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CNN Newsroom
Nor'easter Slams East
Aired April 16, 2007 - 09:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. I'm Heidi Collins.
Watch events come in to the NEWSROOM live for Monday, the 16th of April.
Here's what's on the rundown now.
It's coming down in buckets. A powerful nor'easter slams the East -- flooding rains, fierce winds, blinding snow. What more could you ask for? Yikes. Travelers stuck in the middle of all that mess.
HARRIS: President Bush putting new pressure on Congress to pass a war funding bill. Live CNN coverage in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Iraqi soldiers, are they standing up so the U.S. can stand down? We ask the producer of a new documentary, "Gangs of Iraq," in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And at the top this morning, April showers bring spring flowers, so what does a nasty nor'easter deliver? The answer, lots of headaches up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
In New York, the storm has dumped more than five and a half inches of rain. That shatters a century-old record. Today there are power outages, evacuations, and lots of stranded travelers and commuters.
In South Carolina, the storm spun off a deadly tornado. One woman was killed, at least four people injured. The tornado carved a path of destruction some 14 miles long.
In Boston, the marathon goes on. Runners will, well, test their own limits against the ferocity of Mother Nature -- up to five inches of rain, temps in the 30s, and wind gusts up to 25 miles an hour.
Our crews are covering all points of the storm.
CNN's Alina Cho is in New York.
Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is along the Massachusetts coast.
And severe weather expert Chad Myers is in our weather center. COLLINS: Right off, we want to go straight to New York. Hundreds of airline flights have been canceled, thousands of passengers left stranded by the storm, too.
CNN's Alina Cho is at LaGuardia airport.
Alina, tell us what it's like out there. A lot of people just kind of sitting around?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of people hoping to get out today, Heidi. Good morning to you.
But I have to tell you, a bit of a surprise this morning. Only scattered delays and cancellations here at LaGuardia, some more delays than cancellations. But having said that, a pretty busy Monday morning here. And it's only going to get busier, with the bulk of the air travel happening this afternoon when this weather system finally moves out of here.
Now, yesterday, quite a different story. A mess at New York's three major airports. At least 600 flights cancelled. And that's a conservative estimate.
Among those stuck, 40 college students from Iowa. Listen to this harrowing tale.
They were scheduled to leave yesterday afternoon at 1:00. That flight was cancelled. Then they got on a 9:00 p.m. flight. That flight was cancelled.
Well, today they're keeping their fingers crossed. They're hoping to get on a 2:00 p.m. flight, but not before spending a long night at the airport.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very, very bad. My back hurts, a headache, and I'm really, really feeling not good right now because I have a layover. And I really want to go home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, we're all making the best of it and doing what we can, but I'm sure all of us are ready to go home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just really tired. And I'd like to go home. I'm kind of fed up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Fed up and tired. And you think that story's bad? Listen to this one.
We also talked to 35 high school students who were hoping to fly to Miami this morning and get on a cruise ship. Well, their flight was so delayed that they almost had to cancel their trip.
Thankfully, they came up with a plan B. They're going to change their destination, they're not flying to Miami anymore. They're going to fly to Nassau in the Bahamas. And Heidi, they'll be catching up with the cruise ship there, albeit one day late, but they're still going to salvage their spring break trip -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow. See, the silver lining. You've just got to get to the right island, I guess.
HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: All right. Alina Cho, thanks for that.
HARRIS: And the worst is not over for Massachusetts. Even the hardy salts along the coast are battening down the hatches.
CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is in Hyannis this morning.
And Reynolds, what's the view from where you are? And are you expecting any more rain?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, we might see a little bit more rain. The winds have been -- well, let's say they've been sporadic. At times, the wind has been very strong, and then we'll get a little bit of a lull in the action.
Right now, it is considerably weaker than it was earlier this morning. In fact, Tony, earlier this morning, we were actually set up a few miles down the beach, but we actually had to move because the winds were so strong it was actually damaging the dish on top of the satellite truck.
But from our present position in Inner Harbor in Hyannis, conditions are really not that bad. However, take a look at this big boat.
