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Bush Losing GOP Support; More Iraq Deaths; Wildfires Blaze On

Aired July 08, 2007 - 17:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up next in the "Newsroom," the monthly death toll for U.S. soldiers in Iraq hits double digits in the second week of July, while the president continues to lose support from members of his own party.
Plus, the western heat wave of last week in this country now burning up the East. But the heat is still on out west. Take a look at this: wildfires up and down the coastline.

Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you are in the "Newsroom."

It was only a matter of time after months without meaningful rain. Thousands of acres of forest and fields have all but exploded out West. Large fires are burning in at least nine states in an arc from Arizona all the way to South Dakota, where a person died there today.

And overnight, high winds in a region of central Washington state fanned a formerly small brushfire. By morning, authorities ordered evacuations of more than 250 homes.

The biggest single fire is burning in south central Utah. The so-called Milford fire has so far charred more than 282,000 acres. It has forced on and off closures of Interstate 15 and has forced the evacuation of a local power plant.

CNN's Kara Finnstrom is standing by for us near the northern end of the blaze. She is in Cove Fort, Utah.

Kara?

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, fire officials have been telling us all day long that there could be more evacuations, more road closures, freeway closures throughout the day because this fire is so unpredictable right now.

And just to the south of us, residents are telling us that a stretch of the interstate has just been closed. They're in the process of shutting it down. And you can see why. Huge plumes of smoke coming up from the horizon there.

This fire, so far we know, has charred about 160,000 acres. They are hoping to get helicopters up and do some GPS mapping to get a better feel on exactly how much acreage has been lost.

Shea, joining us right now -- Shea Hodges; owns a Chevron right behind us. And you were here trying to protect your Subway station that's part of this Chevron.

Tell us a little bit about how this went down last night.

SHEA HODGES, CHEVRON OWNER: Well, it was just me, my brother, my mom -- we were all here. And, actually, the guy that owned the rock cabin -- well, souvenir cabin right there, we were kind of joking about it, not thinking too much of it.

We saw heavy smoke here to the south of us and we were more concerned about that, because we had airplanes bombing over here across the freeway to keep it from jumping. So we didn't think it was going to jump.

So my dad called and said, "Get the truck, full of water. Get the pressure washer. Let's wet down to the station."

While I was filling up our tank with water, my brother -- he was already down here soaking it down. And the wind kicked up -- jumped the freeway. Just a massive black cloud of smoke. It was huge. And he saw hot coals burning and it started to hit us. So we just got out of there.

FINNSTROM: And that's the story we're hearing from lots of folks out here, just very swift-moving fire. Lots of concern right now about the windy conditions -- very parched, dry earth.

And, of course, there are a number of other fires burning throughout the West right now because of those exact same conditions.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kara Finnstrom, thanks so much.

And stay with CNN for the latest on the western wildfires. We'll have more later on this hour and throughout the evening as well.

Well, the heat wave that plagued the West is now heading toward the East Coast -- Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. All could be feeling the heat this week.

CNN's Gary Nurenberg is live in Washington where it's very hot and humid, as it typically is. Here he is with the latest.

(LAUGHTER)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, the good news -- they're saying the good news is right now it's only about 93 degrees. We found lots of people at the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival who came out today. Thousands of others probably stayed away because of the heat.

But as we traveled around Washington today, we found many tourists who were willing to brave it and were happy to be doing so.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NURENBERG (voice-over): Performers at the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival were in tents, had fans, but it was hot work. And organizers set aside some shade for them to get a break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we do lemonade and iced tea and lots of water.

NURENBERG (voice-over): Some brought their own shade.

(on-camera): There's not a cloud in the sky. What are you doing with an umbrella?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I don't get sunburned.

NURENBERG (voice-over): There were other methods.

(on-camera): What are you doing with a map on your head?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keeping the sun off my gourd.

(LAUGHTER)

NURENBERG: Does it work?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

NURENBERG (voice-over): Others are convinced that hats...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... make a very big difference, cools you off, keeps you cool.

NURENBERG (on-camera): You got a perfect day to show off solar panels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We sure do. (inaudible) some of the best conditions I've ever seen.

NURENBERG (voice-over): So why put up with it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's just so much to see and do. You know, a little bit uncomfortable, but it's lots of fun.

UNIDENTIIFED MALE: Free fans, y'all. Free fans. As many as you want.

