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Still No Contact With Trapped West Virginia Miners; Abramoff Plea Deal; Shedding the Holiday Pounds; Employment and Unemployment Trends

Aired January 03, 2006 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Rescue attempts are going full-bore at the Sago Mine in West Virginia coal country, more than 32 hours after the unexplained blast that left 13 miners trapped, hurt or worse some 260 feet below the surface.
Here is where things stand right now. Search teams and a robot are almost two miles down the shaft, which enters the earth at an angle, and progresses gently downward. Separately, three narrow holes are being drilled for the purposes of lowering cameras and air quality monitors.

One test early this morning showed that carbon monoxide levels, more than three times the maximum for sustaining life -- mud and water are slowly rescuers' progress -- or slowing rescuers' progress, rather -- and especially that of the 1,200-pound robot.

And everyone would feel a whole lot better if there were some sounds of life from that blast site. So, far, there has been none.

Our Tony Harris is monitoring the situation.

Tony, what do you know?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, we have been monitoring more of the information that Kimberly Osias' crew has been able to gather for us during the course of the afternoon.

We can tell you that the drilling of a third hole that was supposed to get under way at about 2:00 to 3:00 Eastern time this afternoon actually began a lot earlier this morning.

Want to hear from Mike Ross now. And Mike is one of the team members who is working on drill hole number three. Again, this is a multi-step process. But we want to focus on the drilling. The drill pipe that you were just talking about, for hole three, is at about 300 feet down right now, with another 100 feet to go before this team reaches the open mine shaft.

What Ross and everyone else is hoping for and waiting for right now is to hear any return from the mine, tapping on the mine pipe by the trapped miners.

Let's listen more now to what Mike Ross had to say just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE ROSS, HELPED DRILL THIRD HOLE: We started this one a little -- around 9:00 this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it a special bed or like a diamond- headed....

(CROSSTALK)

ROSS: Not diamond-headed, but it's tungsten.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you're going about 400 feet?

ROSS: We will go 400 feet. We went 260 feet in the other one. And we drilled right in the target we wanted to.

The camera looked around in the mines. We didn't see any activity. And everything seemed to be normal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you optimistic at this location or are you -- have you been a mining man all your life?

ROSS: I grew up in coal mines. And I'm in the oil and gas business, drill wells, deeper, a lot deeper wells than this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you optimistic you will get a sound here?

ROSS: Yes, very optimistic and very hopeful.

And we -- if we are successful. This is a small one, this six- inch, not -- observation hole. We have a larger rig waiting down there along the road, should we be successful here and make contact. We will pull in and we will fill a three-foot diameter hole. And, then, we will try to help the men out through the hole...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

ROSS: ... similar to what they did in Pennsylvania a couple years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

So, you're -- you're...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK.

And, once again, I just want to clarify the situation.

What Mike is referring to right now was some of the work that was going on earlier today on hole number two. Interestingly enough, we hadn't heard a lot about what had been learned from hole number two.

But we again can tell you that the work has been ongoing on hole number three, Kyra, since about, oh, 9:00 this morning. It was scheduled to go -- begin at 3:00 in the afternoon. But it -- it obviously got started a lot earlier in the day. And, again, a camera will be dropped into that hole at some point. A picture will be taken.

And, again, what they are looking for is any kind of visual contact with the miners. And, that notwithstanding, what they are looking for is to hear some kind of tapping from those miners on the drill pipe. If they hear that, then, you will get that enlarging of that hole. Everything will come out. That -- that hole will be enlarged. And the rescue effort will be under way in full force -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Tony, we are waiting and watching every minute.

HARRIS: We sure are.

PHILLIPS: That's for sure.

Tony, thanks so much.

HARRIS: OK. Sure.

PHILLIPS: Kimberly Osias has also been waiting and watching. She joins us again with the latest from the scene.

Kimberly, any new developments?

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you heard, Kyra, that Mike Ross, actually part of that rescue operation, speaking about what they are doing right now.

It is a bit ahead of schedule now. In addition to the human component, there are two rescue teams, of course, beginning and continuing this very, very long, tedious process of searching, is, you have got this high-tech operation going on in tandem going down. Now, it was ahead of schedule. They did drop the robotic cameras in what is known as the second left.

