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American Morning
Devastating Floods in Northeast; Responsible Reporting?; Gaza Offensive
Aired June 29, 2006 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The worst may finally be over. Floodwaters beginning to recede in Trenton, New Jersey, leaving behind plenty of damage.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Those pictures coming to us from New Hope, Pennsylvania, where hope is high that life is soon going to return to normal along the banks of the Delaware River.
M. O'BRIEN: And in Rockville, Maryland, center part of your screen there, you seen those white things. Those are sandbags. Many fearing a dam there would give way. They're trying to shore it up. Lots of people downstream evacuated.
We'll bring you up to date on all of this ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Let's begin with a closer look at this devastating flooding that's happening in the Northeast this morning. Homes under water, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated.
The water is draining away from some of the hard-hit places right now. Others, though, have yet to see their highest flood stages.
In Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, they're watching the Susquehanna River.
CNN's Jason Carroll live for us there.
Hey, Jason. Good morning.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Soledad.
And this is one of the places where the water is slowly draining away. We spoke to an emergency management official who tells us that the Susquehanna River water levels have dropped from 33 feet to 31 feet, a two-foot drop in the past several hours. Definitely good news to some of the folks out here.
You can see where the floodwaters are, off in the distance behind me, a big difference from what we saw out here yesterday. Yesterday you couldn't even stand where I'm standing because the water was already actually up to this point. So, things looking much better today. Yesterday things looking a lot more grave, especially out here, where the water -- water crested at 34.5 feet. The levees are designed to hold the river at 41 feet.
At least four people died in the Pennsylvania area. Forty-six counties declared a state of emergency. Fifteen thousand people at this point, Soledad, without power. Several thousand people without water, still.
Two hundred thousand people were asked to evacuate, but we spoke to one woman who decided she was not going to evacuate. We asked her about what she thought of the situation this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN WILLIAMS, RESIDENT OF PLAINS, PENNSYLVANIA: This one just came in so quick, it really came in quick. And then this morning the water just -- I can't believe how quick it has gone back out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: So, again, you heard it right there from her, how quickly the water has receded. And it continues to recede. Folks out here are hoping that that will continue throughout the rest of the day -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Jason Carroll for us this morning.
Jason, thank you.
We're getting word that the Japanese prime minister, Koizumi, Junichiro Koizumi, is now meeting with President Bush. You can see them right there on your screen. Some live pictures coming to us.
They are going to participate this morning in an arrival ceremony, the president and Mrs. Bush you can see on -- I believe on the left side of the screen there. It's kind of hard to make out from here.
The president and the prime minister are having what will be the prime minister's last visit to the U.S. as his country's leader. He leaves office in September.
Tomorrow he -- the two of them will make a trek to Graceland, a little -- a little pilgrimage to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, because, of course, the prime minister is a big-time Elvis fan and has done a little Elvis singing with friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and Gentlemen, the national anthem...
S. O'BRIEN: It looks as if they are going to do a little photo- op first, play a little bit of the national anthem.
Let's pause and listen for a moment.
S. O'BRIEN: The prime minister listening to his nation's national anthem, standing next to President Bush. They will be participating in an arrival ceremony, and also continuing -- they are close friends and have been close friends for a while.
What -- what fun tomorrow at Graceland. That will be interesting.
M. O'BRIEN: It just proves the fans of The King know no boundaries.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, it certainly does.
M. O'BRIEN: The world over. All right.
S. O'BRIEN: We're going to continue to monitor what's happening here.
As we take you out of there, we get back to our top story this morning, which is the bad weather and the aftermath of all this flooding in the Northeast -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: About 80 miles north of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in Binghamton, New York, problems with the Susquehanna there, as well. Governor George Pataki says there will be at least $100 million in damage just there.
CNN's Allan Chernoff live now from Binghamton with more -- Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Miles, good morning.
And you can see the situation remains quite severe. I'm actually standing on someone's front lawn. The normal bank of the Susquehanna River, well, it's usually about 90 yards behind me. And a road usually runs right along all the way to that bank. But you can see the floodwaters still covering all over the place here, and really just a terrible impact in this area.
I just spoke to a firefighter who is with the local rescue company. He said yesterday he had to rescue five people from homes, homes just like this one, which you can see is entirely covered by water right now.
Thirteen counties in this region were declared to be emergency counties, states of emergency declared by the governor. And about 15,000 people had to be rescued, or at least evacuated, from their homes in this entire region of upstate New York. Certainly a very big impact.
But, at the same time, the floodwaters certainly are receding. And as I'm walking back here, this entire area of the lawn had been covered by water. And I'll just show you how much the water has receded.
It's been going about a foot an hour this morning. And all the way here, this all was covered by water yesterday.
Here you see some of the rocks left by the high water. And if we go all the way back here, you can even see some wood that was carried up.
