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Rick's List
Trapped Miners' Video Message; Jimmy Carter's Mission to North Korea Successful; Wyclef Jean Not Finished; Shooting Pain; New Orleans: Heartbreak, Then Happy Ending
Aired August 27, 2010 - 16:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Also today, President Jimmy Carter wins the release of an American sentenced to hard labor in North Korea. That is just one of the stories you will see this hour.
And then there's this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN (voice-over): Here's what's making the LIST today.
It's been five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of the Gulf Coast. We're looking back at this moment and New Orleans' rise from the floodwaters.
And check this out, high-def video from half-a-mile underground -- an inside look at how trapped miners in Chile are living, what they're saying and singing while they wait to be rescued.
Giving a new meaning to the phrase dodging traffic.
The lists you need to know about. Who's today's most intriguing? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why we keep a list, pioneering tomorrow's news right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Hi, everybody. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Rick has the day off.
It is hour two. Time to pick up the pace of today's LIST for you, for those of you now checking in.
And number one on the LIST: those 33 miners trapped deep down under the ground in Chile. Look at this video. They have finally been told it will take three to four months to rescue them. Imagine.
We are getting now, thanks to this video, our first good glimpse at how they're doing down there. And you see that? Yes, that's dominoes. A camera was dropped down this teeny-tiny supply hole. They used it to make this 26-minute video really of essentially their life right now as they know it. It is well-organized.
The men are surprisingly in good spirits. We will show you some of the video messages they're sending to their loved ones above ground. I will be drilling down on the video this hour to see what we can learn about the men, their emerging leadership hierarchy, and their ability to withstand what could be another four months in this dark, dank underworld.
We will get to that momentarily.
First, though, our correspondent who has been on the ground following this for us from day one, Karl Penhaul, there he is in Chile.
Karl, I guess question number one is, now, I cannot imagine the fact that they now know officially that they could potentially be down there for three to four months. I mean, is there not a faster way to get these guys out?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Funny you should mention that, Brooke. The engineers and the rescue workers are thinking exactly the same way.
And just a few moments ago, Andre Sougarret -- he is the coordinator of the rescue workers -- he said that they may be working on a plan B. Now, he wouldn't go into details of that plan B, just the vaguest outline. And he said that one of the three bore holes, because three bore holes have now been put down into that mine to deliver food, water, and clothing to the miners -- and he said that third bore hole could form the basis for plan B, possibly a reference to the fact that they may try simply to widen the diameter of that third bore hole.
When I then talked to a government official after that, I said, are you talking about a plan B because plan A might fail? She said no -- a plan B to see if we can get the miners out quicker -- but, still, not too many details, Brooke.
BALDWIN: All right, Karl, thank you for getting us the latest there. I'm sure families in Camp Esperanza, Camp Hope, are hoping that they can get them out sooner. Thank you, Karl.
And, really, the big story today, beyond the miners' health and well being, of course, is this video we're finally seeing.
And Nick Valencia, international desk editor here at CNN, CNN superstar, you have been poring through (SPEAKING SPANISH) -- you have been going through the 26-minute video.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes.
BALDWIN: And so let's walk through it with me.
VALENCIA: Sure.
BALDWIN: Because I think what is so fascinating is the fact that you have this one miner. He's got this head lamp on, right, and he is essentially taking us on a tour.
VALENCIA: He appears to be the de facto leader down there, taking charge, showing how entertained these folks are keeping themselves. It is very well-organized, as you mentioned earlier.
BALDWIN: It's amazing.
VALENCIA: It really is compelling video that we're --
BALDWIN: What are we looking at?
VALENCIA: We're looking right here at a section of the area that they're trapped in. This is their domino table, their casino area, as well as a medicine cabinet. You see that they have supplies in there, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Right.
VALENCIA: They have alcohol in there, rubbing alcohol, for infections and wounds. They have all sorts of well-organized and -- and each miner has a separate duty and task as well.
BALDWIN: You have the people who are -- you have the people who sleep, the people who are awake.
VALENCIA: That's right. And they even have a spiritual leader down there as well, someone that is taking them through practices, religion. They're talking about Catholicism down there, trying to keep their spirits high as well. It is just really compelling video.
It's amazing to see how good spirits they're in, considering how long they have been down there, trapped there for 22 days now, in a very small area. About 30 meters is where they -- an area where they sleep. And for them to be for the most part in good spirits is a very good sign for the families who are waiting for their loved ones to get out.
