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American Morning
Rescue Efforts in West Virginia Continue; Diplomat on Plane Causes Terrorist Scare; Milestone for Nuclear Security; Rescue Teams Searching Mine; Toyota Exec Urges Automaker to Come Clean
Aired April 08, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: After a two-day pause, the rescue is back on at the Upper Big Branch as those rescuers start to move deep into the coals to try to find those missing four miners. I'm John Roberts with our special continuing coverage of the mining disaster in West Virginia.
Good morning, and good morning, Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, John. Give us an update right now on what you were -- what they told you in this last press conference that took place about 30 minutes ago?
ROBERTS: Governor Joe Manchin updated us just a little while ago. He had told us that he expected that the rescue crews were probably going to enter the mine about 4:30 Eastern time. And it appears that they did shortly after that.
They have made their way, I guess the best estimates are about a mile and a half, two miles into the mine. They are travel by vehicles, the so called man trips. But they can't take those all the way in. They will probably go another mile, mile and a quarter on those man trips. You are taking a look at the entrance they went in through.
And then they have to take all their gear off the vehicle and walk the rest of the way in, and that's going to be another couple of miles.
It's believed that the four miners who are missing are separated. One is working along what is called the long wall of coal, and the other three were working in a new development area which was about 2,000 feet away.
So it is going to take some time for them to get to the first part, which is the long wall, and then even longer to get to that area, the development area, where the other three miners are trapped.
There are four teams that have got in of eight rescuers a piece. So we are hoping sometime in the next couple of hours, Kiran, we will have a firm update on the fate of those four miners. So make sure if you are watching at home you stay right here, because we will have all the latest information for you. Kiran?
CHETRY: The bottom line is it is just a matter of a slim hope of whether they made it to one of the rescue chambers. And we will know more about that throughout the course of the show. Thanks, John.
Meanwhile, also some new developments this morning in another big story we are following, a security scare on board a United Airlines flight, flight 663, taking off from Washington, D.C. last night, landed in Denver about 3.5 hours later with a fighter jet escort.
F-16s were scrambled after reports that a passenger, a diplomat, from Qatar, said he was trying to light his shoes on fire. Jeanne Meserve is at Denver International Airport with our security watch this morning.
We're learning more, Jeanne, about what exactly happened.
JEANNE MESERVE, HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Right. It was a scary couple of hours. All the alarms were going off. But in the end, it did turn out to be a false alarm. A diplomat from the embassy of Qatar was on board that aircraft. And he was taken into custody last night.
According to U.S. officials he may have been smoking in the restroom of that aircraft. When he came back to his seat several passengers and other people noticed the odor. He was questioned.
And at that point according to U.S. officials, he made what they termed "an unfortunate remark," a remark which alluded to his shoes and led them to believe that they might be dealing with another shoe bomber.
And so the full security apparatus went into high gear. Those F- 16s were launched. They escorted the aircraft here to Denver. In the end, no explosives were found on board. They did go through that Boeing 757 with a fine tooth comb and came up with nothing.
They talked to the 157 passengers and the six crew. All of that took four or five hours.
We talked so some of the passengers as they came off. It was surprising to hear home of them had absolutely no idea that anything alarming was happening on board that flight until it was on the ground. Many of them had high praise for the crew and for the air marshals. Here is a bit of what one of them had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They spent some time up in the upper galley talking to the guy really seriously and sent him back down. You couldn't even tell it was an incident until the very end when they put the plane in isolation. Then it became clear something really big was going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Now, the embassy of Qatar, the ambassador did put out a statement last evening saying "We respect the necessity of special security precautions involving air travel, but this diplomat was traveling to Denver on official embassy business on my instructions. He was not engaged in any threatening activities.
The facts will reveal that this was a mistake, and we urge all concerned parties to avoid reckless judgments or speculation."
Clearly, this individual would not be charged with anything terrorism related, unclear if he might face some other kind of charges. He is a diplomat, he would have immunity.
President Barack Obama was briefed about this situation last evening, and we are told this morning Secretary Napolitano has postponed a trip she is taking to Spain to get more updates on this situation. Kiran, back to you.
CHETRY: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning, thank you.
There is some new anger aimed at Virginia's governor, Bob McDonnell this morning. He declared April Confederate history month. In his initial remarks, there was no mention of the word "slavery." The governor has apologized, but that has not stopped the controversy.
