daily Internet program to satellite radio later today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I made a promise to our members that we would not be silenced under the campaign finance law speech gag, and this is in keeping with that promise I made to our members.
WALLACE (on camera): It appears to be an unprecedented challenge to campaign finance laws, which prevents organizations from using unlimited contributions to directly support or attack a candidate in ads in the 60 days before the general election.
(voice over): But media organizations and their news programs are not bound by those laws.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that we have every bit as much a right to provide news as General Electric does through NBC, as Disney through does ABC and as Time Warner does through CNN.
WALLACE: Campaign finance experts say the move is likely to lead to a debate over exactly what is a news program.
LARRY NOBLE, CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE POLITICS: If the NRA can do this in such a way that it looks like a normal radio show, then they can do it. On the other hand, if what the NRA is really doing is just an extended campaign commercial, an extended discussion of the candidates using corporate money and that it really doesn't have the trappings of a media-type event, then they're going to have problems.
WALLACE: Gun control advocates say they are not worried.
JOSHUA HORWITZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE: And this is saying, wow, we were really not very effective in Congress this year. What can we do to show our allies that we matter? And if this is the best they can do, I'm comfortable with that.
WALLACE: But if NRA News is successful...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of that and a lot more coming up.
WALLACE: ... campaign finance watchers say, look out. Many more groups may soon flood the airwaves.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Still ahead on LIVE FROM..., the U.S. Open. Can Tiger Woods break his drought? We'll take you live to Southampton, New York, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Tears, consoling words, and uplifting scripture tops the look at our "News Across America." Two-thousand people attended a memorial service today in honor of four people who drowned during a church trip to Texas. Myron Dukes and two of his children died last night after being pulled from a pool at the Water Gardens in downtown Fort Worth. An 11-year-old girl also drowned. Swimming is not allowed at that park. Investigator believe one of the girls either fell or jumped into the pool. The others drowned trying to save her.
Paying last respect to one of their peers. Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Billy Preston, just among some of the stars expected to attend tomorrow's memorial service in Los Angeles for music icon Ray Charles. As you remember, he died last week from liver disease at 73.
Not on company time. That mandate from oil giant Exxon bans its employees from talking on cell phones while driving to work. The new company policy come after studies showing cell phones can cause dangerous distractions behind the wheel.
O'BRIEN: Motor City is roaring today. Let's see some pictures of downtown Detroit, shall we? Yes, there you have it. Thousands fans lining the streets to celebrate the Pistons' first NBA championship in 14 years. Big celebration is also planned in a couple hours up there in the burbs, Auburn Hills, where the Pistons play.
The U.S. Open golf championship is in full swing. Tiger woods say he's close to getting his A game back. But Can the world's No. 1 player do it in time? Big question.
We turn it over to Josie Burke who is in Southampton, New York following the action.
Hello, Josie.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
I can tell you that Tiger Woods is still searching for that A game. He's already done. He played his first round. And he did it in two over par fashion, and at this point in time, that put him six shots off the lead. So not the greatest day for Tiger Woods.
On the other hand, one golfer who's not so great days have been very few and far between over the last couple months, want to talk about Phil Mickelson. Ever since he broke through, won his first major at the Masters two months ago, he's really been living the high life, doing all sorts things he's never done before. He did the late night talk show circuit. He slept in a green jacket for the first time, but the real music to Phil Mickelson's ears, that's easy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Are you the best player only to win one major?
PHIL MICKELSON, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: That is such a nice question to answer, so much nicer than the ones in the past. And I don't know if I have an answer for you, but it just sounds a lot better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURKE: Ever since getting that green jacket, Phil Mickelson has worn a huge grin right along with it over the past two months or so. He said he has big plans no to try to make sure that that first victory in a major was not his last.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICKELSON: I'm looking at it a little bit different. I'm looking for big picture. I want to try to build on the Masters victory. It was a wonderful, exciting moment for me. And I don't want it to be the pinnacle, per se, I want it to be kind of a stepping stone to playing at that level more often in majors, and having more chances, because I enjoyed it so much that I'm hoping I'm able to do it some more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURKE: Mickelson still reaping the rewards of that victory. He's always been well liked. But he teed off about 45 minutes ago, and normally on golf courses, especially, Miles, out here in Southampton, it's a little more of an austere environment, but he got a huge ovation, as loud as you'll ever hear on a golf course, when they introduced him -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Just raucous there in Southampton.
