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CNN Sunday Morning

India Plane Crash Investigation Starts; Obama Demands Answers Over Oil Leak

Aired May 23, 2010 - 07:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. Welcome to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes -- coming to you from Atlanta, Georgia.

It's 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time where I sit; 6:00 a.m. in Milwaukee. Wherever you may be, we're glad you're right here with us this morning.

We're going to start today in southern India. That is where we're keeping an eye on that crash, the investigation now into the crash that killed 158 people. We're going to be going there live with an update.

Also, the other big story of the weekend that's been going on for a month -- this developing story, and a live picture you're looking at over my shoulder of what B.P. is trying to stop, oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. There's a new plan to try to stop it. They're going to try it early this week. It might not be past enough and some other drastic measures are now being talked about. We'll talk to you about that this morning as else.

But, also, I want to give you a check now of some of other stories that are making headlines. An update on a story we're just telling you about last hour, the death toll has gone up since we last told you about this story, just in the past hour. At least 19 dead now -- the death toll is up from 19 from 10 in the past hour in that Chinese Eastern train derailment. Fifty-five people injured as well.

Well, this is a train derailment that included 17 cars that hopped off the tracks. What's being blamed for this are landslides. These landslides have been seen in this particular area because of heavy rain the area has seen lately. The Chinese military is helping with the rescue effort right now.

We'll turn to Afghanistan where overnight insurgents attacked a U.S. NATO base. It happened in the southern part of the country in Kandahar. Security forces were able to beat back that attack. Nobody killed here but several civilian workers were injured. This comes after a Bagram Air Base attack in Kabul we saw just three days ago that killed a U.S. contractor.

And the shuttle Atlantis is saying good-bye in a few hours to this International Space Station, expected to undock at around 11:22 a.m. Eastern Time. This is the final mission for Atlantis before it retires from the shuttle fleet, expected to return to Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. They get three space walks, the astronauts did o this particular trip.

Now, again, they are retiring the entire shuttle fleet. So, Atlantis, this is their last mission. And them Discovery" will take off for its last mission in November. Then Endeavor will fish it off in November.

NASA, however, is pushing for one more Atlantis launch after this one, in 2011. That hasn't been approved. And the White House would need to approve it.

Let's turn back to a developing story we've been keeping an eye on in Mangalore, India. You see the pictures as efforts as a lot of these efforts continue as we speak. The search right now still of many of the victims, all the bodies that are left in that wreckage, 158 people killed after India's deadliest plane crash we've seen in the past decade -- also looking for the flight data recorders which could certainly tell a lot about what happened in the final moment.

This flight was trying to land yesterday when some reports that it actually made contact with the runway and then veered off, ended in this woody area that you see there. A lot of victims families have been gathering at the morgue and authorities are trying to identify the deceased.

We want to turn to our Sara Sidner, who is live for us in Mangalore with the very latest.

Sara, give us the update first as far as the investigation goes. Have they been able to find these flight data recorders just yet?

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They've been searching for the past two days. This happened, this crash, on Saturday. And all day today they've been searching.

We are getting reports now that we believe that they may have found the flight data recorders, but we're still waiting confirmation on that. What we can tell you is that all of the bodies have been removed from the site.

The sight is still (AUDIO BREAK) at the scene, there are still bulldozers now out there trying (AUDIO BREAK) pieces of the wings. There's a little bit of the wings are left. There's a bit of the back of the plane left, the tail, but that's about it.

It's really disturbing to see so many people died in this crash, and so close to the airport. I (INAUDIBLE) standing at the mortuary, these families are here waiting to identify the remains of their loved ones. It's a difficult place to be to watch as these families try to figure out, identify those who were killed in the crash. They're also (INAUDIBLE), T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Again, our Sara Sidner for us in Mangalore. We apologize to our viewers for some of the technical issues. But, a tough, hilly, marshy area there. We're trying to get out live from. Sarah, we thank you But again, the update we were able to hear from Sarah is that, in fact, flight data recorder may have been found. We are waiting for independent confirmation of that. But that word is starting to get out that possibly they found those flight data recorders which could certainly give us a lot of information about what happened.

Again, officials there in India are saying that they don't believe the weather had anything to do with this or visibility as well. They came out almost immediately yesterday and we're talking about a possible pilot error. Also, the update from Sara Sidner is that, in fact, all the bodies have been removed.

Again, 158 people are killed, eight survivors. But the update we were able to get from our Sarah Sidner who is there in India for us.

