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CNN Live At Daybreak
Weather System Pounding Southern California; Human Toll in Indonesia
Aired January 11, 2005 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, hold your breath. In rain-swamped southern California, a tiny infant in peril and some determined rescuers. We will tell you what happened.
Plus, one man's journey. We'll walk through the streets filled with rubble in Banda Aceh as this man looks for the victims of December's heartbreak.
And with the presidential inauguration just around the corner, just how secure are the rail lines running through the nation's capital?
It is Tuesday, January 11, and this is DAYBREAK.
Good morning from the Time Warner Center in New York.
I am Kelly Wallace in for Carol Costello.
Now in the news, Iraq's police force is once again targeted. Today's car bomb attack was in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. At least six police officers were killed. Five more were wounded.
A MediVac helicopter has crashed into the Potomac River in Washington. It happened just about six hours ago. One person was rescued, but just a short while ago, two bodies were pulled from the river.
A National Guard plane will try to reach the Alaskan village of Kaktovik this morning to deliver emergency supplies. The town of 300 lost its power plant Sunday as the wind chill plunged to 60 below.
And in southern California, a frightening scene. A hillside gives way after five days of torrential rains. Three people are dead. Twelve others are missing.
Time now to say good morning again to Chad Myers in Atlanta -- and Chad, that weather out West is just absolutely incredible.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's been raining non-stop, Kelly, since Thursday, and the rain -- it's still raining now. They had a little break yesterday for Los Angeles, but then the rain moved right back in again. This today, what you see on the map, is the very last storm that L.A., San Francisco, Reno, Lake Tahoe, the last storm they're going to get for about seven to 10 days. So at least they'll be drying out.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: All right, Chad. We'll be talking to you again about the wild weather out West.
We've been talking about it. It is a weather system that is pounding Southern California, and it is just devastating -- landslides, swollen creeks and rivers, roads closed, power outages, water lines and sewage lines breaking. And at last count, 12 deaths over the last few days.
Our Ted Rowlands filed this report late last night on the hillside that gave way and plowed into 15 houses, killing at least three people.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 160 rescue workers searching and listening for survivors in a massive 30 foot pile of mud and rubble. At least nine people have been pulled from the rubble. At least three of those were kept alive by pockets of air.
BOB ROPER, VENTURA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: People were in voids like corners in the home, under a doorway, under some furniture and stuff. And so what it was was the mud and the debris that collapsed the house, and they had just this little cubicle that they were in. And so the crews were able to go in there and get that off of them.
ROWLANDS: In an instant, a rain soaked hillside gave way, sending an avalanche of mud and debris into more than a dozen homes below.
BILL HARDISON, WITNESSED LANDSLIDE: It just popped and just came rushing down like a freight train and just plowed through probably over a dozen houses.
ROWLANDS: Crews were in the area at the time of the slide, as the residents ran for cover. Firefighters tried frantically to rescue survivors. They plan to keep searching, but there is concern tonight about the possibility that there may be another slide.
ROPER: The geologists are concerned that that mud flow may start pushing more of the hill down. And as it releases part of that hill, the other parts of the hill that are unstable then may also start sliding down.
ROWLANDS: Homeowners were in the process of being evacuated when the hillside gave way. La Cochita, a seaside community between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, has a history of mudslides. The most significant one until now was in 1995, when nine homes were destroyed.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, La Cochita, California.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: And the last survivor pulled from the rubble told rescuers she believes some of her neighbors were still in their homes when the hillside gave way.
Much more on this story throughout DAYBREAK.
And here is some more dramatic video out of southern California. This will tug at your heart. Take a look. San Dimas firefighters struggling to protect an infant when their raft overturns. Then two firefighters, one without a safety harness, risk their lives to save that child and bring that child to safety. Incredible pictures.
We'll bring you more on this at the half hour.
Further north, in the Sierra Mountains now, it is a different story. Snow, a lot of snow. More than a dozen feet has fallen in the last few days. And up to a foot more was expected overnight. That could present even more problems as the region tries to dig out. In the second hour of DAYBREAK, we take you live to our very own Jason Bellini. He is braving the elements near Lake Tahoe, California.
