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Rick's List

Massive Wildfire in Colorado; Islamophobic America?; Tropical Storm Hermine Targets Texas; Richard Daley Won't Run for Mayor of Chicago; Reggie Bush May Be Stripped of Heisman Trophy; NFL Lockout Possible Due to Failed Negotiations; Chile Miners Forming Own Society Underground; Wildcat Miners in Chile Operate Outside Regulations

Aired September 07, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, thanks so much, Ali.

We're going to obviously be concentrating on a lot of stories today, including everything that's going on right now in Colorado.

Topping the LIST: a massive wildfire in Colorado. A 3,500-acre blaze has been forcing more than 3,000 people to leave their homes. It's been shutting down schools near Boulder. One hundred firefighters from 35 different agencies are battling the fast-moving fire in the rugged terrain of Fourmile Canyon.

These are some of the very first pictures that we have been getting as we examine what's going in this area. Local officials say the flames spread quickly through the highly populated region due to 45-mile-an-hour wind gusts that grounded air tankers yesterday.

Today, more favorable weather conditions are in place for firefighters, so they're able to do their jobs, though, still, it's difficult work. So far, no injuries, we understand. But local reports say that a few structures have been destroyed, including the homes of four firefighters themselves.

All right, now, as we look at that video there on the left, this is sent in by an iReporter in Niwot, Colorado. Let's watch this. You can see plumes of smoke from the wildfire have partially obscured the sun as far away as 10 miles from central Boulder.

Nicholas Krut shot this video from his backyard. He says winds have caused plumes of smoke to fill the sky. Some folks evacuated just before the flames closed in on their homes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just a firestorm. And embers started dropping down onto our house and around the house. And we had fire surrounding us, three -- all four sides. It was just incredible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Boy, this is a tough day for some of the folks out there around Boulder. We have got team coverage of this amazing wildfire. CNN's Jim Spellman is joining us now live from Boulder County, Colorado. Meteorologist Chad Myers, as usual, is joining us. He's inside the studio. And he's going to be telling us about some of these wind conditions that whip up these fires.

Jim, let me begin with you.

You're out there. Are -- are some of the folks in Boulder still being kept away from their homes, and do you think there's going to be even more evacuations?

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN ALL PLATFORM CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are people, and there's people here showing up at the emergency management office here that -- with just the clothes on their back.

I spoke to one guy. He was out for a bicycle ride, saw the smoke, and the flames spread so fast, he had to ride out on his bicycle. All he's got is his -- what clothes he's wearing and his bike.

While they were trying to get away -- trying to get out, the reverse 911 systems they had went down. And they turned to social media, Rick -- I know you would be interested to hear that -- Twitter feeds and Facebook pages telling each other, their friends, and from officials, get out. You know, the time is now.

And, so, those people are all still being kept out. There's a few shelters, a lot of people out here with family. They're hoping that the conditions here have -- you know, they have been much better. They hope that some of the smoke will clear away, so more aircraft can get in there and more people won't be displaced. But, right now, all those people, none of them are being allowed to return, Rick.

SANCHEZ: I'm hearing reports that this thing may have been started as a result of a campfire. Is there any truth to that?

SPELLMAN: We still don't have any word on that. There -- there -- there -- basically, there's kind of a lot of rumors about that right now. They have a team of investigators that are in there trying to figure out what happened, as soon as it's safe. First, of course, they're trying to contain the fire, get people out.

Right now, the governor is touring the area. We hope to get our first footage from on the ground in there with him shortly. But the cause is still up in the air Rick.

SANCHEZ: That's amazing.

Chad, let me bring you into this discussion.

You know, whenever we have covered these, we have always realized that, whenever you're dealing with fires in an area that has canyons, for example, if the winds whipped up, they start -- they -- they -- they're -- they're duplicated, if not triplicated, once they get into these areas, these -- these shelters that -- that seem to swoop through there. Is -- is that part of the problem that can be caused or is that what we're going to be seeing with these fires out there in Colorado?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know what? This was very much like a Santa Ana event for Colorado. The winds were gusty out of the west. The relative humidity was way down.

In fact, I saw one relative humidity at about 3 percent to 4 percent. I'm not sure I could actually believe that number, but that was out of -- out of Broomfield.

Here, this is what it looked like. I'm going right into Google Earth.

