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Stranded Climbers; The Fight For Iraq; Iraq: What's Next?; Gerri's Top Tips
Aired February 19, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Here's what's on the rundown.
Blinding snow slowing searchers on Oregon's Mt. Hood. Three stranded climbers waiting in the cold.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Senate Republicans block a rebuke of the president's war policy. So now what? Democrats look for another way to make their point on the troop buildup.
HARRIS: This guy was snoozing. He hears a scream and jumps out of bed. Like a super hero, he saves three boys from an icy canal. It is February 19th, Presidents' Day, and you are in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Our top story this hour, three stranded climbers on Mt. Hood huddled together with their dog just waiting to be rescued, but driving snow and harsh winds are slowing their efforts. We get more now from CNN's Dan Simon at the base of Mt. Hood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The push is on today to find three climbers trapped on Mt. Hood. You can't really say that they're missing because search and rescue crews are confident they know where these people are. The three climbers have what are called MLUs, missing locator units. They also have cell phones. So they've been able to tell search and rescue crews exactly where they are.
Now this all started yesterday when eight climbers went up the south side of the mountain. Three of them fell off a ledge. None seriously hurt. We're talking about two women and a man. They are trying to stay warm. It is very cold up there. They are in sleeping bags. They are huddled together. The weather is continuing to get worse. And it's been hurting efforts in terms of trying to get to these three climbers.
The other problem is, is you don't have daylight. At least not yet. So search and rescue crews made the calculated decision to stop progressing, wait until there's light and try to make a big push this morning to find those three climbers.
In terms of the other five, they were not hurt at all. They were able to get into a snow cave and they were rescued yesterday afternoon. In terms of what happens now, again, a big push. In just a short while, once you have daylight, they want to get to these folks before the weather continues to get even worse.
I'm Dan Simon reporting from Government Camp, Oregon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, it should be about daylight their time now. Chad Myers joins us from the CNN Weather Center.
Really it's a rush against time at this point because isn't the weather supposed to get worse throughout the day?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Deadly developments in Iraq to tell you about too. Two American soldiers were among those killed in another attack. A daring raid involving three suicide bombers and dozens of gunmen. The latest now from CNN's Arwa Damon for us in Baghdad.
Arwa, good morning to you.
If you would, describe for us the nature, really the sophistication of this attack.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, it was most definitely a coordinated effort. According to a U.S. military press release, the attack was, in fact, initiated by a single suicide bomber against this combat outpost that is north of the capital, Baghdad, that left two U.S. soldiers killed, another 17 wounded.
Now at this point, the U.S. military is declining to give out any further information, saying that the incident remains under investigation. But Iraqi officials in that province are telling us that it took place at a location some 25 miles north of Baghdad and that it involved three suicide car bombers, followed by about 50 gunmen that tried to attack this location with small arms fire and some other weapons. They are saying that the attack that took place at a police headquarters, that also housed Iraqi policemen, killed eight Iraqi policemen, along with the U.S. casualties.
But this is most definitely a coordinated attack. And we have seen attacks like this in the past, especially against these smaller, more remote combat outposts.
Tony.
HARRIS: CNN's Arwa Damon for us.
Arwa, thank you.
Right now let's take you to Mt. Vernon, Washington. President Bush and the first lady, Laura Bush, just moments ago laying wreaths at a ceremony at George Washington's tomb there at Mt. Vernon estate. Let's listen to the president.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But the folks that work here call it Washington's birthday.
We've been celebrating this holiday for more than two centuries, and this morning we continue this tradition by honoring the man who was our first president, the father of our country, and a champion of liberty. I appreciate Gaye Gaines (ph) in the regents (ph) of Mt. Vernon Ladies' Association. I appreciate Jim Rees, who's the executive director. I thank Togo West, who's the chairman of the Mt. Vernon Advisory Committee.
I appreciate the military who've joined us.
General, thank you for being here today with us.
I thank the members who work hard to make sure that Mt. Vernon is preserved for the future. And I thank all of you all for being here.
You know George Washington was born about 80 miles down the river from Mt. Vernon in the year 1732. As a young man, he went west and explored the frontier and it changed his life. As he grew older, he became convinced that America had a great westward destiny as a nation of free people, independent of the empires of Europe.