This is bad. Not the boat itself, but what's not on it. This boat should have tons of people on it. But if you look into the harbor, you're seeing a few little white caps that are coming in.
Now, because a few white caps are on the water, the harbor master has kept these boats right here on dock. And, well, we aren't getting people out to places like Nantucket or over to Martha's vineyard because of the rough seas that we have right outside this harbor and going out into Nantucket Bay.
These boats, by the way, if you look at the bottom of the boats, they're actually -- it's kind of like the bottom of a catamaran. This boat is made for speed.
There are two others behind it that you can't speed. They're also made for traveling at decent speeds. But with the rough seas these boats are going to stay put. Very unfortunate, because you've had a lot of customers that have been coming in here trying to make that trip over to the islands, and they're going to stay put.
Now, on the other side of the harbor, way, way over there, you have a boat, a supply boat that -- and you're going to love this -- they don't have any choice. That boat is loaded with supplies. It's got to get over to the islands. So, despite the conditions that they're going to be dealing with, they have to make the trip, not a trip that anyone would want to make.
Back to you.
HARRIS: Hey, Reynolds, you're southeast of Boston. I'm thinking the Boston Marathon. Conditions are a little rough, certainly rougher than the runners might expect.
Is the race still on?
WOLF: The race is on. And you know, you'll remember last year at this time, Boston Marathon, I mean, you had skies that were mostly clear, temperatures were into the 50s. But today a very different situation.
And, you know, we've had these great runners over the years, the wonderful runners from Kenya. And they come across the ocean and they take part. You'll -- you know, you've got to remember that the climate in Kenya a little bit different from what we're dealing with in New England at this time.
HARRIS: You think? Yes.
WOLF: Not exactly the same. And they're not expecting any big records to be broken. And, you know, Heartbreak Hill itself is a tremendous challenge for those runners, but when you combine that with the wind and the rain, it's going to be a big issue, unless, of course, the wind gives them a little bit of a tailwind.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
WOLF: Maybe then we'll talk about breaking some records.
HARRIS: All right, Reynolds. We've got a live picture up. It is nasty, a survival test, to be sure.
WOLF: It surely is.
HARRIS: All right, Reynolds. Thanks.
COLLINS: Like the worst in 15 years is what I'm reading everywhere.
HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: Just to categorize it real quickly for you.
Chad Myers, of course, standing by now in the weather center to give us even a larger picture of everything that's going on.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Well, here's the story -- cars underwater, folks forced out of their homes. It is a big mess in the Northeast. Keep it right here for coverage of the storm. We will head live to suburban New York for the latest on conditions there.
COLLINS: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow. He will address his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
He's already released his opening statement. Gonzales says this: "I have no basis to believe that anyone involved in this process sought the removal of a U.S. attorney for an improper reason."
Gonzales' former top aide was back on Capitol Hill today -- excuse me -- Sunday. Kyle Sampson talked with Senate staffers ahead of tomorrow's hearing. And last month Sampson testified that Gonzales was involved in the process.
To that, Gonzales says this: "Mr. Sampson periodically updated me on the review. During those updates, to my knowledge, I did not make decisions about who should or should not be asked to resign."
And one admission from Gonzales. He says, "I do acknowledge, however, that at times I have been less than precise with my words when discussing the resignations."
HARRIS: Spring break is over. Congress returns to Washington, and President Bush turns up the heat in the Iraq war funding fight. In about two hours, he will renew his case for money without strings. We are live from the White House 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Congress wants a timetable for withdrawal, but the president promises to veto any bill that includes it. He is scheduled to meet with congressional leaders from both parties on Wednesday.
COLLINS: Training Iraqi troops, the president says that is a crucial part of his strategy to get U.S. forces out of Iraq. Now a new documentary says it's a major failure. "Gangs of Iraq" ahead in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: A country torn by conflict, questions about the future. Iraq's most popular TV program? A psychic telling Iraqis their fortunes, ahead in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Honoring a legend both on the field and off. Baseball remembers Jackie Robinson. But what would he think about the state of the game and the country today? We'll hear from his son coming up in the NEWSROOM.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jim Acosta in Mamaroneck, New York, standing in front of a car that just tried to cross a flooded street. And guess what? It got stuck.
