jeffrey kofman has the latest from the mountains of chile. >> reporter: again today, the families were lighting candles and saying prayers for the 33 husbands, fathers and sons they have not seen for three weeks. this makeshift community at the gates of the mine overthrows with shrines and signs honoring the miners trapped half a mile below the surface here. today, we learned those men have been told the sobering news, that getting them out is not going to be easy or fast. >> for the first time, we talked to them yesterday about the time frame that is involved in this rescue operation. that, as you may know, is three-month period, 90 days. beginning from now. >> reporter: this woman's husband raul is one of those miners. she waited for 17 days to find out if he was alive. she is undeterred. "yes, i can wait here for months," she says. "the miners can survive, too. they are strong. i came here to bring my husband home." she sent a letter down to her husband, he wrote back, "you know that the words that you sent me made me cry. well, i don't know how to tell you that they're always with

as jeffrey kofman now reports. >> reporter: fasten your seat belt. adjust your seat backs to the upright position. and make sure you've got some spare change. >> attention, all term names. spirit is now boarding to new york. >> reporter: welcome aboard spirit the pairline that calls itself the ultra low cost carrier of the americas. taking cheap to new heights. and new lows. like this not so subtle commercial. >> dude, there's no way your mom is cheating on your dad. >> that wasn't joe, was it? >> yeah, that was your son. >> reporter: you think that's low? spirit airlines fees are even lower. now, you can fly for as low as $1 each way. >> reporter: how do they do it? they squeeze every penny out of every airplane. >> this is an airbus 319. we outfit it with -- >> reporter: how many seats do others put in? >> about 126. >> reporter: that is ben baldanza, a man who believes passengers will sacrifice a lot to save a lot. when he took over the struggling airline called spirit and gave it, well, a new spirit. >> the way we like to think of it is, the bigg

jeffrey kofman reports. >> reporter: astonishing first images of those 33 chilean miners, trapped by a cave-in more than three weeks ago. it's like nothing ever seen before. video of what it's like to be trapped half a mile under ground. a minicamera was lowered into the mine by a bore hole by the chilean government, giving the world these pictures. the grainy images allowed relatives of the trapped miners to see and hear from them. but it also allowed men to show doctors on the surface, any injuries they might have. the video broadcast across chile, shows the trapped men in remarkably good spirits. at one point, the miners are seen singing chile's national anthem and yelling, long live chile and long live the miners. the men have been trapped since august 5th.en told ththey've be rescue could take a very long time. they may be stuck in these primitive conditions for three months or more, while a rescue shaft is drilled to free them. jeffrey kofman, abc news, santiago. >>> former president jimmy carter is on his way back to the u.s. this morning with the american teacher imprisoned i

jeffrey kofman, abc news, chile. >>> the withdrawal of u.s.ombat troops has triggered a new wave of deadly rebel attacks across iraq. at least 56 people were killed in more than 2 dozen coordinated bombings, targeting iraqi soldiers and policemen. iraqi officials believe insurgents will be stepping up attacks to test the strength of the security forces. >>> the pentagon says a foreign spy agency has pulled off the most serious breech of defensive computer departmentments ever. investigators believe hackers inserted a flash drive into a military laptop. a malicious code on the flash drive spread through classified and unclassified pentagon systems. >>> as part of its labor day crackdown on drunk driving, the government has released some shocking figures. more than 17 million americans admit they've driven drunk at least once in the past year. another 8% say they got a ride from a driver they thought was drunk. the government is now launching a $13 million campaign to publicize increased enforcement for the long holiday weekend. >>> well, actres

jeffrey kofman looked into this for us. he's in buras, louisiana. >> reporter: that didn't take long. just days after much of the louisiana fishery was reopened, the crab nets are full. any sign of oil on these? >> nope. none. >> reporter: there were no massive fish kills. test after test is finding gulf seafood is perfectly safe. the only incidents of oil we've heard of are a few isolated oyster beds, which is why most of the fisheries that were closed have reopened or will soon. we first met cindy and henry in june when they were delivering one of their last shrimp catches to the processor. shrimp season could resume this week. they told us today they are ready, but they are worried. >> if the perception of the shrimp being tainted doesn't change, i don't know. >> reporter: if the people see it back on the shelves, will they buy it? >> i wouldn't risk it with me or my children. not now. >> reporter: josh smith runs a fishing lodge on the mississippi. his customers are calling to see if he's open, but they are tentative. >