Well, a 21-year-old man is telling his remarkable story of survival from Malaysia this morning. Two weeks ago, a tsunami washed him out to sea. For 14 days, he struggled to stay afloat in the Indian Ocean. He was just about to give up any hope of ever being rescued when an Arab container ship appeared and plucked him right out of the water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI AFRIZAL, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The first day I clung to a piece of wood. The second day, I retrieved a small fishing boat. But it was leaking. I was in the small boat for four days before I managed to get on a raft. I managed to survive as I ate the flesh of old coconuts for about 12 days. For three days, I didn't get to eat anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: He is certainly one lucky man.
Well, more than 140,000 people were killed by those tsunamis. And that number may still rise as more bodies are found. As cleanup and rebuilding efforts go on, it becomes even more difficult for people to forget the human toll.
CNN's John King took a sometimes disturbing trip through Banda Aceh, Indonesia with a man who knows the human toll better than most.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the walk of a tired man. Tawqua Yunos is tired of searching, more tired of what he finds.
TAWQUA YUNOS, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: Oh, yes.
KING: A mother and her baby...
YUNOS: This is a woman.
KING: ... breastfeeding when the wave hit. This roadside raft both a rescue from the rubble and a ticket to a mass grave.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I have to detach my feelings from all of this. I cannot dwell on it. If I stop and dwell on it, I will not be able to help people.
Here I take one.
KING: Help the living, Tawqua says, because the now badly decomposed corpses spread disease. And help the dead, in his view, like the woman buried in debris behind Aceh's radio station here by at least getting them a burial.
YUNOS: This is, I think this is very difficult, yes? But we try to rescue because I am rescuer.
KING: Tawqua is a 19 year search and rescue veteran. He and his team from the Indonesian province of Sulawesi, in Banda Aceh, 10 days now and planning to stay another month.
Four bodies in this alley, three women and a child. The smiles might seem odd, but part of Tawqua's job is keeping his young team going. His matter of fact nature part of a calculated effort to keep his distance.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This is a natural phenomenon. It cannot be avoided. The sun was shining and the weather was nice. Then a earthquake struck in a high scale. A tsunami wave followed. I just don't think about it too much. This is just another disaster.
KING: Of course, it is anything but just another disaster. Tawqua says he initially expected 20,000, maybe 30,000 deaths. The toll just here in Indonesia is 100,000. Tawqua has lost count of how many he has met. One here amid debris in a filthy canal. The stench as numbing as the view. Gloves and masks part of the job. But Tawqua rarely wears his.
Loading the cart means a busy stretch ahead, but a pause for a quick prayer here. Just a job, he says, but this is a young boy. Tawqua has two at home in Sulawesi.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): They know and they see all the victims on TV. They're proud that their father is in Aceh.
KING: "More bodies across the field," this soldier says. Two weeks later, the urgent challenge is to find them, rescue them, in Tawqua's words, before they get tossed away again.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We are humans. Corpses are human. They have to be treated like humans.
KING: Piles of debris everywhere.
YUNOS: Oh, yes. KING: Approaching one, Tawqua's request is a giveaway -- a garbage bag, not a big plastic sheet. Yet another child who died alone.
Around the corner, another soldier and another excavation. This an upscale home that faces the water and faced death first. "Two more here, and then two at the mayor's house," the soldier says. And carrying plastic, bodies not the only burden they carry out.
Only mid-afternoon, but a draining day. All are tired but they agree to press on. And as they wash away the germs, Tawqua says he'll wait. More searches and what he calls rescues before the day is done.
John King, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: John King reporting from one of the areas hardest hit by those tsunamis.
So this question, is the West Coast of the United States adequately prepared in the event of a tsunami?
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California wants the government to make sure that the early warning system in place is enough. Warning centers are based in Alaska and Hawaii, with sensors in several locations up and down the coast.
A planned celebrity telethon for tsunami relief seems to be drawing a little more interest thanks to a feud because actor George Clooney and television host Bill O'Reilly. Clooney criticized O'Reilly, saying his negative comments about the telethon would lead to lower contributions. The pair also sparred over a post-September 11 telethon when O'Reilly said the money raised wasn't going to the proper people.
In an e-mail to O'Reilly, Clooney writes: "You are a well paid celebrity, period. No spin. And to quote you last week, 'With power comes responsibility.' People canceled their pledges because you told them that the telethon was flawed. A lot of money that should have gone to a lot of needy families didn't because you wanted a controversy and controversy has made you a celebrity."
