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Georgia Wildfire; War Funding Fight; Rosie O'Donnell Off "The View"; Honoring Fallen Troops; Going Green Can Save You Green; Beach Erosion in Massachusetts; State Troops Shot While Trying to Apprehend Suspect
Aired April 25, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Heidi Collins.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Stay informed in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.
Rio Grande. Border towns hit hard by a suspected tornado. Mourning the dead today in Texas and Mexico.
WHITFIELD: And running a war with Democrats breathing down his neck, General David Petraeus on Capitol Hill asking Congress to give the Iraq troop build-up both time and money.
HARRIS: Here's a question for you. The American flag, lowered for Virginia Tech victims, why aren't fallen troops given that honor? One soldier in Afghanistan in trouble for asking. It's Wednesday, April 25th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: People in southwest Texas are waking up and getting a pretty good look at what used to be after a deadly storm. What used to be an elementary school. What used to be more than 20 homes. Now piles of mangled wires, metal and debris.
The storm, possibly a tornado, killed six people in and around the town of Eagle Pass. Four people, including a small child, died in one single home.
There was also devastation across the border in Mexico. It's reported that three people were killed there. More than 100 were hurt in all.
And the tough part about Mexico, as Chad was telling us earlier, trying to contact people, trying to find out just how bad it is there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Communities on alert and on edge this morning, keeping an eye on a massive wildfire in south Georgia. Families in about 70 homes evacuated this morning. Those residents have sense been allowed to return home.
The blaze has scorched more than 50,000 acres so far. It's threatening two small communities south of Waycross, Georgia. Eighteen homes have been destroyed and the skies just filled with smoke.
Schools have been closed for a week because of the choking smoke. But they're reopening today. The blaze started nine days ago when a power line ignited trees in a parched forest.
And keeping a watchful eye on that massive fire in south Georgia, Tracy Smith is with the state's Emergency Management Agency and she joins us on the phone from Waycross.
Tracy, good to talk to you.
How are you doing? How are the firefighters doing in trying to bring this thing under control? The last figure I saw was that the fire is 50 percent contained. Is that the number today?
TRACY SMITH, GEORGIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Well, that number is going to vary. We haven't had an opportunity to upgrade or downgrade that number as we are still waiting for an opportunity to get accurate, aerial mapping figures. So we are hoping that that number won't be too much affected by last night's re-emergence of the fires in that area south of Waycross.
HARRIS: So, Tracy, we understand that yesterday was a pretty good day. But what happened last night?
SMITH: Well, essentially what happened last night is what always happens with fire, it's unpredictable. If we had a way to establish where it was going to strike, lest of all why it was going to strike, trust me, we wouldn't be having this conversation now because it would not be happening.
But I have to tell you, we have some of the finest individuals throughout the state and our neighbors from Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, here assisting with this tragic, tragic and historical fire situation.
HARRIS: Hey, Tracy, this is really turned out -- and you're mentioning it right there -- this fire is really turned out to be a bit of a beast here. What have been kind of the mitigating factors that have come together in this brew, this stew that has made this so difficult to get a handle on?
SMITH: Well, it isn't so much that it's been difficult to get a handle on. Mother nature has just not been very nice to us. No rain. Can you do a rain dance for us, Tony? That would help solve the problem.
HARRIS: Well, I'll get Fred to help me here and we'll send up as many good wishes as we can.
SMITH: Well, this is radio, so make sure you take pictures because I need to see it.
HARRIS: OK. All right, Tracy.
Any signs of firefighter fatigue and then I'll let you go. SMITH: Well, firefighter fatigue, I don't think so. I think that these individuals that we're privileged to have with us and come to us in the capacity of benevolence are just willing to do what's necessary to make sure the citizens of our small community remain safe. Our schools are reopening.
HARRIS: That's a good sign.
SMITH: We're able to appreciate help from several entities. The volunteer firefighters have been phenomenal. My God, I can't say enough about them. And again, they've come from throughout the southeast in order to help facilitate this fight. And we've also appreciated, of all things, inmate firefighters.
HARRIS: Right. Well, Tracy, thanks for the update and, boy, our thanks to all those firefighters doing an incredible job down there under some tough, tough conditions.
