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The Fight For Iraq; New Jersey Medal Plant Fire; Missing Couple Dead; Tree Controversy; Palestinian Violence

Aired December 12, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown.

Missing almost a week, a South Carolina couple found dead in a swamp. A family holiday reunion turns tragic.

COLLINS: Three young brothers murdered at school. Their deaths threatening to push Palestinians closer to civil war.

HARRIS: A Florida newborn stolen from its mother. A kidnapping or payment for human smuggling? Detectives try to find out on this Tuesday, December 12th. You are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Horror in Baghdad today. Bodies blown apart and families left to grieve. Dozens of deaths after another suicide bombing. Today's target, Iraqis simply looking for work. And north of Baghdad, police find a bomb at a holy shrine. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in the Iraqi capital now.

And, Nic, we can hear that gunfire behind you in the background. Do you know what that's all about?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, just in the last few minutes, Iraq's national soccer team just won their semi cup match against South Korea in the 15th Asian games in Doha (ph). They're now through to the finals. They'll play China or Iran in those finals, depending on who wins that match. But this celebratory gunfire has become normal now after Iraq wins its soccer matches.

It is in stark contrast to what happened earlier in the day in Baghdad, however, when a suicide bomber drove a flatbed full of 200 kilograms of explosives, according to police, into a crowded area where men were looking for work. He apparently -- the driver of the vehicle, according to police, called out to them that he had work. The day workers came over, he detonated his explosives. Sixty people were killed, 220 wounded.

North of Baghdad at a Shia shrine that was blown up earlier in the year and became essentially the catalyst for a massive bursts of sectarian killing, there was an attempt again to damage that shrine with a bomb. A U.S. military EOD team was called in. They tried to diffuse the bomb. It did actually go off. It caused a little bit of damage, but no casualties at the shrine. But that clearly an attempt again to stoke sectarian tensions.

Heidi.

COLLINS: We know, Nic, that the Iraqi vice president will be meeting with President Bush today. What is the political significance of this meeting? Is there anything that can be solved at the White House today?

COLLINS: Well, we know that Tariq al-Hashemi, who's the vice president here, the head of the largest -- or one of the heads of the largest Sunni party here, the Iraqi Islamic party, we know there has been talk about the sectarian violence and we know that there is also going to address the issue that Sunnis here, by and large, feel that they're disenfranchised and losing out in the political process here. Is he going to be able to say anything that's going to change people's minds and change the dynamic on the ground? I think the real changes there will come from political talks that are underway here toward national reconciliation. But at a time when President Bush is looking and listening for information about what's happening in Baghdad, it's going to get a very real and perhaps gritty assessment from this Sunni politician about how disenfranchised the Sunnis, in particular, feel at this moment.

Heidi

COLLINS: Another viewpoint he will be listening. All right. Nic Robertson live from Baghdad today.

Nic, thank you.

Meanwhile, violence in Iraq. A constant and here at home. A search for solutions. As we've been saying, President Bush holding a teleconference with top military commanders in Iraq. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq also part of that discussion today later at the White House. The president does meet with Iraq's vice president, who, as you heard from Nic, is a Sunni leader. And tomorrow the president will hear from senior defense officials at the Pentagon. It's all part of the search for solutions in Iraq. We go live to the White House next hour for the very latest.

HARRIS: Time running out for three missing mountain climbers. The men somewhere on Mount Hood in Oregon, last heard from two days ago. The hike up Mount Hood is usually kind of unusual for this time of year. Mostly because of the weather. That dangerous weather ended the search yesterday, but crews are hoping today brings another chance to find them before it's too late.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF PRICHER, HOOD RIVER SEARCH AND RESCUE: Their biggest danger is hypothermia, you know, and the weather. The same as ours. You know, they're hunkered down and, you know, at some point, if we don't find them, that's, you know, the hypothermia takes over and, you know, we need to find them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Well, the men may not have much cold weather gear with them. It's believed they were going to try what's called a light and fast climb in order to reach the summit in less time. As we check in with Clad Myers now, Chad, you're telling us that today, given what's forecast, may be the best day to get some success in finding these men?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: A developing story now in Massachusetts. Police in New Bedford investigating a deadly early morning shootout at a strip club there. Three people are dead. Police say two of them were shot by a heavily armed gunman who was wearing body armor. He died during the ensuing shootout with police. Two security officers inside the club were among the injured. The club's owner says the shooter had been banned from the Foxy Lady strip club because of his past relationship with one of the bartenders.