BALDWIN: And I know we keep playing the video of them, you know, playing dominoes, and they seem to be in good spirits. But, look, there is also the guy who is sick on the box spring, right?
VALENCIA: That's right.
BALDWIN: So, we see him as well. They have their shirts off.
VALENCIA: That's right.
BALDWIN: Last check, I heard it was 84 degrees Fahrenheit down there --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: -- which is a little cooler than it had been.
VALENCIA: It's a little cooler than we thought and a little cooler than we expected.
That's right. Guya Guito (ph) is the that they say that he's resting comfortably down there. He was put on a wooden platform. He was having some complications earlier, but now they say he is getting better. And they're all tending to each other.
They -- they -- what I found most interesting and most uplifting about this is that they took a food supply that is supposed to last two days and they stretched it out over 17. That just goes to show how -- how in it together they are on -- in this -- in this terrible predicament that they're in.
BALDWIN: They're -- they're in it together. They're also emotional. Let's -- let's get to the sound bite where we see the guy essentially -- you know, it's a message to his family. And he -- and he breaks down.
VALENCIA: Oh, this is really heartbreaking.
BALDWIN: Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I would like to send a big thank you to my family and all of the people outside working for us. And I want to thank God for all that he does and continues to do. God bless all of our co-workers outside helping to rescue us. I send them a big hug. And in the name of Jesus Christ, God bless them today and always. God bless you today and always.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: We hear him thanking God.
Stand by, Nick, because I know --
VALENCIA: Sure.
BALDWIN: -- we still have Karl down there.
And I think it's worth bringing Karl back in, because, Karl, if you're with me, have you talked at all -- I know you have seen the video. What is your take on the video? What struck you the most? And have you talked to families? I mean, are they still there at this camp waiting? And will they wait three or four months?
PENHAUL: Well, I think there are a number of messages that come from that video, yes.
Nick was saying the first thing is ostensibly that these miners do appear to be in good spirits. When the relatives who know these miners well took their first look at the video, some of them did break into tears, that because they do feel that their loved ones have lost a lot of weight since they have been down that mine. Some of them, we're speaking in the region of 22 to 25 pounds they may have lost since they have been down that mine shaft.
And also as well, when we see two or three of these hardened miners, their voices cracking, then that can only -- only reflect then on the family back up here. They know they're trying to put a brave face on it down there in the bowels of the earth. But they also can see that they're under tremendous strain.
There is, of course, another piece of good news from that video, and that they're not in such cramped conditions as we thought they originally were.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
PENHAUL: They clearly have space to move around in part of the mine shafts as well. And that is a pretty large mine shaft, because we can see a vehicle that's possibly a truck, possibly a backhoe move up and down there, so they do have a little more leg room than we first thought -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Unbelievable, just to put yourself in these miners' shoes and imagine living -- Karl, thank you -- living, sitting, waiting, for potentially, Nick, three to four months.
VALENCIA: And what we have to -- what we have to think about here is the psychological impact. You mentioned earlier when we first start this report that --
BALDWIN: Right.
VALENCIA: -- they have just been told that they are going to be down there until Christmas, and you kind of imagine what the psychological impact is. Right now they're in high spirits, probably because they just made contact with the outside. Now, though, it could be until Christmas until they're out.
BALDWIN: Might we see -- might we see other videos?
VALENCIA: It's possible. If they're able to get more video out, if they're able to get this video out, it is possible that we will see something -- something more.
BALDWIN: If we do, you're coming back.
VALENCIA: I will be here.
BALDWIN: Nick Valencia, thank you.
VALENCIA: Thank you.
BALDWIN: All right.
Take a look at this. From the floodwaters of Katrina, a mother- son reunion, with a CNN reporter in the middle of this whole thing. A mom's desperate plea is answered.
Also, former President Jimmy Carter returns from North Korea with an American who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labor, both men back home, American soil. That is ahead. You're watching RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: If you haven't noticed by the name of the program, we're kind of listy here. We like lists. And this is the roundup list of stories we are keeping our eye on.
And number one on this list, the humanitarian mission, you could call it mission accomplished. Look who's back in the U.S. That is former President Jimmy Carter there hugging his newly found friend, not alone. He delivered to a very grateful family this American man who has been locked up in North Korea accused of illegally crossing into the country.
President Carter traveled all the way to Pyongyang just to negotiate the man's release.
Number two on our list, the federal government today reopened more than 4,000 square miles of water off the Louisiana coast to commercial and recreational fishing. That is huge news for folks down there. More than 10 times that area, though, is still closed to fishing after the April 20 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.
