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FDA Blocks Import of Some Chinese Seafood; Senate Blocks Immigration Reform; Interview With Deepak Chopra; High Court Rules Against Use of Race to Assign Students to Schools; Texas Flood Misery; Living Through Loss

Aired June 28, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips.

It's the FDA's catch of the day: five species of Chinese fish that may be tainted with drugs.

LEMON: They're the latest Chinese imports to raise red flags in America.

And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is the top of the hour. And we start with some developing news: another product from China under fire from the Food and Drug Administration. First, it was pet food, then toothpaste, now seafood. And the FDA has a new warning about certain Chinese fish.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen here to tell us all about this.

Give us the details on that, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S. imports a lot of farm-raised fish from China.

And the FDA says: Look, we inspect this fish, and we are fed up with it. We have decided we're not going to take any more Chinese fish of a certain species, because, when we inspect them, we see that they have all sorts of drugs that they're not supposed to have that you and I should not be eating.

Let's take a look at these five species of fish. If you see them on a menu, you might want to ask where the waiter where they come from: catfish, eel, shrimp, basa, which is similar to catfish, and dace, which is similar to carp.

And, again, what they found is that these fish were given drugs, basically, so that they would -- could be farm-raised in a more safe and -- well, in a more convenient way, so that the fish wouldn't get drugs.

So, the first one is some set of antifungals. The FDA found out that the Chinese farmers were giving their fish two kinds of antifungals called malachite green and gentian violet, and also two types of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones and nitrofurans.

Now, again, these are drugs that you and I should not be eating. They are banned in this country. The FDA is very specific about this. Yet, time after time, they found that 18 different companies that make farm-raised fish in China were giving their fish these drugs, even though the FDA is extremely clear: You want to sell this stuff in the U.S., don't give these drugs.

LEMON: OK. And I have got to ask you this, since you said that there were -- will it make you sick? Obviously, yes.

(CROSSTALK)

COHEN: It will -- it could make you sick in the long term. And that's an important point. If you ate some of this Chinese catfish last night, you're not going to drop dead today. That's not the concern.

The concern is that some of these could be carcinogens. Some of these could cause respiratory problems when used over time. These are long-term risks, meaning years and years of accumulation. That's the worry.

LEMON: All right, any of this fish that is allegedly contaminated, did it make it to the marketplace?

COHEN: We asked the FDA that. We said, you caught a lot at the border, but did it any of it get into restaurants or stores? And they said, gosh, we don't know.

Some experts who we have talked to have said, you know, when the FDA catches something at the border, chances are, some of it got into stores and restaurants. The reason is, the FDA only tests a small amount of fish. They only test somewhere, like, between 1 and 5 percent.

So, you can -- the experts I talked to said, you can pretty much bet, if they caught it, they also didn't catch a bunch of it.

LEMON: They also didn't catch some of it.

COHEN: Right.

LEMON: OK. So, if you're going to the grocery store, or if you're at a restaurant, how do you know? There's a marking? No?

COHEN: Here's the big problem.

LEMON: Yes.

COHEN: The fish doesn't have China stamped on its forehead.

LEMON: Right.

COHEN: Yes. This is the big problem, is that there aren't labeling requirements -- requirements for country of origin. Now, sometimes, you will find on fish that it will say where it's from, but it won't always say where it's from. So, your best bet, when you're at a restaurant, ask the waiter where they got their fish. Look on packaging to see if it's there.

And, you know, it's interesting. A fish expert told one of our producers, look, Chinese fish is really inexpensive. If you're going to a restaurant, and you're getting, you know, 20 shrimp for $1.50, there's really an excellent chance that that food comes from China.

LEMON: OK. So, you were on this, I guess, conference call. Was Dr. David Acheson on that -- on that call?

COHEN: He was, indeed.

LEMON: He was in on that call. OK. He's going to join us a little bit later...

COHEN: That's great.

LEMON: ... on in the CNN NEWSROOM to tell us about this fish ban or these higher priorities when it comes to China. So, we look forward to him.

We thank you for clarifying all of this for us.

COHEN: Of course.

LEMON: Thanks, Elizabeth Cohen.

COHEN: Great.

PHILLIPS: More rain is falling on Texas, adding to the flooding blamed for 11 deaths over the past week-and-a-half. Flash flood warnings remain in effect. Dozens of people have had to be rescued in Marble Falls, where the mayor reports extensive damage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND WHITMAN, MAYOR OF MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS: The damage is even worse than I anticipated. We are seeing an enormous amount of damage to our infrastructure, bridges, streets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Mayor Whitman's own living room was filled with water.