HARRIS: Let's get to Betty in the NEWSROOM right now. And Betty is a bit on fire watch for us right now. There's the fire in New Jersey, and then there's a new one that you're following in Annapolis, Maryland.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's take them one at a time, shall we.

Let's go to the one in Plainfield, New Jersey. This is a five- alarm fire. A huge fire going on right now at this metal manufacturing warehouse. Again, in Plainfield, New Jersey. And I tell you, I counted the number of fire trucks there, with their ladders up. There are at least six. As you can see, firefighters battling this from both the roof and from the ground.

Now this started, oh, about an hour and a half ago, around 8:30 Eastern, and it quickly spread throughout the entire building there. This metal manufacturing plant specializes in building metal gates and fireplaces. So a lot of things there to keep this fire burning, unfortunately.

But the good news is -- here's a wider view of it. You can see this thing is really engulfed in flame. The firehouse, the fire department was really close by. Actually right down the street. So firefighters were able to get to the scene very, very quickly. And as you can see, still battling this blaze.

Now, let me take you to Annapolis, Maryland, where another fire is raging at this hour. Look at this. This is an apartment complex. You can see the fire has burned all the way up through the roof.

We don't have a whole lot of information except what you see right there. At least three trucks on the scene spraying water. You can see the firefighters there on top of the roof as the flames just keep coming out.

We do know that one person did have to be rescued from this building here. We don't know the extent of any injuries, if there are any. It looks like he's cutting into the roof right there. I guess to get some of the heat out as they continue to battle this fire. Again, it's an apartment in Annapolis, Maryland.

So firefighters really busy a cross the nation today, unfortunately, but hopefully they can get both of these fires under control very quickly. We'll stay on top of them for you.

HARRIS: OK. Betty, appreciate it. Thank you.

NGUYEN: Sure.

COLLINS: And this just in to us here at CNN. We are learning from our affiliates in the area, the area of Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, there has been a school shooting. A student there apparently brought a rifle to school and shot himself this morning. This is what the school district is saying on their website. Apparently no one else injured in the shooting.

This is at Springfield Township High School, Montgomery County, again, in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania. The student was not immediately identified and the police are, of course, on the scene not commenting at this point. Of course, probably trying to locate the family here, parents have been asked, of course, to stay away from the buildings.

But once again, information to us from our affiliate in Pennsylvania that a student brought a rifle to school in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, and shot himself to death this morning. We will try to get more information for you and bring it to you just as soon as we have it.

Meanwhile, more tragedy. Holiday tragedy. A South Carolina couple found dead. Their car discovered in water off Interstate 95. Wayne and Dianne Guay were traveling to New York when they disappeared last week. CNN's Jason Carroll has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The family tells us this morning that they are just devastated. It was a very difficult night for them last night. Late yesterday, the family finally got word that the search for the couple had ended. Police discovered Dianne and Wayne's white Mazda submerged near Rocky Mount, North Carolina, late yesterday. The couple's car apparently had swerved off an interstate and into a swamp. They had left early Thursday morning from their Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, home, up Interstate 95, bound to visit family here in New York. A 12-hour drive they've taken many times. Family members were active in the search, passing out flyers, checking with hospitals, even paying for the helicopter that eventually spotted the couple's car. South Carolina police say they checked by patrol vehicles and helicopter the routes the Guay's may have driven. But at this point, the families say, they're just trying to come to terms with what has happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's pretty devastated, you know. It's been a long night for everybody. And Jessica's pretty bad. And so we had some help last night. Some friends and family just to comfort her and us. And I just had to lay down finally for a little while and just, you know, watch over her and stuff like that. So now I'm just trying to make the preparations today to see what time we're leaving to go down.