And government scientists allow waters to reopen after extensive testing, of course, for any lingering oil.
Number three, another arrest linked to the open terrorism case just north of the border. Canadian authorities took a fourth person into custody today in Ottawa. Keep in mind that is in addition to those three arrested this week on charges of conspiracy and helping a terrorist group. Police say the suspects are not exactly what they call card-carrying al Qaeda members, but they do show common threads. U.S. officials say the arrests are not related to any terror cases here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH LANDRIEU (D), MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: My top priority as mayor is to make this city safe. It can't be safe without a police department that people trust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: We here at CNN, we are committed to covering the story Katrina. And it was five years ago that the hurricane brought chaos and lawlessness to parts of New Orleans topped by a police shooting of unarmed citizens.
Who has been held accountable and how has the department actually changed? That is ahead.
Also, Iran's nuclear ambitions are one of the top priorities for U.S. military leaders. Just what is the White House prepared to do exactly? We will get an exclusive from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
That's next on the LIST. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Welcome back to RICK'S LIST.
And at the top of our follow-up list today, Iran and their nuclear ambitions.
Our own Barbara Starr actually sat down with an exclusive interview with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, this just days before the withdrawal of combat brigades from Iraq is officially complete.
And Admiral Mullen spoke about one of his biggest worries, a nuclear Iran. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: You said that them having -- Iran having a nuclear weapons capability is unacceptable, but that striking Iran is unacceptable.
So, in reality, what do you do about it? Because you, yourself, say the space between those two things is very small.
ADMIRAL MICHAEL MULLEN, JOINTS CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: Well, I have been very -- I have talked about this for a long time. And, certainly, the -- again, the position that the United States has taken is, Iran with nuclear weapons is unacceptable.
STARR (voice-over): Mullen thinks financial and economic sanctions against Iran still could work. As President Obama's top military adviser, Mullen sees highly classified intelligence on how soon Iran could go nuclear.
MULLEN: They have been -- about one to three years is what I have used for some time. And that continues to be what the potential is.
STARR (on camera): Let me just be very clear. When you say one to three years, what are you specifically referring to in terms of their capability? A deliverable weapon?
MULLEN: One to three years to develop a nuclear weapon.
STARR: Something that could be used?
MULLEN: Something that could be used.
STARR: So, if you're the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and you're looking at a horizon that starts 12 months from now, it's not really a hypothetical. You have to think about what your military capabilities and options are, should you be asked.
MULLEN: As is, I think, widely known and understood, we look at contingency possibilities all the time. And, certainly, we have done that with respect to Iran, and we will continue to do that.
STARR (voice-over): An administration official tells CNN the White House hasn't yet asked for a military attack plan.
MULLEN: Should we get to that point, certainly, I will be able to have a very comprehensive discussion with the national leadership, including the president about what options might be there.
STARR: But are the options already ready to go?
(on camera): I come back to the notion 12 months is a very short period of time, which suggests to me that the U.S. military today, as we sit here, must be ready to do whatever it might be ordered to do against Iran, because 12 months is a very short period of time.
MULLEN: Well, again, I won't go into any of the specifics.
STARR (voice-over): Mullen says a major reason he opposes a strike, he doesn't know what Iran might do in retaliation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Oddly enough, as we're hearing Mike Mullen talk about Iran, we're getting news on Iran, not necessarily probably the news you're thinking of.
Listen to this. The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a 5.7 earthquake. Take a look at the map, if we can. It looks like the center is northern Iran. So far, we're hearing no reports of damage, no injuries. But we will make some calls, see what's going on -- Northern Iran, 5.7-magnitude earthquake. And we will bring you any updates as soon as we get in any of them.
Meantime, it is getting pretty crowded. Let's talk hurricanes, right? In the Atlantic, it is hurricane season. We have a hurricane. We have a tropical storm and another weather system all in motion.
Chad will break down who is in line for potentially some serious weather trouble. That is ahead.
Also, the hurricane that nearly destroyed New Orleans also exposed a darker side, if you will, of that city's police department. The investigation into Katrina fueled chaos. That's next.
The LIST, as Rick would say, scrolls on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Welcome back. It has been five years this week since Hurricane Katrina just totally plowed into the Gulf Coast -- five years. And while some parts of New Orleans, they are back, they are better than ever, there is damage that may really never heal.
