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CNN Sunday Morning
Oil Flows Freely Into Gulf as BP Uncaps Well; South African Ubuntu
Aired July 11, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, everybody. This is Kate Bolduan here, and she got more rest this morning than she did yesterday.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, exactly. This is T.J. Holmes, by the way.
HOLMES: Good to have you here with us...
BOLDUAN: Thank you.
HOLMES: ...on the CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Welcome to you all as well. Glad you all could be here.
BOLDUAN: Thank you for joining us, everybody.
We're keeping an eye - we're keeping a very close eye on the Gulf this morning. Right now, nearly a mile underwater, robots - you see them right there - are working to replace the cap from that leaking oil well. Until then, oil is spewing into the Gulf. And it's a lot of oil. We've got a live update straight ahead.
HOLMES: Also, today is the last day you have to hear about soccer for another four years. Just kidding, folks.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: I'm sure it's catching on in the U.S., right?
The World Cup. Today, the finale - the big finale. We are going to take you live to Spain; we're going to take you live to the Netherlands. Those two countries, of course, going at it today in the final. Also tell you about the third-place game yesterday that nobody really cares about.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But again - also, we're going to be taking you to South Africa, where the actual tournament is taking place. But today is the last day in the monthlong tournament.
BOLDUAN: There's one of us in here that is - still enjoyed the game yesterday.
HOLMES: OK.
BOLDUAN: One of us clearly...
HOLMES: Yes, we did.
BOLDUAN: ...did not.
HOLMES: All right. Let me give you a look at some of the other stories we are keeping an eye on this morning.
First up here, some good news for this country's veterans. New rules are going to be taking effect tomorrow that are going to help vets of this country who had post-traumatic stress disorder - it's actually going to make them - make it easier for them to get treatment beforehand. This has been very difficult, time-consuming, even complicated, because when they applied for these post-traumatic stress disorder treatments, they actually had to have specific events and almost have notes, specific notes of events that happened to them out there when they were in war.
So this now going to affect - going to help out not just veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war, but all U.S. vets. Again, those rules go into effect tomorrow.
Also, take a look at this. We were talking about record heat up in the Northeast. But man, what a difference a couple days makes. Look at this. This was out of Boston. Heavy rains led to some flash flooding. A few people had to be rescued, and then - you can see some in some of this video, a few people obviously stranded as well. Also, it was a major disruption for Boston's transit system.
Also, take a look at these pictures, something we haven't seen in quite some time. Fidel Castro. These are some new pictures we're seeing. They were posted on a pro-government blog and on a state-run website. Now this, of course, the former Cuban president, 83 years old. This would be the first, I guess official, or public outing he's had, since 2006. He was seen here meeting with some people at the National Center of Scientific Investigations. This was in Havana on Wednesday.
Now, we cannot independently verify exactly when these pictures were taken. But according to this government - this state-run website said these pictures were just taken last week - Kate.
BOLDUAN: Let's get you to you an update on the Gulf oil disaster. It is Day 83, and BP says if all goes well, in a matter of days, it will finally capture nearly all of the oil that is now escaping from its broken well. But until that happens, things will get worse before they can get better.
Right now, oil is pouring out at a rate of up to 60,000 barrels a day. Why? Well, BP has removed the containment cap that we were taking about yesterday. That had been capturing some of the oil for the past few weeks, aimed - a new-and-improved cap is supposed to take its place in the next few days.
The company says the work is proceeding as planned. The cap is designed to form a tight seal, enabling BP to siphon off all of the oil from the well. But the final solution still rests with those relief wells that are being drilled - T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Let's turn to New Orleans now in this whole Gulf oil disaster and talk to our Reynolds Wolf. He has been there for the past several days.
Reynolds, good morning to you once again. Kate just describing a bit about the process, how it's supposed to go. And it's going to be helped along a bit because maybe we don't have to worry about another storm or any bad weather for awhile. That's a big deal.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, thankfully, we've got a window of about seven to 10 days to really get some things done. The thing we have to get done is to stop this oil that's roaring out right now unimpeded. Nothing's stopping it. It is just going full force.
And basically, everything went down around 12:37 yesterday afternoon, Central Time. They removed the cap. Right now, the oil is coming out.
And just to give you an idea of how crazy this is, think of a - a fire hose going on at full blast and then trying to get a bottle cap to seal the thing off. It is just going to be nuts to try to do it. But that's the game plan today.
BP plans to have that new, tighter-fitting cap in place at some point tomorrow. Now, that doesn't mean it's going to be on it; it's going to be just in place, kind of like a staging area, with some time over the next four to seven days to actually have it right on top of the leak.
Now, this new cap, it is called "Top Hat 10." And it is massive. We're talking about something that weighs 150,000 pounds. Now, today, it is really the beginning of a two-part process.
The first part is to clean out everything above and beyond the blowout preventer, a lot of the old equipment. Then, the second part is to actually fasten that new thing, the - the Top Hat 10 right in place. Now, if you have that perfect seal, what it's going to do is siphon, pull all of that oil up from the depths of the ocean, to 5,000 deep down, all the way to those vessels at the surface, a tandem of four different vessels. And again, if it goes as planned, it should be picture perfect. But the weather's got to be perfect.
As I mentioned, we've got that window where things should be OK. And that certainly some good news.
What's bad news though is, the flow of oil, the rate that it's coming out, in terms of not barrels, but rather, gallons per day - the government guesstimates that it's somewhere from 1.5 to 2.5 million gallons - gallons a day that's just flowing out. Now, with this new cap in place, what it is capable of doing is possibly bringing in anywhere from 2.5 to 3.4 million gallons. Now, obviously, that will far exceed the output. So that's the good news.
The thing is though, everything's got to be picture-perfect. We've had plans that were in place before that everyone thought were going to just come out with no issues whatsoever. There's always been a little wrinkle here and there. There may be some missteps here and there today. But right now, things are going as planned. Certainly some great news. Let's keep our fingers crossed for the time being.
HOLMES: And - yes, Reynolds, and you were kind of talking, and we were showing these live pictures. And if we can, Deirdre (ph), go ahead and take that picture full, and Reynolds, I'll continue to talk to you here for a second. You were kind of describing this, but we don't have the live-feed picture anymore from the oil actually gushing out.
But clearly, BP right now still working, and you described this, Reynolds - I don't know if you can see the picture, but you - by all means, you were describing it and kind of perfectly here, a lot of work we can see is going done and what - what's happening now is, like you said, they're just trying to clean it up a bit and get the place ready for the new cap.
WOLF: Absolutely.