More on the nasty nor'easter coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: More violence in Iraq to tell you about. Two roadside bombings today in a busy section of Baghdad. At least eight people killed, more than 20 wounded. This follows a brutal weekend across the country. More than 100 Iraqi civilians and soldiers killed in bombings, and 30 bullet-riddled bodies found around Baghdad.
COLLINS: Beyond the violence, there is day-to-day life in Iraq. Iraq's most popular television program not a soap opera, not even the middle eastern version of "Idol".
CNN's Kyra Phillips is in Baghdad to tell us about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a country where so many people want answers, there is one man who says he has them.
(on camera): Are you psychic?
(voice over): "That is what they call me."
(on camera): Do you consider it a spiritual gift?
(voice over): "Yes, along with my experience, insight and knowledge. I can look at a person and read what's inside of them."
Psychic, astrologer, psychologist, Ali al-Bakri says he's had premonitions since childhood, watching people, recording his thoughts, and seeing them come true. Now he brings his good fortune to the frontlines, offering answers, hope, understanding to Iraq's war zone and its people.
"Your Fortune" hit the airwaves two years ago, becoming the most popular show in Iraq.
"Iraqis have reached a critical stage," Ali tells me. "They need someone who can relieve their stress. People want someone or some leader they can trust. I want them to know life goes on whatever happens."
Hadeel al-Bayati takes your calls, while Ali taps into his computer, listens to your question, focuses on your energy, and verifies his vision.
Ahmed (ph) from Basra gives Ali his birth date and time. He wants to know what will happen with his job.
"According to your information," Ali says, "you're either a politician or a high-ranking official." "Yes," Ahmed (ph) says. "According to my calculations," Ali explains, "you will have a promotion in July."
Jobs, sex lives, security, and violence. For one hour, every Saturday on Al-Iraqiya TV, Ali's predictions give Iraqis peace of mind.
"Ali always gives honest answers," Hadeel says. "He's not spontaneous. He relies on his research, astrology, the stars, and because of his correct answers, this show is strong."
(on camera): So, what do you think will happen with regard to the new government?
(voice over): "I think government will witness positive changes, specifically in May."
(on camera): Do any leaders in this country ask you for your advice, ask you for predictions, any members of the new government? Has Nuri al-Maliki called you and said, "Tell me what's going to happen"?
(voice over): "I cannot answer these questions."
(on camera): So, there are some powerful people who have asked you for your advice?
(voice over): "Yes," he says, "it's happened. But understand I care more about helping the Iraqi people, not an official."
But there are no secrets when it comes to the success of "Your Fortune". The show now gets calls from Libya, to Saudi Arabia, and its luck isn't running out any time soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Now, Heidi, Ali also has started talking about four children at the beginning of each one of his shows. He goes out and meets with families that have kids that have been affected by the war -- disabilities, whether they've become blind or deaf.
And this show that we sat in on, he had met with a 9-year-old boy and his family. His name was Hussein Abdullah (ph). He had lost his hearing because of an explosion, and his family was very concerned about his future.
So he sat down with him and did his reading and talked about how he was going to be successful, he was going to compensate for his problem, he was going to be OK, he was a strong child, and that they just needed to nurture him more and take him to peaceful places, like gardens, versus out on the streets, where is he had lost his hearing due to an explosion. So, he's sort of becoming a psychologist as well.
COLLINS: Yes, that's kind of what it sounds like.
So, Kyra, did you have a chance to ask him about your fortune? PHILLIPS: I didn't have time to read him your question, but I promise that I will call him, OK? As soon as we get finished here. You and Tony.
But yes, actually, we were a little skeptical, right, at the end of the show. And the funny part was, our entire crew, including our security, went over to him and said, "OK, we have one question for you."
So, one of our producers, Mohammed (ph), he's been having problems with his voice box, with his larynx, and Ali knew that. He said, "You've got something wrong with your voice, something's happening here." And that scared us.
COLLINS: No, wait a minute. Did he try to speak and so that's how he could tell? Did he hear it?
PHILLIPS: No, no. I don't know. I don't know.
