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Foiled London Attack: Apparent Car Bomb Defused; London's Park Lane Closed Due to Separate Suspicious Vehicle; Seafood Warning
Aired June 29, 2007 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning again, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Heidi Collins.
Unfolding this hour, there are new developments out of London after an apparent terror plot is foiled. A road near Buckingham Palace, well, check it out. It is closed. Police have found a suspicious vehicle there.
HARRIS: The closure comes hours after an explosives device is found in another car. Experts diffuse it, possibly saving many lives.
NGUYEN: And U.S. security officials are monitoring the entire situation. Our correspondents are as well.
It is Friday, June 29th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And unfolding this hour, terror alert in London. A car bomb that could have killed and maimed hundreds. Here's what we know.
Britain's anti-terror chief says the car bomb found today is very similar to a major al Qaeda plot foiled in 2004. But officials say it is way too early to make a connection.
Bomb teams safely diffused today's threat, a car loaded with more than 50 gallons of fuel. It also contained nails that could have been launched with deadly force. The car was abandoned in the heart of London, specifically outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus. London commuters were dumbfounded by the scene that greeted them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) about 9:15 and it's all cordoned off. I had come up Shaftesbury Avenue, cordoned off up there. The police tell me it will probably be closed until about 1:00 or so if I'm getting to work. Just waiting to see what happens next, really.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got here about 8:00. Everything was shut off. Just couldn't get to the office. And nobody told us anything.
And then as it started to come through the news, relatives saying, oh, there's a bomb. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And we begin our coverage in the British capital.
CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson is on the scene.
Nic, it has been over 12 hours since this vehicle was discovered. What is the latest on the investigation?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the police are focusing on the forensics of everything that was discovered inside the vehicle -- the nails, the gasoline, the gas canisters that were discovered in there. They're also focusing on closed circuit camera television footage taken in this area, in the early hours of the morning. They're looking and trying to find out who was the man who was seen leaving the vehicle in a hurry outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub.
They have also made appeals to the public to provide information about what they may have seen in this area not only in the early hours of Friday morning, but late Thursday. And right now the police are dealing with another suspect vehicle about a mile from here on Park Lane, a six-lane -- a busy, very busy six-lane highway now cordoned off in the center of London between Marble Arch and Hyde Park Quarter Corner.
So, about a quarter of a mile stretch of road cordoned off at the moment. The police investigating another suspect vehicle there.
We've heard also from the new home secretary here, Jacqui Smith. She's been in her job barely 24 hours. She talked about how serious and how many casualties could have been caused if the bomb here had gone off. And she praised the work of the bomb disposal experts as they -- as they disabled the bomb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACQUI SMITH, BRITISH HOME SECRETARY: What's clear is that a potentially viable explosive device was discovered in the early hours of this morning that, had it detonated, could have caused considerable loss of life. We owe a debt of gratitude to the explosives experts who, because of their bravery, were able to make it safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: And the police, as I say, appealing for people to come forward with information. The police also reiterating that the country is on a high terror threat level, the second highest level possible, severe, meaning that the police intelligence agencies here believe that terrorists not only have the capability, but the absolute intention of another attack. And the police have been expecting another attack like this at any time -- Tony.
HARRIS: CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson for us. Nic, thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, earlier on CNN NEWSROOM, we did speak to a photographer who came across a -- that car bomb there at Piccadilly Circus. And he was able to take pictures of it. We want to give you a recap of what he saw and what you can see for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL WEIR, PHOTOGRAPHER: I was just in the area last night, literally coming home from work. Been photographing around the nightclubs and around the restaurants in -- basically in London, in town, and thought nothing of it.
I literally was on my way home to Trafalgar Square, and on the way I passed this incident. I see all the tape cordons being put up by the police and asked the police officer what the hell was going on. I just didn't understand what was going on.
I just asked him. He turned around and went, "Oh, there's a suspect package in one of the cars." And that was basically it.
NGUYEN: And then you started taking pictures. Did you get any more information as to where the driver was? Where this person fled to?
WEIR: Well, there was rumors flying about that he just fled the scene immediately. I really don't know. That was just rumors of people that were inside the club that just said that he had run. He had run and run and run and got away.
NGUYEN: Could you see the smoke at the time that you arrived on the scene?