CARROLL: The family does not believe foul play was involved. Obviously, an investigation is still underway. Also this morning, the family says they finally explained to the Guays' five-year-old granddaughter why the couple would not be coming home for the holidays.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Want to bring you quickly back to the story we just reported here on CNN NEWSROOM. We are learning about a school shooting that happened in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania. These are live pictures now coming to us from our affiliate WTXF. The school is on lockdown. Again, the name of that school, Springfield Township High School. We have learned already that according to one of our affiliates there, a student brought a rifle to school and shot himself.

Previously we reported that there were no injuries. We are now learning from another affiliate that there may, in fact, be other injuries. So, of course, as situations like this definitely, the details tend to change quite a bit as information comes in. We, of course, are following it for you and want to make sure that we can get the most accurate details.

But once again, that school under lockdown at this point. You see all of the police responding and trying to make sure that everyone is safe.

HARRIS: And still to come, Palestinians killing Palestinians. Some say Gaza is starting to look like Iraq. We explore that notion in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And they're up, they're down, they're up again. Following the bouncing Christmas trees. The product of the zigzag in the culture wars. We'll have it for you coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. We've been talking about this one for days now.

COLLINS: Want to go ahead . . .

HARRIS: OK.

COLLINS: I think first, before we do that, we want to go ahead and update the school shooting that we've been telling you about because we are, as we said, getting continually new information in. This is happening -- a live shot there now in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania. The school name, Springfield Township High School in Montgomery County. I want to read to you off the website of the school so that we know exactly what's going on. Here's what it says. "We have received a report that a student brought a rifle to the high school, shots were fired. Some of the students left the building. What we know is that an unidentified student shot himself. Nobody else has been injured." Those words in capital letters. "All buildings will remain in lockdown until further notice. The police are escorting students from the high school to the middle school. We will keep you informed every 10 minutes as we receive more information. Parents, please stay away from all buildings until we have more information." This came into their website at 10:00. So, just about 15 minutes ago. We will look for another update on this story just as soon as it comes into us at CNN.

Meanwhile, big security breach at UCLA and warnings today for some 800,000 current and former students, along with faculty and staff. The university says a hacker broke into the campus computer system. Social Security numbers, home addresses and birth dates all exposed. The chancellor says there's no evidence the information has been misused. Still, those affected are being urged to check in with credit reporting agencies.

HARRIS: OK. We promised you this story last hour and we've been talking about it for days now, that Christmas tree controversy at Seattle's airport. Today those holiday trees, I'm told, they are back up. The rabbi whose complaints started all of this says he's happy about how it's ended. Brian Callanan of our affiliate KCPQ is live at the Seattle airport.

And, Brian, I don't believe anything with respect to this story until I see visual confirmation for myself that the trees are, in fact, up. Good morning, sir.

BRIAN CALLANAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. Well, good morning to you, Tony. And brace yourself, I'm going to show you a tree. Take a look here.

This is the one that's up here over one of the entrances to Sea- Tac Airport. It's here.

COLLINS: Just one?

CALLANAN: And there are 14 of them here now. Well, no, there are 14 of them. This is just one of them here. There are several of them.

Actually, we do have some pictures of where these trees were set up throughout Sea-Tac Airport. Many of them set up late last night. The staff here at Sea-Tac putting up these 14 trees they had taken down early Saturday. The nationwide uproar over removing these trees created what the Port of Seattle calls an unfortunate incident. The port says that the rabbi we've been talking about never asked them to remove the trees. The port made that call with the threat of a lawsuit from that rabbi looming.

