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CNN Saturday Morning News
Fire Spreads In West Virginia Mine As Two Remain Trapped; No Word On Fate Of Jill Carroll; Whale On Barge, Heading Back Out To Sea; Bush Touts Economic Growth; Deadly Cold In Russia; New Orleans Gives Some People Seven Business Days To Retrieve Belongings Before Homes Torn Down; Nagin Discusses New Orleans; Loud Noise Takes Toll On Pilots' Hearing; Significance Of Two Al Qaeda Audiotapes
Aired January 21, 2006 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: This hour, two major stories we're following for you.
In West Virginia, searchers are working against the clock to try and find two trapped miners. We'll take you live to Melville, West Virginia.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And in London, rescue workers are trying to get a disoriented whale out of the Thames River. We'll check in live on the progress as we put the pictures up in the box right now. We have been following that whale all morning long. It's exciting stuff.
HARRIS: Well, it is. It is.
NGUYEN: To an extent.
HARRIS: It is. Saturday morning, January 21st.
NGUYEN: Whale watching.
HARRIS: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Let's get you right to the stories now in the news.
New pleas today for American journalist Jill Carroll to be set free. Representatives from an American Muslim group arrived in Baghdad today to urge kidnappers to release the 28-year-old woman. The kidnappers have vowed to kill Carroll unless U.S. forces free all Iraqi women in their custody.
More bloodshed today in Iraq. Police say one civilian was killed and five others wounded when a bomb detonated in a parked car near a Baghdad market. In the city of Tikrit, two Iraqi Army officers were killed in a drive-by shooting.
And now to our top story, the battle to rescue two miners in Melville, West Virginia. The men have been trapped since Thursday night, when a fire broke out deep inside the mine. Now that fire is still burning, complicating efforts to reach the miners. CNN's national correspondent, Bob Franken, is live at the scene -- and, Bob, not only is the fire burning, but we learned just a little bit earlier in a briefing that that fire has spread.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has spread, and that is exactly what they had not expected. They -- because of the nature of this fire -- it was not an explosion -- they had hoped that their efforts to extinguish it and get rid of the smoke would mean that they'd have the visibility they need to try and search for the two who, as we've been reporting for the last day-and-a-half now, disappeared about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday evening here, after the smoke had begun to fill the chambers.
There had been a carbon monoxide alarm. That caused them to turn around, as they were trained to do, with their 10 comrades. But when they came out, the other 10 found that these two were missing and this intense search has gone on here at the Aracoma mine.
Now, yesterday the fires were the big problem. It was visibility. They felt that they had made progress, to the point that they had even sent down a camera and drilled a hole and sent down the camera and listening devices, to which they got no response. The smoke complicated that.
Right now, most of the rescue crews are staying outside the mine while the firefighting efforts are going on inside. And that's not the only problem. With the fire comes heat and a really significant complication.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG CONAWAY, STATE MINE SAFETY CHIEF: Part of the problem we're experiencing with the fire is that we're having roof falls. The heat of the fire deteriorates the mine roof and then what you have is you have the fire that's burning then you have rock and material that falls on top of that and it's difficult to gain access to and it will continue to smolder. It's almost like covering the fire up.
But, also, the roof needs to be supported before we can -- before we can advance into that and the heat has to dissipate. So those are the kind of things that we're dealing with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Now, all of this information is shared before we get it with the families and friends, who are at a church up the road. They are holding onto the shreds of hope that they have, hope that there is a miracle, surrounded by the inevitabilities that many of them feel that the prospects are looking dimmer and dimmer -- Betty.
NGUYEN: But at this point, you've still got to hold onto hope.
Bob, let me ask you about these miners. We've talked a lot about the rescue efforts, but what do we know about the miners themselves and how much experience they have? FRANKEN: Well, you know, it's interesting, we asked about that. They're really not telling us a lot about the miners and many news organizations have found out their names, including us, but we've decided that we'd like to honor the wishes of the family and officials and not put them on.
But what we've also been told is that they were "experienced miners." And now at just about any mine these days, there's an awful lot of training about encountering situations like this.
However, one of the things that has been pointed out, when you get into a situation like this, you're dealing with respirators and it's no easy deal putting them on and taking them off. And there is some concern that maybe some sort of difficulty with the respirators may have been what led to their falling back and disappearing in the first place, which does not mean that they were not able to figure out the respirators, just that it sometimes can get quite complex even for the experienced miner.
