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Discovery Set to Launch Tonight, Many in Midwest Still Without Power, Rumsfeld Makes Farewell Iraq Visit

Aired December 09, 2006 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Temperatures in the teens and no electricity for a week -- could you survive?
Thousands in the Midwest were forced to do just that, and now they want to know why.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Zarrella at the Kennedy Space Center.

The Discovery astronauts are on their way to the launch pad.

But will the weather cooperate?

I'll have that story coming up.

SANCHEZ: All right, looking forward to talking to you, John.

Meanwhile, say it isn't so. A Monday through Friday work week for Congress?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: What we see is a drive-by Congress -- Tuesday night to Thursday morning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This is the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Rick Sanchez.

I'm sitting in for Carol Lin.

Let's first catch up on some of the headlines.

The Shuttle Discovery is set to lift-off in less than four hours. The exact launch time is 8:47, for those of you taking notes. But a windy, wet forecast could force NASA to delay the mission for the second time in two days. We're going to have a full report on this just ahead, as you might imagine.

Also, uniting a divided nation -- that is the focus of the national reconciliation meeting scheduled next week in Iraq. Various political groups are expected to attend. Meantime, the violence there rages on. We're going to have details on that just ahead. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, at least three row houses are leveled after a massive explosion. A fourth home was badly damaged, as well. Early reports indicate that no one was killed. We're following that story and we're going to try and get an update for you as soon as more information on this story becomes available. Once again, it's still developing.

Also, a disgruntled inventor -- that's how police are describing a man who reportedly shot and killed three people at a Chicago law firm yesterday. Police say Joe Jackson told witnesses that he felt cheated over an invention before SWAT officers fatally shot him.

At least 18 wildfires are scorching Australia's Victoria State and officials fear that they could merge into a massive blaze. Four hundred and twenty-thousand acres have so far burned, sending plumes of smoke into the state capital of Melbourne. Thousands of firefighters are trying to contain the flames before they reach a more populated area, as well.

All right, here we go. NASA is getting ready for another possible shot at launching Space Shuttle Discovery. But with troublesome weather still looming, folks aren't riding too high right now.

With the very latest, John Zarrella.

He is standing by live at the Kennedy Space Center -- what's it like right now, John?

What are the odds?

ZARRELLA: Hey, Rick, you know, it was a beautiful day all day today, the sun-was out, pretty much blue skies, a scattering of clouds. But the winds have been a little bit high here at the Kennedy Space Center and that's problematic, not out at the launch site so much as at the emergency landing strip, where, if they had to make an emergency return to the landing facility, those winds can't be any greater than 15 knots.

Well, right now the latest weather reports are the winds are gusting from 12 to 18 knots. So it looks like it's going to be a real time call.

You can see there the astronauts. They have just left the operations and check out building. That videotape shot just a bit ago. All smiles again, just as they were Thursday, during the first opportunity, getting on the Astro van there and heading out to the launch pad. They'll probably be passing our facility here in the next few minutes time.

Now, before, of course, they could get out there, the close out crews and the inspection teams had to go out to the launch pad, check the vehicle. The ice team out there making sure that the shelter was in shape and there were no problems. They completed that work earlier this afternoon to make way, pave way for the astronauts to get out there. Now, this, of course, is the first negligence in four years, the first negligence since the Columbia accident. So it's going to make it a little bit more -- as spectacular at it will be -- a little bit more difficult for NASA to track the vehicle as it ascends here from the Space Center. But they do have their optical cameras that will be trained on it and they believe that with the illumination from the solid rocket boosters and the main engines, they should get some pretty good views of the vehicle.

Plus, they've got readers that they are using, radar images that they will be using from two sources, one land-based and two off the coast, that can actually tell if there is debris coming off of the shuttle vehicle. So they'll be using those to keep an eye on the ascent of Discovery into orbit.

Now, once they do get into orbit, they're going to chase down the International Space Station, rendezvous with the Space Station and this 12-day mission very busy. Three spacewalks, six-and-a-half hours each, those space walks, as they try to reconfigure the power on the International Space Station from its temporary configuration to a more permanent configuration.

So, a very busy time up there as they try to -- 15 or so missions left to go in the shuttle program. All but -- all of them dedicated pretty much to getting the Space Station 100 percent operational. All but one, one mission dedicated to the Hubble space telescope.

