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Missouri Boys Found; California Refinery Fire; In The Deep Freeze; The Fight For Iraq; Rice In The Middle East

Aired January 15, 2007 - 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.

Freedom after four years, but could it have come sooner for Missouri teen Shawn Hornbeck. Suggestion the boy had chance to escape but didn't.

COLLINS: Glazed over. Ice brings down power lines. Tens of thousands of homes in the dark and cold across the American heartland.

HARRIS: A revealing look. We meet the caretaker of Martin Luther King Jr.'s papers on this Monday, January 15th, the King's holiday. You are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: The boys snatched off the streets and hidden in plain sight. The details of their captivity still a mystery, at least for now. What we do know, the 41-year-old man accused of kidnapping them is in jail. But what kind of prison held the boys, one for four days, the other, Shawn Hornbeck, for more than four years. The latest now from CNN's Chris Lawrence.

Chris, what have you been hearing from police now about Shawn's state of mind at this point?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, I spoke with the Washington County sheriff, who has talked with Shawn face to face. He said he is basically elated to be home. He said he's been trying to catch up with family members, some of whom were born after he disappeared. He said that, on the surface, Shawn seems happy, but he can tell there is something there deep down and the sheriff feels it's going to take some time to bring out exactly what that is.

COLLINS: Have you been able, Chris, to find out any information about Shawn's activities on the Internet?

LAWRENCE: Yes, that was the interesting thing, Heidi. When you say he was hiding in plain sight, you know, they weren't holed up somewhere. Although Shawn didn't go to school, he did have friends. I spoke with someone this morning who said at one point, one of Shawn's friends said, you know, hey, you look like that missing kid and that Shawn kind of just brushed it off. We do know that either Shawn or Michael Devlin was active on the Internet, on several sites. I looked at Shawn's Yahoo profile. And although it is a profile for Shawn, a teenage boy, the actual e-mail address reads mdevlin.

COLLINS: Boy, it's so hard to know what sort of trauma they were going through at the time, certainly.

What this is latest now on Michael Devlin's legal status?

LAWRENCE: Well, he's being held on about a million dollars bond. And he'll have several arraignments. The one in this country right here won't actually take place until later this week. In the next couple of days, he is expected to be arraigned on a kidnapping charge in a nearby county.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Chris Lawrence with the very latest on this story.

Chris, thank you.

HARRIS: Child predators, often cunning, convincing, manipulative, but they may also have something else in their favor, Stockholm Syndrome. The emotional bond that can imprison a person as much as the strongest bars of steel. On CNN's "American Morning" we spoke with a child psychiatrist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. HELEN MORRISON, CHILD/ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST: One of the things that happens with children who are taken, first, the initial reaction could be fear. But that doesn't keep an individual that tight. The individual who's kidnapped begin to develop an emotional bond to his kidnapper. It's called the Stockholm Syndrome, where the person initially may be fearful, but then becomes part of the kidnapper himself and appear to lead a normal life, will develop sympathy for the kidnapper, will want to protect the kidnapper.

And that may be the primary motivator for Shawn staying there. You know, fear lasts only so long. Adrenaline lasts only so long. So Mr. Devlin appeared to have been able to bring this boy into him emotionally so that the boy did not fight him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: How scary is that? We encourage you to stay with CNN throughout the day as we shine the spotlight on "America's Missing Children," from survival tips, to tracking your kids. Complete coverage of "America's Missing Children" only on CNN.

COLLINS: Back over to Betty Nguyen now for the latest on this refinery fire we've been telling you about in California.

Hey, Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.

We're learning some new information. This fire broke out, according to the California Highway Patrol, around 5:25 a.m. this morning. You can see the flames still burning very brightly. This is the Chevron Richmond Refinery, in Richmond, California. And, again, these flames are just really causing a big problem for firefighters. They're trying to get it under control. But they have been shooting some 50 feet into the air.

Here's a Google Earth view of exactly where Richmond, California, is. Because of this fire this morning, we haven't been told if there are any injuries as a result of it. But we know that workers have been evacuated.