SMITH: Well, again, thank you so much for making sure we get the word out to the citizens of this area, sir.
HARRIS: OK, Tracy Smith, spokeswoman for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
WHITFIELD: Well, Tony, in New York state, police say they have surrounded a man they believe shot at a New York state trooper. Shot him and actually hit him with a bullet. Fortunately, that trooper is being hospitalized right now. A short time ago, our affiliate, Capital News 9, filed this report. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But Travis Trim is surrounded up on Cemetery Road. We have not confirmed anything yet, but we are hearing reports that there are additional injuries trying to apprehend the suspect. We have seen ambulances. We have seen paramedics. We have seen about 30 police cars, a medevac helicopter, other surveillance helicopters. They're all going right up Cemetery Road.
Now you can see here, Route 30 and Cemetery Road is completely closed down. Absolutely nobody but police are getting through this barrier right now. They've been turning people around. Every car that comes through is being thoroughly searched. They're checking trunks. They're checking under cars. So they're really being really thorough here.
Again, we are hearing reports that there might have been additional injuries trying to apprehend the subject. We are still trying to get those reports confirmed to you. So as soon as we have additional information, we will get that to you.
And again, we're here right now. The roads are blocked. Nobody is getting up Cemetery Road. And police confirmed that they do have the subject surrounded.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: All right. So that's the good news, in part, right now, as the investigation continues. Again, the state trooper, Matthew Gombosi, was wearing a vest, so that, in part, saved his life when he was shot by this alleged suspect. When we get any more information about the alleged suspect, we'll be able to bring that to you.
He is calling the shots for U.S. troops in Iraq and now he is calling on Congress not to set a timetable to bring those troops home. The top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, heads to Capitol Hill today. He'll make the case, the recent increase in U.S. troops is leading to progress in Iraq. The general will first brief House members from both parties behind closed doors, and that will happen just before the House vote on war funding. Later on this afternoon, he'll be briefing the senators.
HARRIS: War and politics, dollars and deadlines. Democrats and the president headed for a fight. The House votes today on a war spending bill. It calls for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq. The president promises a veto. The political battle over the war led to an angry exchange between the Senate majority leader and the vice president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is cynical to declare that the war is lost because you believe it gives you political advantage. Leaders should make decisions based on the security interests of our country, not on the interest of their political party.
SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MAJORITY LEADER: I'm not going to get into a name calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Ouch. Hello. Congressional correspondent Dana Bash joins us live from Capitol Hill.
Tough stuff there, Dana. How do we think the House vote will go today?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's going to be a nail biter, Tony.
The House Democratic leaders say that they are confident in the end they are going to get the votes to pass this measure, which amounts to a compromise between what House Democrats had passed and what Senate Democrats had passed. It is a measure that says that troops have to start coming home in October, but it just says a goal for all combat troops to come home about this time next year. And that's why the House Democratic leaders are having some problems with some of the rank and file, particularly on the left of the Democratic party, who say, you know, a goal simply isn't enough. We want to go even further than that. But there is going to be likely some intense behind the scenes lobbying all day today. Even some arm twisting. This vote probably won't happen until about 9:00 tonight.
Tony.
HARRIS: So, Dana, General Petraeus is on The Hill today. Just wondering, is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meeting with him?
BASH: She's not going to go to that briefing, Tony. Nancy Pelosi is -- has actually spoken by phone with the general, did so yesterday, had a one on one conversation, we're told from her office because she realized that her schedule did not permit her to go to this briefing. But it has created a political firestorm here because Republicans are essentially pouncing on this.
Why? Because General David Petraeus, his presence here, is already incredibly political. The whole reason he is coming here, the president admitted, is to try to convince Democrats a timetable for withdrawal is the wrong thing to do and convince them that the surge in troops is actually working.
So Republicans have really been focused on this particular meeting. He'll be briefing the House and the Senate. What Pelosi's office says is that she could not find room on her schedule, that her schedule did not permit her to go, that's why she made the effort not to snub him, but to call him on the phone. And they had about a 30- minute conversation. But I can tell you, Tony, we've tried several times this morning to find out what exactly on the speaker's schedule prevented her from going and they won't say.