So, Rick, we are waiting for the astronauts to pass by here. But heading toward the launch pad and maybe we'll get lucky tonight and get the shuttle off the ground -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Oh, you and I are going to be talking, nonetheless, some time around, what, 8:40,I would imagine, right?

ZARRELLA: Right. We'll be talking again and by then -- I think we're going to be counting it down right to the last minute as they try to get this off and hope that the winds cooperate -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: As usual, look forward to it, John.

ZARRELLA: Right.

SANCHEZ: Let's talk now about that situation we were describing just a little bit earlier, December's deep freeze that's been affecting, really, so many people. Another bitterly cold night is about to set in. This is millions of people in the East and the Midwest have been feeling this. Of course, not millions that have been affected by those power outages we told you about.

A thousand people are still without electricity in some of those areas. Think of how difficult that has to be for some of these folks, as many as 8,000 in some areas, just trying to keep their children warm, trying to cook for their children. It's a very difficult situation. And we're going to be bringing you up to date on exactly what they're doing to get by. In the meantime, if you're wondering why the power has stayed off so long, you might get a chance to find out very soon. In just a little bit, I'm going to be asking Illinois's lieutenant governor Pat Quinn for an explanation.

We'll be bringing you that right here.

Meanwhile, first, some answers from Bonnie Schneider -- she's standing by at the CNN Weather Center, as to what's -- I guess this is a two-pronged question for you tonight, Bonnie.

What's the weather going to be like for the shuttle launch and are we going to see any kind of reprieve for some of those folks in places like St. Louis and Chicago, who, in some cases, still don't have any power?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, ATS METEOROLOGIST: I know. It is really tough out there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: I was just handed a piece of paper here. This is from officials in parts of the Midwest that we were talking about. And they're saying that -- remember we mentioned a little while ago that as many as 8,000 people may have possibly still been without power?

It's apparently down now into the hundreds. So, finally, you and I talked about reprieve a little while ago. There seems to be some reprieve. The power company apparently hustling to get some of those people helped out.

Meanwhile, what's it been like for those people over the past week? What's it like to not be able to provide heat for your children, to warm their food, for example?

This is the type of story that we tell from the inside out. It's not about numbers. It's about the people affected by it.

Here's Jeff Flock.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RUSS RIFE: Right here we've got a kettle of water on that we were heating that up to kind of keep moisture in the air, plus add heat. JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The burners going on the stove, a kerosene heater in the living room.

(on camera): You've also got your oven on, too.

R. RIFE: Correct, yes.

FLOCK (voice-over): Carrying candles, we spent much of the night with Russia and Sharna Rife (ph) and their children, Timmy and Becky, as they tried to stay warm with no power in Decatur, Illinois.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Green. SHARNA RIFE: Green.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Green.

R. RIFE: OK.

How about -- yes, that's green.

FLOCK: One family's story, no TV or computers, no juice for the fish tank, for the nebulizer for dad's asthma. Just cards. Uno.

R. RIFE: Your turn, dad.

MR. RIFE: Ah-ha.

What color is that?

R. RIFE: Blue.

S. RIFE: Blue.

MR. RIFE: I need more light.

S. RIFE: This -- this is kind of fun, in a way.

FLOCK: And kind of not.

R. RIFE: You can't see your breath yet.

FLOCK: It's early.

R. RIFE: This is my hot and cold lines here going to the upstairs bathroom.

FLOCK: Russ is worried about his water pipes freezing before the utility company comes to replace the meter that blew up in the storm. Timmy saw it happen.

TIMMY RIFE: I can running from the kitchen toward the dining room and I saw sparks.

FLOCK (on camera): And you've got a wooden home here?

R. RIFE: That is correct.

FLOCK: You could have -- you could have easily set yourself on fire.

T. RIFE: Big time.

R. RIFE: A very old home.

FLOCK: There are still power lines down all over Decatur, many of them like this one, still buried in the snow. Now, this one, as you can perhaps see, is no longer a hot line, already the power has been restored here. But for those that haven't got power yet, it's been now over a week.

(voice-over): We met the Rifes (ph) at the Baptist Church, where Lara Alison (ph) is spending the night at the Red Cross shelter. She has her lights back, but the house is too cold for 6-year-old Shelby (ph), who has liver disease.

LARA ALISON: I was scared and I thought oh, gosh, now I know what it feels like to be harmless. And I thought now I know what Mary and Joseph felt like.

FLOCK: Room the at the inn, just no heat.

But wait. Finally, a work weary crew from Amron, a local power company, appears at the Rifes'.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let him know it that he's good to go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

Dave!