Not only that, this fire, because it is at a refinery which produces over 240,000 barrels of crude oil a day and makes things such as gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel and lubricant, this has caused what is called a shelter emergency in the area. And what that means, it's called a shelter in place, is when you get these contaminants into the air, local authorities urge people living nearby to stay inside their homes. Should go into a room with very few windows and doors, have some kind of water supply and remain there for a few hours. Worried about the possible explosions or anything else that could happen because of this fire. Not only are residents being told that, we're also getting some information from our local affiliate, that even operators at the Richmond San Rafael Toll Bridge have been told to leave, evacuate because of health concerns as well.

Again, everyone at this plant, we understand, evacuations are underway. Nearby residents are told to stay inside. Contact neighbors, make sure that they know. This fire is well underway at this point. We understand it's what they call a level three emergency. It may have even escalated beyond that point.

But you can see the water there being doused on this, Heidi, but the flames are just not going out at this point. And we can understand why. This is a refinery where they make things such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel. So this thing could be burning for hours.

COLLINS: Yes, no question on that. And look at the water they are just pouring on that thing.

All right, Betty Nguyen, we know you'll be watching it. Thank you.

HARRIS: Ice coated roads, trees, power lines. Hundreds of thousands of people in the dark. That's the scene this morning across a big part of the nation's heartland. From Missouri to Texas, a major winter storm has left its mark and now parts of the Great Lakes and Northwest feeling its impact.

At last count, about 330,000 in Missouri without power. The number in Oklahoma, 122,000. The storm, which blew in Friday, is blamed for at least 29 deaths in five states, 15 in Oklahoma, six in Missouri, five in Iowa, two in Texas and one in New York.

St. Louis just one of several major cities slammed by the big winter storm. CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is keeping track of what is happening there for us right now. Good morning to you, Reynolds.

And how are people there coping? You've seen this kind of thing, this kind of event happen before.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Well, Tony, I'll tell you, it is really a level of frustration for many people. But they're kind of resigned to the fact that this is going to happen. In St. Louis you have a lot of trees. When you have these ice storms, it causes all kinds of damage to those trees. The trees, they crack, they bend, they break and then, of course, the power lines go down, thus the many, many power outages that we have across the state of Missouri. Over 300,000, in fact, as you mentioned. And with that, Governor Blunt has, again, activated the National Guard to help people.

It is kind of an interesting situation. Take a look at some of this video that we have. It shows the National Guard. It shows -- we can also show you some of the ice we've had in many places around the state that caused all this damage. Just widespread outages, as I mentioned.

As you come back to me on camera, you'll notice now, though, we've got some good news in terms of the weather here in St. Louis. And that is the temperatures at this point are above freezing. And like this branch, which was coated with ice about 24 hours ago, is now completely dried. The streets are in great shape. The airport's running beautifully.

But still, the weather story isn't quite over here just yet. And what I mean by that is, we're expecting the wind to really pick up. And at the same time, those temperatures are going to drop. In fact, temperatures later on today should be well below the freezing point and it should remain that way, those icy conditions, or at least chilly conditions, as we get to mid-week. So for all those people that are without power, you may have to struggle to try to stay warm in these very chilly conditions.

Now the storm, as I mentioned, has meant a lot of difference things to different people across the country. Take a look at this video that we have from Oklahoma. Both the I-44, the I-35 corridor, completely icy. Cars slipping and sliding all over. As you also mentioned, Tony, we had a number of fatalities on those roadways as well. Had some in Texas.

It has been a very strange weather system that has coming through. Of course, ice here. Rain in some places. We had reports of flash flooding in Texas. We even had a couple tornadoes reported in Texas as well. And now places like the Dallas, Ft. Worth area and northward in Oklahoma, they've had that mix of rain, of snow and, of course, ice. But here in St. Louis, the big story was ice. And although it's gone for the time being, they are still dealing with the after effects of the scattered trees and all the power outages.

HARRIS: Oh, that is a mess. And we're still keeping an eye on the freeze-line, that temperature freeze-line, aren't we, as the ice sort of melts and then, wow, refreezes.

WOLF: Absolutely. You know, that's the really interesting thing about this storm. And I know Chad nailed this forecast, nailed this forecast about a week ago.

HARRIS: Yes.

WOLF: And one thing he'll show you during a lot of these updates is, he'll show you, as you mentioned, the freezing line and how weird it is. You can see one part of a state where say you've got fairly warm, very mild conditions. Then on the other side, maybe some 50, 60, 70 miles away, it's an entirely different world. Place coated with ice and you have -- it's just like one entirely different side of the coin, no question about it.