WEIR: No. At the time that I had arrived, the police had been already been on the scene for, I would have said, some time. Not very long, about 10, 15 minutes possibly. They had already started to move people away from the area and bringing other people in, like obviously the police and the bomb squad, as well.
HARRIS: So if you would, how chaotic a scene were you witnessing?
WEIR: Well, because it was nighttime, you know, it wasn't as chaotic as what you and I would think it would be in daytime, obviously.
HARRIS: Given the information that you now know, you look back on it and wonder why it perhaps wasn't more chaotic?
WEIR: Well, one as well. And two, I wonder why I was there now. I think if I had known what had been actually going on, I don't think I would have been hanging about.
HARRIS: So as we show some of the pictures you were able to snap last night, maybe you can sort of -- what caught your eye? I know that we have one of your shots -- no, go ahead.
WEIR: It was the stuff in the backseat in the car that caught my eye. It's the stuff that -- I don't know if it was obviously the person who created the attack or whether it was the police of some sort that tried covering up whatever was in the backseat of the vehicle.
And as you can quite clearly see in the photos (INAUDIBLE), there was clearly something on the back of the -- that was covered up by a rug or carpet of some sort. And I'm wondering what was underneath it.
NGUYEN: And we are looking at a picture right now, Daniel, as we're looking to try to determine, as you're questioning, too, what was in that car, we are looking at a picture of the patio gas. When you got on scene, did you know what that was? Did you have any idea that this may have been used to create a bomb?
WEIR: Well, I had an idea like it was caravan gas, or like what you'd use for a gas cooker when you're in a caravan, when you're on holiday and things like that. Or what you -- you know, just general gas, or what you put matting down on the roof with. But didn't realize it was propane.
NGUYEN: How many canisters did you see besides this one that you were able to photograph?
WEIR: The one that I photographed was the only one that I had seen. But rumors were flying about there were two or three others in the car from other people that had been around there before me. But whether that's true or not, I still don't know.
HARRIS: So Daniel, how do you feel? I mean, this is a significant event. As you see the coverage of it today and the fact that you are here with us, your pictures are important in helping us understand this story a little bit better, how do you feel?
WEIR: A bit shocked that I was in the right place at the right time. That really sums up being a photographer, to be quite honest. You know? If -- I can't really say much else to that.
NGUYEN: Well, we do appreciate your pictures. It's shed some light on what everyone is looking into today.
Daniel Weir, who is a photographer there on the scene and provided us with the photographs of the vehicle and the items that were taken out of the vehicle.
Daniel, thanks for your time and your information today. We do appreciate it.
WEIR: Yes. No problem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: But he did get some interesting pictures.
And we are also following another development in London. A section of road closed due to a suspicious vehicle.
Now, CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh is on the scene with much more on this.
And we've been looking at some live pictures throughout the morning. Can you describe for us this vehicle that investigators really had their eyes on right now?
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, officers here aren't letting reporters or anybody else, for that matter, from the public get any closer to this expanding road close-off, as you mentioned. Plenty of roads in this area. I'm on Park Lane, this is part of the street where have just dozens and dozens and dozens of vehicles trying to get home.
They're about a half hour, 45 minutes from the end of the workday and a work week. And there are plenty of people out here on the streets trying to understand why they cannot get back to their offices, why they cannot get back to their hotels, not get back to their construction sites, trying to understand why so many of these streets are closed off.
Of course, as you mentioned, the police are looking at what they're saying is a suspicious vehicle. People on the street here trying to understand just what's going on. A lot of cars, a lot of people, not a lot of information -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes. I know that you're not able to get up close and see it, but what have you spoken with police about in regards to details of this investigation? Do they know what type of car, have they provided any kind of insight?
VAN MARSH: Details in terms from the police, they've been promising to bring somebody down here to address the large number of reporters that are trying to get information. We as of yet have not seen that liaison officer here on the scene.
We're told that, of course, this is a very big day for the police. They are trying to get a handle of this developing situation.
But if you talk to folks on the street here, anybody who for the last couple of hours has not been able to go on certain parts of a large stretch of streets here in central London -- we're talking from Marble Arch and Hyde Park, all the way down to Piccadilly Circus -- if some of our viewers have somebody who's trying to get to Hyde Park this week, who's trying to get to the U.S. Embassy, who's trying to get close to the Brazilian Embassy, for example, try to make alternate plans. From taxis, to polos (ph), to Bentleys, nobody is moving anywhere fast.