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

MYERS: Denver, Colorado Springs. There's all of Colorado right there, and fly you into what happened. Here's Boulder right there and Longmont.

Coming out of the Fourteeners, the Rocky Mountain National Park right here, are all the -- the foothills. And in the foothills are these canyons. There was Boulder right down there. This is Fourmile Creek.

Look at this. Look how tightly these -- and this is -- roads go up here. There's -- this is not a very highly populated area. Obviously, there's no place to put a lot of homes. But here, along the creeks and along the boundaries, this is where this fire was just roaring through with wind out of the west, roaring through the canyon down into Boulder.

And that relative humidity was going down because the air up here was cold. It was rushing down through the canyon, and 80 degrees with a relative humidity of 4 percent to 5 percent, even 6 percent, whatever it may have been, just no place for these firefighters to go.

And I think they even lost a fire truck. They got it in the way and the flames went right over the top of it and lost it altogether.

SANCHEZ: Well, speaking of flames that go over the top of these things, sometimes, the only way you can control these things is to literally put down fire lines or build --

MYERS: Mm-hmm. Yes, where?

SANCHEZ: -- build these trenches, so that it can't jump over it.

Otherwise, just let it burn itself --

MYERS: Yes.

SANCHEZ: -- out, right?

(CROSSTALK) MYERS: Up here, down here, then up here, and then down here, then through the canyon, and then back up here, very difficult terrain to try to make any kind of a fire line when the wind is going 40.

Today, the winds are only 10 to 15, maybe a gust of 20. That's enough -- that's low enough that they can some lines on, either with Phos-Chek from the airplanes dropped down or by, real literally, men and women with bulldozers and shovels in there making places where --

SANCHEZ: Well --

MYERS: -- where they won't jump from one tree to the next.

SANCHEZ: Well, I'm just wondering -- and I -- I don't know if you have the -- the answer to this or not, Chad.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: And I don't want to put you on the spot. But do you happen to know -- or maybe, Jim, if you're listening -- what's the altitude in this area that we're talking about where these firefighters are working? Because that's go to make it tough on them as well.

MYERS: Sure.

You have got to think 6,000 or 7,000 feet. I will defer to him, because -- but if you take a look at where Denver and where Boulder is, you're at 5,000 -- the Mile High City. So, you're above the Mile High City, because you are in the foothills. So, that could be another 1,000 feet.

Jim, what do you know?

SPELLMAN: Yes, it's about 6,000 --

SANCHEZ: Spellman, you there?

SPELLMAN: -- feet up where they are.

SANCHEZ: Six thousand, you say?

SPELLMAN: Yes. It's about 6,000 feet up there where they are. Yes.

The wind has totally calmed down here in Boulder today. But I go up there all the time, you know, as you can imagine, and the winds up there can be so much different than they are right down here. So, hard to gauge from down here, but it's perfectly calm and has been all day down here.

SANCHEZ: Yes. It's got to be difficult, real tough for these guys. I mean, some of these hot shots and these smoke-jumpers that they bring to put these things out, they're good at what they do. But, as you watch their work, you know that they're working in real perilous conditions. And it's the altitude and the winds that make this particularly difficult for them.

Here's what we're going to do.

Jim and Chad, thanks so much for joining us on this. We're going to keep an eye on this thing and we're going to let you know what happens as -- as it changes. Look, hopefully, the winds will die down and we won't be looking at this as a major story. But, as it develops, things could change and we're going to be dedicated to bringing you the latest, especially the areas living -- the folks who are living in that area.

Meanwhile, we're also keeping a close eye now on another phenomenon. This is Tropical Storm Hermine barreling north through Central Texas, bringing brutal winds and heavy rain.

Look, I lived in Texas. You know what they get in Texas after a storm like this, when it starts going inland? Flash floods. So, I have got a question for Chad when we come back.

And, wait. We're now being told that some of these -- some of these conditions could spurn tornado watches, as well, or are already. All right. We're going to be all over that. That's next.

Also, living life 2,000 feet underground --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: -- what the trapped Chilean miners are learning from NASA and why the space agency is focusing now on what they're eating. This is an unbelievable story.

We will bring you the very latest on this as well.