Now that legal threat is no more. The rabbi has called it off, so the trees are up. And the port wants to work towards a multi cultural display for next year. The passengers we talked to this morning are glad to see the trees back where they had been here at Sea-Tac for the past two and a half decades here and the port is not planning to put up a Menorah here right now, as was first requested. However, the Port of Seattle, which runs the airport here, will be meeting this afternoon and they will be discussing this issue we understand. But really, for the folks here at Sea-Tac, they're just glad to see these holiday decorations back. I can't remember the exact situation at Hartsfield-Jackson there. I haven't flown in there during the holidays, but it is good to see these trees back here because they've been away for 72 hours. A lot of people were concerned about it. And finally they are back

I'll send it back to you.

HARRIS: Brian, do you have anything out there for Kwanza? No, I'm just stirring it up, aren't I?

CALLANAN: Not yet. Well, now you are, sir, I will tell you that. Because coming up, they are really talking about that. They're talking about bringing a Menorah, possibly something to represent Kwanzaa, to represent a lot of the different cultures here in the Northwest. It is a serious topic. People will be talking about it this afternoon and through next year so they can hopefully have something that will help a lot of people out here and represent a lot of different cultures in 2007.

HARRIS: OK. Once again, have your cameraman pan over again.

CALLANAN: OK. You got it. You got it.

HARRIS: I want to see it one more time. I just need to cement the image in my mind that there is a Christmas tree -- holiday tree -- a Christmas tree -- call it what it is -- a Christmas tree at the airport.

Brian, we appreciate it. Thank you, sir.

CALLANAN: You bet. See you around.

HARRIS: OK.

COLLINS: It looks like it will be take two for Dennis Kucinich, the Ohio congressman expected to announce his candidacy for president today. He launched a long-shot bid back in 2004. Kucinich says he's running again, just like our floor director, running away from the camera, because he disagrees with some of his fellow Democrats on the issue of the Iraq War. He will be the second Democrat now to officially announce his candidacy.

HARRIS: Palestinians killing Palestinians. Some say Gaza is starting to look like Iraq. We will explore that in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right. Back to the New York Stock Exchange right now. You know what, Heidi --well, it's down 10. I was about to say that there's not a whole lot . . .

COLLINS: See, that's what happens when you throw (ph) to it.

HARRIS: OK. The Nasdaq is down 7, by the way, in case you were interested, Heidi.

COLLINS: Oh, OK.

HARRIS: Not a whole lot is going to happen right now until we get the news from the Fed as to what the Fed is going to do with interest rates right now. The last meeting of the year for the Fed.

COLLINS: True.

HARRIS: Watch what happens at about 3:00 or so. That's when all the action will begin and stuff will start flying once we know. So we'll continue to follow it throughout the day, but don't expect much until we get something from the Fed. But in the meantime we'll talk to Susan Lisovicz a little later in the hour.

COLLINS: Perfect.

Factional fighting. Not in Iraq. This is Gaza. Hamas security forces opened fire on demonstrators angry about the shooting death of three bothers in front of their school. More now from CNN's Atika Shubert in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The streets of Gaza are on edge as Palestinians are mourning the loss of three children gunned down on their way to school. The father of those children was a senior intelligence officer and there are fears that these killings could trigger an escalation in the political fighting that has plagued Gaza in recent months.

Now morning services are being held at the family home. Friends and neighbors are arriving, as well as politicians from the various factions. And it's interesting to note that one of the women in the morning services there said that the people who carried out these killings could very well come and offer their condolences. That's indicative of the kind of political infighting that's happening here in Gaza.

Now President Abbas, a promise that there would be more security. He's put out extra security out onto the streets here. Unfortunately, it has not been enough to stop some clashes south of here in Kahn Unis (ph) where members of the executive force of the interior ministry loyal to the militant faction of Hamas exchanged gunfire with the national guard. Those are forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas. So, clearly, clashes are continuing to happen.

The Palestinians say they are sick of the violence. They want to see law and order imposed. However, many here are not optimistic that that will happen any time soon.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Gaza City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The Taliban claiming responsibility for more deadly violence in Afghanistan. The latest attack, a suicide bombing outside a governor's compound. At least eight people were killed. Officials say the governor was in his office at the time but was not hurt. It's the latest in a string of attacks targeting Afghan government officials.