NGUYEN: Well, Alphonso, let me ask you this, because it was very early in the morning your time when the car bomb was discovered there in the theater district. And now this other vehicle that is a suspicious vehicle, and it's under investigation right now, near Buckingham Palace. Are people on high alert? Are folks going about their daily business? Or are they really starting to put everything together and become concerned?
VAN MARSH: Well, that's an interesting question. I spent some time this afternoon talking to people actually quite close to where the first vehicle, the Mercedes, was found today. And, for example, I talked to one South African who was visiting London here on business, and he said he got an SMS (ph) from his wife in South Africa, having heard the news on CNN, wondering if he was all right.
He said, you know, he here's here on business. And this is something that he's come to learn that, when you come to a city like this, a city that has experienced terror in the past -- of course, he's referring to the July 7, 2005 bombing -- that you just have to carry on.
We heard the same thing from Londoners. I talked to a mother and daughter who came into central London today actually almost a little bit cynical on this. They said, "What can you do, stop cars from driving into central London? Stop people from carrying bags into the center of town?"
People just have to get on with it (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: Yes, we've heard a lot of that today. In fact, one woman earlier today, Alphonso, said, "You've just got to ignore it." I don't know if you want to go that far, but you do have to get on with your life.
So CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh joining us live on the scene where a suspicious vehicle is under investigation at this hour.
HARRIS: And a new development to tell you about as authorities here in the U.S. monitor the London bomb scare.
Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve joining us from Washington.
Jeanne, good to talk to you again.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Good morning. Tony.
We now have a statement from the Homeland Security secretary, Michael Chertoff. Let me read to you from that.
He says, "At this point, I have seen no specific, credible information suggesting that this incident is connected to a threat to the homeland. We have no plans at this time to change the U.S. threat level. DHS and the FBI have been in touch with our state and local homeland security and law enforcement partners to convey available information."
One of those partners, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was on the radio this morning. He told the audience there that would be some slight ramp-up of security in his city. He said some of it would be obvious, some of it would not be. Meanwhile, our Kelli Arena has been talking to a counterterrorism official in London. They have given her some specifics on the investigation. Notably, that investigators are tracking the ownership of the car. They are making some progress on that. They expect that to be done in fairly quick order. They are looking at forensics, of course. They are also looking at the cameras and what they may yield.
The device, according to this counterterrorism official, was fairly crude. So far, no explosive signatures have been found.
Right now, investigators do not know what the motivation for this was. They say they are not putting a label on this. For instance, they are not calling this international terrorism. They simply do not know enough.
And according to this official, no intelligence came in before this. And there have been no claims of responsibility and no intelligence suggesting any follow-on attacks.
Again, that from a counterterrorism official in London via CNN's Kelli Arena.
The U.S., of course, offering any and all assistance to the British. But if there is any law enforcement apparatus in the world that has the capability to deal with this kind of investigation, it probably is British law enforcement -- Tony.
HARRIS: Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, for us.
Jeanne, thank you.
MESERVE: You bet.
HARRIS: And today's discovery in London comes just a week before a macabre anniversary. July 7th marks the second anniversary of the London transport bombings.
In that series of attacks, four suicide bombers killed 52 bus and subway passengers. All four bombers were British and Muslim. Just two weeks later, British police say they foiled a second wave of attacks in London. They say four men, again, were targeting a bus and three underground stations.
NGUYEN: Well, this weekend on CNN "Special Investigations Unit," on the heels of a potential terror attack in the heart of London, CNN's Christine Amanpour uncovers terrorists' surprising new breeding ground where young British Muslims are being transformed to extremism.
You don't want to miss it. It is Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern.
HARRIS: And we will continue to follow the developments out of London this morning for you.
But in the meantime, seafood alert. The U.S. halts imports of some Chinese fish and shrimp. Contamination suspected.
NGUYEN: Also, parts of the U.S. under water. Treacherous flood zones, and they could get worse before they get better.
The ominous forecast coming up.
HARRIS: And kicked off Amtrak. They say he was drunk. His family said he's a diabetic. A passenger becomes a pedestrian and walks for days.
Can you believe this?
The story coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Well, we told you just a moment ago that we were going to bring you the very latest developments on the London bomb scare. Now take a look at the spot shadow there.