So, all the way here, from here to where I was standing just a little while ago, it's a good 90 feet or so. So, indeed, the water is receding very rapidly -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Allan Chernoff in Binghamton, where the water is fortunately receding.
Chad Myers watching all of this from the weather center in Atlanta.
Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: What you have to realize, Miles -- good morning -- is that Binghamton is north or upstream from Wilkes-Barre and Scranton and Kingston. So, although the water is going down where Jason is, it's only going to go down to a point.
There's another bubble of water that's going to come down the Susquehanna to make that Susquehanna go back up, because it comes here from New York, back into Pennsylvania, up and around and back through Binghamton, and then down through the Wyoming Valley and all the way down into Harrisburg. And Bloomsburg going to get hit hard again.
Talk about a town without a levee. Bloomsburg, a lot of it completely under water. Not only where the Bloomsburg fair is, but severe weather possible here, again, from New York down through D.C. in that red area there.
A couple of showers that could be strong from Chicago back to about St. Louis, but the heaviest, strongest weather will be, again, right here through upstate New York, down into West Virginia. Not going to make flooding rainfall, but any rainfall is bad rainfall at this point in time. Most of the heavy rainfall, Miles, is on up into Ontario and Quebec, but there are scattered areas there in the orange of an inch of rain or more.
Now, tomorrow the storms in the East move offshore. More develop in the Midwest. And yes, those are some showers back in the West. They will take all the rain out there in the Rockies they can get -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Chad.
MYERS: Sure.
M. O'BRIEN: Israel using force this morning in pursuit of a kidnapped soldier in Gaza. The military there arresting several Palestinian lawmakers, including the deputy prime minister. In the midst of this, they have found the body of an 18-year-old Israeli settler who was also kidnapped Sunday by Palestinian militants.
CNN's Paula Hancocks watching it all unfold from Gaza City -- Paula.
I believe we just lost her there. Very sorry. We'll get -- as soon as we get her back we'll get back to Paula Hancocks in Gaza City -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get you back to Washington, D.C., in fact.
House Republicans are now taking aim at "The New York Times" and some other news organization, as well. Lawmakers are expected to pass a resolution critical of stories about a secret program to track private bank records.
CNN Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel is live on Capitol Hill this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Waves of Republican outrage continue to ripple through Congress over a "New York Times" story that revealed a secret program to track international terrorist financing.
REP. TOM PRICE (R), GEORGIA: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in frustration over the recent leak by "The New York Times" of a vital national security program.
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: And the real anger toward "The New York Times," I think what they did was absolutely disgraceful.
KOPPEL: And now the latest salvo, this seven-page Republican resolution condemning administration leakers and demanding the cooperation of the news media in not disclosing classified intelligence programs.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: When people who persistently leak this information to news sources and then news sources insist on printing it, it goes back to the old saying in a playoff, the old saying that basically loose lips kill American people.
KOPPEL: House Republicans are not alone in targeting "The New York Times" and other media. For days, right wing bloggers have been up in arms, while conservative radio talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh have had a field day.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: In fact, I think "The New York Times" should start running ads and get some jihadists and get some terror members and have them say, "They saved my sleeper cell. Thanks to 'The New York Times.'"
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: Now, debate in the House is expected to get under way a little later on today. An effort by House Democrats, however, to offer a substitute resolution in which they dispute many of the conclusions. And the Republican resolution has been blocked.
Meanwhile, Soledad, over in the Senate, CNN has learned that Texas Republican John Cornyn is going to offer a similar resolution, although his will really target the leakers and not as much the media -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right. Andrea Koppel for us this morning.
Andrea, thanks -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Israel taking prisoners and on a very aggressive stance as it tries to pursue a kidnapped corporal inside Gaza, Palestinian-controlled territory. Among other things, Israeli forces rounded up and arrested dozens of members of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian government.
CNN's Paula Hancocks live in Gaza City, watching this all unfold -- Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
Well, Israeli strikes on Gaza have been carrying on throughout Thursday. We've had airstrikes, also there have been strikes from gun ships posted in the sea just off the coast of Gaza. And also, we have troops and tanks in southern Gaza, which is where they believe this particular soldier is being kept at the moment.
Now, we've had just in the past hour and a half or so an Islamic Jihad militant in a car, and the Israeli airstrikes try to target him. Now, we understand that it hit the car but the militant escaped.
And also, developments down in southern Gaza. We understand from Palestinian sources that Palestinian militants have blown a hole in the border -- border wall between Egypt and Gaza. And we understand there are thousands of Palestinians down there wanting to get through that hole and get into Egypt.
Obviously, this is an area that Israel has been shelling over the past couple of days, and Palestinian security officials trying to stop that push, forming a human chain. But the Israelis say that they do pretty much know where this soldier is in southern Gaza, but they are still shelling northern Gaza, as well -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Paula Hancocks in Gaza City.