Our Kate Bolduan is live on this story this morning. Hi, Kate.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, the governor's proclamations often aren't typically controversial and often aren't even noticed. But Virginia's governor, as you mentioned, he is now apologizing for something he didn't include.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: Virginia, known for its Civil War battlefields. Its capital Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy. Now a new battle over that legacy. Virginia governor Bob McDonnell has declared April Confederate history month "to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers, and citizens.
GOV. ROBERT MCDONNELL, (R) VIRGINIA: I thought that just having people look at the history, learning from the mistakes of the history, but understanding Virginia's role in the battlefields, et cetera, would be helpful for economic development. So that's why I signed it.
BOLDUAN: But the governor is now apologizing for what he calls "a major omission," failing to make any mention of slavery and is amending the proclamation to include it. Civil rights advocates had accused the governor of trying to "whitewash history."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To not take even a second to acknowledge that the Civil War, the main purpose, the main reason for that fire that burned across this country was the South's refusal to let go of slavery, which is a deep and abiding crime against humanity, does suggest that he lacks courage.
BOLDUAN: For better or worse, Virginia is steeped in Confederate history. Monuments like this one can be found throughout the state. Governor McDonnell in the proclamation suggest that the move was meant to boost tourism ahead of next year's 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.
The governor said he issued td proclamation at the request of the group Sons of Confederate Veterans. They say the outcry is politically motivated.
BRAGG BOWLIN, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS: What Governor McDonnell is doing is trying to help educate people. And the people who are complaining refuse to look at anything. They are one-sided. They need -- they are the people that need Confederate history education more than anybody.
BOLDUAN: Earlier, McDonnell gave this explanation for leaving slavery out.
MCDONNELL: Slavery was an absolute abomination on this nation, a vile and horrific practice that I am delighted was wiped off the face of this country. And so I didn't mention it solely because I was trying to keep the focus on really the war aspects of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: The governor says he is now adding language to the proclamation to include saying, quote, "It is important for all Virginians to understand that the institution of slavery led to the Civil War and was an evil and inhumane practice," Kiran.
CHETRY: Could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he would have said that in the proclamation.
BOLDUAN: Definitely not something that any politician wants to do is come out with a very public apology like this.
CHETRY: Kate Bolduan for us this morning, thanks so much.
We want to know what you think about this. Our live blog up and running right now, CNN.com/amfix.
Right now we are going to head back to West Virginia, and John, give us the latest on what's going on with the rescue operation today. Hey, John.
ROBERTS: It could be a big day, Kiran, in terms of developments here in the mining disaster with rescue crews now back in the mine again and now well on their way to the area where those poor remaining miners are believed to be.
At the same time, the mining community is really getting together to support the family members of the miners who perished in Monday afternoon's blast. Last night, there was a prayer vigil about an hour away from here. So many, many people attended it.
And one of the people who they were really rallying around is Pam Napper. She was extraordinarily touched by this disaster. Three members of her family, her son, her brother, and her nephew, were all killed in that mine. And what's so incredible about it is that the day before, Easter Sunday, when her son came to visit her in Ohio, he seemed to have something of a premonition that was about to happen. He had written a letter to his fiancee saying, "If I die, I just want to let you know, I'm going to be OK."
And in a couple of weeks prior to the accident, a couple of things happened when he was working the mine. He had only been working it for eight weeks, which struck his mother as being very odd and somewhat indicative that perhaps there were some serious problems with the mine. Let's listen to Pam Napper tell it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM NAPPER, SON, BROTHER, AND NEPHEW KILLED IN MINE: I was just sitting on the coach that morning, Monday. And I just felt in my heart and my stomach that something was definitely wrong.
ROBERTS: There were a couple of incidents at the mine where he was sent home?
NAPPER: Yes.
ROBERTS: What happened?
NAPPER: He got to come home early last week. I can't remember exactly what day it was, but he calls me every day when he gets off of work. I said, "What did you call me? It's just 3:30. What are you calling me for? You are supposed to be working." He said, "Mom, bad ventilation in the mines."
ROBERTS: Bad ventilation in the mines?
NAPPER: Yes. They sent us home early. I think happened again, the best I can remember. And I know they have worked up in some water and things. But I just feel in my heart, because this was last week when Josh said bad ventilation, and I just think he knew what was going to happen.
ROBERTS: So there were a couple of times where there was bad ventilation?
NAPPER: They sent him home early.
