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Cheney Targeted?; University Of Missouri Threat; Amazing Survival

Aired February 27, 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.

A suicide attack at a U.S. base in Afghanistan. Vice President Dick Cheney unharmed. The Taliban reportedly saying he was the target.

COLLINS: Overindulging in Great Britain. An abuse boy could be taken from his mother. Social workers accuse her of over feeding him.

HARRIS: She's covered nine presidents. Helen Thomas, a front- row fixture at the White House, now the dean of the press corp, becomes a bad venture.

It's Tuesday, February 27th. You are in the NEWSROOM.

And at the top this hour, a suicide bomber strikes, the Taliban steps up and Dick Cheney speaks out. The vice president unharmed, but close enough to hear this morning's explosion at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Almost three dozen people dead and wounded. And the vice president responding to reports that the Taliban were targeting him. Let's get the latest from CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Barbara, good morning to you.

You've been to Bagram Air Base. What's the security like there?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, we have been to that base many times and to that exact checkpoint, the main gate at Bagram Air Base.

According to U.S. military officials, the suicide bomber detonated his bomb at the Afghan portion of the security checkpoint. That is an outer ring of security at the southern end of the base. And then there is an inner ring of U.S. military security. He made it past Afghan security -- and that's going to be a matter of concern -- and detonated it before he got to U.S. security.

Now there are many layers of security at Bagram. And it would have been very difficult for a suicide bomber to get anywhere near the vice president. But this attack, with so many people dead and so many injured, clearly is another sign of the Taliban resurgence and the Taliban's ability to move and continue to operate in Afghanistan.

Tony.

HARRIS: Barbara, let's, if we could, let's switch gears just a bit here to Pakistan. Yesterday, Vice President Cheney delivered what is described as a stern message to the president of Pakistan. Here's the question. Why is Pakistan still a concern?

STARR: Well, you know, all of this is really tied together. U.S. intelligence strongly believes that the remote areas of Pakistan, which border Afghanistan, are now a very significant safe haven for what they call al Qaeda central. That means the top leadership of al Qaeda, money, troops and organization, with the potential capability to plan another mass attack.

And that is a matter of significant concern. By all accounts, that's what Vice President Dick Cheney was pressing the Pakistani leader on, to try and deal with that safe haven.

That's been a very tough challenge for President Musharraf. There's, of course, a significant Islamic fundamentalist population in that area. They don't take kindly to outsiders. They don't take kindly to the Pakistani military moving in there.

And the bottom line is, besides being a safe haven, the U.S. says that's the area where the Taliban and al Qaeda are launching their attacks into Afghanistan, such as we saw today.

Tony.

HARRIS: CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr for us this morning.

Barbara, thank you.

COLLINS: Shortly after the suicide attack, Vice President Cheney spoke to reporters. CNN's Elaine Quijano is at the White House now with more on that.

Elaine, what did he have to say?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll get to that in just a moment.

I can tell you, a short time ago we wrapped up the off-camera briefing with the White House deputy press secretary, Dana Perino, who says that President Bush has not spoken to Vice President Cheney since this attack happened. However, the president did get an update first thing this morning about what happened.

Now the vice president himself did talk to reporters, as you noted, about what happened. He said that he heard a loud boom. He thought it was around 10:00 local time at the Bagram Air Base. And he said that he was moved for a brief period of time to a bomb shelter near his quarters before returning to his room. Now the vice president was also asked about reports that the Taliban not only are claiming responsibility, but are also saying bluntly that Vice President Cheney himself was the target. The vice president said he had not heard that, but responded by saying, "I think they clearly try to find ways to question the authority of the central government. Striking at Bagram with a suicide bomber, I suppose, is one way to do that. But it shouldn't affect our behavior."

Now back here at the White House, Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino saying that this attack was certainly distressing. She called it heartbreaking when innocent life is lost due to terrorists. But she could not confirm the Taliban claims. She did say, of course, reiterating what the vice president said, that the Taliban is constantly seeking ways to disrupt the Karzai government, she said, but I wouldn't put it past them.

Now as for the vice president, he will be returning here to Washington sometime early tomorrow morning, Perino says. But this attack, Heidi, coming five years after coalition forces toppled the Taliban region in Afghanistan. America's allies in the region, not only Afghanistan, but as we noted Pakistan as well, have been unsuccessful in eliminating the Taliban and al Qaeda threat. Mr. Cheney meeting with Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, to discuss that. As one senior U.S. official said, Heidi, there's still a lot of work to be done.

