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American Morning

Massive Wildfire on Catalina Island; War Funding Fight: President Supports Benchmarks; Childhood Obesity: How to Get Kids to Slim Down

Aired May 11, 2007 - 07:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Coast-to-coast alarm. Wildfires racing across Florida and California's Catalina Island right now. New pictures just in as flames force evacuations, surround homes, and threaten to close a major highway.

Plus, new weapons in the war on childhood obesity. Two simple steps that could add years to your child's life.

On this AMERICAN MORNING.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And it's Friday, May the 11th.

Good morning to you, and thanks for joining us.

I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry.

Glad you're with us.

And we have a lot of stories on our radar this morning.

(NEWSBREAK)

ROBERTS: We're following breaking news out of California this morning. A massive wildfire burning right now on Santa Catalina Island, 26 miles off of the coast of southern California. Firefighters got a break overnight as winds died down a little bit, but the fire is still threatening the resort town of Avalon.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is on a boat on his way to the island, is now within sight of Santa Catalina. He joins us on the phone with the latest.

What can you see from where you are, Ted?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we're only a couple miles now from Catalina, and you can see this fire, the glow. It's a huge fire.

In fact, we could see it from the mainland. We weren't quite sure if indeed that was the fire. I just couldn't believe it could be. But as we got closer, indeed, it was.

Firefighters have a lot of work to do, but as you mentioned, Mother Nature did help out overnight. And right now the winds are a little -- much calmer than they were. They were up to 20 miles an hour yesterday, which has caused all this problem. The other problem, of course, the conditions so dry on this island, just as they are in southern California, only two inches of rain so far this year on the island, way below normal.

The fire is moving towards Avalon, the city that designed Catalina Island, the tourist destination, and that is where people are on the beach, literally, waiting to be ferried back to the mainland, those that want off the island. As you mentioned, most of those folks are tourists, also people that live here.

About 1,200 homes here, about 3,000 permanent residents. Many of those folks have fled the island, as well, taking what they could out of their homes. According to firefighters, they have lost a few structures on the island, but they are hoping that they can keep this blaze away from Avalon.

They're getting some help from the U.S. Navy. They are ferrying, using hovercraft, firefighters from Los Angeles and fire rigs, heavy equipment. They're able to land these hovercraft on the beach and go right to work from there. A huge help. L.A. Fire called the Navy, asked for help overnight, and they're getting it now.

Ferry service, which normally runs sporadically and scheduled, is now running constantly, getting people off the island. There's no imminent threat to these people, but as you can imagine, very uncomfortable. There is ash and soot in the air, and a feeling, as you might imagine, of uneasiness as you see this glow coming towards the city of Avalon.

ROBERTS: It's still -- it's just after 5:00 in the morning there, Ted, and perhaps the light isn't up high enough. But are you noticing, are they using water bombers, as well as assets on the ground?

ROWLANDS: They were yesterday, but there is no air assault yet. They'll wait for first light for that. Because the fire did drop down, dampen down a bit overnight, I'm sure that they called off the air assault.

Typically, they will not fly at night unless there is imminent danger to property and/or life. And that is not the case right now. But as soon as the sun comes up, they will be back at it, attacking this fire and hoping -- and hoping to stop it.

ROBERTS: All right. Ted Rowland for us on a boat just off of Catalina Island. He said a couple of miles. That means he should be landing within the next half hour or so. We'll talk with him again once he gets on the ground there.

Wildfires burning across the state of Florida, the other side of the country. Now threatening a major interstate highway. The northern part of Florida is getting the worst of it right now as the fire is spreading and threatening Interstate 10, a key east- west route that goes all the way out to the Pacific Coast. It may have to be closed if the fire gets too close. Hundreds of residents in nearby towns are being evacuated from their homes.

And the Missouri River is going to reach its peak flood levels this weekend. People in the Midwest and central part of the state are still trying to save their properties from the rising water today. But because the river is breaching levees there, less water is flowing down stream, so people in eastern Missouri may be saved from the most severe flood damage.

CHETRY: Well, there's new movement on the war-funding fight going on in Washington now. President Bush warming up to the idea of putting benchmarks in the bill, but he's still opposed to the installment plan that the Democrats pushed through the House last night.

Andrea Koppel has reaction on Capitol Hill. We'll start, though, with Elaine Quijano at the White House.