Let's get to Washington now. We've been watching the welcoming ceremony for the Japanese prime minister. The president is speaking. Let's listen to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The friendship between our two nations is based on common values. These values include democracy, free enterprise, and a deep and abiding respect for human rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: These values have created a better life for both our peoples, a firm alliance between our two nations, and a common approach to our engagement with the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: These values are under attack by terrorist networks that bring death and destruction to all who oppose their hateful ideology. So the United States and Japan are working together to defend our shared values and win the war on terror.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: Japanese naval vessels have refueled hundreds of coalition ships as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Japan is now the third largest donor nation for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: In Iraq, Japanese self-defense forces have helped improve the lives of citizens in a key Iraqi province that will soon return to Iraqi control, and Japan continues to provide critical airlift support to coalition forces in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: People of Japan can be proud of the contribution their self-defense forces have made in the war on terror, and Americans are proud to serve alongside such courageous allies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: Japan and the United States are cooperating to address other threats to our security. Our two nations are working together through the six-party talks, insisting that North Korea meet its pledge to abandon all nuclear weapons and its existing nuclear programs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: Japan and the United States are also founding members of the proliferation security initiative that is working to keep dangerous weapons from rogue states and terrorist groups. And our two nations are repositioning our forces to counter the emerging threats of the 21st century.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: As we meet threats to our security, we are also working together to improve the lives of our people and address common challenges. Our two economies are the largest in the world, and we are working to expand trade and investment opportunities for both our peoples.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: Japan and the United States are working together for a successful conclusion to the Doha negotiations which would add to the prosperity of our nations and help lift millions in the developing world out of poverty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: With prosperity comes responsibility. So our two nations helped build the Asian-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate so we can make the latest energy technologies more widely available, reduce pollution and increase energy efficiency.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: Americans cherish our friendship with the Japanese people and value our alliance with the nation of Japan. And we honor the leadership of Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi.
He's a man of vision. He's a man of integrity. And I'm proud to call him my friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
BUSH: I thank the prime minister for coming to the White House, and I'm looking forward to joining him tomorrow at Graceland. Officially, he's here to see the president, but I know the highlight of his visit will be paying his respects to The King.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your leadership and welcome back to America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)
(APPLAUSE)
M. O'BRIEN: The prime minister of Japan with a warm reception at the White House, as the president welcomes him amid the ceremony that goes along with one of those occasions.
It will be quite a contrast tomorrow as the prime minister of Japan heads to, of all places, Graceland.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, he's a big Elvis fan.
M. O'BRIEN: There you have it.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. He -- I'm not sure the president, President Bush, is a big Elvis fan, but he will be going along. It will be the last official tour as prime minister.
M. O'BRIEN: That's what you call a photo-op.
S. O'BRIEN: It will be a great -- it will be a very entertaining photo-op, for sure.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: No question about that. Much more to come on AMERICAN MORNING this morning. A year ago, President Bush and other G8 leaders committed to increase aid to Africa, $50 billion by 2010. Coming up this morning, my exclusive interview with Bono. He's been to Africa and is keeping track of that pledge. He'll tell us if the U.S. is keeping its commitment.
M. O'BRIEN: And the Supreme Court is set to way in on Guantanamo today. Will they deliver prisoner there from legal limbo?
S. O'BRIEN: Plus, how are the folks coping with all that flooding we've been telling you about in Pennsylvania? We'll check in with a family that was forced to evacuate.
Those stories all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
A short break. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: The floodwater in the Northeast is so high right now it's being compared to Hurricane Agnes and the destruction she caused back in 1972. Two hundred thousand people have been ordered to leave Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, as floodwaters rose around their homes. About 50,000 of them have complied.
Andy Reno and his daughter Angela have evacuated. The join us live from Plains in Pennsylvania. That's a suburb of Wilkes-Barre.
Nice to see you guys. Thanks for talking with us.
Andy, why don't we start with you. How did you get the word that you had to get out? Give me a sense of how it came to you.
ANDY RENO, WILKES-BARRE RESIDENT: Yes, we actually had two evacuations. We live next to Solomon Creek in the south Wilkes-Barre section, and we had a mandatory evacuation Tuesday evening around 5:00.
We went back into the home yesterday morning, got some of the water pumped out. And we had another evacuation which was mandatory in Wyoming Valley and Wilkes-Barre about 8:00 p.m. last night.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow. So you've been in and out and then in and out again. That's kind of a pain for you.
What have you been able to grab out of your home?
ANDY RENO: Well, actually, what we did on Tuesday, I came home from work early, and we took all our belongings that we have downstairs in the finished basement and moved everything up above. Had a lot of support from my family members. And what we did, we had the evacuation for the city of Wilkes-Barre for the Susquehanna River, and we tried to get as much valuables out of the house as possible. We did take out quite a few pictures.