NURENBERG (voice-over): He had plenty of takers.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NURENBERG: Actually, I was one of them at one point. D.C. has declared a heat emergency. That means that additional services are available to those who need them. That happens when the heat index, Fredricka, reaches 95. And the bad news -- we told you the good news, it's only 93 -- the bad news: Tomorrow they say the temperature are going to go up markedly. The humidity is going to get up markedly. And it is simply going to be much worse.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. Keep those fans and A.C.s going, and drink lots of fluids.

(LAUGHTER)

NURENBERG: OK.

WHITFIELD: All right, Gary, thanks so much.

Well, the Baltimore health commissioner has declared a code red alert that runs through Tuesday. Code red signals unhealthy air. People, particularly children and the elderly, should limit their outdoor activities.

Code orange indicates moderately unhealthy air. Car pool if possible and limit your exercise outside.

And code yellow means moderate air quality. People are advised to consolidate trips and conserve electricity.

And code green, well, that means the air quality is in the good range.

So Baltimore is moving aggressively to get its folks prepared for the heat wave. So joining me now by phone is Baltimore's health commissioner, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein.

Thanks so much, Doctor, for being with us.

So what is the best advice that you're dispensing right now to people there in the Baltimore area?

JOSHUA SHARFSTEIN, BALTIMORE HEALTH COMMISSIONER: Well, we have declared a code red heat alert through Tuesday and we want people to really take care of themselves in the heat and look out for their vulnerable neighbors, particularly.

So we've set up cooling centers around the city. Mayor Sheila Dixon's convened the fire department, the transportation department, the housing department and the commission on aging, and we're really focused on making sure the most vulnerable people can get access to a cool place if they need it.

WHITFIELD: And one big obstacle for a lot of folks who are very vulnerable who need to get into a cool place is getting there. So how do you get some of the folks to these shelters, or these cool locations, if getting around is one of their difficulties?

SHARFSTEIN: We have a 311 system in the city. And when we declare a code red heat alert, people can call 311. And if they're in trouble, then we can send transportation to them. Obviously, if they're very sick, they get an ambulance. But there's also, for seniors, a special transportation program where we take them to the cooling centers. And then in an extreme event where say a housing complex loses power, we can even send buses.

WHITFIELD: And I know one big problem for a lot of, say, row houses in the Baltimore area is that many people don't have air conditioning. And many of the vulnerable are kind of trapped inside their homes.

Is there any kind of program in place there in the city of Baltimore to perhaps get some free fans to people?

SHARFSTEIN: We do have that, and that's one of the things we use 311 for. And there's been, I think, several hundreds requests that have come in already this summer.

We also have a program where doctors and nurses report to the health department if they're worried about particular patients who may be fragile. And we'll send outreach workers out there. And we've installed air conditioners and fans.

It's definitely a challenge, because everybody remembers what happened in the mid-90s in Chicago when hundreds of people died. And through surveillance and vigilance and then a variety of different things we want to make sure that we don't see anything like that.

WHITFIELD: Exactly. No city wants to see a repeat of that.

So there in Baltimore, do you feel like you have a pretty good handle of it, or did you feel like this heat wave kind of snuck up on you?

SHARFSTEIN: Well, you know, I don't want to get too cocky. So far we have not had any hyperthermia-related deaths in the city, which we're very pleased with. But last year we had 16 and we know -- every day is a potential challenge.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Joshua Sharfstein with the Baltimore health department.

Thanks so much.

All right, let's check in again with Jacqui Jeras in the severe weather center.

So all kinds of precautions are being taken, at least along the East Coast, for this heat wave. Meantime, you know, folks out West are dealing with a heat wave of their own.

JACQUI JERAS, METEOROLOGIST: Yes, absolutely.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: ... a lot of fires. JERAS: Yes, a lot of people dealing with a lot of different kind of weather going on. And the heat is one of the biggest stories in affecting millions of people.

For those of you that are in the East, the heat is just beginning here, from D.C. on up toward Baltimore and into Philadelphia. The heat index well into the 90s today.

But tomorrow we're going to be looking at upper 90s and likely even in to the triple digits as we head in to Tuesday.

So watch for (inaudible) seems to be building over the next couple of days. And the longer that it sticks around, you know, the longer that danger is going to be with you.

And don't forget to check on your pets too.