And Elaine, the president was -- actually, he was really fired up yesterday in the opposition to that installment plan when it comes to paying for the war.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the president basically reiterated what the White House said earlier this week, that the president would veto, if, in fact, this measure pushed by House Democrats got to his desk to fund the war in stages, essentially. He would veto it. They believe here at the White House that it is just not a workable plan.

Now, at the same time, the president also said yesterday in his remarks at the Pentagon that he was open to the idea of benchmarks. The embrace of benchmarks nothing new. This is a White House that has talked about that for some time, but it is the first time that the president has talked about it within the context of a war-funding bill -- Kiran.

CHETRY: And let's listen to what the president said, his exact words yesterday, when he spoke about benchmarks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One message I have heard from people from both parties is that the idea of benchmarks makes sense. And I agree. It makes sense to have benchmarks as a part of our discussion on how to go forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: But as we've talked about, not necessarily that shocking, the benchmarks, but, Andrea, it seems the Democrats are not willing to go forward with benchmarks without consequences if they're not met. ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think what's really interesting here, Kiran, is the timing of all of this. As we have been reporting now, there was about a -- about a dozen Republicans, moderate Republicans, who were over at the White House having a "Come to Jesus" talk with President Bush behind closed doors, telling him that the support for Republicans is threatened because of the way the war is going, and basically saying if things don't turn around by September, they may have to part ways with President Bush.

Suddenly, we hear President Bush talking about benchmarks. Meanwhile, over in the Senate, there are moderate Republicans who are working on proposals with Democrats that include benchmarks, tying them whether to the war funding, or to troop withdrawal -- Kiran.

CHETRY: But benchmarks with consequences, and that's another big thing. I mean, we have talked about that since last January, of putting these forth to the Iraqis. And when they're ignored, what happens?

KOPPEL: Well, that's the big question, what happens?

President Bush wants to leave it ambiguous. He doesn't want there to be any kind of strings attached to that.

Nevertheless, you have got Democrats and increasingly more Republicans who are saying, been there, done that. This has been the case now for about a year. We have got to hold the Iraqis' feet to the fire because support for this war is growing much, much more threatened. And so are their -- so are the Republicans' future legislative hopes come 2008.

CHETRY: That's right. And as you said, it was that big meeting where they said the support is not never ending. It has to, you know, stop at some point, especially if the war continues to take the direction it's taking.

Thanks to both of you, Elaine Quijano, as well as Andrea Koppel, in D.C. for us today.

ROBERTS: Seven minutes after the hour.

Coming up, many in the Midwest needed it this week. Our personal finance expert Gerri Willis is going to tell us everything that we need to know about flood insurance.

Plus, two different methods for fighting childhood obesity. Do they both work?

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back.

Well, if you need proof that childhood obesity is on the rise, take a look at this number. In 1960, only four percent of kids were classified as overweight. That number has since tripled, and is getting worse.

ROBERTS: Today we're going to be looking at two very different approaches to fighting childhood obesity. In a moment, I'm going to be talking to a doctor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine about a program that teaches parents how to help their kids by interviewing them about being overweight.

CHETRY: All right.

And first, though, we're going to head to California it see a unique approach. Students there were given heart rate monitors to wear during gym class, giving them a chance to track their workouts and also get some unique motivation.

So joining me now is a physical education teacher Meghan Jinguji, as well as eighth grade students Danny Neufeld and Amanda Fritz.

Hi, everyone. Thanks for being with us.

You guys are outside of Sacramento, Antelope Crossing Middle School.

And Meghan, tell us, how have these heart rate monitors been a motivation for the kids?

MEGHAN JINGUJI, PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER: The heart rate monitors have been a huge motivator for students, whether it's just doing fitness activities and teaching kids about their heart rate, and developing them into physically literate students so that they understand how their body works. And also, in traditional units we use the heart rate monitors to encourage students to participate at a higher intensity level, rather than playing maybe a defensive position while their team is on offense and not being engaged in the activity physically.

They're able to look at their heart rate monitors, do jumping jacks, keep their heart rate elevated so that they get the most out of the physical activity.

CHETRY: Amanda, has it gotten you more motivated knowing that you can keep track of your heart rate?

AMANDA FRITZ, 8TH-GRADER: It definitely has kept me more motivated, pacing me out a lot. It's been a great workout.

CHETRY: And what about you, Danny? Do you keep track, you know, as you go along, or do you just check it out when you're actually working out that day?