And we're showing you some exclusive video that CNN got just a little while ago of those cameras going down there hoping to about 400 feet. And, probably, at this point, they have reached that point. And, then, those cameras actually go about 20 feet in front. And they are hoping to get some kind of visual.

The good news is, prior to now, they haven't seen any major signs of debris, which would indicate an explosion right in that vicinity. Now, this second left area that you hear us talking about is critical, because that first left -- this mine is a slope. It is believed that the first left is about 9,000 feet down.

Now, that is key, because that is where those six people, those six miners, escaped from yesterday, when they felt the vibration and felt the explosion. Now, then, that second left is a good bit down deeper. And that is where they believe, somewhere in that second left, is where these miners may be, Kyra. Now, that is the third drilling site. They have two going on simultaneously at this hour. They have got one in that first left and then one in that second left that you heard Tony talking about and Mike Ross talking about as well. That is what they are doing right now.

Of course, families are nearby, about half-a-mile down at the Baptist church, really keeping vigil, keeping their hopes alive as well, and praying -- praying for the best -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I know we ask this question a lot, but any information about what might have caused that explosion?

OSIAS: Well, the company, of course, is saying this is a very fluid situation, active investigation.

We have heard neighbors that have been as close as a mile and-a- half away saying that they felt a vibration, and they said it was tantamount to fireworks. There was a tremendous light show in the air because of lightning.

And I asked specifically about whether lightning could have hit some kind of transformer, because all of these neighbors said that they saw their power go out. They said, clearly, they are not ruling that out. They are looking at everything, not leaving any stone unturned. But it is certainly going to take time. As far as an official cause, we don't have anything at this point -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kimberly Osias, thanks so much.

Well, better pay than they can get elsewhere, that's usually the top reason men say that they decide to work in those mines. The Occupational Employment and Wages Web site list West Virginia's mining machine operators' means wage at $39,066. Mine cutters bring in $38,471. Extraction workers get a little over 35 grand a year. And most miners earn, on average, about $18 an hour.

You don't have to be an expert to see what a torturous process mine rescues can be.

Davitt McAteer is an expert. He's watching the ordeal in Tallmansville from our Washington bureau.

Appreciate you joining us once again, Davitt.

DAVITT MCATEER, FORMER ASSISTANT LABOR SECRETARY: Certainly, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk, I guess, something that -- it's interesting. The conversation in the newsroom, in our meetings, even other parts of the building, a lot of people saying, why hasn't the job of a miner become more technologically advanced? I mean, why is it still the type of job where you have got to go into these dangerous conditions and have to take the type of risks that you do, with all the technological advantages this -- these days?

MCATEER: Kyra, I think it's a good question.

I think the fact is that, over the last 20 years, we have introduced a lot of new types of innovative productive machinery dealing with mining, but I think, from the standpoint of the worker, and from the standpoint of health and safety, we have lagged behind some. And we haven't really introduced sort of advanced technologies, more remote systems that can remove the worker from the workplace.

We continue to place people in harsh environments. Partly, that's due to the extractive nature of the industry. We have to extract it from underground or from -- on the surface. But what -- but I think that the -- the fact is, we have done a great job with the production side, where we have added new technologies, where we have brought in new types of systems.

But we haven't enhanced the systems that can remove the miner. Although we have done a lot in the last 20 years to improve the safety and improve the production, we just haven't done the kind of thing that can eliminate the kind of problems that we're seeing and the potential problems that we have here today.

PHILLIPS: So, looking at what we have here today, specifically, the concern about the toxic fumes possibly being the biggest issue here, how do you prevent that risk? Can you prevent that risk? I mean, is there something out there that just needs the financial backing to make it more safe, when talking about the threat of -- of toxic air?

MCATEER: I think that what your question is, is that, is there a way to make mines perfectly safe? Well, not to our knowledge yet today. But there are ways to improve the safety.

We have not introduced, we have not discovered new ways to have accidents. They are all the old ways. They are all systems that have been around for a while and that we had accidents with and problems with in the past. So, we repeat the problems of the past. I think the fact is that we need to be able to eliminate the carbon monoxide.

We need to be ale to eliminate the methane gas from the mining systems that we have presently. And that's a challenge that we in this country -- for that matter, around the world -- have not really put our minds to. And we need...

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: So, there's nothing out there right now that -- that would -- what you just explained? There's nothing sort of in the pike or -- or anything out there that could prevent that at this moment?