Heidi.

COLLINS: That seems obvious now. And I wonder, too, Elaine, we know that the president in just a few minutes from now is going to be participating in the swearing in of the new deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte. Any indication as to whether or not he will address this attack?

QUIJANO: Well, you know, there might not be perhaps some comments from him on the attack at that point, or there might be some opportunity after a meeting that he is holding with the president of El Salvador. There are reporters being ushered in who are on standby to see if he does, in fact, have some comments on this. We'll wait to see. We haven't heard yet, Heidi. We're waiting to find out if he does, in fact, have something to say about that.

COLLINS: All right. Very good. Elaine Quijano out in front of the White House for us.

Thanks, Elaine.

HARRIS: And there's this. A diplomat in danger. Ambassadors from the U.S., Italy and Germany received minor injuries today in an attack in the eastern part of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan authorities say Tamil rebels fired upon helicopters carrying the ambassadors. Nine other people also injured in the attack. A rebel spokesman says the government put the diplomats in danger by taking them to an area where fighting is taking place. Rebel forces have been battling the Sri Lankan government since 1983 in a bid for a separate homeland. COLLINS: Want to get an update quickly for you on the story we've been telling you about coming out of the University of Missouri- Rolla. Betty Nguyen here now with us.

We know that the FBI has interviewed the suspect.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COLLINS: We're learning a little bit about some motive.

NGUYEN: We're learning a whole lot, in fact. We got a play-by- play of exactly how this went down there at the university.

According to police, they got a call about this student who was threatening a terrorist type action at 2:32 a.m. their time. Now police went into the building and confronted the student. This being the civil engineering building. You're looking at a live picture -- I believe this is tape of it.

And that student pulled a knife and held up a white bag that he said had a bomb in it. So police used a stun gun on him and then the bomb squad was called in to investigate the possibility that an explosive device may be in the engineering build where the student was hold up.

So then the police chief said that the suspect later apparently left a note on the table in that building, along with white powder, that listed several targets and threatened to destroy the building at 8:00 a.m. That's why everything was shut down today because they really didn't know how credible this threat was. That student told authorities that the powder was anthrax.

Also, a note mentioned suicide by cop. And, Heidi, as you know, that usually in the case that someone hopes to force police to kill them by provoking officers with a weapon or some other type of means.

Well, after interviewing the student's roommates and friends, police believe that the actions are simply the result of being distraught over schoolwork. Now we've learned that this suspect not only is a student, but an international student. Although the police chief does not know what the nationality of this student is.

But 23 people undergoing decontamination because of this, came in contact, or at least near this white powdery substance that was in the building. That building has been shut off. You're looking at the tents there where the decontamination occurs.

But the building, the civil engineering building, has been shut down. And they've cleared it. They've also shut off the airflow. And the main goal at this point, as far as investigators dealing with the white powder, is to find out exactly what that is.

But the good news is, that they believe this was just one student with a threat there, which a student was just distraught over schoolwork. This is not a widespread thing. It doesn't go to any other campuses or any other buildings in this area. And, in fact, they hope to open classes in about an hour from now. So that gives you a better indication of how things are going there and what kind of a threat that they're dealing with.

So, obviously, we're going to watch it. But, wow, what an interesting line of events there with a student who was not doing so well apparently in school and then decided to take matters in his own hands.

COLLINS: Yes, it's to bad. And, Betty, I know you were monitoring the press conference a little bit earlier from authorities on the scene. Any idea how long it will take to determine what that substance is?

NGUYEN: They don't know just yet. I mean, they're sending folks in. The FBI is on the scene. They have the bomb squad there. They're going to send them into this civil engineering building. And the only thing that the chief would say is, their main goal right now is to find out what that white powdery substance is. So that could take a while. Testing has to be done.

COLLINS: All right. Betty Nguyen, thanks.

HARRIS: And let's show you some pictures from just about, oh, 20 minutes ago that Betty brought us. Take a look at this. Pictures from -- you see where we're focusing in on here? Residents of an apartment building in San Francisco's north beach district were forced from their homes this morning because of this. This landslide. This rock landslide.

It happened at about 3:00 a.m. local time. Hello, 3:00 a.m. local time. Can you imagine, 150 people evacuated from three buildings on the north side of Broadway Street in that district. Amazingly, no injuries have been reported.