DANNY NEUFELD, 8TH-GRADER: Yes, we -- I keep records of it, and, like, help us improve. And like, we keep looking at it in P.E. and stuff, so that we can keep participating and not get marked down.

CHETRY: And not get marked down. Uh-oh. Grades are a motivating factor, too.

All right. Well, you guys, go ahead and start doing whatever it is you're going to do, whether you're jumping or running. And we're going to check in with you and see how your hearts are going.

ROBERTS: I'll tell you, this biofeedback thing is great. I used to cycle a lot when I lived in New York City, and I'd wear a heart rate monitor and try to keep it up above 150 all the time.

CHETRY: It is a motivator.

ROBERTS: But there's another thing out there that some scientists are investigating in terms of helping kids lose weight. It's called motivational interviewing.

We want it bring in Dr. Robert Schwartz. He's at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

This, Dr. Schwartz, is something that has been used successfully in treating people with drug and alcohol problems. How does it -- how do you apply it to kids who are overweight?

DR. ROBERT SCHWARTZ, WAKE FOREST SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Well, actually, with young children, you rally need to work with the parents. When they get 8 or 10, or certainly as teenagers, you rarely work with the kids.

ROBERTS: Well, tell me, what should a parent do then, and how do you interview your child about what it's like to be overweight?

SCHWARTZ: Well, really, it's sort of a -- motivational interviewing is a style of communication. It's an interpersonal style. And the goal is to help families and help patients resolve their ambivalence about change, whatever that change may be, whether it's substance abuse, whether it's diet, and to get them to take responsibility for their actions.

ROBERTS: So what kind of questions would a parent ask a child in this style of motivational interviewing?

SCHWARTZ: Well, instead of asking closed-ended questions -- for example, you know, "Are you concerned about your weight?" which would be a yes or no, you might ask, "How do you feel about your weight?" And really get them to talk that way.

ROBERTS: And so you find out what they're thinking in their minds. But do children of that age really -- do they have the cognizant ability to be able to see consequences, so that if they do look inside themselves and say, you know, I don't really like being overweight, can they make the changes necessary to change their situation?

SCHWARTZ: Well, that's really the tough question. And what you have to assess when you're doing motivational interviewing is the patient's and the family's interest and confidence in change. You have to be both interested in making that change, and you have to be confident that you can do it for it to take effect. For example, a teenage girl may want to lose weight, and she may be very interested, but her confidence level may be quite low because she's not the one that buys the groceries or sets the environment.

ROBERTS: Right. Dr. Schwartz, hang in for a second, because we have got the kids at Antelope Crossing Middle School on wobble boards here.

We want to check in and see how they're doing.

CHETRY: Yes, that's great for balance.

Amanda, give us a check. If you can balance that and look at your wrist watch there, what is your heart rate at right now?

FRITZ: My heart rate is about 164 beats per minute.

CHETRY: Wow.

ROBERTS: Wow.

CHETRY: So you're right in your zone there. You know you're supposed to be between 145 and 180, right? And that's helped your run time, as well.

FRITZ: Yes, it definitely has.

CHETRY: And then how about you, Danny? Where are you?

NEUFELD: I'm at 155 beats per minute.

CHETRY: 155 beats per minute. And how has that -- how has your run time changed? Are you faster at a mile now?

NEUFELD: Yes. A lot faster than I used to be when I didn't use them.

ROBERTS: You know, they really got their heart rates up quickly.

CHETRY: I know.

ROBERTS: It usually takes me about 10 minutes to get that high.

CHETRY: They're a little younger than you. Just a little.

ROBERTS: Just a smidgen.

CHETRY: And Meghan, let me ask you this: have you seen -- you know, because the whole thing has been talking about trying to cut down on childhood obesity. Now, these two clearly don't have a problem, but have you seen people who have actually lose weight, gone from the classification of obese to actually at a fit weight?

JINGUJI: I haven't necessarily seen specifically the results of seeing drastic weight loss or someone going from obese category to no longer in the obese category. But what I have seen is increased fitness levels.

So, we might not see a drastic change in weight, but we are seeing increases in achievement towards a healthy fitness zone, according to the fitness (INAUDIBLE) mile scores and so forth. So, we are seeing increased cardiovascular fitness. And so that's, you know, a good indicator that these heart rate monitors are just one of many tools that help kids work towards better fitness, and hopefully a life-long lifestyle of physical activity.