MCATEER: Kyra, there's nothing in the pipeline that would eliminate the presence of methane gas and -- and the presence of carbon monoxide.

The ventilation systems that we have been using for years are the -- are really the basic system that we have. And I think that we need to look at that question of advising new technologies in the mining system.

PHILLIPS: Here's what one family member said, Davitt, yesterday -- of course, a lot of family members speaking out. Let's listen to this for a moment, and then I have a question for you.

MCATEER: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA MCCLOY, WIFE OF TRAPPED MINER: He has mentioned it to me before about the mine safety. But there were a lot of things he didn't tell me because he didn't want me to worry. But, yes, we have talked about the mine safety. And we had discussed about him getting out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, this is Anna McCloy, the wife of one of those trapped miners...

MCATEER: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... talking about the fact that they know about the dangers. And, possibly, they knew about a number of problems that existed in this mine.

What do we know about the existing violations, and were there enough inspections done on this mine at the right time from state and federal levels? And, so, is it possible that something could have been prevented here by looking at those violations and reacting quickly?

MCATEER: I think that the fact that the violations were increasing, rather than decreasing, over the past two years is a sign that the mine safety record was going in the wrong direction, and, also, the fact that there were a number of injuries, three times the national average, for a mine this size, suggests to us that this mine was not improving its safety record, but in fact was seeing its safety record diminish over a period of time.

And that should have been a signal to the mine operator, whose responsibility it is to ensure mine safety, that he should take steps to do that. Now, understand that the ownership of this mine changed in the last six or so months. And that may have had some impact on this problem. But the fact that you have these three indicators suggesting that it's going in the wrong direction, should have -- give everyone a signal, both the inspectors, as well as the mine operators, that something needs to be done.

Now, we can't lay the blame for this accident on those, but those indicators are really signs of where we ought to be going. And if we're going in the wrong direction, we got to shift gears and go in a better direction.

PHILLIPS: And, Davitt, yesterday, I asked the governor about that inspection process. And this is what he told me. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: The inspection process is -- basically, it's an ongoing -- there's -- there's continuous inspection, both from the state and federal level. They're inspecting these mines continuously to see the conditions, checking the gas, checking ventilation, making sure that they're leaving enough cover, making sure the roof bolts will hold the -- the tops. They're doing all of these things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, the governor mentioned that, within those inspections, they are to check the gas. Can you tell me what that means?

MCATEER: Well, you have three -- I'm sorry -- you have four underground inspections a year on the federal level and a number of underground inspections required from the state level.

In addition to -- and those mines inspectors check the level of gas on a periodic basis. Now, in addition to that, the mine operator is required to take ongoing samples on a daily basis and on a weekly basis to see that the levels of methane are not in a dangerous zone.

The difficulty, as we mentioned, though, is that mines are a different workplace every 24 hours. You're making a new workplace, and you're driving into the hillside and, in fact, you're reaching new conditions, where the mine gases might be liberated.

Now, this gas -- this particular mine does not have a strong history of liberation, but there is some gas in -- in this mine. But, in addition, you have roof control problems and you have other problems. And I think that's why we have to have this kind of different approach to mine safety than we do for other workplaces. But, clearly, it hasn't worked this time to prevent a potential problem that we have here.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's going to be interesting to see how things unfold.

My final question, of course, the two issues that have been talked about thus far, those violations that exist and, then, number two, the weather. There was bad weather. There was talk of possibly a lightning strike creating something. What are the odds that weather could have caused this and that weather could have cost -- or caused the toxic atmosphere?

MCATEER: The -- weather does have an impact on mine safety.

If you look historically, the months of November, December, and January are the high months for explosions in the mines, both in this country and abroad. The difficulty is that the barometric pressure drops when the weather changes, and it allows methane to seep out more quickly and more -- in -- in more force from the coal seam itself. That presents additional potential problems. In this case, the use -- the explanation that a lightning strike could have set off the charge is possible. It's not a likely kind of scenario, but it certainly is possible. And the fact that these neighbors have seen a light show and have heard an explosion, and all that tends to suggest that there may be some involvement or some element that dealt with nature.

Now, we have had experiences in other parts of the country, particularly in Alabama, where mines have had lightning strikes, but they haven't caused an explosion of this size. So, it would be suggested that this may not be, but it is one of the potential answers. You also have the fact that the mine was idle for a period of time, so that you might have had a build-up of methane in the idle process.