I mean, kind of think about, if you're painting a room in a house, and you've got just basic drywall. When - the first thing you do is, you put on some kind of, like, a - a just a little pit of a - of a coating, almost like a - like an adhesive before you put the paint on, you put on that primer. Think of this as putting primer down. Put down the primer, and then you put down the paint.
What they're doing here is, they're cleaning everything else, priming it for the Top Hat 10. So they have to have basically a clean surface. Then they adhere it. And then everything should go as planned.
But keep in mind, guys, that even if this works perfect, absolutely perfectly, you still have the big solution. That big solution is going to be not - not one, but two relief wells that are supposed to be drilled in at least sometime as we get closer to - to August. Hopefully, with luck, it'll happen even sooner. But the relief wells are going to be, really, the final key to this, we do hope. But this would certainly be a big shot in the arm and a tremendous help in stemming the flow of this oil that is just going nuts right now in the Gulf of Mexico. What a disaster.
HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, appreciate you, buddy.
And again, we want to show those live pictures again to our viewers. This is live activity going on. You can see the work going on there right now. It's clear the pictures have been changing over this weekend because they have - I mean, like he said, it's going to be an active weekend, and clearly it is by the pictures. We've been getting some descriptions of what's going on, but Reynolds, again, with another one of his great analogies, likening it to - to drywall and trying to paint a room.
So Reynolds, we appreciate you and all the analogies, as always, putting it as only you can. Buddy, we'll talk to you again here shortly.
WOLF: You bet, man.
BOLDUAN: So officials in Mississippi had feared the worst, and now it's happened. They had warned, unless some kind of preventative measure was taken, the oil would seep into that marsh. And CNN crews were out in Waveland, Mississippi, where cleanup crews were hard at work with what's now, unfortunately, a familiar site: retrieving oil- soaked booms. It's expected to get worse until engineers lower a new containment cap.
Our Ines Ferre spoke to the mayor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS LONGO, MAYOR, WAVELAND, MISSISSIPPI: We raised the red flag when the southeast wind was blowing and a high tide was coming. We - we raised the red flag, and we said, 'Hey, this is - this is what's going to happen. You know, this is what we've been telling you. The berms we wanted to put on the north side of the beach, where now you see this silk fencing that went up yesterday, after the fact.'
That - it - it's been a - a response rather than the aggressive fight to stop it, it's been a response after the damage is done. And that's - that's what makes me angry. That's what's frustrating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: A Navy blimp had been deployed to direct skimmer ships to oil slicks as they're spotted. And that's still in the works.
HOLMES: All right. And a lot of people keeping their eye on the sky today to see something we just do not get to see that often. But one caveat here: You are not going to see it. Sorry.
Ten minutes past the hour. I'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, THE BEATLES, "HERE COMES THE SUN")
HOLMES: She just had to inform me this is music. I was asking what the song was. I meant specifically what it was.
But there's a reason for that. "Here Comes the Sun," or, 'there goes the sun,' I guess maybe we should say. Going to see something today around the time of the World Cup game....
BOLDUAN: Mm-hmm.
HOLMES: ...that you don't often see, which is going to be a total solar eclipse.
Now, this is just a picture of what you're probably not going to see, but we can explain why you're not going to see it though folks. This is from - what? - this is '09. This was back in the day. This is an earlier one that was in India, people saw. This is video, 2009 solar eclipse. So something like this today.
BOLDUAN: Right. But what the problem is here is that...
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: ...not here in the States, you're only going to be able to see it if you're in the Cook Islands or Tahiti or Easter Island. So if you can jump on a plane, you can head over there.
It's going to be 2:15, I think, Eastern.
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: Two fifteen Eastern. So book your plane tickets.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: And hope for no flight delays due to weather.
HOLMES: Might we?
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And it lasts about five minutes, too.
HOLMES: It's going to last five minutes.
BOLDUAN: Right.
MAGINNIS: Yes. Yes.
But the next time we get anything celestially exciting it's going to be December of this year.
HOLMES: And what's that going to be?
MAGINNIS: They will have a lunar eclipse.
HOLMES: Now, are we going to see that?
MAGINNIS: We will see that.
HOLMES: We will see that.
MAGINNIS: Yes, we should.
HOLMES: How often do we see these things? Solar, lunar eclipse?
MAGINNIS: You know, they're actually - I - I was looking into 22 something something - they can really figure these solar events and...
(CROSSTALK)
MAGINNIS: ...the lunar eclipse out. It really is.
HOLMES: Fascinating (ph).
MAGINNIS: It is. Yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
BOLDUAN: So Flugtag.
HOLMES: Flugtag.
BOLDUAN: What does it mean?
HOLMES: That means "flying day" in German. And that's what they have in Miami today.
This competition - you've seen this before.
BOLDUAN: "Flying" with rock-star quotes.
HOLMES: You could - you should. This is kind of just the plunge. You see how this goes. They do this every year. Kind of a fun thing to watch.
This is in Biscayne Bay. But they essentially plunge 30 feet.
BOLDUAN: Right.
HOLMES: They're supposed to try to fly.
BOLDUAN: Mm-hmm.
HOLMES: But as you see, Kate, they don't get very far.
BOLDUAN: More falling, and it's - it's human-powered. I mean, think about - because...
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: ...the whole slogan, "Red Bull gives you wings.'
HOLMES: Gives you wings.
BOLDUAN: I believe that's what it is. And there you go. It's very ....
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But they're sampling - and you see how this goes. And they have these wacky ideas and - and they're very elaborate in some of these costumes.
BOLDUAN: Look at them.
HOLMES: And what....
BOLDUAN: That's a beer mug.
HOLMES: And you see they don't go far. And the winner this year, he only had to go 54 feet to win. Fifty-four feet is not very far. But they flew 54 feet, and they had, actually, professional engineers and a professional pilot...
BOLDUAN: Mm-hmm. HOLMES: ...on their team. They could only go 54 feet.
BOLDUAN: And I think they - the - the - what you win is actually flying lessons.
HOLMES: Actual lessons.
BOLDUAN: Which is hilarious.
HOLMES: Actual lessons.
But it's always fun video to show.
BOLDUAN: It's fun.
HOLMES: Because that thing didn't fly anywhere, and you can't really test these things ahead of time. So this is your test flight. I don't think anybody was injured this time around. But they have these competitions all over, and this is one in (INAUDIBLE).
BOLDUAN: There should be a CNN...
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: ...go at that, a CNN team.
HOLMES: We had good....
BOLDUAN: With T.J. Holmes sitting in the pilot.
HOLMES: I don't know. Some of our engineers, they can't even get our computers and cameras working sometimes.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: I don't know if I want them to design....
BOLDUAN: Yes, that was great. So if we just go off the air, that's because he just made a lot of people mad.