ROBERTS: Yes. Well, how about that, Dr. Schwartz? Give us a final thought here.

Whether it be using heart rate monitors to up your level of physical activity, whether it be this motivational interviewing to change your habits, is it the sort of case where if you ingrain good habits at this age they will last through a lifetime?

SCHWARTZ: Well, really obesity or weight maintenance is really a balance between what you take in and what you burn up. And so certainly increasing physical activity and also reducing sedentary activity -- TV, video games, et cetera -- are good strategies. But ultimately, we have to be in balance, and I believe parents need to be good role models.

If you -- if the parents eat healthy meals, the children will eat healthy meals. If the parents are active, the kids will be active. And we need to get away from just talking the talk. It's about time that we as parents walk the walk.

ROBERTS: All right.

Dr. Schwartz, thanks very much for those tips.

You want to say good-bye to your folks, Kiran?

CHETRY: Yes. That's right.

Amanda and Danny you guys keep on rolling. Congratulations.

And Meghan, thanks for letting us have a sneak peek at your program.

Good luck to all of you.

JINGUJI: Thank you very much. Thank you.

ROBERTS: And let that be a lesson to you, as well.

CHETRY: To me.

ROBERTS: Yes, with your young daughter. What you do is going to influence her.

Seventeen after the hour now. Coming up, we're going to check in on the flooding in Missouri. Not out of the woods just yet. We'll tell you what authorities are worried about now.

CHETRY: And you have flood insurance, right? But do you know what kind of water damage is covered in your plan? There are some things you need to ask insurance companies to make sure you're protected.

And we're going to break it down for you coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Twenty-one minutes after the hour now.

All this week we've been reporting on the devastating floods in the Midwest. We're going to take a closer look now at flood insurance and what people should know about it.

CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, joins us now.

First of all, Gerri, how do you know if you need flood insurance? Because, I mean, living beside a river is one thing, but some of these people who have been suffering don't live anywhere near a river.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: That's right. That's such an interesting story.

Hey, John, good to see you.

You need to know if you live in a flood plain, first of all. An easy way to find that out is to go to floodsmart.gov.

You have seen that Web site on this air just moments ago. There it is again.

But listen to this story. You just mentioned towns that are in areas that are not next to a river. Consider the case of Aberdeen, South Dakota, the hub city with about 25,000 residents.

This city was flooded, despite the fact that the Army Corps of Engineers real recently built a levee and everybody was told they didn't live in a flood plain anymore. So residents dropped their flood insurance, and now look.

ROBERTS: Oh my goodness.

WILLIS: So...

ROBERTS: And you can't blame the Army Corps of Engineers for that?

WILLIS: No, no. But, you know, I think people are probably very frustrated, because they don't have coverage and they did before. This is the second time in 10 years that this town has been flooded. Bottom line here, you need to know if you're even close to a flood plain. And there's a secret Web site to go to -- msc.fema.gov. You can actually see the flood maps, which is very helpful. You want to know if you're close to water that, you know, might flood your neighborhood and your yard.

ROBERTS: Now, flood insurance is federal, right?

WILLIS: That's right. It's issued by the federal government.

ROBERTS: Can you buy varying degrees of flood insurance, or is it one size fits all?

WILLIS: Well, I've got to tell you, you probably want to go for the max because it only covers $250,000 for your structure for your house, and $100,000 worth of content. So, at the end of the day, you're probably not asking yourself, do I have too much? You're probably asking yourself, can I get more, particularly if you live, say, along, you know, one of the coasts and you have one of those expensive house.

So, at the end of the day, you might want to check in with Chubb, Fireman's, AIG. These are companies that write additional coverage over and above what the federal government hands out.

ROBERTS: Now, after Hurricane Katrina, we saw some people who had hurricane insurance, but weren't covered by flood insurance. You know, so how do you know when you're covered?

WILLIS: Well, you've got to buy the flood insurance policy if you're going to get flood...

ROBERTS: But you would think the people who lived in New Orleans would have it.

WILLIS: And many of them did not. And many of them, interestingly, were told by their insurer, their agent, not to buy it. So you really need to investigate this yourself, I think, to find out what to do.

You need to know, what is a flood, right, if you are going to cash in on your policy. This is water that comes from anywhere, John.

This is a river overflowing, it's banks, this is the ocean coming into your yard.

ROBERTS: Heavy rain.