i'm jeffrey kofman in ft. lauderdale. >> they take that cost-cutting seriously. get this.tionists. they take out the lightbulbs. they don't want to waste electricity. the employees take out their own trash. i mean, it's -- no furniture in the lobby. they're bare bones. >> well, it wasn't that long ago we talked about continental airlines. and they're thinking about not having the boarding agents, the people who scan your ticket. >> you scan your own, right? >> right. spirit was the first to give us the fees for luggage. now, everyone's doing it. so, this could be the -- you know? changing of the guard. >> just take the bus, folks. >>> we'l [ female announcer ] you'll love swiffer dust & shine so much, you may never go back to your old furniture polish. ♪ love stinks ♪ love stinks, yeah, yeah it's the only furniture polish with febreze freshness. [ record scratches ] that's right, febreze freshness... to help eliminate odors, while you clean and condition. so your furniture is "swiffer clean"... and your home is "febreze fresh." swiffer gives cleaning a fresh new meaning. ♪

jeffrey kofman reports from belle chasse, louisiana. >> reporter: for days, the oil out here has become and harder to find. but the chairman of a congressional committee investigating the cleanup charges bp used too much chemical dispersants to break up the oil. representative edward markey accused national incident commander thad allen of permitting thousands of gallons of dispersant to be used daily, overriding epa deadlines calling for minimal use because the long-term effects on wildlife are unknown. markey charged bp often carpet bombed the ocean with these chemicals and the coast guard allowed them to do it. >> we haven't ignored the epa guidelines. there is no disagreement between lisa jackson and i regarding what we want to do with dispersant. >> i think we all worked hard not to use more than we had to. but i would say it was a very effective tool. >> reporter: despite the reopening of some fishing grounds, gulf fishermen are still wary. >> nobody is talking about the dispersants. you can see the oil but you can't see dispersants. >> reporter: bp is getting ready for the final

earlier this evening i spoke to abc's jeffrey kofman who is on the ground in that city. >> reporter:, just on the edge of the french quarter. just a couple of blocks from bourbon street, ted. as you can see behind me, this is where the trolleys normally run. there are an awful lot of palm trees down. that's not terribly serious damage. the buildings around me, though, some of them lo allr the extent of the damaly varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. in some of the lower areas near the levees we saw very deep flooding. but this was not the apocalypse that new orleans feared. that said, though, it would be a mistake to undersell it. this was -- new orleans certainly didn't dodge the bullet, this was an immense catastrophe for the city and it's going to be very difficult, very time-consuming, and very costly to recover. >> jeffrey kofman, thanks very much. >> thank ed.abc avid er ot of town beforerica they interviewed the re thehere this morning, the winds began picking up. >> reporter: it was shortly after 7:00 this morning. the eye of the hurricane wasn't even here yet and the ro

for "good morning america," jeffrey kofman, yscloskey, louisiana. >>> more than 1,100 people are dead and 27,000 still trapped after monsoons caused massive flooding in pakistan. rescue efforts are hampered by damaged roads and bridges. more than 300,000 army troops have been sent in. survivors don't have enough shelter and face a growing threat of disease. >>> meantime, iran says three american hikers jailed a year ago should stand trial on charges of illegaling kroding the border. some in the u.s. believe a fast trial on trespassing charges might speed the hikers' return to the united states. >>> three convicted murderers have escaped from an arizona prison about 90 miles southeast of las vegas. the men apparently cut through a fence and kidnapped two truck drivers before fleeing in their semi truck. >>> and finally, captured on surveillance video, a dancing robbery. a man held up a gas station as his female partner danced on the counter to distract the clerk. pretty light on her feet there. the gas station employee fought back and the dancing robbers left empty-handed. i think it w