HARRIS: Farewell for a former dictator. A military funeral in Chile this morning for Augusto Pinochet, a polarizing figure in life and death. Pinochet sized power in a violent coo in 1973 and lead for 17 years. More than 3,000 people were killed in political violence during his rule. Some 28,000 were tortured. There's been a war of words over Pinochet's legacy. Supporters say he saved Chile from communism. Opponents vow to remember the brutality of his regime. Pinochet died Sunday after heart failure. He was 91.

A hole in the ground. Imprint of a death trap. Dozens of men blown up while looking for jobs. Just simply looking for work. Baghdad attack. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: A couple heading for a happy holiday with family. Today investigators try to figure out how their trip ended in tragedy.

HARRIS: And the Obama effect. His rock star popularity already having an effect on the presidential race. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A family's worst fear has come true. This South Carolina couple, missing since last week, found dead in their car. Wayne and Diane Guay were traveling from their Myrtle Beach area home to visit family in New York. Car tracks lead investigators to their vehicle in a swampy area off Interstate 95 in North Carolina. Family members had searched for five days. They told a South Carolina TV station police did not take the missing persons report seriously. Police are defending their actions in the case.

HARRIS: The search for solutions in Iraq, President Bush's focus this week, and he is hearing plenty. Today military commanders on the ground in Iraq are among those sharing their thoughts.

Our White House correspondent Elaine Quijano joins us now.

Elaine, good morning.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony.

That's right, one day after the president consulted with top officials over at the State Department this morning, he engaged in a video-conference with his top military commanders on the ground in Iraq, and also the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad. Now as for his deliberation and a timeframe on announcing any kind of decisions to changes on his Iraq policy, just a short time ago in the off-camera briefing, Deputy White House Press Secretary Dana Perrino essentially said that over the next few days, as the president finishes up with these meetings, that's when the president will start to finalize or crystallize his thoughts and his strategy, and they hope to announce that before Christmas. If not by Christmas, then perhaps soon afterwards.

But the president is getting a lot of input from a variety of sources, including this afternoon he'll be sitting down with a Sunni vice president to get his thoughts on the situation in Iraq. That vice president by the name of Tariq Al Hashemi (ph).

Now Dana Perrino, in the off-camera briefing, said the goal really of this meeting is to discuss stabilizing Iraq, efforts at achieving national reconciliation, efforts at fighting al Qaeda, among other issues.

And there was some question as to why this meeting was taking place now, because originally what the White House top officials had said is that this was going to occur in January. Now of course it's happening a couple of weeks earlier.

Well, what Dana Perrino has said is that the vice president himself, the Iraqi vice president, wanted to come sooner, so they moved the meeting up. And she said that it was necessarily because there was a concern about security, or a more immediate concern about security, but saying that this is really something the vice president himself wanted to do.

We should mention as well that the president will be continuing with his consultations. He's going to be meeting with officials at the Defense Department, and we're told that his new incoming defense secretary, Bob Gates, will in fact be there.

HARRIS: Hey, Elaine, I'm just curious, the listening tours, as I like to call it, I'm just curious, who is walking into the room with the president. We know the president is listening, but who's listening -- who's sitting on the side of the table with the president.

QUIJANO: Right. That's a good question. The vice president, we are told, is taking part in this video-conference, as well as the outgoing defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and then the incoming defense secretary as well, Bob Gates. Others on the list, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the president's chief of staff, Josh Bolten, the president's national security adviser, Steve Hadley, other members of the president's national security team, and we're told that the White House press secretary, Tony Snow, is there as well, so we hope to get sort of a complete readout from him, or as much of a complete readout from him as we can possibly get, later on when he does his on-camera briefing.