I'm Rick Sanchez. We're going to be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: I told you that we would be watching the situation that is going on right now with what was Tropical Storm Hermine pummeling now, pushing into mainland Texas. It's packing some torrential rains and damaging winds.

And, obviously, we're now even talking about the possibility of tornadoes. Right now, as we look at these pictures, that's a big storm. Hermine is directly over San Antonio. And we're getting word that the roof of an apartment building -- here are some of the very first pictures that we have got coming in now -- have been blown off, and several streets are -- are closed.

Flash flood and tornado watches have been posted at times throughout the region.

I -- I want to show you a scene now. This is South Padre Island. This is last night as Hermine was coming ashore. And there you see what happens when winds of up to 50 miles an hour with gusts of up to 70 miles an hour and more come into an area. That's your typical, you know, sideways rain, as we call it.

And you can see the wind blowing the palm trees. Rain pounded the island, bringing flooding to a popular vacation spot on Labor Day. Now, some folks were turned away by the storm on Labor Day. But others didn't let it spoil their holiday. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm leaving now. But it's a storm (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it. It's great. It's kind of fun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: All right, I want to bring in meteorologist Chad Myers now, who's been watching this.

I know, when I lived in Texas, one of the things I always realized, because this -- this is not a big hurricane.

MYERS: No.

SANCHEZ: This is not even a hurricane. It's a tropical storm, really minimal damage as far as storms go. But when this thing goes inland and starts sitting there, spinning and putting rain down in some of these parts of Texas, especially the Texas Hill country --

MYERS: Yes.

SANCHEZ: -- I remember, in the past, Guadalupe River, for example, and others, I mean, you -- you would get some flash flooding there. Is there a possibility that we could be looking -- we -- we could be looking at something like that this time?

MYERS: No question about it. It's already happening.

SANCHEZ: Really?

(CROSSTALK)

MYERS: Twenty-two roads closed we don't know the names or the locations of, but we know that they're -- the number of them -- 22 roads closed right now in San Antonio proper.

And I -- I think people who maybe live in New England don't understand how they -- the roads that they build in Texas sometimes, roads that only get rain eight times a year. So, they don't build bridges over some of those arroyos, right, Rick, when you were there? They literally pave all the way down the concrete, down through that ditch or gully, the arroyo, and then back up the other side. And that's the road. You drive down through it. It's a dry gulch 360 days out of the year, but it's wet for five.

And those five, that is when you have to -- you really have to worry about it.

Let's get this, open this up. Here's the radar picture.

SANCHEZ: Mm-hmm.

MYERS: There's Austin, San Antonio, as it came over very close to -- to Brownsville and the South Padre Island. There's the eye right there, the center of it. Call -- maybe not call it an eye -- center, because it's only a tropical storm, but still close enough. It still had winds.

And here's the latest. Right there -- right there would be San Antonio proper, downtown San Antonio. So, most of the -- the heavy stuff is to the north. But over here, even toward Houston, there's the potential for tornadoes today because of the way this is coming onshore.

It will eventually, by tomorrow night, be in Oklahoma and just be a rainmaker, but, still, that potential for flooding always occurs when you get this much convection in any one place. And, look, right over here, even though you think that this eye, or the center, is moving, all of this rainfall, along from Victoria all the way over to Houston, not moving at all.

It's just coming on from the Gulf of Mexico, one cell after the other after the other. And here's proof here on the -- on the radar picture what it looks like, all of this rain coming, coming, coming, coming. So, there will be more flooding today, for sure.

SANCHEZ: Do we have some of those? I'm -- I'm just wondering.

Andreas (ph), I don't know if you can hear me. But you were telling me moments ago that we may have shots coming in of some of the areas that have been affected by this. Andreas, do we have those?

San Antonio.

MYERS: There you go.

SANCHEZ: This is I-35 in San Antonio, where parts --

MYERS: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Oh, so that -- that area -- Chad, help me here. This is from KENS, by the way. We want to thank our affiliate sending us these pictures.

That area down there on the right of your screen is where cars would normally be going through, but, because it's flooded, they can't today.

MYERS: Correct.

And you see them still moving up there on the elevated section --

SANCHEZ: Right.

MYERS: -- but not -- but not on the bottom section, which is really the -- the feeder road to get up onto that elevated section. That's done. You're not getting through that today.