NGUYEN: Bob Franken, we'll be checking in with you throughout the day.
Thank you for that update.
HARRIS: Still no word on the fate of American journalist Jill Carroll. The 28-year-old writer was kidnapped two weeks ago in Baghdad. Her captors have threatened to kill her unless U.S. forces release all Iraqi women in military custody.
Calls for Carroll's release have come from all corners of the world. The latest from a U.S. Muslim advocacy group, which made a visit to Baghdad today.
Carroll's friend told Larry King last night that the journalist always took precautions to protect herself in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")
NATASHA TYNES, FRIEND OF JILL CARROLL: The e-mails that I want to share with you is just to show that Jill was extremely careful when she went to Iraq and she's not a reckless person and she was extremely careful and she knew what she was doing.
I sent her an e-mail entitled in Arabic, Didi baric (ph), which means take care. And she replied to me, telling me -- this is, I'm quoting, "Don't worry. I'm super careful out here and always in hejab," which means the veil.
And there is another one which she was telling me about how much she liked it in Baghdad. And she says, "I just love it here so much, I can't bear to leave. It doesn't seem as bad as I expected, either. I wear my hejab and nobody even looks at me."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And now to the newly released audiotape from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. Ayman al-Zawahiri recites poetry to jihadists on the tape, which first appeared on the Internet Friday. It's unclear when the audiotape was made because al-Zawahiri doesn't mention any current events, including last week's CIA air strike in Pakistan that was intended to kill him.
NGUYEN: And just one day before al-Zawahiri's tape surfaced, Osama bin Laden himself issued a recording. He warned it's only a matter of time before there's another attack on the U.S.
Two al Qaeda audiotapes released back to back -- is it a signal or a media strategy?
Our Nic Robertson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even from the beginning, back when he was fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan, there was often a camera nearby when bin Laden did TV interviews. He gave his first to CNN. It was 1997 and Peter Bergen was there.
PETER BERGEN, TERRORISM ANALYST: He seems to enjoy the public limelight and he's been doing that now for two decades. So I think this is a group that does have a media strategy.
ROBERTSON: From the time when bin Laden declared war on America in 1998, in an elaborately orchestrated news conference, until 9/11, his appearances were often followed by attacks. Since 9/11, the messages sometimes seem to be made for different reasons -- to let the world know he is alive, such as this one, which appeared after the siege of Tora Bora in December, 2001, when U.S. bombers targeted bin Laden as he fled Afghanistan.
Now comes the latest message from bin Laden, after 13 months of silence.
JAMES WOOLSEY, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: He waits until there's some particular reason to issue something like this. And I think there is a reasonably good chance, yes, that something is being planned.
ROBERTSON: The threat of an attack. But also, a political message aimed at America and his own Islamic audience from a man who has spent the months of silence studying the U.S. shaping his rhetoric. Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, have released no fewer than 34 messages, increasingly exploiting events in the news and splits in public opinion.
BERGEN: I think he has a misunderstanding about the American public. The American public doesn't care what bin Laden has to say. I mean they've already made their decisions about this guy, that he's a bad guy. He's killed a lot of Americans.
ROBERTSON (on camera): Bin Laden, it seems, has sharpened his message, but is missing his target audience. It doesn't mean, though, he won't make good on his threat. Nic Robertson, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And turning now to a whale of a rescue, Betty. Marine life experts in London are giving a five ton bottle-necked whale a huge lift back into the wild, as you take a look at the live pictures there. Shamoved (ph).
NGUYEN: Shamoved? Oh, that's a good name.
HARRIS: Shamoved. How was that? Was that all right?
That's from Mike in Mississippi. I can't claim it. I didn't come up with it.
NGUYEN: Right.
HARRIS: CNN's Jim Boulden is following the rescue efforts on the Thames and joins us live with what is going on right now -- Jim, good to see you.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony.
Thank you very much.
Well, the sun is setting here in London and we think the Westminster whale or Westminster Willie, however you want to call it, is about one hour into his journey to freedom.
The whale has gone through the City of London on the Thames on this barge and is heading out toward the Millennium Dome. And then will go out to, we think, into open sea in about two-and-a-half hours.