I'm actually talking about something intangible: the trust in the city and the faith in the police department. I want you to watch this report from Drew Griffin. He is in New Orleans, where some police officers were accused of, even pleaded guilty to shooting and killing unarmed citizens during the storm.
Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The numbers alone are staggering. Sixteen New Orleans cops either pleading guilty or under indictment for the killing and cover-up of civilians during Hurricane Katrina. Cops killing, cops conspiring, cops lying to high an awful crime spree in the aftermath of a killer storm.
In one week, New Orleans police shot and killed five people. Four of them shot in the back, all but one of them unarmed, leading to what federal prosecutors now say was a cover-up by ranking officers in a police department even the new mayor admits cannot be trusted.
(on camera): Can people in this city right now have faith in their police department?
MITCH LANDRIEU (D), MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: No, I don't think so. The department is supposed to protect and serve, and right now it's not done either of those things well. My top priority as mayor is to make the city safe. It can't be safe without a police department people trust.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Mayor Mitch Landrieu took office this year and immediately asked for federal help, asking the Department of Justice to intervene, to partner and monitor his own cops. His new police chief just this week unveiled a 65-point plan to revamp the entire department.
RONAL SERPAS, SUPERINTENDENT, NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT: What we need to is focus on the officers doing the right things and keep them motivated --
GRIFFIN: To civil rights attorney Mary Howell, it is hard to imagine a police department that could do worse.
MARY HOWELL, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Police didn't cause any of this, just revealed the degree to which, once again, this department had collapsed.
GRIFFIN: Howell represents the family of Ronald Madison. And of all the police killings in the aftermath of Katrina, the death of this 40-year-old mentally retarded man is, perhaps, the most troubling. Running with his brother across this bridge to escape what they believed was a gunfight, plain clothes New Orleans police actually chased him down and then gunned him down at the entrance to this motel. Madison was unarmed, shot in the back, dropped, as one witness told us, as he was running away.
KASIMIR GASTON, WITNESS: He just fell like he was collapsing, like he was collapsing. Like something had just wiped him out.
GRIFFIN (on camera): You didn't see any gun on him?
GASTON: I didn't see anything. GRIFFIN (voice-over): In the months that followed, the U.S. Attorney's office now says 11 police officers would conspire to tell lies, making up fake witnesses, lying about whether Madison or his brother had a gun, even holding a secret meeting to make sure their made-up stories matched.
JIM LETTEN, U.S. ATTORNEY: The extent of the cover-up is very, very significant.
GRIFFIN: Five of the officers once heralded by their own have pled guilty. Six more are under indictment, still professing innocence. One defense attorney did suggest an explanation as to how victims could be shot in the back.
FRANK DESALVO, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: They're moving. They're moving. Or they could have been in the process of turning around when the shots were fired.
GRIFFIN: The federal grand jury is still investigating two of the police shooting, and more charges might be coming.
LANDRIEU: As a kid that grew up in the city of New Orleans, you get very, very frustrated that things have been allowed to get this bad. But you have to acknowledge that, and then right the ship, turn it around and force it to go in the right direction. And that's what we're intent on doing.
GRIFFIN: With all of the charges, trials yet to take place, evidence of Katrina cover-ups just now coming to light, it may be a long time before the people of New Orleans, even the city's mayor, can trust its own police.
Drew Griffin, CNN, New Orleans. .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Got a nice soldier's story for you coming up. After seven months working, serving in Afghanistan, a soldier makes a surprising comeback. Just ask his wife. She's a little surprised. Look at her.
RICK'S LIST rolls on after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Wyclef Jean not going away as quietly as perhaps it may have seemed. You probably know that Jean announced this month that he planned to run for the president of Haiti, the country where he was born.
And you have probably heard by now that he was barred from running last week, supposedly on the basis of his residency -- or lack thereof -- in Haiti.
Well, here is his exclusive interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ANDERSON COOPER 360")
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": So, Wyclef, the Haitian electoral commission disqualified you from running for president. You say -- and I quote -- "Trickery has been used" to block you.
What kind of trickery are you talking about?
WYCLEF JEAN, MUSICIAN: Well, the trickery that I'm talking about, Anderson, is that I have the results in my hand where the paper, which we have, it says we, we, we. Meaning, yes, yes, yes for everything, including the residency. At the end of it, it says, rejection, rejection on what is not stated.
COOPER: So, you're saying that they haven't told you why they rejected it, but on all the individual things, you're saying that you say -- they say you qualify?