HARRIS: Power lines underground. Heidi, power lines underground. Reynolds Wolf for us frozen (ph). Appreciate. Thank you.

COLLINS: That would help.

HARRIS: Yes, well, come one.

COLLINS: All right. Chad Myers, as we've been saying, has really done an excellent job at warning everybody across the country about how this thing was going to hit. And you're saying there's a little bit of relief in sight, which is a good thing. Still have a few hours, at least, still of treacherous weather and conditions, right?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Also want to let you know that we will continue to follow with the refinery fire we've been showing you pictures of out in California. Look at this. Still a live shot there. At one point, 50 foot flames. Workers now being evacuated. So we'll stay on top of that for you, bring you more information as we get it.

HARRIS: And following Saddam Hussein's final footsteps, two of his top aides hanged today in Iraq. Their execution in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Prospects for peace in the Middle East and Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice trying to drum up support on both fronts. What can the U.S. realistically expect to achieve on her Mid East trip. I'll have a closer look in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Martin Luther King Jr.'s words and thoughts on paper. A unique glimpse at the life and legacy of a leader. Meet the woman in charge of preserving priceless pieces of the past, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Implementing the president's new Iraq strategy, the top U.S. commander there says it will not be easy and there are no guarantees it will work. CNN Baghdad bureau chief Cal Perry joining us now live.

Cal, what are U.S. authorities saying in Iraq today?

CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Heidi.

About three hours ago, that very important press conference with, as you said, the top diplomat, the top general here for the U.S. in Iraq very candid, honest comments towards the Iraqi people saying, there is no magic resolution to the insurgency problem, there is no silver bullet. There are no guarantees. There are no guarantees here in Iraq.

They outlined the plan. The plan is to separate the city into nine sections, go through those sections. The difference now from three months ago is they say those soldiers, as they move through those sections of the city, which we know has already begun, those soldiers will stay. The problems, of course, number one, the insurgency, number two, militias. This is an issue that is close to the heart of all Iraqis. Most just here have a foothold both in the government and on the streets. This is what the top diplomat for the U.S. had to say on that very subject.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: The prime minister and the Iraqi government's commitments are, all who break the law will be targeted. There will be no sanctuary for criminals or murderers. Any killer, no matter who he is, will be pursued. No militia will be a replacement for the state or control local security. The military commanders will have freedom of action and the ability to do what's need, without political interference or micro management.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY: Now there, the U.S. ambassador talking in and around what is a very sensitive issue. The reality here on the ground, those militias not only do control security in most of the city, but they also provide service to the people, such as power, such as water and jobs. This is a fine line that U.S. troops are going to have to walk in the coming weeks and months.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, it's certainly going to be a tough one. Cal Perry, our Baghdad bureau chief.

Thanks, Cal.

HARRIS: Standing firm and digging in, President Bush says he won't budge on sending more troops to Iraq, despite congressional opposition. In a CBS News "60 Minutes" interview which aired last night, the president insisted it is the right thing to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of my buddies in Texas say, you know, let them fight it out. What business is it of ours? You got rid of Saddam, how come -- you know, let's let them slug it out. And that's a temptation that I know a lot of people feel. But if we do not succeed in Iraq, we will leave behind a Middle East which will endanger America in the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, two of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants executed in Iraq today. Hussein's half brother and the chief judge under his Baath party region, hanged at the same gallows as Hussein. An Iraqi government spokesman says on of the men's heads was severed by the hanging. Still, he says, the scene was less chaotic than Hussein's execution. The men were executed for their roles and the killing of 148 Shiites in the village of Dujail in the 1980s.

Let's get you back to Betty in the newsroom now following developments with this refinery fire in Richmond, California.

And, Betty, show us more of these amazing pictures.

NGUYEN: Yes, just take a look. You see, there earlier we saw flames just really shooting into the air. Right now we understand from the county website that this fire is under control. And you can really see that it is because the picture is a lot different from what we saw just, I would say, about 10, 15 minutes ago.