A lot of people here in southwest London have been stopping us and asking us, "Where is the whale?" And we've been having to tell them that they put it on a barge about 45 minutes to an hour ago and whisked it away.
Quite dramatic pictures earlier when they decided they could hoist this whale onto a barge and they decided that the whale was healthy enough. And we have been told that they, indeed, think that it has been deemed healthy. And the good news is that this whale will be let go into the wild in just a few hours time -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK, so, Jim, the whale is fine, hungry, tired, a little confused and disoriented.
That's the health story, correct?
BOULDEN: Yes.
There was some blood in the water yesterday and that was concerning people. But we were told that not really a surprise because there were abrasions. There were abrasions on the nose and there were some cuts on the tail fin. But that would -- that shouldn't really have been a surprise. It did worry a lot of people and the idea was maybe there had been too much blood loss. But certainly that doesn't seem to be the case now. And, as I said, deemed healthy, but definitely tired, probably hungry and certainly it was disoriented when he was swimming around here earlier today.
HARRIS: And, Jim, the other side of this is that we had a huge spectator event, correct?
BOULDEN: Absolutely. Some 3,000 people. It's a beautiful, crisp sunny day here in London. Some 3,000 people swarming onto two of the main bridges. In fact, the police had to close the bridge here and the bridge behind me. This is the beautiful Chelsea Bridge, which will be lit up in a couple of hours time.
And so many people came out. This is a very popular park here. People walk their dogs and take their kids on bike rides. And there's a zoo right over here to my left. And that's why we saw so many people come out here this morning, to see this whale.
And, you know, when they came out, they were worried. A lot of people thought well, we weren't going to see -- we were not going to see a happy ending. And then all of a sudden, just after lunchtime, they decided to put that whale right on that barge and take him out to sea.
HARRIS: Jim Boulden right there on the scene watching this all unfold for us. Live pictures now as the barge moves up the River Thames. And good news, good news to report.
NGUYEN: Yes, absolutely. And this is no small feat. I mean this is a five ton, 20-foot bottle-nosed whale.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: It's a big deal.
HARRIS: Did I say bottle-necked a moment ago?
NGUYEN: Yes, it kind of fits, though.
HARRIS: What was I thinking about?
NGUYEN: It was a little bottle-necked up there in the Thames River. But now it's headed back home, hungry. So watch out, sea creatures.
All right, the biggest drop -- market drop, that is, in years. Stocks plummeted. Find out why.
And the economy is on President Bush's mind today, as well. We are going to go live to the White House for that.
HARRIS: And rebuilding New Orleans -- some residents are getting more, well, discouraging news today. Also, what is the latest on the rebuilding efforts? Donna Brazile -- we like her -- she joins us. She's part of the group in charge of restoring the city.
That's all ahead this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Rescuers are coming up empty in the search for two West Virginia coal miners. Authorities say rescuers drilled a hole to listen for any signal from the miners and they also lowered a camera down, but they picked up nothing. The miners have been trapped since Thursday, when a fire broke out underground. That fire is complicating the rescue effort.
No word yet on the fate of American journalist Jill Carroll. She was taken hostage in Iraq two weeks ago. Representatives from an American Muslim group arrived in Baghdad today to urge kidnappers to release the 28-year-old woman. The kidnappers have vowed to kill her unless U.S. forces free all women in their custody.
And marine rescuers are giving a wayward whale a lift back to the English Channel today. Have you been following this story with us this morning? A crane was used to hoist the whale out of London's Thames River and dump it gently onto a barge. The barge will carry it to the English Channel.
NGUYEN: Lots of clapping, but the market tumbles. The Dow Jones Industrial Average nose-dived more than 200 points yesterday afternoon. The massive sell off was triggered by disappointing earnings from General Electric and Citigroup, as well as warnings from Yahoo!, Intel and Apple. Now, the index sank 213 points, or 1.96 percent, putting it in the red for the first time this year. The broader S&P Index lost 1.83 percent. And the tech heavy NASDAQ slid 2.35 percent.
So they're all in negative territory.
Strong and getting stronger, that's President Bush's view on the economy. He made those comments in this weekly radio address.
So joining us now with more on that from the White House is CNN's Elaine Quijano -- good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.
That's right, the president did tout the economy. And he also touted the role small businesses play, he says, in helping drive the economy forward.
President Bush is actually spending the weekend at Camp David, but in his weekly radio address, Mr. Bush said small businesses are pivotal to helping the economy. He said they are crucial for sparking job creation.