City engineers are on the scene right now to assess the damage. Authorities don't know of any structural damage at this point. The Red Cross is on the scene to help those who need it. We will follow this and bring you further updates.

COLLINS: Some severe weather to talk about. It seems to be happening in the west. And some of that video you were showing us earlier, Rob, just unbelievable the massive amount of snow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: A plan to share Iraq's oil wealth. Will it heal the country's deep divisions? That issue in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Also, he is eight years old, about 200 pounds. A big baby. And eats a snack every 20 minutes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MICHAEL MARKIEWICZ, PEDIATRICIAN: Through the way they're treating him and feeding him, they're slowly killing him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A child who eats too much. It could cost his mother custody. Connor's case in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And finding Jesus. A fantastic claim, but is it anything more than a publicity stunt. We'll take a look at that in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: A Krispy Kreme donut that's supposed to be better for you? Huh? How can that be? We'll scrape the glaze off the health claims ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to let you have a look at something that's happening. This is the Senate Armed Services Committee. It's been going on since about 9:30 this morning or so. You are looking at the DIA director, that's the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Michael Maples.

I've been listening a little bit to what he's been saying and they are talking about worldwide threats to national security. He has already touched on Iran's nuclear capabilities, China's nuclear weapons stockpile, Russia's nuclear warheads and North Korea as well. Haven't been able to hear the whole thing, but those are at least some of the different countries he has already addressed.

So we also know that the nation's newly installed spy chief, Michael McConnell, is there, as well as the National Intelligence Council director, Thomas Fingar. So, also, if you are interested in hearing more about this and exactly what they're saying, you can always go to CNN Pipeline. That's cnnpipeline.com.

HARRIS: An amazing story out of Michigan to share with you now with pictures to back it up. A speeding car slamming into a pedestrian. The man flies over the car, but survives. And it is all captured on video. Kimberly Craig of CNN affiliate WXYZ has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY CRAIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): As Rafael Hatter (ph) casually crosses Eight Mile here, he has no idea he's about to cross paths with a dangerous driver. Then, just as he's about to clear the roadway, a black Cadillac hits Hatter with so much force that he's knocked out of his shoes. His body is tossed around like a toy and the black Cadillac never stops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I first saw that video, I was shocked by that accident because that man went up in the air and over the car and then skidded along the pavement.

CRAIG: And, amazingly, Rafael Hatter survives with a broken leg and head injuries. And the hit-and-run was caught on an in-car camera by Ferndale police. It was 4:30 one morning when officers in two different scout cars from Ferndale were parked along Eight Mile here. That's when they witnessed the hit-and-run and officers in one scout car rushed to help the victim, while the other took off after the suspect.

Soon after Ferndale police catch up to the black Cadillac, they find 43-year-old Glenn Shafer (ph) behind the wheel. And he asks officers what he did. And they tell him he hit someone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ran over someone.

GLENN SHAFER: Why was they in the road?

CRAIG: Shafer was arrested and Ferndale police say his blood alcohol level was 0.17, more than twice any legal limit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much did you have to drink tonight?

SHAFER: A couple beers.

CRAIG: The hit sent Rafael Hatter to the hospital. His family says his road to recovery will be a long one. As for Glenn Shafer, he's now facing charges of operating while intoxicated, causing a serious accident and leaving the scene.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: He's eight years old and weighs almost 200 pounds. British authorities say his mother feeds him too much, literally putting his life at risk. A doctor agrees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MICHAEL MARKIEWICZ, PEDIATRICIAN: Through the way they're treating him and feeding him, they're slowly killing him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Social workers meeting today to consider protective custody for Connor McCreaddie. They suggest overfeeding the boy a steady diet of pizza, burgers, chips and junk food snack is child abuse. Connor's mother says he steals and hides food, making it hard to help him cut back.

HARRIS: Suicide bombers strike again. Bloody attack in Baghdad. That story in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And, are postal rate hikes turning you into a stamp collector?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stuck with a whole bunch of stamps that are just collecting dust in your drawer.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: Well, the postal service says it has a deal for you -- the forever stamp, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Boy, let's take you to the New York Stock Exchange right now and take a look at the big board. As you can see, a pretty dramatic sell-off of stocks today. Inflation concerns all over the place big time today. Oil over $61 a barrel. Gas prices up. A big sell-off of stocks on the overheated China markets. So a lot going on.