Apparently last night on his show, O'Reilly quipped, saying: "I don't think he likes me."
That telethon is planned for Saturday at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.
Much more to come here on DAYBREAK.
A grizzly task in the face of a deadly disaster. Mass graves being emptied of tsunami victims. We'll tell you why.
Also, a scathing review and a shakeup in the newsroom. CBS News finds itself in the news.
And the high cost of higher education -- paying for college could mean a pile of paperwork. We will tell you how to dig through it all.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning, January 11.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
WALLACE: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's just about 15 minutes after the hour, and here is what is all new this morning.
Amazing pictures coming out of California. Twelve people still missing after a mud slide crushed 15 homes near Los Angeles. At least three people are dead.
And word in this hour -- former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean wants to move back into the spotlight. He is expected to announce his candidacy today for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.
In money, Toyota wants to be number one. The company is planning to unveil four new models in an effort to pass General Motors as the world's biggest car company.
In culture, the movie "Sideways" the big winner at last night's Critics Choice Awards. The film won five awards, including best picture. The Critics Choice Awards are often a strong indicator of Oscar success.
In sports, Colts' quarterback Payton Manning was named the NFL's most valuable player for the second straight year. He joins Brett Farve and Joe Montana as the only back to back winners in NFL history.
To weather now and Chad Myers in Atlanta -- Chad, we all want to know, any relief for those folks out West any time soon.
MYERS: Yes, finally today. Today is the last day of the rain. The rain finally stops. Los Angeles, San Diego, up to Reno and San Francisco and San Jose, all of those areas have been very, very hard hit.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: Well, some bad news for some CBS staff members. They are out of a job. The network has fired a producer and asked three other news executives to resign. They oversaw a now disputed report about President Bush's National Guard service. An independent review found the staffers rushed the story onto the air.
But fired producer Mary Mapes is firing back. She says the story was neither false nor misleading and Mapes accuses CBS President Les Moonves of "vitriolic scapegoating."
So what does Les Moonves have to say? CNN's Paula Zahn sat down with him to talk about the bigger picture.
Here is part of that interview this morning, as we go beyond the sound bite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LES MOONVES, PRESIDENT, CBS: Clearly, this is a bit of a black mark against CBS News and clearly things were done in this report that were unfair and untrue. And we brought in this panel and they gave us 225 pages, a very in depth look at what occurred there. So it's our job now in terms of what we've done with people and the way the process works at CBS News in terms of vetting documents and sources that we change the process. And I think, you know, as I said, it's not a great day for CBS News. But it is an opportunity to reexamine ourselves and hopefully move on and do better in the future.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: How much blame do you put on Dan Rather for this story getting on the air in the form it did?
MOONVES: Right. Once again, judging from the panel's report, and I'm taking the panel's report at face value, and every decision we've made is based on a very, very thorough investigation by these people for three months. Their assessment was Rather was doing the Republican national convention. He was doing a hurricane in Florida. He clearly was preoccupied with a lot of things going on at that time and his biggest sin was to trust a producer who he had worked very successfully with in the past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Les Moonves, CBS News' president, speaking to Paula Zahn.
And this brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.
For that, DAYBREAK contributor Ali Velshi joins me.
You're going to be reading some of the responses we are getting this morning -- Ali.
As you know...
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I suspect there will be lots of them.
WALLACE: There is incredible reaction to this because in part, I guess, many people are glued to the story. But there is a little bit of controversy. You have four staffers that were punished. Then the question becomes CBS anchor Dan Rather, who decided that he was going to step down.
VELSHI: Right.
WALLACE: He's going to step down March... VELSHI: Escapes punishment as a result of that. And senior executives don't get punished beyond a senior producer.
WALLACE: Right. And the question becomes the news leader, Andrew Haywood, has not been punished.
VELSHI: Yes.
WALLACE: So some people are asking, let's first up give our viewers the question, OK?
This is the question we want you to respond to: should more CBS executives take the fall?
Drop us a line at daybreak@cnn.com.
Ali, what are you picking up from people you've talked to?
VELSHI: Well, the one thing that I think is interesting, the report, this big long report says that they rushed the story to air. Wow, guilty as charged. That is a big issue in this business.
WALLACE: There's so much competition...
VELSHI: We are constantly working on deadlines.