jeffrey kofman reports from chile. >> reporter: the families were lighting candles and saying prayers3 husbands, fathers and sons they had not seen for three weeks. this makeshift community at the gates of the san jose mine overflows with shrines and signs honoring the miners trapped half a mile below the surface here. we learned those men have been told the sobering news, that getting them out is not going to be easy or fast. >> for the first time we talked to them yesterday about the time frame that's involved in this rescue operation. that, as you may know, is a three-month period, 90 days, beginning from now. >> reporter: her husband raul busto is one of those miners. she waited for 17 days to find out if he was alive. she is undeterred. "yes, i can wait here for months," she says. "the miners can survive too. they are strong, they know we are sending our love. i came here to bring my husband home." she sent a letter down to her husband. he wrote back, "you know that the words that you sent me made me cry. well, i don't know how to tell you that they're always with me. god left us

jeffrey kofman is at the spill site. jeffrey? >> reporter: good evening from the gulf of mexico. this is the spill sight. what a difference from three weeks ago. the last time i was out here. the most important difference, there is no oil on the water. i can tell you there are half the number of ships here. and the searing flares that were burning off oil and gas have been extinguished since july 15th when they capped the well. this could be the most important week of all, the week they kill the well. with the oil gone from the surface now, all of the focus now is on what is below. the well is capped but it's not been killed. that should change this week. >> everything is in place so i would say late tomorrow, earliest, tuesday most likely for the static kill. >> reporter: at the center of it all, the rig with the white mast. when the kill begins, it will slowly pump heavy mud into the capped well, pushing down the oil and suffocating the upward pressure and then cement gets pumped in and it hardens and plugs the well. the same process could be repeated from below with the relief

jeffrey kofman is watching it all from empire, louisiana, tonight. jeffrey. >> reporter: and good evening to you, diane. that's right, this really is the beginning of the end, the final chapter of the well itself. but as for what it has left behind in the waters of the gulf, that is far from clear. this was what the oil looked like under water two months ago. and this -- today. after the oil disappeared from the surface last week, local officials worried about what might be lurking undersea. they hired divers, who spent two days searching for it. >> we went off shore looking for oil, and then made about four or five jumps in different spots across -- outside of shore and didn't see anything. >> reporter: and an important study released today by the epa found that despite fears and accusations, those controversial dispersants used on the spill are no more toxic than the oil itself. there's no oil at the well site today. the focus now -- what is happening 5,000 feet below, as the final kill begins. the process will start with what is called the static k

jeffrey kofman reports from the gulf. >> reporter: talk about a quick recovery. many of the gulf fisheries have been reopened for just a few days, and already, the crab nets are full. you're happy? >> yeah. >> reporter: any sign of oil in these? >> nope. >> reporter: none? >> you can taste it. >> reporter: you can taste them? you lick them? is that what you do? i can smell them. no oil, right? these images, where it all began, seem so long ago. it has been more than three months since the explosion and sinking of the deep sea drill deepwater horizon. that was late april. what began as an industrial accident morphed into an environmental catastrophe as it became clear that millions of gallons of oil were spewing into the gulf of mexico. i first reported on oil coming ashore on may 18th. at the time, it really did seem like the leading edge of an oil apocalypse. yet when we revisited the same marshes a few days ago, we were astonished to see the oil progressed no oil. there was some dead grass, come of it coming back to life. but the birds, the spectacular birds, w

jeffrey kofman, abc news, miami. >>> we're going to turn to some myself tearous rape charges dropped almost as quickly as we learned about them today but the case generating headlines because it involves the man at the center of the massive leak of water.comes. wikileaks founder julian asange suggested the ram accusations and timing are deeply disturbing. today, just hours after issuing an arrest warrant for rape, swedish prosecutors with drew the warrant against wikileaks founder julian assange but said the investigation would continue into other allegation. in a statement on twitter the reclusive public face of wick leaks dismissed the charges a a dirty trick pointing to the fiving. they are without basis and their issue is deeply disturbing. his organization preparing to release thousand of more classified documents from war in afghanistan. last month their first batch drew criticism and outrage from the obama administration. defense secretary gates told abc news's this week at the time there was moral culpability on assange's part. >> i think the verdict is guilty on wikileaks, t