WILLIS: This is a flashflood. Anything can cause a flood that you can make a claim on.

And remember, a lot of what's going on in a lot of parts of the country, where there is so much development going on, you know, lots of roads being built, parking lots, that all causes more water to flood. ROBERTS: We talk about 10-year flood levels, 100-year flood levels, 500-year flood levels. Reasonably, what should you try to protect yourself against?

WILLIS: Well, I think you want to look at the flood plain maps that I just talked about. Those are 100-year flood plain maps. Get a sense of what happens in your neighborhood. Typically, I think a lot of people are finding that it's changing over time.

You know, just here in the New York City area we've seen floods that we've never seen before. At the end of the day, you want to make sure you get the coverage that you need.

I just want to tell people a little bit about the cost that they're going to incur for this. For the average government-issued policy, on average you'll pay $1,000, a range $500 to $2,200. And if you live outside the plain -- because I think some people need to buy it even if they're not in the flood plain -- you're going to pay about $230 a year.

ROBERTS: Not bad.

WILLIS: That's a big deal for peace of mind.

ROBERTS: Exactly. Even in a heavy, heavy rain. And with the environment changing the way it is, who knows what's a flood plain and what's not.

WILLIS: That's right.

ROBERTS: Gerri Willis, as always, great tips. Thanks very much.

WILLIS: Thank you.

ROBERTS: And be sure to catch Gerri on "OPEN HOUSE" this weekend. She's going to be talking about how to protect your home from the crazy weather you can expect in the next few months, and maybe in the years to come, as well. Plus, saving money on mortgages and traveling for less this summer.

That's Saturday, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

ROBERTS: Our top story, wildfires burning on both coasts this morning. In California, a fire on the resort island of Santa Catalina. Firefighters are being shipped to the island on boats. And the Navy is offering equipment to assist the crews. Fifteen-hundred people, mostly visitors, have left the island.

And across the country, over in Florida, northern Florida dealing with a fire of its own. A major interstate may have to be closed as the flames from the this massive wildfire creep ever closer. And flooding remains a big concern in Missouri. In Missouri water levels have dropped in some areas, but there is also fear that the worst may not come until the weekend am when the rivers crest. AMERICAN MORNING's Sean Callebs all week has been in Missouri giving us a first-hand look at the devastation. He's in Pattonsburg today, a place that was left a ghost town after the devastating floods back in 1993.

Hi, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran. I can tell you a lot of flood water here. It was actually about right here just a couple days ago, but has obviously receded to a great measure. That's good, because basically they're are just some farm fields out here right now.

Want to show you this McCormick Farmall made back in 1948. And when this was made, this town actually had 1,000 people, scores of homes and businesses all through here.

Want to give you some kind of idea of exactly what it looked like back then.

Get this baby to fire up here.

Well, back then there was a filling station right here where we're standing. Out in this field as far as you can see, there were just homes everywhere. Now just a couple people living out there. We talked to that gentleman earlier today.

If you look a little bit more down that way, that's an old Methodist church. When the town picked up, literally was moved three miles down the road, the Methodist church built a new church. So this one was just left behind. And really, this tells the whole story. We have some historical pictures. We are driving down main street. I want you to look at these old pictures, because this is what Main Street looked like until not terribly long ago. But the houses that they weren't able to physically pick up and move they just demolished and buried them.

Now the reason no one is ever going it be back in here and build again in this flood plain, the city still owns this land. And under the deal they cut with the federal government, which paid for the move, they're not going to have any more businesses or anything like that built in here. This is just leased to farmers right here.

I want to show you this building, too. This is kind of interesting. This is old city hall, one of the handful of buildings that did, basically, ride out the storm. And take a look there, you see when it was built, 1941, was built by Walter Warford (ph), was the mayor. Now 1993, when the really historic flooding came in here, his grandson, David Warford, was the mayor. So he saw it go up and they saw it go down. We talked to a lot of the people who lived here. It's a mixed blessing for some. There are eight people, eight people. This town went from 400 people to just eight, and those people are dealing with flooding. The rest, three miles away, high and dry -- Kiran.

CHETRY: So they were the ones that said, no way, we're not going to be kicked out of our town because of bad weather?

CALLEBS: That's what they said. And a lot of people wonder, why are you going to do it? Because the town flooded 33 times over the past century. So the federal government thought, you know what, it's better investment just to pay to have it moved -- you heard Gerri Willis talk about the flood insurance -- than having to pay these people over and over and over again.