FLOCK: As Russ watches with a smile, it doesn't take long.

R. RIFE: Oh, man, I think this is awesome. I'm going to get warm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Plug her in, they can turn the breaker on here in a minute.

R. RIFE: We've got power.

FLOCK: Finally.

R. RIFE: Lordy, lordy, lordy, we've got power.

Hey, I see something spinning. That means we've got power. I never thought I'd be happy to see this thing spinning.

FLOCK: We talked to the family live on CNN just after the power lit up their faces. We cannot see it on Becky's face, but now we can. Now we can. The Rifes take away a new appreciation for what it's like to be truly powerless. They made the best of it, but have no desire to this experience again.

T. RIFE: I don't want to be an electrician, because that's a dangerous job.

R. RIFE: I'm sleeping in my own bed, and that is, if my water bed will warm up before tonight. I -- being this long without power and it being as cold as it is, that bed, boy, is cold.

FLOCK: Not much the power company can do about that.

I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, in Decatur, Illinois.

(END VIDEO TAPE) SANCHEZ: President Bush acknowledged today that the fight in Iraq is a quandary and it's now a grave situation.

Take a look at some of these pictures. It's hard to disagree after the frenzied aftermath of a car bombing in the area south of Baghdad. At least five people killed, 44 wounded, when the bomb went off near a Shiite shrine in Karbala. In a word, mayhem thus far.

Also today, the military tells two more Marines have lost their lives in combat in the volatile Anbar Province. That's 38 American deaths this month, as the White House considers a long-awaited change of course.

Here's CNN's Elaine Quijano reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just days after the Iraq Study Group called the situation in Iraq "grave and deteriorating," President Bush used this same term, "grave," in his weekly radio address.

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their report provides a straightforward picture of the grave situation we face in Iraq.

QUIJANO: Yet he also tried to stress the positive, saying the panel's report shows his administration's overall goal is correct.

BUSH: The Iraq Study Group's report also explicitly endorses the strategic goal we've set in Iraq -- an Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself.

QUIJANO: But President Bush again carefully avoided expressing support for any of the 79 recommendations, saying his administration was reviewing them. With Democrats now set to take control of Congress next month, the president is under intensifying political pressure to change his Iraq policy.

REP. SILVESTRE REYES (D), TEXAS: Their report confirms what most of us have known for some time. President Bush's policy of stay the course is not working. We need a new approach.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: You know, the big buzz in Washington thus far has been about when the president will come out and say whatever his new approach will be.

Elaine Quijano joining us now.

Do we have a basic sense yet of when the president will make this announcement?

QUIJANO: Yes, well, you know, we do, Rick. The clock is ticking. Senior Bush aides say that the hope here at the White House is to announce any changes to the president's Iraq policy before Christmas. For now, the president really is waiting on three internal administration reviews, and he's pretty much in listening mode. In fact, he is devoting much of his upcoming week to hearing from officials at the State Department, the Pentagon and via videoconference from commanders on the ground in Iraq -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: The Baker-Hamilton report will weigh heavy on his mind, right?

QUIJANO: Absolutely. He says that he is certainly looking at the recommendations, taking them very seriously. At the same time, though, as we've noted, he is not really weighing in when it comes to specifics.

It's a delicate balance he is trying to strike, really, between trying to sound open to new ideas, but at the same time being careful not to endorse them, as well.

SANCHEZ: One would imagine.

All right, Elaine Quijano, thanks so much for bringing us up to date on that.

It was a place that people went to to get help. Instead, problems at this Moscow hospital may have caused patients their lives. We're going to tell you what we mean about that story.

Also, what can be done to help those who ended up in the dark during a winter storm?

I'm going to have a conversation with the lieutenant governor of Illinois later.

You're watching THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And welcome back.

I'm Rick Sanchez.

We're now in the CNN control room, where we're trying to bring you the very latest information that we've just received. These are usually surprise visits. But we have just learned that there has been another one of those surprise visits in Iraq, this time from Donald Rumsfeld. And we understand this story being confirmed by ABC News and reported just a while ago. Not confirmed yet by CNN.

We're trying to check with several sources over there. But he's doing much the same as he did yesterday in the Pentagon, where he talked to many of the civilians and military officials there, saying good-bye, saying this is the last time that he'll be in his official capacity talking to them.

He is talking to many of the generals in Iraq, according to some of the reports that we've been receiving, and essentially saying farewell to those folks he's had an association with for so long.