WALLACE: ... to get the story and get it right and get it first.
VELSHI: Right. And this was a -- it was a competitive environment. It's going into the election. So I really think, after watching everything I've seen in the last day or so and reading what I've read, feelings are mixed about this. This is a tough environment and I wonder how many things do get missed and are wrong.
And yet, on the other side, we really ask viewers to trust us. We, as news people, want viewers to believe that when we say something and we report something, to the best of our knowledge it's true.
So this is a confusing one for viewers. Some people maybe don't want to be too harsh, but at the same time, they want to know that the story is accurate.
WALLACE: We'll be interested to see what e-mail we get.
We'll also be talking to you throughout the next hour and a half about the financial consequences of this report and the impact on CBS.
VELSHI: Absolutely. Yes.
WALLACE: OK, Ali, we'll talk to you in a few minutes.
Coming up next here on DAYBREAK, tighter security has made flying a different experience since September 11. But what about the railroads? In today's "Security Watch," we will explore a possible weakness terrorists can exploit.
And a very dramatic rescue caught on tape. A baby cheats death not once, but twice. The amazing story is just ahead.
This is DAYBREAK.
We'll be right back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just horrific. I have no thoughts. I don't even know what to say. I mean I'm watching here. There's nothing I can do. Just sitting here watching this catastrophe unfold, I don't know what to say, what to comment on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just popped and just came rushing down like a freight train. And it just plowed through probably over a dozen houses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: And it is time now for our "Security Watch."
A recent chemical disaster in South Carolina has raised some serious questions about security in Washington. Nine people were killed when a toxic cloud of chlorine gas was released in Graniteville, South Carolina. A train wreck last Thursday ruptured a tanker car. More than 5,000 people still being kept away from their homes.
But could terrorists capitalize on this type of incident?
CNN's Joe Johns takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An accidental release of chlorine gas from a train going through Washington, D.C. -- potentially deadly to thousands and crippling to the government. It is, for now, not much of a concern.
We invited former railroad administration official George Gavalla to the nation's capital to help assess railroad security just days before the inauguration. The big fear? That terrorists could blow up a tank car full of deadly chemicals. A security gap was easy to find.
(on camera): This is the extent of security here.
(voice-over): A gate next to a track just blocks from the Capitol wide open.
(on camera): Is there, by your estimation, any sign at all that this place is being policed by railway employees?
GEORGE GAVALLA, FORMER RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, at the moment, no. I guess it depends on how long we actually stay here. JOHNS (voice-over): After a citizen called to report us, police showed up. Forty minutes after we arrived, they kicked us out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys really can't be up here.
JOHNS: The rail company, CSX, won't comment on what substances it transports and by which routes, so as not to tip off terrorists. But after the Madrid train bombings, pressure from local officials led CSX to voluntarily reroute the most dangerous chemicals around Washington, according to D.C. Councilmember Carol Schwartz.
Schwartz tried to make the rerouting a law, but now says the voluntary action is working.
CAROL SCHWARTZ, WASHINGTON COUNCILWOMAN: Of course, I would prefer that it be a mandate. But as long as it's being done, I feel like the intent of the legislation is being accomplished.
JOHNS: Good news for Washington, says Gavalla.
GAVALLA: Some of the most dangerous commodities are being rerouted away from the District. That's certainly the safest course that can be taken.
JOHNS: But rerouting means higher risk for surrounding communities, a hard fact. When it comes to protecting urban populations from railway disasters, one city's safety can end up putting others in more danger.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: And continuing with our CNN "Security Watch," a new terrorism center is being set up to examine behavior patterns behind terrorist acts. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced a $12 million grant for the Behavioral and Social Research Center at the University of Maryland. Researchers say they will look at how terrorist organizations recruit new members and if weapons of mass destruction are likely to be used.
Coming up in our next hour, we will talk with Dr. Gary LaFree, who is the director of that new terrorism center.
And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
And here is what is all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Brave firemen battle a rain swollen river with some precious cargo. The dramatic rescue caught on tape, just ahead.
Plus, the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. The soldier charged as the ringleader is put on trial. But there is much more to the story. We'll explain. And a reminder. Our E-mail Question of the Day is about fallout at CBS over those National Guard documents concerning George W. Bush. Should more CBS executives take the fall?