And look at the difference. You can really see where the jet stream is here -- 66 degrees in Portland while it's 89 degrees right now in Boston. Those high temperatures tomorrow are going to be way up there in the East and into the Southwest.

And how long is it going to be lasting? Well, sticking around for the better part of the week. We're really peaking out by the middle of the week, and then we're going to start to taper off a little bit.

We've already begun tapering off here in the Southwest. Temperatures have dropped about three to five degree, but still quite excessive. And with those hot temperatures and tender, dry vegetation, we have lightning strikes on top of that, and that's what's sparking all of those fires across parts of the West.

We're especially concerned about parts of Utah and Nevada for dry thunderstorms today. We'll have more on that coming up a little later on the show.

WHITFIELD: All right, looking forward to that. Thanks a lot, Jacqui.

Meantime, more disturbing numbers out of Iraq tonight. The U.S. death toll for the young month of July is eye-opening. That story coming up.

Plus this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENERAL RICK LYNCH, COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES, IRAQ: I believe with the forces I have now in the battlespace to which I'm assigned, it's going to take me July, August and September to clear the enemy from those sanctuaries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Frank talk from an American general stationed in Iraq. He says it is simple: the U.S. military needs more time to achieve its goal. More words straight ahead from the general in the "Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A suicide bomber in northern Iraq detonated two tons of explosives Saturday. The result: absolute carnage.

Here now is CNN's Frederick Pleitgen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ambulances rushed the injured to a nearby hospital after a car bomb ripped through a busy market at Amerli village 100 miles north of Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): "I heard a loud explosion," this resident says, "then saw many people dead and injured."

PLEITGEN (voice-over): More than 150 were killed and 250 wounded, one of the deadliest attacks in Iraq at the end of a week of increased violence.

Only two days ago a car bomb exploded next to a wedding society in southern Baghdad killing more than a dozen people. The explosion targeted a photo shop just as the bride and groom were having their picture taken.

U.S. commanders in Iraq say they believe especially Sunni insurgents are stepping up their attacks, not just against civilians, also against coalition forces. Still, one commanding general says he believes the U.S. should maintain its increased troop levels in Iraq, this so-called surge brigades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENERAL RICK LYNCH, COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES, IRAQ: And the enemy only responds to force and we now have that force. We can conduct detailed kinetic strikes. We can do cordon and searches. And we can deny the enemy the sanctuaries.

If those surge forces go away, that capability goes away. And the Iraqi security forces aren't ready yet to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Most of the victims of the Amerli village market attack were Shiite Turkmen, in a region that until this week had seen very little of the violence that is engulfing large parts of Iraq.

Frederick Pleitgen, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Twenty-nine U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of this month; 3,607 have been killed since the beginning of the war.

An extremely candid assessment of the violence in Iraq given by a U.S. general commanding U.S. forces outside Baghdad. Major General Rick Lynch told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Iraq needs to recruit more troops to secure the country on its own.

General Lynch also says it's futile to set a specific date for the U.S. mission in Iraq to be complete.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENERAL RICH LYNCH, COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES, IRAQ: Everything in combat is about timing and everything takes longer than you think it's going to take.

I believe with the forces I have now in the battlespace to which I'm assigned, it's going to take me July, August and September to clear the enemy from those sanctuaries, deny him his ability to build the bombs, to store munitions and train and conduct attack inside of Baghdad. It's going to take me through the summer months.

But that's just the clearing piece. The holding piece is going to take a lot of time. We got to have a sustained security presence so that the enemy can't just come back.

So people keep wanting to put a time frame on this. It's just not possible. There are too many conditions that we don't control.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The theory, though, was that the U.S. would go in and take charge, but then Iraqi forces would come and sustain the area and maintain the security. But what I hear you saying is that these Iraqi forces are by no means ready to do that.

LYNCH: Well, it's not just a theory, Wolf, it's also their practice. In our battlespace, as we clear, we stay there until Iraqi security forces come forward -- either Iraqi army or Iraqi police. But that's a limiting factor.

So they have to generate more capable Iraqi security forces to be able to (inaudible) sustain security presence, not allow our coalition force to even go deeper into the enemy territories.

So that is, indeed, the long poll in the tent.

BLITZER: Well, can we be specific in terms of the Iraqi military? There are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi military and police forces that have been trained, albeit in various degrees. How much more time do they need to really step up to the plate?