And, then when you reintroduced or began to reintroduce power in something like the battery charging station, that that might have arced -- there might have been an arc there or some other force of explosion. Those are all potential problems. But we won't know until we get into it.

And I think that we need to take our time to study the problem, so that we can prevent it in the future.

PHILLIPS: Indeed, we will do that.

Davitt McAteer, thank you so much for your time and expertise.

MCATEER: You're welcome. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We often think of mining as the most dangerous job in America. And, each year, an average of between 26 and 42 miners actually die at work.

But, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, timber workers suffer the most fatalities on the job, in terms of deaths per 100,000 workers. Timber workers die at a rate of 22 times the numbers for other industries. Using the same formula, pilots, fishing, roofers and truck drivers also frequent the list of 10 most dangerous jobs.

That's not to say that mining isn't hazardous. The bureau also has described so-called extractive occupations as -- quote -- "the most perilous industry as a whole."

We're going to stay on this story. We expect a live briefing this hour from the president and CEO of International Coal Group, Ben Hatfield. He will update us on the rescue mission at 3:30 Eastern.

The news keep coming. We will keep brining it to you -- more LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: You know, we have been talking about pipeline throughout the afternoon. We just launched this today, been working on it for a number of months.

If you go on to CNN.com/pipeline, you will be able to basically -- I mean, the way I have sort of been explaining it is sort of reality news. Whatever is happening right now at this minute, you can click on and watch it in its entirety. For example, when we take the Pentagon briefing or the Department of Justice briefing, which is happening right now, you can go to CNN.com/pipeline, click on and listen to the briefing.

They're talking about Abramoff right now, of course, that well- known lobbyist that has reached a plea deal. But a -- a number of other members of Congress' careers are at stake because of the charges of money-laundering, et cetera. So, you can click on those live events as they are happening, CNN.com/pipeline.

Now, back to our top story, and just so many people keeping their fingers crossed and -- and saying their prayers, hoping that those 13 miners will come out of that mine shaft alive. It's a story in West Virginia that we have been following, as you know, since yesterday.

And we have been telling you a lot about this robot. You probably heard so much about it, because it's built to save lives exactly where humans can't. It's the brainchild of Remotec Incorporated.

Mark Kauchak, he joins me now live from Knoxville, Tennessee, to talk about it.

Mark, we heard that this robot was going to be going in some time last night. We wanted to talk more about it and why it -- it is so popular in the mining industry when we see something like this that has happened in West Virginia. Why do rescue workers want to use a robot like this, the V-2?

MARK KAUCHAK, MARKETING DIRECTOR, REMOTEC INC.: Well, there's a couple reasons.

And, first of all, I would like to say that Northrop Grumman, Remotec has been building hazardous-duty robots for a number of years. And our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, the miners and rescue workers. We certainly are familiar with the business.

And one of the advantages of the robot is, they can send it in without concern about human life. You can see there's different types of sensors on there for it to detect oxygen levels, carbon monoxide levels and different types of chemicals.

We can also go about a mile into the tunnel with fiber optic reel we have on the vehicle. And the operator can actually see what the robot is looking at inside the tunnel. We have a surveillance camera. We have an arm camera and a drive camera. So, the operator has very good situational awareness of what is happening inside the tunnel.

PHILLIPS: All right. So -- and that's John Evans (ph) that is monitoring the robot for us.

John, thank you so much.

Is there something that John can click up there on that monitor to sort of show and tell what you can see from the cameras? I mean, what is it that he's -- he's looking at you right now.

So, John, can you kind of move the camera around?

And, Mark, tell us how the arm works, how high up it can go. Can it go around? Get it get through narrow crevices?

KAUCHAK: Sure.

The arm basically can go -- the shoulder can rotate about 210 degrees. John is moving the pan-and-tilt camera right now, which is a 360 continuous pan and tilt. And it's also got a light on it. So, inside a dark tunnel, if there is lighting problems, we can just turn on the halogen light and look around, so the operator can see the condition of the tunnel.

John is deploying the arm right now. One of the advantages of this is that we can have the chemical sensors at different heights. So, we can have it along the floor of the tunnel. We can put it up to about a height of about 80 inches. And it gives them a good feel for the different chemical levels over different heights within the tunnel.