George Washington became the central figure in our nation's struggle for independence. At age 43, he took command of the continental army. At age 51, he was a triumphant hero of the war. And at age 57, he was the obvious and only choice to be the first president of the United States.
With the advantage of hindsight, it is easy to take George Washington's successes for granted and to assume that all those events were destined to unfold as they did. Well, the truth is far different. America's path to freedom was long and it was hard. And the outcome was really never certain. Honoring George Washington's life requires us to remember the many challenges that he overcame and the fact that American history would have turned out very differently without his steady leadership.
On the field of battle, Washington's forces were facing a mighty empire and the odds against them were overwhelming. The ragged continental army lost more battles than it won, suffered ways of desertions and stood on the brink of disaster many times. Yet George Washington's calm hand and determination kept the cause of independence and the principles of our declaration alive.
He rallied his troops to brilliant victories at Trenton and Princeton. He guided them through the terrible winter at Valley Forge. And he marched them to Virginia for the war's final battle at Yorktown. In the end, General Washington understood that the Revolutionary War was a test of wills, and his will was unbreakable.
After winning the war, Washington did what victorious leaders rarely did at the time, he voluntarily gave up power. Many would have gladly made George Washington the king of America, yet all he wanted to do was return here to Mt. Vernon and to be with his loving wife, Martha. As he wrote with satisfaction to his friend Lafayette "I have become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac and under the shadow of my own vine and my own fig tree."
George Washington's retirement did not last long. In the years after the revolution, America's freedom was still far from secure. There were uprisings and revolts, states argued over their borders. And under the articles of confederation, the federal government was virtually powerless. With the United States in crisis, George Washington was called back to public life to preside over a convention of the states.
And the result was the United States Constitution and a new executive office called the presidency. When the American people chose Washington for the role, he reluctantly accepted. He wrote a friend, "my movement to the chair of government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution." George Washington accepted the presidency because the office need him, not because he need the office.
As president, George Washington understood that his decisions would shape the future of our young nation and set precedent. He formed the first cabinet, appointed the first judges and issued the first veto. He also helped oversee the construction of a new federal city between the northern and southern states. The nation's new capital would take his name and George Washington hoped it would inspire Americans to put the welfare of their nation above sectional loyalties. The son of Virginia had come to see himself first and foremost as an American, and he urged his fellow citizens to do the same.
More than two centuries later, the story of George Washington continues to bring Americans together. Every year, about a million people visit Mt. Vernon to learn about this good man's life. We find the best of America in his spirit and our highest hopes for ourselves in his character.
His honesty and courage have become the stuff of legend. Children are taught to revere his name and leaders to look to him for strength in uncertain times. George Washington's long struggle for freedom has also inspired generation of Americans to stand for freedom in their own time.
Today we're fighting a new war to defend our liberty and our people and our way of life. And as we work to advance the cause of freedom around the world, we remember that the father of our country believed that the freedoms we secured in our revolution were not met for Americans alone. He once wrote, "my best wishes are irresistibly excited whensoever in any country I see an oppressed nation unfurl the banners of freedom."
President Washington believed that the success of our democracy would also depend on the virtue of our citizens. In his farewell address to the American people, he said "morality is a necessary spring of popular government." Over the centuries, America has succeeded because we've always tried to maintain the decency and the honor of our first president. His example guided us in his time. It guides us in our time. And it will guide us for all time.
Thank you for coming and may God Bless.
HARRIS: And there you have it, President Bush taking part in ceremonies on this Presidents' Day at Mt. Vernon estates in Mt. Vernon, Virginia.
If you ever visit, Betty, and you can, it is apparently just amazing. Beautiful.
NGUYEN: A gorgeous sight.
HARRIS: A 14-room mansion sits on 500 acres. You will find some original objects in the mansion dating back to the 1740s. You can tour the outbuildings, including the kitchen, slave quarters, smokehouse, coach house and stables.
NGUYEN: What history is there.
HARRIS: Hey, it is terrific.
A couple things to point out. While this is the day, Presidents' Day, in which we honor the nation's presidents.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
HARRIS: This is not George Washington's birthday.
NGUYEN: It is not. Absolutely not. In fact, his birthday is on February 22nd, to be exact.
HARRIS: Thursday.
NGUYEN: But, you know, after 275 years, who's counting, really? Who's counting?