This comes weeks, obviously, after the president of the United States announced that Donald Rumsfeld would be stepping down.

It's a story that we'll continue to follow for you. And as we get more details and as we confirm it further here on CNN, we will bring you those details.

Meanwhile, a major Russian hospital is a possible crime scene. Arson is suspected in last night's deadly fire. It killed 46 patients. Adding to the tragedy, reports of widespread safety violations, as well.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The hospital's facade reveals little of the horror that unfolded inside as fire and smoke swept through a drug rehab ward. Police say that dozens of young women who checked in to reclaim their lives from drugs and alcohol tragically died due to the hospital's own crude measures to keep them from getting out.

YURI NENASHEV, RUSSIAN EMERGENCY MINISTRY (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): One of the main escape stairways was blocked by a metal grill and the second was covered by heavy smoke. So people could not escape.

CHILCOTE: Had authorities been notified earlier and the hospital walls not covered in a plastic that gave off poisonous smoke, many of the victims would be alive.

Add to this tale of negligence the almost inconceivable possibility the fire was the result of arson.

YURI SYOMIN, MOSCOW CITY CHIEF PROSECUTOR (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We will be investigating all possible causes of the fire, including the possibility that it was deliberately started. Someone could have started the blaze on purpose.

CHILCOTE: There are 18,000 fires every year in Russia, more than 10 times the rate in the United States or Britain. Most fires are blamed on a disregard for safety and lax enforcement, with fire officials often more keen to extract bribes for violations than to correct them.

Saturday's fire was the most lethal in Moscow in nearly three decades.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: By now, most of the country has heard of this family in Oregon, the Kim family and their struggle to survive after being out in the wilderness stuck for nine days. I had a chance to go out in the wilderness to try and get a sense of what they did, what they could have done, what was right, what was wrong, what all of us need to learn about this. And I'll file that story for you. You'll see it right here.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back.

This is the CNN control room.

I'm Rick Sanchez.

Since 1927, "Time" editors have named their person of the year on the cover of a special issue of the magazine. The title is given to the person who, for better or worse -- and that's specifically what it says, by the way -- the magazine's editors believe had the greatest impact on the year's events.

This year's "Time" person of the year will be announced on CNN December 16th, during the 8:00 hour Eastern time.

Now, here's a look at some of the contenders.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Hello, folks.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A former U.S. secretary of defense makes his mark. Donald Rumsfeld...

RUMSFELD: We need to be...

O'BRIEN: ... engineer of the policies that fueled the war in Iraq, steps aside and earns a place as a candidate for "Time" magazine's person of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In their operational decisions that we have made in fighting the war in Iraq, the choices in terms of the number of forces that we've had, in terms of how to respond to the looting of Baghdad, in terms of how to fight insurgency, that are properly put at the feet of the secretary of defense.

RUMSFELD: What's being undertaken here is difficult.

It is not well known, it was not well understood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The choices and decisions he has made have been extraordinarily significant, not just for tens of thousands of Americans serving in the armed forces and their families, but for people all around the world.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back.

We're in the CNN NEWSROOM for you.

A new twist in the story of the Kim family, stranded after they took a wrong turn on a rural Oregon road, as much of the nation has been captivated by this story.

Police are now saying that vandals broke a lock and left that gate open, which may have created confusion for James Kim.

Also, James Kim went on a sacrifice, the sacrifice of his own life to help his own family.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The Kims' plan was a good one. So says park ranger and survival expert Ken Brink.

RANGER KEN BRINK, SURVIVAL EXPERT: I think they made a lot of good decisions and stayed with the vehicle and stayed with their shelter. I think because of that -- many people don't do that. I think because of that, that's why probably three members of the family survived.

SANCHEZ: Shelter is the first priority in what experts call the rule of threes -- you can survive about three weeks without food, three days without water, but in extreme conditions, they say, only three hours without shelter.

BRINK: If you get out wandering like you were, there are some things you can do. As an example, one thing we teach is what we call a desperation trench.

SANCHEZ (on camera): This is a shelter of last resort, if you will?

BRINK: Absolutely. And you don't need any special equipment to make it. You're not going to have to work real hard to put it together. And hopefully you're not going to get soaking wet building it.

SANCHEZ: So, it sounds -- it looks like a hole in the ice that you've made, taken some tree branches, covered it with snow and you would literally just get yourself in there?