Another big story we are keeping an eye on and have been keeping an eye on for the past month. That is happening as we speak, folks. Every minute of every day, no matter what you are doing, this continues to happen. If you're sleeping, if you're working, if you're hanging out, oil continues to gust into the Gulf of Mexico. It's continuously gushing.

Let's put in perspective for you here, this live picture that we were able to get -- this was made available to all of us over the past couple of days by B.P. We're waiting to see if their latest attempts to try to cap the leak will work. That attempt is going to be made, we're told, at some point this week, maybe as early as Tuesday.

So, what is the new method? This one is called top kill. What exactly does that mean? So, listen to me and watch this graphic at the same time.

Now, this is how it's supposed to work. They're going to pump heavy drilling fluids into the well and try to seal it with cement. Now, B.P. officials say they'll try this this week. Again, we think it could happen on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, scientists are telling the "Associated Press" that it may be impossible to get that only mess -- or that oily mess out of the marshes of the Gulf. "A.P." says officials are some drastic measures like burning part of the wetlands or considering flooding certain areas.

The president is trying to get answers this as well. He is creating now a bipartisan commission to investigate this oil leak and offer solutions to keep something like this from ever happening again. To head up this commission, he has the former Florida Senator Bob Graham and former EPA head William Reilly. Graham a Democrat; Riley served in the first Bush administration.

Our Kate Bolduan tells us exactly what's expected of these two men and this NEW commission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Both come with some good credentials when you're talking about this situation. A former Democratic senator from Florida, Bob Graham, and the former EPA administrator during the first Bush administration, William Reilly.

And the goal of this commission is straight forward, but it's a huge job to really get at the root cause of this massive spill and also then make recommendations and figure out how to prevent this from happening ever in the future again. It's straight forward, but it's a huge job, and they're being tasked with reporting back to the president in six months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right. We're keeping our eye as well on some severe weather we saw yesterday. And my goodness, take a look at that picture.

These are -- let's go ahead and show the viewers this picture. There it is for you. This is a massive tornado we saw yesterday. You may not believe where it happened. It happened in the South. But not the south you're probably thinking of.

It's seven minutes past the hour on this Sunday morning. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: I was just told

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Intro.

HOLMES: Yes, I was just told, look at Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: OK.

HOLMES: Hi, Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Hi, T.J.

HOLMES: This video, this is what we need to be looking at. These things I mean, I'm fascinated by tornadoes. These are going to be some dangerous, destructive things. But just amazing pictures we're seeing here and not where most people might think a tornado would pop up.

SCHNEIDER: That's true. Usually, we think about the tornadoes in Oklahoma, for example or Kansas. But, believe it or not, South Dakota does see tornadoes annually. You may not think of it as a state that does. But on average, about 25 tornadoes are reported as official tornadoes confirmed in South Dakota on average every year. Of course, things can be different.

But this is a huge one. The size of it is immense. The dark color indicates that some of the strength of the debris being lifted and sucked up at the bottom. Incredible video captured for this of this tornado. We're told no injuries with this. So, it looks like it may have occurred in a more rural area, not a populated area. Can you imagine if that was over a major city, the size of that tornado?

Let's take a look at the way things are shaping up right now. When I came in early this morning, there were some severe thunderstorm watches in effect for the Dakotas. They were soon expired and lifted. So, now, we're just seeing scattered showers through areas like Grand Forks and then Fargo.

But it's interesting to note with this rush of severe weather that's happening, the contrast in temperatures right now. In advance of the front, like in Sioux Falls, for example, the temperature this morning is 71 degrees, very balmy. Then you head to Pierre and it's only 54 degrees.

And this is really the story for the U.S. today. We are talking about dramatic changes in temperatures, dramatic differences. So if you're traveling and you're heading in one city, check ahead because the weather could be completely different and unusual for this time of year.

For example, hot temperatures in the Midwest. Chicago, Cincinnati, in the upper 80s, near 90 degrees today. That's 15 degrees above normal for this time of year.

Let's head to the west, and temperatures will drop down 20 degrees below normal this time of year. So, San Francisco, you'll stay in the 50s all day. And, L.A., only 54 for you. So, you're not feeling like May at all. Temperatures are also be warmer in states like Georgia and Alabama, about 10 degrees above normal, when we're looking at high temperatures for today.

So, unfortunately, it's going to be hot and steamy along the Gulf coast. But something else we're watching in the Gulf, of course, is the oil spill and a tropical system that may have some impact. You can see, we're monitoring this low known as Invest 90L being investigated by the National Hurricane Center just to determine whether or not this will develop into something.