HARRIS: Yes. Yes. And what's also interesting to note here at Mt. Vernon, George Washington planned the landscape of the estate all by himself to include four gardens that showcase the plants that were at Mt. Vernon in the late 1700s.
So there you have it. On Presidents' Day, the president of the United States and the first lady, Laura Bush, laying wreaths at George Washington's tomb there at Mt. Vernon estate. Happy Presidents Day to you.
Still to come this morning in the NEWSROOM, stuck in the snow at 8,000 feet. Rescuers battling the weather to reach three stranded climbers. We're following this developing story in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: In a flash, passengers become casualties. Dozens dead in a train explosion. Terror on the tracks in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: An iced over canal, a lure obviously for three adventurous boys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all fell through. Everyone was going nuts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought we were going to die. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were screaming, help, help, help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, they got out, but only after a mom got their rescuers out of bed. Their chilling story coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, Senate Democrats planning their next move on Iraq. Over the weekend, they were unable to force a vote on a resolution that would condemn President Bush's Iraq War plans. So, what's ahead? Well, here's CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash, part of the best political team on television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): CNN is told that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has tentatively agreed to try to modify Congress's 2002 broad authorization for war.
SEN. JOE BIDEN, (D) CHAIRMAN, FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Saddam Hussein is no longer there. The 2002 authorization, in my view, is no longer relevant to the situation in Iraq.
BASH: Senate Foreign Relations Chairman and presidential candidate Joe Biden floated legislation limiting U.S. troops in Iraq to a support role instead of combat.
SEN. JACK REED, (D) RHODE ISLAND: We have to start thinking hard about a change mission in Iraq for our military forces, support them in that mission, but not an open-ended commitment to the Iraqis.
BASH: But there are other Democratic ideas. Presidential candidates Chris Dodd and Barack Obama already introduced bills requiring congressional authorization for more troops in Iraq. And over the weekend, Hillary Clinton detailed her plan.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NEW YORK: Now it's time to say the redeployment should start in 90 days or the Congress will revoke authorization for this war.
BASH: Republicans, from the president on down, are taunting Democrats to choke money for the mission.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: Have the courage of your convictions to stop this war by cutting off funding.
BASH: In the House, Democrat John Murtha has a plan to set strict conditions on the president's war funding request.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And Dana Bash joins us now live from Capitol Hill.
Dana, it does appear that there is more of a desire in the House to change Iraq policy and funding.
BASH: Well, specifically on the funding question, that definitely seems to be the issue. What John Murtha is trying to do -- he's really taking the lead in the House. And what he is trying to do is not necessarily cut funding but restrict it.
What he is going to do in the committee that he oversees, which appropriates money for all military matters, is to say, look, the $93 billion that the president wants for additional money for Iraq and Afghanistan, Congress won't approve that unless there are specific conditions. Like, for example, U.S. troops have to be back in the U.S. for a year. They cannot go over to Iraq unless they have property gear and training. So those are things that he wants to do.
And the Democratic leaders in the House seem to be approving of that right now. And the goal there is to restrict the president enough that he has to bring troops home. That is not an idea that is getting a lot of traction right now so far in the Senate.
Bottom line is on this issue, Betty, the big issue, whether or not to cut funding for the war, Democrats are still divided.
NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Dana Bash joining us live.
Thank you, Dana.
BASH: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, the chaos of Iraq, the Senate's top Democrat, with a stark comparison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, "LATE EDITION": You're saying this is the worst foreign policy blunder in American history?
SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MAJORITY LEADER: That's what I said.
BLITZER: Worse than Vietnam?
REID: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Harry Reid speaking out in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Also, a new way to use 911. Police now reversing the process for a variety of emergencies. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: And snow, ice. A potentially dangerous mix for drivers. So how do you stay safe? Our Gerri Willis is here with some advice.
Hi, Gerri.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Betty. Well, winter certainly is here and today's top tips will arm you with some preventative measures you can take to assure safe driving if you have to be out and about.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Winter weather. It can make for some difficult and dangerous driving conditions. So what's the best way to steer clear of trouble? Our Gerri Willis joins us now with some safety tips.
Good morning to you, Gerri.
WILLIS: Good morning. Good to see you, Betty.
NGUYEN: We'll, you know, a lot of people really just can't help but get out in that mess. And that being the case, I mean, what's the best way to prepare your car?