And they made incredible progress overnight in Tahoe. Firefighters managed to get that stubborn wildfire just south of that area 55 percent contained. But the next few hours depend on the weather. And no one is standing idly by.

CNN's Kara Finnstrom joins us now with the latest from there -- Kara.

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, firefighters say that was a gift from nature, this 24-hour delay, at least, of the really strong winds that were forecast to hit yesterday, gusts of up to 30 miles an hour.

So, everything quieted down here yesterday. The firefighters were able to get in and get a lot of the grunt work done. They cleared away brush. They did a lot of airdrops to get out any remaining hot spots.

But we did notice this morning -- actually, just a few minutes ago -- take a look over there. Well, there were -- there was some smoke rising, some new smoke. The wind gusts have picked up and we noticed some new smoke. That could be from backfires -- firefighters still out there lighting backfires, which are fires that essentially burn away brush to try and keep -- keep those areas clean, so that there won't be any problems when the winds do pick up.

Or it could be from this new wind activity. There, you can see some of the smoke going up again. But, in any event, they will be here throughout the day. They have been out here with little wind gauges this morning, Kyra, monitoring those winds and trying to get a feel for whether they are starting to pick up.

PHILLIPS: Now, in the past couple of days, we have been talking to firefighters there on the scene. You have as well -- even the fire chief saying they believe this fire was manmade.

Do they know yet if somebody set this fire on purpose, or if it was an accident? Are they any closer to figuring that out?

FINNSTROM: They aren't.

We just spoke with the fire information officer a little earlier this morning, and -- and checked with him again on that. And they don't. They say they're getting lots of tips, lots of leads. They do believe it's what they call a human cause, but, whether that was accidentally set or whether it was arson, just not clear yet.

PHILLIPS: All right, we will keep following the investigation.

Kara, thanks so much.

And yesterday's forecast for the Tahoe area called for strong winds, and forecasters were delighted to be wrong. Could firefighters get that lucky second day in a row?

Let's find out.

CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis keeping tabs on what's happening.

Hey, Karen.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it doesn't look like there will be much of a break, because we are expecting those winds even to pick up a little bit more as we go into the afternoon. Already, I have watched these wind gusts go from about 19 miles an hour now to around 23 miles an hour. But take a look at this. The temperature is 73 degrees. The humidity is only 18 percent. So, it's very dry. And we have got the gusty winds. Orographically speaking, the wind travels in different directions and different speeds through some of these canyons. And that's why it's so problematic for firefighters to get a handle on all of this.

Now, our other big story, as you well know, has been the flooding across east central Texas. They're saying that, in San Antonio, 47 major streets, as well as roads, have been closed completely. And here's Marble Falls. Now, these are some of the rainfall totals we have as of Monday, 16.5 inches of rain in Marble Falls. If you took a drive about 45 minutes or so to the west-northwest of Austin, then you would run into Marble Falls.

And there are typically about 7,200 residents there. Right now, the rain is coming down all the way from Austin, a little bit lighter here. But the farther south you go traveling along Interstate 35, we do have some heavy or significant precipitation.

All right, let's show you some of the rainfall totals, what we think will happen over the next 48 hours, kind of the bullseye from Oklahoma to San Antonio, some areas between five and 10 additional inches of rain.

But we will keep you updated -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Kara Mcginnis, thanks so much.

LEMON: The Supreme Court called it a term yesterday, and, well, its last big decision was certainly not its least.

Ruling 5-4, the high court sided with parents who object to the use of race as a determining factor in where their children go to school. The court ruled policies in Seattle and Louisville, Kentucky, unconstitutional. And that could force changes to hundreds of similar plans across the country.

Also today, the court sided with a mentally ill inmate on Dallas -- on death row in Texas, rather. In another 5-4 vote, justices ruled that people who can't understand why they're being executed shouldn't be.

PHILLIPS: Immigration reform will apparently have to wait for a new Congress and a new president. The Senate today blocked the measure supported by President Bush, almost certainly killing the whole idea until after the next elections.

CNN's Brianna Keilar is on Capitol Hill. She has been following it -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra. And here's what we won't see, $4.4 billion for border protection, a temporary- worker program, and a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants now in the U.S. That was the plan endorsed by President Bush.