Some of the computer models are taking it towards the southeast. And, T.J., just to note that right now, we have winds for the Gulf coming out of the southeast. If this low would come closer to the U.S., it would change the wind direction in the Gulf of Mexico and create more of an offshore flow. So, one influences the other. I'll talk more about that throughout the morning.

HOLMES: All those colors, you know, I know you're supposed --

SCHNEIDER: Different models.

HOLMES: It's very technical, but it looks like you got a hold of the Crayola box over there.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: Invest 90L, I still like that name for some reason.

Bonnie, thank you very much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

HOLMES: We'll talk to you again here shortly.

Well, viral video. Let's bring in Josh Levs. When you hear viral videos, you know he's keeping an eye on something over there.

It seems like there's a new viral one that pops or several probably pop up every single week.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is like dessert to me, you know? When the week comes along, we get to have some fun with this stuff. Look at this, the greatest birthday surprise party in all of history. I look it up for you.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: I have the story behind this, plus a little girl's motivational speech that is taking over the web.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, about a quarter past the hour on this CNN SUNDYA MORNING. We need a little inspiration, possibly? A little motivation this morning?

Well, Josh Levs has it for you in the form of a child.

Josh, good morning to you.

LEVS: You know, I know you love these, right, on Sunday morning. You like the motivational minute.

HOLMES: The motivational minute, but I'm used to getting it from a grown woman. I'll take it however I can get it.

LEVS: This might be the best motivational speech you've ever seen. This is completely blowing people away, including me. This is up on YouTube. It's an example of a treasure a lot of you out there probably have these video treasures.

This is a family's from 2001. But they just put it up on YouTube. And in a matter of days, it's gotten 1.5 million views. It's this little girl Jessica standing in front of a mirror in the morning, giving herself an affirmation. Listen this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: My whole house is great. I can do anything good. I like my school. I like anything.

I like my dad. I like my cousins. I like my aunts. I like my uncles. I like my mom. Like my sisters. I like my dad. I like my hair. I like my hair ties. I like my stuff. I like my stuff. I like my room.

I like my whole house. My whole house is great. I can do anything good. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I can do anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: I love this little girl, Jessica. She was about 3 or 4 then. It's been nine years. So, she's around 11 or 12 actually, eight, nine years. She's around 11 or 12 now.

And we're going to track her down because seriously, that is amazing. The parents just put it up, 1.5 million views in a matter of days. People clicking there for inspiration. I love it. I can do anything good, the way to start a morning.

Now, another one is going to make you all feel really goods this morning. The best surprise birthday party ever. This is a driver in Denmark, in Copenhagen.

And at first, he's driving and someone starts playing instrument. He doesn't understand what's happening. Now, let's skip to the second section of the video. This is where someone starts singing. We'll watch that here.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: So the driver realizes, OK, a couple people know it's his birthday. Then other people start singing.

Now, what we're going to do, we're going to skip to the third section of the video, I'm going to stop talking. He thinks he runs into a protest rally on the street. People holding signs. Watch what happens.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Everyone was in on it. This is actually organized by his bus company, Arriva, which wanted to help their employees feel really good. So, they actually organized some really big events for their employees and surprised them.

We have lots of viral videos for you, as always. Let me show at one of my Facebook page. That's where I link them. Facebook is the kind of the easiest way to call all these addresses. So, the address in the middle there: Facebook.com/JoshLevsCNN.

All the latest craze and viral videos, you can send us your favorites and we'll have some of those for you next week.

So, T.J., feeling inspired?

HOLMES: Well, I'm actually a little disturbed by a couple things I saw. I hate to be the cynic. But, you know, why was the little girl on the counter like that? Is that safe for the child? LEVS: And someone was obviously watching.

HOLMES: Is it safe for the child? Look at this.

LEVS: You know, I would let my 3-year-old stand there if I was right behind him, because, I mean, what's going to happen. And kids are really bouncy anyway.

HOLMES: I don't know. Slip on some water. I don't know. Again, I'm being a cynic.

LEVS: But I would just lunge forward and catch him before he hit the ground.

HOLMES: And then the other, on the birthday, his company organized that?

LEVS: His company organized the whole thing. They had cameras all over the city. So, they actually had the shots of the bus, shots of the protesters in advance. They organized all this for this guy (INAUDIBLE)

HOLMES: His company. My problem is I didn't get a phone call from CNN on my birthday. I should probably thankful that they didn't call me in, right?

LEVS: You know, I thought about that but I actually don't tell anyone when my birthday is. So, it's really my fault.

HOLMES: Oh, goodness. All right, Josh, appreciate it as always. That's some good stuff.