LYNCH: In my battlespace, which is the southern belt of Baghdad and the southern provinces, I've got really two Iraqi security force brigades I deal with -- an Iraqi army brigade and Iraqi national police brigade.

The Iraqi army brigade, candidly, is quite capable, very competent (ph), has great leadership and have great effect in our battlespace. Only one brigade. And you need about another brigade worth of troops to be able to secure in that area.

Same with the national police on the east side of the Tigris River. We could use about three more battalions of security forces on that side.

And they're not there yet. But the Iraqi forces, you either got to reposition them or they got to generate them.

And we've seen a lot of recruiting going on in the last couple of months. I know they're trying to generate additional capacity in the security forces.

And at the same time, as you know, we're working for local security forces trying to find those people in the local areas that are willing to provide security for their homes and villages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: General Lynch also says his troops have found numerous Iranian weapons during insurgent raids.

Well, some of President Bush's loyalists are calling for change in Iraq. A live report from the White House just 20 minutes away.

WHITFIELD: So far, more than 160,000 acres of Utah have burned. Still ahead, a CNN Reality Check (inaudible) so many wildfires across the nation every summer. You just might be surprised at the answer.

Plus, this: Some of the most popular artists on Earth sing a song to save the planet. The story next in the "Newsroom."

(COMMERICAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Global concerts to combat global climate change. That was Live Earth.

Yesterday's 24-hour music marathon on all seven continents was meant to draw attention to climate change and build support for the fight against climate change.

Former vice President Al Gore helped to close out the final concert. He asked people to commit themselves to a seven-point pledge to combat global warming.

CNN's Brooke Anderson was in East Rutherford, New Jersey, when the final curtain came down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sending an environmental SOS, the worldwide Live Earth concerts came to a close on a strong note at its final destination.

The eight hour New Jersey event included Keith Urban and Alicia Keys bringing the house down with the Rolling Stones' "Give me Shelter."

And Melissa Etheridge captivating the audience with this impassioned performance.

But just before the Meadowlands, Live Earth hit the nation's capital.

Former Vice President Al Gore is the man behind the message. He maintains stumping not for political office but for the environment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And thanks to these fantastic performers in helping to launch this global effort to solve the climate crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Dave Matthews was singing for a cause he believes in, having set an example for other artists by greening his own concert tours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE MATTHEWS, SINGER: There are organizations that have made that a possibility. And we had the resources to step in to join their efforts.

ANDERSON: Because it can be expensive.

MATTHEWS: Yes. And, also, the more people that do it, the less expensive it becomes. That's sort of how everything will work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): And Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall has taken steps to lessen her impact.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KT TUNSTALL, SINGER-SONGWRITER: So I have a forest of 6,000 trees in Scotland...

(LAUGHTER)

... eating all the carbon from my CD production. And I use biodiesel buses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Gore asserts this is the beginning of a three- to five-year campaign to fight global warming. But critics, including singer and activist Bob Geldof, who was instrumental in two previous global benefit concerts, say Live Earth lacked final goals.

Not so, insists Gore and artists who took part.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALICIA KEYS, SINGER: Here we are, people really taking -- putting our lives to the right, coming together for a moment in time, I mean, all over the world and really showing a unanimous front -- a united front.

And I think that that's -- that in itself is an important statement, to make, that we can all come together and say that this is not something that should continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Full of hope and optimism and a potential audience of two billion, Live Earth ended with this from The Police, Kanye West and John Mayer.

A fitting end to a massive event intended to be a global cry for help.

Brooke Anderson, CNN, East Rutherford, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So in a word, it's hot outside. You know that if you've been outside, but especially if you live in the East Coast. Isn't that right, Jacqui?

JERAS: Yes. I think that was three words, by the way.

WHITFIELD: OK, sorry.

(LAUGHTER)

JERAS: And this is just the beginning, unfortunately, Fredricka. The heat has started. It's going to be getting worse over the upcoming days if you live in the Northeast. We'll have the latest on that and some severe storms in the upper Midwest.

Coming up.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Also coming up -- it's a scene we see just about every summer: wildfires destroying thousands of acres.

When we come back, a surprising look at how the flames get started anyway.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's getting hotter on the East Coast, but the nation's power companies seem to be saying everything is cool. There won't be another blackout.

I'm Jim Acosta. That story coming up in the "Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The monster heat wave that baked the West is now heading into the Midwest and to the East Coast. Washington and several other big cities are bracing for some very hot weather. Temperatures in the high 90s are being predicted.