PHILLIPS: Now, is it possible that he can turn that arm maybe more toward the camera, so we can actually see the sensors?

KAUCHAK: Certainly. John is doing that right now.

PHILLIPS: Yes. Terrific.

As he's turning that around, kind of show us where those sensors are that would be trying to detect levels of, say, methane, carbon monoxide, oxygen.

KAUCHAK: Sure.

PHILLIPS: There we go. We are getting a good side shot.

KAUCHAK: On this -- on the right side of the arm, you can see, as John is turning the cameras, the sensors.

Those readings are actually displayed where the operator is at. So, he can know exactly what the temperature readings are or what the chemical readings are, depending on the type of sensor on there. This one on there currently detects oxygen, carbon monoxide levels. But there's all sorts of different sensors that MSHA uses inside the tunnels to detect certain chemicals.

And there's a grip around there. So, if there's some debris, they can move the debris around. They can use a camera extender to get a better view of -- of what they are trying to manipulate -- a lot of versatility with the vehicle.

PHILLIPS: Wow. That's incredible.

What else can it pick up? You were saying -- we were talking about carbon monoxide, oxygen, and -- and methane. What -- what else can it detect? I mean, this is used -- don't nuclear plants buy -- buy this same type of robot, also, Mark?

KAUCHAK: Nuclear plants, yes.

Our largest customers are actually the bomb squads, both in the military, and also the state and local. We have over 200 vehicles in Iraq that are going after the improvised explosive devices that everybody hears so much on TV. So, they can move those devices around. They can shoot things at them to disrupt them, basically, so the bomb tech doesn't have to go downrange, and it saves their lives by sending a robot down instead.

PHILLIPS: And, finally, it's totally fireproof, too, right?

KAUCHAK: Yes.

The vehicle actually that was developed by MSHA is explosion proof, which means that, if there is an explosion, it's contained within the vehicle, so it doesn't go out into the cavity of the cavern.

PHILLIPS: Amazing.

Mark Kauchak, and John Evans (ph), guys, thanks so much.

You're looking at the robot there. Remotec Incorporated makes it, live from Knoxville, Tennessee, the same robot that is going down into that mine shaft to try and get any type of signs of life about those 13 miners in West Virginia.

Thanks so much, guys.

KAUCHAK: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: You know, we are continuing to follow those rescue efforts -- they're still under way in West Virginia -- to find those 13 trapped miners. We expect a live briefing this hour. We are going to bring it to you live.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, he's a major player in the master government investigation of influence-peddling involving members of Congress.

Justice a short while ago, embattled former lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to several federal charges.

CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry is on Capitol Hill with the latest.

And, Ed, we have been following the live news conference by the Department of Justice on pipeline. Are they talking more about the plea, the guilty plea, that -- that happened?

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

They're really fleshing out the details of this plea deal that we received a few hours ago, when Jack Abramoff went into the federal courthouse in D.C. It lays out in pretty good detail here, specifically that Jack Abramoff, basically, defrauded his Indian tribal clients out of tens of millions of dollars.

A lot of those tribal clients, as you know, have gambling operations. Jack Abramoff worked those tribal clients, sucked tens of millions of dollars out of them. But a lot of it was -- he was basically defrauding them, and then, according to the plea deal, basically using those millions of dollars to shower all kinds of gifts on public officials, members of Congress, but, also, it appears officials at the Interior Department that oversee these gambling operations, that regulate these Indian gaming operations, and gifts in the form of meals at Jack Abramoff's upscale restaurant in Washington, skybox tickets at various Washington sporting events, legal campaign contributions, but also travel, overseas travel.

And the plea deal really is very vague on who received these gifts. It does refer to a representative number one. And we know, from earlier parts of this case, representative number one is Congressman Bob Ney, a Republican of Ohio. He's somebody who took a trip to Scotland in 2002 funded by a charity.

But Jack Abramoff is now saying that, in fact, he was involved in funding that. And -- and we have to get the full details of -- of how much the charity paid, what Jack Abramoff paid.

Now, Bob Ney has consistently said he was duped by Jack Abramoff. He thought all this was above board. He did absolutely nothing wrong. What will be significant and what the key here will be, there's no question that gifts were received by various people.