Appreciate it. Thanks so much.

LEVS: Yes.

HOLMES: Well, of course, it's time for a lot of people to celebrate right now. It's the graduation season. You finally get to finish college, time to pop open some champagne, time to start a new life.

But it's hard to celebrate right after the ceremony if you don't have a job. We're going to be checking in with one senior -- one among many who is facing an uphill battle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We're taking a look at some of the stories making headlines.

The Thailand government extending curfew measures for two additional nights and across a third of the country. This is happening after arson and looting ding broke out following a crackdown on protesters. Thailand's prime minister says crews are cleaning up Bangkok's streets and government agencies and schools will reopen tomorrow. Well, the president, President Obama, he's predicting the war on terror not going to be easily won. Not going to be won soon, but Americans will ultimately win out over extremists -- just one of his messages that he shared with a 2010 graduating class at a U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Also, British Airway bracing for a possible labor strikes starting tomorrow. About 15,000 unionized cabinet workers are demanding better pay and working conditions. There was some last- minute bargaining that broke down yesterday when protestors stormed the negotiation. An airplane chief executive had to be escorted to safety.

Another look at your top stories is coming your way in just a bit. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA DAWN JOHNSON, MORNING MOTIVATIONAL MINUTE: Good morning and welcome to another beautiful edition of morning motivation. I am Melissa Dawn Johnson, your global branding and personal transformation strategist.

Well, this time of year, students everywhere are graduating. Whether its kindergarten, junior high, high school or even college, it seems like graduation is a part of every day life.

Well, the truth of the matter is, graduation is much bigger than education. It's all about advancing and going to the next level of life. Quite possibly, that's why the commencement speech is the center focus of any graduation ceremony.

So, I say to you, if you have overcome an obstacle, if you've beat defeat, if you found a lesson learned in the mistakes you've made, congratulations. You've graduated. That means you advanced and move forward to the next phase and stage of your life -- which ultimately is helping you become a better and more brilliant person.

So, I'd love to hear how you're advancing and graduating along the journey of life. Please visit me at our new Web site, brandmelive.com. I'll speak to you next week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, after that uplifting motivation about graduation, I hate to bring you back down to realty. But that's the case for some as they enter the next stage or phase of their life. It can be a bit scary because of the economic climate. Jobs are few and far between.

And our Poppy Harlow talks to one senior who graduates in a few days -- that's great -- but has no idea how to pay her rent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (voice-over): Twenty-two-year-old Cara Hessels is gunning for a career in media in the Big Apple.

CARA HESSELS, GRADUATING FROM MANHATTAN COLLEGE: This is what I've been working for for four years now. So, I want this job more than anything.

HARLOW: Graduation is less than a week away. But instead of focusing on cap and gown, it's all about landing a job.

Today is Cara's 10th job interview, this one at a major fashion magazine. And 40 minutes later, it's over.

HESSELS: They did tell me that they think I'm great. So, I don't know what that means for my chances. But at least I know they liked me.

HARLOW: But being liked doesn't mean getting hired.

MARILYN MACKES, EXEC. DIR., NATL. ASSN. OF COLLEGES AND EMPLOYEES: At this time, roughly a quarter of graduates have offers in hand -- compared to in 2007, a much better job market, when 50 percent of the seniors had jobs in hands.

HARLOW (on camera): The outlook is getting better, though.

Companies are expected to hire 5.3 percent more new college grads this year than last. But, still, unemployment for 20 to 24-year-olds is around 17 percent. That's more than double what it was in 2007 and far higher than the national average.

HESSELS: The majority of my friends are in the same boat as me. Those that do have jobs are very far and few between. I have just lease this new apartment. So, I need to figure out a way to be able to pay for it within a month.

HARLOW (voice-over): And adding to the stress, this year's graduating class is not only competing with their peers. They're also competing with '09 grads still searching for work. So, what's a grad to do?

MACKES: It is still incredibly competitive. It still is going to require them doing a lot of research to find out who's got the jobs, where are they, and how do they make the connections they can to reach those jobs.

HARLOW: Cara says she's doing all of that and more. And even with a college degree, she may take a nanny job this summer to pay the rent.

HESSELS: Those of my friends that have graduated just say like welcome to unemployment, like this is how it is. You know, nobody ever thought that they would actually be graduating without a job.

HARLOW: It's a scary reality facing hundreds of thousands of adults graduating from college right now.

In New York, Poppy Harlow, CNN Money. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Quick break on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: And I'll be back in just 30 minutes with more live news and top stories at the top of the hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. But right now, I want to hand it over to "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D."