ROBERTS: Not enough oxygen, buildup of gas, whatever it might have been, and they sent him home.
NAPPER: They sent the whole crew home.
ROBERTS: What was your response when you heard that?
NAPPER: It scared me, because I have been raised all my life with coal mines. We never heard of explosions and things like this that are going on in the mines now. It scared me.
ROBERTS: Do you have any questions for the operators of the mines?
NAPPER: No, no. I just know there were things there that wasn't right. But I know my brother would never endanger my son or his brother or his own son there.
I think it was just a freak accident. I think something just happened. I don't really know. I don't know if someone didn't do their job testing, because, you know, you can't smell it. You can't taste it.
I think when they shift -- the next shift, Josh and them was getting ready to come out. When they changed shifts, the spark off of that wheel just blew it.
ROBERTS: Is it just one of those things that when you are in a coal mining family you have to deal with?
NAPPER: You just deal with it. I have been in a coal miner family all my life. We've lost -- this is not the only one. We have lost younger ones too, both different uncles and that. It's just something that West Virginia is all about. It's their living. That's how they make a living. It is just West Virginia.
When something bad happens, we come together.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: When her son came to her a few months ago to say he wanted to take on a job as a coal miner, she literally begged him to not do it. And her brother, who also perished in the mine, was the one going to sign him on. She said I have to have your blessing before I take Joshua in the mines.
She said, if that's really what he wants to do, he has my blessing.
CHETRY: It is just heartbreaking to think about it now. John, thanks so much for the update. We will be checking in with you in a couple of minutes as well.
In the meantime, it's 13 minutes after the hour.
(WEATHER BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, a nuclear arms reduction deal with Russia is now a reality. After the break, we are going to take you live to Prague to break down the importance of today's landmark treaty.
Also, five days before a massive recall, Toyota warned by one of its own to come clean about the problems with faulty gas pedals. At 7:24, our Deb Feyerick will be here to tell you why we're just learning about that message now.
Also at 7:46, Nike's new ad using Tiger Woods' late father. Is it a tasteful way to sell shoes after all the scandal? We want to hear form you today. It is 15 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Seventeen minutes past the hour right now.
And President Obama making a significant step this morning towards fulfilling a pledge that he made this time last year in Prague to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Last hour, we were back at the Czech Republic where the president and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a new arms treaty. The agreement calls for both the U.S. and Russia to slash their nuclear arsenal by about 30 percent.
Our Ed Henry is traveling with the president. He joins us now live from Prague.
Ed, good morning.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Kiran, you're right. It was in this very city a year ago this week. As you noted, the president delivered that big speech about a nuclear free world. A lot of critics at the time noted that will that help lead to a Nobel Peace Prize for the president.
He had not really accomplished that or any other major foreign policy goal around the world. So that's why top White House advisers tell me they believe this is a sweet victory for this president. It shows that his direct personal involvement with his Russian counterpart helped deliver this treaty.
What's in it specifically when you get behind some of those numbers you just mentioned? Each side pledging to reduce their long- range missiles from about 2,200 on each side down to about 1,500 on each side, reducing the launchers for those missiles from about 1,600 on each side down to about 800 on each side. So, we should make no mistake about the fact that each side still has a huge nuclear arsenal, what the president stressed this morning that this is about a step forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Finally, this day demonstrates the determination of the United States and Russia, the two nations that hold over 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons, to pursue responsible global leadership. Together we are keeping our commitments under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which must be the foundation for global non-proliferation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now the president also said that this was just a part of a longer journey. What does he mean by that? Two big things. Number one, he could be signaling future talks, possibly a future treaty with Russia to try to reduce those arsenals. Even more, number one. But number two, also, the beginning of a journey on other issues in terms of U.S.-Russian relations. The big one, of course, in the immediate future trying to get Russia to come along and support tough U.N. sanctions against Iran's own nuclear ambitions. That's the big one the U.S. is pushing for right now.
CHETRY: All right. Ed Henry for us this morning in Prague. Thank you.
We're going to head back to John in West Virginia right now with the governor of West Virginia.
Hey, John.
ROBERTS: Hey, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin joins us now. And, Governor, you gave us an update just a little while ago. Good to see you.
Things are underway in the mines.
GOV. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Yes.
ROBERTS: Tell us a little bit about where we are.
MANCHIN: John, at five until 5:00, we sent four teams in. And they have all the gear with them. They're on man trips right now, will go back as far on the rails as main trips as we can possibly go. Then, they go by foot and they carry all their apparatus.