WILLIS: Well, you always want to keep your gas tank fuel to help you keep your gas line from freezing. Replace those worn tires and make a habit of checking your air pressure on a regular basis. Remember, the colder the temperature gets, the more the air pressure in your tires decrease. Also make sure to replace your windshield wiper fluid with one that contains antifreeze. And keep that ice scraper handy because you'll need to clean off your windows and your headlights.
NGUYEN: Another thing, too, is, when you get out there, you're on the roadways, I always forget if you start to swerve or slide on the ice, which way do you steer your car? I mean, all these rules. What's the best way to drive in this stuff?
WILLIS: Well, you have to drive carefully. If you have to travel, let someone know where you're headed and when you plan to arrive. Never use water to remove ice or snow from your windshield because that may cause it to shatter. And never use cruise control during the winter. If you find yourself starting to skid while driving, turn your wheels into the skid and go light on the brake. The harder you brake, the more likely you are to worsen your slide.
In the same vein, go light on the gas when accelerating, especially if you're trying to get unstuck, otherwise you just go deeper into the snow. And lastly and most important, if you do find yourself stuck, make sure to keep your exhaust pipe clear as to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. NGUYEN: That is so important. You know we saw last week what a 50- mile long, just not even a pileup, they were just stuck there because of the icy conditions. So if you do find yourself in this situation, because a lot of times when people are driving, they don't know what they're heading into and they don't know how long it's going to be before they get out of it, what do you need to pack to be safe?
WILLIS: Well, OK, this last tip is for those of you who live in places where the conditions get really treacherous, like upstate New York, out west in the mountains. Remember, being stuck in the cold can lead to serious health problems like frostbite and hypothermia. So if you're out and about in frigid conditions, stock up your car with extra blankets and clothes. Remember, you can't rely on your car to keep you warm. It may break down. And it can't hurt to keep some water and nonperishable food items in the trunk.
Also, keep a first aid kit handy. A flashlight, flares, reflective triangles can help alert rescuers and other passers-by. And always make sure to have your fully-charged mobile phone with you at all times. That is a great thing to remember.
And another thing to remember, send us your questions or tips to toptips@cnn.com. We answer them right here every Friday morning. And we'd love to hear from you.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Gerri knows the answers to just about everything, so send them in.
You're in trouble now, Gerri.
WILLIS: And we research the ones that we are having trouble with, so that's right.
NGUYEN: This is true.
Thank you.
ANNOUNCER: The angles, uncovering the details. See for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody, and welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi Collins today.
HARRIS: Heidi's a little under the weather today.
Great to have you here, Betty.
I'm Tony Harris.
Among our top stories this hour, Iraq. More bombings, more bloodshed and another deadly attack on American troops. The military this morning says two U.S. soldiers were killed during a coordinated attack on a coalition combat outpost north of Baghdad. Seventeen others were wounded. Officials say the attack included at least three suicide car bombers.
In Baghdad, a new security plan appears to be doing little to quell the violence there. The Iraqi capital, the scene of more bombings and a mortar attack today. There was also a deadly explosion at Mahmudiyah. And Iraqi police were targeted near Ramadi.
A blistering, new attack on President Bush's Iraq policies from the Senate's top Democrat. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke out in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "Late Edition."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MAJORITY LEADER: This war is a serious situation. It involves the worst foreign policy mistake in the history of this country. So we should take everything serious. We find ourselves in a very deep hole. We need to find a way to dig out of it.
WOLF BLITZER, "LATE EDITION": So maybe I misheard you, but you're saying this is the worst foreign policy blunder in American history?
REID: That's what I said.
BLITZER: Worse than Vietnam?
REID: Yes.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, as you can imagine, White House Spokesman Tony Snow disagreed with Reid's assessment. Snow tells us it was important to get Saddam Hussein out of power.
NGUYEN: We have been following very closely the search for three missing climbers there at Mt. Hood, in fact, we have Colleen Nelson with affiliate KATU. She is at the base of the mountain where rescue crews are preparing to head back up. First of all, talk to us about the weather situation because that could be a problem in this rescue operation.