So we're getting storm damage reports coming out of Florida now. Here's video from Port Orange that's in Volusia County. You're seeing a damaged apartment building and a nearby restaurant.

The National Weather Service now confirms it was a tornado that touched down yesterday. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in the weather center.

Boy, we got a whole lot on the map, don't we? You know, we've got tornadoes -- or is it something else?

JERAS: Well, it was a tornado yesterday. National Weather Service meteorologists went out. They thought it might have been a microburst. And, basically, the difference is that a tornado rotates, right.

A microburst comes in a down draft, so it comes down really hard and spreads out. And that's what causes some of the straight line damaging winds. That's why those guys have their jobs and go out there and assess some of that damage.

Not really worried about tornadoes, but some straight line winds and also a lot of hail expected. And there's a severe thunderstorm watch from the Twin Cities. It's heading on up toward Green Bay and into Marquette, Michigan.

There is a severe thunderstorm warning right now in effect for Washington and Ramsey counties. This includes you in St. Paul, Minnesota. We've already gotten some reports of golf ball-sized hail in Eagan. That part of the storm is now heading toward north St. Paul and Woodbury and then heading over toward the St. Croix River.

And watch out in the Hudson area, as it may be holding together for you.

Well, lightning, but not a lot of rain to go along with it -- has been the big problem across parts of the West. Look at all these lightning strikes. This is how many that occurred in the last hour.

Now, I checked my computer right before I went on the air and it said there were about 9,000 strikes just within this column area in 60 minutes. That's just incredible.

And so when you don't get the rain to go along with it, you've got the drought conditions going on, that's going to be sparking more fires. And we had about 30 new large fires that occurred in the last 24 to 48 hours. The greatest threat of some of these dry thunderstorms developing this afternoon is going to be in parts of Utah -- right near the Milford fire area -- and on into central parts of Nevada.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: So parts of more than half a dozen Western states are now under siege today because of the smoke and the flames. Wildfires are burning in Nevada, as you just heard, California, Oregon, Washington State, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, boy, the list is long, New Mexico and Utah.

High winds are fanning the flames of a brushfire in central Washington State. So the fire burned close to 1,000 acres there. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated as well. Central Utah has been hit hard. A massive wildfire near Milford has scorched more than 282,000 acres.

A 100-mile stretch of I-15 yesterday reopened today after flames jumped highway yesterday, making it pretty frightening to travel on that span. And the flames are also putting a large geothermal power plant at risk.

So the dangers out West could get worse. Fire officials expect the fire risk to increase as the hot, dry summer goes on. We're only half way there through the summer. Our Josh Levs has been checking it all out in this "Reality Check" about how big this problem is.

It's big.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's huge. And you know, you see these scary pictures, and sometimes it's hard to get a sense of how big a problem this really is for America. And every year we are talking about it. So that's what I'm going to guide you through here very quickly.

It's just how big a problem this is. We are going to start off by taking a look at where the big wildfires are that are blazing right now. Now you should be able to see -- see that map right there? OK. Every red dot on that map is a current fire that has consumed more than 500 acres. So what you're seeing, folks, is just what's going on right now.

And they are largely concentrated, as we've been telling you, you've got that swath of the West, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada -- or Nevada, sorry, and Southern California. Yes, I know. Now here you go, here are the numbers, all right?

This season already nearly 50,000 fires have burned more than 2 million acres, and more than 900 structures have been destroyed. A lot of those homes. But we're only part way through the season, as Fred was just saying.

Last year more than 83,000 fires burned more than 9 million acres. So just that bit so far, you can already see how devastating it has been. WHITFIELD: And folks automatically expected it's arson that sparks a lot of these flames, but there are other reasons too.

LEVS: There are. In fact, I looked into those numbers today. And this surprised me. This is really interesting. The vast majority are caused by human, but not necessarily arson. Each year more than 80 percent of fires, according to federal figures, and that can be a dropped match, cigarette embers, camp fires, exhaust sparks from railroads, and sometimes it is arson.

And then the ones that are caused by nature, they generally come from lightning. So what the federal officials actually do, they break it down in to two categories. Lightning and human causes. And then among the human causes, you have got a sliver that is purposeful.

WHITFIELD: Right. So are we seeing more wildfires, or at least large fires, brushfires, than ever before?