It's going to be a little bit time consuming. And also, they're going to be more cautious. You never want your rescuers to get ahead of the danger zone and get caught. And that's happened previously in Alabama, I think you recall that. We lost so many rescuers. We'll make sure that doesn't happen. And they'll also be able to assess the damage more accurately than they were the first time.
During a full rescue mode, that means we're going to go find those four miners. If for any reason we can't get clear back in that 22 section again, that's where they had to be pulled out before, that's the only chance we have with that one chamber that hasn't been checked. If someone's there, we know they're safe. If they're not, we know our chances are slim.
ROBERTS: I guess, Governor, the thing that they'll be looking for, the sign that they'll be looking for immediately is to see if one of those rescue chambers was deployed?
MANCHIN: Yes. To get back. That's the one. There's two. I checked the other ones, and they haven't been deployed. And if they can get back to that, we just don't know. So the unknown is really the anxiety and the drama that we have right now. All the families, I spoke to them. And here's the families' wishes.
If you go back in, and they understand you're totally rescue, that means you're working past the miners that we know where they are and go back there and try to find, because we might be able to save somebody.
ROBERTS: This is the deceased miners?
MANCHIN: This is the deceased miners. The families' wishes are this. And I had to ask the question because we haven't talked about it. I said, if we get back and we can't continue the rescue operation because the air is still so bad that we temporarily put it up to keep that air segregated from the better air that we have and start into a recovery.
ROBERTS: So that means to bring the other bodies back out? Because they know -- you know, talking to a lot of these families, they do want to know what the fate of their loved ones is.
MANCHIN: They want their loved ones out. And we understand that. And we're going to do that.
ROBERTS: Right.
MANCHIN: And the only thing that would stop us from that is if the conditions warrant everybody comes out immediately.
ROBERTS: But, Governor, granted the rescue chambers, if the rescue teams get back there and they find that none of the rescue -- even if they don't see the miners, that they find that none of the rescue chambers have been deployed, that will be a pretty strong signal?
MANCHIN: We know our chances are very, very, very, very slim because of the lethal gases that we have. And we just know it's very bleak at that time. But you know, these are such strong, resilient people. They understand. The second third generation of mining, they understand the dangers that we are facing.
ROBERTS: Yes, we just had Pam Napper on in an interview and she's unbelievably strong. She lost three members of her family and she --
MANCHIN: I was there last night with her family. We had a memorial for all three, her son, josh, her nephew, Coy (ph), and her brother, Timmy.
ROBERTS: Yes.
MANCHIN: And you know, and the mother of her mother and father, Charles and Linda, were there. And Linda said to me, she said, "Joe, thank God, I still have two of them that were safe.
ROBERTS: Because she had five.
MANCHIN: She had five.
ROBERTS: Right. Five people in the mines.
Governor, it's great to talk to you again. I know that you had a busy day. And you'll be briefing us again. MANCHIN: We're going to do it every two hours. This is going to move early and quick.
ROBERTS: All right. Good to see you. Thanks so much.
MANCHIN: Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: Appreciate it.
We'll be right back with more of our continuing coverage right after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. There are some new details that some of Toyota's own employees aren't happy about how the auto giant handled safety concerns with faulty gas pedals. Back in January, one executive told his colleagues "we need to come clean" in an e-mail. That was just written five days before a huge recall and went on to say, "The time to hide on this one is over."
Our Deb Feyerick is "Minding Your Business" this morning. So give us some context about this e-mail. What was this employee talking about?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really shows what was going on inside Toyota just about the time that this was all about to break and is becoming apparently clear that Toyota executives were scrambling to figure out the best way to deal with their huge accelerator problem. In that e-mail obtained by "Associated Press," one of the company's top public relations executives warned Toyota that it needed to, quote, "come clean" about the sticking pedals. The executive saying that Toyota, quote, "was not protecting our customers by keeping quiet about this." Pretty serious language.
Now in the e-mail by Toyota's recently retired U.S. vice president for public affairs, Irv Miller writes, quote, "We may have a tendency for mechanical failure in accelerator pedals." And he says, "The time to hide on this is over."