HOLMES: No, we had some technical issues this weekend.
BOLDUAN: No.
HOLMES: Just kidding, guys. They got it working now.
All right. Sixteen minutes past the hour.
We've got a very cool acts of patriotism. A lot of people are talking about this.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: This one made national headlines.
BOLDUAN: It - it - we're talking about a homeless man in the middle of a rainstorm pays special respect to the American flag. And you're seeing surveillance video right now that caught it. And now people are lining up to pay tribute to him.
You'll want to see this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, 18 minutes past the hour here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. A look at some of the stories making headlines now.
First, out of Afghanistan, nine troops from the international security forces were killed on Saturday; six of those American soldiers. All were killed in separate attacks. The military describes one of them as an accidental explosion.
So back here in the U.S., seeing fresh fallout from Arizona's controversial new immigration-enforcement law, drawing more protests as well. And the latest in Boston. This was yesterday. Demonstrators rallied outside the National Governors Association's meeting with Arizona's Jan Brewer in attendance.
Earlier this week (sic), the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit challenging Arizona's new law, which is set to go into effect a little later this month.
And on the Mediterranean Sea, another possible face-off between Israeli defense forces and another aid flotilla destined for Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry says it expects the latest ship to be diverted and not break its naval blockade of Gaza. That's what happened back in May, when Israeli commandos raided the ship. Nine Turkish activists killed, several Israeli soldiers wounded. The Israeli government was heavily criticized in the aftermath.
Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, MICHAEL ENGLISH, "FREEDOM")
HOLMES: Great story we can bring you on this SUNDAY MORNING. Really caught a lot of people's eye. Has the whole country talking here.
A very simple story, but it was a - a big gesture at the same time.
BOLDUAN: Yes. (INAUDIBLE).
HOLMES: This was great.
BOLDUAN: Simple things can be very big to a lot of people. It had a big impact. It was a simple, unselfish gesture.
You're seeing - you saw some surveillance there. In the middle of the night, during a rainstorm, a homeless man found an American flag that had been blown to the ground in El Paso, Texas. Simple, right?
Well, he picked it up, and carefully folded it in a military fashion. And if it weren't for the surveillance video you're seeing, no one would know about it. A local TV station tracked him down, found him living a nearby warehouse.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUSTUS BOZARTH, RESCUED DOWNED U.S. FLAG: This is more respect of - of folding the flag like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REBECCA OROZCO, METI INC. It was an amazing experience to see that. It was very heartwarming to see that Good Samaritan who was walking around that area at that time of the day in the rain, will come to the rescue of a U.S. flag.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: So people saw that, and a lot of grateful Americans now want to return the favor to Gustus Bozarth for his unselfish act of patriotism.
The Wells Fargo bank in El Paso has set up a special account for him to accept donations.
HOLMES: And I hear reportedly he's getting some job offers as well. But a lot of people reaching out.
And look at that. We almost saw a clip - a snipped of it there. But....
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: But, you know, just somebody walking by, and to think enough of the flag, to have enough respect for it, no matter what, to stop and put it in its proper place. That was awesome.
BOLDUAN: That was awesome.
HOLMES: So glad we could bring you that.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
So something that I also think is awesome...
HOLMES: I think it's awesome.
BOLDUAN: You think it's awesome? (INAUDIBLE).
Thirty-two teams, thirty-one days - the World Cup tournament caught the attention of billions of fans across the globe.
HOLMES: All right. So the final is today. Of course, it's taking place in South Africa. We're going to be live there.
Also, we're going to be live in the two countries of the competing teams. We've got a preview for you coming up.
It's 25 minutes past the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hey there, everybody. We were just saying "ahh" because Kate and I are seeing a lovely shot of Atlanta this morning, and we're going to share it with you now. Right across from where we are...
BOLDUAN: Good morning, Atlanta.
HOLMES: ...in downtown. Yes, Centennial Park. A gorgeous start to the day here in Atlanta, Georgia. I think it's going to be hot one. But still, hot in a lot of places; a lot of places getting a little cooldown.
BOLDUAN: Mm-hmm.
HOLMES: Getting a little relief with the weather.
BOLDUAN: A little relief with the rain.
HOLMES: But a gorgeous picture out of Atlanta, where we are this morning. And glad you all are here with us.
BOLDUAN: Yes, we are. Good morning, everybody.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Like I mentioned, Kate here with us this weekend. Always good to have you.
BOLDUAN: Thank you. (INAUDIBLE).
HOLMES: Let's show you some of the stories making headlines here first of all.
And good news for this country's veterans. New rules going into effect tomorrow are going to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. These rules are going to make it easier for them to get benefits, get counseling.
It had been a bit difficult for them. They were even required, before they got some benefits and counseling, to actually recall specific events and essentially have notes about events that happened to them out on the battlefield. So that's not going to be required. It's not going to be as tough anymore.
And this doesn't just apply to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. It applies to veterans of all wars in this country.
Also, four inches of rain - we were just mentioning this - some places getting relief. But that's something else. That's a little too much relief there.
This was in Boston. You can see some of the mess they have there. But a lot of rain fell. Like I said, four inches. Caused all kinds of problems, including causing problems with their transit system there. Some people had to be rescued as well. Also, in one suburb we can tell you about as well, they saw a good mess of things there as well, and people had to be evacuated, including at the police headquarters even.
Let me give you one more picture here. Fidel Castro. Something we haven't seen in quite some time. We're told this is his first appearance, if you will - public appearance since stepping down as president back in 2006, after he had had intestinal surgery. Now, these pictures coming to us from a pro-government blog and a state-run website. We cannot independently verify when the pictures were taken, but we're told by this website that these pictures were just taken this week.
The president - the former president, who is now 83, is seen here meeting with people at a National Center of Scientific Investigations in Havana - Kate.
BOLDUAN: The latest on the Gulf oil disaster, day 83, we are in and oil flows freely into the Gulf of Mexico as BP prepares the containment cap on that gushing oil well.
The company says it hopes to have the better fitting new cap in place within the next week. Small robots were used to remove six bolts from the old cap so the new cap can be positioned. And we've been seeing in the live video that they're working on it as we speak. The old cap had been diverting 15,000 barrels a day to a ship on the surface. And BP is recovering an additional 8,000 to 9,000 barrels a day through a line connected to another vessel.
So it's believed this is the cap that you're looking at. I think that's not, no, that's not live video. It's believed they're working on the cap now and company officials say the current oil containment work will increase in the coming weeks. A fleet of skimmers will help recover the oil, now making its way to the surface. But the final solution, again, still rests with two relief wells that are being drilled, T.J.
HOLMES: Looking at caps there, we're talking about caps, new cap going to be put in place. Let me bring in our Reynolds Wolf talking to us, live for us in New Orleans.