BRINK: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): But a shelter also needs heat, a problem that can be easy to solve in a vehicle.

Here's how you do that. A candle in a coffee can will keep you warm through the night. But with or without a candle, no matter how safe, how secure a shelter is, it's also tight and confining and it can be maddening. BRINK: Being in a confined space in a storm for a long period of time is a difficult thing. People that climb mountains have tents that are bright yellow to help them combat depression and help them cope with the claustrophobia. I would imagine that some of those factors would be the same in a vehicle, I would imagine.

SANCHEZ: Of course, the greatest unknown that the Kims faced was how long to wait for rescuers before leaving the shelter of their stranded car.

BRINK: At some point, when do you try to, you know, leave your shelter and make your way to help?

There are certainly some incidents where that's worked. And it's hard to know. Nobody's got a crystal ball. Nobody can understand that the plane might be coming in a day. Certainly after a period of a week, when things are getting desperate, I think you've got to make difficult calls.

SANCHEZ: For James and Kati Kim, a difficult call they'd have to make.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: What a story.

And I'm not quite sure what we're showing here.

All right, that's me, tonight at 10:00 Eastern, alone in the cold, dark Rocky Mountains. I am braving the elements to see how difficult it is to survive. Some tips that could save your life. That's tonight at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

I should tell you, by the way, I spent some time in that makeshift shelter that I showed you just a little while ago. And lo and behold, and I suppose to my surprise, it works.

Monday night, CNN goes beyond the headlines for an emotional look at James Kim's efforts to save his family. A special "PAULA ZAHN NOW" -- "STRANDED: THE JAMES KIM ORDEAL." That was part of the story that you saw right there. Monday at 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

Well, winter is hitting some Midwestern residents extremely hard. Just ahead, I'm going to get a chance to speak to the lieutenant governor of Illinois about how his state is handling these weather challenges.

Also, what are U.S. troops doing in Ethiopia?

We're going to find out. We'll tell you, later in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Well, winter is hitting some Midwestern residents extremely hard. Ahead, I will get a chance to speak to the lieutenant governor of Illinois about how his state is handling these winter challenges.

Also, what are U.S. troops doing in Ethiopia? We will find out and tell you later in the NEWSROOM

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here is what is in the news right now: President Bush says he is reviewing all of the recommendations by the Iraq Study Group, but awaiting similar reports from the Departments of Defense, State and the National Security Council before making any decisions on the possible changes in the war in Iraq.

ABC News is reporting on a good-bye tour in Iraq for outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and newly confirmed Defense Secretary Robert Gates will begin his job a week from now. And let's go to our own Jamie McIntyre, he's been following the story and the very latest on Donald Rumsfeld. We understand that he is overseas in Iraq. Another one of those surprise visits, Jamie?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, NEWSROOM: Yeah, even more of a surprise than usual. Usually a small number of reporters are traveling with him, but I haven't gotten direct confirmation that Rumsfeld is in Iraq, but I have confirmed that the chief spokesman is traveling in Iraq with him. So I guess that we will put that down as confirmation.

We don't know exactly why Rumsfeld decided to keep this so secret, but it would be typical of Rumsfeld, knowing him and having covered him for six years to say that at this point he wanted to just go without reporters without any coverage to say good-bye to the troops, to meet with them one-on-one.

So we don't know exactly what his motivations were for making this super secret farewell tour in Iraq, but we can just imagine that that was probably something to do with it. You know, he figures that his time is up. He has one more week to go as Defense secretary. So, he probably, n a typical Rumsfeld fashion decided to dispatch with the usual protocol of traveling with a small press contingent, and probably just decided to go by himself.

SANCHEZ: We should add now that CNN can confirm now that it is indeed the case that Donald Rumsfeld is in Iraq as we speak. Saying farewell, we might imagine and many of the people he has worked with so closely.

Jamie, you have been with the man, you've followed him quite a bit, and how personal has this been for him? Have you seen any signs of dejection or rejection for that matter on his face in the last couple of weeks?

MCINTYRE: Well, you know, one thing about Rumsfeld is that he is supremely confident in his own decisions, and he still believes that history will vindicate him. But in private, he does take these things very seriously. He spent quite a bit of time, again, without press coverage, visiting the wounded veterans of the war, going to Walter Reed Hospital and talking to them. And he talked about one such encounter in his farewell at the Pentagon just yesterday; about how he talked to the wounded veterans.