I will tell you though, as evacuations have been in order for this refinery, one employee has been injured in this. And to give you a little background. This is the Chevron Richmond Refinery which processes some 240,000 barrels of crude oil. What they do is they make gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel and lubricants. So you can see why this fire would play such a big part and why firefighters are having such a hard time to put it out.

But, once again, this fire is under control, despite all the water that you're seeing right there. But in the meantime, residents nearby are told to stay inside, do not go outdoors, don't go to school, do not go to work until you hear word from local authorities that it is a-OK to leave your home. So they're taking all kinds of precautions.

Oh, there's another bit of flames right there. Sometimes in these fires, Tony, as you well know, have just have to kind of burn themselves out. But the good thing is, that this thing is under control.

HARRIS: Betty, appreciate it. Thank you.

COLLINS: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is making her way through the Middle East this week, trying to revive the road map for peace, trying to draw support for President Bush's Iraq plan. Vali Nasr is an expert on Middle East affairs with the Council on Foreign Relations, he is the author of "The Shia Revival." Vali Nasr is joining us now this morning from San Diego.

Vali, thank you for being here. You know, we have just learned this morning that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have agreed, in principle anyway, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It's going to be happening in about the next three or four weeks or so. How big of a accomplishment is it? And what do you think can come from this type of meeting?

VALI NASR, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, it's very important, particularly because this administration has so far not been engaged with the Arab Palestinian peace process, sorry, the Israeli Palestinian peace process. And he has been under a lot of pressure from various Arab capitals to be much more engaged and to start the peace process. The United States wants the Arab governments to cooperate on confronting Iran, as well as on stability in Iraq.

The Arab governments want the United States to first deliver on the Palestinian issue before they do so. So this is a big step for the U.S. If the U.S. can convince the Arab government that the peace process is going to move forward, it's likely to get more cooperation from them.

COLLINS: Well, this is the administration, though, that launched the road map for peace back in June of 2002, four and a half years old now. What has happened since that road map for peace was first launched by President Bush. What has changed?

NASR: Well, one of the major issues was the war in Lebanon last summer where many Arab governments felt that they have lost control of the Palestinian issue to Iran and to Hezbollah and they would like to get the upper hand in that process. They're also seeing a collapse of authority among the Palestinians, prospect of a Palestinian civil war. This all worries them and they're also very unhappy with the fact that, as you mentioned, the road map was introduced a long time ago, but it has not moved forward and that Prime Minister Olmert has not really been engaged effectively with the Palestinian counterparts. So the pressure is for the United States to get the process back on track if it wants to see movement elsewhere in the Middle East.

COLLINS: And also, of course, for both the parties of Israel and Palestinian to get back on track as well.

NASR: Yes, absolutely. I mean there is pressure on the Palestinian to deliver. There is pressure on the Israelis to deliver. And now the United States on the hot seat, that if it wants to get the kind of cooperation that it needs in the Middle East, Arab government needs movement on the Palestinian/Israeli peace process, otherwise it is very difficult for them to come out supporting the United States in other arenas.

COLLINS: Vali, listen with me, if you would, to some sound from Condoleezza Rice's press conference with Mahmoud Abbas and then we'll talk in just a moment after.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The establishment of a Palestinian state should be pursued on its own merits, not because of anything else. Not because of Iran. Not because of Iraq. And not because of anything. The Palestinian people have waited a long time for their own state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: To what extent do Iran and Iraq play into the United States' calls for an independent Palestinian state?

NASR: Well, although the secretary is trying to suggest that there are no linkages between the Palestinian issue, Iran and Iraq, they are very much there. In other words, because the United States is feeling so much pressure on Iraq and now increasing pressure to deal with Iran, it has made the move to engage with the Palestinian/Israel issue. Those issues are the bigger issues for the United States. But for the Arab world, the Palestinian/Israel peace process comes first.

COLLINS: Let's talk about Iraq now if we could for just a moment. Secretary Rice's main goal, of course, in the next few days, is selling the president's new strategy for Iraq. What is the main obstacle that she faces on these travels?

NASR: Well, she is -- the United States has recast, if you would, the Iraq issue in terms of deployment of greater security, means more troops to Iraq, but also a greater confrontation with Iran. And the United States needs to rally support in the region for that position, that the solution to Iraq is not necessarily a new political initiative, but a military initiative and a regional initiative against Iran. So there's a lot riding. If the Arab governments don't come out openly to support the U.S. position, the U.S. will be more vulnerable if this plan doesn't work.