HARRIS: Elaine Quijano at the White House for us. Elaine, appreciate it. Thank you. A suicide bomber takes aim in the heart of Baghdad. His target -- well, people looking for work. Sixth deaths are reported in today's explosion in a main square in the Iraqi capital. More than 200 people were injured. Authorities say most of the victims were Shiites from poorer areas of the capital. In Samarra, another troubling development. There is word police discovered a bomb near the entrance to the Golden Mosque, one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites. While the device was being moved, it exploded, some causing minor damage to the entrance. The Shiite holy site was bombed, as you'll recall, in February. That attack triggered major sectarian violence across Iraq.

COLLINS: Still deciding whether to run, but in the race for the White House, Senator Barack Obama is already having a pretty big impact. Our senior national correspondent John king Now with the Obama effect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(APPLAUSE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First impressions matter in politics.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: I am fired up.

KING: Timing, too.

OBAMA: I am telling you, New Hampshire, America's ready to turn the page. America is ready for a new set of challenges. This is our time. A new generation.

KING: Only 45 years old.

OBAMA: Obviously, it's flattering to get a lot of attention.

KING: Elected to the Senate just two years ago, yet Barack Obama has to wonder if this just might be his moment.

BETSY DEVRIES (D), NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SENATOR-ELECT: I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like with it Obama, a rock star event.

KING: He is for the most part a few steps left of center. Talks about universal health care, raising the minimum wage, but he also laments record federal deficits and even as he says it's time to start bringing troops home from Iraq, Obama warns Democrats can't appear soft on security.

OBAMA: What we've seen is a lot of tough talk, and poor decision making on the part of the White House, but people do want tough.

KING: His appeal though is rooted more in a soft-spoken optimism. At least for now, more style than substance.

OBAMA: It's a spirit that says we are looking for something different.

KING: His star power is undeniable, 1,500 people at a sold-out $25 a ticket state Democratic fundraiser on a Sunday afternoon. Hundreds more at a morning book signing that had to be moved to a big convention hall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barack Obama buttons.

KING: They call it the Obama effect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

KING: And it's already spurred Senator Hillary Clinton to accelerate her campaign planning including calls to New Hampshire Democrats just this past week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Large, extra large?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Extra large.

KING: And an Obama candidacy might also shake up the Republican race.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

KING: Independents are allowed to vote in New Hampshire presidential primaries and were a major force back in 2000 when Senator John McCain stunned George W. Bush here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And in fact the Independent voters really propelled them to victory in the Republican primary.

KING: Veteran Republican activist Tom Rath is backing Massachusetts' Governor Mitt Romney and thinks Obama could prove at least a temporary ally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think right now, the more Independents who vote in the Democratic primary, the more the Republican base controls the Republican primary, and that's a good thing.

KING: That assumes he runs.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: A decision Obama promises in the next few weeks.

OBAMA: I am suspicious of hype. I'm still running things through the traps.

KING: And making a good impression in the meantime.

OBAMA: Sorry, guys, I didn't mean to cause this fuss.

KING: Oh, yes he did.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Buying a car? Most of us zero in on the stereo system, leather and power everything. Can I get a big old trash can for all the junk I collect so I can just toss it in there and toss it right out? Here's a question, though. Do you ever think of the roof? It's what's on top that counts in a rollover crash. That story, we will explore it coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We have something, a little holiday segment for you. Not all of it good news. Unfortunately, somebody is a real scrooge. Police in West Haven, Connecticut, are looking for the humbug who set fire to a mailbox, but not just any mailbox.

Look, it's this one, the North Pole express drop box. That's where kids send their letters to Santa. Inside, a few charred bits of letters to the big guy in red. City leaders say about 50 letters are mailed there every week.

HARRIS: How about this. Are you ready? Roll the videotape on this. Take a look. It may look like an ordinary hot dog, but hold on.

COLLINS: See, this is why you check ingredients. Welcome to my world.

HARRIS: You see the nose there -- it's a reindeer dog. A hot dog stand in suburban Chicago is serving them up special for the holidays. The owner of this food emporium says he's already serving smoked alligator and pork sausages and buffalo bratwursts. But the reindeer dog, complete with the red nose ...