What the prosecutors will have to prove is what did those lawmakers, what did those officials in the Bush administration do for those gifts? Did they in fact, as it is suggested in the plea deal, they did the bidding of Jack Abramoff's clients. But did they? Did they really? Can the prosecutors prove that? A long way to actually do that. These lawmakers like Bob Ney say they did absolutely nothing wrong, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We'll continue to follow it. You can also, like we said, follow the developments on the Jack Abramoff guilty plea by logging on to CNN's Pipeline.

Federal officials holding a press conference right now. Actually the Department of Justice that is holding this live news conference. You can check out the pipeline throughout the day for up to the minute developments. CNN.com/pipeline. With us again is Melissa Long at the CNN.com newsroom to tell us more about the news service. We've been trying to explain how it works, Melissa, but, you know, you're the queen of this. So you have the details.

MELISSA LONG, CNN.COM: I'm the queen. It's a very complicated system because it's so sophisticated. We have so much to offer you. I want to tell you where I am right now. I'm in the CNN.com newsroom.

Over the last year and a half this technology, cutting edge, innovative, HD, has been perfected for our users to use. We don't call them viewers, we call them users. And if you happen to log on to CNN Pipeline or CNN.com/pipeline you'll see the Pipeline player. See the live feeds covering so many news events.

You have a search option, too. You can search stories by Ed Henry or your favorite news reporters. Perhaps you have a topic you want to learn a little more about. Put that in the search field. You'll find out more.

I want to take you on the behind the scenes view of the pipeline studio. Very futuristic. It's basically virtual. You might say, well, what is that green wall? That permits to us change the backgrounds as we choose to do. And we have unique colors.

If you're wondering that is that is one of my colleagues, Veronica De La Cruz, who is on the air right now if you happen to log on to CNN.com/pipeline. So much to try to explain to you today. Of course I can't get to all the features but I do want to answer any questions you might have for me right now.

PHILLIPS: What is your favorite feature. Is there something -- make sure you call home, got to check this out.

LONG: I think my two favorite features, one would be the now in the news segment. If you're in a hurry. Need to get up to date on a couple of minutes of news. Click on now in the news. You will find it on the Pipeline player, right on the main page. That's one great feature.

The other great feature is that search function because, say, I like to watch Jeanne Moos' stories. She always puts me in a good mood, she's a great storyteller. Just type in her last name in the search function, you'll see all the stories she has done over the last few months.

Soon, you will have access to all the stories ever done in CNN's archive. Think about that vast archive. It's available to all of our users.

PHILLIPS: Of course, when are you on the air anchoring Pipeline?

LONG: At 8:00 to 10:00 in the morning and 1:00 to 3:00. Of course, you also see my colleagues, Veronica on during the evening hours and Richard Louie on during the day as well.

PHILLIPS: Terrific. Melissa Long, thank you so much. We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM... right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: It's a new year. Is it time for a new job? Our Ali Velshi is looking into the hot jobs and new hot trends that we're going to be seeing this here. He joins us now live from New York. Of course with his props. Ali always comes with props.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Beginning of the year. Great opportunity. First of all, Happy New Year. This is the first we talked on TV since the new year.

PHILLIPS: Happy New Year, my friend.

VELSHI: I want to look at the kind of jobs people might look at. This is based on a Bureau of Labor statistic study. Based on jobs that will created between 2002 and 2012. Over a 10 year period, but they continue to update them to tell you which ones are most in demand.

Let's start with accountants. Over that ten-year period 205,000 accounting and finance jobs will be created in the United States. Partially because of the new laws in finance and regulations for public companies. Median pay for that job is $50,800 and you need a BA in accounting as a minimum, but of course, if you're going to be an accountant, it's a lot more than that.

One of the other big areas is elementary school teachers. What have I got here? I got apples which is what you bring your elementary school teachers. There are 665,000 new jobs in that ten-year period. We're only halfway. Not halfway through the 10-year period; 43, 200 is the median salary in that job.

You need at least a bachelor's degree. Usually some advanced teacher training, we hope.

Now, here's one I always enjoyed. I've read a lot about this and people didn't always believe me, but 590,000 truck driver jobs in America over this ten-year period. This is the goofiest looking thing I've ever put on my head.

PHILLIPS: Do you drive a truck?

VELSHI: No, but in Columbus Circle in New York when you need a truck driver hat at the last minute this is as good as it gets; $33,500 is the median salary. You need a commercial driver's license and usually you get a lot of on the job training here. That's actually a good one to be in.