COLLINS: Vali Nasr with the Council on Foreign Relations and author of "The Shia Revival."

Thanks for your help here today.

NASR: Thank you.

HARRIS: Two boys, one face, snatched from the streets. But were they also imprisoned by their own trauma? A closer look in the NEWSROOM.

And personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here and together we are going to figure out how to cover everyone who needs health care insurance in this country, or, at the very least, bring you the best thinking on that subject right now.

So, good morning, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony.

Well, we have good news for people without health insurance. We'll have the latest on what your state is doing for you. It's next on "Top Tips." (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Piecing together the puzzle in Kirkwood, Missouri. Police there trying to unravel a pair of kidnappings. Both ended happily with one shocking discovery. One boy found after vanishing four days earlier. The other missing more than four years. Their alleged captor, a 41-year-old man held on $1 million bond. On CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" neighbors described Michael Devlin as a loner, with a quick temper.

ROB BUSHELLE, MICHAEL DEVLIN'S NEIGHBOR: He called the police on me for parking in his parking spot, one time, in a building -- where a parking lot where most of the parking unassigned. You know, there's a few labeled handicap spots. It says, the parking was for that building, in particular. I was in the spot right next to where he normally parks, double parked a little bit. He just got completely irate about the situation.

BILL ROMER, MICHAEL DEVLIN'S LANDLORD: From my external landlord perspective, he was a fine tenant. He paid his rent on time. He was always pleasant to me. I never received any calls complaining about him directly. In fact, I inherited him as a tenant two years ago. From what I understand, even if I had done a background check, I would have maybe pulled up a traffic violation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: One important lesson coming out from the discovery of the two missing Missouri boys is this: Never give up.

CNN's Gary Nurenberg has more from the Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM (voice over): the National Missing Children's hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST, got 319 tips about Shawn Hornbeck, who was in its database for more than four years. The age progression images here testament to the conviction here, you never give up.

ERNIE ALLEN, NAT'L. CTR. FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREND: The key message from Missouri is hope. So many people assume that because you don't recover a child in the first hours, or days, you're looking for a body, it's gloom and doom. The reality is children are recoverable. Most of America's missing children come home safely, and we have to keep hope alive.

The poster that we have on Ben --

NURENBERG: Like Shawn's William Ben Ownby's missing poster was also online at Missingkids.com, where the public can see the details surrounding each case, and in Ben's that included a description of the white pickup truck, a friend of Ben's saw in the area where he disappeared, a vital clue in this case. JOANN DONNELLAN, NAT'L. CTR. FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN: That sort of information is critical when you're trying to find a missing child because the general public then has information to go on. So when they're driving down the street, they can look for that truck that has all the critical descriptors.

NURENBERG: Although there is celebration about Shawn and Ben, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children adds new cases everyday.

DONNELLAN: Take the time, take a few minutes, and go to our website and look. Erica is still missing, Avery still missing, Tristan still missing. There are thousands of children still missing, but the public has the power to help bring them home.

NURENBERG: Especially with this weekend's energizing reminder, that happy endings do happen. Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Stay with CNN throughout the day, as we shine the spotlight on America's missing children, from survival tips to tracking your kids, complete coverage of America's missing children, only on CNN.

HARRIS: And we continue to follow developments on the refinery fire in Richmond, California. A news briefing is underway, right now. Let's listen in and find out what more we can learn.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED, IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Find any smoke there in Point Richmond. And even closer to the refinery, at the toll booth, and Highway 580, we have not been able to get into the smoke. North of there, a facility I visited at about 6:15, there was a little bit of odor there. I talked to those folks about sheltering place. The second time I went back, they were there and the odor was gone from that place also.

QUESTION: (OFF MIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the wintertime, the winds often come out of the other direction. So, we're getting a wind now that is blowing out over the water, which this is good side of this thing.

QUESTION: Is there any impact to the (OFF MIC)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We haven't found it yet. Again, that's our job a lot of the time now is to just get out in the communities. We tried to get as close to this smoke as we can. We go up in the hills and we get as close to it as we can. We have found -- again, I found a little odor at a facility north of Highway 580 at about 6:15. That was cleared out by the time those folks were there.