JEAN: Under the law of the Haitian court, the paper that I has have me qualified for everything.
COOPER: But under Haitian law, my understanding is you have to be a resident for five consecutive years before running for president leading up to the election and whether that's a good rule or not, it is -- seems to be the rule. Have you been there for the last five years consecutively?
JEAN: OK. That is a propaganda, because that law when it says that you have to be there within a resident for five years, what that means is having residence or domain in Haiti. It doesn't mean that you physically have to be in Haiti for five years straight. And to add to that, Anderson, keep in mind, in 2006 I voted for Rene Preval for president. Meaning, how could my electorial card have worked then to vote for him for president, and my electoral card doesn't work now when I want to run to be president?
COOPER: But you can have an electoral card if you have a residence there and you can vote if you have a residence there, but it doesn't actually mean that you are living there for five consecutive years. So, it seems like voting and running for president is two different -- one is five consecutive years, one is just being a resident. No?
JEAN: When we spoke to our lawyer about the residence issue, within the Haitian law, when they say you have to be in Haiti for five years, that doesn't mean that you have to sit stable for Haiti for five years, because if that's the case, Anderson, everybody that is on the ballot that has been chosen to be president has not been in that country for five years straight.
And in addition to that, if you want to continue, there's also the law that says that you have to be discharged before running for candidate. There are candidates that on that list that have made it that also have not discharged.
COOPER: But whether other candidates are not valid, I mean, the question on you is, have you consistently lived there for the last five years?
JEAN: Anderson, to your point, what I'm telling you again is, with our lawyers, and the paper that I have in front of me, the idea of do you have residency and domain signed by the electoral council in Haiti, the answer is yes. We, which is on the paper I have which I put online for you to see.
COOPER: A lawyer for the electoral council says, look, their decision is final, and basically, there's no appeal.
JEAN: Well, Anderson, to that what I say is that what I've noticed in this whole process is the candidates that are mostly out are Diaspora (ph) candidates. I feel that there are parts of the government that have conspired so that candidates that are from the Diaspora could never come back to the country and aid. So, what we're going to do is we're going to contest this because at the end of the day, the truth has to be out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: The truth has to be out. We also found this interesting tidbit as well. I want to include this. Jean apparently told Anderson that Haitians living here send $2 billion each year back home to Haiti, and he said, that they need to have a say in how the country is rebuilt from the devastating earthquake.
You ever have one of those nagging headaches? Come on. Who really hasn't, right? It just won't go away. This guy takes headaches to a whole new level. Let's do Fotos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN (voice-over): All right. So, this guy, shot in the head. I know, right? Sounds serious. But he didn't realize it for five years. This is his x-ray. The bullet in the back of the skull still lodged it before was remove from doctors. Apparently, he'd been at a New Year's eve party and maybe thrown back one too many, vaguely remembers getting a blow to the head. Hmm. He didn't actually realize he'd been shot that night until he went to doctor's office years later complaining of, hey, doc, I have a headache. Really?
Take a look at this shot now with me. This is i-20 here in Atlanta. See these guys darting into not so much traffic right now, until then, DOT workers, that it is (ph) patching a pothole on the fly, dodging traffic right and left across the busy asphalt. Drivers are complaining that the repair tactic is unsafe. You think? Can we get some cones out there, guys? Come on.
And this is no ordinary twister. Watch this with me. This is a tornado really of fire and major smoke that's burning itself across Hawaii. It was created by a terrifying combination. I'm hearing winds whipping through brush fires. Apparently, it burned 1400 acres of the island of Honolulu so far. Fire fighters say the fire, so far, is 60 percent contained. But take a look at that tornado of fire. And that, my friends, is Fotos. By the way, quick reminder, you can always catch Fotos on Rick's blog. Go to CNN.com/RickSanchez. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN (on-camera): All right. Let's talk hurricanes. You see a couple bit of movements down there right in the tropics, the most powerful storm in the planet, hurricane Danielle surging across the Atlantic right now. But what will it do to Bermuda and does the eastern U.S. have a reason to worry? Chad Myers is on that. He'll explain on the magic wall, ahead.