HARRIS: Yes, what's more important than meeting with the commander who's leading the U.S. effort in Iraq?
BASH: And they say she did have her own one-on-one conversation with him.
HARRIS: OK. Congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us this morning.
BASH: Thank you.
HARRIS: Dana, thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, Tony, here's something that's probably going to knock you off your seat.
HARRIS: OK.
WHITFIELD: Brace yourself.
HARRIS: All right.
WHITFIELD: All right. Just moments ago ABC News or ABC Network, I should say, revealed that their contract negotiations with Rosie O'Donnell, who has been co-hosting and some would say actually hosting "The View," apparently the negotiations have fallen through and so she is no longer going to be on board "The View."
HARRIS: Wow.
WHITFIELD: After only a year.
HARRIS: Is that what she signed, a one-year contract?
WHITFIELD: Well, I don't know about the terms of what her existing contract was . . .
HARRIS: Maybe an extension.
WHITFIELD: But apparently there were some new negotiations and chatting that had been taking place with the front office, if you will. And apparently things fell through. So don't know exactly the details of what that contract was all about. But what we do know is that ABC is confirming with us, CNN that . . .
HARRIS: So she quit (ph)?
WHITFIELD: Yes, she will be leaving in June.
HARRIS: In June.
WHITFIELD: Yes. So just a year, which is really remarkable because their ratings had seen a surge. People really had been tuning in to tune in to what next might Rosie be saying.
HARRIS: Well, she was stirring the pot, wasn't she?
WHITFIELD: Yes. Well, I guess the pot was stirred a little bit too much and they didn't see eye to eye, meaning they, the network and Rosie O'Donnell and her camp.
HARRIS: Harvey Levin is the guy behind that Web site. It's a hot Web site, tmz.com.
WHITFIELD: TMZ.
HARRIS: We're going to try to raise him.
WHITFIELD: They're breaking a lot of news, aren't they?
HARRIS: They really are.
WHITFIELD: In the entertainment circles.
HARRIS: And I think that Web site was all over this story as well. We're going to raise Harvey in a couple of minutes and see what he can tell us about this story.
You're right, it knocked me off my seat.
WHITFIELD: I know. Pick up.
HARRIS: Yes. Hello. WHITFIELD: Pick yourself up. Get back on the chair.
HARRIS: All right. Back on the edge here (ph).
Still to come this morning in the NEWSROOM, flying the flag at half-staff. Why isn't that honor extended to fallen troops? That question and what sparked it. Live to the Pentagon straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: And the Republican race for the White House. A crowded field gets even more cramped today. The lowdown on what's going to happen at high noon. And a preview in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Labeled an imminent danger to himself, the Virginia Tech shooter and the debate over treating the mentally ill. Could more have been done? That story in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: And on the run but not for long. A suspect bolts from the courtroom before the handcuffs are snapped. I don't know why he was thinking he was going to get very far. I mean there are folks working for the county and the city all over the place in that building.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Well, it was a brief escape. We'll explain all of that coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: More now on a state trooper shooting in New York where authorities have surrounded what they believe to be the suspected gunman. We just got a recent report filed in from Capital News 9. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Julie, we're on the corner of Route 30 and Cemetery Road, which is now closed. No vehicles, besides police and emergency vehicles, are getting through. They're turning everybody around. The word is Travis Trim is surrounded up on Cemetery Road.
We've seen numerous police vehicles, ambulances, fire and actually a helicopter fly up there. We've seen medevacs. We are getting unconfirmed reports right now that additional people were injured trying to apprehend Travis Trim. Again, that is unconfirmed.
But right up Cemetery Hill Road you can see a bunch of police officers have been going up there all morning. The entire road is blocked off. Absolutely nobody is getting through. They are turning cars around and they're searching everybody's cars that come through. Under the cars, in the trunks, back seats. Nobody's getting through without getting searched.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: That reporter mentioned Travis Trim. He's the 23- year-old suspect who's believed to have shot Matthew Gombosi, who is a state trooper. Gombosi was wearing a vest, so fortunately, when he was hit by at least one bullet, he managed to survive. He is currently being hospitalized. When we get any more information on the suspected gunman and what will happen next in this investigation, we'll be able to bring that to you.