CHETRY: You're right.

Sean Callebs, thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: President Bush says he's all for benchmarks, but he is opposed to the war-funding bill that the House passed last night. It would pay for the war until mid-summer, then the rest of the money is tied for signs of progress in Iraq and a second vote. The White House and Congress are working together on a bill that makes funding the benchmarks or the goals that the Iraqis must meet. The sticking point, though, what action to take if they don't meet those benchmarks.

And Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is taking a shot at President Bush over his handling of the war. Take a listen to what he said in a taped interview with Mike Wallace for this weekend's "60 Minutes" on CBS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRES. CANDIDATE: I don't think we were adequately prepared for what occurred. I don't think we had done enough planning. I don't think we'd considered the various downside and risks.

MIKE WALLACE, "60 MINUTES" ANCHOR: We is George W. Bush.

ROMNEY: Well, he's the person where the buck stops.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Romney, who is also a Mormon, also discussed his family's history of polygamy. He said he couldn't imagine anything more awful.

CHETRY: And coming up, she hasn't spent a day in jail yet, but Paris Hilton may already be getting some time off of her sentence, not for good behavior. We'll tell you why.

Also, will he be back for three more "Terminator" movies? They're planned, but can they really happen without Arnold? The show might have to go on without the star, though.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Forty-one minutes after the hour now, let's get back to the breaking news out of California and that massive wildfire burning right now on Santa Catalina Island, off of the coast of Southern California.

CNN's Ted Rowlands has just set foot on the island just outside of the town of Avalon.

Ted, what's it like on the ground from where you are?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're in the harbor here in Avalon, John. And as chaotic as it was last night, it is eerily calm here, and you can't see much because of the smoke, which is coming in from the fire, but as we were approaching by boat, you could see some flame-ups just beyond what you're looking at now, these homes and structures. That is where the fire is. It has laid down. The humidity has gone way up overnight and the winds have calmed down. So right now it is very calm. Firefighters are in place. They're trying to dig a perimeter, hand crews, and they are expected to start flying soon. It is just getting light here on the island. The sun is just coming up. We expect that they'll go after this fire with a full assault coming up in the next hour or so, or maybe even less.

Overnight, they were able to ferry out about 3,000 people, mainly tourists who were trapped on the island, not trapped but who were on the island and wanted off the island. You can imagine what they were going through and what the people here are going through. Although it looks calm now, the fire literally is just beyond our vantage point here. And as the sun comes up we'll get to see more of it, and of course as the winds pick up we'll see exactly and hear exactly what these firefighters are going to be up against. But right now, calm and people keeping their fingers crossed, as the wind stay low and die down so firefighters can get at this thing.

ROBERTS: Ted, great job getting out there. I know you were traveling all night. And we'll be seeing much more of you as the day goes on here on CNN.

Appreciate it. We'll see you soon.

CHETRY: She was the beltway's first female network television correspondent, Nancy Dickerson. She got that job back in 1960, and this morning a special Mother's Day tribute from her son and AMERICAN MORNING's political contributor John Dickerson.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Nancy Dickerson in Washington.

JOHN DICKERSON, AUTHOR, "ON HER TRAIL": It's hard to figure out exactly why I went into my mother's business after having had this rocky relationship. There was a period in my life where it probably would have been the last business I wanted to go in to.

NANCY DICKERSON: Speaker Raven, what do you consider to be the biggest issues facing this Congress?

J. DICKERSON: When she worked for CBS in Washington she was the only woman in the news corps of all of the networks. Looking at her life as both a groundbreaking journalist and a mother, I mean, she was doing both things totally without a playbook. I mean, there were no women who had done this before, raised five children and broken into this incredibly difficult, all-male world.

When I was covering Governor Bush in the year 2000 down in Austin, I was staying in the same hotels she had stayed in 40 years earlier at about the same age, covering another Texan, Lyndon Johnson, as he ran for the presidency.

N. DICKERSON: Would you repeat for our television cameras what you...

J. DICKERSON: There were lots of rumors about her and LBJ. And imagine how difficult that was, because every time you did something well, or every time you got a scoop or every time you said you did your job, people would not immediately think what a great job she did, but she must have gotten it because of this special relationship.

What I didn't realize about her as a mother is how much she suffered and kept that suffering completely hidden from her children. The message is finding your passion at work or at home and figuring out what your passion is, and not what the roles are that other people are trying to put on you.