But what is the first stop for a U.S. soldier back from Afghanistan? Think about it. The office? Actually, it was his wife's office. I love this story. It led to this reunion you won't want to miss it. You're watching RICK'S LIST. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Time to do my segment. What's trending? What are people talking about? Apparently, they're talking about the Emmy's. It's happening this weekend, this Sunday night. Funny guy. We love him here at CNN. Jimmy Fallon will be hosting. And for the first time, get your Twitter fingers ready. They're incorporating Twitter into the broadcast. How might they do that? Jimmy Fallon explained it last night to Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, 62ND ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS: What you're going to do is you're watching the Emmy's and you have your computer, your laptop next to you, your mobile phone, you look at the presenters that are on that list and you go, John Hamm and you go, my grandma should leave my grandpa for John Hamm and you tweet that out, and then I get it and I select from all amounts of tweets and I could use yours tweets an intro, presenter, John Hamm, on the Emmy's.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Totally stole the idea from the show, right? OK. So, people are already apparently tweeting their ideas using attach (ph) tag, I'm on the Emmy's. Robert, let's roll over to see if they can see what I'm talking about. Take a look at one of the tweets. Tom Selleck, a man whose moustache, just his moustache is sexier than every other man here. Ladies, magnum pi anyone? All right. (INAUDIBLE)
Another tweet, this one is from one of the presenters. Joel McHale, remember, he's the host of "Soup." He says, I'm peeing with excitement to be presenting at the Emmy's 10 this weekend. I may even sing and dance.
And number two on my trending list. I love this story. It means little settle up. It's heartwarming. It's this U.S. soldier, and he is back from Afghanistan just for two weeks and he has to go back. So, he wants to surprise his wife. Where does he go? He goes to her office in Connecticut. She thought she was going to meet a client when, guess who rounds the corner? Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just knew it! You're such a bad person. (LAUGHING)
BALDWIN (voice-over): Oh, I just knew it. I just love that moment. Army Major Eric Refsnider, he brought her apparently a red ruby ring to be applause via the office mates. The couple has been married for 28 years. The guy is still romantic. I love this. They've three daughters, seven grand kids. She, in fact, called this move more romantic than the day he proposed. (INAUDIBLE) plan to do first, she joked, honey, you're mowing the lawn for me. And that is the trending today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN (on-camera): What would you do if you gave birth to a very sick premature baby days before hurricane Katrina hit? That happened to one mother. Her entire ordeal actually played out here on CNN in the days after the disaster. Many of you, you've e-mailed us. You've called. You want to know what happened to them.
Well, we will tell you what happened to them with Ed Lavandera. He's on the story again five years later. That is up on our follow up list.
And we will be checking your tweets to find out which stories provoke the strongest reactions from you. That is next. You're watching RICK'S LIST here on a Friday. TGIF.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All right. Welcome back. I want to draw your attention to a couple, several tropical storms brewing out in the Atlantic. We have a category four hurricane and a tropical storm on its heels. What are we on, Chad Myers, D, E, and F?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Almost f.
BALDWIN: Almost f.
MYERS: Almost Fiona.
BALDWIN: Let's talk D. Danielle. What's going on?
MYERS: Big fish storm.
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: We call that because we call it a gutter ball which means that it's not going to hit Bermuda, not going to hit the United States. It's just going to be a big gutter ball up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Get rid of a name, get rid of a number, get rid of a category 4 hurricane with 135 miles per hour, and the more you get these fish storms, the more you mix up the water.
And if you mix up the water, then the top layer is not so warm and that may actually reduce the chances of another big storm being very close to it which is kind of what we have, earl, back here. Not a tropical anything at this point in time except we'll call it a TS because it's about 45 miles per hour but not typically a tropical big bad weather maker but that is just yet. Wait until you see what Earl is going to turn into.
Yes, just kind of a spinning storm with a circle in the middle with the hole in the middle. That means just tropical storm 45 miles per hour. That's what it's spent. But look what it will be by 2:00 on Wednesday afternoon. There you go. 115 miles per hour. Now, Earl, farther to the west of where Danielle is, and then there's another storm back out here that could be Fiona. We'll see what happens to that. All of these have been progressively farther to the west, which is getting very close to the U.S.
The further you go to the west, the closer you get to us, right? And so, this could be a much more significant storm for Bermuda with that island nation being right there. It is going to be still a very, very hot year. It's going to be a very hot water year. So, these storms are going to have a lot of potential but the potential here, now, this had a potential -- we're back to Danielle here.
BALDWIN: Right.
MYERS: This had the potential to go to either Nova Scotia or even what here Cape Race, but now, the westerly winds have picked it up, and as they pick it up, they're just going to shove it right off and that's not that far. Right there would be England. So, it's not going to get hit by a hurricane but certainly maybe a wind maker and weather maker for the British Isles maybe about seven days or so.