HARRIS: A loud, outspoken and now history. Rosie O'Donnell will announce her departure from "The View" this morning. Tmz.com broke this story today. Managing editor, Harvey Levin, joins us from Glendale, California.
Harvey, great to talk to you.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute here. You broke the story. What is going on here? Is Rosie leaving? Is Rosie being forced out?
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: Well, we actually found out about it yesterday, Tony. And we know that she has said she's leaving. And this is really her decision. And that they're already looking for a replacement. We heard this yesterday. And we put it up on our Web site. We confirmed it this morning.
And about, I don't know, 45 minutes, an hour after we confirmed it, we kind of smoked ABC out and they put it up on their Web site acknowledging our story, that it's true. They are saying, Tony, that they just couldn't come to an agreement on contractual terms. But what I'm being told is, she just wanted to leave. I mean it's purely Rosie's decision.
WHITFIELD: OK, so, Harvey, this is Fredricka. Can you hear me? Hey, Harvey, this is Fredricka.
LEVIN: Hi, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. So you said she just wanted to leave. Might she be buckling to the pressure, whether it was from Donald Trump, that whole deal, to Barbara Walters saying constantly, publicly, no, no, I want Rosie to stay. But there were all these other rumblings that, you know, in those private door meetings involving Barbara, in fact, that she, Rosie, was just being too disruptive for the cast of the show.
LEVIN: Well, again, it was definitely, we know, it was Rosie's decision. As for Rosie buckling, you know, I know her a little and I know a lot about her. Rosie O'Donnell doesn't buckle.
WHITFIELD: That's what I'm wondering.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
LEVIN: It's just not in her DNA.
WHITFIELD: It doesn't seem like it would be. LEVIN: Look, "The View" would kill to keep her there because their ratings have just sky rocketed and the show has just become relevant again when she got on it. I mean, I'm telling you, that show, we need CPR it looked like and it just rocketed.
HARRIS: Harvey, so here we go, then. Are we talking about a little contract negotiation that didn't go well because Rosie saw the ratings, saw what was happening with the show and went back into the offices and said, you know what, we're making a ton of money on this show, I just want a bigger cut of this pot?
LEVIN: No. I know that sounds logical, but the deal is, Rosie has lots of options. There are lots of people who want to do a talk show with her. I mean she is rating -- she is daytime ratings gold. It's as simple as that. And, you know, she just had had it. She just didn't want to do it any more. They wanted to keep her and they would have kept her if she would stay.
WHITFIELD: So that's where I'm confused. Had it. Didn't want to do it anymore. Then there is some buckling somewhere.
HARRIS: But she wasn't, Fred. She wasn't. She wasn't before the show. She was not rating gold. She wasn't . . .
WHITFIELD: We're all arguing now. Going on.
HARRIS: Harvey, am I correct here, she wasn't doing much of anything, to be honest, before she took this assignment. And now she has transformed herself.
LEVIN: Right. And now here's the deal. If she leaves "The View" -- here's my prediction.
WHITFIELD: What?
LEVIN: She leaves "The View." Now she has a year to plan out her next move. If she wants to do a talk show in the following season, she can map this thing out. There are complicated things to do. But now everybody knows . . .
WHITFIELD: (INAUDIBLE).
LEVIN: Oh, it's totally true.
WHITFIELD: It really doesn't.
HARRIS: Why?
WHITFIELD: Because if you're talking about another year, it's a whole other year to continue to be in the spotlight, to continue to be Rosie that she is on "The View."
HARRIS: Yes, to build the Rosie brand.
LEVIN: She didn't need it.
HARRIS: She didn't?
LEVIN: No, no, no, she didn't need it because, look, she . . .
WHITFIELD: But didn't she kind of re-invent herself by becoming part of "The View" after this hiatus?
LEVIN: She was M.I.A. for like, what, three years.
HARRIS: That's -- right.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVIN: So she can do it again. But it takes time. I mean, listen, I mean, I know because I'm in the middle of launching this TMZ television show. It takes a lot of time and effort to do this.
HARRIS: Yes, it does. Yes, it does.
LEVIN: And, you know what, I'm guessing we're going to see Rosie in the following TV season in a big way.