QUESTION: What kind of odor or irritation might people notice, if they did notice something? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't exactly know what's burning other than kind of a heavy oil. Often, there will be some sulfur in that. When sulfur burns, you get sulfur dioxide coming off. Which will smell like a gun backfire, or a firecracker going off, because it burns sulfur. It will be irritating to any mucous membranes, eyes, nose, mouth. If you remove yourself immediately, it's not a danger at that point.

QUESTION: What's your advice to people who live around here, and have to go to a shelter, (OFF MIC) and hearing no impact. Can they go out on their walks?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the shelter in place. As I noted a little bit earlier, when you have a siren going off, and there is not smoke in a place, it does bring people out of their houses. We have been up there, getting our air samples. And it's not currently impacting the Point Richmond area, that's being sheltered in place. Again, the shelter in place is asking people to stay indoors to avoid it.

(END LIVE FEED, IN PROGRESS)

HARRIS: Just wanted to get you the latest information on this refinery fire. Live pictures now, the pictures from earlier this morning, unbelievable. It is a refinery fire that started about 5:25 a.m. Pacific Time at a Chevron refinery that processes 240,000 gallons of fuel a day, a few in-fuel products. Heavy oil burning at the moment. That means sulfur, which can be pretty nasty and pretty irritating.

Folks in the area are being advised to stay inside, bring the pets in, close the doors and windows, use the window and door locks to create a better seal, and to make sure your vents and fireplace flue are closed right now, because heavy oil is burning right now. That means sulfur and that can be pretty nasty.

We will keep an eye on that situation, and bring you updates throughout the morning.

Health insurance, it may be the only thing standing between you and a lifetime of debt. Yet, nearly one in six Americans live without that coverage. Now some states are thinking of filling in the gap here. With that info and her "Top Tips," CNN Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis joins us from New York.

Gerri, good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Hey, good morning, Tony. Good to see you.

Let's start by look at some statistics about this topic. Here's an example of what percentage of people go without health insurance. About 10 to 15 percent are without insurance, in many states, as you can see, including Missouri, Tennessee, New Jersey and Utah; about 15 to 20 percent don't have insurance in Nevada, California or Oregon. About 20 percent of the population go without insurance in New Mexico and Texas, pretty sobering numbers, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes, let's give help to folks watching us this morning. What are some states thinking of doing about all of this?

WILLIS: They want to help. States are trying to expand healthcare coverage aggressively. Here are some of the more popular proposals out there, guaranteeing medical coverage to kids, subsidizing costs and making insurance coverage mandatory.

Just last week there was a proposal that would required all Californians get medical insurance. Remember it can take year for proposals to become law. And it may take even longer for the law to be implemented, Tony.

HARRIS: Now, that's a great point. So what kind of help is available right now?

WILLIS: Let's take a quick look what's being done around the country right now, Massachusetts residents are required to have health insurance by July of this year. The state has set up a state agency for private insurers to compete. In Colorado and Florida, the state made it possible for insurers to offer lower cost products. Vermont has expanded its Medicaid program, and Louisiana, Illinois, Connecticut and Rhode Island are also looking for ways to provide comprehensive coverage for residents. So, some good news there, Tony.

HARRIS: Here's the real question, though, can these states really afford comprehensive universal healthcare coverage?

WILLIS: That's the million-dollar question. That is so --

HARRIS: Several million.

WILLIS: So, so expensive. Billion, right?

HARRIS: Yeah.

WILLIS: Well, that's a big goal. So many states are picking up a piece of the pie. They're looking to attain smaller goals of ensuring all the children with federal dollars. So far, Pennsylvania and Illinois make sure that kids have access to medical insurance. Tennessee, New Mexico, Connecticut, Oregon are also looking to ensure kids. That makes a ton of sense, right, Tony?

HARRIS: Absolutely. You know, Gerri, I'm thinking about employees who don't have healthcare coverage. They're out working, they just don't have the coverage. What's being done for them?

WILLIS: They are working. The surprising fact here is that over 80 percent of people who are uninsured are working families. Some states are helping to subsidize healthcare coverage for employees, and states like Kansas and Montana are giving tax credits to small businesses that are offering insurance to their employees.