Finally, the one that's the most fun and could be most fun if we weren't on a channel that everybody watches in the course of the day, registered nurses -- 623,000 new jobs being created. Median pay $52,300. I got this at the local pharmacy.

You need a Bachelor's Degree, usually an Associate Degree or some other training to be a Registered Nurse. PHILLIPS: Let me get this right. You're going to give me an apple, take my pulse and we're going driving in your truck?

VELSHI: Not when we're both on TV, Kyra, but outside of that, anything is possible, I suppose.

PHILLIPS: Journalism is not in one of the top great jobs in America?

VELSHI: No. I'm constantly keeping -- somebody telling you that this conversation should be over.

PHILLIPS: Actually I think that's the vibe in here. We all were waiting with baited breath.

I thought you were going to say we have one of those great jobs where we're going to have successful careers for at least another couple years.

VELSHI: I wouldn't necessarily call our industry a growth industry but it keeps us busy.

PHILLIPS:: Yes, it does.

How about our stock? Do we want to check in on that or do we want to move on there, too?

VELSHI: We're about 20 minutes from the close of the markets. I'll be sure to bring you that information in about 20 minutes.

PHILLIPS: It's always a pleasure to have you back. I'm glad you're home from vacation. See you soon.

Updating a story we brought you earlier. Former Ohio State University football star Maurice Clarett has been released on jail on $50,000 bond. Clarett is accused of robbing two people outside a downtown Columbus bar. He made no statement at his first court hearing today. Clarett turned himself into police while his former teammates were in Arizona winning the Fiesta Bowl.

As a freshman in 2002 he helped lead the Buckeyes to the National Championship. Later, he waged an unsuccessful fight to overturn NFL eligibility rules so he could turn pro. He was picked up by the Denver Broncos in last year's draft and then cut from their roster in August.

The news keeps coming, we'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: With every bite of holiday cake and you know, that sip of eggnog, we may have just have that diet for you to help shed those extra holiday pounds. Here's Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Food shopping with Steven Hawks is, well, an unexpected experience.

If I have a craving, at breakfast at breakfast for chocolate cake, is that OK, chocolate cake?

STEVEN HAWKES, INTUITIVE DIET: Oh yes. In fact, that sounds good right now.

TUCHMAN: Especially when you consider he's a health science professor. He teaches at Brigham Young University.

What about lunch? I want more chocolate cake and dinner.

HAWKES: As an intuitive eater, day-to-day fluctuation is going to happen. It may be erratic. One day a total chocolate cake day and that's fine.

TUCHMAN: Chocolate cake, all day on a diet? Cake, cookies, candy, they're all OK if you're on the intuitive diet. And it's fairly easy to follow. Eat whatever you crave whenever you crave it. OK. It is not that easy.

HAWKES: You can eat whatever you're physically hungry for. That doesn't mean that you can eat what you're emotionally or socially or environmentally.

TUCHMAN: That's where it might get confusing. Unlike simply counting calories, this diet is more complex. It puts onus on you, the dieter, to ask yourself two tough questions before you even take a bite. Question one, what am I really, really hungry for?

(on camera): We're in the meat island. Here I see ground pork.

HAWKES: Yep.

TUCHMAN: And here I see pork chops.

HAWKES: OK.

TUCHMAN: And here I see hot dogs with 15 grams of fat for a serving. This diet food?

HAWKES: All food is legal. Everything's legal. But I would qualify that, if I am looking at the meats and if I'm thinking, again, I have to think what am I hungry for and satisfy my hunger, what is going to take the edge off and hit the spot. And I'm looking at this, hot dog could do it or a lean cut of meat to do it if they can both do it equally well, then yes, choose the healthy one for sure.

TUCHMAN: You see, the theory behind the intuitive diet is this, if you give yourself permission to eat what you really want, you will find you don't want the bad stuff all that much. So if I get a Starburst and a Hershey's Bar and let's go for the Kit-Kat and Twizzlers. OK? And I'm having this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, is that OK? HAWKES: Again ...

TUCHMAN: Not the whole thing but some of it.

HAWKES: What you will find is that honestly that is not what your body wants to be healthy and strong and you are not going to really want that.

TUCHMAN: But I want it right now.