WHITFIELD: Wow, Harvey.
HARRIS: What happens with the show?
WHITFIELD: Breaking news.
HARRIS: What happens to that show?
WHITFIELD: Well, now that -- yes.
HARRIS: I mean, come on.
WHITFIELD: That's the other big, serious question.
LEVIN: They are already recruiting. And the show's not going to go away.
HARRIS: Sure.
LEVIN: But I know that "The View" honchos have already put the word out that they're looking for a replacement. Good luck.
HARRIS: Wow, Harvey.
WHITFIELD: Harvey, breaking news and keeping us informed on the entertainment front. Appreciate that.
HARRIS: TMZ does that, huh?
LEVIN: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Yes, you've been doing that a lot.
HARRIS: And good luck with the show, Harvey.
LEVIN: Thank you very much. We're trying, guys.
WHITFIELD: All right.
HARRIS: OK. Thanks.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, John McCain's mission, run for president. He is announcing today. What? You thought he was already running? No.
WHITFIELD: Not so fast.
HARRIS: We will explain coming up in the NEWSROOM.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr in the Pentagon.
Flags at half-staff for the students at Virginia Tech but not for U.S. soldiers. I'll have that story coming up in the NEWSROOM.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis.
How going green can save you green. That's coming up next on "Top Tips" in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Insurgents strike again with deadly precision in Iraq. A suicide bomber detonating near an Iraqi police station in Diyala Province. Four officers were killed, 16 people wounded. And then in Baghdad, mortar blast and a roadside bomb kill four civilians and wound 13. A new U.N. report says sectarian violence continues to kill a larger number of Iraqi civilians, but the U.N. says for the first time it don't have overall death figures from the Iraqi government. That's because the government refused to release them. It calls the U.N. report inaccurate and unbalanced.
HARRIS: When a U.S. troop dies in war, how should the nation mourn? Should flags be lowered? Why is it an issue today? Live to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
It is very interesting, Barbara, how this story -- first, good morning to you -- how this story came to be.
STARR: It really is, Tony.
When most reporters logged into their e-mail this morning, overnight they had a press release from the U.S. military in Bagram, from Sergeant Jim Wilt, and it was entitled "why aren't we honoring our fallen soldiers." Sergeant Wilt wrote a piece that he e-mailed out. It was apparently e-mailed by accident, but it was a riveting piece on his personal opinion asking the very tough question -- why aren't flags lowered at half-staff when a U.S. service member falls on the battlefield?
Now that picture we just saw of Capitol Hill, of the flag at half-staff, of course was in memory of the California Congresswoman Millender-McDonald, that recently passed away. So the flag is at half-staff for members of Congress, for dignitaries, for fallen presidents, but not for troops fallen on the battlefield.
Sergeant Wilt said two very interesting things. Let me just share them with you. He said, "I find it ironic that the flags were flown at half-staff for the young men and women who were killed at Virginia Tech, yet it is never lowered for the death of a U.S. service member." He went on to say, "is the life of Sergeant Alexander van Aalten, a member of our very own task force killed April 20 in Helmand Province, not valued the same as these 32 students? Surely his death was as violent as the students."
And, in fact, Sergeant Wilt is correct. Under DOD directives and policy, the flag is not lowered at half-staff when service members are killed in action. Sergeant Wilt, even though it was apparently sent out by mistake, raising a very interesting question that's getting a lot of people to pause and think about it.
Tony.
HARRIS: I'm wondering if the sergeant is getting any answers to his provocative note, his e-mail, from the military. What do you know about that, Barbara?
STARR: Well, not that we know of. I'll tell you, it's making a lot of people here in the Pentagon squirm just a bit. They say that, you know, the sergeant had every right to express his personal opinion, that this was an opinion piece and it wasn't really supposed to be e-mailed out as a press release. But, a lot of squirming about it. He asks a very tough, but yet very provocative question.
HARRIS: Really does. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr for us this morning.
Barbara, thank you.
STARR: Sure.
HARRIS: OK, right, what do you say we get to Chad Myers?
WHITFIELD: I think that's a great idea.