And that is the plan that went down in flames today. So, this was a crucial vote. Supporters of this bill needed 60 votes to keep it alive. And they only got 46.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Disappointed in the outcome of the -- of the -- of the votes there, but understand full well that the inevitable outcome is going to be positive, and we're going to be successful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So, optimism there from Senator Kennedy, one of the architects of the bill.

But some Democrats have said the issue is now effectively dead for this Congress. Remember, it wasn't just Republicans railing against this bill. Sixteen Democrats voted against moving it along as well. Some of them said the legislation would split up families, and it was many Republicans who said the bill was as good as amnesty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DAVID VITTER (R), LOUISIANA: And the message is crystal clear, that the American people want us to start with enforcement, both at the border and at the workplace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And, speaking of that, some Republicans are floating the idea of asking President Bush to sign an emergency supplemental spending bill just for border enforcement. But, again, that's just an idea that's being floated around in the wake of this vote -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Brianna Keilar, live from Capitol Hill, appreciate it.

LEMON: A pro wrestler and what looks like a murder-suicide -- the feds are probing the drug angle.

It's the shocking case of Chris Benoit, shown here with his wife, Nancy. Police believe Benoit killed her, their son and himself this week in their home in the Atlanta suburbs. Federal agents today raided the office of a doctor who treated Benoit, he says, for low testosterone levels -- no word on exactly what they were looking for or found. Benoit visited the doctor last on Friday.

PHILLIPS: The Lake Tahoe fires, the Marble Falls floods, for hundreds of families, the losses are sudden and devastating. So, how can they even begin to recover? Author and spiritual philosopher Deepak Chopra joins us next with some advice.

LEMON: And fish from China banned here in the U.S. We are going to talk to the FDA doctor ahead of it all -- up next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Three-fourteen Eastern time right now. Here are some of the stories that we're working from that CNN NEWSROOM: a new angle in the search for a 4-year-old British girl. Madeleine McCann vanished just two months ago in Portugal. Spanish police have arrested an Italian man and Portuguese woman are investigating whether they might be linked in the case.

The Lake Tahoe fire is now 55 percent contained, but officials warn that flames could start spreading again if the wind picks up.

And the bald eagle today came off the endangered species list. Experts there are 10,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states, up from just 400 in 1963.

LEMON: What fish can you eat? What shouldn't you eat? Which ones are banned? And how do you know? We're going to talk to the doctor from the FDA on this new ban on certain fish from China.

We're back in a moment, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, so, I know this is hard to believe, but you can't always believe everything you see on the Internet. Even video clips that seem purely black and white sometimes fail to tell the whole story.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has an eye-opening look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Have camera, will YouTube. Snippets like these, when launched on the Internet, often spark controversy. What you see may or may not be the entire picture. But it often comes off as virtual truth -- the latest...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was riding a skateboard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: ... Hot Springs, Arkansas. Here, teenagers videotape an encounter with police. Skateboarders were skating where it was illegal. There was a scuffle. Two youngsters, one reportedly 13, were grabbed by a policeman and wrestled to the ground. It became an instant hit on YouTube and sparked a controversy on the streets of Hot Springs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden, an officer came out of the store beside me and ran up to the kid in front of me and started choking him. OFFICER MCCRARY MEANS, SPOKESMAN, HOT SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT: If the subject becomes confrontational, an officer does have the right to defend himself.

DORNIN: A different scuffle got a million hits on YouTube: a student at UCLA Tasered by police after an argument over his refusal to show officers his I.D. card.

Videotaping is nothing new. But now amateur shots can go worldwide in the blink of an eye. Experts say that buzz surrounding YouTube videos often means millions have already made up their minds before there is any rational discussions of the incident.

GLENN GRAVES, FORMER FEDERAL AGENT: They don't wait for the full color, the full facts to develop. It's, "I saw it; that has to be what happened." They didn't see what happened before. They didn't see what happened after.

DORNIN: What wasn't caught on tape here in Hot Springs, says eyewitness Barbara Golden, was one skater jumping on the back of the police officer.

BARBARA GOLDEN, EYEWITNESS: The kids most definitely were out of line. They should have not been skating with that many people down here.

DORNIN: Still, the officer has been put on administrative leave, pending an internal investigation. But none of those details have made it on to YouTube, nor are they likely to.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Atlanta,

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: I guess you can say one city's loss is another city's gain. And guess which city is roping in the most people? Roping in the most people? Does this have something to do with the rodeo?