Now the e-mail was sent in January, just days before Toyota's massive recall. What's more, Toyota had failed to alert U.S. regulators even though the automaker was busy dealing with this very same sticky pedal problem in 31 European countries and Canada. Toyota's new chief quality officer for North America spoke about the disconnect last week at the inauguration of Toyota's committee for global quality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE ST. ANGELO, TOYOTA CHIEF QUALITY OFFICER FOR N. AMERICA: Because we're not perfect and we didn't share the experience that we had in Europe, we didn't know about it in North America. That's why we're putting these processes in places. We are looking for our weak points. We are looking for where we need to improve. And that's why, I believe, these six points that Akio Toyoda has put upon us, his direction is going to make us a stronger and better company. We've never said we were perfect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Clearly, a huge company making a lot of cars. CNN did try to reach out to the author of the e-mail, that, you know, is now in the possession of U.S. investigators. The January e-mail also hopeful that government regulators would work with Toyota to find what they were calling a workable solution that does not put us out of business. So some pretty serious language there. They knew there was an issue.
CHETRY: Yes. And how this plays out, I mean, we talked about the fines and then the pending lawsuits. We'll have to see.
FEYERICK: Absolutely.
CHETRY: Deb Feyerick, thank you so much.
Well, we're going to be back at the scene in Montcoal, West Virginia, where the rescue effort is under way right now. Miners going back in, rescuers, to try to find the four miners that are still in that mine, Upper Big Branch Mine. John Roberts is on the scene. We're going to be checking in with him in just a moment.
Twenty-nine minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Good morning once again. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. We're crossing the half hour right now on this Thursday, March 9th. I'm Kiran Chetry in New York. Hey, John.
ROBERTS: Good morning to you, Kiran. I'm John Roberts in Raleigh County, West Virginia, where search and rescue operations are back under way at the upper big branch mine. Just before 5:00 this morning, four rescue teams of eight members a piece went down into that mine there, at least a couple of miles into the mine now. They've got to make their way about five miles in to try to find the location of those four missing miners, the ones that have been unaccounted for.
We spoke with the governor just a few minutes ago. He said it is going to be tough going because the last couple of miles they have to go in by foot. They are going to have to pass by the bodies of miners who they know are already in the mine and will continue on looking for these other four. Some of the things that they'll be looking for, whether or not any of those so-called rescue chambers, the inflatable rescue chambers were deployed.
The governor says if they find that they are all intact, not deployed, that that's going to be a very bad sign. We will have further updates for you throughout the morning. Right now, let's go back to New York and here is Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Thanks, John.
And as you talked about, they would have to have a miracle happen today. This waiting game putting even more strain on this community that's desperately trying to hold it together. Joining me from Peoria, Illinois, right now is Jeff Biggers, award-winning journalist and author of "The Reckoning at Eagle Creek Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland." Jeff comes from a family of miners. His own grandfather barely survived a mining accident. Thanks so much for being with us this morning, Jeff.
JEFF BIGGERS, AUTHOR "RECKONING AT EAGLE CREEK": Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: It seems that every time there is a tragedy like this at a mine, the nation focuses its attention once again on this profession. And there is a sense among many that mining is just inherently a deadly job and that accidents like this are the nature of the beast. Do you agree or do you think that in this day and age, we shouldn't be talking about accidents like the one we saw at this mine?
BIGGERS: I think you are 100 percent correct. You know, in this day and age, we should really end this era of what we call regulated manslaughter. You know, so many of these accidents, and they are not accidents, they are disasters in waiting, happen because we allow companies to operate in a continual state of violation.
And I think the people in Coal River Valley and in coal fields across the nation, you know, we mine coal in 24 states, are really getting fed up with the regulatory policy that allows these disasters to happen.
CHETRY: Yes, and you also write that all of the regulations that we have are written with the blood of miners that were killed in prior accidents and after the deadly accident at Sago, they wrote the Miner Act of 2006. Now that was supposed to make mine safer by upping these fines for safety violations. So four years later, why are we still talking about a mine with hundreds of violations just in this past month alone still up and running and another accident?
BIGGERS: Exactly. It is really time now we have a reckoning with these regulations and we have to start holding the outlaws, the people who literally are flaunting the laws at the expense of the lives of American citizens and our coal miners and bring them to justice and have some sort of accountability. I think we have to get beyond this mentality that a crisis is never a crisis until we validate it with some sort of disaster.
You know, I think most Americans don't know that three coal miners still die daily from black lung disease. You know, this is the inhalation of coal dust. That's a thousand coal miner every year dying needlessly because we are not enforcing regulations just on coal dust alone from black lung disease.