HARRIS: All right, Chad Myers in the severe weather center for us. Good morning, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: John McCain officially throwing his hat into the ring, the Republican senator from Arizona is formally announcing his presidential bid at noon Eastern. It comes as no surprise. He has been campaigning for months and informally announced his intentions nearly two months ago on the Letterman show. The 70-year-old McCain says he is the most experienced candidate running and promises a strong national defense. The former Navy pilot was held as a P.O.W. in the Vietnam War. Seven years ago he lost his party's nomination to George W. Bush. WHITFIELD: And so because he wants to make it official, we're going to bring it to you live here on CNN. It is scheduled for 12:10 Eastern and you can see it right here on CNN. We'll be bringing that to you live.
HARRIS: Formerly on the political trail, one of the first stops, Larry King Live, John McCain goes one-on-one with the king of talk. Is he the Republican's best bet to keep the White House? That's tonight , 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
WHITFIELD: Sands of time, they are shifting. Where is this beach going? Answers straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, moments ago we told you about how a suspect in the shooting of a New York state trooper was being surrounded. Well, now we understand the situation has worsened. Here is another update from Capital News 9.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Julie, police just have confirmed that two more troopers were shot as they surrounded the suspect. Yesterday, Trooper Jambozi (ph) was shot and today we don't know the names yet or the extent of the injuries but police have just confirmed that two more state troopers were shot trying to apprehend Travis Trim (ph).
They have him surrounded on Cemetery Road and they've closed off Cemetery Road and Route 30. Every car that comes by is being checked thoroughly, they're checking trunks, they're checking under cars and nobody besides police and emergency vehicles can get through. We're seeing helicopters as well as paramedics, fire trucks, about -- at least 30 police officers have come through here.
And they do have barricades still set up at either entrance of Cemetery Hill Road. The helicopters are circling around Cemetery Hill Road and we're still waiting to see if we can get confirmed what is going on up there with Travis Trim.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So again, as of an hour ago, it was one state trooper who had been shot there in New York. Now, they are dealing with an investigation that surrounds three state troopers who have been shot. We don't know how they are doing, if they are all being hospitalized. We know at least one was being hospitalized as of about an hour ago. But when we get any more information about whether this same suspect is now being linked to the shootings of three in all state troopers, we'll be able to bring that to you.
HARRIS: Go green, save green. If your home is an energy hog, you can save valuable resources and lots of cash by making some changes. And in one state, some changes could actually become law. CNN Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis joins us with her Top Tips. Gerri, great to see you, particularly timely that we talk about this in today in light of the action in the legislature in California. What was that, yesterday?
GERRI WILLLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes, they're really getting on it there. They're starting to tell people that they are going to get rid of the old fashioned light bulbs and make everybody use compact fluorescents. Now you remember, that this happened in Australia as well, now California. You got to get on it. It's so much cheaper. And the bulbs themselves, the light is just much better than it used to be, so I think everybody is going to make the change if you haven't already, Tony, and I bet you already have because you're a smart fellow.
HARRIS: OK, where do I go from there. All right, let's talk about your tips, Gerri. First of all, if we want to save here, let's start with the basics, how about an audit, an energy audit.
WILLIS: Yes -- well, you have to audit your energy use. You know, your home isn't very energy efficient if you have less than six inches of insulation in your attic or if your furnace is older than 10 years or if you have lots of windows on the north side of your house or live in a cold climate, but there are calculations that you can do to determine just how energy efficient your home is.
Take the free energy audit online at the U.S. Department of Energy at eere.energy.gov. It estimates how just efficient your house is.
HARRIS: Boy, I tell you, I'm not particularly good at this. I think a drafty home can really cost you, can't it?
WILLIS: Absolutely. The average house loses up to 20 percent of its heat or air conditioning leakage from heating and air conditioning ducts alone. These are the pipes that move the hot air and the cool air around your house. You want to make sure you repair those leaky ducts and seal drafty doors, windows and even baseboards.
An easy way to figure out where the leaks may be is to light a candle or incense near the windows, and see where the flame flickers. Cutting drafts in a home may save you up to 30 percent on your utility bill each and every year.
HARRIS: How efficient are these new appliances these days?