This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday, January 11.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 11, 2005 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, hold your breath. In rain-swamped southern California, a tiny infant in peril and some determined rescuers. We will tell you what happened.
Plus, one man's journey. We'll walk through the streets filled with rubble in Banda Aceh as this man looks for the victims of December's heartbreak.
And with the presidential inauguration just around the corner, just how secure are the rail lines running through the nation's capital?
It is Tuesday, January 11, and this is DAYBREAK.
Good morning from the Time Warner Center in New York.
I am Kelly Wallace in for Carol Costello.
Now in the news, Iraq's police force is once again targeted. Today's car bomb attack was in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. At least six police officers were killed. Five more were wounded.
A MediVac helicopter has crashed into the Potomac River in Washington. It happened just about six hours ago. One person was rescued, but just a short while ago, two bodies were pulled from the river.
A National Guard plane will try to reach the Alaskan village of Kaktovik this morning to deliver emergency supplies. The town of 300 lost its power plant Sunday as the wind chill plunged to 60 below.
And in southern California, a frightening scene. A hillside gives way after five days of torrential rains. Three people are dead. Twelve others are missing.
Time now to say good morning again to Chad Myers in Atlanta -- and Chad, that weather out West is just absolutely incredible.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's been raining non-stop, Kelly, since Thursday, and the rain -- it's still raining now. They had a little break yesterday for Los Angeles, but then the rain moved right back in again. This today, what you see on the map, is the very last storm that L.A., San Francisco, Reno, Lake Tahoe, the last storm they're going to get for about seven to 10 days. So at least they'll be drying out.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: All right, Chad. We'll be talking to you again about the wild weather out West.
We've been talking about it. It is a weather system that is pounding Southern California, and it is just devastating -- landslides, swollen creeks and rivers, roads closed, power outages, water lines and sewage lines breaking. And at last count, 12 deaths over the last few days.
Our Ted Rowlands filed this report late last night on the hillside that gave way and plowed into 15 houses, killing at least three people.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 160 rescue workers searching and listening for survivors in a massive 30 foot pile of mud and rubble. At least nine people have been pulled from the rubble. At least three of those were kept alive by pockets of air.
BOB ROPER, VENTURA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: People were in voids like corners in the home, under a doorway, under some furniture and stuff. And so what it was was the mud and the debris that collapsed the house, and they had just this little cubicle that they were in. And so the crews were able to go in there and get that off of them.
ROWLANDS: In an instant, a rain soaked hillside gave way, sending an avalanche of mud and debris into more than a dozen homes below.
BILL HARDISON, WITNESSED LANDSLIDE: It just popped and just came rushing down like a freight train and just plowed through probably over a dozen houses.
ROWLANDS: Crews were in the area at the time of the slide, as the residents ran for cover. Firefighters tried frantically to rescue survivors. They plan to keep searching, but there is concern tonight about the possibility that there may be another slide.
ROPER: The geologists are concerned that that mud flow may start pushing more of the hill down. And as it releases part of that hill, the other parts of the hill that are unstable then may also start sliding down.
ROWLANDS: Homeowners were in the process of being evacuated when the hillside gave way. La Cochita, a seaside community between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, has a history of mudslides. The most significant one until now was in 1995, when nine homes were destroyed.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, La Cochita, California.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: And the last survivor pulled from the rubble told rescuers she believes some of her neighbors were still in their homes when the hillside gave way.
Much more on this story throughout DAYBREAK.
And here is some more dramatic video out of southern California. This will tug at your heart. Take a look. San Dimas firefighters struggling to protect an infant when their raft overturns. Then two firefighters, one without a safety harness, risk their lives to save that child and bring that child to safety. Incredible pictures.
We'll bring you more on this at the half hour.
Further north, in the Sierra Mountains now, it is a different story. Snow, a lot of snow. More than a dozen feet has fallen in the last few days. And up to a foot more was expected overnight. That could present even more problems as the region tries to dig out. In the second hour of DAYBREAK, we take you live to our very own Jason Bellini. He is braving the elements near Lake Tahoe, California.