You will see the bomb robot being moved to this suspicious vehicle. Now, this is in the Park Lane section. This is not the Piccadilly location, where the initial part of the investigation has been going on.
But you can see here -- this is Park Lane, not very far from Buckingham Palace. And that robot with the extended arm, I don't know if it just attempted to grab something out or pulled something out of that vehicle, but there is the vehicle in question here. And what's interesting is this is a scene that's been developing over the last hour, 90 minutes or so.
We will continue to follow that developing situation and maybe get some additional information as to what is going on with that scene there. Clearly, some kind of package, perhaps, inside the vehicle that robot is attempting to extricate from the vehicle.
But we'll continue to follow -- don't want to speculate any further -- and get you the latest information as soon as we get it here in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: But the video -- because it was the first time that we actually saw the vehicle. And there was some speculation that it may have been a van of some type.
HARRIS: One of the...
NGUYEN: But obviously it's not.
HARRIS: ... one of the open-top buses even.
NGUYEN: That, too.
HARRIS: Exactly.
NGUYEN: So apparently it is a car from the looks of it. HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: A dark-colored vehicle. And the robot there moving to and from. We don't know what's being exacted, if anything is being extracted at this point.
HARRIS: Right.
NGUYEN: But they're being very careful as they look into this suspicious vehicle.
And we'll stay on top of that for you.
Hey, another story that you really want to listen up for, if you're a seafood lover, especially. The FDA is stopping the imports of five types of seafood from China. And there's fear that they may be contaminated with drugs and unsafe food additives.
Here to talk about it is our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis.
And Gerri, I think, you know, when people think about fish and what they should and should not eat, the big question is, OK, which fish in particular are we talking about?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, you've got to get the facts first, Betty.
You know, what you need to understand is what the FDA is banning from our shores. Right now it's catfish, basa, shrimp, dase (ph), which is also called carp, and eel.
These are farm-raised fish from China, and the problem here is they're chock-a-block full of drugs that are not allowed in this country. Drugs that help these fish stay healthy, live longer, but they are not legal in this country -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Should people be worried about buying this, especially now that you're being told that you shouldn't? But you don't know -- is it still down in the aisle, the seafood aisle of your local store?
WILLIS: Well, you know, don't panic. Look, you know, they're not recalling this seafood. That's not happening. No one's gotten sick and gone to the hospital.
The reality is that these are micro -- I'm sorry, antimicrobials. Those are the products that are in these fish that are such a problem.
And what they do is, over time, if your exposure is long term, years and years and years, they cause cancer in lab animals in research in this country. So we don't allow them in the fish. The Chinese do.
And now the FDA is saying they're not going to allow them in this country. But, you know, rest assured that the FDA is on the case. They've been studying this for six years. And they put out a couple of alerts, and now they have what is essentially a ban.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, that's going forward. But I will tell you sitting here right now, I have fish in the freezer at home. And how do I know if that's not the kind of fish that we're talking about?
HARRIS: Hey now.
WILLIS: Exactly. Well, that's the big worry.
I mean, look, we have all kinds of fish in this case right here. We're at Eastchester Fish Gourmet in Scarsdale, New York. And as you can see, this particular fish isn't labeled.
But if you're shopping, you can ask your fishmonger where your fish is from. And any fish that's in a box at the grocery store or is under cellophane should be labeled to tell you where that fish is from. And that way, you can avoid fish from China.
But I've got to tell you, again, you should keep in mind that there is no immediate danger. You're not going to land in the hospital in a couple of hours if you eat this fish now.
The FDA is saying, go ahead, eat the fish. But, you know, Betty, I'm like you. If I had it in my freezer, I might put in the garbage can right now, yes.
NGUYEN: Better to be safe than sorry, right, Gerri?
WILLIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: Thank you -- Tony.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
HARRIS: OK. We want to show you again some of the pictures that we're following out of London right now. And as you know, the Piccadilly Square (sic) area -- Piccadilly Circus area in London, central London, is often compared to Manhattan, in the theater district in Manhattan. The Haymarket Square area is also compared. That's a theater district there in London, and it's often compared to New York City's theater district.
Once again, let me give you a quick update on what you're looking at right now. These are pictures from the Park Lane area. Not the Piccadilly Circus area, but the Park Lane area of central London.
This is sort of the second investigative front for police now. And this is the bomb robot that is working on this vehicle that you can see ahead of you. And don't want to get ahead of myself here and suggest that something is being extracted, but certainly that vehicle is being checked out pretty thoroughly by that robot.