N. DICKERSON: Now back to Douglas Edwards in New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: Wow. Great to see that old film.

And John Dickerson is here. And you wrote a book about your mother's experiences. Your book is called "On Her Trail." So when -- as we look forward to the Mother's Day weekend, you said it's important to find your passion. Your passion was your mom's passion.

J. DICKERSON: That's right. And where this book came from is after mom died I got 20 boxes of her life, including a lot of those clips I'd never seen growing up. She had me when she was 41. So much of this career happened before I was old enough to know what was going on. And what I discovered in the book is the same passion for stories, and for news and for public events that she had was the same one I stumbled in to.

ROBERTS: You and I talked about this, John, when you were writing the book, we were both working at the White House. You told me that you had a rocky relationship with your mom, which I thought was unusual. I thought you would have had a close relationship being in the same business. What was that relationship like, and when did you decide that your whole perspective on it changed? J. DICKERSON: Well, my perspective changed when I grew up and wasn't an obnoxious adolescent, and also when she changed in her own way. And so, you know, When I got into the business and I was struggling to try to get into the business, and we would talk about the news, just the way colleagues would, the way we would, and you know, go through what was happening in the world and, fortunately, we got a chance to become pals before she got sick later in life.

CHETRY: I think it's the case for a lot of people, as well, you get perspective on just how much your parents did for you and everything they gave when you're a little bit older and away from it.

J. DICKERSON: Sure, exactly. And now that I'm a father, as well, she, unfortunately, never got to see her grandchildren. But now that I'm a father and see the complexities of what it's like to come home after being on the road for a week, and have your kids do what I did, which is not really care much about you and walk right by you, and what that's like and how you balance that with what you have to do in your day job in this tough business.

ROBERTS: I thought one of the most interesting moments in the book is when you say that while she was pregnant with you, and she was pregnant with you, she worked up until literally the day she gave birth. You said you were hidden under the desk.

J. DICKERSON: That's right. They always shot her from sort of the desk up, so viewers when they heard I had been born, they were shocked because they had seen her just before.

CHETRY: That still happens these days, too, you know.

J. DICKERSON: Yes. Although, you know, now at least some women are allowed to talk about the fact that they've had kids or are going through pregnancies.

ROBERTS: Hey, it's in vogue, come on. Absolutely.

Well, it's a great book, and what a moving piece, too, about your mom.

J. DICKERSON: Thank you.

ROBERTS: It was great to see you in that old footage. And we'll be seeing a lot more of you as well, correct?

J. DICKERSON: Yes, yes.

ROBERTS: Terrific. You're going to be a political contributor here to AMERICAN MORNING. That's great.

J. DICKERSON: That's right.

ROBERTS: I really like that.

J. DICKERSON: I'm very excited about it.

ROBERTS: John, thanks for coming up.

J. DICKERSON: Thank you.

ROBERTS: "CNN NEWSROOM" just minutes away now. Tony Harris is at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead.

What have you got on the radar screen, Tony?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, John. Good morning to you. We have got these stories on our radar this morning: Inferno wildfire raging on Catalina Island there in California. The Navy shipping in fire trucks. Hundreds of residents evacuated from the resort by ferry.

President Bush giving some ground to Democrats on Iraq War funding. He says he is open to a bill requiring progress.

And trapped in her SUV, imagine this, her face pressed against the back window, gasping for air -- an incredible river rescue to tell you about.

Fredricka is in the "NEWSROOM" with me this morning for Heidi Collins. We get started right at the top of the hour here on CNN.

John, back to you.

ROBERTS: Looking forward to it. Thanks, Tony.

Forty-eight minutes after the hour.

They survived Hurricane Katrina, and now some of our children of the storm are moving back home. Up next you'll see through their eyes how New Orleans is bouncing back.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Twenty-one months now since Hurricane Katrina, and some of our Children of the Storm kids are finally moving back home. They are 11 New Orleans-area teens who received cameras back in January from Soledad O'Brien and filmmaker Spike Lee, and were asked to videotape their lives. The assignment this time, show us the best things about your city.

Soledad O'Brien has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Most people will tell you the best things about New Orleans are music and food.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another good thing about New Orleans, food!

O'BRIEN: But these days you also get this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so glad we're back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know what to say, but I'm going to miss pink.