Well, a 21-year-old man is telling his remarkable story of survival from Malaysia this morning. Two weeks ago, a tsunami washed him out to sea. For 14 days, he struggled to stay afloat in the Indian Ocean. He was just about to give up any hope of ever being rescued when an Arab container ship appeared and plucked him right out of the water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI AFRIZAL, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The first day I clung to a piece of wood. The second day, I retrieved a small fishing boat. But it was leaking. I was in the small boat for four days before I managed to get on a raft. I managed to survive as I ate the flesh of old coconuts for about 12 days. For three days, I didn't get to eat anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: He is certainly one lucky man.
Well, more than 140,000 people were killed by those tsunamis. And that number may still rise as more bodies are found. As cleanup and rebuilding efforts go on, it becomes even more difficult for people to forget the human toll.
CNN's John King took a sometimes disturbing trip through Banda Aceh, Indonesia with a man who knows the human toll better than most.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the walk of a tired man. Tawqua Yunos is tired of searching, more tired of what he finds.
TAWQUA YUNOS, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: Oh, yes.
KING: A mother and her baby...
YUNOS: This is a woman.
KING: ... breastfeeding when the wave hit. This roadside raft both a rescue from the rubble and a ticket to a mass grave.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I have to detach my feelings from all of this. I cannot dwell on it. If I stop and dwell on it, I will not be able to help people.
Here I take one.
KING: Help the living, Tawqua says, because the now badly decomposed corpses spread disease. And help the dead, in his view, like the woman buried in debris behind Aceh's radio station here by at least getting them a burial.
YUNOS: This is, I think this is very difficult, yes? But we try to rescue because I am rescuer.
KING: Tawqua is a 19 year search and rescue veteran. He and his team from the Indonesian province of Sulawesi, in Banda Aceh, 10 days now and planning to stay another month.
Four bodies in this alley, three women and a child. The smiles might seem odd, but part of Tawqua's job is keeping his young team going. His matter of fact nature part of a calculated effort to keep his distance.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This is a natural phenomenon. It cannot be avoided. The sun was shining and the weather was nice. Then a earthquake struck in a high scale. A tsunami wave followed. I just don't think about it too much. This is just another disaster.
KING: Of course, it is anything but just another disaster. Tawqua says he initially expected 20,000, maybe 30,000 deaths. The toll just here in Indonesia is 100,000. Tawqua has lost count of how many he has met. One here amid debris in a filthy canal. The stench as numbing as the view. Gloves and masks part of the job. But Tawqua rarely wears his.
Loading the cart means a busy stretch ahead, but a pause for a quick prayer here. Just a job, he says, but this is a young boy. Tawqua has two at home in Sulawesi.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): They know and they see all the victims on TV. They're proud that their father is in Aceh.
KING: "More bodies across the field," this soldier says. Two weeks later, the urgent challenge is to find them, rescue them, in Tawqua's words, before they get tossed away again.
YUNOS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We are humans. Corpses are human. They have to be treated like humans.
KING: Piles of debris everywhere.
YUNOS: Oh, yes. KING: Approaching one, Tawqua's request is a giveaway -- a garbage bag, not a big plastic sheet. Yet another child who died alone.
Around the corner, another soldier and another excavation. This an upscale home that faces the water and faced death first. "Two more here, and then two at the mayor's house," the soldier says. And carrying plastic, bodies not the only burden they carry out.
Only mid-afternoon, but a draining day. All are tired but they agree to press on. And as they wash away the germs, Tawqua says he'll wait. More searches and what he calls rescues before the day is done.
John King, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: John King reporting from one of the areas hardest hit by those tsunamis.
So this question, is the West Coast of the United States adequately prepared in the event of a tsunami?
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California wants the government to make sure that the early warning system in place is enough. Warning centers are based in Alaska and Hawaii, with sensors in several locations up and down the coast.
A planned celebrity telethon for tsunami relief seems to be drawing a little more interest thanks to a feud because actor George Clooney and television host Bill O'Reilly. Clooney criticized O'Reilly, saying his negative comments about the telethon would lead to lower contributions. The pair also sparred over a post-September 11 telethon when O'Reilly said the money raised wasn't going to the proper people.
In an e-mail to O'Reilly, Clooney writes: "You are a well paid celebrity, period. No spin. And to quote you last week, 'With power comes responsibility.' People canceled their pledges because you told them that the telethon was flawed. A lot of money that should have gone to a lot of needy families didn't because you wanted a controversy and controversy has made you a celebrity."
Apparently last night on his show, O'Reilly quipped, saying: "I don't think he likes me."