But that brings us to New York City, back to New York City. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg was asked for his thoughts, his reaction to the London scare situation. Here's what had he to say on WABC AM radio this morning. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK: We will have our police officers give us a full report, because you want to know what happened, what techniques, if there were techniques that somebody was using, and make sure that we are prepared. And we'll take a little bit of extra precaution, although, you know, we have a lot of police officers on the road anyway trying to make sure people don't drink and drive. We have extra police officers on duty this week to keep fireworks out of the hands of kids that can blow off a finger or take out an eye, or even worse.
So we're going to ramp up a little bit, not -- nothing dramatic. Some you will notice, some you won't. But we're cognizant of all this.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HARRIS: And we have some -- a bit more specific information as to that ramp-up that the mayor just discussed there. As a precaution, the NYPD is adding officers to the subways and putting in additional vehicle checkpoints throughout the city.
So the additional measures being taken by New York City, the NYPD, in reaction and in response to the terror scare in London.
We'll continue to follow these developments.
NGUYEN: Well, it's the apple of their eyes. Yes, the iPhone. Those fanatics, they are finally coming out of the woodworks because the gadget goes on sale. And they are waiting in line. We have much more on this in the NEWSROOM.
And you have to see this, OK? Four-legged hybrid seeks same. Check it out. Zookeepers, get this, are looking for a match...
HARRIS: Is that a personal ad?
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Oh.
NGUYEN: But, for a half zebra and half horse. Yes.
HARRIS: Good luck.
NGUYEN: Good luck on finding that match.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Take a look at this new video coming into CNN. You see the robot there right next to a vehicle.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: That is the vehicle in question. A suspicious vehicle that is in the Park Lane area, which is near the Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch, if you're familiar with this stretch of London. But I will tell you that it is in the heart of London and is near Buckingham Palace.
What we don't know is exactly why this vehicle has been deemed suspicious. But apparently, to the point that a robot is being used to determine if there's something in that vehicle that could possibly detonate.
Now, another piece of information that we have been following all morning long is the fact that a car bomb was discovered about three- quarters of a mile away. And that was found a little bit earlier this morning, about 1:00 a.m. local time. And that vehicle not only had smoke coming from it, but investigators determined that there was propane inside of it, also nails.
And it is believed that it was going to be used as some type of a car bomb, which did not, thankfully, detonate. But man, had it detonated, it would have caused a significant loss of life and injury. That according to many authorities there in London.
So many areas of concern today. But investigators are on it. And as soon as there are developments, we will bring it to you.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, back to the stories that we've been following today. A car bomb in central London. That threat has been diffused. But now investigators, they, are looking for clues.
HARRIS: And still to come, homeowners left in ashes as firefighters get a grip on that Lake Tahoe wildfire.
And trouble in paradise. A fire on Maui. Tourists and residents on the run.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: What we're seeing in Texas and Florida and Oklahoma, a lot of this heavy rain will be with us for the rest of the weekend. But the flooding areas have moved around a little bit.
We'll tell you where they are, coming up next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta with this week's "Fit Nation Friday Tip".
Is exercise in your plan for the weekend? Well, I hope it is. But if smoking is part of your plan, it might torpedo your progress with exercise. Exercise can reduce your risk of developing things like cancer and heart disease as well as extending your life. But if you're smoking, you're automatically at higher risk for all of these conditions. That might chip away at your later years. It can be tough to quit if you've been smoking for a long time but rest assured, there's help out there. You've tried quit smoking aids like gums or patches, get a quit buddy or even try a support group. Your body's going to thank you later on. Have a fit-tastic weekend and don't forge to check in at cnn.com/fit nation to join the fitness challenge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Just past the half hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We've had quite a morning for you here. Unfolding this hour, want to tell you more about it, a terror alert in London. A potentially deadly car bomb has been found.