What's going on here, Stephanie Elam, at the New York Stock Exchange?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeehaw. It does.

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: Hi, Don.

LEMON: Leave it to you.

ELAM: Yes, right. All right. So, do you want to give a guess at all?

LEMON: Well, if you said roping in and you just said yeehaw, it's in Texas, but -- I don't know -- Forth Worth.

ELAM: Nicely done. Give it up to Don Lemon, everybody.

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: They added more than 20 percent to its population since 2000. Dallas' next-door neighbor had the biggest growth, by percentage.

Now, in terms of total number of new people, it's actually New York City that has attracted the most new residents. Gotham has added more than 200,000 new citizens since 2000. That's about the number of people that make up Boise, Idaho, just to give you a little bit of comparison there.

And New York is bucking a trend where the large industrial cities are losing population, Don.

LEMON: (AUDIO GAP) because of the airport. That's why I said Fort Worth, just because of the airport.

ELAM: The airport, yes.

LEMON: Lots more people move there. It's closer to the airport, blah, blah, blah.

So, we talked about growing cities. How about the shrinking ones, and what might be causing that?

ELAM: Yes, well, this may actually surprise some people. Phoenix has taken over Philadelphia as the nation's fifth largest city. The sunshine maybe seems a little bit more appealing there. But cheesesteaks are still pretty appealing, too, for a lot of people, though. So, I don't know. It seems like sunshine is beating it out right now.

LEMON: Wow. Philly was fourth a while back, and I think Houston took over. And then now it's sixth?

ELAM: It's -- yes. And, if you take a look at Phoenix, it's definitely growing. But Philadelphia is just spreading out to the suburbs.

LEMON: Oh.

ELAM: It still has the fourth largest metro area. So, it's still in there that way.

Now, the same is true of Detroit, where the metro area grew as the city shrunk. But, still, there's a trend here. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, and Buffalo have all lost more than 50 percent of their population in the last half-century. So, there's no doubt that the Sunbelt is starting to overtake the Rust Belt, as it were. I don't know if people like being called the Rust Belt, still.

But now let's turn to the markets. The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at 5.25 percent for the eighth straight time this afternoon. We have since seen some market volatility since the announcement, although stocks remain in the black as of now. It's a far cry from the last couple of announcements, which sparked significant rallies.

Taking a look at the numbers right now, the Dow Jones industrials are up 26 points. We actually slipped into negative territory for a minute after the report came out. And the Nasdaq is better by nine points. That's better than a third-of-a-percent at this time.

Coming up: Will the buying pick up as we head towards the closing bell, or has the Fed's statement spooked the bulls? I will return for the closing bell right around 4:00 -- until then, Don and Kyra, back to you.

LEMON: All right. You have got me interested.

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: All right.

LEMON: We will see you then. Thank you very much.

ELAM: Thanks.

LEMON: All right, news we have been talking about, developing news here: The Food and Drug Administration says some fish from China may be contaminated. Five species, as a matter of fact, are banned until importers can prove they are clean.

I want to make sure that ban thing is OK.

To help us sort it all out, the FDA's Dr. David Acheson joins us.

Is it a ban, doctor?

DR. DAVID ACHESON, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR FOOD PROTECTION, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION: It's not exactly a ban, no. What this is, is a hold at the port.

LEMON: OK.

ACHESON: So, if a Chinese importer of a farm-raised fish of five different types wants to import into the United States, they have to prove to us that they do not contain certain drugs that we have concern about.

LEMON: OK. Let's get to the bottom line, because we hear about recalls all the time and certain things that you can't eat. What the average person wants to know is, what can I eat? What can't I eat? Should I stay away from fish?

What do you tell the -- the average consumer about what you're doing today?

ACHESON: The average consumer really doesn't need to be overly concerned about the fish that they currently have at home, in their fridges, in their freezers, or they may buy tonight or tomorrow.

This is a -- a long-term problem that we have been monitoring for some time. We have reached the point where we now feel we need to broaden this import -- holding-import alert to countrywide with -- with China.

The concern is really long-term exposure from some of the drugs that are in these -- these types of seafoods. It's not a short-term- exposure issue. You don't need to worry what's on your dinner table tonight.

LEMON: I know. And I hear you saying that, but people are going to worry anyway, because we heard about -- we heard the same thing when we heard about melamine in dog food. It was only, you know, contained in certain dog foods.