Tell me about the course. Who does it favor, do you think?
BURKE: Well, everyone says it favors shot makers. It's not particularly long; it's less than 7,000. However, it really puts a premium on placing the ball, because if you get in that really thick rough or in the fescue, you're going to have a lot of trouble.
Look at the guys who have won here the last two times it was played, Raymond Floyd and Cory Pavin, they're not the longest hitters, but they showed that you have to be very careful as you navigate the golf course.
O'BRIEN: All right, Josie, enjoy the show. Thanks for dropping in, appreciate it -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Still ahead, pictures in paradise. We'll take you to the Maui movie festival.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, surf's up for the fifth annual Maui Film Festival. The five-day event in Hawaii is a must for movie lovers looking to simple -- or sample rather, the hottest new indie film.
CNN's Sibila Vargas joins us now from the tropical paradise with more on the film considered the "Jaws" of the 21st century.
Well, Sibila, I got to say, you are one beautiful background, but you combined with that background. It's just really unfair.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I'm sorry about that. You know, I had to do this. It was my job, they asked me to do it, you know, I just had to do it. But I'm here at the beautiful Fairmont Kelani (ph) Hotel, where the Maui Film Festival got off to a great start. And last night, thousands of people showed up at the outdoor cinema, the celestial cinema, to watch "Two Brothers."
And tonight, they're going to be treated to a thriller. It's called "Open Water," and it's about two scuba divers that are stranded in the middle of the ocean.
And I've got two of the very brave stars with me, Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis. And the reason I call them brave is that you two were out there in the open water with sharks.
BLANCHARD RYAN, ACTRESS: Yes, we were.
VARGAS: So nonchalantly.
RYAN: We're very nonchalant now. I was not at the time. They were beautiful, powerful, gorgeous creatures. We were lucky to be -- to have them as our costars.
VARGAS: Whatever possessed you to get out there and actually do that? I don't care how much money I get paid, I'm not going out and swimming with sharks.
DANIEL TRAVIS, ACTOR: Blind ambition.
BLANCHARD: It was such an amazing story, and both of us, it was the characters that were created that we got the chance to play. Basically it was an offer we couldn't refuse. It was such an amazing project, and Chris and Laura are so visionary and such a great plan in line for this project. I just couldn't say no. I knew I probably should, but I couldn't.
VARGAS: You know, I heard that during the auditioning process, they said if you can't swim with sharks, you better not even try to go in this movie.
BLANCHARD: Absolutely.
TRAVIS: Yes, if you weren't in a position to think of putting yourself in that position, don't even bother, and...
VARGAS: And you guys spent so much time in the water, 120 hours?
TRAVIS: Yes, over 120 hours in the water.
VARGAS: Did your fingers start to raisin?
TRAVIS: For weeks afterwards, we were still prune-like.
BLANCHARD: And then some. We were so beat up, the shots that, if you see the film at the end of the movie, when we look like we're not doing so well, Chris had brought all this special effect makeup to do us, and he took one look at us and he was, like, no, we're pretty much good to go, you look awful.
TRAVIS: You're all set, get in the water.
BLANCHARD: Yes, my lip was split open. We had dark circles under our eyes, sunburn.
VARGAS: And you told me that you'll never go back in the water again, or at least you won't ever...
BLANCHARD: I don't know about never, but I haven't been diving since. I've been on a few vacation where I had the opportunity and I took a pass on it. I've thinking of maybe going here, but maybe not, I don't know. After a lot of time in the water, I'm not in that big a hurry to get back in.
VARGAS: But you also told me that at one point you had to get a closeup in there, and you were dying to get out of the water, but then Chris says, I might -- you know what -- we have to go, though.
Thank you so much for joining us.
BLANCHARD: Thank you for having us.
TRAVIS: Thanks you very much.
VARGAS: Thank you so much, Daniel. We'll be back with LIVE FROM, after this.
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