And so, you know, knowing him as I do, I am just going to tell you that he probably just wanted to go there one-on-one and talk to the troops. He is the one, obviously, who had a lot to do with the fact that they are there. And he wanted to thank them for the job they are doing, and tell them that he believes that they are going to prevail if they just don't quit.

That is the farewell message he gave at the Pentagon yesterday.

SANCHEZ: Jamie McIntyre, we certainly thank you for bringing us up to date on the story that we've all been following now, since it first broke, just within the last hour or so.

Meanwhile in the Land of Lincoln, patience is wearing thin for those stuck in the blast of winter weather for the past week, without any power. At last report, there were some -- well, we've been getting so many different reports, let's hold off on any figures here. In Illinois and Missouri, still struggling. Good news -- this number we can report, it is down from an original number of 500,000 people that have been affected and lost the power for at least some time.

For the very latest now, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn joins us. He is in Chicago.

Mr. Quinn, thanks so much for being with us. We've been hearing a lot of numbers. Can you first of all bring us up to date on what the last numbers are that you have?

LT. GOV. PAT QUINN, (D-IL): Well, I think it is a lot better as far as people getting their electricity back, but originally it was 500,000 households that didn't have electricity in Illinois and Missouri.

SANCHEZ: That would make about 1 million people, right?

QUINN: Over 1 million people.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

QUINN: And in our state, whether it's Decatur, you had a piece on that a few minutes ago, and central Illinois, but also in southern Illinois, East St. Louis, Belleville, Collinsville. We've literally had thousands of people, for more than a week not having electricity and it is just a very bad performance by Ameren, the company.

SANCHEZ: And so do you have an idea yet? I mean, we haven't given out any numbers, is it more than 1,000, fewer than 1,000?

QUINN: I think it is fewer than 1,000, the last I heard. But I wanted to salute all of those who worked this past week on helping people, warming centers and helping to cook food, and do many, many things to help folks who didn't have electricity. And we want to salute the linemen who worked night and day putting the system back in order. We're not going to executives of the Ameren electric company. I think they have done a lousy job. Their system is not reliable and our state is --

SANCHEZ: Why? Why do you think they have done a lousy job and what in particular have they done so lousy?

QUINN: I think they haven't invested in preventive maintenance in their system. They've neglected that. They have haven't invested in having enough linemen who do the preventive maintenance on a regular basis.

SANCHEZ: What kind of preventive maintenance? You mean cutting down the trees so they won't come down on the power lines?

QUINN: That's part of it. As a matter of fact, if a tree hits a power line, it is the equivalent of three sticks of dynamite. And tree trimming is a part of keeping a good system reliable. And Ameren, last summer, had terrible problems with summer storms and now with this winter storm, people are without electricity for days on end. This is not acceptable.

SANCHEZ: Let me ask you a question. I'm curious. A lot of people -- you know, I come from Florida. We have the same problem down there. And why do they continue to put the power lines up 12, 13 -- however many feet up in the air -- where if they were underground we wouldn't have these incessant problems?

QUINN: Well, it is more expensive to put it underground, but given the expense that we've had to our economy and to personal health and safety in Illinois and Missouri in the past week, I think that those are issues that have to be looked at.

Basically the multimillion executives who run these giant utility companies have a duty to the customers who pay the rates to have a reliable system and make decisions that invest in the system to make sure that it is there for the people.

SANCHEZ: Let me bring you up to date on what we have gotten, by the way, since we have been talking about Ameren. This is a statement we received just moments ago from Ameren. I think we're going to be able to put it up on the screen. Here it is.

"Ameren companies managed to restore customers in a shorter time than is the eight-day national average for storms of this magnitude." There is their statement, Mr. Quinn, what do you say to that?

QUINN: Well, I'll talk to the customers. I was in East St. Louis and Decatur and southern and central Illinois this past week, and I think the customers of Ameren are fed up with that company's alibis, excuses, and bad performance. The utility executives should bear the blame here. We are going to be investigating them through our Commerce Commission. They're going to be called on the carpet and made to answer some tough questions that the customers have.

I do want to salute the linemen. The linemen are real heroes. They're up there in dangerous weather and tough conditions, and restoring the system. They are great people. SANCHEZ: But you think they move too slow in doing the maintenance that is required beforehand, like making sure that the tree limbs come down before they come down on a line, right?

QUINN: Right. The company has to -- and it is true of all of these big utilities in this era of deregulation. They have been cutting back on maintenance. They haven't invested in a reliable system. That is also true in northeastern Illinois, with Commonwealth Edison. And we will take them on any time they are not doing the right job for everyday people.