Then there was the toothpaste, the antifreeze in the toothpaste, and now antimicrobials in fish. Are we -- is there anything from China that we can eat?

ACHESON: Yes. I mean, what -- what the Food and Drug Administration is doing, it's continuing to monitor imports from all kinds of countries, not just China.

We have known about these problems with antimicrobials for some time, with antibiotics and other drugs in the seafood for some time, and have been doing something about it. We have been putting individual companies on -- on hold.

What FDA does is -- is, we focus on the products that we have concern about. We do testing, and we -- and we take action. There's a lot of other products where we have no evidence or no concern, specifically.

LEMON: Did any...

(CROSSTALK)

ACHESON: So, when we see a problem...

LEMON: Did any of the fish that -- do you -- you -- you said took off the shelves -- I'm not -- I don't know if that -- or that you're watching for at the borders, or that's going to be imported, did any of those make it to the marketplace? Because, if it did, then I think people do have the right to be concerned. And they should know, when they go to the store, what should they look for.

I know you're saying that they don't -- they shouldn't be concerned, but, if some of that made it to the marketplace, why shouldn't they be? Did it make it?

ACHESON: Well, the important message here for consumers is, how concerned should they be?

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Well, I need to know, did any of that fish make it to the marketplace?

ACHESON: Oh, inevitably, yes, it did. There -- there is fish out there that most likely does contain these very low levels of drugs.

What we're doing here is -- is preventing that from continuing. The important message to consumers here is that those very low levels of drugs will not cause a problem in the short term. If you continue to be exposed to them for years, at higher levels than we have seen, then there is the potential for problems. It's a matter of putting this into perspective.

LEMON: So, then, why are you checking into it? If there's no concern, then why are you checking into it?

ACHESON: I didn't say there was no concern.

The point is that we don't want to over-alarm the public about this this -- this particular issue. There is no need to go running back home and throwing out your -- your fish and your seafood. It is -- it is not a level of concern which -- which warrants that.

What we're trying to do here is to prevent longer-term problems and to essentially take a proactive step to prevent longer-term exposures that could potentially cause a problem.

LEMON: OK, so you have never...

ACHESON: But it's not an acute...

LEMON: It's not an acute problem. I understand that.

ACHESON: Say again?

LEMON: I understand what you're saying.

ACHESON: Yes.

LEMON: It's not an acute problem.

But have you ever had anyone who has been sick from eating any of these foods, to your knowledge? Have you met anyone or have you -- the FDA...

ACHESON: No.

LEMON: Do you have records of that? No. OK.

So, I just want to make sure...

ACHESON: No. We have had -- we have had no -- we have had no reports of consumer illness linked to these products due to the drugs that we have concern about, no.

LEMON: All right. I understand what you're saying. It's an accumulating effect. But these fish have been on the market for years coming from China. So, that's the reason why I'm probing you so much, because, if they have been on the -- in stores for years, and it's an accumulating effect, that's the reason I'm -- reason I'm asking.

ACHESON: Understood.

And what we have been doing is, we have been doing this company by company for a number of years. And -- and it's now reached the point where doing it company by company is not the best way to go with use of resources or to protect the public. It's time to broaden it to the whole country...

LEMON: All right.

ACHESON: ... which is what the action is that we have taken today.

LEMON: Dr. David Acheson, thank you.

I hate to put you on the spot, but I'm just asking the questions that I think people want to know.

So, thank you for joining us today.

ACHESON: Oh, sure. No. Good questions. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead: The Lake Tahoe fires, the Marble Falls floods, for hundreds of families, the losses are sudden and devastating. So, how can they even begin to recover?

Author and spiritual philosopher Deepak Chopra joins us next with some advice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Supreme Court called it a term today, and its last big decision was certainly not its least. In the ruling, 5- 4, the high court sided when parents who object to the use of race as a determining factor in where their children go to school. They court ruled policies in Seattle and Louisville, Kentucky, unconstitutional. And that could force change to hundreds of similar plans across the country.

Also today, the court sided with a mentally ill inmate on death row in Texas. In another 5-4 vote, justices routes that people who can't understand why they're being executed shouldn't be.

LEMON: Well, the school decision is the high court's latest attempt to clarify whether racial problems have racial solutions.

Our Gary Nurenberg has more on the controversies arising in Kentucky and Washington State.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seth? You guys awake? GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seventeen-year- old Seth Dubois (ph) wakes up in his mostly white Louisville neighborhood and spends about an hour and a half on buses to go to a very good school in a mostly black Louisville neighborhood.