And the president also reiterated a call to Congress to make tax relief permanent. He pointed to a host of indicators that he says show the economy is on the right track.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've added over 400,000 jobs in the last two months and over 4.6 million jobs since May, 2003. Our unemployment rate is now 4.9 percent, lower than the average rate of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Our economy grew at 4.1 percent in the third quarter of 2005 and it has been growing at nearly that rate for two years.
Real after tax income has grown 7 percent per person since 2001. Productivity is high. Inflation is contained. Consumers are confident. And more Americans now own their homes than at any time in our nation's history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, his visit comes on the heels of a visit to a small moving company in northern Virginia on Thursday. All this month, ahead of the State of the Union address, President Bush has been laying out his agenda for the coming year, including his economic agenda.
But Democrats say that the president's economic policies have not done enough to help middle class families. And they point to, as one glaring example, they say, the high costs of energy and home heating bills.
Nevertheless, the Bush administration insists that it is a high priority, making America more energy independent. But the White House acknowledges, Betty, that continues to be a challenge -- Betty.
NGUYEN: CNN's Elaine Quijano at the White House giving us up to the minute information there.
Thank you for that update.
HARRIS: No surprise here, it's normally cold in January.
NGUYEN: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: I can take it, he says. But it's really cold. To be honest, I've never felt this cold in my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Yes, Moscow is in a real deep freeze this winter. We'll tell you how people there are trying to cope.
NGUYEN: And check this out. You've got to look at your television screen. What are these people doing? You've heard ...
HARRIS: They're out of their minds.
NGUYEN: ... of a needle in a haystack, right?
Yes, they do look kind of like they're crazy. But that's not why these people are searching feverishly through this haystack. We're going to tell you why when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: In "News Across America," a setback for opponents of same sex marriage in the State of Maryland. Yesterday, a judge in Baltimore struck down the state's 33-year-old ban against gay marriage. The judge said the law violated the state's constitution guaranteeing equal rights. Action on the ruling will be delayed pending an appeal.
Supreme Court Justice David Souter is being targeted by eminent domain activists. They're upset about a high court ruling that sided with a Connecticut city that wanted to seize homes for economic development. The activists are trying to evict Souter from his New Hampshire home, arguing the house should be transformed into an inn. They're seeking support for the eviction in Souter's hometown this weekend.
In New York City, it's back to the drawing board for transit officials and union leaders who are trying to avoid another crippling strike. The city's 33,000 bus and subway workers narrowly rejected a tentative contract yesterday. Opponents say they're hopeful another deal can be reached without staging a strike like the one last month that stranded millions of commuters.
And in Seattle, Washington, a mad rush in one ton of hay. Take a look at this. Twenty-five people digging for a highly coveted commodity -- tickets for tomorrow's NFC championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers. It's the first time in 22 seasons that Seattle has made it this far. Tomorrow's winner proceeds to the Super Bowl. That's February 5th, Betty.
NGUYEN: You've got to be some diehard fans to roll around in that.
HARRIS: Twenty-two years.
NGUYEN: Yes. That's true. Very true.
OK, now to international news.
Bolivia is preparing to inaugurate its first indigenous Indian president. A pre-inauguration ceremony for Evo Morales is planned today. And he will be officially sworn in tomorrow. Morales was elected in a landslide, running on a leftist platform. For months, he has been calling President Bush an imperial terrorist. But in an interview with CNN, Morales said he's willing to turn over a new leaf.
He did have this request of President Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PRESIDENT-ELECT EVO MORALES, BOLIVIA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): That he respect the sovereign will of our people, that he respect democracy, that he not impose blackmail and conditions on international aid. Yes, help is important. Let him do it. But any relationship, be it commercial or diplomatic, should be based on mutual respect and not threats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: In other news abroad, a deadly cold is gripping Russia. Authorities say more than 120 people have died from the Arctic blast this winter. Five people died just last night, according to Russia's official news agency.
Our Matthew Chance has more on the deep freeze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the kind of deep cold a few extra blankets won't keep out, especially for pensioners like Valentina (ph) and her disabled husband. But in their village outside Moscow, the low temperatures have ruptured pipes. They're heating house bricks on the stove to make portable radiators. It's the only way for hundreds there to keep warm.