And then another producer, he said that she's going to be married in three years, so Erin (ph) was very excited about that.
One of our security guards had a hurt leg, and Ali knew about that and said, "You have this injury, you're having to deal with this."
COLLINS: Well, was he limping?
PHILLIPS: None of our security guards -- what's that?
COLLINS: Was he limping when he saw him?
HARRIS: Heidi, you have to believe.
PHILLIPS: You guys, I am telling you, you have to -- it was making us very nervous.
Now, as for me, evidently I'm going to have a very rough time in the month of July, but after October I'm going to be free of pain, and I've got some sort of great thing that's going to happen with my job. You guys know anything?
COLLINS: Absolutely not.
HARRIS: I'll check the e-mail. I'll see what's going on.
COLLINS: We're always the last to know, anyway. So, you know, don't ask us.
PHILLIPS: I'll read about it in the blogs.
HARRIS: There you go.
PHILLIPS: Thank you.
COLLINS: All right, Kyra. Great story. Thanks. And also want to let you know, back to our Iraq story, training Iraqi troops, been talking about it so very much. The president says it is a crucial part of his strategy to get U.S. forces out of Iraq. But now there's a new documentary out saying it's a major failure. "Gangs of Iraq" ahead in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Also, political pop quiz. Name the vice president, the House speaker and which party controls Congress. Americans' political knowledge put to the test. Find out how they fared in the NEWSROOM.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business".
No predictions here. I've just got facts. It's tax time, so be very careful if you haven't done your taxes yet, because your chances of being audited are way up.
Stay with us. I'll tell you more when we come back in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Twenty-four news, tons of info on the Internet. Does that mean people are keeping up with current affairs better than in years past? Well, you be the judge. Listen to this.
A Pew Research survey of more than 1,500 adults found 69 percent correctly named Dick Cheney as vice president. Com pare that with 1989, where 74 percent correctly named Dan Quayle as VP when asked the very same question.
But here's an improvement. Forty-nine percent correctly answered Nancy Pelosi is House speaker. Just 14 percent able to name Tom Foley in 1989.
Now, 76 percent know Democrats are in control of the House, compared with 68 percent who answered correctly 20 years ago.
Americans didn't do so hot naming the president of Russia, though, compared to folks in 1989.
Here's one more interesting note. A lot of respondents said their top news sources were major newspapers, Web sites, and cable TV comedy shows like "The Daily Show".
HARRIS: Come on.
COLLINS: And "The Colbert Report".
HARRIS: That's an outrage. Oops, sorry. That just kind of flew out.
With Tax Day almost upon us, what's the chance that the IRS could hit you with an audit?
Ali Velshi here "Minding Your Business". All right. Suspenders today.
VELSHI: Liking the look.
HARRIS: is it working?
VELSHI: It's working.
HARRIS: All right.
VELSHI: Everything generally works better for you than it does for me when it comes to looks. But you're looking good.
HARRIS: You need to stop. You need to stop. Thank you, sir. Good morning.
VELSHI: You done? You done with your taxes?
HARRIS: Yes. I filed them. I'm looking for a modest refund, modest.
VELSHI: Well, folks get -- you know what happens? The further you leave it, the chances of making mistakes are greater, and mistakes often trigger audits. But, in fact, since 2001, the number of people getting audited, your chance of getting audited, is far greater than it used to be.
Now, a lot of it depends on where you are in the income level. Take a look at this chart here.
If you are what they call sort of middle class, if you're earning $25,000 to $100,000, you've got a one in -- actually, that number says 14. It's actually one in 140.
HARRIS: OK.
VELSHI: That the big one. That's the one that's changed so much. It used to be one in 377.
But as you can see, as you go higher up the income chain, you've got better chances of being audited. And that kind of makes sense, because most middle class workers get their money from one source. It's an employer who takes that tax off at the front end, so there's not that much opportunity for doing things wrong. They kind of take it off and then we get the check.
HARRIS: So, have we -- has the focus changed with the IRS from high wage earners to the middle class folks? And what is the reason behind that?
VELSHI: Well, there does seem to be an emphasis change.