jeffrey kofman on what could be a real turning point for the people of the gulf. >>> and out west tonight, progress to report of a different kind. firefighters in california have finally gained the upper hand after a wildfire there charred 22 square miles of brush in the high desert north of los angeles. 1,700 firefighters worked in the summer heat as they mapped down the flyer fires. some with only their frames left standing lighting up the sky. as many as 2,300 homes were threatened at the height of the fires. >>> thousand to the growing heat in washington. political heat as a second prominent democrat now faces ethics questions. this week we reported here on congressman charlie rangel and the 13 violations he faces. well, tonight comes word a house panel is preparing another case against another prominent democrat. congresswoman maxine waters has blazed an often fiery path a democrat from los angeles, during her years in congress. she does not shy away from controversy. 2years in congress. she does not shy away from controversy0years in congress. she does not shy away from controversy

abc's jeffrey kofman is at the scene of the mine. >> reporter: if those trapped miners are going to be liberated, this drill that arrived at the site this afternoon is their best hope. chile's minister of mines spoke to one of the trapped miners. "how are you feeling," he asks. "we are fine," says the miner. "we are waiting to be rescued." the men don't yet know that drilling that rescue hole could take four months. officials worry that the news will demoralize them. for now, the men are euphoric. singing chile's national anthem for all to hear. we now know that the men were found just in time. their meager emergency food supply would have ran out tomorrow. the miners meticulously rationed that food for 17 days. each was allowed two spoons of tuna, half a biscuit and half a cup of milk once every two days. rescuers estimate the men have each lost close to 20 pounds. which is why the first supply tube sent down contained 33 jars of glucose and 33 doses of stomach medicine. one for each miner. one of their first requests? toothbrushes. just how to keep the men in good mental and physical

here's jeffrey kofman. >> reporter: good evening, diane. diane. what is happening behind me is a massive, unintended nintendedical experiment, in group dynamics and survival. psycholo told that one ofone of the key rules for those on the surface is that they build trust, which s clearly why they decided to tell the truth. in these first close-up images f the rescue effort, you can ee drills working to create more access holes to the chamber tlf a mile underground, where the 33 miners have been trapped are gran below,days. as family members on the surface are granted more access to their loved ones below, government officials and psychologists decided it was time to tell the men the truth about how long the rescue may take. >> as you >> as you may know, it's three-month period, 90 days, eginning from now. >> reporter: the minister told toldnews that a natural leadership structure has emerged structured. mergedreman is recognized as the group leader. as the oldest miner, mario gomez, e only manurvived a ship wreck, ng the spiritual leader. and the o

jeffrey kofman brings us more amazing pictures from underground later on "good morning america." >>>wer this morning as investors worry about the possibility of a double-dip recession. u.s. stocks fell thursday with the dow jones industrial average closed below 10,000 for the first time since early last month. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke is expected to address the recession fears today when he speaks to a convention of bankers. >>> police in canada have arrested three men accused in a terror plot. one suspect is a prominent doctor who once appeared on the canadian version of "american idol." >> so you hail from pakistan, eh? >> yes. >> how long have you been here? >> reporter: in reality, canadian "idol" contestant 6205 speaks without an accent and was born in montreal. ♪ ♪ when you become somebody else ♪ >> reporter: whoever this somebody is, he stunned the judges with his performance, and now the entire country with his profile. 28-year-old dr. khurram sher, who friends describe as a prankster, is today an alleged terrorist. from his former neighbors -- [ speaking foreign

jeffrey kofman is at the scene of the mine in chile. and joins us this morning. good morning, jeffrey. >> reporter: it's winter down here in the southern hemisphere. and it's cold. the uplifting news that the men are alive inside the hillside, is being tempered by the sobering reminder they are intombed in there. the focus is not just on their physical health. but also the mental health. on the hillside overlooking the collapsed mine, 33 flags hang in the wind. not in mourning. but of a constant reminder of the men trapped inside. this weekend, a huge drill will bore an escape tunnel half a mile down to where the men are trapped. >> they're in a humid location. they have space. it's the inside of the mine. so, the conditions are the proper conditions of any mine in the world. >> reporter: conditions they are going to have to get used to because the rescue hole is expected to take from one to four months to reach them. contact has been established with smaller bore holes. if first shuttle sent down to the men carried 33 jars of glucose. and 33 doses of stomach medi