We were warned about an hour ago by Ali Velshi that this could be a difficult day for stocks and it's turning out to be just that so far. As you can see, the Dow down 132 points at last check. The Nasdaq down 40. We will check on all of this, what is going on today, with Susan Lisovicz in just a couple minutes here, from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

A key, political benchmark in Iraq clearing a major hurdle. Iraqi government officials have agreed on a plan to divide the country's oil wealth and open the industry to international investment. Oil and gas reserves are concentrated in Iraq's Kurdish north and the Shiite south. But under the plan, all regions will share the oil wealth. While the draft law still has to clear the Iraqi parliament, U.S. officials are hailing it as a step towards a national settlement of Iraq's divisions.

Suicide bombers in Baghdad believe to be shifting tactics in response to the Iraqi government's new security plan. At least 10 deaths are reported today in bombings in the Iraqi capital. A car bomb exploded in a parking lot. A suicide car bomber rammed an ice cream shop and a hidden bomb went off inside a restaurant. All of the attacks in central Baghdad. The new security plan forbids parking on Baghdad's main streets, so police now believe suicide bombers are shifting tactics and targets.

Also in Baghdad, officials say, they've arrested a suspect in yesterday's attempted assassination of one of Iraq's two vice president. Adel Abdul Mahdi suffered minor injuries when a bomb killed a dozen people at the public works ministry.

And, once again, let's take you now to a swearing in ceremony for the new deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte. And as you can see, President Bush is there, as is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Let's listen in.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, members of Congress, members of the administration, it is a great pleasure to welcome you here to the State Department for the swearing in of John Negroponte as deputy secretary of state. We are honored to have John's family with us, his wife, Diana, his children, Marina, Alajandra, John, George and Sophia. And, of course, we are really honored to have our very special guest, the president of the United States, George W. Bush. Mr. President, in John Negroponte, you could not have chose an more capable, more dedicated or more experienced public servant. John's tenure in the foreign service began during the Eisenhower administration. He has served every president since. And now this legend of American diplomacy returns home.

As you know, Mr. President, our nation has the finest diplomatic corps in the world. And we're asking more of them today than ever before. All across the globe, the men and women of the State Department are serving honorably far away from their homes and very often far away from their families as well.

In fact, many are on the front lines in some of the toughest places in the world, serving shoulder to shoulder with our men and women in uniform, and risking their lives for the sake of our country. Every day, in every country, our diplomats and civilians are working to realize America's vision of a community of nations growing in security, prosperity and liberty. They are drawing on the compassion of America to help eradicate diseases like AIDS and malaria, to fight poverty and injustice, and to support what you have called the non- negotiable demands of human dignity and they are doing their part to defend America and their allies in the global war on terror.

It is for that reason that I am so delight to welcome John back, because he will be a great leader and an inspiration to the men and women of American diplomacy. And I know that they will be an inspiration for him, as they are for me and for all of us.

Thank you, Mr. President, for your steadfast support of the department, for your steadfast support of the men and women of diplomacy and thank you for bringing John back to State. We are grateful for your leadership. We are honored by your presence here today and it's my privilege to invite you to take the podium.

Mr. President.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thank you, Madam Secretary.

Madam Secretary, thanks for the introduction. Thanks for the really fine job you're doing.

I'm pleased to be with you today. And I'm really honored to stand with a personal friend and a man I admire a lot, the new deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte.

I, too, welcome John's family, all five of them here, as well as his wife, Diana. I appreciate all his friends who have shown up. Thanks for coming to pay honor to this good man.

American diplomacy is really critical to ensuring the safety and the security of our citizens. Terrorist enemies follow an ideology of hatred and death. In the long run, the only way to defeat them is to offer a vision that is hopeful and positive and optimistic. Spreading that vision requires strong leadership here at the State Department. And John Negroponte has the talent and the experience our nation needs in a deputy secretary of state. He is going to do a superb job for the American people.

I appreciate very much Congresswoman Jane Harmon for joining us. It's a great tribute to a good man.

I appreciate the former deputy secretary of state, Rich Armitage, for being here.

I am honored that other members of my administration have come.

I want to thank the members of the diplomatic corps. Proud to see you all here. Thanks for coming, distinguished guests, folks who serve our nation at the State Department.