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: What the IRS has decided to do over the last few years is say, we're not going to bother auditing people where we're not likely to see much of a gain or a loss. I mean, if someone owes $14 more, it's a lot of money to go in and bother to audit them.
So, they're sort of focusing into those areas where they have red flags, either errors, or things on your tax return that cause them to audit you. There aren't that many random audits anymore.
They've figured out where the action is and that's where you go. So, even though your high income earners have a smaller chance of being audited, the fact of the matter is they tend to recover more the higher up the food chain you are.
Now, that said, Tony, your chances aren't all that good of getting audited. I mean, you're probably likely not to.
Look at that, if you take the 140 from middle income workers, you've got a 5,000 to one chance of being struck by lightning.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
VELSHI: And 88,000 to one chance of dating a supermodel. Now, that's skewed, obviously. Your chances are better than mine.
HARRIS: Yes, there you go. Sure.
VELSHI: And you've got 147 million -- 146 million to one chance of winning the Powerball jackpot.
So, I wouldn't worry too much about the whole -- put the attention into dating the supermodel. That's the one that needs more work.
HARRIS: Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business" this morning as we honor Larry King right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And welcome back everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: You do look darn spiffy.
HARRIS: Is it OK?
COLLINS: I like it.
HARRIS: You got to feel comfortable and I'm not quite there yet.
COLLINS: You keep doing that so I think you're trying to be comfortable.
HARRIS: Three hours later, we'll see.
COLLINS: Good morning to you everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Among our top stories this hour, floodwaters rising, concerns mounting in suburban New York. Our Jim Acosta is in Mamaroneck. It's about 10 miles north of New York City. Jim, what on earth is going on there? You look sopping wet. JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unfortunately, yes. That the way it's going this morning. We're in Mamaroneck this morning and one thing that we are seeing so far is that the floodwaters at least in this part of the city are receding and that's happening despite all the rain that we're seeing right now. As much as eight inches of rain are being reported across the New York metropolitan area. This nor'easter certainly was no April shower.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): From the east coast to the mountains of West Virginia, this nor'easter is packing a punch. Heavy rain, high winds, and tornadoes tearing through towns.
TERRY ANDERSON, STORM WITNESS: I walked out the back door and all I seen was the trailer explode in the corner.
ACOSTA: In South Carolina, one person was killed as dozens of mobile homes were tossed around by the high winds. Watches and warnings were posted up and down the east coast as the Coast Guard warned of waves as high as 20 feet and winds topping 55 miles per hour. In Prince George's County, Maryland, apartments were flooded out, forcing residents to spend their Sunday cleaning up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I looked out the window and water all over the ground. I wanted to go home, go to Florida or something, where it's warm and cozy.
ACOSTA: The storm is also giving runners in today's 111th Boston marathon something else to overcome other than the famed heartbreak hill.
GUY MORSE, BOSTON MARATHON ORGANIZER: I've been here 22 years and we may be facing some of the worst conditions in quite a while.
ACOSTA: Forecast for race time, three to five inches of rain, temperatures in the 30s and winds hitting the runners at 25 miles per hour.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And even though we are seeing some progress in certain parts of Westchester County outside of New York City, residents are still being urged to be careful when they head on the roadways, check those road conditions before they head off to work if they have to head off to work and in neighboring New Jersey, the governor there is urging people just to stay home, call the day a loss and don't go out into these elements. In some parts of the areas around New York City, the roads are just too dangerous, Heidi.
COLLINS: No question about that, just looking at the shot behind you there. Jim Acosta, thanks so much. Mamaroneck, New York.
We've got at least a couple of state of emergencies we know of, New Jersey, West Virginia. It's nasty. I can't even think of another word. Chad Myers joining us now, a man of many words. He probably has a better take on all of it than I do. Hi, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Heidi, Tony. I tell you what, this has the same pressure as would a category two hurricane. We don't have the same wind as a category two hurricane, because there is no eye. The eye is what concentrates the wind. But if you use your imagination, right there. See it? Le me do it again. It's coming up, coming up, that's circulation, that's actually the center of the low itself and that's actually the reason why New York City hasn't had the wind speed that places out to the east have had. Here' on the cape, 42 miles an hour. There's Boston, 33 miles per hour sustained. That's what those runners are now running into. A little bit farther to the west, New York City, you already have a north wind now because you are on the west side of the eye or the center, because it really isn't an eye, but the winds are out of the north. That is going to be helpful to blow the water offshore and to stop your coastal flooding problem.