"Thank goodness we have gas," she says. "If we didn't have any gas or water in the pump, I couldn't heat up anything."
This is life in Russia's deep freeze. Gripped by its worst winter in decades, temperatures in the capital have dipped below minus 30 degrees Centigrade, or minutes 22 Fahrenheit, for a fourth consecutive night. As heaters are switched on all day, officials say demand for electricity is at its highest ever, fueling concerns Russia's crumbling infrastructure could crash.
And even with power, for many Russians used to cold weather, this is a grueling test. Like for Bakhtiar (ph), who nears his living outdoors.
"I can take it," he says, "but it's really cold. To be honest, I've never felt this cold in my life."
"A lot of people were dismissed from work," says Nikolai (ph). "It's too cold to commute, especially if you live far away."
But the arctic conditions are far more than just an inconvenience, especially for Russia's thousands of homeless. In Moscow, shelters are filled with those who might otherwise freeze to death on the streets. Already this winter, more than 120 have died from exposure. Every frigid night claims more.
(on camera): Well, the icy winds have picked up. And I can tell you it is bitterly cold out here tonight. My face has already gone very numb and it's starting to hurt. It's physically painful just being out in this weather for a few minutes, let alone all day and all night. Russia, of course, is well accustomed to cold weather. But this is one of the longest sustained periods of such bitter cold since records began.
(voice-over): And forecasters predict low temperatures next week, too. Russia's deep freeze shows little sign of easing.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: We know it's cold in Moscow, but I don't think many of us can imagine 40 below.
SCHNEIDER: No. You can't even be outside for a second in that kind of weather without getting frostbite or just, you know, injured in some way.
NGUYEN: Right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Things we have to worry about, Tony. I didn't mean it like that.
HARRIS: That is so wrong.
NGUYEN: I just said that because we're female. You totally took it in another direction. But I see your point.
HARRIS: Didn't you?
NGUYEN: ... going to get in more trouble.
HARRIS: Still ahead, getting New Orleans back on its feet nearly five months after Hurricane Katrina struck. Is the city any better off? We'll ask Donna Brazile, one of our favorite people, because she gets up with us first thing in the morning.
NGUYEN: That's true.
HARRIS: She's a member of a group on the front lines of rebuilding New Orleans. And this -
NGUYEN: Wow, rock on. How technology made for rock stars is being used for fighter pilots of all people. We are rocking today right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Now in the news, two men remain trapped inside a coal mine in Melville, West Virginia. Rescue efforts are being hampered by the smoke and heat from the same fire that trapped the miners Thursday. Workers drilled into a mine shaft to try to contact those miners, but so far have gotten no response. The fate of American journalist Jill Carroll lift remains unknown. The 28-year old was kidnapped two weeks ago in Baghdad. Her captors have threatened to kill her unless U.S. forces release all Iraqi women in military custody. Calls for Carroll's release continue though. The late interest from a U.S. Muslim group which visited Iraq today.
And a wayward whale is now well on its way back into the ocean. We've been following this journey all morning long. Marine rescuers have hoisted the whale onto a barge. You can see it there, heading up London's Thames River. They will drop the whale off in the English Channel and it's there will live the rest of its life, hopefully a happy one, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, another blow to Hurricane Katrina victims. Some could soon get demolition notices. The city of New Orleans will give some homeowners seven business days to retrieve their belongings before their homes are torn down. Many of the targeted houses are in the Lower Ninth Ward, a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Devastated by flood waters following Katrina, our Gary Tuchman reports some residents are trying to move back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, where it still looks as if bombs were dropped, Lahoussine Belanouvan works to fix his destroyed house. He works outside. He works inside. Do you want to move back?
LAHOUSSINE BELANOUVAN, NINTH WARD RESIDENT: Yes.
TUCHMAN: It will be tough?
BELANOUVAN: I am tough, too.
TUCHMAN: This Moroccan immigrant has a wife and two small children. They have five years of wonderful memories in this house they own. Your children's bedroom?
BELANOUVAN: Yes, bedroom. And I had it in two different colors because they were sharing a room and one wants the blue and one wants the purple.
TUCHMAN: There's a ton of work to do but it all may be for naught because the city has still not made it clear if there's a future for the Lower Ninth Ward. People are still not allowed to move back. There is no gas or sewer service and very limited electricity. What are you hearing from the city? Are you allowed to move back in?