WILLIS: Well, very. Energy Star products, that's what you're looking for, are to designed to exceed energy efficiency levels of other products by 20 to 75 percent. So it's estimated that the average household could save $400 a year using Energy Star products.
You have to contact your utility company to see what tax incentives and rebates are offered for replacing those water guzzling or power hogging appliances with better products. To find out more about Energy Star products, go to energystar.gov. But if you are replacing a furnace or the air conditioning, you want to think about it.
HARRIS: And what do you mean when you advise us to get unplugged?
WILLIS: Well, you know all those little things you plug into the wall, they take a toll on your electricity bill. Things like your iPod charger, your cell phone, your Blackberry, you know what I'm talking about here, right?
HARRIS: I'm with you now.
WILLIS: Even the coffee pot is wasting you money if you keep it plugged in all the time. In fact, these devices, they make up about five percent of your energy bill.
HARRIS: So we want you to watch a lot of television, watch Gerri, "OPEN HOUSE" every day here in the NEWSROOM, but we want you to have the most energy efficient television on the market.
WILLIS: That's right. Well, I'm actually thinking about you know, your computer monitor. You want the flat screen. But you actually bring up a really good point. Because everybody's buying those big flat panel TVs.
HARRIS: That's right.
WILLIS: Energy hogs, terrible, horrible, horrible energy usage. They just suck up the energy. People don't realize. Yes.
WHITFIELD: In this huge push to get hip and have something like that. And so, in the end -- and you pay a lot of money to have one.
HARRIS: So in buying those, you're undoing all of the good work you do in all of these other areas.
WILLIS: That's right.
WHITFIELD: So, what do you do? What's the alternative? Stick with the traditional, big far TV?
WILLIS: Well, you know, just don't keep it on all the time is what most people do. They try to monitor their usage. You know how it is, you leave the room, you leave it on. Bad idea. Keep it turned off. Those TV sets, and the refrigerators, two big energy hogs in your household. You got to turn these things off.
HARRIS: All right there Gerri, very good.
WHITFIELD: We are currently right now trying to make our home more green.
HARRIS: Are you really?
WHITFIELD: Yes. Now I've written down that energystar.gov and I'm going after I get off.
WILLIS: You got it. Compact fluorescent bulbs, go get them.
HARRIS: There you go. All right, Gerri. See you tomorrow. Thanks for your time this morning.
WILLIS: Thank you, bye-bye.
WHITFIELD: Well, in Texas they're dealing with a very big, big problem after waking up to a tornado-like nightmare. And we're also following the developments on that.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano at the coastline of Cape Cod. From tornadoes to last week's nor'easter, beach erosion has been a huge problem here for decades but this past storm blew a huge hole in this barrier peninsula, the size of a football field. We'll have a live report coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, the sight of a new millennium milestone. Eight weeks after the DOW's worst one-day drop in five- and-a-half years, the Blue Chips open at a new all-time high. I'll have the number when NEWSROOM returns. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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WHITFIELD: More now on that deadly storm in Texas. At least six people dead, houses destroyed. What's the situation right now in Eagle Pass?
Jack Cowley is the state's chief of emergency management and he is just now getting an update and able to bring it to us now from Austin. And so Mr. Cowley, what is the latest?
VOICE OF JACK COWLEY, CHIEF OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Good morning. So far we've had seven confirmed deaths, you reported six, we've added one more. We have about 80 people injured, 32 of those have been treated and released and four of those are serious and have been evacuated to the city of San Antonio.
WHITFIELD: So -- I'm sorry, so you're saying now the total is seven dead in Eagle Pass alone, 80 injured. So what is the greatest need right now to try to address the needs of those folks who survived this and who are just left picking up the pieces?
COWLEY: Well, we're meeting those needs. We just conducted a coordination call with Eagle Pass. We have a very sophisticated response system here in Texas. We have about 500 responders, search and rescue, law enforcement, medical teams, medical strike teams, E.M.S. strike teams, what we call mass care teams, coordinated effort with the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, other volunteer organizations, so we --
WHITFIELD: Shelter -- I'm sorry to interrupt you, but shelter is often a big, big problem when you've got tragedies like this wiping out so many communities. Where do people go? Do you have the kind of sufficient sheltering to help out all of these folks who were displaced?