COLLEEN NELSON, KATU: That is absolutely correct. The weather is definitely not ideal at this time. As you can see where we are right here at Timberland Lodge, still very snowy. Up on top around the 7300-foot level where the climbers are thought to be, it is blizzard-like conditions, very windy and the slopes are very steep. So that will be a challenge for rescuers to get to them, and another concern is avalanches, and rescue crews say that right now that threat is moderate but that could be picking up to a very high threat around noon today. And rescue crews that have already spent the night up there, they're already up there getting ready or rather they are now searching for those climbers so that rescue effort has resumed on top of the mountain.
NGUYEN: Let me ask you this as well, any contact with those three stranded climbers so far today?
NELSON: Yes, they've been actually all night long rescue crews have been in contact with the climbers via cell phone, they call them up about once an hour and then they have the cell phone -- they have the climbers turn their cell phone off once the phone call is wrapped up. They say the climbers are in very good spirits and they are very cold, very wet, but otherwise they are ready to come on down off that mountain. One climber reportedly has a head injury. That climber just said that it hurts to touch her head but she hasn't gone into any further detail as to how bad it is. Another climber has some scrapes and bruises and the third climber, a male, says that he's doing just fine. Rescue crews say all three are very communicative. They are lucid and, again, they are in good spirits. NGUYEN: And I know it's really hard to tell because of the weather conditions, but are rescuers very hopeful that this will happen today?
NELSON: Rescuers are very optimistic. There are about 30 rescuers up here on the mountain from all over the state, and they are going to make a very big push. Again, the goal is to get up there, locate them and get them down off the mountain as soon as possible because of the threat of possible avalanches today.
NGUYEN: All right, Colleen Nelson with CNN affiliate, KATU with the latest information there at Mt. Hood, as that rescue operation is well under way. Thank you, Colleen, for that.
HARRIS: And still to come, just in the nick of time, a barely dressed teen, listen to this, braves icy waters and pulls off a rescue after a resounding wake-up call. That story in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Also, explosions aboard a passenger train, dozens dead. A desperate search for answers. That's in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A passenger train ripped by explosions in India. Authorities say the fiery blasts killed at least 65 people and injured a dozen others. Our senior international correspondent Satinder Bindra has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: On Sunday night 29-year-old Mohamed Fayaz took his mother to the New Delhi rail station and put her on a train to Pakistan. But now he's at a morgue 80 kilometers about 50 miles north of New Delhi, helping police fill out paperwork so he can collect his mother's remains. "Just before leaving," he says, "she blessed me and my brother by putting her hand on our heads and said look after the family." Sixty- year-old Sakina Bigham was on the samjota(ph), the friendship express, the train linking India and Pakistan. It's a symbol of the new friendship between the nuclear neighbors who fought three wars. As the train was on its way to Pakistan, police say there were two explosions. They call it an act of sabotage.
(INAUDIBLE) lives next to the tracks. He says he and his friends tried without success to put out the blaze. "The fire was burning with great intensity," he says. "We just couldn't get close enough to open the doors and windows." Indian authorities say Pakistanis are among the dead and injured. Everybody was screaming, says this Pakistani passenger. "All our belongings got burnt. There were three of us including me, my father and my mother. There was a family sitting immediately behind us with small children. They got burned." Pakistan is pushing India to find and punish the guilty. Indian officials say the bombings were designed to derail the peace process with Pakistan. But both countries say they won't be deterred. India says Pakistan's foreign minister will arrive as scheduled tomorrow for talks in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Mohamed Fayaz finally identifies his mother from personal remains found on her body. He signs all the paperwork but can't say much. "I don't know what officials are saying," he says. Police say Fayaz will soon be able to take his mother home in one of these coffins. Satinder Bindra, CNN, (INAUDIBLE), North India.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: A major rescue effort under way on Mt. Hood this morning. Rescuers in Oregon are trying to reach three climbers stranded on the south side of the mountain. They got stuck there after dropping off of a ledge. Now, the search and rescue crews are having to brave nearly whiteout conditions and 70 mile-per-hour winds. Earlier we talked with one of the leaders of that rescue effort about what those search crews are facing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL GUBELE, MT. WAVE SEARCH RESCUE: The biggest challenge for us, Tony, is the weather. It looks like it was (INAUDIBLE) up here. The weather is terrible. It's near blizzard conditions at times. There are 70 to 100 mile-an-hour winds at times. White out conditions, visibility just a few feet and it's not expected to get any better. They're expecting up to two feet of snow up here today and also severe avalanche in that area for later on this afternoon.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And we will be keeping an eye on this story throughout the morning and going to bring you the very latest just as soon as it happens.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: How about this, a dramatic rescue. Thank goodness the rescuer woke up in time. Three brothers pulled from the icy water. Details from Christine Insigna, she's with affiliate News 12, Long Island.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE INSIGNA, NEWS 12: Tom Fortunato says the frozen canal behind his house has been a hot spot for kids during these bitter cold days. So Sunday morning he and his two little brothers decided to slide their way to the store just up the block, but they learned quickly that was a huge mistake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all fell through. Everyone was going nuts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought we were going to die.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were screaming, help, help, help.