That telethon is planned for Saturday at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.
Much more to come here on DAYBREAK.
A grizzly task in the face of a deadly disaster. Mass graves being emptied of tsunami victims. We'll tell you why.
Also, a scathing review and a shakeup in the newsroom. CBS News finds itself in the news.
And the high cost of higher education -- paying for college could mean a pile of paperwork. We will tell you how to dig through it all.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning, January 11.
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WALLACE: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's just about 15 minutes after the hour, and here is what is all new this morning.
Amazing pictures coming out of California. Twelve people still missing after a mud slide crushed 15 homes near Los Angeles. At least three people are dead.
And word in this hour -- former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean wants to move back into the spotlight. He is expected to announce his candidacy today for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.
In money, Toyota wants to be number one. The company is planning to unveil four new models in an effort to pass General Motors as the world's biggest car company.
In culture, the movie "Sideways" the big winner at last night's Critics Choice Awards. The film won five awards, including best picture. The Critics Choice Awards are often a strong indicator of Oscar success.
In sports, Colts' quarterback Payton Manning was named the NFL's most valuable player for the second straight year. He joins Brett Farve and Joe Montana as the only back to back winners in NFL history.
To weather now and Chad Myers in Atlanta -- Chad, we all want to know, any relief for those folks out West any time soon.
MYERS: Yes, finally today. Today is the last day of the rain. The rain finally stops. Los Angeles, San Diego, up to Reno and San Francisco and San Jose, all of those areas have been very, very hard hit.
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WALLACE: Well, some bad news for some CBS staff members. They are out of a job. The network has fired a producer and asked three other news executives to resign. They oversaw a now disputed report about President Bush's National Guard service. An independent review found the staffers rushed the story onto the air.
But fired producer Mary Mapes is firing back. She says the story was neither false nor misleading and Mapes accuses CBS President Les Moonves of "vitriolic scapegoating."
So what does Les Moonves have to say? CNN's Paula Zahn sat down with him to talk about the bigger picture.
Here is part of that interview this morning, as we go beyond the sound bite.
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LES MOONVES, PRESIDENT, CBS: Clearly, this is a bit of a black mark against CBS News and clearly things were done in this report that were unfair and untrue. And we brought in this panel and they gave us 225 pages, a very in depth look at what occurred there. So it's our job now in terms of what we've done with people and the way the process works at CBS News in terms of vetting documents and sources that we change the process. And I think, you know, as I said, it's not a great day for CBS News. But it is an opportunity to reexamine ourselves and hopefully move on and do better in the future.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: How much blame do you put on Dan Rather for this story getting on the air in the form it did?
MOONVES: Right. Once again, judging from the panel's report, and I'm taking the panel's report at face value, and every decision we've made is based on a very, very thorough investigation by these people for three months. Their assessment was Rather was doing the Republican national convention. He was doing a hurricane in Florida. He clearly was preoccupied with a lot of things going on at that time and his biggest sin was to trust a producer who he had worked very successfully with in the past.
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WALLACE: Les Moonves, CBS News' president, speaking to Paula Zahn.
And this brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.
For that, DAYBREAK contributor Ali Velshi joins me.
You're going to be reading some of the responses we are getting this morning -- Ali.
As you know...
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I suspect there will be lots of them.
WALLACE: There is incredible reaction to this because in part, I guess, many people are glued to the story. But there is a little bit of controversy. You have four staffers that were punished. Then the question becomes CBS anchor Dan Rather, who decided that he was going to step down.
VELSHI: Right.
WALLACE: He's going to step down March... VELSHI: Escapes punishment as a result of that. And senior executives don't get punished beyond a senior producer.
WALLACE: Right. And the question becomes the news leader, Andrew Haywood, has not been punished.
VELSHI: Yes.
WALLACE: So some people are asking, let's first up give our viewers the question, OK?
This is the question we want you to respond to: should more CBS executives take the fall?
Drop us a line at daybreak@cnn.com.
Ali, what are you picking up from people you've talked to?
VELSHI: Well, the one thing that I think is interesting, the report, this big long report says that they rushed the story to air. Wow, guilty as charged. That is a big issue in this business.
WALLACE: There's so much competition...
VELSHI: We are constantly working on deadlines.
WALLACE: ... to get the story and get it right and get it first.