BELANOUVAN: We don't know if we are going to be allowed to move in or not, but I'm hoping to be allowed to move in. I'm doing my part.
TUCHMAN: On the ironically named Flood Street, Karen Parker fixes up her home but isn't so sure she wants to come back. KAREN PARKER, NINTH WARD RESIDENT: It is not an easy decision to make because this is our property. This is our land. It is our home and if we give this up, then we don't have anywhere else to stay on our own, but we would have to start all over with someone else until we're able to.
TUCHMAN: But Lahoussine, who evacuated with his family to New York State, is positive he wants to be part of a new Lower Ninth Ward. The day we talked to him, he saw what he thought was a mirage through the trees. It turns out it was the first working streetlight in the neighborhood, brightening his block and his mood for at least a little bit. How would it make you feel if you find out that after all your memories and all the work you've done here, you're not allowed to move back?
BELANOUVAN: That's going to be a very sad moment when I hear it because it's just like going to crush all of my hope and all my memories.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: It is now nearly five months since Hurricane Katrina hit, so it's understandable residents are growing more and more frustrated with the slow recovery and the future of the uncertainty about the city's future. Our Anderson Cooper talked to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin about his devastated city.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: To me, people have two perceptions of New Orleans right now around the country. Either they perceive us to still be full of water or, you know, still dealing with the immediate aftermath or they think we're OK. And you know, it's just very difficult. We have two senators, a group of senators that came down the other day and they were blown away when they saw all the work that we still are to do.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's one of the things I find odd and sort of frustrating. It must be incredibly frustrating for you, is that you see these senators and these Congress people come down here and they all say the same thing, wow, I had no idea it was this bad. But where is the disconnect?
NAGIN: The disconnect, I think, is you know, TV and you've been doing a great job of covering this, but until you actually come down here and you see the scope, I don't think TV can really define the scope of the challenge. I mean when you go from block to block and section to section and really town to town to see the total devastation, you have to see it up front in person.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: CNN political analyst Donna Brazile is with us. She's a New Orleans native and she is serving on the board of directors of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. She is joining us from Washington. Donna, good to see you, good morning. DONNA BRAZILE, LA RECOVERY AUTHORITY BOARD: Good morning.
HARRIS: A couple of points I want to pick up there. We say all the time that the recovery is going slowly. Are we reflecting the reality or are we reflecting the sentiment of people on the ground who would like to get back as soon as possible?
BRAZILE: There is a little bit of truth in the fact that it is a very slow meticulous process. Look, I've been home 10 times. I was just home a couple of days ago, I see more streetlights coming back, Xavier, Tulane and Southern University of New Orleans have reopened their campuses. More local schools, more residents are coming back, but there's a huge challenge ahead as we rebuild.
The debris must be removed and of course local homeowners need to know if they can rebuild in their neighborhoods. So we have many challenges and I think the governor, the mayor and members of the congressional delegation are speaking with one voice when they tell Congress and the White House we need a bill sponsored by Richard Baker of Baton Rouge that will help us expedite the recovery so local residents know if they will have the resources and the wherewithal to rebuild and if those who want to sell and move on, they can also buy out that way.
But the truth is, is that we're making progress and today all over the country including in Louisiana, local citizens can go to open houses sponsored by the governor's office to give input into the long- term planning of the state.
HARRIS: Did you see the plan that came out about a week or so ago? Have you seen that?
BRAZILE: Oh, I couldn't help but look at it yes, sir.
HARRIS: What did you of it?
BRAZILE: I have mixed views about the plan. Look, I believe that the plan is just a blueprint and that the citizens themselves must have some input and of course the city council. Of course, when I saw the plan, it was given to me by my sister and she laughed and I was wondering why she was laughing. She said my home is going to be turned into green space.
She -- clearly, she has personally gone to her house, commuting back and forth from Baton Rouge to remove all of the mold and the debris by herself with friends and what she wants more than anything is some answers. Can she rebuild and how soon can she rebuild?
HARRIS: What's the problem Donna? That doesn't seem like too much to ask. Why can't you get a simple answer it a simple question?
BRAZILE: Because FEMA also must approve flood maps. FEMA has not put flood maps out for Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish, Jefferson Parish, Plaquemine Parish. It's important that we work in concert with FEMA and the Federal government to ensure that these homeowners can return not only to their property, but that it's safe. We also need the levees to be restored. Hurricane season is just around the corner and while Congress has approved additional funding, Congress also stripped from the bill that the president committed to some much need money for drainage pumps as well as restoration of our levees.