O'BRIEN: The name of that paint, hopeful pink, and that's exactly what 13-year-old Sophie Badro (ph) is, hopeful. She's moving out of her trailer, finally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to go, I want to go, mom.

O'BRIEN: And back into her house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's perfect.

O'BRIEN: Her family thought about leaving, but they didn't get enough insurance money to pay off the mortgage and get resettled. The house is fixed, but they're still vulnerable from the canal just across the road.

Remember Amanda Hill and her grandmother, Dolores, who was working every week at McDonald's.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wake up 3:00 in the morning to here in my room crying.

O'BRIEN: Their luck is changing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is what I think is one of the best things about St. Bernard, the volunteers from other states.

O'BRIEN: The volunteers are now fixing her home. People heard her story here on CNN and donated money for a car and for college. For 19-year-old Brandon Franklin...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brandon Franklin!

O'BRIEN: ... the best thing is graduation. And music. He sees his life as a musician and band leader, and hopes to start college in the fall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think music it helps a lot of people to focus on whatever they're trying to accomplish with themselves. That's what I use to help myself, you know, help me get through the day.

O'BRIEN: And perhaps the nights, too. Brandon has a baby boy on the way with his girlfriend, Ivoryon (ph). The baby is due this summer, just about six weeks before the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Soledad O'Brien, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And you can check out all 11 Children of the Storm on AMERICAN MORNING's home page at CNN.com. Their next project airs on AMERICAN MORNING on June 8th. And Soledad is working on an hour-long documentary of the kids. That's going to air on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. That'll be in late August.

A quick look now at what "CNN NEWSROOM" is working on for the top of the hour.

HARRIS: See these stories in the "CNN NEWSROOM": Wildfires on both sides of the country, flooding in the middle. We follow the extreme weather.

The house approves a second bill to pay for the Iraq War. President Bush says he will veto it because of strings attached.

Ft. Dix terror suspects in court this morning.

Virginia Tech graduation today, less than a month after a gunman killed 32 on campus.

NEWSROOM, top of the hour on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Well, it's a famous car and a real performer, but is the General Lee really worth $10 million? The car from "The Dukes of Hazard" went on the auction block going for that stunning figure of $10 million, and it seems that there is a reason why.

CHETRY: Well, William Fisher, he was the winning bidder, but he said he never actually never placed a bid in the first place, the old story of the eBay account being hacked, right? It was someone else who ran up the bidding under his name, and he's saying now I can't pay.

ROBERTS: But there's a chance that you could be able to bid on the car again, because John Schneider, who played Bo Duke, is selling his 1969 Charger. He says he's considering putting it back on the block, but this time all the bidders are going to have to be prequalified.

CHETRY: So you were wondering what to get me for Mother's Day.

ROBERTS: There you go, the General Lee, it's perfect.

CHETRY: I can see you in that. Forget the Harley, you need the Charger.

ROBERTS: There you go.

CHETRY: All right. Well, the Terminator, by the way, will be back. Arnold Schwarzenegger, probably not, though.

ROBERTS: I'm not a Charger kind of guy, I'm sorry.

A production company called Halcyon has bought the rights to the Terminator franchise for an undisclosed sum of money, but the star of the first three movies is busy. What's he doing? CHETRY: He's running the state of California, at least until 2011. Who knows? He might get the Constitution changed, run for president. So, in the meantime, he cannot be in the Terminator movies.

ROBERTS: So at least three more cyborg battle movies, though, are planned. So, and Arnold, of course, rides a Harley Davidson, too. I like that.

And it turns out that Paris Hilton might get off a lot easier than expected.

CHETRY: That's right. Despite earlier claims that she would have to serve out that 45-day sentence in full, authorities are now saying she'll probably just serve three weeks or less. Part of the reason is the notoriously overcrowded L.A. County jails, and Hilton could get some time off for good behavior. Maybe she can knit one of those beautiful ponchos, like Martha Stewart, wear that out for part of her Paris Hilton line.

ROBERTS: I don't know, Paris in jail just had a really interesting ring to it, and we're going to miss all of that. For shame.

CHETRY: Hey, we want everyone to have a great weekend. That's all for us here for this week on AMERICAN MORNING. We'll see you back here bright and early on Monday.

ROBERTS: Absolutely. Make sure you pay attention to mom this weekend. Give her everything that she deserves and more.

"CNN NEWSROOM" with Tony Harris and Fred Whitfield begins right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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