Russia: Spy Swapping Deal Possible
PHILLIPS: Scanning your morning passport this morning in France, Manuel Noriega sentenced to seven years in prison. Just add money launderer to the long list of labels, which includes dictator, drug trafficker and CIA asset. Noriega was also fined nearly $3 million, which is the total that he was accused of laundering through French banks. A strange thing happened when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Obama yesterday. He arrived in Washington, but guns belonging to his security agents didn't. Now, both Israeli and U.S. authorities are investigating. We're talking about four 9 mm Glock handguns. WNBC News reports that the handguns were mistakenly put on an American Airlines flight from New York to L.A., not Washington. But by the time the luggage was found, the guns had disappeared. A case of espionage that gets better than fiction. Remember the band of 10 suspected spies arrested late month and this sultry stunner who you can see more of, if you get my drift, on the Internet. Well, there's talk that Russia is willing to swap a spy that it has for one of those alleged deep-cover agents. CNN's international correspondent, Matthew Chance, is joining us now from Moscow with more -- Matthew.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, thanks so much. That's right. It's a new twist in this U.S./Russia spy scandal. What we're hearing from this prisoner in Russia, he was convicted of espionage, passing secrets to the United States back in 2004. He's told his relatives and his lawyers that he has been given every indication by the Russian security officials that he's been speaking to, that he is part of a prisoner swap deal that could see 11 people being held in Russian jails for spying for the United States and Britain exchange for those 10 detainees being held for -- as part of that suspected spy ring in the United States. The exchange, he says, could happen very soon, possibly as early as tomorrow. Of course, there's no confirmation of this yet either from Russian officials or from U.S. officials. But it would be, of course, a big twist -- an important twist -- in this ongoing spy saga, Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: All right. Matthew Chance, thanks so much. Well, it's day 79 of the Gulf oil disaster. Weather, a cause of concern now for the Coast Guard. It's closely watching a system near the Yucatan Peninsula. High seas continue to hamper cleanup efforts. And this is some disheartening news, to say the least: Bob Dudley, BP's chief of Gulf Coast restoration, says it's a reality now that those relief wells may not work. On PBS' "NewsHour" yesterday, Dudley admits that BP, along with the government, is exploring at least two other options now. Also, a new ship aimed at sucking more oil from the gushing well has been delayed, so as the arrival of a navy blimp that will be used to detect oil and direct skimming ships. They're cleaning up parts of Oklahoma City today. Heavy raining yesterday in Oklahoma City swamped streets, flooded homes and businesses. And emergency crews were called in to try to rescue trapped residents. In a casino in El Reno, Oklahoma, two workers were injured when strong winds collapsed a concrete tent that they were setting up, or concert tent rather that they were setting up. That accident forced the casino to cancel last night's concert featuring rock guitarist Peter Frampton. And in the Northeast, the story is blistering heat, record- breaking hot weather blamed for at least one death in Philly. More heat is on tap today, too. Let's go straight to Rob Marciano at the CNN weather center for more. Rob, it's not looking so good.</s>MARCIANO: No. When you look at some of these numbers that came in yesterday for record high temperatures, in Baltimore 105, 104 in Trenton, Central Park, 103. And remember, these temperatures are measured in the shade and they don't include humidity. So, if you're working outside in the sun and you coupled in humidity, it feels much, much warmer than that, dangerously warm in some cases. Where are we right now? We are at 92 degrees in New York City, 92 degrees in D.C. And already, 93 degrees in Richmond and we're not even at the lunch hour. So, that gives you an idea of just how incredibly warm things are at the moment. So, what's causing all this and will we see any sort of relief going forward as far as the overall weather pattern? The hot air, the core of it is over Delmarva right now, and that will slide a little bit further to the south. But, again, heat indices, what it feels like on you're body and inside, 100 -- at least 105 and again, in the hot sun, and if you're doing a sort of outdoor activity, that's going to feel worse than that. The core of the heat will begin to slide a little bit farther to the south over the next couple of days. So, we'll see slow moderation of this. But still today, I don't think it's going to be cooler as far as what it feels like. New York to Philly to D.C., and even spots back towards the west, these heat advisories and warnings through the Ohio River Valley and Tennessee Valley and then back through parts of the western Great Lakes, this thing is beginning to get a little bit to more dicey. We mention the showers and storms. Across parts of the mid- south and Oklahoma City and plains, they're around flash flood watch again today. How much warmer do we think it's going to be later this afternoon? Ninety-nine degrees is the record high -- is the forecast high, 98 is the record, 101 expected for a forecast in Philadelphia, and 100 expected -- 101 expected in D.C. I want to point out one thing here -- here's what's going on in the tropics. You know, of course, we had Alex last week. This is what could be our next storm, which would be Bonnie. Right now, the center of it is just about to emerge into the Gulf of Mexico. And you can kind of see back the last couple of frames here, some flare-up of thunderstorms yet. So, this is not anything yet. It's just a disturbance. It could become our next tropical depression, which could become our next tropical storm. It's forecast track is somewhere in this general direction. How strong it gets, we'll just have to wait and see. At the moment, it doesn't appear like it's going to become a hurricane or at least a strong one. But, as you know, Kyra, these things certainly bear watching this time of year.</s>PHILLIPS: Yes. And the Coast Guard keeping a close eye on it, too -- the cleanup efforts. Thanks, Rob.</s>MARCIANO: You bet.</s>PHILLIPS: Reused colonoscopy equipment -- our vets deserved much better than that. Not being told about it for a year? That's right. Dozens of our vets put at risk for HIV and hepatitis, and they're just now learning about it.