HAWKES: And if you want it right now, then we can -- we can get you some.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Question two, now that I'm eating what I want, how will I know when to stop?

HAWKES: If you think of it on a scale of one to 10, one I am starving to death and 10 I am stuffed until I'm sick, I want to wait until I'm about a 3 and I know I'm hungry and then stop when I'm a five or six.

TUCHMAN: But if you are eating anything you want is there any hope of eating healthy? In addition to certain foods making you gain weight, certain foods can also clog your arteries, right? May not be good for you. If I eat a lot of foods, lots of fats, not going to be good for my cardiology

HAWKES: That's true. And one of the questions about intuitive eating is if you eat this way, what's that going to do your health? And the research that we just did at BYU shows that people that eat this way, who eat intuitively, have a lower body weight, they have less risk for cardiovascular disease. They have a better blood lipid profile, lower triglycerides.

TUCHMAN: Professor Hawkes says he's living proof that intuitive dieting works. How much did you used to weigh?

HAWKES: Between 210, 220 pounds.

TUCHMAN: How much do you weigh now?

HAWKES: About 165.

TUCHMAN: So you lost 45, 50 pounds on this diet?

HAWKES: About 50 pounds.

TUCHMAN: On a diet eating whatever you feel like eating when you're hungry. HAWKES: That's exactly right. And I stop when I'm satisfied.

TUCHMAN: Critics might complain the discipline required may be too much for the average dieter. But Steven Hawkes says the country's rising obesity rate shows traditional diets simply fail to stem the tide.

You realize a lot of diet experts think this is nuts?

HAWKES: Well, where has dieting got us? I mean, you know, every year, we get more and more overweight, dieting has not fixed that. This is an alternative to dieting that I think for many people will lead to actually eating less, having a much happier, more satisfied relationship with food, still eating a balanced diet and maintaining a stable weight. I think it is -- I think it has potential.

TUCHMAN: Something to keep in mind on January 2nd when you're staring a the a bag of carrots but craving one more piece of pumpkin pie. Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Continuing to monitor our top story this afternoon. Rescue efforts still underway in West Virginia to save those 13 trapped miners. We expect a live briefing from the scene. We'll bring it to you live. Stay with us. More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Straight to Tony Harris in our news room with an update on the trapped miners in West Virginia.

Tony, what's the latest?

HARRIS: Kyra, I wish we had more news, certainly wish we had better news for you.

But just wanted to give you a quick update on where things stand now on the rescue efforts to save those 13 trapped miners in Upshur County, West Virginia.

While meeting with federal prosecutors and other administration officials today on the Patriot Act, the president said the federal government will help in any way it can.

Rescuers are moving faster now down another 1,000 feet to 10,200 feet. Rescue teams are preparing to drop a camera into a third drill hole to take a picture of the area with hopes that they'll find the miners. The hope is that the miners have found that life-preserving pocket of air that will sustain them until they can get word to the surface by tapping on a mine pipe that they're OK or until they can be found by rescue teams.

And, Kyra, the cause of the explosion is still not known.

PHILLIPS: All right, Tony.

We'll keep following, of course, every second of that rescue mission as they continue to try to figure out what is to be determined with regard to those 13 miners that are still trapped in that shaft.

Obviously, this is the videotape that we got in not long ago. We're actually -- we were the only ones to get into this area to actually see where they're drilling those holes. CNN had access as they were working the story. Their crew got that videotape.

So what we know right now is they continue to drill these three holes. We showed you this in the past hour. The robot, the V2 (ph) robot, that is already started to move its way down one of those holes. It has sensors on it to try to detect what the gas levels are, methane level, the oxygen level, also carbon monoxide.

And as we follow that, they also have small cameras going into the other holes to try and bring any kind of images and try to find out if indeed any communication has been able to be made between those miners and the rescue workers.

Well, the closing bell is just minutes away. You may be dancing in the streets if you own shares of Google right now. Ali Velshi here to explain.

Stay with us. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A Florida teen who traveled alone to Iraq plans to speak out later today; so do officials at the school where he skipped class to make the trip. It now turns out that Farris Hassan wasn't totally on his own. His father says that he helped the teen obtain a visa to get into Iraq.

And then he had someone pick up his son at the airport and take him to a hotel for his two-day stay. The father says his son left the hotel once to get something to eat but returned when people started to stare at him.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

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