CHETRY: And so, you know, you talk about creating towns with monoeconomies. Basically the majority of jobs in a community come from the mining industry so how do you help widen out opportunities in communities like this as we eventually will start to see the production of coal fall off over the next decade?
BIGGERS: Exactly. We know for the first time in 25 years, we have had stockpiles of coal during the summer. That we need a just transition in the coal fields to make the coal fields ground zero for our clean energy revolution. You know, my cousins who work in the coal mines want to shift toward a clean energy future just like their children and just like all American citizens, they want to have a work place that is safe and a workplace that is going to be part of a clean energy future. And this means we really need to begin the very hard discussion about how we work toward a coal free future.
You know, I think this accident really is the tip of the iceberg. If we look at the titantic (ph) Massey violations, just above this mine, in the same community where all the journalists are now, there is a huge billion dollar gallon coal slurry impoundment. And Massey Energy is also blasting near this coal slurry impoundments and threatening the lives of the people below.
Because this is what we call a mountain top removal operation. It's one of these reckless strip mining operations. And the blasting now is within a football field of this huge and very weak and potentially dangerous coal slurry impoundment. If it breaks and everyone should listen to this. If this coal coal slurry impoundment breaks and goes down to the same villagers who are working underground, over 1,000 people will have less than 15 minutes to flee a 72-foot tidal wave of coal slurry.
And this is part of this whole continual state of violations from below ground to above ground, from underground mining to mountain top removal that we really have to bring to an end.
CHETRY: And what is the solution? Because, again shall as we talk about it, it seems that every time there is one of these disasters, what happened at Sago and then the Crandall Canyon, people say, changes have to happen. These mines have to be shut down if they are in violation. Things like what you just described can't be allowed to exist as this looming threat over a community. Yet, days go by, months go by. Years go by and we still see the same thing happening.
BIGGERS: Exactly. And therefore, we really have to have immediate action from the Obama administration. We need to have immediate action, of course, from MSHA. We have to make sure that we are not only having four federal inspections per year, with the same policy we had since 1969. But in fact, we have to provide the funds to make sure these mines are investigated at least and inspected six to eight times per year.
But most importantly, it's time we crack down on the outlaws in the coal industry and say that we are fed up with this, that we have to have an energy policy that looks at the welfare of our workers, the welfare of our communities and really recognize this health crisis that happens daily within the coal fields.
CHETRY: Jeff Biggers, author of "Reckoning at Eagle Creek." Thanks so much for being with us this morning.
BIGGERS: Thank you. And once again hope always dies last in the coal fields. And our hearts and prayers are with the coal mining families and the four that we are still hoping to rescue.
CHETRY: Absolutely. And we are going to have an update on that situation out of Montcoal in just a moment as well. We are going to take a quick break. It is 38 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Back now live in Raleigh County, West Virginia where the rescue operation is underway again to try to find those four remaining miners who so far have not been located. And at the same time, The mining community is banning together around the family members of the known victims of the mine. You know, you heard Governor Manchin talking about it in just a few minutes ago.
There was a prayer service last night. Hundreds of people attended. Extraordinarily touching. We have been talking to Pam Napper this morning, who lost three members of her family, just the strength that she has in part because of the love she feels from the community reaching out to her is really just incredible.
Our Ed Lavandera is here with us this morning. And Ed, you have been traveling up and down the Coal River Valley, talking to folks about how they are coping with things and just getting a general sense of what people are going through right now. What did you find?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I find a lot of people on edge, kind waiting for this moment, of being able - the closure to find out exactly what has happened here. This area is actually very unique to travel through. So we thought it would be kind of a good idea to get people who aren't familiar with this idea a good perspective of what it is like here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (VOICE-OVER): State highway 3 takes you through the heart of this southern coal mining region in West Virginia.
(on camera): Signs of coal mining are everywhere. These conveyor belts bring the coal down the mountain. They are put on trucks and hauled out. Those belts even cross over the only highway coming through here.
One resident described this forgotten stretch to me as no man's land.
(voice-over): To Donna Harper, there is no place like it. We found her spending a quiet morning with her grandchildren.
(on camera): What's it like to live around here?
DONNA HARPER: Well, to most people, it is slow. It's boring. If I had my choice to live anywhere in the world, right here would be it.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): That's why when 25 miners die in an explosion and four more are trapped, she says, this valley becomes family, even if it is remote in every way.