Reynolds, you were talking about the new cap could be in place today, that doesn't mean it's going to be on top of the gushing well, just means it's going to be down there and ready to be placed. Did I hear you right earlier?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Precisely. When I say it's going to be in place, mostly what we mean it's kind of in a staging area, close by. But it is not going to be on top, actually affixed to it, that is if everything goes as planned, for possibly the next four to seven days. At that point the cap attached to the siphon will draw up that oil all the way to the surface, where it will go to a small flotilla of about four ships, where it will then be able to gather the oil.
Now, when we say "cap", cap sounds like something that's kind of small. This is not small. This is enormous. We're talking about something that weighs 150,000 pounds. This is, I think they call it the Top Hat 10, it will be put in place as I mentioned later on. Before they even get to that point they have to start off with a clean slate. And last night, actually, it was yesterday afternoon at 12:37 Central Time, undersea robots actually kind of cleared things off, started moving some of the equipment. They removed the old cap yesterday. The two-step plan is to remove the old equipment from atop the leak and then they start the process of placing, getting things ready, keeping that slate clean for the new cap to be placed on.
The thing that's big about this, is that this really could make a tremendous difference, because even with the old cap, there was still some spillage, you still had some additional leaking. You still had some issues were you had to use the underwater dispersants to try to keep a lot of that oil down below from going all the way up to the surface. It was never a perfect seal.
This could and should change everything. It will take the vast majority if not all the oil, in theory, up to the surface and to those ships. But As Kate mentioned earlier, and this is really the thing that drives the point home, this will not be over unless we that-not one, but two-relief wells. If they're successful with those, then it will not be any time, hopefully, it will be sometime mid-August, maybe a little bit before. But it looks like August is going to be the time where we can see a definitive end as to when the crisis should really make a turn for the better.
HOLMES: As we know, Reynolds, it has been the fear for so many folks down there, as we keep the live picture up here, the fear was that we're in hurricane season now. You never know what's going to happen. It is expected to be a very active hurricane season. But we had Alex that kind of disrupted things for awhile, but now we are in this important period now to get this new cap on. And maybe Mother Nature, weather, going to cooperate for a few days?
WOLF: It looks that way. Karen Maginnis is going to give you the real particulars on that coming up. You're absolutely right, T.J. We have a little bit of a window where things should be OK for the next seven to 10 days.
But you know, man, you nailed it. When it comes to what's happening in the Gulf of Mexico and when it comes to the weather situation really there is that big connection. I mean, from everything going on with this well to even the testing of the A Whale, the giant skimmer ship that we were talking about yesterday morning. That testing really couldn't go underway last week due to the bad weather. Now they have a break in the weather, so they can test that. And, of course, a break in the weather will allow this procedure to go forward. So again weather certainly a big part of this.
WOLF: All right. Rennie (ph), we appreciate you as always, buddy. Talk to you again soon.
Again, our Reynolds Wolf down there in New Orleans.
WOLF: OK.
BOLDUAN: It is one of the, arguably many would say, the biggest sporting event in the world and today is the big day of the World Cup tournament. The finals are later today in South Africa and fans in Spain and the Netherlands are already gearing up. We're live in each of those countries with all of the fanfare going on right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Apparently this is Kate Bolduan's theme song. She got a little excited. You all weren't able to see it. But trust me, it was interesting.
Then there were two. World Cup wraps up today. Many Americans are relieved they won't have to hear about soccer again for four years until the next World Cup. But folks, really, maybe we will become a soccer nation one day. But you need to stop and be a soccer nation today, because this is a big deal. The World Cup, this is exciting stuff. If you are ever going to watch a soccer match, watch the one today. Spain, the Netherlands, two heavy hitters going at it, at the finals are this is afternoon, but there was a match yesterday.
A lot of people got on to me because I wasn't into the match yesterday because they were fighting to see who was going to be third. Uruguay, Germany went at it. Again, people say this is for pride, but they're fighting for something. It was, compared to most games, this was pretty high scoring, 3-2, Germany picks up third place. So there you go, what do they get? Nothing.
All right, let's turn now-we're going to check in with the teams going to be playing today. We got, of course, you have Spain and you have the Netherlands. We'll take you to both of those spots here in a second, but let's start at the Mecca, right now, of the soccer world and that is-here we are, South Africa. And that is where we find our Isha Sesay, our dear friend is there. Has been there throughout the World Cup.
There she is. Isha, hello. I wasn't being too hard on Americans and soccer there, was I?
ISHA SESAY, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: No, I don't think you were being too hard, T.J. I'm determined to convert you into a soccer lover even if it kills me. So I have some work to do obviously.
I am here at Soccer City Stadium where the final will be played between the Netherlands and Spain. It is a magnificent stadium. The gates are still closed, however, as kickoff is still well over seven hours away. After 63 matches it is down to this, this great final, that so many people are looking forward to.
As kickoff is some hours away as you would expect there aren't that many fans around but there are some Spain and Netherlands fans kicking around wearing their colors. And just before you came to me, T.J., we had some fans, you know, yelling in the background. So, I'm prepared for a lot of that today as I'm going to be down here with all the fans.
As you would expect there are also a lot of security personnel around for an event of this magnitude, you'd expect a tight security cordon and that will be in place today. We expect nearby roads to be closed down. And know they've already been having a security briefing.
But really, T.J., the atmosphere is going to build up to this massive party. I know you like to party. You're going to miss a good one here in South Africa, T.J.
HOLMES: OK, well if all it takes to convert me to soccer is that we're going to party, then I'm sold. But who do you think will be better represented at the game today? Will it will be more Spain fans, more of the Netherlands fans?
SESAY: I think, bearing in mind I've been around a fair amount in South Africa during the tournament. I have spent some time with the Dutch fans, they have a very large contingent here on the ground. And T.J., talking about people who know how to party, these people know how to party. They're actually getting on a train a short time from now. A train that they've chartered for the event, bringing them from Pretoria to Johannesburg, so they can all come down, dressed in their orange and their clogs and their orange wigs. I think you'll see a healthy turnout by the Dutch on this day, T.J.
HOLMES: Well, we look forward to you coming back and teaching us what you learned from the Dutch, who know how to party. Isha, my dear friend, always good to see you, dear lady. We look forward to having you back in Atlanta.
We turn now to Spain. They've never won the big dance either, even though they've been a powerhouse in the world of soccer for years and years and years. Still never won the World Cup before. Our CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman is there.
They have waiting a long time for this party, Al. Are they ready?
AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: They are definitely ready, T.J. This is the first time Spain has ever gotten into the final of the World Cup. And the Spanish prime minister says this is the most glorious day in a long history of Spanish soccer.