Now, that is not the same story up Narragansett, up into Boston, up into Hyannis, up into Barnstable and all the way to Portland and Manchester. These winds are still battering the coast with huge amounts of erosion going on right now. And I don't know if you remember. Back when the first George Bush was president, back up into Kennebunkport, remember all the damage that happened to his home up there and the same type of stuff is going to happen today up there in Maine, in New Hampshire and Boston as the wind slams the water onshore, waves out there on the buoys are 23 feet tall out there in the ocean and they are moving toward land. So, that's an amazing wave height as it comes crashing across those big boulders and the cliffs of Maine.
COLLINS: Wow. I bet that is incredible to watch. We may get some pictures of that.
MYERS: Go to I-report, cnn.com/ireport if you see some, send us something. But don't get in trouble. (INAUDIBLE)
COLLINS: Totally planned. Chad, thank you.
HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, once dubbed a dirty bomb suspect, Jose Padilla's terror trial begins without any mention of that label. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: President Bush and Congress in a showdown over Iraq war funding. He's making his case this morning from the White House. We are on it live. We'll have it for you in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Training Iraqi troops. The president says that is a crucial part of the strategy to get U.S. forces out of Iraq. Now a new documentary says it's a major failure. Gangs of Iraq ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you to the New York Stock Exchange this morning and get the work week started. The Dow starts the week at 12,612 after closing up 59 points on Friday. It is Monday and we usually get some M&A activity on Monday. There is a story out there that the student loan lender, Sallie Mae, has agreed to be purchased for about $25 billion. We will follow that story and look, the Dow up 55 points early trading. We will check all of the business headlines this morning with Susan Lisovicz right here in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: As the Iraqis stand up, the U.S. will stand down. That was the president's plan. But a new "Frontline" documentary says that strategy isn't working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PBS FRONTLINE: We spent a few days with an Iraqi army unit in south Baghdad. According to an assessment scale developed by coalition trainers, this unit is ready to take the lead in operations. But when the Americans ready the unit to go out on an early morning raid, it is clear who is in charge.
All right. Primary will be right here, east side of the apartment and (INAUDIBLE) to establish (INAUDIBLE) right next to the button position.
The Iraqi soldiers are purposely not told where they will be going or why.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Marcela Gaviria is the producer of this documentary called "Gangs of Iraq" and she joins us now live this morning from New York. Thanks for being with us. After looking at that clip, I want to ask you if you could take a moment to rate the readiness of the Iraqis. Is it possible -- I mean, it seems to suggest in that clip that they are ready, but the Americans aren't giving them the responsibility?
MARCELA GAVIRIA, PRODUCER, "GANGS OF IRAQ": Well, in all honesty, we didn't -- we didn't have a chance to embed with every single unit in all of Iraq, but we were with one of the groups that were in the lead. And they're considered the golden boys and from what we evidenced on the ground is that frankly the Americans took the lead for them and when they have to provide crucial information about what was happening on the ground in terms of an armed cache they found, they didn't give that information to the Americans. So, from our experience on the ground, they're not really -- they're infiltrated and they have other motives than the unity of the country.
COLLINS: OK, but to be fair, you were able to go around with one unit, is that correct?
GAVIRIA: Well, we were both with Iraqi army units in the south and also with various Iraqi police units throughout the country. So we saw a fair amount of the army and the police.
COLLINS: OK. Let me go ahead and show our viewers a different clip. It raises possibly two questions about Iraqi troop loyalty. Let's look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PBS FRONTLINE: The Americans consider the operation a big success. But then "Frontline's" cameraman catches some of the Iraqis having a discussion about another cache of weapons. The Iraqis never shared with the Americans where the larger cache was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I guess it might even be irrelevant if, in fact, there is any proof of where this larger cache of weapons is. But if you watch that clip, you see that even if the Iraqis believe this cache of weapons is somewhere else, they don't even share that belief with the American soldiers. Maybe it speaks to the relationship between the two?