HARRIS: What do you mean, so there was on the one hand you get money. But on the other hand, you're telling me money was pulled away from the levee project?
BRAZILE: Absolutely. And that's so disheartening because I met with the president along with many other leaders in the state and across the country and he personally committed to rebuilding these levees. And he recommended on December 15, $3.1 billion.
Now $2.9 was in the bill, but only $1.5 billion will be made available. That's not enough money for the Corps of Engineers to restore those levees and get the drainage system working again in time for hurricane season which you know is around the corner.
HARRIS: Donna, that's interesting because if you don't adequately fund the levee process and the rebuilding of the levees, you really can't have an honest discussion about what parts of say the ninth ward to rebuild, can you?
BRAZILE: And what part of Lakeview, what part of Broadmore (ph), you know, this is a great city, a city of wonderful neighborhoods, wonderful people, but we owe it to them to give them a straight line about what is available. Let's rebuild the levee. The government, the Federal government is responsible. The governor has called for a consolidation of levee boards.
We believe that if the Federal government commits to rebuilding a strong category three plus, we need to get to category five which would involve more revenues. We also have a plan to get those revenues. So let me just say this, I'm going to work hard with the governor and with the mayor and with everyone else. This is an area that must be rebuilt and rebuilt stronger and better.
HARRIS: Donna Brazile, Donna, great to see you as always.
BRAZILE: Always, and Tony, your hair looks wonderful. Betty and I both agree that you are so sexy, man, that we're about to keep the TV on all night for you. Thank you.
NGUYEN: In the immortal words of Paris Hilton, you are hot, Tony, just hot. Does that make up for it?
HARRIS: You're getting crazy.
NGUYEN: OK. Thank you, Donna, I needed you in my corner.
All right. You may think they have nothing in common. Take a look. Well, you're supposed to hear the rock star side of it. We're going to tell you what's being done to make fighter pilots a little more like rock stars. CNN SATURDAY MORNING rolls on. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well the roar of U.S. fighter jets, intimidating, impressive and extremely loud no doubt, it's though high decibels that can take a major toll on a pilot's hearing, so to prevent that, the U.S. military is taking a cue from the rock 'n' rollers of the world. CNN's Pentagon correspondent and rock and roller herself, Barbara Starr has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rock stars and fighter pilots don't seem to have much in common, but it turns out they share an occupational hazard, loud music and the roar of the jet's engine, both very hard on the ears.
Now the Air Force is turning to the same technology rock stars use to protect pilots' hearing. Some Air Force pilots are using these custom molded ear pieces which have tiny speakers inside. They block jet noise, yet allow pilots to hear important radio communications.
CAPT. HENRY SCHANTZ, AIR FORCE FIGHTER PILOT: It's kind of nice to be able to use the same things that the rock stars and the entertainment industry is using for sure.
STARR: Musicians have worn similar earpieces for year. They must hear the music in their ear to stay on key.
SCHANTZ: It's like they put the money in and help develop them and we're actually being able to benefit from that as well.
STARR: You can hear the difference between what a pilot hears without the new hearing protection and with it. Here at the Black Cat club in Washington, DC, the rock n' roll band Monopoli is getting ready for tonight's performance, but are any of these young musicians actually wearing hearing protection?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I use it pretty much all the time.
STARR: Whatever the source, exposure to extreme noise can make a person deaf.
DR. JOHN NIPARKO, JOHNS HOPKINS, DIR. OF HEARING CARE: Unfortunately the hearing system does not have the capability of recovering from severe noise damage.
STARR: So just maybe, musicians and pilots aren't so different after all.
ALFONSO, MONOPOLI LEAD SINGER: It makes me think I might have a shorter career as a musician if I don't get hip to that.
SCHANTZ: I'm hoping that these will definitely keep my hearing so that when I'm 60, I'm not a deaf old fighter pilot.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, a major jewelry heist in Wisconsin. How much did the thieves get away with? It's one of the stories grabbing the attention of our online viewers this morning and we will have it for you when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You don't want to miss CNN Sunday tomorrow. Saturday, Sunday, OK. We're going to introduce you to a really -- this is an amazing story, a devoted Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
NGUYEN: We are not kidding when we talk about devotion. Last week Terry O'Neill suffered a heart attack, that's right, when his team fumbled the fall on the second yard line.