SANCHEZ: So, highways closed in San Antonio. This is I-35, for those of you watching us in that area in San Antonio. And, as Chad was mentioning, it's not the only road that's flooded out because of the rains that we have been getting as a result of Hermine.

All right, Chad, keep an eye on it and let us know, all right?

MYERS: Sure.

SANCHEZ: If you get anything else --

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: -- let us know what is going on.

Now, this just in, Chicago, where Mayor Richard Daley has made a major announcement.

CNN's deputy political director, Paul Steinheiser -- Steinhauser -- is joining us now with the details.

Paul, what's -- what's going on with the Daleys?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: This is a big one, Rick, and it's brand-new, as you just mentioned, breaking out of Chicago. It's right here on the CNN "Political Ticker."

Mayor Daley announcing he will not seek another term as mayor of Chicago. He will not run for reelection. Remember, Rick, Daley was first elected in 1989, 21 years ago, so big announcement. He's been the mayor for over two decades, not going to run for reelection next year.

Robert Yoon, our research director here at the political unit, tells me the election is early next year. It is February 22.

Rick, one more thing. Remember, Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff and a former congressman from the Chicago area, has said many a times that he would love to run for that job, very interested in that job, if Daley decided not to run for reelection. So, I think a lot of eyes may now be on Rahm Emanuel, Rick.

SANCHEZ: That's interesting.

Hey, by the way, we have got a tweet coming in now. Let's check that, if we possibly can, adding news to the news. To our Twitter board, we go.

And there it is. "Daley not running for reelection. Rahm-shaped hole in the wall in the West Wing."

So, hey, do we know -- I -- we always ask with every other story, what's the motive, what's the reason, why is this happening? Do we know why he's decided not to run definitively, or we can just -- go ahead. Answer that question, Paul, if you would.

STEINHAUSER: He made -- he made the comments at a news conference in Chicago. And we're hearing that he said this specifically: "In the end, this is a personal decision for me, no more, no less."

That's what we know right now. We're working our sources. Hope to have a lot more on this, Rick.

SANCHEZ: A -- a personal decision. OK.

Thanks so much. And you can depend on CNN to bring you the very latest on anything having to do with politics, because CNN equals politics.

Now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have come together in our nation's capital to denounce categorically the derision, misinformation and outright bigotry being directed against America's Muslim community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Well, there are, in fact, new fears of hate crimes in the United States, particularly those aimed at Muslims, as we approach September 11. Is America Islamophobic suddenly more than at any other point in the past? That's ahead.

Also, Jessica Yellin is in Ohio, where President Obama's initiatives are playing a -- a big role in some heated congressional races. She is going to join us in just a little bit, next on the LIST, with CNN -- where CNN equals politics.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: At the top of our follow-up list, time now for a CNN equals politics update.

Where are the Obama voters? In 2008, then Senator Obama got new voters out to the polls. He took advantage of changing demographics to win swing districts. He turned red areas blue.

But that was Obama's effort, the president's effort. Those citizens who voted for Senator Obama are not necessarily engaged now. Democratic organizers, the people who get Democrats to the polls, are calling on the White House now to get those folks reenergized somehow. They want the president to get out a coherent message on the economy.

Well, yesterday, the president spoke about the economy in Milwaukee. Did he ever. In fact, during his speech, he was very strong, almost like a -- an attack bull, as far as his critics are concerned. And that's what many progressives wanted to hear from the president.

Here, take a listen yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's been at the heart of what we have been doing over these last 20 months, building our economy on a new foundation, so that our middle class doesn't just survive this crisis. I want it to thrive.

I want it to be stronger than it was before. And -- and, over the last two years, that's meant taking on some powerful interests, some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in Washington for a very long time. And they're not always happy with me.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: They talk about me like a dog.

(LAUGHTER)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: That's not in my prepared remarks. It's just -- but it's true.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: "It's not in my prepared remarks, but it's true."

Here's Jessica Yellin with the best political team on TV, and she's joining me from the Election Express bus in Columbus, Ohio.

This is a district you're in, I understand, that's no better than a tossup for Democrats in the fall. Is -- is -- is -- do you sense, as a wise, salty political reporter who's done this for a while, that there --

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: -- is an effort on the part of this White House to try and get those folks who probably don't -- have no interest in voting this time around to get back out and do what they did when this president was running for the office? JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rick. And that's why the president's out there delivering the message we heard from him yesterday.