HOWARD BRIM, JUNIOR, BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL: I get up at 5:00.

NURENBERG: Sixteen-year-old Howard Brim wakes up in his mostly black Louisville neighborhood and spends about an hour and a half on buses to go to a very good school in a mostly white Louisville neighborhood.

BRIM: Sometimes it's worth the sacrifice. I mean, Ballard High School has a much higher education standard than my home school.

NURENBERG: Those long trips get Howard and Seth to the good schools their parents chose for them. But in order to maintain Louisville's goal of schools with black populations of at least 15 percent but no more than 50 percent, other students have to be turned away because of their race.

DEBORAH STALLWORTH, PARENT OPPOSING SCHOOL PLAN: I'm asking for equity here. I'm asking for fairness here.

NURENBERG: Deborah Stallworth is among the parents, black and white, suing to end the plan.

TEDDY B. GORDON, LAWYER FOR LOUISVILLE PARENTS: It's about actual discrimination that white kids who want to go to their neighborhood schools that are better performing schools are denied entrance into that school solely because of their color.

NURENBERG (on camera): The Supreme Court ruled three years ago racial quotas are unconstitutional, but said at the college level race could be one factor in admissions decisions. As with so much of what it does, the court will be balancing competing interests.

ED LAZARUS, SUPREME COURT LEGAL ANALYST: There's going to be judgment calls about which kinds of programs use race too much versus those that use it in a satisfactory way to achieve a goal that a majority of the court has said is a compelling state goal, which is the idea of diversity in schools.

NURENBERG (voice-over): Bussing fights plagued Louisville and other school districts in the '70s, and the question for the court remains: what role can race play when deciding where kids can go to school? The court has now tried to provide some clarity.

Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The Marble Falls floods, the Lake Tahoe fires. For hundreds of families, the losses are sudden and devastating. How can they begin to recover? Author and spiritual philosopher Deepak Chopra joins us next with some advice. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst is a getting a first-hand look at the damage in Marble Falls, the site of some of the state's worst flooding so far. Rain has been falling in the Lone Star State for days, and dozens of victims have been rescued from cars and homes.

CNN National Correspondent Gary Tuchman tells us one man's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The power of the water. In the Texas hill country, parks ended up with pavement from nearby streets and cars from nearby houses.

(on camera): Your house is two houses behind that and your car came all the way here while you were sleeping?

SCOTT KAMASUKI, MARBLE FALLS RESIDENT: Yes, sir.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Scott Kamasuki is a survivor. His car floated over from the flash flood in his town of Marble Falls, Texas, while he was trapped inside the home he just bought two months ago.

KAMASUKI: You can see my pillow, my little makeshift bed right here. This is where I stayed, you know.

TUCHMAN (on camera): You stayed here because it was so high?

(voice over): Scott's home actually started floating. He couldn't open the doors as the water rose. He was frightened.

KAMASUKI: That's my little girl. I'm glad she wasn't here during this.

TUCHMAN: His neighbors rescued him.

More than a foot-and-a-half of rain fell overnight in Marble Falls. The streets in the small town became raging rivers. Many residents woke up to what seemed unreal. At least 32 people were rescued. All the town's residents appeared to have survived. But some pets did not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I lost my two cats.

TUCHMAN (on camera): So they -- they came and jumped through this window to rescue them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Wow!.

(voice-over): This man's relatives were rescued in this home -- one of many homes and businesses with extensive damage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's obviously put me out of business. But I'm not alone. There's others here.

TUCHMAN: The turbulent waters literally destroyed the tracks and derailed five multi-ton cars of a train. The damage is now easy to see because most of the water has receded. But the ground in this part of Texas is saturated and there is more rain in the forecast.

JOE BEAL, LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY: This is going to be an ongoing flood event. It's not going to be over today.

TUCHMAN: Scott Kamasuki has never owned a home before. His life has now gotten quite complicated.

(on camera): What are you going to do next?

KAMASUKI: I don't know. I'm not sure.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): His sentiments are shared by many in this part of Texas.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Marble Falls, Texas.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, devastating floods in Texas, fires burning homes in California. People in both states are dealing with overwhelming loss, trying to find meaning in the midst of all the chaos.

Author and founder of The Chopra Center for Well Being, Dr. Deepak Chopra joins us to talk about finding that meaning.

If you came face to face with Scott right there that just lost everything, I mean, what do you say to somebody like that?