GAVIRIA: Well, precisely. I mean, there we have it caught on tape and there's just so much distress between both sides. The Americans can't even tell the Iraqis where they are going in this operation. They confiscated their cell phones so that they wouldn't alert the Iraqis that might be expecting them. So, there's a lot of mistrust between both sides. And obviously, the Americans are working really hard, have spent $17 billion on this effort and are trying, you know, to stand up a force that is just impossible to stand up in the middle of a civil war.
COLLINS: And right now it's interesting, too, because we are in the middle of this troop surge where I think many of the military leaders that we have spoken with on this program will tell you that there have been some successes so far. We've got more troops heading over there, so it will be something obviously that everyone is watching closely. Talk to me, though, if you would, Marcela, about the number of times. I know you've been to Iraq five times prior to making this film. You said that you felt at times that you were really shooting in places that were not safe. Talk about that a little bit.
GAVIRIA: Well, in truth, you know, it's a very scary thing to be there. You take enormous risk to be out there and to get the story. You are afraid a lot of the time. It can be very tense. But we are journalists. We're there to cover the story. There's another 200 journalists in Iraq full-time. And they all, you know, feel the same fear we did, so you just have to do your job.
COLLINS: And there has been an awful lot of discussion about access and whether or not people back home are getting an accurate picture of the entire country and of the different areas that are often much more dangerous to go and visit. Do you see that happening? Is the coverage true from where you've been able to travel?
GAVIRIA: Well, it's incredibly difficult to really cover the country. We have to rely on Iraqis, pictures (ph) that are -- nationals that go out and get the story for us. And obviously, we do get a chance to cover the country by embedding and by, you know, interviewing folks in the green zone and what not. But it is obviously very difficult to go out to all parts and put up a tripod in the middle of Fallujah is just impossible nowadays. COLLINS: Fascinating documentary. Indeed Marcela Gaviria, we certainly appreciate your time here today.
GAVIRIA: Been a great pleasure.
COLLINS: Terrific. We want to make sure that everybody has a chance to see more of "Gangs of Iraq." You can check it out tomorrow night when it premieres on PBS' "Frontline."
HARRIS: Firefighters with no shortage of water. A big storm makes the routine difficult across the east, soggy and saturated, coming up in the NEWSROOM. Also, generation gap. Presidential preferences split between traditional and younger Democrats. New poll results coming up and a new underground railroad. This one helping people escape from North Korea. A rare inside look at their desperate journey. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: Challengers closing the gap, front runners feeling the heat. We've got new poll positions in the race for the White House. Senior political analyst Bill Schneider joins us from Washington. Bill, good morning to you.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
HARRIS: Bill, what is happening? Let's start with the Democratic race.
SCHNEIDER: It's tightening up Tony. We got a big race on our hands. Hillary Clinton is still the frontrunner with 36 percent of the vote among Democrats nationwide. But Barack Obama has 28 percent of the vote and he's the one Democrat who has been picking up support over the course of this year. His support is up 10 points nationwide since January. The only other Democrat in double digits, John Edwards with 15 percent.
HARRIS: Where is Senator Clinton's lead coming from? Do we know?
SCHNEIDER: Well, a lot of it is coming from African-American Democrats, even though Obama is an African-American candidate. White Democrats are fairly closely split, but if you look over on the right hand side, a majority of black Democrats favors Clinton over Barack Obama. The name Clinton remains a powerful draw among African- Americans. We asked if the voters missed Bill Clinton as president and 96 percent of African-Americans across the country said yes.
HARRIS: Huh. What are you seeing on the Republican side, Bill?
SCHNEIDER: Another tightening race. The latest Republican results, again nationwide, show Rudy Giuliani in the lead, but by the barest of margins, 27 percent for Giuliani, 24 percent for John McCain. Now, this is the first poll of Republicans taken since John McCain gave his rip roaring speech last week in which he attacked Democrats for failing to support President Bush's policy in Iraq. And he may have gained a little bit from that speech because right now the Republican race looks like it's tightening up with McCain gaining a few points over last month.