He will be here in Ohio tomorrow selling the economy again. And the folks we have been talking to on the road are emphatic that what they need to help them win their races -- this is coming from elected officials who are running, Democrats, and from rank-and-file union leaders, who are trying to get out the vote -- is, as you say, they want an enthusiastic, very clear message on what the Democrats would do to get jobs and rev things up.

Here is a -- a Democratic elected official who's running again in a tough race and one of the supporters we spoke to in Pennsylvania. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JASON ALTMIRE (D), PENNSYLVANIA: The president's going to come out on Wednesday with a new economic plan. And we will see what he has to say.

But I think that's one of the things that's making the public uneasy about the Democratic Party right now, is there hasn't been a consistent message on the economy.

TONY HELFER, PRESIDENT, UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS, LOCAL 23: Obama needs to be much clearer in his agenda on how he's going to try to create jobs in America. We need a clear vision of that. That's what we're looking for.

YELLIN: Do you blame the White House for that, to some extent? Or --

HELFER: Well, it's leadership. I mean, absolutely. If you're going to be a leader of a party and a movement, then you have got to be able to explain that to everybody, so they fully understand it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: And, Rick, a -- a key distinction here, you will remember, in the 2008 election, we were talking all about how President Obama -- Senator Obama was trying to broaden the Democratic coalition and reach out to new voters, independents.

This time, they're shrinking back, and their job is to really focus just on the Democrats and try to get Democrats out to vote, because even that's in danger, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Well, that -- I mean, it's -- it almost seems like the question is, how big a storm is this going to be for the Democrats? I mean, is it going to be a Category 4, a Category 3? And how big a wall can the Democrats build to try and stop that from essentially overtaking their party in the midterms, because, look, there's a possibility they could end up losing both the House and the Senate, right? YELLIN: It is a possibility. And the Democrats know that.

They do have two months, and these things are run mostly on local issues. But the national message matters. And that's why local elected officials are calling on -- sorry -- are calling on the -- their national leaders to do something more.

I do want to point out one challenge they have, which is --

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

YELLIN: -- I told you the president's coming here to Ohio to campaign and say, look, I have another economic plan. This is going to get us more jobs and more spending into the economy.

And I met with an elected official here in this city of Columbus, Ohio, asked her, are you happy with the president's plan? She said, yes. Do you want a plan like this? She said, yes. I said, so, are you going to vote for it? Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARY JO KILROY (D), OHIO: I think the White House is coming out here and saying that they are going to turn this -- continue to work to turn the economy around, and that we can't go back to the same failed policies that got us into this mess.

YELLIN: Will you vote for those proposals the president is laying out this week?

KILROY: Well, I haven't seen them yet, and I haven't seen how we're paying for them. And, so, you know, that's what -- you know, I -- I can't really tell you right now exactly how the votes are going to play out.

YELLIN: So, if they're paid for, though, you -- you would support them in concept?

KILROY: I think we need to be serious about the deficit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: So --

(LAUGHTER)

YELLIN: -- she won't say if she's going to support them or not, Rick. So, you see the bottom-line problem the Democrats have.

On the one hand, they want to put forward a robust economic plan. On the other hand, where are the votes to pass that?

SANCHEZ: Yes, and she's a Dem. She's a Dem, which is what makes this so --

YELLIN: She's a Dem, exactly. SANCHEZ: -- so interesting.

I understand that you guys are having a lovely time traveling around the United States and talking to Americans.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: In fact, somebody on your staff without your permission tweeted us this Twitpic. So, we're going to share it with our viewers now.

YELLIN: Uh-oh.

SANCHEZ: This is Jessica and staff.

YELLIN: What are we doing?

SANCHEZ: Well, this is from Evan Glass. He sent us this.

It says -- he says: "It's the boys and the girls on the bus." Let's see what the picture looks like.

YELLIN: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Oh, my God. There they are. I see you there on the lower right. There's Jessica. There's Dana Bash all the way in the corner.

Hey, those are -- those are pretty nice digs for a bus. That's a good-looking bus.

Who's that on the right? Oh, that --

YELLIN: Yes. Yes, it's a nice bus.