(on camera): The coal river winds its way through this mountain valley. As you drive up and down the banks of this river, it is where you will meet countless mining families. But one of the first things you will realize when you set foot here is that it is probably one of the few places in the country where you can't get cell phone service.
HARPER: No, no. We are country. We are country. It may be, it may be and maybe if we are lucky, we won't get it.
LAVANDERA: What's it like around here when a tragedy like this happens?
HARPER: We all try to be there for each other. You know, that's one reason I love this place so much is because everybody sticks together.
LAVANDERA: We'll keep walking with you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.
LAVANDERA: Let's not lose momentum her.
(voice-over): This is one of the poorest places in the country. Cecilia Davis picks up aluminum cans along the highway for extra money.
LAVANDERA: Is it devastating for everybody?
CECILIA DAVIS, COAL RIVER VALLEY RESIDENT: West Virginians people, they really get devastated by all of this. So my heart is broken today.
LAVANDERA: And coal miners are forced to face their darkest fear.
JOHN CLEMONS, COAL MINER: (INAUDIBLE) anything could happen.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Do you worry about your loved ones and your friends going back to work in the mines?
DAVIS: I don't want them in the mines. To be honest, I don't want them in the mines but without the mines, there would be no us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: And John, that really gets to the heart of the dilemma here. You talk to people up and down this valley. And the relationship they have with these mountains and the coal mining industry is very complex. They love it in many ways, it provides a livelihood and they hate it in many ways. ROBERTS: Yes, it is complex. Because you talk to any mother up and down the valley who has a son who comes to her and says, mom, I want to go to work down in the mines. And we found, to a person, the first thing that comes out of the mother's mouth is, son, I beg you not to go down in the mines, and eventually (ph) they do.
LAVANDERA: And I hope what that piece kind of illustrates is that there's very little - once you get off that main highway coming down from Charleston, West Virginia, there's not much else around here.
ROBERTS: You know, we - we drove for an hour before we got cell service yesterday, and - but in some ways, that might be a good thing, as you said.
LAVANDERA: Yes. Donna Harper (ph) likes it that way.
ROBERTS: All right. Ed Lavandera, thanks so much.
LAVANDERA: Thanks (ph).
ROBERTS: More of our continuing coverage of the mine disaster here in Raleigh County, West Virginia coming right up, as well as the weather with Rob Marciano. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Hey, Rob. We wanted you to be here while we check out this new ad. Tiger Woods, he's back on the golf course today and he's back on T.V., thanks to Nike.
But his first commercial since his sex scandal is getting reviews like strange, maybe a little creepy. It features a recording of his late father talking about taking responsibility. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EARL WOODS, TIGER WOODS' FATHER: Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I got some chills, actually. That - it is a little bit - a little bit creepy, Kiran.
CHETRY: It just - I want to - I mean, it just reminds everybody - I mean, it seemed that he was trying to move past it, getting back to golf, starting up with the Masters again, handling it at that press conference, weighing in on some of the questions, but this ad sort of brings you right back to, you know, the not-so-popular Tiger Woods.
MARCIANO: Yes. That's true.
But, you know, the people at Nike are pretty smart people, so I'm sure they have a - a master game plan to - to move past this particular advertisement.
Earl Woods as father, very much a mentor and best friend, so - interesting.
CHETRY: It (INAUDIBLE) right?
MARCIANO: It's - it's going to be shown on - it's going to be shown on T.V. I know it's on the web, right?
CHETRY: Yes.
MARCIANO: But it's going to be shown on T.V. as well.
CHETRY: Well, and it's been shown on T.V. right now, because everyone is talking about it this morning.
All right. Well, give us a little weather update real quick.
MARCIANO: Well, Augusta is actually going to see some rainfall later today. Our pollen level's at near record highs across the southeast, thankfully finally going to be knocked out with some thunderstorm. But some of those are going to be strong, and they're going to be strong up and down this very - this strong cold front that's going to be pushing off to the east.
Record high temperatures yesterday across parts of the northeast - 93 in Hartford; 92 in Central Park; 91 Dulles; Augusta got to 91; and Boston, that's the earliest they've ever seen 90 degrees. But look at the temperatures behind this front, 36 right now in Chicago.
So an over 30-degree difference between Chicago and D.C., so the - this is the change you're going to see across the northeast beginning tomorrow. Even some snow from Green Bay, getting down to Madison, Wisconsin and Milwaukee. Yes, that's how cold it is after they saw some record-breaking high temperatures the past few days. Now, they're seeing some snow.