Of course, Tony, we will continue to follow developments in this arena. But in the meantime, if you have a question, send us an e-mail to TopTips@cnn.com. We answer them right here every Friday. And we love to hear from your very smart viewers.

HARRIS: How about that? How about that? All right, Gerri. Great to see you. Have a great day.

WILLIS: Good to see you.

COLLINS: The American heartland on ice, thousands shivering in the dark, and winter's cold shoulder, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: How about this? Hold your water and win a brand-new Wii.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She died.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A contest goes very, very wrong. Details ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to go back to the story we have been telling you about. You see it on your screen. This is a fire at an oil refinery, at Chevron's Richmond refinery, in Richmond, California. At one point, those flames shooting about 50 feet into the air. It began about 5:30 this morning.

I want to get the very, very latest now from Dean O'Hair. He is on the line with us, he's a public affairs officer for Chevron.

Dean, if you can hear me, tell me what you know at this point?

DEAN O'HAIR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICIER, CHEVRON: Hi, Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes, sir.

O'HAIR: Yes. Hi, Heidi. Dean O'Hair here.

You know, as you said, we had a fire begin at our refinery about 5:30 or so this morning. We responded with our professional fire- fighting staff on scene. The fire began in our crude unit; it's contained to our crude unit. We called in mutual aid, as backup as a precaution. We have that fire contained in that crude unit. There's been one minor injury and we're working hard to put that fire out. And once we do, we will be able to understand exactly the cause of the fire and what damage there is to the refinery.

COLLINS: I imagine that might take a little time. But tell us, if you would, Dean, for people who are not familiar with the refining process, you say it is contained to the crude unit. What exactly does that mean?

O'HAIR: There are a variety of processes and various units at the refinery that we use to process the crude oil, to break the crude oil down, and make the gasoline, jet and diesel, that folks are familiar with. So, this is one unit in that process. It is really, one of the starting units in that process, where we begin with crude oil.

COLLINS: How many people work at the refinery?

O'HAIR: In round numbers, about 1200 people at the refinery.

COLLINS: Are they all evacuated at this point?

O'HAIR: When you have a situation like this, as you might imagine, we have emergency responders that are responding. We haven't evacuated anyone, per se. We have people sheltered in place. But all of our people are accounted for. Again, it is just our professional responders that are in, making a response to the fire now to get that fire put out.

COLLINS: Quickly, Dean, has this ever happened for you guys before at this particular plant?

O'HAIR: There was a fire in March of '99, and earlier fire. And on occasion, there are fires at refineries. But it is, as you might imagine, something that we prepare and we respond to very quickly. That's what we've done here.

COLLINS: At this point, we have one minor injury according to Dean O'Hair, he is the public affairs officer for Chevron. This is the Richmond refinery, in California. We will continue to watch it, and Dean, we appreciate your time here today.

O'HAIR: Heidi, you bet. Thank you.

HARRIS: Shivering in the dark, sliding on icy roads, not a good way to start the week for millions of Americans. The big winter storm that blew into the Central Plains on Friday is still causing a lot of problems. From Texas to Missouri, hundreds of thousands of people are still without power. Ice coated highways, a serious problem. At least 29 deaths are now blamed on the storm. And as the system moves to the east, it is spreading misery from the Great Lakes to the Northeast. Chad Myers in the Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Still to come, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words and thoughts, on paper. A unique glimpse at the life and legacy of a leader, meet a woman in charge of preserving priceless pieces of the past. Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

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HARRIS: You good? You comfortable?

KAREN JEFFERSON, ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER: Yes.

HARRIS: All right. It is a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. The public is getting a look at his private papers, learning more about the man and mission and dream. With me is Karen Jefferson, a woman who is helping to safeguard that legacy. She is head of Archives for the Robert W. Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center.

Karen, great to see you. Man, oh, man.

JEFFERSON: Thank you.

HARRIS: For someone who does what you do, describe what this is like to have in your possession the King papers?

JEFFERSON: This is probably the most awesome thing I have ever worked with.

HARRIS: Oh, come on!

JEFFERSON: It really is.

HARRIS: There have been other occasions, other treasure troves.