VELSHI: Right. And this was a -- it was a competitive environment. It's going into the election. So I really think, after watching everything I've seen in the last day or so and reading what I've read, feelings are mixed about this. This is a tough environment and I wonder how many things do get missed and are wrong.
And yet, on the other side, we really ask viewers to trust us. We, as news people, want viewers to believe that when we say something and we report something, to the best of our knowledge it's true.
So this is a confusing one for viewers. Some people maybe don't want to be too harsh, but at the same time, they want to know that the story is accurate.
WALLACE: We'll be interested to see what e-mail we get.
We'll also be talking to you throughout the next hour and a half about the financial consequences of this report and the impact on CBS.
VELSHI: Absolutely. Yes.
WALLACE: OK, Ali, we'll talk to you in a few minutes.
Coming up next here on DAYBREAK, tighter security has made flying a different experience since September 11. But what about the railroads? In today's "Security Watch," we will explore a possible weakness terrorists can exploit.
And a very dramatic rescue caught on tape. A baby cheats death not once, but twice. The amazing story is just ahead.
This is DAYBREAK.
We'll be right back.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just horrific. I have no thoughts. I don't even know what to say. I mean I'm watching here. There's nothing I can do. Just sitting here watching this catastrophe unfold, I don't know what to say, what to comment on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just popped and just came rushing down like a freight train. And it just plowed through probably over a dozen houses.
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WALLACE: And it is time now for our "Security Watch."
A recent chemical disaster in South Carolina has raised some serious questions about security in Washington. Nine people were killed when a toxic cloud of chlorine gas was released in Graniteville, South Carolina. A train wreck last Thursday ruptured a tanker car. More than 5,000 people still being kept away from their homes.
But could terrorists capitalize on this type of incident?
CNN's Joe Johns takes a look.
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JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An accidental release of chlorine gas from a train going through Washington, D.C. -- potentially deadly to thousands and crippling to the government. It is, for now, not much of a concern.
We invited former railroad administration official George Gavalla to the nation's capital to help assess railroad security just days before the inauguration. The big fear? That terrorists could blow up a tank car full of deadly chemicals. A security gap was easy to find.
(on camera): This is the extent of security here.
(voice-over): A gate next to a track just blocks from the Capitol wide open.
(on camera): Is there, by your estimation, any sign at all that this place is being policed by railway employees?
GEORGE GAVALLA, FORMER RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, at the moment, no. I guess it depends on how long we actually stay here. JOHNS (voice-over): After a citizen called to report us, police showed up. Forty minutes after we arrived, they kicked us out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys really can't be up here.
JOHNS: The rail company, CSX, won't comment on what substances it transports and by which routes, so as not to tip off terrorists. But after the Madrid train bombings, pressure from local officials led CSX to voluntarily reroute the most dangerous chemicals around Washington, according to D.C. Councilmember Carol Schwartz.
Schwartz tried to make the rerouting a law, but now says the voluntary action is working.
CAROL SCHWARTZ, WASHINGTON COUNCILWOMAN: Of course, I would prefer that it be a mandate. But as long as it's being done, I feel like the intent of the legislation is being accomplished.
JOHNS: Good news for Washington, says Gavalla.
GAVALLA: Some of the most dangerous commodities are being rerouted away from the District. That's certainly the safest course that can be taken.
JOHNS: But rerouting means higher risk for surrounding communities, a hard fact. When it comes to protecting urban populations from railway disasters, one city's safety can end up putting others in more danger.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: And continuing with our CNN "Security Watch," a new terrorism center is being set up to examine behavior patterns behind terrorist acts. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced a $12 million grant for the Behavioral and Social Research Center at the University of Maryland. Researchers say they will look at how terrorist organizations recruit new members and if weapons of mass destruction are likely to be used.
Coming up in our next hour, we will talk with Dr. Gary LaFree, who is the director of that new terrorism center.
And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
And here is what is all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Brave firemen battle a rain swollen river with some precious cargo. The dramatic rescue caught on tape, just ahead.
Plus, the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. The soldier charged as the ringleader is put on trial. But there is much more to the story. We'll explain. And a reminder. Our E-mail Question of the Day is about fallout at CBS over those National Guard documents concerning George W. Bush. Should more CBS executives take the fall?
This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday, January 11.
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