SANCHEZ: That's -- that's T.J., too. I see T.J. all the way over there on the right, although he's got that -- that glow on top of him. It's hard to tell who that is.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: You having a good time?

YELLIN: We got -- we were lucky. We got T.J. out here.

Yes, it's a good time. We have been working hard, but having a little bit of fun, too.

SANCHEZ: All right, that's great. Have one for me.

Jessica Yellin, we will look forward to talking to you in a little bit.

Remember, you can follow the latest political news at CNNPolitics.com and on Twinner --

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: -- Twitter at "Political Ticker."

A world leader is saying some provocative things about September 11. Now, he's -- he apparently thinks that the U.S. isn't telling the truth about the attacks. Here we go again. You're not going to believe who it is this time.

And Wolf Blitzer is standing by with some brand-new information just in from the world of politics. You're not going to want to miss the latest CNN "Political Ticker" next on the LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We are dedicated to bringing you the very latest on what is going on in politics. And the man to do it for us now is Wolf Blitzer.

Wolf, what's crossing right now?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, obviously the big story in the world of politics, Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago announcing he will not seek yet another term. That sets the stage potentially for Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, to go back to Chicago and run for mayor of Chicago, something he's wanted to do, that election coming up in February 2011, not that far away. That's a big story.

By the way, it's already on our political ticker, "Daley will not seek another term as Chicago mayor." So that's a big story.

Another story we're working on, this fundraiser, what the Democratic leadership, including the president, the speaker, the majority leader, what they can do very well for Democratic candidates who are in trouble is raise money. They're going to have a huge fundraiser in New York City on September 22nd. All three of them, they're getting together. I'm sure millions will be raised.

We've got a brand-new CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll that is just coming out as well. The Republicans are doing well when it comes to the economy, issue number one. It now has the Republicans can do a better job on the economy than Democrats.

But what's fascinating is that among independents, not Republicans, not Democrats, among independents, a 19-point spread in favor of the Republicans when it comes to issue number one, the economy. We're working on all that and a lot more.

The governor -- former governor of Virginia, the Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine will be among my guests on "THE SITUATION ROOM." That's coming up at 5:00 p.m. eastern.

SANCHEZ: Tim Kaine has his work cut out for him.

BLITZER: He certainly does. SANCHEZ: So does the president of the United States, right?

BLITZER: It's only less than two months until November 2nd. This is going to be a critically important election for Democrats, Republicans, independents. And they're all going to be working, and the economy, jobs, that's going to be the issue.

SANCHEZ: Nineteen points, that's a lot of points. Wolf Blitzer, my thanks to you. We'll be checking back with you in a little bit. Let us know if you get anything else.

Meanwhile, burning Korans, protesting Islamic centers, harassment -- is Islamophobia running rampant all of a sudden in the United States? Those thoughts have Muslims worried with 9/11 just days away, what will happen next? That's ahead.

Also that skyscraper stunt in San Francisco was, well, good TV. But the climber, he paid a price. We'll bring you that story as well. That's next right here on "The List." We'll be right back. I'm Rick Sanchez.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: I want you to know that we keep lists here, and part of my civic duty as a CNN newsman is to show you every single day every waterskiing dog in America that we can find video of. It's our mission. I will not rest. Here's "Fotos."

There is a dog near Tampa, Florida, who is probably cooler than you. Watch her chilling on water-skis. And in a second, you'll see here on a motorcycle. This is Chibi, 100 percent mutt. Her owner found her homeless nine years ago and says she's a natural talent at just about everything that she tries. Next challenge, parasailing and skydiving and our cameras will be there -- really?

Next, much more serious video here. This is Labor Day weekend in Bakersfield, California. Rescuers saving the life of a teenager who found himself swept away by this raging river. He got stuck on a rock. Here comes the sheriff's department in a helicopter. That's one lucky young man right there. See him. They say he wasn't wearing any safety equipment at all and he got a stern talking-to, as a result.

And as long as we're on the subject of things you should not do, let's add climb the outside of a 60-story building. You heard of this guy, right? He calls himself "Skyscraper man." Let me do that again -- "Skyscraper man." He made it to the top of the Millennium Tower in San Francisco yesterday. It took him about three hours.

Police were waiting for him when he arrived. They gave him a ticket and then they eventually let him go. Skyscraper man says that he was trying to raise cancer awareness. Cancer awareness -- 58 floor --there's got to be an easier way.