Just a short time ago, another development. Check it out. A stretch of road that passes near Buckingham Palace has been closed due to this, a suspicious vehicle. This is a new video coming into CNN of a police robot searching that vehicle. There's no confirmation on whether it is related to the car bomb discovery. But that car, we're going to show it to you here, at the bottom of the screen, you see the Mercedes, right behind the man walking in front of it. It was packed with fuel and nails and was abandoned outside a busy nightclub. An ambulance crew responding to a call noticed some smoke coming from the car. Explosives experts, they were called in to disable it. And police say, if it had exploded, the bomb could have caused significant injury and loss of life. The incident disrupted the morning routine for many Londoners.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It started here at 9:15 and it's cordoned off. (INAUDIBLE) Avenue, cordoned off up there. The police are telling me it will be closed until 1:00 or so. Can't get to work, just waiting to see what happens next, really.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got here about 8:00 and everything was shut off, just couldn't get to the office. And nobody told us anything. As it started to come through the news, relatives saying there's a bomb.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Police are examining footage from closed-circuit television cameras in that area to determine the information that they're going to need as part of the investigation. Also, terror concerns rippling across the ocean. Yes, just a few minutes ago we learned that New York is adding police officers to the city's subways. Vehicle checkpoints will also go up throughout the city. The NYPD officials say that this is just a move, merely as a precaution and that there are no specific threats.
HARRIS: National Guard troops are on the job in flooded north and central Texas. Boy, we've been telling you this story and showing you these amazing pictures all week and they're going door to door with warning. The swollen Brazos (ph) River is well above flood level. It could surge even higher if a flood gate is opened to prevent a dam from breaking. Thousands along the river have been urged to evacuate. Some are refusing. Emergency crews have had to rescue dozens of people from the fast moving waters. The storms killed 11 people in the last 11 days. Drenching rain is also causing huge problems in Oklahoma, every single county there under a state of emergency. Several people have been rescued and the unrelenting downpours may continue. Is this correct here? Through the week?
NGUYEN: Chad Myers joins us to help sort this all out. All right, Chad, set us straight. How many weeks now has it been raining? These folks may want to start building an ark.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: One of our producers has relatives in Oklahoma with a big wheat farm, not even able to get the wheat out of the ground. They can't get the tractors in the fields because well, it's just too mucky. Marble Falls (INAUDIBLE) my microphone sounds awful. Killeen and Round Rock (INAUDIBLE) Ft. Worth, five inches of rain. I know that doesn't compare to 19 but five inches of rain anywhere is a lot of rain. And then you get back up into Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It's been raining there for a couple of months it seems like now, Shawnee, seven inches of rain, even Enid at almost six inches of rain. It continues to rain in Kansas and Oklahoma, also down through and into Texas.
Texas, you're almost done with this. Yes, there will be some rain for yu, but not like Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas. That's where the weather really is going to be. That where most of the weather is going to be across the country today. Oklahoma City, right into Wichita, into Tulsa as well. OK. Someone is going to hand me a new microphone. That'll work out just great. We had a problem with this on yesterday's "American Morning." Then the problems went away. Anyway, extreme weather for today. Then there are a couple of areas, dry and windy for Lake Tahoe. This is going to be a problem. These winds are going to gust to 35 miles an hour today, guys. Heavy rain in the plains and strong storms. If you're in the Virginias or North Carolina, you can see wind and hail today. Those are our big cities and our big states in extreme weather today. Guys?
HARRIS: You handled it like a champ, Chad.
NGUYEN: Yes, you did. (INAUDIBLE) That's a true professional right there. That's why he gets the big bucks. Thank you, Chad.
People are returning to burned out homes and stark landscapes near California's Lake Tahoe. Look at this video, firefighters gaining on a massive wildfire that's forced evacuations and left more than 250 homes in ashes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's sad but it's not the end of the world. You know? It's not hit me as hard as I thought. But it's sad. 20 years. This whole neighborhood, it's just stuff. That's all it is is stuff.
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NGUYEN: But it was their lives. The fire is 70 percent contained at this point. Some firefighters could be sent home. And fire officials are expected to reveal more about the cause of that blaze. We'll be watching as well. That will happen a little bit later today.
Evacuation orders going out on the Hawaiian island of Maui, a major brush fire just forging or forcing I should say hundreds of tourists and residents along the western edge into shelters. This fire is 80 percent contained but it's bearing down on a subdivision.
HARRIS: Five more U.S. soldiers dead in Iraq, seven wounded. The military says a roadside bomb exploded near their combat patrol in Baghdad. Then insurgents attacked with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire. That brings the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq this month to 98.