As the deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte is going to play a key role, an important role in shaping our foreign policy. He's going to help guide diplomats deployed around the globe. He will act as the chief operating officer of the State Department. He will work with Secretary Rice and the leaders of other federal agencies to ensure that America speaks with one voice. John is uniquely qualified.

As America's first director of national intelligence, John took on one of the most demanding assignments in government. His work was to ensure that all our intelligence agencies function as a single unified enterprise. He handled this vital task with skill and determination. His leadership of the intelligence community improved our ability to collect, analyze and share intelligence. His vigilance has helped keep the American people safe from harm. One of my regrets is that in him coming back to the State Department is he won't be in the oval office every morning to share his wisdom with me. He has plenty of wisdom to share. I strongly urge the young Foreign Service officers to get on his calendar, so he can explain to you how best to do your job. I did the same thing.

As he moves over to the State Department, he knows this building really well. As Condi mentioned, he became a Foreign Service officer in the administration of Ike. Some of you weren't even born then. Diane and I were barely born then. Over the course of more than four decades, he's held eight Foreign Service posts, three different continents. He served as the deputy national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan. He represented America at the United Nations during my administration. He was our first ambassador to a free Iraq. In these and other posts he has shown diplomatic skill and devotion to our country. He really has set a great example for the people who work here. For the past six years, I know him to be a man of vision and character. He understands the importance of fighting the extremists with all elements of national power. He is a good negotiator. It doesn't hurt that he can play a mean game of poker.

As our nation's second ranking diplomat, he's going to be a strong and confident advocate for our interests, and equally importantly, our ideals around the world. John will build upon the work done by his predecessor Bob Zelig. Bob helped lead the State Department during a challenging time for our nation. He upheld the high standards and the proud tradition of this department. I appreciate his dedicated service. As John takes up his duties he's going to benefit from the talent and professionalism of the men and women in our foreign and civil service, folks who serve in this building and in our embassies around the world. The work done here and the work done abroad helps sustain America's position. It fosters freedom and helps advance the cause of peace. I want to thank you for your willingness to serve our country. I appreciate the sacrifices you make on behalf of the American people. You're going to have a fine leader in John Negroponte. One thing is for certain, he knows we live in challenging times, we live in dangerous times. He also knows that this is a moment of great hope and opportunity. John's broad experience and sound judgment and unquestioned integrity will make him an outstanding deputy secretary of state. So, John, I thank you once again for agreeing to serve our nation. Congratulations, and now, Secretary Rice will administer the oath.

JOHN NEGROPONTE: I, John D. Negroponte do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I take this obligation freely and without any mental reservation, or purpose of evasion. That I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter so help me God.

HARRIS: You've been watching the swearing in ceremony for John Negroponte to become the deputy secretary of state.

COLLINS: He looks very happy.

HARRIS: Yes, he does. Secretary of State Rice calling -- well he's going home.

COLLINS: Yes, that's what she said, didn't she?

HARRIS: The Secretary Rice calling her new number two a legend in Foreign Service and she thanks the president for bringing Negroponte back home the State Department. The president called Negroponte a personal friend, and a man that he respects. And the president saying that Ambassador Negroponte is going to be playing a key role in shaping our foreign policy. And there you have it, the swearing in ceremony for John Negroponte.

COLLINS: The Taliban strike, their purported target, Vice President Dick Cheney. A suicide bomber detonated outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan. Almost three dozen people dead or wounded. Cheney was safely inside Bagram Air Base but heard the blast. Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING", we heard from a reporter who is traveling with the vice president.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MARK SILVA, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: The vice president was preparing to leave, his party was assembling. They were preparing his aircraft and people were heading toward the plane. The plane itself was out on the tarmac, near the flight line, very well inside the base and quite removed from the main entrance that was attacked. The first indication we had of an attack, was we heard the sirens of the base fire station ringing. We were very close to the fire station. The trucks sped out and the public affairs spokesman for the base, Colonel David (INAUDIBLE) told us that there had been a direct attack at the gate and the base had gone on code red because of it.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: An hour after the blast, the vice president appeared with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. According to wire reports, the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack and confirmed Cheney was the intended target. The Bush administration has repeatedly warned the Taliban are mounting a comeback in the region.

HARRIS: Want to give you an update now on the amazing pictures we've been showing you this morning of this rock landslide in San Francisco. Let's take a look at some of these pictures. Take a look at that. As many as 150 people evacuated from three buildings. Woody Baker-Cohn is on the line from the American Red Cross. Woody are you there?