The nation's leading newspaper says the country is at a standstill, but we have found that not quite to be the case. We've seen a lot of people heading to the bars to have a drink before they watch this match. And where I'm standing they are setting up four big screens right here in the center of Madrid. Later this day there will be tens of thousands of people watching this game which comes at a difficult time for Spain, it's got a deep recession; 20 percent unemployment, the highest among the countries that use the euro as their currency. But people have become happy all of the sudden. They're out, they're spending, they're buying flags, which are hanging all over their country. They're buying shirts for their Rojas, which is the red team, out there on the field. And generally they feel they have a pretty good chance of beating the Dutch side, the Holland side. Although they've got a lot of respect for them, they know it will not be easy. But this country is really into a big fiesta, T.J.
HOLMES: A big fiesta, we can hear the music going there around you. We're sure that street will be packed. And we'll check in with you later today. So, good to see you. Thanks so much. Yes, Spain has to get by a pretty formidable opponent. If you have not been watching, the Dutch are on a 25-game winning streak coming into this. They are unbeaten in the World Cup. They've actually not just had draws in this thing, like a lot of other teams, coming through. They're actually 6-0, they have won every game. CNN's Diana Magnay in Amsterdam for us today.
And I'm sure, you are going to be surrounded by a sea of orange, as always. Hello to you.
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, T.J. Well, I absolutely am going to be surrounded by a sea of orange. As you said, the Dutch fans really do know how to party. There are already people here at the Museums Plain, which is the main viewing area in Amsterdam. And there are expected to be around 200,000 people here later on. They will be covered in wigs, hats, even glasses like this one, these are my favorite gear.
But just to look around, you'll see a bit of the preparation going on. There are five huge screens going to be erected for the fans, 200,000 people in this whole area. They've been building this site for 24 hours. I don't know if you can make out that on that building over there, you'll see the queen's granddaughter with an orange vuvuzela. It will be a very, very exciting atmosphere.
As you said, you know, Holland, this is the third time they'll have been in a World Cup final and they have never won it before. They've lost two World Cup finals, in 1974 and in 1978, and so they're hoping that this time around they make it.
And you know what, the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, has said he thinks the Netherlands are going to win. So we'll have to see if he's right, T.J.
HOLMES: We'll see if he's right. He also said he's not too good about predictions, at the same time. All right, Diana Magnay for us there, in Amsterdam. Thanks to Al Goodman as well, standing by in Madrid, Spain, and of course, Isha Sesay, who has been reporting for us the whole time in South Africa. Guys thank you so much. We're looking forward to it, a little later today.
Kate, can you imagine our day is going to come one day here in the U.S. where we are all gathered around the TVs watching the U.S. team go for a World Cup championship. And we could have that excitement as well. It's going to happen.
BOLDUAN: Until then, I'll take either the Spain assignment, the Johannesburg assignment, or the Amsterdam assignment.
HOLMES: Not bad gigs, but you have the Atlanta assignment right now, Kate.
BOLDUAN: But I love the Atlanta assignment.
HOLMES: All right.
BOLDUAN: I love the Atlanta assignment.
OK, moving on. Looking at artwork that looks right back at you, take a look at this giant eyeball in Chicago. The back story of this interesting piece of art, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: I love this. Here is a staring contest you won't win even if you're fabulous at it and very determined, a giant 30-foot eyeball in downtown Chicago.
HOLMES: I don't get this.
BOLDUAN: I think it's awesome.
HOLMES: It's a piece of art.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: I'm not, I'll admit I am not sophisticated enough to understand art. I just don't sometimes. But this is a blue eye. It's modeled after the artist's own eyeball.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: Apparently fiberglass panels on this thing, attached to a steel frame. We don't know, but you were saying they have had stuff like this in Chicago before.
BOLDUAN: Right, they had The Bean in Chicago. I saw The Bean in Chicago. I loved that.
HOLMES: Just a big bean?
BOLDUAN: It's like consumer art. You don't have to pay to go in and see it. It is right there for you. I don't know if it is-I have no idea if it is the same artist. I just know it was equally as massive.
HOLMES: I don't get it. You are all making me feel crazy this morning. Because I don't get it.
BOLDUAN: What?
HOLMES: Karen, can you help me?
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm an old eyeballs pieces of art go, to drywall, or storage or something? Where do they put that?
BOLDUAN: Who is going to purchase that? That's a good point.
HOLMES: That thing is huge
BOLDUAN: Where does it go next? We will find out.
MAGINNIS: Exactly.
BOLDUAN: What's going on, Karen?
(WEATHER REPORT)
BOLDUAN: No flight delays, please.
HOLMES: No flight delays. You had issues yesterday but made it here.
BOLDUAN: Everyone's like, get over it, Kate.
HOLMES: No, we're not. That's difficult. You had to be here at a certain time.
BOLDUAN: We're over it.
HOLMES: We're OK. She's rested.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: Stay with us here on CNN this week. Did you realize it has now been six months since that devastating earthquake in Haiti? Here's a look at the recovery, the philanthropy expert says U.S. relief organizations raised almost $1.3 billion. That is almost as much as was raised in 2004 for the tsunami that hit Indonesia. But the editor of the "Chronicle of Philanthropy" says much of the money has not been spent. Access to health care has improved, but we're told more permanent medical facilities are needed. About 60 percent of the country's hospitals collapsed in the quake, thousands of people still homeless, living in makeshift tents and tarp shelters.
Meanwhile, we have some special coverage coming up this week on the efforts there. Our Anderson Cooper going one on one with the former President Bill Clinton and U.S. envoy to Haiti, that is tomorrow night 10:00 o'clock Eastern. Only right here on CNN.
BOLDUAN: And Congress returns to Washington after a week off with a lot of issues awaiting them as always. A look at the political week ahead coming up next. Stay with us.
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HOLMES: About six minutes to the top of the hour. We've been keeping an eye on this live picture that has been changing throughout the night. It has been an active weekend down there in the Gulf. This is, again, a live picture, this is a big weekend because the cap is being removed and a new cap being put on that oil gusher down there in the Gulf of Mexico. They're doing this because they're putting on this other cap that will have a tighter seal, allow them to siphon up more oil.
We know the cap is off now. And as it's off, more oil is gushing into the Gulf. We can't describe to you exactly what you're seeing in front of you, but you can see as we are seeing, that it is quite frankly very active down there. We can see the robotic arms that are working to do this. Now, that is clearly back to the main part of the well where the oil is gushing. Again the other cap is now off, so more oil is starting to flow unabated into the Gulf than had been in previous weeks with the cap on. But again, the point of this is to get another cap on to allow them to siphon up more oil.