jeffrey kofman, abc news, chile. >>> a runaway truck in southern california has killed three memberse truck was hauling tons of gravel when it flew off an embankment and crushed a home in santa barbara. the victims were inside the house. the father, mother, and their 7-year-old son. police say the truck apparently lost its brakes and the driver was trying to avoid crashing into a hotel. >>> there are reports that lindsay lohan is out of rehab, more than two months early. a judge is set to review the troubled star's probation violation case today, though she's not required to be there. lohan served 13 days in jail for skipping required outpatient substance abuse treatment. from there she went directly to an inpatient center which apparently released her yesterday. >> now here is a look at your wednesday weather. showers from new england to the carolinas. isolated thunderstorms in florida with heavy rain around the tampa area. thunderstorms in south texas and the four corners region. sunny, hot and dry along the west coast. >> 103 in sacramento. 91 in portland. 80 in seattle. 70s in fa

jeffrey kofman is at the mine in chile. >> reporter: now, they know, the 33 miners trapped undergroundckly. they may have to wait 90 days or more to be brought to the surface. that was confirmed to abc news by chile's minister of health, who says a natural leadership structure has emerged underground, with a spiritual leader, medical leader and group leader. those are encouraging signs for psychologists, who say this has become an unintended massive psychologist experiment in group survival and group dynamics. rescue efforts are moving ahead. the giant drill that's meant to bore a hole down to free the miners is in place. it will begin work on saturday. they don't know how long it will take because the ground here is so fragile. for "good morning america," jeffrey kofman, abc news, copiapo, chile. >>> in other news, "crocodile dundee" star paul hogan e is stuck in australia this morning. banned from leaving until he pays a disputed tax bill. he just arrived in sydney last week, to attend his mother's funeral, when he was served with an order. the australian government says, hogan owes

jeffrey kofman, abc news, santiago. >>> tiger woods and his swedish wife elin nordegren are officiallyew york governor david paterson and archbishop timothy dolan will meet today about plans to build that islamic center near ground zero. both have offered to help find an alternate site. sharyn alfonsi reports on the imam who would lead the project. >> reporter: he candidly discussed his beliefs with barbara walters for her 2006 special "on heaven." >> do only muslims go to heaven? >> the fundamental thing is you must accept god. you have to believe there is a creator. the jews, the christians, whoever believes in god and does good will be saved. >> reporter: rauf, who watched his father, a muslim scholar, pioneer interface dialogue in the '60s in new york, went on to do the same things after the september 11th attacks. rauf was the imam or head priest of a new york mosque 12 blocks from ground zero. do you believe that a suicide bomber goes to heaven? >> one of the things that we are taught is never to say somebody will go to hell or somebody will go to heaven. it is up to god to decid

here's jeffrey kofman. >> reporter: that didn't take long. nets are full. any sign of oil on these? >> no. >> reporter: none? >> you can taste them. >> reporter: there were no massive fish kills. test after test finding that gulf seafood is perfectly safe. the only incidents of oil we've heard of are a few isolated oyster beds. that's why most of the fisheries that were closed have reopened or will soon. we first met cindy and henry in june when they were delivering one of the last shrimp catches to the processor. shrimp season could resume as early as this week. they are ready. but they are worried. >> if the perception of the shrimp being tainted doesn't change, i don't know. >> reporte peo normally this is peak season on dauphin island in alabama. but wary tourists are staying away. >> i have to go out of business. the window of opportunity, of 100 days of high volume did not happen. >> reporter: it is too late for fae. others will come back. it's not clear how long it will take. jeffrey kofman, abc news, buras, louisiana. >>> an emergency

jeffrey kofman is still in buras, louisiana, and has the latest for us. good morning, jeffrey. >> reporter: good morning, robin. this is the week to watch. after so 5 days, we may be able to stand here in the coming days and report that the well has finally been killed. that capped well 5,000 feet below the rig site should soon be permanently plugged. the process will start as early as tonight. the so-called static kill will slowly pump heavy mud into the capped well gradually pushing down the oil and suffocating the upward pressure. and then cement will get pumped in, and if it works, the cement will harden and plug the well for good. the same process could be repeated from below with the relief well a few days later. on the noaa ship "bigelow" they're using sound waves to monitor activity around the well. that slash, methane gas, which is all with should be seeing here. should we be happy to see this? >> the situation hasn't changed. >> reporter: as the oil has disappeared from the surface, there is increasing concern about the use of more than a million