WOODY BAKER-COHN, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Yes.

HARRIS: Woody, great to talk to you. It looks pretty devastating from afar. Are you actually onsite?

COHN: Yes, I'm right in front of some of the buildings that have been evacuated.

HARRIS: Ok Woody, describe what you're seeing firsthand, up close and personal so to speak.

COHN: We have a very steep hillside, the mud and rock has slid down and there's some more that's sort of precariously perched. The engineering folks form the city and some people that they've brought in have assessed that there a few buildings that are in danger. So at this point, we've had evacuations from one large building above and two smaller buildings below, plus three more that are kind of the side.

HARRIS: You know there are some reports that some of the land, the rock, the whole mass of it all has sort of tumbled down the side and has actually run into one apartment building below. Do you have any indications of that? Can you confirm that for us?

COHN: Yes, I don't know the extent but some of it has actually come into a building, or at least up against it and the rest of the buildings are precautionary evacuations at this point.

HARRIS: Does this number of 150 people evacuated, does that sound about right to you?

COHN: It's probably about right. By my count we have approximately 80 units total out of those buildings.

HARRIS: What are you hearing as to the needs of these folks? I can't imagine they'll be allowed back into those apartment buildings any time soon? COHN: Yes, at this point the assessment of the city engineering folks are out here in force doing an assessment of course. Their assessment is that people, once a little more geo technical assessment has been done, people may be able to go back in quickly to get things that they need, so, you know prescription medication and things of that nature, so go in just quick and get back out. It's certainly possible that the assessment will mean that they can't go back in. But either way, they'll be displaced at least for a day or two, three, something on that order.

HARRIS: And can the Red Cross handle that for these folks?

COHN: Yes, I mean this is the sort of thing that we respond to, everything from fairly small fires to large devastating things like Katrina. So we're very well set up for this. We'll open up a disaster shelter to give people a place to sleep and kind of decompress. We'll bring in some mental health counselors for people that -- You the stress is obviously very high to be in a situation like this and replacement prescription medications, things of that nature. For this amount of time out of their units, they'll be needing some clothes and we'll help them with that as well.

HARRIS: And Woody one last question, we're getting reports, no injuries. Is that what you're seeing there on the ground? Any reports of any injuries, are you having to deal with anyone who is injured?

COHN: No, it appears that this was caught quickly and the city services did a great job. So, no injuries that I'm aware of whatsoever, there were a few people with some preexisting conditions that we're helping them with, with some of the medical staff.

HARRIS: Ok, Woody Baker-Cohn with the American Red Cross, thanks for your time. As we look at these pictures again, this is a landslide, north beach district of San Francisco. At least 150 people evacuated from three buildings. We'll keep an eye on this situation for you.

COLLINS: Want to get over to Betty Nguyen now, she's been following a story for us coming out of Baltimore. Betty what's happening in Baltimore?

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well there has been a really bad accident there. It shut down the freeway in both directions on 695, which is called the Baltimore beltway. We want to take a look at some pictures from this accident, just a terrible one involving a semi- truck, a garbage truck and another vehicle. You see the ambulance on the scene. We don't know how many people are injured, if there are any injuries. But if we can get some video, I know this is live, but if they can pan over to where the accident is, I mean these vehicles are still on fire in essence because smoke is coming from them. Firefighters are on the scene, trying to douse some of that. As soon as we get these pictures, we'll show it to you, again this is live so we can't really tell exactly where they're going to move next.

Here we go, here's some video, look at that. This is the semi- truck, at least what's left of it. Pan out and you see the other vehicle involved. We understand a garbage truck was also in this accident, all of them caught fire. Again, no word on any injuries but we do have some video that shows the backup. This is a huge backup there in Baltimore. Again, this is on the Baltimore beltway a busy time in the morning and both lanes are just completely stopped. The highway is shut down. You're just seeing just a small glimpse of the accident scene. But later, if we can pan out, we can see that it is really a parking lot there. But the main information that we're trying to get, are there folks injured because of this accident and the extent of those injuries. But you can see Heidi, the smoke still coming off of the accident. So this didn't happen too long ago, three vehicles involved again including a semi-truck, a passenger vehicle and a garbage truck. So as soon as we get more information, we'll bring it straight to you.