HARRIS: No, no, the two yard line.
NGUYEN: All right. They still ended up with a win though, but will his doctor let him watch tomorrow's game? Is it going to spark another heart attack? We hope not. We're going to ask him about all of this when Terry O'Neill joins us live tomorrow 7:00 a.m. right here on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."
HARRIS: And CNN Saturday is coming up at the top of the hour. Fredricka Whitfield.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to both of you.
HARRIS: Good morning Fred. What do you have for us?
WHITFIELD: Coming up in the noon hour, of course, the month of January has been a big month for New Orleans colleges and universities because a lot of them have decided to open up their doors. They're bringing back a lot of students to begin their spring semester. Well, a couple of months ago, we talked to two Xavier students who said they were eager to finally get back on campus.
Well guess what? They came back on campus this week. We're going to do a follow up and talk to them to find out what their impressions are and if they indeed plan to stick it out for this entire next semester, a lot of challenges ahead for all the students who return to New Orleans.
HARRIS: Yes and what have they been doing over the past five months?
WHITFIELD: A lot of them have been going to a lot of other colleges and universities who have opened their doors to them and allowed them to stay. But you know what, when a lot of the other campuses did that across the country, a lot of those students decided hey, you know what, I like it here, I'm going to stay. So Dillard, Xavier, Tulane, Loyola, a lot of those universities lost a lot of their student base.
NGUYEN: All right, Fredricka.
HARRIS: Thanks, Fred.
NGUYEN: Let me tell you about stealing the spotlight, something you know, right Tony? This time it's on "American Idol" and in Wisconsin. Thieves stealing millions in precious jewels, those stories stealing lots of attention on cnn.com. Here's Veronica de la Cruz to talk about it. Hi.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Let's talk about those thieves in Wisconsin, stealing a million dollars worth of jewels and we actually have this on tape. But check this out, guys, in one minute and 34 seconds, this band of thieves made off with a million dollars in rings, earrings, watches, et cetera. Even though the cameras were rolling and the sirens were blaring.
Police say the robbers have been difficult to identify because of their hooded sweatshirts. Now I told you guys the story before. You may remember police from Connecticut to Florida, they've have been reporting similar break-ins at jewelry stores located in shopping malls. Do you remember that?
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
DE LA CRUZ: All right, onto something else that people at cnn.com are watching. This is a biggest show in television right now, pulling in 35 million viewers in one night alone. "American Idol" is back this season but just who or what is stealing the spotlight?
More controversy for the show this time with a set of twins who took down the house with their tryout during the season premier. The two are facing charges ranging from identity theft to forgery. One of them even missed the show because when it aired last week, he was in jail in a cell that didn't have television, so he couldn't even see himself.
NGUYEN: No cable.
DE LA CRUZ: No, no cable. Also this season, Kelly Clarkson, she wouldn't let would-be idols sing any of her songs on the show.
HARRIS: That's a good move right there.
DE LA CRUZ: So that raised a couple of eyebrows especially from Simon Cowl who said that she was ungrateful. You may also remember last session when contestant Corey Clark alleged that he had an affair with Paula Abdul, remember that one?
NGUYEN: Yes, I remember that.
DE LA CRUZ: But amidst all the controversy, it seems to never affect this highly rated show with 35 million viewers last Tuesday, the ratings, they only seem to climb higher.
HARRIS: Well, it's because it's a soap opera. It's a soap opera. DE LA CRUZ: Is that it?
NGUYEN: And sometimes it's a train wreck. And people want to watch that train just go off the tracks.
DE LA CRUZ: They do. I agree. It's a family show, too. So people of all ages can watch.
HARRIS: Is it really?
DE LA CRUZ: I think so.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Some of the characters who get up there and really think they can sing. Oh my goodness.
DE LA CRUZ: William Hung, was that his name? "She Bangs." She probably did and he is a huge...
NGUYEN: He's done well singing very badly. Bonnie Schneider, are you a fan of William Hung?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: All right, Bonnie, thank you.
NGUYEN: Thank you Bonnie. Well, the news keeps coming, CNN SATURDAY with Fredricka Whitfield is straight ahead. That's right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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