INSIGNA: Maryann Rosati saw it all from her back deck.
MARYANN ROSATI, SAW BOYS IN THE WATER: He went down for the second count, I was already on the phone with the police. And I was screaming.
INSIGNA: Her 18-year-old son Tommy heard the commotion from his room.
TOMMY ROSATI, : I woke up. I was like still half asleep and I don't know, my mom said they were drowning.
INSIGNA: And without a second thought Tommy said that's when he bolted out his back door, went down these two flights of stairs, jumped over this fence, went around the dock. That's where he found the boys.
T. ROSATI: I laid on my stomach on like the dock right there and I just pulled them out.
INSIGNA: With shorts and no shoes on he got the frozen and scared boys out in a matter of minutes and tried to put them at ease.
T. ROSATI: I'm like, you're not going to die, just come inside. My mom got blankets for them and stuff.
THOMAS FORTUNATO, RESCUED FROM ICY WATER: I thanked that guy so much because if he wasn't there, we'd be screwed right now.
INSIGNA: Now the Fortunato's are calling the neighbor they never knew a hero, a term he's not too comfortable with.
T. ROSATI: I don't know. I'm just glad they're all right, you know.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN LISOVICZ: I'm Susan Lisovicz in New York. The snow and ice here is mostly gone. The same cannot be said about JetBlue's problems. Nearly a week after the travel meltdown that stranded thousands of passengers. I'll have details when NEWSROOM continues. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: New Jersey is the third state now to allow civil unions for gay couples. The state's new civil union law is in effect and it gives gay couples the same legal protections as married couples. Two other states, Connecticut and Vermont have similar laws. Massachusetts goes a step further. It allows same-sex marriages.
Well, the JetBlue snafu that stranded thousands of passengers in New York last week is now raising thousands of comments in Washington. Susan Lisovicz is in New York with the details of a political snowstorm. This can get a little ugly, Susan.
LISOVICZ: Well, I mean, you know, we've gotten used to giving up a lot of things, right, Betty? But sitting on the tarmac for hours on end I think is unreasonable.
NGUYEN: It would make anybody mad. LISOVICZ: For a lot of folks, that's right Betty. It's been nearly a week now and JetBlue is still reeling from the extraordinary flight delays of last week's snow and ice storm in the northeast. The delays, I think many of us remember, stranded passengers on about nine JetBlue flights for at least six hours at New York's JFK airport last Wednesday. And the problems have snowballed ever since so in order to get back on schedule, JetBlue has canceled about a quarter of its 600 flights today including all flights from 11 airports. It expects to return to full operation by Wednesday. JetBlue's CEO David Needleman told "The New York Times" that he is quote, "humiliated and mortified by last week's events and will work hard to regain his customers' trust." Betty?
NGUYEN: Well it sounds like that's not going to be easy especially after so many people were really upset about being stranded on those planes.
LISOVICZ: This is a service business and after all so it's understandable and last week's snafu will certainly be a setback. Remember, this used to be a darling up until about a week ago, it was a darling in the airline business. Needleman, the CEO says he will enact a customer bill of rights that will financially penalize his own company, JetBlue and reward passengers by the hour for any future delays. That passenger bill of rights is expected to be unveiled tomorrow. And in Congress meanwhile, there's talk of legislation to place limits on the time passengers can legally be kept on a plane just sitting on the runway. Certain politicians like Senator Barbara Boxer of California are aggressively pushing the measure. They want things like a mandatory three-hour cap on wait times, along with providing certain things like food, water, working toilets.