COWLEY: That's correct. We have 250 citizens in shelters right now. And we have those shelters are operational, we have power to those shelters. We have assistance there. We have medical assistance there. We're meeting those needs that have come up from the local elected officials.
So we're not tightening anything, we're on -- unfortunately, in Texas, a big state, we have a lot of events occur. We've gone through several of these events just recently in the last month, so our response system is pretty effective.
WHITFIELD: Yes, unfortunately you've had the practice. Jack Cowley, the state emergency management there in Texas, thanks so much for joining us from Austin today.
HARRIS: Up and down the coast of New England, communities are assessing the impact of the recent nor'easter. Some say it caused extensive damage.
CNN's Rob Marciano is in Orleans, Massachusetts with a look. Rob, good morning to you. How is it looking?
MARCIANO: Good morning, Tony. Well, you're right, it is extensive damage, but the beach erosion which is the main issue here, especially for homeowners, it's been an ongoing battle for years, for decades, as a matter of fact.
I'm standing where the typical high water mark would be. You can see the sea weed where high tide would be. And then during storms, you get the waves obviously banging right up against the shoreline and cutting into this sand dune being eaten away, three, four feet a year, in some cases more than that.
I'm told 30 years ago, this dune would have been 30 feet higher and extended out another 200 or 300 yards into the ocean. You don't believe me? Well, take a look at this. I mean, just a few years ago, this area right here, these two pieces of blacktop, are just that. This used to be a parking lot to give you an idea how fast this beach is eroding.
And just down the beach a few miles, with this past nor'easter, it took out a huge chunk of shoreline.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): A massive breach here at Nauset Beach in Chatham. It's a huge hole for the ocean to pour through and eat away at even more shoreline.
(on camera): How much is the coastline actually changing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh I think I've been here close to 20 years and I've seen it change tremendously.
MARCIANO (voice-over): From the air, the changes are easy to see, streams of sand fan out to the bay. Evident storm swells and waves blasted through the beach. Even on this calm day, a gentle surf constantly churns the sand along the shore. And for those who live on the coast of Nantucket, the sand is eroding at up to 12 feet a year. Homes well off the beach a decade ago are now teetering on the brink. Some have already succumbed to the sea.
JIM O'CONNELL, GEOLOGIST: So is erosion bad because I'd say from a natural process, it's a very, very good and beneficial process.
MARCIANO (voice-over): Geologist Jim O'Connell at the Coastal Research facility in Woodshall (ph) explains how it all works.
O'CONNELL: Same process that the forces that created that opening in that barrier reef there also affected the entire shoreline.
MARCIANO (voice-over): So just where does all of this disappearing sand go? Well, most of it settles somewhere else along the shore, building up beaches in other spots. And as sand builds, the beach where people don't live -- the seals have moved in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: And that's been the main issue is that the beaches are being eroded in places where people have built their homes, in some cases year-round residences. And that piece you saw a group of summer cottages that were cut off because of this breach.
I talked to a geologist yesterday that said that breach naturally should be filled in with sand over the next few weeks, as soon as that. But if it doesn't, Tony, much like a breach didn't fill in 20 years ago, once protected homes from this peninsula beach now exposed to the open ocean, and that's when you start to see year-round residents being threatened by the sea. And you saw those pictures in Nantucket where some big, big time houses just fallen off into the beach.
HARRIS: That is a great view of that, Rob. Appreciate it, man. Rob Marciano for us this morning. Rob, thanks.
WHITFIELD: Well, if you've been watching us this morning you'll notice that it's been an historic day on Wall Street. The DOW Jones Industrial average passed the 13,000 mark for the first time.
Susan Lisovicz was on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange when it happened. But, then it kind of went down. Where is it now?
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
HARRIS: The top U.S. general in Iraq briefing lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Get your briefing from our general live in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: War money and politics, a bill to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq up for a vote today. Democrats move closer to a veto showdown with the president. That's in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And here comes the S.W.A.T. team. Out of the diner, their stomachs full, but their van empty. Thieves help themselves to a whole lot of guns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I think they knew what they were doing, by the way they entered the vehicle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Riding shotgun in the NEWSROOM.
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