That's "Fotos." you can see them all, all photos, all videos, everything on my blog that we change daily at CNN.com/RickSanchez. This is something that hasn't happened in 75 years. Reggie Bush will reportedly be stripped of his Heisman trophy, the Heisman trophy. This is a huge deal. They're going to say to him, give it back, we want it back. What is with that? Is it fair? Is it right? I'm reading your tweets. There are a lot of them coming in. And we're going to be all over this story. Stay right there. This is "RICK'S LIST." I'm Rick Sanchez. We'll be right back.

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SANCHEZ: There is a story developing because there's an NFL football player who's just downright mad about what's going on. It's Reggie Bush. First of all, you heard the story. There's a possibility they may be taking away Reggie Bush's Heisman trophy saying, you know what, you didn't earn it, you don't deserve it, we're taking it away. That would be historic in and of itself.

But aside from that, it appears Reggie Bush is not happy with the NFL. I want to show you some tweets from Reggie Bush. Listen to this. This portends for a bad NFL season next year because it looks like there isn't going to be an NFL season. Watch, to the twitter board we go.

Here's Reggie Bush, "Here is one of the major issues. Did you know that as of March, 2011, not one single NFL player will have health care insurance?" He's talking about this negotiation that's going on between the players' union and the NFL right now.

And then he goes on to say, "And it's not a strike, it's a lockout on the NFL owners' behalf. The players want nothing more than to play, but we have to be protected."

And there's one more coming in. "Every NFL athlete does not make millions. That's a small percentage of the NFL. The vast majority makes nowhere near that." Still, it's hundreds and hundreds of thousands, and with bonuses sometimes it comes near -- either way, this thing going on right now between the NFL players and the owners that's looking like they're going to play football this year, but next year, it looks like there's going to be a lockout.

There's going to be no professional football at least not in the NFL. We're going to be focusing on this story. It's coming up in just a little bit, so stand by. That's amazing. Reggie Bush today is tweeting up a storm and we're going to have more for you.

Now, the trapped Chilean miners are now four weeks into their time underground with months to go until there's a rescue. Space experts are now teaching them how they can survive and stay sane at the same time. Wait until you hear NASA's tips. That's next right here on "The List."

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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. You know we do lists. And now it's time to check our follow-up list. I have got some brand-new details for you right now about what's going on with those 33 trapped miners in Chile. I'm getting this information from a NASA team.

Remember we told you a while back that NASA was going to be getting involved in this because they've got experience on -- in space when astronauts have been stuck up there for long periods of time? And now they're going to share that information with the folks down in Chile.

We just got back from a visit to the mine site. Here's one of the big takeaways so far. The miners are shifting their mindset from a sprint to a marathon. They know it's going to be a long haul, but their spirits are strong, we understand.

The NASA guys who met with the medical crew in Chile say about half of the miners could have faced kidney failure because their health was so compromised by the lack of food and the lack of water that they were getting.

But we understand they're now doing a lot better. They've been talking to their families through a video hook-up that the government has arranged and that's been a huge relief for them. Something else I learned from NASA today, the miners are establishing their own society, just like we do here above ground, or as NASA team calls them, in the topside world.

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AL HOLLAND, NASA PSYCHOLOGIST: I think it's important to realize, for all of us to realize that they need to form an underground community. It's going to be a group of people that live underground for a long period of time, and there will be roles and responsibilities that are allocated.

And just like topside, just like us, sometimes if we tire of our role or we need a change, then we're able to swap with someone else, rotate out. And they'll be doing that as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Isn't that amazing? It's like a role society. The NASA team is helping design the system that rescuers will eventually use to pull the miners out. Rescue crews got a new drill last week and they put it to work. They had to stop using it temporarily yesterday after running into a problem.

Once it's back in business, then they'll be using two drills, we understand, to try and bore holes nearly half a mile into the earth. They say they may even use a third one. That would be an oil drill. But so far, it's somewhat experimental. That could be the fastest way to reach those guys. But it won't be ready until maybe the end of this month. Hang on, fellows.