HARRIS: A snapshot of the races, where we stand right now. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider in Washington. Bill, as always, thank you.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
COLLINS: Travelers not cleared for takeoff. A nasty nor'easter puts a crunch in flight schedules. Delayed in the NEWSROOM. Also, who's driving your kids' school bus? In some states, it could be a terrorist and you'd never know. We'll have that story, too.
And honoring a legend both on the field and off, baseball remembers Jackie Robinson. What would he think about the state of the game and the country today? We'll speak with his son coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: Hey, you know about -- we do our thing every day here in the NEWSROOM from 9:00 a.m. until noon. But do you know about the CNN daily podcast? There it is, 24/7, right there on your iPod. You know Heidi Collins is great in the NEWSROOM every day, 9:00 until noon. You should see Heidi Collins --
COLLINS: Oh, for the love --
HARRIS: ...in a podcast. Different stories.
COLLINS: Now they're so excited.
HARRIS: Different stories.
COLLINS: Yep.
HARRIS: We get to talk a little bit on the podcast, 24/7 right there on your iPod.
COLLINS: That was good. I think you should do that every day.
HARRIS: No, no, no.
COLLINS: Paying tribute to a pioneer. Major league baseball set aside Sunday as a special day to honor Jackie Robinson. So 60 years after his historic debut, how much has changed? CNN's Peter Viles has the story.
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PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He broke baseball's color barrier 60 years ago in 1947. Jackie Robinson and baseball set an example for all of America.
JONATHON EIG, AUTHOR, "OPENING DAY": You have to remember that Brown v. Board of Education, Rosa Parks, didn't come until much later. Martin Luther King was just 16 years old and hadn't even decided yet on a major for college.
VILES: In tribute, major leaguers across the country wore Robinson's number 42. In St. Louis, every Cardinal and every Brewer wore 42, so, too, in LA where Dodger Luis Gonzalez was looking forward to the tribute.
LUIS GONZALEZ, LOS ANGELES DODGERS: It's going to be a special day for his family and for all of baseball just to give a man special recognition for really paving the way for a lot of minorities to get to where they're at today.
VILES: But many fear Robinson's legacy is fading away. The Dodgers, for example, have only two African-Americans on their roster.
MARLON ANDERSON, LOS ANGELES DODGERS: Now the numbers are down so much that young black kids, they don't have black ball players to look at or in the area. There's so few. Everybody talks about it and nobody has the answer for it, you know.
VILES: A generation ago, blacks made up 27 percent of big-league rosters. This season, it's only 8 percent.
DON NEWCOMBE, FORMER ROBINSON TEAMMATE: He would not like it at all. He wouldn't appreciate it.
SHARON ROBINSON, JACKIE ROBINSON'S DAUGHTER: He'd be appalled. He'd be sitting in the commissioner's office. He'd be writing columns. Like all of us, we're concerned about it.
VILES: Baseball's been trying to reconnect with black youngsters for years, but those efforts are not showing up on major league rosters.
JOHN SCHUERHOLZ, ATLANTA BRAVES GENERAL MANAGER: For whatever reason, our game is not as appealing, as exciting, as attractive to the African-American player.
VILES: But it is increasingly attractive to players outside America. The Dodgers field players from the Dominican Republic, Japan, Taiwan, and Panama, all of them honoring Jackie Robinson Sunday. Peter Viles, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Remembering Jackie Robinson and his impact on modern America. Coming up, we're going to be talking with his son and one young woman who embodies the ideals Jackie Robinson stood for. Stay with us for that.
HARRIS: And how about this, as a boy, he dreamed of becoming a baseball star. Today, he faces the battle of his life on trial for terror in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: He'll answer questions tomorrow, but Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is already telling his side of the story. Prosecutors fired in the NEWSROOM. HARRIS: And it's the little station that could -- play Don Imus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We aren't owned by a large corporation where corporate suits tell us what to say. We want people to be able to have what I think this is still the United States. We still have free speech.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Imus back on the air in the NEWSROOM.
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COLLINS: Good morning everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
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