BALDWIN: So, you called it a gutter storm.
MYERS: Gutter ball.
BALDWIN: Gutter ball. Right. Like bowling. I bowl. Hello. You don't want to take me on a bowling date. But no. You said a fish storm.
MYERS: You have a ring on your finger. I can't take you on any date.
BALDWIN: Oops. Sorry, honey. No dating for me. So, a fish storm now?
MYERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: can I ask a dumb weather question? What does that mean?
MYERS: Well, what's out here? Little tiny fish.
BALDWIN: So it's a storm that's --
MYERS: The fish see it. Yes.
BALDWIN: Very, very complicated weather terminology.
MYERS: And they don't mind. The plankton kind of get mixed up and they eat the stuff, and they're having a party out here. We just can't see it.
BALDWIN: I see. We'll let them have that party. We'll let the gutter roll storm not hit anyone. Chad Myers, thanks.
MYERS: You bet.
BALDWIN: Thanks for reminding me, by the way.
MYERS: Sure, of course.
BALDWIN: Still to come, a heartwarming story. We're going to check in with Ed Lavandera who was on this story five years ago. He's back on it.
Imagine Hurricane Katrina, you have a mother who's giving birth. She's separated from her newborn. So many of you have been calling, wondering what in the world happened to that mother and her child. The answer on the other side of the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: A lot of you -- and I thank you -- have been tweeting me during the newscast, and a lot of you have been tweeting about the Chile story, a story about these 33 miners who are trapped in this 600 square foot cave about half a mile underground in the Copiapo area of Chile. And a lot of you have been tweeting because we've seen this video, right?
Now here's the video of these guys who have been trapped for 22 days. Let's go over to the Twitter board.
And here's what Marc tweeted me. He says, "Please stay on the mining accident in Chile. My family comes from generations of miners in Mexico. The story hits home for me."
And another one from Kevin McKee, who says, "They can't get better lighting down there for those miners?"
You know, we should you -- there it is -- the medicine cabinet. They seem to be doing -- look, they're deep, deep underground. They could be trapped, we're hearing, three to four months, possibly, though they're trying to go another route and get these guys out faster. But they have dominos, they have equipment, and they have some food.
But we will stay on that story and bring you the latest out of Chile. Unbelievable. Imagine.
But imagine this as well, Katrina, the chaos of Katrina. One mother turned to CNN, turned to us for help finding her newborn son. Ed Lavandera told this heartbreaking story five years ago. He is standing by. He has the happy ending five years later. That is next. That's how we're rounding out RICK'S LIST today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: It was five years ago this weekend that the Gulf Coast was devastated by one of the worst hurricanes to ever roar out of the Atlantic. Who can forget, right, the incredible scenes, the flooding, the desperation and the rescues?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody need help?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yo!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see the highway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hand down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any ailments, broken bones?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any illnesses?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. Come on. Get him on the bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. I got him. He ain't going nowhere. Come on.
One, two, three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to be behind, not in front of him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. I'm holding him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In you go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there. Right there.
Feel better? You all right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: People being pulled to safety, lucky to be alive, hoping their loved ones are on the other end. But we will never forget here at CNN what happened to LaShawn Traylor and her baby Lorenzo. Watch this piece with me. This is from my colleague Ed Lavandera.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR RAY NAGIN (D), NEW ORLEANS: Right now we are emphasizing leaving the city. That's what we think is the best thing.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Floodwaters trapped LaShawn Traylor inside Methodist Hospital in east New Orleans. She had just woken up from a medically-induced coma after an emergency C-section. As she slept, her husband was forced to take their other four children to safety, leaving LaShawn and baby Lorenzo behind.
The baby, born two months early, weighed only two pounds, 11 ounces.
LIONEL TRAYLOR, LORENZO'S FATHER: So I went and saw her, saw the baby, took a picture of the baby, and laid it on her chest. Kissed her on the forehead, told him, "Daddy will be back by Tuesday."
LAVANDERA: LaShawn woke up alone as Hurricane Katrina roared across New Orleans. The levees broke and to LaShawn's horror, nurses told her baby Lorenzo was taken to another hospital. Life in New Orleans was falling apart, and she was separated from her new baby boy.
Three days after the storm, she finally evacuated, and this is how I met LaShawn Traylor at the New Orleans airport.
LASHAWN TRAYLOR, LORENZO'S MOTHER: I'm looking for my baby. They transferred my baby to University Hospital and I don't know where my baby is.