Up until last week JetBlue actually had one of the best reputations in the industry so it's going to have to draw on that goodwill. It's one of the few airlines also to turn a regular profit since the '01 terror attacks. The carrier made its stock market debut that following spring at $13 a share, briefly topped $30 a share a few years ago but on Friday it closed at $13.56, little changed from its initial price. JetBlue posted its first quarterly loss in '05 and then again last year. It's since outlined a turnaround plan to cut costs by $50 million a year. And just a reminder, it should be kind of obvious today is a federal holiday, all financial markets are closed today in honor of Presidents' Day. That's why I'm here in the studio, New York Stock Exchange is locked down, but the Dow Industrials will begin trading tomorrow on a high note. The blue chip average ended Friday at a record high --
NGUYEN: What, you didn't get the day off Susan?
LISOVICZ: I didn't, I'm here with you, Betty. There's no such thing as a holiday.
NGUYEN: Welcome to the club.
LISOVICZ: In the news business, you know that.
NGUYEN: We are glad you're here, we'll see you later. LISOVICZ: Likewise. That's the latest from New York Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
Snowbound rescuers braving dangerous weather and terrain trying to reach climbers stranded on Mt. Hood. It's a developing story and we're following it in the NEWSROOM.
Also, a new way to use 911. Police now reversing the process for a variety of emergencies. We're going to explain that ahead in the NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: It is 911 in reverse. Some communities are using it as a call to action to reach out to others when there is an emergency. CNN's Gary Nurenberg explains.
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GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When 7-year-old Calem Cristoferson got lost in the woods in Owings, Maryland on a freezing night earlier this month --
SHERIFF MIKE EVANS, CALVERT COUNTY, MARYLAND: We realized we're going to need some help.
NURENBERG: So Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans asked for it, by using an automated calling system to phone about a thousand of Calem's neighbors with a recorded plea.
KATRINA TEDFORD, NEIGHBOR: After that my husband got dressed up, took a flashlight and went over to meet where they were meeting to go out in the woods and look for the little boy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a spotlight and I got my 16-year-old boy Kolbe and we just started walking through the woods.
EVANS: A couple hundred people came out in this community to volunteer to help us search.
NURENBERG: Baldwin County, Alabama, used a similar system to warn residents with targeted calls during hurricane Katrina in 2005.
KEVIN MCCARTHY, REVERSE 9-1-1: They would start with the lowest lying areas for floods and the areas most affected near the coastline and then work their way inland so that people could actually get access to the roads and get out of the area.
NURENBERG: Some areas use sirens to warn of tornadoes, accidents at nuclear plants or rising water. Lady Lake, Florida, did not have a mass calling system in place when a deadly tornado touched down earlier this month.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The storms arrived in the dead of night around 3:00 a.m. most of the people around here were asleep.
NURENBERG: McCarthy says his reverse 9-1-1 system can solve problems like that.
MCCARTHY: You can reach out to those people in the area that's affected and either seek their help or make sure that they know what they need to know.
NURENBERG (on camera): Proponents of the systems also see uses in the event of a terrorist attack, calling the thousands of workers in these office buildings only blocks from the White House for example, to say it's time to evacuate.
EVANS: We've used it for all kinds of things from missing people to water and sewer issues in the county, power outages, et cetera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There needs to be rules and policies in place.
NURENBERG: Privacy advocates worry about all those unsolicited calls.
LILLIE CONEY, ELECTRONIC PRIVACY INFO. CTR.: It should be strictly opt in, if it's your cell phone, if it's your home phone, you should be able to say I volunteer to participate in this particular program.
NURENBERG: The system in Calvert County uses only listed phone numbers unless those with unlisted phones do opt in. And Calem, all those volunteers paid off. After about five hours in the freezing cold he was found unharmed. Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Owings, Maryland.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Al Qaeda regrouping, retraining, rebuilding and right under the nose of a major U.S. ally in the war on terror. A startling report today in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Avalanche danger, deadly slides in three states. We have those details in the NEWSROOM.
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NGUYEN: A wave of deadly avalanches, those snow slides in Utah, Idaho and Montana killed six people so far. Three of those deaths were in Utah and three separate avalanches, two of those killed were teenagers.
And in Montana, two snow mobilers were killed in an avalanche at the base of Mt. Baldi. The survivor of that slide, traveled about 20 miles, some of it on foot, just to reach help.
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone, you're with CNN, you're informed, I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Heidi Collins today. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