JEFFERSON: Oh, we have a number of collections, but the King papers really is the most outstanding. I mean, our collection is full of wonderful historical materials of great people telling wonderful stories. But I mean, this has to top it because --

HARRIS: Why?

JEFFERSON: Everybody knows who King is and he touched everyone's life because what he what he was involved in changed everyone's life.

HARRIS: Generally, what kind of shape are the papers and documents in?

JEFFERSON: They're in pretty good shape given the age and where they've been stored, because they are well over 40 years old.

HARRIS: Tell us where were they stored?

JEFFERSON: Well, they were stored in the home, in the basement, for a long time. That's not the greatest place for them to be, but they were protected.

HARRIS: Any preservation challenges?

JEFFERSON: Absolutely. Some of the materials have been exposed to some water. There is some mold. And, of course, they had been handled a lot, so there are small tears around the edges. There is preservation work to be done.

HARRIS: How do you do that? What do you do?

JEFFERSON: We will look at the materials. There are basic things our staff can do just removing rusted paper clips, and things of that nature. Then you get a professional conservator to look at the materials and they will actually do the repairs.

HARRIS: How many pages. How much material are we talking about here?

JEFFERSON: We don't know the exact number right now, but it's estimated about 10,000 items in the collection, and about 1,000 books.

HARRIS: As an archivist, how much of this material -- you're just getting started, aren't you?

JEFFERSON: Absolutely, absolutely. We haven't had a chance to go all through it. So everyday we get to open up a box and looking at it, it is like a treasure chest.

HARRIS: So, your team is working on this. Describe what's like in the offices. As you're reading this, are you like, Oh, my goodness, he did this. Or he did this. And then you are sort of sending the notes back and forth to one another. What is that moment of discovery like every time you see something new and interesting?

JEFFERSON: What you do, every time you see something, then you kind of gather the whole staff. Look, at this! See what I have. Here's Eleanor Roosevelt's signature, here's a telegram from Harry Belafonte. Here's a telegram from Malcolm X. So, every time you open something and you see something new, you kind of gather everybody around so they can look at it.

HARRIS: As a archivist, your job is sort of to provide, first to go through all the material and then to provide a road map for all of us who want to get access to this material. Couple of things: What's the real value, as you see it, of this treasure trove of material?

JEFFERSON: I think because it does give people a sense of history, one that they can really relate to. Many of the collections that I have in my -- in the archives where I work -- you might not know those names, although they've made significant contributions in their particular area. But in terms of King, all over the world, if you say Martin Luther King, everybody knows who that is. So, I think it provides access to history in a different way.

HARRIS: Karen, any surprises so far?

JEFFERSON: Not surprises, but a lot of joy.

HARRIS: Yeah. How about his editing process? A couple of things I want to know, was he more big picture, big vision, than details?

JEFFERSON: Both.

HARRIS: Really?

JEFFERSON: So, I think that when you see, he has so many notes and so many edits of material. So you can actually see that process, of how he was developing his thoughts, where he wrote in his books, where he also wrote on the margins of papers, where he edited. It's really an interesting process.

HARRIS: One final question. Flashing forward, will the day come -- and how soon -- when I can go and I can access? Is this a visit to Atlanta? Is this a Google search? What are we thinking about in terms of accessing this material down the road?

JEFFERSON: Well we will have -- and there is a national advisory committee who will help decide how the access will be made. Our job is to get the materials ready for access, and then they will decide -- and we're hoping, the sooner the better. Everyone wants to access it.

HARRIS: Karen Jefferson, great to see you. It's great to be you these days and looking at all this wonderful material. Thanks for your time this morning.

JEFFERSON: Thank you very much.

COLLINS: A missing Missouri teen, in public view, his picture apparently on a personal web page, the odd kidnapping case in the NEWSROOM.

And, the buck stops here. President Bush that says Congress cannot stop his plans to send more troops to Iraq. His latest comments, 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 Monday, January 15, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Here is what is on the rundown. Questions about the kidnapping of Shawn Hornbeck. The Missouri teen held for four years, left alone for hours, but he could not escape.

HARRIS: A spectacular fire rocking a Chevron refinery. Residents in one part of the San Francisco Bay area told to stay inside.

COLLINS: It's smelly being green. Recycling from the West, get the makeover in China. Just one word, "plastics", in the NEWSROOM.

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