This picture continues to change. This live picture, but it's obvious a lot of activity, a lot of work going on in the Gulf right now. We will keep a close, close eye on this, of course, throughout the weekend and in the coming days.
A lot of people are, in fact, keeping an eye on this, but it's going to be an important week in other areas as well. Of course, the president has been, and the government, and BP, a lot of people, but how does politics play into all of this, this week?
BOLDUAN: Right, right, right. A big week for politics as well. Let's get an update from CNN's Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser, with the week ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning, Kate, T.J.
Congress is coming back to town after a week-long break for the Fourth of July. Lawmakers have a lot on their plates with most of the action in the Senate; among the unfinished business, extended unemployment benefits for Americans who are out of work, trying to pass the Wall Street and financial reform bill, advancing the clean energy and climate change bill and voting on Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court.
We can also get news this week of a temporary replacement for the late Senator Robert Byrd, who died two weeks ago. And we may find out if a special election will take place to fill his seat this November or in two years.
Our Ed Henry reports that President Barack Obama is most likely to host congressional leaders from both parties at the White House this week to try and find common ground on top issues. Thursday the president travels to Michigan for a clean energy event. And the end of the week Senator John McCain facing a primary threat from the right, as he runs for re-election this year. He debates the challengers, former congressman and radio talk show host J.D. Hayworth-Kate, T.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: A lot going on this week in politics.
HOLMES: As always up there in D.C., you don't get a down day, really.
BOLDUAN: No. A lot of news always going on.
HOLMES: Always going on. And we've got a lot going on this morning as well. It is just a few minutes to the top of the hour. A quick break and we're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hey there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING for July the 11th. This is World Cup final day.
Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BOLDUAN: And I'm Kate Bolduan. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.
It is 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta and 1:00 in the afternoon in Johannesburg, South Africa -- keeping a close eye on the World Cup as well as on the Gulf this morning as always.
Right now, nearly a mile underwater, robots are working to replace the cap of that leaking -- the cap from that leaking oil well. Until it's replaced, oil is spewing into the Gulf, a lot of oil that unfortunately -- and we got a live update on that, straight ahead.
HOLMES: Also today, you won't see a day like this again for another four years, when the next World Cup comes along. But the final is today -- the U.S., one day, we will have this day -- but today is the day for Spain and the Netherlands. We are checking in, in both places as they gear up for a big party in both spots. Stay here with us.
(MUSIC)
BOLDUAN: Let's get a check of your top stories this morning.
New rules take effect tomorrow to help vets with PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, rules will make it easier to get their benefits, benefits and counseling and things that they really need. This covers all veterans, not just those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Critics are calling the current rules too complicated, too time- consuming. We've heard a lot of those complaints in the past when it comes to veterans and getting their benefits.
Also, heavy rain up to four inches, it caused flash flooding in Boston metro area, seeing some video from yesterday, complicating -- obviously, making it difficult for traffic, slowing traffic down, stranding some drivers. Several cars were even submerged at one underpass. Drivers had to be rescued in that situation. And in one suburb, the water forced police to evacuate their headquarters.
And some new pictures of Fidel Castro -- we haven't seen him in a long time. These appearing on a pro-government blog on a state-run Web site. The former Cuban president is 83.
He is seen here meeting at the National Center of Scientific Investigations in Havana, as reported by this Web site. They say, the Web site -- we have not been able to verify when these photos were taken -- but according to the Web site, he was out making a rare public appearance earlier this week. We haven't seen him making a public appearance since stepping town in 2006. HOLMES: Well, here we are now on day 83 of the Gulf oil disaster, and things are happening -- which we can see from the live pictures. Now, we have had these live pictures for some time now and usually, the picture you see is of the well itself and you see oil gushing into the Gulf. Well, the pictures have been changing a lot in the past 24 hours because there's a lot of activity going on down there.
This is a live picture. You can't necessarily make out that well -- exactly what's happening and what you're seeing. We have seen throughout the morning, robotic arms, you can see over in this corner here, still oil gushing in the area.
But they are moving the cameras around because they are doing some work. They have taken one cap off and they're going to put another cap that's going to be on and have a tighter seal.
So, let me walk you through here with the time line we're going to see in the next several hours and several days. Installation of this better fitting cap, if is going on as planned, we're told, this could be done within the next several days. That is the estimation -- maybe sometime this week. They're using these small robots right now to try to adjust this thing.
And again, we're talking about 5,000 feet below the surface, a mile down below the surface of the water, so it's very tricky, tedious work to have to navigate, to try to control a little robot when you're up on the surface and this is going on down below. Company officials say the current oil containment work will increase in the coming weeks as well.
Here is a picture, one of those containment caps we're talking about. They had to take one off and they're going to put another on. This is one that was taken off, going to be taken back up to the surface. Still, when they get done with all of this work, they do believe once this is done, this new cap and also another ship is in place this week, they will be collecting just about all of the oil that's estimated to come out.
This is not the permanent solution, mind you, this is just something that can still keep the oil from coming out, the permanent solution still rests with those two relief wells that are still being built in the Gulf -- we are told they could be ready by the end of this month, late this month or sometime in August -- Kate.
BOLDUAN: And with oil gushing into the Gulf once again, and free flowing into the Gulf, really, here's what some people are wondering: is it worth the risk to the environment to remove the old cap, to wait -- while they're waiting to replace it with another one?
Joining me to kind of break this all down right now is -- on BP's latest containment operation is professor emeritus, Ed Overton, of Louisiana State University's Department of Environmental Sciences.
Ed, thank you so much for joining us.
What do you think of this latest effort by BP? They're calling it, you know, this two-pronged approach but it's risky. Do you think this risk is worth it, because they'll be able to contain more oil if this cap works or should BP just simply have waited for those relief wells to be completed?
ED OVERTON, LSU PROFESSOR EMERITUS: Well, I think it's worth it certainly. Remember, you're not only going to cap -- catch more oil but you're also going to stop using dispersants at depths. So, you're getting two, if all this works. So, we'll know if it works in the next two or three days.
You can look at the video and see how much has to be done and the views are not very easy, it's obstructed by all the oil. So, it's an incredibly difficult procedure, that's where the risk is, it's in the unknown. I'm sure that they've planned all of the contingencies.
But when things don't go right, what do you do, a bolt doesn't come off, you know, things like that. So -- and an awful lot of oil is going straight into the Gulf now.
Understand that they've ramped up their skimming capability at the surface. So that's very good because the more oil going into the Gulf, they need to really try to remove that oil before it gets to the coastline.