DR. DEEPAK CHOPRA, AUTHOR, "BUDDHA: A STORY OF ENLIGHTENMENT": Well, at this point, you know, there's no reason to find the meaning behind this. It would be a philosophical discussion. At this point, what we say is, we care about you. Can we help you?

And I think in today's age we have the capacity to help in a huge way. You know, not only psychologically and spiritually, but through physical means.

If our collected intent and our collective caring are enough, we can alleviate the suffering of people like this and many others. So thousands of people are watching us right now. They should be sending e-mails, they should be harnessing their collective creativity to bring about alleviation of suffering, notwithstanding what the official agencies are doing.

For people to know that you care begins the healing process.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's interesting a number of things that you just said, because as reporters, when you're going through journalism school, it's because you feel compassion and you're passionate about people and you want to tell stories and you want to make a difference. That's what everybody talks about in journalism school 101. But you get to a scene like that, you know you have to cover the story, you've got to interview people that have lost so much, but it's uncomfortable. At the same time, you don't feel really good about doing it.

Do you think it's important that we still pursuit and tell that story even though we may feel, wow, I don't want to exploit this person and what they're dealing with, and their feelings and emotions?

CHOPRA: Yes, but listening to their story, we should all be compelled to take some action, even if it's a prayer, because when you take that action internally in consciousness, and then some physical action is followed by that, and the person knows that they're cared for, we have to remember today it's them, tomorrow it could be us, or you, or anyone. You know, life contains suffering. That was one of the first noble truths of the Buddha. And he said the only way we can alleviate that suffering is to recognize that we're all inseparable (ph).

You know, that when we go to the deeper domains of our consciousness, we'll see we're so connected with all this that we will feel compelled to come out of loving kindness and behave in a way that is compassionate. And when there's compassion, there is love. And when there is love, there is healing.

PHILLIPS: Well, we felt that compassion when we caught up with this one woman and her family in Lake Tahoe where the fires are burning.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUE HARTZELL, RESIDENT: We're a really close -- close-knit community. This whole area out here is all of the local people that have been here 20, 30, 40 years. We know practically everybody on this street. We've always been a real close-knit neighborhood, and I just hope that they all rebuild and we can get through this, but I think it's going to take two to five years.

I just wish I knew where they were so I could talk to them and give them a big hug. And I can't believe it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: You talk about compassion alleviating that type of suffering, and what's so hard is a lot of people don't get that until they experience something like this, or they're related to somebody like Sue...

CHOPRA: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... or we meet somebody like Sue.

CHOPRA: We should not have to experience crisis to experience compassion. Compassion is shared suffering. But, you know, the paradox is, when you share suffering with others, and when you actually respond to the suffering with the experience of suffering, somehow that leads to healing. It sets off in your body biological mechanisms that begin to self-regulate your body.

So, compassion is the deeper understanding that the level of spiritual souls, we're inseparable. And we cannot -- if we have problems in the world today, it's because we have a rift in our collective souls.

And, by the way, even global warming, climate chaos, natural disasters of some kind, not all, are related to human activity as well.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about manmade disaster. The investigators are saying that this -- this wildfire was caused -- it was manmade. So whether it was an accident or not -- let's say it wasn't an accident. Let's say somebody did cause this fire.

What causes somebody to do something like that?

CHOPRA: Well, either a person is mentally disturbed, which they should be treated for mental illness when they're not in prison.

PHILLIPS: Which is whole other issue that we can address.

CHOPRA: A whole other issue. Or sometimes, you know, this kind of rage comes from deep humiliation, from alienation, from loneliness, from separation, from fear.

So having addressed the immediate problem, is this arson, was this willful, the second thing is, you know, instead of resorting to punishment all over again -- you know, it's a never solved crime. Punishment has never been a deterrent -- is to understand how, as a society, can we create that atmosphere where people don't feel humiliated, don't feel enraged, don't feel insulted, don't feel alone, don't feel fearful?

Now, that would be the idealistic thing to do. And having said that, I can also say that, you know, these things will always happen. We can only minimize them a little bit. But, this is a part of life.

PHILLIPS: I know you try to create that kind of environment for yourself and everyone around you. Buddha sure did that, and that leads me to your new book. I just want to be able to mention it real quickly -- "Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment".

What is so different about this book about Buddha than other books that have been written about his life?

CHOPRA: Well, it shows the stages of his personal growth and how he conquered his inner demons and ultimately achieved enlightenment.