Here's that line of thunderstorms moving across the southeast, Atlanta about - about to get it, 30, 40 mile an hour winds with this, so certainly some gusty winds and some heavy rain, although at least across the southeast they should be brief. Strong storms and heavy rain expected across the northeast tonight. So your low 90s that you sweated for yesterday will be all gone by this time tomorrow for sure.
Kiran, back up to you.
CHETRY: It's hard to keep up. We got to keep following you there.
Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK. See you (ph).
CHETRY: Fifty minutes past the hour. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: As a journalist, I've got a - an entirely different sense of the story after heading out yesterday and talking to some pretty extraordinary people.
Pam Napper (ph) was one of them. She's the - the woman who lost her son, her brother and her nephew in the mine. And - and just going up and down this valley and talking to folks who have mining in their blood, mining in their families and - and how they cope with things.
Now, every time there's a disaster something happens, legislatively or rule-making wise to try to make things better, and yet, for all of the rules that people put into place, it keeps happening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice-over): 1951, the Orient Number 2 Mine, 119 deaths, prompt the first real legislation on mine safety. Fast forward, 1968, Farmington, West Virginia, 78 dead, including future governor Joe Manchin's uncle. New laws tighten regulation, implement mandatory fines and criminal penalties.
Jump to 2006, the Sago disaster, 12 killed. Cries of "Never again" prompt another new law, the Miner Act.
REP. NICK RAHALL (D), WEST VIRGINIA: You know, it's unfortunate that every mine safety law we have on the books today has been written with the blood of our coal miners.
ROBERTS: And what's most unfortunate, none of the laws on the books prevented what happened this week, the worst mining disaster in a quarter century.
GOV. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: We're going to find answers, and you know what? If it takes legislation, I'll do it tomorrow, and I'll guarantee you, the legislature in West Virginia will step to the plate.
Not Democrats or Republicans like you see going on around the country. They'll do it and change.
ROBERTS (on camera): But, governor, if you pass that legislation, will it guarantee, four years from now, there wouldn't be another accident that's even worse than this?
MANCHIN: I don't think there's any guarantee. What we can do is make sure that we take all of the - the variables out.
ROBERTS (voice-over): Up and down the Coal River Valley, there are prayers for the four men still missing in the Upper Big Branch Mine. And there's plenty of anger, too.
ROBERTS (on camera): Does it frustrate you that regardless of the number of lives that are lost, the - the number of rules that are written, the number of laws that are passed, that it keeps happening? TAMMY ALIFF, FATHER INJURED IN MINING ACCIDENT: Honestly, it pisses me off. It really does.
ROBERTS (voice-over): Tammy Aliff's father is a veteran of the mines. His legs were crushed in an accident. He's been disabled for 40 years.
ALIFF: The only thing different from the time my dad was crushed to now, when my dad was in the mines, he had fence posts that held up the mines. I mean, we've got high-tech dollar stuff now, but still (ph) - yet, it's not safe.
ROBERTS: Not safe, an anxiety shared by so many in this state.
Ina Williams and Tammy Gordon had been coal mining wives for years. Now, they're coal mining mothers.
INA WILLIAMS, MOTHER OF MINER: There's always that worry. And especially when my son wanted to go in the mines, you know, I begged him not to. I didn't want him to.
ROBERTS (on camera): Why not?
WILLIAMS: I was just afraid. I mean, you know, I knew I had to worry over my husband and it - that's hard enough. Then having to worry, you know, over him also, it's just a different kind of worry.
ROBERTS (voice-over): They both know with a small twist of fate, they could be the wives and mothers suffering so much grief, and they are willing to accept that.
TAMMY GORDON, MOTHER OF MINE: This doesn't only happen to the coal mining industry. There's a risk on your job. There's risks everywhere, and our - our families are willing to take the risk.
ROBERTS: They have faith that every law spun out of these disasters will help to make their loved ones safer. But, as history has proven, the best of intentions are never 100 percent.
WILLIAMS: I just think that it's never going to perfect, so there's always going to be something you have to expect that may happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And again, just like Ed Lavandera was telling us just a couple of minutes ago, it's that complex relationship that people have with the coal industry here in Coal Country. They fear it, they love it, they don't want their sons to go into it, but they need it.
Top stories coming your way in two minutes here in the Most News in the Morning. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