COLLINS: That is terrible.

(LAUGHTER)

COLLINS: And they're bringing kids there to eat them, as you saw on the video.

HARRIS: Yum. Good eating. Good for you, too. All right.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: In the line of fire, residents forced to flee. Massive flames kick up a dangerous and potentially deadly situation. We'll have that coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A manatee that rescuers tried to save has been found dead. Spotted in a lake off the Mississippi River, it had traveled some 720 miles -- oh -- up the river to Memphis in October, then disappeared and wasn't seen again until yesterday. Experts plan to examine the manatee to find out the cause of death. Manatees generally prefer warm coastal waters. HARRIS: Homes in the line of fire, residents getting out of the way. Massive brush fires roaring through Australia. Flames have burned around 700,000 acres, that's about the size of Rhode Island. Reporter Adrian Brown has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADRIAN BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It had the destructive power of a bomb, detonating in woodland. Close to the coast, but not close enough to save these homes. Lost in what was an exhausting night for firefighters.

PAUL CATTERALL, LAUNCESTON FIRE BRIGADE: The wind blowing, grass fires were moving faster than vehicles could drive away from them.

BROWN: In all, 18 homes were destroyed

TRACEY CANE, SCAMANDER RESIDENT: (INAUDIBLE) was exploding and trees falling over and just it was horrible, and screaming.

BROWN: With those forced to flee unsure what they would return to.

JASON ELMER, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA POLICE: Residents have lost their homes and some people don't know whether their homes are still standing so they are very concerned.

BROWN: Concerned but grateful, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The firefighters stopped to protect people. Good luck to them. A pat on the back. You can't say it any more. It's just miraculous.

BROWN: Bush fires have been threatening the area since the weekend, fanned by wind gusts of up to 120 kilometers an hour. So far, 10,000 hectares have been scorched. And tonight, there are fears a wind change will threaten other northeastern towns. St. Mary's on Beumorris (ph)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very scared. Very scared. Never seen nothing like this, ever.

BROWN: In Victoria's northeast, smaller fires have merged to form a 240-kilometer front. But cooler conditions eased the danger. Firefighters grabbing the chance to mop up spot fires and reinforce containment lines. But still, there were losses. At Mount Buffalo, the 100-room Prester ski lodge was destroyed

JOHN THWAITES, ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: A lot of work has gone into protecting the area around Mount Buffalo, and obviously in this case, they weren't able to proceed ten protect the lodge.

BROWN: Craig's hut at Mount Bulla, an old film set, also gone. And as (INAUDIBLE) sweltered in 30 degree temperatures, fire swept through the hills east of the city, destroying at least one home and tonight others are under threat. Adrian Brown, Southern News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Adrian mentioned a Craig's Hut being destroyed. That hut, a little trivia for you, was used as the backdrop for the 1982 movie "The Man from Snowy River." Do you remember that one?

COLLINS: I do. In fact, I have a cowboy hat that is from "The Man from Snowy River." Yes, a great movie.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS; And hey, you already know to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to noon Eastern. But did you know you can take us with you anywhere you go on your I-pod?

HARRIS: A little frightening, but OK.

COLLINS: The CNN NEWSROOM podcast is available 24/7 right on your I-pod. It's pretty cool.

HARRIS: I will be on my best behavior.

A lack of intelligence or a case of gotcha politics? Questions about what an incoming House panel leader told a reporter. That story in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: A couple heading for a happy holiday with family, and today investigators are trying to figure out how their trip ended in tragedy.

And private moments of a princess. Were U.S. spies listening in on Diana's calls the night she died? That story in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN, you're informed. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM on this Tuesday, December 12th. Here's what's on the rundown.

On the move, gunfire at a Pennsylvania high school and students scramble. Late details on this developing story.

HARRIS: Baghdad's bloody day. Dozens killed by a car bomb.

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