We all have demons. We all have a shadow within us. And unless we embrace that shadow, learn to bring the light of awareness on that shadow, forgive that shadow, we will not be able to really understand our own nature. And what we call evil in the world is actually the projection of our collective shadow.

PHILLIPS: Deepak Chopra, always great to see you.

CHOPRA: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

CHOPRA: Thank you very much.

LEMON: And speaking of a manmade disasters and a natural disaster, this to report to you. This one is happening -- or just chapped happened in Chile. Specifically in the capital of Santiago.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 has hit the capital city there, and according to reports, rocking buildings and rattling windows. No reports now of any material damage or any lives lost in this or any injuries. But they say it happened local time around 3:25 p.m.

Local media there is reporting that the phone lines were down, and that the quake had prompted some people to leave buildings and run into the streets.

So, again, Santiago, Chile, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 has hit that capital city. We're going to be following that throughout the day and throughout the evening here on CNN.

A pickpocket picks the wrong victim. The lowdown on the beat- down straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Every day at CNN we bring you stories that affect your lives, but all this year we're also sharing stories we hope will encourage you to become actively involved in the lives of others. We call them CNN Heroes.

Well, today, we take you to Washington, D.C., where a woman forced into prostitution at the age of 14 has dedicated her life to saving other victims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Let's go again.

TINA FRUNDT, DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH, POLARIS PROJECT: Men, women and children are being sold each day for somebody else's profit.

I think when we hear about trafficking, we automatically think about what goes on overseas. However, our own children in the U.S. are being forced out every day at 9, 10, and 11 and 12 years old.

KITTY, AGE 17: Sometimes they beat you. They make you go out there, make you stay out all night. They really don't care. You could be 9 years old and you could work for them. ANGELA, AGE 21: People are raped and beaten into submission to do it. You can be killed and, you know, it wouldn't really make a difference to other people because other people would think of you as just a prostitute.

FRUNDT: My name is Tina Frundt. I'm a survivor of child trafficking with the United States at the age of 14.

In my situation, I was a child, and a grown adult who was in his 20s started paying attention to me, telling me how beautiful I was, picking me up from middle school. I found out that he was actually a pimp by going with him to another state.

Some of the things I went through are the manipulation, the violence and the abuse. I went through it, so that's why I think I am so dedicated to helping others. I'm the director of outreach for Polaris Project. And I fight to end human trafficking. I don't want what happened to me to happen to somebody else.

What we do is offer services to women and children who want to get out.

Basically our outreach program started two and a half years ago. We go out into the street and hand out information. We actually go into the courtroom and do outreach. We take clients of all ages. Our youngest client has been 9. The oldest so far has been 40.

Get the number and call, even if it is just to talk. Our number is open 24 hours a day.

I think in this job you have to love what you do and have a passion for it, because it's not a job. To me, it's my life, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: If you'd like to learn more about Tina Frundt's organization or make a contribution, you can find out all the information you need at CNN.com/heroes.

PHILLIPS: Guilty verdicts in the case of a high school fight in Louisiana that for a time led to charges of attempted murder. Seventeen-year-old Mychal Bell was convicted today on reduced charges of aggravated battery and conspiracy. That was among six black students arrested in the beating of Justin Barker, a white classmate.

All the jurors who decided Bell's fate are white. The prosecutor was criticized for initially bringing the attempted murder charges, and he backed off on Monday. That fight came at a time of high school racial tension in a community that' overwhelmingly white.

No word on whether charges will be reduced against the other young defendants as well.

LEMON: Now it's time to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

PHILLIPS: He's standing by in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour.

Hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys. Thanks very much.

Lame duck syndrome setting in. We're watching what's happening, the fallout from the crushing defeat that the president suffered today as far as his immigration reform plan is concerned.

Also, what if Hillary Clinton were to become president of the United States? And what would happen with her spouse? We're watching this part of the story with best-selling author Carl Bernstein. He'll be here in "THE SITUATION ROOM".

And buyer beware, especially on anything made in China these days, at least that's what it seems like. Seafood is the latest product to be added to a growing list of tainted and defective products coming from the People's Republic.

All that, guys, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM".

PHILLIPS: All right.

LEMON: Yes, definitely a concern.

All right, Wolf. We'll be watching. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: The closing bell and a wrap-up of action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LEMON: Now it's time to turn it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM".

PHILLIPS: Wolf Blitzer, take it away.

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