. >>> we begin in chile, where jeffrey kofman has reached the scene of that mining disaster. goomornfey. >> reporter: and good morning to you, robin. behind me on that hillside, a remarkable drama is unfolding. for 19 days, 33 men have been trapped almost half a mile underground. they were reached and identified, found to be alive just two days ago. we're just now learning the remarkable story of how they survived and also how long it will take to rescue them. the small capsule is the only way rescuers can get food, water, and medicine down to the 33 men trapped in the collapsed mine. it's also the only way that family members can get letters to their stranded loved ones. the men are trapped more than 2,200 feet down. there are now two six-inch boreholes below the surface. one for supplies. one for communications. a third will be used to pump in oxygen. when the mine collapsed on august 5th, the men took shelter in a 600-square-foot refuge. they have since spread into nearby tunnels. for 17 days, they survived by rationing meager emergency supplies. each man allowed two spoon

jeffrey kofman is in buras, louisiana, with the latest on ta good morning, jeffrey. >> reporter: and good morning, to you, robin. this is really big news here. that well is dead. it took them much less time, for once, something went ahead of schedule and as planned. just eight hours to fill that entire two-mile-plus well pipe with heavy drill mud. there's no way we'll see oil coming out of that pipe again. engineers outside of bp tell us, this is the official kill of the well. it's not the end of it, though. they still will want to replace the mud with cement, from the top to the bottom. they insist they're going to finish the relief well, just 100 feet from its target, to cement around the outside. make no mistake, robin. this is a big day. after 107 days, that well that's caused so much grief here, is finally dead. >> all right, jeffrey. thank you very much. >>> joining us, now, from washington, is carol browner, one of the top administration officials dealing with the gulf disaster. thank you so much for joining us this morning. we want to hear from you. what is the latest informa

our jeffrey kofman is in chile. he has the very latest on the new video this morning. rey, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, david. this is incredible, unforgettable footage that we're seeing for the first time this morning. i suspect anyone who has heard about these men has conjured up images of what it might look like down there. take a look and see. these miners might surprise you. this is what being trapped 2,200 feet underground looks like. incredible images, taken with a small video camera sent down the mine through a bore hole. the men sent greetings to their families. they should know that we are calm, he says, despite the bad conditions we know we're going to get out of here. it is far from the portrait of misery many on the surface imagined. the men even cheer and sing the national anthem. [ singing ] >> reporter: the camera takes us on a tour of the very dark, damp mine tunnels, where the men are living. there's the refuge where they took shelter during the collapse. that thermometer reached 29 degrees celsius, 89 degrees fahrenheit. the video r

buras,y kofman is in buras, louisiana, tonight, to tell us what's happening now. jeffrey? atreporter: diane, at this very final, the kill is finally under way. under way. ayed s delayed overnight, because of a leak of hydraulic a leak hydraulic xed. around 3:00 central time, they began pumping that drill mud be nto the well from the top. it's simple physics. the mud weights 13.2 pounds per gallon. he oil, 4 pounds a gallon. it's the weight of that mud that it thatrcing the oil back down to k downservoir. when the entire two-mile shaft d with ed with mud, the well will technically, and will practically, be dead. >> heard about this for so long, long,ey. how long will it take if it works? anreporter: time is an elastic concept when it comes to this ela. but they're telling us it could they are done by thursd as tomorrow. it should be done by thursday. >> and will they continue on we'v >> and will they continue on with those arduously drilled and very expensive relief wells we've been watching get closer abd closer? >> reporter: absolutely. the mud is the key thing. but they