HARRIS: Now Betty I can tell you that this is going to be a real mess with that scene, you're talking about the Baltimore beltway, 695 --

NGUYEN: You're from there Tony, so you're familiar with this roadway.

HARRIS: Absolutely. There is another expressway very close to those exits, 795 as well, that takes you up into Reisterstown, through Owings Mills, Maryland and I will tell you that that is going to be a nightmare scenario.

NGUYEN: Well there it is, just a shot, I mean look at that, completely -- a parking lot there, shut down, both lanes of traffic. We saw just minutes ago though, the accident scene, still smoke coming from it. So again, we're trying to get word on whether or not there are injuries as a result of this but you do see the emergency crews on the scene, just in case.

HARRIS: Ok Betty, thank you.

NGUYEN: Thank you.

COLLINS: Stopping al Qaeda's resurgence, the White House putting pressure now on Pakistan, we'll tell you all about that coming up in the NEWSROOM.

ROB MARCIANO: I'm Rob Marciano out of the CNN weather center, news out of NASA today, thunderstorm that cruised through Cape Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center, did some damage to the shuttle. We'll talk about that when the CNN NEWSROOM continues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Time is money and you want to save both when you're buying a car. How? Well skip the stress of coming to a dealership and pick up your phone and negotiate for your new ride. Many dealerships are prepared to take your call and chances are because you're not on their turf, you'll be in a better position to bargain. If you do decide to go into the dealership, make contact with a salesperson beforehand. That personal touch could save you thousands of dollars. If that's not your bag, pay to have somebody else negotiate. Discount chains like Sam's Club and Costco will do the work for you and then lay out a fair, no haggle price. Either way, first check out a car's value on a site like Edmonds.com. Learning the art of a smooth transaction can never happen soon enough. Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Once again, I want to take you back to Baltimore, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore Maryland, actually Baltimore County. You're looking at the Baltimore beltway now. The scene of a pretty horrific looking accident, we understand two tractor trailers involved but there does seem to be at least another vehicle involved in that as you can see just to the left of your screen there. Baltimore County Fire obviously on the scene right now. The fire that was involved in this pretty much put out at this point. But as you can imagine, this is a huge, huge traffic nightmare for the folks there who use the Baltimore beltway, I-695 and I-795, which is very close to this location. This is sort of in between Pikesville and Owings Mills area. Here is the remarkable news in all of this, we're talking about two tractor trailers involved and it looks to be another vehicle as well. And the early reporting here, consistent now, is that no one, no one was injured in this wreck. Again, this is between Pikesville and Owings Mills, Maryland, 695, a wider view now from our affiliate WBAL in Baltimore gives you a look at that scene. But we haven't seen a shot yet that would indicate just how much of a traffic backup is resulting from this. But as you can imagine, it is huge. We will keep an eye on this situation for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Want to take you back to the New York Stock Exchange right now and follow a story. But boy, this bears watching throughout the day. We had predictions, Ali Velshi told us about an hour or so ago that this could happen today, a pretty significant sell-off. And it is happening, as you can see the Dow down 121 points, the NASDAQ we understand down 35 points. We're talking about higher than expected or at least higher than we've seen recently oil prices, $61 a barrel, not sure how oil is trading today. Gas prices up, a major sell-off on the Shanghai market. So this is a story worth watching throughout the day. We will check in with Susan Lisovicz on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as soon as we can make that connection.

COLLINS: Musical chairs in the White House briefing room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can shout from any place.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Helen Thomas moves back and it's possibly our fault? Really? Is it us or the other guys? We'll find out, coming up next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JUDY FORTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Users of a popular cosmetic treatment may be getting more bang for their buck. Research finds the popular wrinkle filler restilen increases the amount of collagen the skin produces. Collagen naturally restores the skin's elasticity. The new findings suggest there may be long-term health benefits from this cosmetic procedure.

The digital age may be fattening for America's teens. A new study finds between middle school and high school, students spent on average four hours more per week on the computer while time spent in vigorous physical activity declined. A major concern since reduced physical activity is linked to increased obesity. Those teens might be able to show doctors a thing or two. Surgeons who play video games have better motor skills. Researchers say surgeon who game for more than three hours per week make fewer errors, work faster and perform 42 percent better. Judy Fortin, CNN.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

(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, February 27th. Here's what's on the rundown.

The Taliban reportedly targeting the U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, safe after a suicide attack at a base in Afghanistan.

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