BOLDUAN: We were just talking about the dispersants there. I mean, in addition to the concerns over dispersants you have oil free-flowing once again into the Gulf. What concerns for the -- what environmental concerns do you have, you know, now that we're in day 83, where are we in terms of the effect of all of this still on the environment down there?
OVERTON: Well, the effect of all of this oil is just incredible. I mean, you've got really -- on several different spills, you've got a deep sub-surface spill, some of that oil doesn't ever get to the surface. It stays down in the water column. It serves as food for bacteria that can use up oxygen. So, there's a concern about oxygen depletion and the toxic effect on the juvenile species of a lot of the marine organisms.
When the oil gets to the surface, of course, it's being -- some of it is being skimmed, some of it is being burned. But a lot of it is being dispersed on the surface. That gets oil down in the water column.
CNN has been running some beautiful pictures, taken by divers that were down in the subsurface -- looking at that greenish color and that is dispersed oil. That's exactly what happens when oil is dispersed, goes down in the water column. Of course, animals that swim in it are exposed to oil, but it does help the oil be removed by bacteria. So that's why you disperse the oil, you keeping it from getting onshore.
So, you have to kind of hold your nose and accept damage in one section of the environment to try to protect the other. So, this is an incredible amount of potential damage that could be done. The sooner we stop this well, the sooner the environment can start to recover. BOLDUAN: That's -- that's exactly -- that's exactly right and a very good point. You said hold your nose but you also have to cross your fingers, because with -- trying to get this thing capped and finally, you know, get that bottom kill method done, get that done, we've got a lot of people wondering what are the unknowns, can they pull this off.
Ed Overton of Louisiana State University -- thank you so much for joining us this early in the morning.
OVERTON: Thank you. Good morning.
BOLDUAN: T.J.?
HOLMES: All right, Kate. Well, they're wondering if a hometown boy can help cash-strapped Gulf Coast businesses hobbled by the disaster. We're going to find out tonight as Jimmy Buffett headlines a benefit concert on an Alabama Beach.
CNN's Reynolds Wolf is joining us once again from New Orleans.
Reynolds, hello to you once again. A lot of people are trying to help out and maybe Jimmy Buffett can do it.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Maybe so. The man from Mississippi, he spent a lot of time in Alabama, actually learned how to play three strings at Auburn University -- War Eagle, thank you very much.
He is going to have a concert tonight. And, you know, he's just doing everything he can, as well as many other people, trying to give the Gulf of Mexico or at least a lot of the five states that border the Gulf a shot in the arm in terms of tourism.
We've seen some numbers really down in a lot of places. Last weekend, we're in Gulf Shores, where there were a lot of hotels that were not filled to capacity on the Fourth of July weekend, which was the big, big weekend.
But when you look at the Gulf Coast, you look at Texas, when you look at Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida -- a lot of places have been really down on their luck, with one shining exception, that happens to be near in New Orleans. And we spoke with someone yesterday morning, Ti Martin, who actually work -- has a business right here in New Orleans and she said that things here have been different, very successful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TI MARTIN, NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANT OWNER: We're on a roll. We just had a sold out Essence Festival, Jazz Fest was fantastic.
Coming up shortly, we have the Tales of the Cocktail Convention, typical New Orleans. We have a convention for cocktails. It's fabulous, you should come.
But, really, I don't want to make light of the oil spill because it's scaring us to death. But so far, things are good. Last night, I'm eating seafood in my restaurant. It is amazing.
WOLF: Well, how do you attribute that success though? Because we've seen communities like Gulf Shores, Alabama, we've seen places like Biloxi, where there are fewer people and they're hurting -- yet still, the people continue to pile into New Orleans.
MARTIN: Right. Well, there are so many misperceptions, you say, Gulf Shores and these areas, some of them are right on the coast. That's water but that's not a beach. That would be the mighty Mississippi right behind us and don't go swimming in there, OK?
But what's happened to us is things here are not like it. The misperception is that there's oil, you know, dripping off the balconies in the French Quarter. The only oil in New Orleans is on the marinated crab salad at Commander's Palace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: Ti Martin is co-proprietor at Commander's Palace here in New Orleans. And she's absolutely right. You know, we actually tried some of the oysters just last night, I supposed a few other things and things are pretty good, to tell you the truth, things are just fine.
But that being said, T.J., you actually featured a few weeks back some of the issues that we've seen and with a lot of these oyster houses closing down, some of these places desperately hurting. But, you know, they're doing the very best they can to keeping spirits high. And New Orleans, thankfully, is doing very well -- T.J.
HOLMES: Yes. It's not matter necessarily that they're pulling out bad food from the Gulf, it's that as a precaution, the government is shutting down some of these fishing waters and some of these restaurants just don't have the food coming in to them anymore. And something great that Ms. Martin said yesterday, if you come down to the New Orleans or the Gulf and you don't have a good time, something is wrong with you. So, we know nothing's wrong with you. It sounds like you guys have been tasting the local fare there, Reynolds.
WOLF: Absolutely. You bet.
HOLMES: All right, buddy, we will talk to you again real soon.
Our Reynolds Wolf in New Orleans for us -- Kate.
BOLDUAN: It will be a rare sight in the sky in just a few hours and a beautiful sight -- a solar eclipse but not everyone will be able to see it. We'll explain. Stay with us.
It's 11 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: OK. That's a great shot.
BOLDUAN: And no, this is not fake.
HOLMES: This is really -- it does. It looks that great.
This is in New Orleans, folks, that is just across the Mississippi there. The sun is coming up and when it starts to peek out, it's probably 90 degrees there now. They don't lay in New Orleans.
But that was our Reynolds Wolf that went past the camera. But that's --
BOLDUAN: Blocking your view.
HOLMES: Yes, the lovely view there. But my goodness, that's great. You look at the city, you wouldn't think a thing was going on, a thing was looming down on the folks in the Gulf Coast. But we know what's happening, but still, a beautiful shot and still a beautiful city.
BOLDUAN: A beautiful way to wake up.
HOLMES: Yes, it is.
BOLDUAN: Wake up!
HOLMES: And good morning to you all. A lot of people are going to have that sun blocked out today.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: We're going to see a very rare total solar eclipse. It's going to take place around 2:15 Eastern Time. That's going to be right around the same time of the World Cup championship today.
BOLDUAN: So which one do you watch?
HOLMES: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: Just kidding.
This is -- what you're looking at, these are images from a 2009 solar eclipse in India which is the moon will cover the sun but only for about five minutes. So, don't blink. But you will have to be in the Cook Islands, Tahiti and Easter Island to get the best view, unfortunately.
HOLMES: Somebody is not going to get that message and somebody's going to go outside today here in the U.S. and just check. You're not going to be able to see it here folks, sorry.