A bizarre twist in the deaths of pro wrestler Chris Benoit and his family. The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia told of Benoit's wife's death 14 hours before the couple and their seven-year old son's body were found in their Georgia home. This morning, the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reports someone has confessed to changing Benoit's Wikipedia profile and mentioning his wife's death. The anonymous poster expressed being deeply sorry calling the situation a terrible coincidence. Authorities think Benoit strangled his wife and son last weekend before killing himself.
NGUYEN: Here is a very interesting story. Listen to this. Given the boot, an Amtrak passenger actually left, yes, left in a remote area and now there is a dispute over what exactly happened.
HARRIS: And fighting obesity, one town's solution, go on a diet. We've got the results.
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HARRIS: Let's show you the latest pictures that we have right now into the CNN NEWSROOM of the second site of the investigation that is going on right now in London into that car bomb scare. This is the Park Lane section of central London right now. And you see the car there, next to that trailer, that hauler. That is a car that's about to be moved. Now, just earlier, for I guess the last 45 minutes or so, would you say Betty, we have been watching pictures on and off of a bomb robot that has been working over that car a bit, trying to detect what a suspicious package might in fact be, that was inside that vehicle.
I don't know if we have those pictures. We'll show them to you as we continue to detail what's going on right now. There we go. There are the pictures of the robot. That's a scene that's been developing the last 30 minutes or so of this robot, working over that vehicle. The scene suitably clear now that the car is about to be moved from that Park Lane location, that Park Lane section of central London, being very close to Buckingham Palace. This all relates to the car bomb scare from late Thursday night, early Friday morning, the overnight hour there. This Mercedes vehicle that was found outside of the Tiger Tiger nightclub, again, the Tiger Tiger nightclub. That is in Piccadilly Circus, a very active night life in that area, very active indeed.
So where are we in the investigation right now? Investigators are tracking the ownership of that Mercedes. That was a vehicle that was loaded with gas and nails and some kind of a system, a detonating system. There are simultaneous tracks of the investigation right now, including the forensics work. Investigators are taking the car apart, we understand, looking for clues there. They're also looking through hours of tape from the closed-circuit television system that is pervasive in London. The device in question is described as being fairly crude and explosive device.
But so far, no explosive signatures have been found. Investigators are not sure what the motivation might be. They are not putting a label on this. They are not, for instance, calling this an act of international terrorism, since they just don't know if there was a link at this time. It just hasn't been established to al Qaeda or perhaps an organization, a cell, that is sympathetic to al Qaeda. So that's where the investigation is right now. We'll continue to follow it and bring you (INAUDIBLE) as we get it in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: There's other news breaking today as well Tony. In fact we want to go straight to the CNN NEWSROOM with TJ Holmes and I understand there's a hotel fire in Tampa that you want to tell us about.
TJ HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Let's just go right to the pictures Betty. Awesome fire happening here in Tampa. This is a hotel that is under construction. We understand there were people there working and some personnel there, but not open, it appears, to patrons right now. Again this is a Best Western on Waters Avenue there in Tampa that has flames shooting out the top of it. There's a concern here that this fire has essentially just spread (INAUDIBLE) issue where they had to let this thing burn out because of the construction of the place and some kind of way this fire is just being fed and just being spread and they are not able to get this thing under control and get it stopped and possibly salvage any part of this Best Western. Right now a construction site.
You can see it looks like it's pretty well been put together, maybe getting close to the end of this construction of this hotel, large hotel, a Best Western there. As far as we can tell, we could read the sign, but a construction site still. Bu the flames are shooting out of this thing. There was word from affiliates that possibly two firefighters have been injured. It's up to a four-alarm fire we understand right now, over 60 firefighters, 60 plus on the scene trying to fight this thing. You can see them shooting fire, excuse me, shooting water from several areas around there to the left of your screen. Several streams of water, but doesn't look like it's doing much to this fire here. But no idea just yet how this fire started. So we are keeping an eye on this thing. The issue now, this thing just keeps growing and keeps spreading and they may not be able to salvage this hotel, looked like, just on the outside there, looked pretty much put together. It does look like a construction site, but it's not open yet because it still had construction going on. Again we understand, they did get their personnel out. There were some hotel workers and whatnot there, don't know how many, but were able to get those folks out. You can see there, just a huge fire right now destroying a newly built hotel, guys.
NGUYEN: Two firefighters injured at this point in that. TJ, thank you.