LEVS: Yes, well, one thing we do, you know, is we always look for patterns. Because we want to see what's being done? Is it helping? Is it hurting? And unfortunately there's no clear sign of a pattern at all. Last year was the most in 10 years. Last year was the biggest year for fires since 1996.

And I -- today I was looking at the figures for every year over last 10 years, and they go up, they go down. You never know. And a lot of that has to do vicissitudes -- can I say that? With the changes in the weather. You've got, you know, the wind, the temperature and the humidity, they all play important roles.

WHITFIELD: Right, and the thunderstorms.

LEVS: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: You mentioned the lightning.

LEVS: It's the thunderstorms, and you can get all this dry brush. So at any given time, given the combination, you know, you might have the exact same fires started in the same way, or two fires started in the exact same way, but having extremely different results based on what's going on in the weather.

WHITFIELD: Wow. All right. I like that. We learned a lot. I think it's very complex. It really is. You know, it's not as simple as like you said, dropping a match or not putting out your campfire.

LEVS: And you know, people are fighting really hard to make it better. You've got all of these advances in technology, all of these efforts, and yet each year you're seeing all of these fires. So clearly, there is a lot of people are trying to figure out what can be done.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And it's dangerous battling it, too.

LEVS: Yes. Very dangerous.

WHITFIELD: All right. Josh, thanks so much.

LEVS: Thanks a lot.

WHITFIELD: And now, the dark side of a heat wave. And we're not just talking about the wildfires. Well, if temperatures go up, so do air conditioners, and that puts a whole lot of pressure on the grid. But officials are assuring nervous New Yorkers there will be no repeat performance of the notorious 2003 blackout. Remember that? Here to tell us why and all about it, CNN's Jim Acosta -- Jim.

JIM ACOSTA: Hi, Fredricka. It seems every year as the mercury rises, so do worries about the nation's power supply. But as you said, the energy industry is all but guaranteeing there won't be another big blackout this summer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): Even though temperatures are predicted to hit the 90s in the Northeast this week, another big blackout is not just around the corner. So say the big energy companies who insist they can take the heat.

FRANK KOZA, SYSTEM OPERATIONS PJM: We think we're in good shape for this coming summer and we don't expect to have problems in serving all of our customers.

ACOSTA: PJM oversees the power grid for 13 northeastern states. The same grid that took a nosedive in the country's worst-ever blackout of 2003. Leaving 40 million Americans in the dark, it caused a staggering $6 billion in economic losses. Con Edison is also optimistic, but just last summer, 175,000 people in Queens area of New York sweltered without air conditioning for nine days leading to protests and complaints of mishandling the outage.

MICHAEL CLENDENIN, CON EDISON SPOKESMAN: We've got a lot of new equipment in place, a lot of new cable that is in place since last summer to hopefully minimize and prevent what happened last summer.

STAN JOHNSON, NERC: We have learned a lot lessons from what happened back in 2003. We have applied those lessons.

ACOSTA: Stan Johnson works for the nonprofit watchdog over the nation's energy supply that just last month gained authority to find power companies that violate industry standards. Johnson says that overall U.S. grids fared well last summer.

JOHNSON: Well, if you use last summer as an indicator, we had 14, 15 sustained days of over 90 degrees in the Northeast, and the system held together very well. So we believe that we can survive 14 or 15 days and the system is a bit stronger this summer than it was last summer.

ACOSTA: But the next crisis is looming, unless the nation starts building new power plants within five to seven years, energy analysts fear the return of the blackout of '03.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And energy officials say there is no magic silver bullet for the ever-increasing power demands. It is up to consumer, they say, to use less by conserving energy -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jim, thanks so much.

And this just in. Some good news about that 3-year-old girl in Nigeria who was kidnapped on Thursday on her way to school. Well, now British Foreign Office there is confirming that the little girl, Margaret Hill, has been released, that her parents are expressing great relief. The photograph of the parents you just saw just moments ago.

What happened was this 3-year-old girl, Margaret Hill, was in a car on the way to school in Port Harcourt when she was snatched from the vehicle. Many demands were being placed on the family to win her release. Then a number of authorities from British authorities and even Nigerian authorities got involved and now we're hearing some good news.

We don't know all the details as to why her captors did decide to finally release her, but the good news is, this 3-year-old girl, Margaret Hill, has been released and we're still awaiting some information about how she's doing after this very frightening encounter over the last few days.