Tiger Woods has landed in one of the most prestigious tournaments despite some embarrassing finishes, and don't forget those sex scandals. There was a possibility that he wasn't even going to be picked, which would have been -- well, embarrassing. Also, you don't need to give away $100 million to make our most intriguing list, but it helps. Speaking of giveaways, every single hour, we will give away an autographed copy of "Conventional Idiocy." It's my book. It's out on newsstands and bookstands just today. And the best tweet of the day on each show gets a copy. We'll be right back.

SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. It's time to check the list now of the most intriguing people in the news today.

Listen up, rich people. This is how you do it. Born in Hungary 80 years ago, survived the Nazi occupation, this man has gone on to become a billionaire -- billions. He spent the last half of his life giving it all away.

He just announced a huge gift. You ready -- $100 million he's giving away to Human Rights Watch. He says advanced age is making him up the pace of his generosity.

Read this -- quote, "Originally, I wanted to distribute all of the money during my lifetime, but I have abandoned that plan. I still would like to do a lot of giving during my lifetime and doing it this way with such size is a step in that direction." Who are we talking about? It's George Soros, investor- billionaire. So far this year he has handed out $700 million, given away to charities and victims of natural disasters -- $700 million. "Forbes" magazine puts him at number 35 on their list of the world's richest billionaires, but his gift to Human Rights Watch puts George Soros today as number one on my list of the most intriguing people in the news.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the firestorm and embers started dropping down on to our house and around the house and we had fire surrounding us, all four sides. It was just incredible.

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SANCHEZ: "Just incredible." Look at it now, some of the fears being expressed by folks in Colorado where wildfires are threatening homes, forcing evacuations, and exhausting firefighters as well. That's coming up in just a little bit.

Also what type of man works in a mine knowing that he could end up being buried alive hundreds of feet underground? We're going to introduce you to some wildcat miners who know the odds but still do the drilling. That's next. We'll be right back.

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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I told you what's going on right now in Chile. They're trying to drill down into that cave where those miners are waiting, but they're having problems with the drill bits. It's not exactly going as planned. Those guys are down there desperately waiting for that drill to make the hole where they can be pulled out. In the meantime, I want to take you underground now and show you another mining operation that's taking place in Chile. This is dangerous and potentially deadly. I'm talking about wildcat mining. What is wildcat mining, you ask? Well, here is the explanation brought to you by my colleague Karl Penhaul, who is in Chile.

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KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To old-timers with mining in their veins the tools have changed. Once pick and shovel, now pneumatic drill. But there is only one treasure -- the glitter of gold. Both are called Manuel, one 68, the other 75. Down the decades they've had each other's backs, because they know wildcat mining can be deadly.

MANUEL VARGAS, MINER (via translator): some have died. Some have been crushed by the mountain or fallen down a mineshaft. But what can you do about it? That's just your luck.

PENHAUL: They found a mine shaft long abandoned. Now with sky high gold prices they are hoping to strike a forgotten vein. If they're lucky they'll grind a few specs of gold in this bucket of rocks.

MANUEL VARGAS (via translator): It's all a gamble. If I was a clairvoyant I'd say here is the gold and we have to dig here. But, sadly, I can't do that.

PENHAUL (on camera): You can see here from this ladder that we've just come down that there are no safety measures in mines like these, just a simple wooden ladder with a loose knot strung to the side of the mine shaft.

PENHAUL (voice-over): But the lure of gold weighs heavier than risks.

MANUEL VARGAS (via translator): The idiot who falls down the hole just has to pick himself back up again.

PENHAUL: But one way or another the job they've lived for may kill them. Just listen to Manuel wheeze. He calls it dirt in the lungs. It's silicosis.

MANUEL VARGAS (via translator): Eventually, I won't be able to work anymore. You just get tired walking five or ten yards.

PENHAUL: The Chilean government is trying to regulate wildcat mining, but the two Manuels prefer to rely on instinct, not official rules to escape a cave-in.

MANUEL VARGAS (via translator): If you're working hammering away and small stones begin falling, that's the mountain giving a warning it is about to collapse. So you have to get out of the mine and smoke a cigarette for a while.

PENHAUL: As afternoon fades, it's time to mix the explosives -- detonating cord, dynamite, and a dose of pink fertilizer. As the fuse fizzes down below, their legs are still strong enough to bring them scurrying to the surface, and their eyes are still bright enough to spot the glitter of gold.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, in Chile.

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SANCHEZ: Wow, what a story.