SANCHEZ: Let's hope that this causes a change, both at the government level and at the private sector level, as well. We think you, Pat Quinn is the lieutenant governor for the state of Illinois.

Let's do this now. Let's try and catch you up on another story we have been following. That's the one regarding Donald Rumsfeld, his surprise visit to Iraq. Gary Nurenberg joins us now by phone.

I understand you've had some conversations with some folks there at the Pentagon, Gary?

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Good afternoon. Talked just a few moments ago with a Lt. Colonel Todd Vission (ph), a Defense Department spokesman, who as Defense Department spokesman often do when administration officials travel to Iraq; they are very aware of the security precautions that are being taken and often the information does not come out until those officials have left the country.

Lt. Colonel Vission (ph) says he is unable to say exactly when Rumsfeld arrived in the country or even if he is still there. But in a conversation with us, a few moments ago, he did confirm that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, in his last few days in office, has now made a trip to Iraq.

Lt. Colonel Vission went out of the way to say there is a very strong reason for this, and that is to express Rumsfeld's appreciation to the troops for what they are doing, and for what he called the sacrifices they, and their families are making.

Lt. Colonel Vission (ph) says he'll let us know more when he can, but right now, Rick, those are kind of the parameters of what he's allowed to say. We are watching it and when we hear more, we'll get back to you right away.

SANCHEZ: Well, you know, Jamie McIntyre, who we were talking with just a little while ago, said that they're usually secret, but they usually get a handful of reporters and they let them know, just so that they're prepared. It sounds like they told fewer people on this trip than they have told on just about any other trip in the past, correct?

NURENBERG: Well, the initial information makes it appear that way, but anyone having watched Secretary Rumsfeld in that Pentagon town meeting earlier this week would know that he feels a personal sense of obligation to these troops. And having listened to him in that town meeting in Washington, not a big surprise that he might want to make a trip to express that gratitude to the troops in person.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and this is a very personal thing for him as well, given what has been going on over the last couple of weeks. Gary Nurenberg, we thank you for brining us up to date on this story out of Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, how do home schoolers stay fit without a gym class? We're going to find out next, as we give our report, "Fit Nation". Stay with us. We're coming right back, from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: You are looking at the CNN NEWSROOM and that is what we call this program.

Meanwhile, a new trend now for students schooled at home, group fitness programs. It is another way to level the playing field? Here is our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do y'all want for lunch? Tuna?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ew!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ew!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Peanut butter and jelly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it peanut butter and jelly.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM (voice over): You would never know it by looking at them, but 14- year-old twins Courtney and Chelsea have never gone to a gym class.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long have you been on that page?

GUPTA: That is because they are home schooled. But just because they do their schoolwork on the living room couch doesn't mean they get to be couch potatoes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, you have everything you need?

GUPTA: Their mom makes sure of that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When they were younger you could say go outside to play, but when they get to be pre-teens and preteens, that doesn't work anymore. You almost have to have a program to have them involved, especially with peers.

GUPTA: While most states have academic standards for home- schooled children, most do not have fitness requirements. But there is a growing interest in helping kids to stay fit. There are many fitness options for home schoolers. Kids' exercise at the local gym; home school P.E. curriculums on line. And in Sandra's case, there is Crown Athletics.

She and fellow home school parents started Crown Athletics in Cobb County, Georgia, to give home school students a chance to play organized sports.

GIRLS CHEERING: Yell with all your might --

GUPTA: Cheerleading is Courtney's passion.

COURTNEY BREADEN, HOMESCHOOLED STUDENT: I never thought I would cheerlead, because I am home schooled, you know. But I really like it a lot, and it is just fun to get out there and cheer for your team.

GUPTA: And if practice isn't enough exercise, she also has to sign this honesty policy showing her coaches that she is working out at home.

COURTNEY BREADEN: If you don't do it, there are consequences, like you have to run the track.

GUPTA: Chelsea plays volleyball.

CHELSEA BREADEN, HOME SCHOOLED STUDENT: It's is a lot of fun, just getting out there and hitting it as hard as you can.

GUPTA: Joy Page, who teaches a supplemental personal fitness program for home-schooled students says that fitness programs are essential for home-schooled kids.

JOY PAGE, HOME SCHOOL TEACHER: I try to keep them understanding that it is all linked together. That's it's a big picture of taking care of yourself, so that you enjoy life more.