Now, coming up next, there appears to be no end to the violence in Iraq. In fact, nearly 30 U.S. soldiers have been killed this month already. Numbers not lost during the growing debate in Congress. Isn't that right, Ed Henry?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. In fact, Republican pressure is growing on President Bush to change course dramatically in Iraq. I'll have that story coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: An attack north of Baghdad killed more than 25 Iraqis today. The suicide car bomb targeted a crowded market. Nearly 50 others were hurt. The U.S. military announcing the deaths of more service members. Five of them killed in bomb attacks in and around Baghdad. Twenty-nine U.S. soldiers have been killed in the first week of July. More than 3,600 have died since the war began.

Daunting numbers that are putting more political pressure on President Bush. Adding to that pressure, some of the president's most loyal lawmakers are calling for change in his Iraq strategy. Here with the story, CNN's White House correspondent Ed Henry -- Ed.

HENRY: Hello, Fred. And that pressure is not just building within the U.S. government here in Washington, it is also building within the Iraqi government in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HENRY (voice-over): After a weekend at Camp David, President Bush is facing a Senate showdown this week with Democrats planning a series of votes on an Iraq exit, just as a growing number of Republicans are urging Mr. Bush to pull out most U.S. troops.

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: I would think the majority of our forces could redeploy by the mid-point of next year, probably before that time, but by then. And I've advocated, a majority too, to come out of Iraq.

HENRY: Music to the ears of Democrats facing pressure from liberals to end the war.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: It is time for you, you Iraqis, to pull together and work your way out of this civil war.

HENRY: But there are worrisome new signs Iraqi leaders can't stand up on their own, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki facing a possible vote of no confidence by the Iraqi parliament that could bring down his entire government.

MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I can tell you one thing, that after Maliki, there is going to be the hurricane in Iraq. It will be extremely difficult, nearly impossible, to form a new government after Maliki.

HENRY: U.S. military commanders continue to plead for patience on the security front.

MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ: So people keep wanting to put a time frame on this. It's just not possible. There are too many conditions that we don't control.

HENRY: But Republicans are divided on whether time has run out.

SEN. CHUCH HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: Political support for this war is gone, it's eroding.

SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: All you hear is an onslaught against the war. But the question that has to be asked is, what do you do if you pull out? What happens then?

HENRY: In fact, key Republicans like Senator Lugar are stopping short of endorsing Democratic plans that would mandate timetables for withdrawing U.S. troop by early next year, and that is raising questions about whether these Republicans will back up their criticism of the president with actual action that will force a change in policy -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ed Henry, thanks so much, in Washington. Of course, we'll be talking a lot more about Iraq strategy, all that straight ahead with much more if the NEWSROOM with Rich Sanchez.

Hello.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I brought my boss to work today. My 6-year-old daughter.

WHITFIELD: Your daughter.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: The one who cracks the whip.

SANCHEZ: She's over there learning how to do the weather with Jacqui Jeras.

WHITFIELD: I love it. Oh, there she is. I see her.

SANCHEZ: I'll tell you, when you've got three older boys, and then you finally have a daughter, guess who rules the roost?

WHITFIELD: Girlfriend.

SANCHEZ: You're pointing at her, girlfriend.

WHITFIELD: I like it. I like it. Girl power.

SANCHEZ: Hey, we've got a couple of interesting stories. First of all, at 7:00, there's the new benzene alert out, and benzene is a product that is really a by-product of a bunch of chemicals that we all drink. You'd be surprised the things that it's in.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.

SANCHEZ: Diet sodas and the like. And people are saying that if we continue drinking these things, we may not get it right away, 20, 30 years from now, we're all going to have cancer. So they're trying to force the big companies to take that stuff out of the drinks. And we're going to have a special report on that. It is coming up at 7:00.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That is depressing.

SANCHEZ: Yes. I know. And if there's something to it, I want it out.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I want to know.

SANCHEZ: Can I tell you something? I go through a lot of diet sodas in a day. And still, I'm not sure it works all that well, but you know.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: The other thing we're going to do is, you know, this Libby argument, whether the -- not the pardon, but the -- what George Bush has done with the commutation of Libby's sentence. You know, a lot Democrats are comparing it to the Marc Rich case, which is what Clinton did. Is it really? I mean, is it really analogous or is it a difference? Maybe it's not for us to say, but it certainly will be from one guy on the right to say and one guy on the left to say. And that's what we're going to do. We're going to bring two people in, one from the left, one from the right and let them essentially hash it out.