HARRIS: "Your World Today" coming up at the top of the hour, about 11 minutes away from where we are right now. Stephen Frazier (ph) is standing by with a preview and Stephen, can't wait to see your coverage, your team's coverage of the London car bomb square.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a big team and it's working very hard at this hour, Tony, getting a lot of new information which is coming our way. There's suddenly a flood of details emerging from the police investigation. They're out on the streets just literally scouring them looking for more clues about this car they found rigged with propane cylinders, nails and extra gasoline, which they say now could have killed hundreds of people in the night life district of central London.
A second popular section has just been closed down due to the discovery of something suspicious. The first car is now diffused we have learned. Police are telling us they think they know how it was to have been detonated by a remote control. Their work is yielding as I said an awful lot of information just now. So we've got Becky Anderson in London, a slew of the best terrorism experts on the planet with her and our senior correspondent Nic Robertson on the ground as well.
HARRIS: Can't wait, Stephen. See you at the top of the hour.
NGUYEN: Obesity, a national problem. But in one Massachusetts city, they are fighting and they are winning. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Somerville, Massachusetts, population, 77,000. It's a modern day town with modern day problems, including surging rates of obesity.
MAYOR JOE CURTATONE, SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS: A third of our population is foreign-born. We have our challenge of very dynamics. Somerville is a very dynamic city and we don't have a lot of (INAUDIBLE). So we have to be very strategic in how we encourage active living.
GUPTA: Four years ago, Tuft's University nutritionist along with city officials put the community on a diet to help its citizens, especially children, keep their weight down. Restaurants offered healthier foods and smaller portions. Bike paths were upgraded and school menus added more fruits and vegetables. People were encouraged to walk or bike to work. Kids, like Jonathan Lentini were told to get out and play and watch what they ate.
JONATHAN LENTINI, SOMERVILLE STUDENT: Like what do I think is really good and if it's healthy or not. GUPTA: And it worked. After studying almost 1,700 Somerville elementary school kids over a year, researchers discovered children in this Boston burb gained weight at a healthy rate while youngsters their age in two nearby towns gained more.
PROF. CHRISTINA ECONOMOS, TUFTS UNIVERSITY: All children are gaining weight as they grow. What we want to do to prevent childhood obesity is prevent excess weight gain.
GUPTA: Since the study ended, the city has kept up its healthy attitude. Researchers feel if other communities follow the same steps as Somerville, they, too could help their future generations avoid the obesity epidemic. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
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NGUYEN: To get your daily dose of health news, all you have to do is go online. Log on to our website. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and also some information on diet and fitness. It's all there. The address, cnn.com/health.
HARRIS: Kicked off Amtrak. They said he was drunk. His family says he's a diabetic. Passenger becomes a pedestrian and walks for days.
NGUYEN: Also, terror alert in London, the latest out of the British capital. What we know and what it means.
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HARRIS: A St. Louis man's family is upset with Amtrak. The family of 65-year-old Roosevelt Sims says he was kicked off a train outside of Williams, Arizona, the area remote with no running water and Sims, a diabetic. That was Sunday night. Sims was found walking along a road late last night. Amtrak says Sims appeared drunk and that's why he was kicked off the train but his family says he was sick.
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BRIAN MASON, BROTHER KICKED OFF TRAIN: They thought he was drunk, intoxicated but actually he's a diabetic and we just found him last night.
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HARRIS: Amtrak says a conductor waited with Sims at that stop in Williams but Sims ran off when police showed up. Sims is in good condition, despite several days on the road.
NGUYEN: OK. Want to check out this video. You're seeing stripes?
HARRIS: What am I seeing?
NGUYEN: On some portions of that, whatever that is where those stripes shouldn't be. Talk about a horse of a different color? We are going to explain.
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NGUYEN: Check it out. You don't see it every day, part zebra, part horse, this zorse or zeorse (ph) or whatever you want to call it. It is generating a lot of attention at a wild animal park in Germany. It seems that the animal's mom spent some time at a ranch in Italy where a handsome zebra let's say made an impression. Eleven months later a female zorse is born. Now zorse is looking for a boyfriend to join the corral. Good luck on that one.
CNN NEWSROOM continues in one hour from now. Kyra Phillips, Don Lemon, they are tracking the latest developments out of London.
HARRIS: Next, "Your World Today" and its extensive look at the today's foiled terror plot. Remember, when it comes to news happening across the globe and here at home, no one can match our fast resources. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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