(GIRLS CHEERING)

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here is a story that we have been developing for you. You see him, right there, on the other size of the screen, that's Nic Robertson, our senior international correspondent, he is getting in now, to chime in on the situation that we've been telling you about. Donald Rumsfeld making a surprise visit to Iraq, one would assume, to say good-bye to some of the people he's been working so closely with.

Nic, it seems to be such a surprise, at least over here. Is it a surprise to some of the military officials over there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INT'L. CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: It s certainly appears to be, Rick. We have been trying to run this story down with senior military spokesmen here, who are normally well informed, certainly on issues that they want us to hear about. And it appears that even they, some very senior officials here don't even know Rumsfeld's whereabouts, and weren't aware that he had been in country. So that is an indication of the secretive nature of the mission.

And obviously, security is a very, very big part of that. When President Bush came to meet the prime minister recently, they met in neighboring Jordan. The situation here is deemed to have become perhaps even more unstable in the last month or so. And certainly, the security issue is why it would be so secretive.

But, perhaps here, the secretary of Defense wanting to keep this mission a very low-profile one; keep it very private. Certainly the indications seem to be that it is a personal visit for him to thank personally the generals here, commanding the operations, to show his appreciation to the troops.

Of course, it has been his decisions that have put so many lives on the line here and still on the line. So, it is very personal for him, or so it appears so, Rick.

SANCHEZ: So, many questions. But let me start with this, because I think our viewers get a little confused. They see the pictures of Iraq and it certainly looks like a difficult situation, but when a dignitary of this stature, like Donald Rumsfeld goes to Iraq, where would he go? How would he get around? I imagine that security must be huge. Can you try and draw us a picture?

ROBERTSON: Well, typically where the senior officials normally visit they typically fly into one of the larger military bases, it could be at the international airport here, in Baghdad, which is a very, very large base, or perhaps one in the Mosul, in the north, typically Donald Rumsfeld has flown in there before and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has flown into that base before, as well.

So, they could touch down in any one of a number of very, very large and very secure bases. Normally flying in on a fixed wing aircraft. Very likely those aircraft would certainly have all of the protection available to afford to a high-level dignitary.

But on the ground they generally don't go out and mix with the Iraqi people; if they do have to come to the center of Baghdad, it is a highly secure and very fast and short helicopter ride from airport down into the center of the city here. They don't get out and meet the people of Iraq at all.

In fact, I remember reporting on Donald Rumsfeld's first visit to Iraq, over three years ago now. And at that time, even then, you didn't get out to meet with the general Iraqi population and that has been the modus operandi for all visits since then -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Nic Robertson, bringing us up to date on what's going on over there, live from Baghdad. We thank you, Nic, for sharing that information with us.

Meanwhile, other stories we are following. Still much more here on CNN. Including the very latest on that situation that we are telling you about in the Midwest. We will have it for you. Up next, though, "Lou Dobbs This Week". Lou demands answers seven days a week. We'll find out what he has to say about issues that affect your life. That's at 6:00 Eastern.

We will have a quick of the headlines in about three minutes, and then "Lou Dobbs This Week". Stay with CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hurricanes and earthquakes cause devastating destruction, but one company hopes to nail down the problem. Stanley Bostitch is one of the leading manufacturers of fastening tools. And their lead engineer, Ed Sutt (ph), and his team have come up with the ultimate nail.

DR. ED SUTT, FASTENER TECHNOLOGY, BOSTITCH: An earthquake nail is a high-performance fastener, that can give you up to twice the resistance to wind uplift forces, and up to 50 percent more resistance to earthquake style forces.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The company has a state-of-the-art facility that tests building supplies by recreating conditions of natural disasters.

SUTT: The benefits of the nails really are the value for a very small incremental cost of building your home, you can get a much more durable product, and a much longer lasting home, and in the event that there is a natural disaster, you have a better chance of your home structural system being able to resist that type of force.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: I want to show you some -- well, I guess as most would say, cool pictures. These are the shuttle astronauts. That area where they are in right now is called the mid-deck, that is where they're getting seated. You see that fellow there in the white suit? He is helping the astronauts to get buckled in. A little differently than we get buckled into cars.

They are getting prepared, as you can see, for what is at least right now a go launch at 8:47 when last we checked. Let me look at the notes. 8:47 p.m., still scheduled. Although there is a possibility that the winds may block that. We will have live coverage when it happens. You'll see it right here live, on CNN. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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