BOLDUAN: What was she thinking? I don't know.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: So, let's take to you now to Boston, where they are watching for rain this morning -- two to four inches fell yesterday, causing some sporadic flash floods.
HOLMES: Karen Maginnis, good morning to you.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
HOLMES: Relief now -- people wanting relief from the heat up in the Northeast last week. Now, they want relief from some of this rain pouring down on them.
MAGINNIS: Yes, as a matter of fact, we've got some pictures out of Boston, not just Boston but also into Cambridge, there were a lot of rescues from cars, because of all the severe flooding.
Let's show you the pictures from there. Yes, this collects especially in some of those underpasses that they have in Boston, between two and four inches of rainfall fell.
But today is a much better day. You'll stay cloudy. It will be a little bit breezy.
But the frontal system that produced all that is now moving off the eastern seaboard. In its wake, we're looking at much better conditions than the triple digits we've seen for so long. Now those temperatures in the 80s -- upper 80s. So, it's still sultry outside.
Strong thunderstorms also expected across Midwest and that's where we're seeing it this morning. If you're wondering about the temperatures into the Pacific Northwest, we'll see around 80 degrees for Seattle but these temperatures creep up a couple of degrees over the next several days.
So, Kate and T.J., it looks like the hot weather continues along the Gulf Coast with heat advisories. It's going to feel like 105 in New Orleans.
HOLMES: Oh my goodness gracious! All right, heat's one thing, that's dangerous heat.
MAGINNIS: It is, truly is. Yes.
HOLMES: All right. Karen, thank you so much. We'll talk to you again here shortly.
Well, he was instrumental in bringing the World Cup to South Africa, that's just his latest accomplishment.
BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Nelson Mandela led the fight for equality in that country and now represents the special spirit of that African nation.
Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, South Africa once again in the spotlight, and loving it. BOLDUAN: Loving it.
HOLMES: A lot of people have been watching, seeing some of the most beautiful stadiums in the world in this World Cup. The entire world, of course, is watching. The first World Cup ever held on African soil has been a huge success and the exposure could work wonders for South Africa's image.
But none of this may have been possible without influence former South African president, Nelson Mandela. Now, you know that name. You know some of the accomplishments from over time, but yes, he had a hand in this as well.
BOLDUAN: Yes. Absolutely. And CNN's Nadia Bilchik has the story of the political prisoner who became a national treasure and international icon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: South Africans have a special spirit. They call it "ubuntu" in the African language. Of course, it means humanity towards others. We've seen that spirit in full display over the last few weeks of World Cup soccer.
Sadly age and a family tragedy had kept Nelson Mandela away from the games, but without a doubt, it is Mandela's ubuntu that has brought one of the world's premier sporting events to Africa for the first time. And it is leadership that steer South Africa away from the depravity and violence of apartheid, segregation, into a democratic country, strong and stable enough to rise to the challenge.
Madiba, as he is fondly known, grew up herding cattle for his father, the chief of a rural village. He ran away to Johannesburg as a young man allegedly to escape an arranged marriage. There, he fulfilled his dream of studying law and in 1983, joined the ANC, the African National Congress. As one of the anti-apartheid organization's leaders, Mandela spearheaded boycotts, strikes and civil disobedience campaigns to bring about freedom for black people.
When the ANC was banned in 1960, Mandela went underground and helped formed Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC. Though an advocate of non-violence, Mandela believed the apartheid government's actions left the African people no choice.
(voice-over): He was arrested 1962 and two years later, sentence to life in prison. During the long years of incarceration, the country hovered many times on the brink of violent revolution. The apartheid government clamped down with an iron fist, arresting, detaining and killing those who fought for freedom. All the time Mandela's commitment never faltered.
Mandela was eventually released and walked out of prison on February 11th, 1990. He became president of South Africa's fledgling democracy in 1994. Today, 16 years since its first democratic elections, South Africa still faces serious challenges -- amongst them, crime and poverty. But South Africans also have that special spirit of ubuntu and anyone who's been watching the World Cup over the last few weeks can testify that Nelson Mandela's dream of a rainbow nation has largely come true.
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HOLMES: All right. Well, it's 21 minutes past the hour.
And straight ahead: we got a way for to you make a living -- if you like dangerous driving. Stick around for this.
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MELISSA DAWN JOHNSON, BRANDMELIVE.COM: Good morning, and welcome to another beautiful day. This is Melissa Dawn Johnson, your global branding and personal transformation strategist, and this is your morning motivation.
Well, working hard has its place, but when you work so hard that you become overwhelmed, guess what? You're in the danger zone. You actually are becoming more detrimental to your success. Yes, when we push ourselves beyond our limitations, we actually are minimizing our ability to be effective at living life.
So, you might say what's the remedy? Listen, get lost. I'm serious, get lost in order to find yourself. Getting outside, taking a walk, maybe getting an afternoon massage or a matinee will help you stay motivated and balanced on the journey of life.
Please, share your story with me of how you're managing life's challenges and staying motivated every step of the way at Brandmelive.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Until next week, make every single day brand-tastic.
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HOLMES: All right. We have this song and this story for our resident race car driver here, Kate Bolduan.
BOLDUAN: Aspiring.
HOLMES: A lot of people, and you're a fan, you saw this, what, yesterday?
BOLDUAN: I was.
HOLMES: You're watching "Fast and the Furious." A lot of people have seen that, and this is just that, the drifting, we call it.
BOLDUAN: Yes. These days, they're professional, semiprofessional drift races and they're popping up all over the country.
And on CNN.com, a story about a young man trying to make it as a pro. He's been picked up by an organization that has all the trappings of NASCAR. One of the perks? Free tires.
HOLMES: Those things are expensive.
BOLDUAN: Yes, they are.
HOLMES: You wouldn't believe how much these things cost on these race cars. But a drift car can you go through a set of tires in three laps, that's a big deal. And, again, you're not racing across some finish line, you see, you're getting style lines for how long and how far you can drift. Do not try that when you go out today, you will have a problem.
BOLDUAN: It's not our fault.
HOLMES: Also -- yes, a disclaimer.
Also, this weekend, as we go racing here, "24 Hours of LeMons" is what it's called. This is a race they're having in Colorado. Please, Kate, explain this.
BOLDUAN: I know. Exactly. It's really kind of -- described like as an endurance race for junk cars. Rules of this race? Cars can't be worth more than $500, safety improvements don't count, drivers sit in a cage, wear helmets, drive all day. Well, at least until they can and the car that finishes the most laps wins $1,500.
HOLMES: In nickels. Seriously. All right. But you get the idea there.
That is our racing segment. We are going to be back at the top of the hour with more of your top stories on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
BOLDUAN: But, first, "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." begins right now.