S. O'BRIEN: Grabbing all the important things. Angela, let me ask you a question. You're 19 years old. What's it like when everybody starts evacuating? Were people panicking? Did they seem pretty calm and relaxed about it?
ANGELA RENO, WILKES-BARRE RESIDENT: Well, being in the Wyoming Valley, we're kind of -- and living next to Solomon Creek, which floods a little too often -- we've been flooded three times in the past 10 years -- it's unfortunate, but I've grown up with flooding. And it's to the point where I don't really panic anymore.
Other people who have not been through it tend to panic and worry, but those of us who have been through it just kind of say, OK, you know what? You just have to take out the most valuable things. Family comes first, and then if you want to take the most important things, it would be pictures, just memories.
S. O'BRIEN: So, Andy, what kind of shape is your house in? You know, because I've got to tell you, behind you it looks like an absolutely beautiful day. How is the house holding up?
ANDY RENO: The house is holding up well. We did get everything cleaned out yesterday, but we're still going to have a lot of drying and some gutting to do in our basement area.
And we just thank god that the Susquehanna River did not come through the dykes. I know we're still in the mandatory evacuation, but I think everything will work out.
S. O'BRIEN: You've been through this before, as Angela just mentioned. How frustrating is it for you? And I know you've had a lot more water in the past, too.
ANDY RENO: Right. We had a flood in 1996, 2004, and again this year. 1996 probably was the most scariest.
My daughter at the time was eight years old, and my father-in-law was living with us at the time. And we actually had to get rescued by the National Guard because the waters come up so fast we got taken out with a payloader. And it was a very frightening experience for all of us.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes, that sounds like it would be a terrifying experience, especially when you have a young child with you.
Angela, maybe this is a question better left to your mom and dad, but I'm going to pose it to you, and your dad can jump into if he wants to. It looks so beautiful, but, I mean, after the third, going on fourth evacuation and flooding, you know, what point do you say enough, I'm done here?
ANDY RENO: Well, what we normally do is -- it is very difficult to get through. There is some construction that's going on down in the south Wilkes-Barre area.
There are new bridges being constructed, and also they are working on a wall project that the government is trying to put in. And we're hoping that gets done shortly, because there's a few hundred homes down in the area. And the walls are ready to give way because they are leaning. And unfortunately, if they do give, I think you're going to see a lot of devastation down in that area.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I think you're right.
ANGELA RENO: It is unfortunate.
S. O'BRIEN: Go ahead, Angela. I'm sorry for interrupting there.
ANGELA RENO: That's OK. It's just so unfortunate. Every time you just want to say it's enough, but you know it's just going to happen again.
It's just unfortunate the way that the valley has become. It's the way that the floodwaters run.
S. O'BRIEN: A tough thing, but you guys seem like you're handling it very much in stride.
Andy Reno and 19-year-old daughter Angela Reno joining us this morning.
Thanks, guys. Good luck to you. I hope you get back in soon, it all dries out, and you're none the worse for wear.
ANGELA RENO: Thank you so much.
S. O'BRIEN: My pleasure -- Miles.
ANDY RENO: Thank you very much.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up a little later, about an hour's time on Pipeline, Miles Cam, 10:30 Eastern. It's back after a couple week hiatus.
S. O'BRIEN: He's back.
M. O'BRIEN: It's back, and this is -- we're going to call this a special Miles Cam shuttle edition.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, OK.
M. O'BRIEN: The space shuttle launching this Saturday, if all goes well. Weather is a big issue.
S. O'BRIEN: What time is it, 3:49?
M. O'BRIEN: 3:49 would be the time -- 3:48, actually. But let's call it 3:49, shall we?
S. O'BRIEN: OK.
M. O'BRIEN: And we will be happy to take your questions on things related to space, the shuttle.
S. O'BRIEN: There's been a lot of drama with this one.
M. O'BRIEN: There has been.
S. O'BRIEN: A lot of shuffling of people, personnel, people leaving. All right. I might actually...
M. O'BRIEN: They're launching, over the objections of the chief engineer and chief safety officer of the program. And this is only the second flight since Columbia.
S. O'BRIEN: Right. Right.
M. O'BRIEN: So there's lots of questions out there. Lots of tension inside NASA as the shuttle enters into its sunset years.
S. O'BRIEN: Lots to talk about on Pipeline with Miles today.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Join me there.
S. O'BRIEN: Also ahead this morning...
M. O'BRIEN: Send me some e-mail now, AM@CNN.com.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, yes. We've got to do that.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Remember the last Live Aid concert which was last year? The goal was to pressure the G8 into action, get them to focus on relief in Africa. Well, a year later, what exactly has been accomplished? Coming up, my exclusive interview with Bono. He's been keeping a close eye on developments there in Africa and here as well.
Stay with us. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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