LAVANDERA (on camera): How are you holding up?
LASHAWN TRAYLOR: I'm trying to hold up because I have other kids in somewhere else with my husband. I'm just looking for my baby.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Five years later, I'm finally learning how much that brief interview helped the Traylor family.
LASHAWN TRAYLOR: Hi.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Good to finally see you. Wow.
(voice-over): LaShawn Traylor now lives in Jackson, Mississippi.
LASHAWN TRAYLOR: When I came to you I was really desperate. We all were in a state of shock.
LAVANDERA: You were in a line with women. Everyone had a baby, and all you had was Polaroid pictures. You told me you thought he was dead.
LASHAWN TRAYLOR: Just going off of what the nurses were telling me and everything, I was just trying to figure out, who in the world would take care of a two-pound, 11-ounce baby in these conditions? So I didn't know if someone was still going to care for him.
LAVANDERA: Are you Lorenzo? Are you kidding me? You're Lorenzo? My goodness.
You know the first time I ever saw you? You were in a Polaroid picture.
(voice-over): Nobody gave up on Lorenzo. He ended up in a hospital in Baton Rouge. LaShawn was flown to Texas. It took more than a week to find each other again. LaShawn says a friend saw her on television and that helped reunite the family.
Lorenzo just celebrated his 5th birthday.
(on camera): You still don't know who took care of Lorenzo through the worst of times there.
LASHAWN TRAYLOR: I don't know. God bless her or him.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Traylor family has said good-bye to New Orleans, but LaShawn Traylor says Katrina was a blessing.
LASHAWN TRAYLOR: It really just taught me that it's about family, relationships. You have got to live your life for a purpose, and you've got to wake up every morning trying to rise above something, trying to live it to the fullest, living your life with no regrets.
LAVANDERA: And little Lorenzo will always be a reminder of that.
LORENZO TRAYLOR, LASHAWN'S SON: Bye, Ma!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Wow.
Ed Lavandera, that's just one of the stories you just kind of -- you know, you're thankful you're a journalist, but it sort of goes beyond journalism and becomes personal.
What was it like seeing LaShawn and giving her that hug and knowing Lorenzo was this 5-year-old kid now?
LAVANDERA: Well, you know, in our line of work, not really used to giving hugs to the people you interview along the way, but you make exceptions for days like this. And it was really strange.
I told LaShawn today I really never expected to see her again, to be quite honest. And it was strange the way all of this came about.
Back in April, I happened to be just up the road covering the devastating tornadoes that struck here in the city of Yazoo City, just about an hour up the road from Jackson, and a woman came up to me and said, "You know, we met back during Katrina, and there is a woman in Jackson who is desperately trying to get in touch with you."
BALDWIN: No way.
LAVANDERA: And it was LaShawn Traylor. So, yes, completely unexpected.
So I kind of filed that number away. And we've been covering the oil spill and everything since -- all summer long, essentially, and I finally was able to call LaShawn. She said, "Come on out and come say hello and meet Lorenzo." So it was a heck of a morning for us.
BALDWIN: So you were covering those tornadoes. I remember when you were in Yazoo City. You were covering those tornadoes and somebody handed you a phone number.
So, when you finally tracked her down, what did she say to you? I mean, really, what did she say?
LAVANDERA: You know, it's embarrassing, quite honestly. She is just so grateful.
She said she was desperate -- if you notice the video there, there was a line of women that were essentially pulled out of that maternity ward. All of them had their own babies except for LaShawn, and she wasn't even sure if I would talk to her that day and the days after Katrina. And someone else said, "Just go up and talk to him. Talk to him. He'll tell your story."
And, you know, sure enough, we talked. That interview lasted less than a minute. That's all the time that we had with her back then.
She was shuffled on to a bus and put on a plane and flown to Texas. But, you know, she was beside herself going out of her mind that she was leaving New Orleans without even knowing where her baby was. So she was just extremely grateful that we broadcast that interview and it played over and over.
BALDWIN: A two-minute interview that I am sure changed her life and possibly yours as a journalist in just the littlest way.
Ed Lavandera, thank you for bringing us that story.
LAVANDERA: You got it.
BALDWIN: And that is how we'll end this Friday, at least for me here in Atlanta. If you want to wake up bright and early with me, I'll be back here 6:00 a.m. We'll be talking more Katrina and anniversary stories.
But for now, I want to pass it along to my colleague Suzanne Malveaux in Washington handling "THE SITUATION ROOM."