WHITFIELD: Duke it out.

SANCHEZ: Duke it out in one of those debates that we are so good at as well.

WHITFIELD: Duke it out at 10. And you'll be in the middle.

SANCHEZ: And it's an important subject. It really is, because there are a lot of demagoguery going around on this thing. And I think it's important and imperative for the viewers and Americans to find out what's really going on here.

WHITFIELD: We'll be listening and watching.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks.

We'll be listening and watching to the boss back there.

SANCHEZ: Yes. She'll be running this place. Got to get her out of here.

WHITFIELD: That's right. She's your EP for the night. I like it. All right. Thanks a lot, Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right-y. Bye-bye.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, China, it's economy just might be booming, but its food safety standards, not so good. How bad is the problem? Should you just walk away when you see "imported from China" on any food label, or any label, for that matter? An expert who separates fact from fiction, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Toxic toothpaste, poisonous pet food, human food you wouldn't want to put in your mouth. Some Chinese imports have taken a beating lately. Their safety standards called into question. But how much of these warnings are overblown, hype or legitimate concern? Grant Aldonas is a former undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce. He now focuses on international business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And he's live in our Washington studios for a frank discussion on this growing problem.

Good to see you.

GRANT ALDONAS, CSIS: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, all of these reports make us a lot -- make a lot us, rather, wary of any kind of Chinese-made food products or even toys and even pet foods. Is it all blown out of proportion or is it really that bad?

ALDONAS: Well, the first thing you have to say is, we imported over $200 billion worth of goods from China, and compared to that, these are relatively minor instances. Yet having said that, they're serious and they're dangerous things that are coming out on the market. And it points to a failure I think primarily on the Chinese side, but on the U.S. side as well.

There are things consumers can do I think to offset that risk, relying on branded products, looking for an underwriters laboratory label, things like that. But it's a serious problem.

WHITFIELD: So on the Chinese side, what's to blame here? Is it that they are trying to meet such growing demands of particularly from the U.S., and so trying to stretch some of the products by adding things that they shouldn't be adding?

ALDONAS: Well, it's multiple problems. These are problems that affect the sale of goods in China as well as export sales. Their standards aren't up to international standards. The competition is only on price, it's not on the brand name or the quality that that brand name stands for. And so there's a huge incentive to cut costs.

And as serious, I think, as the central government is about addressing the problem, their reach is not actually that strong out in to the provinces where the regulation has to take place. So it's really a problem on multiple levels, which they acknowledge.

WHITFIELD: But dishonesty is an issue as well. Because it can't be merely coincidence that many of these products are being contaminated unknowingly. There is intent here to look into?

ALDONAS: Yes -- no. I think that's exactly right. And the intent is largely among small, non-branded manufacturers in China. I think you can find quality Chinese products. And certainly when a U.S. branded manufacturer like a Procter & Gamble or a Kellogg's or a General Mills goes out in to the world and its supply chain, it really tries to ensure safety. But what you have to be very careful about are the unbranded products, where there is every incentive to be cheat.

WHITFIELD: So does the onus have to be on the U.S. to say, you know, we're no longer going to accept X, Y, Z products until you get your act together, across the board, period?

ALDONAS: That's exactly right. I don't want to suggest that we shouldn't rely on our own government to do more in the way of inspections and certainly to hold other products coming in to the market. For someone who believes in free trade like I do, it's all about serving the consumer. And if there is not a quality product out there, you're not serving the consumer.

And that's an obligation of our Customs Service, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Agriculture, across the board, all of which have had their budgets cut in recent years.

WHITFIELD: Grant Aldonas of CSIS, Center for Strategic and International Studies. Thanks for your time, in Washington.

ALDONAS: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Also coming up next, they are some of the most wonderful places in the world, hands down. At least that's what many of you decided, and many of you agree. More than 100 million votes for the New Seven Wonders of the World. The list, next, right in the NEWSROOM. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL ARMSTRONG, FORMER ASTRONAUT: The Great Wall of China.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Petra, Jordan.

PROF. FEDERICO MAYER, FMR. DIR. GEN., UNESCO: The Statue of Christ the Redeemer.

BERTRAND PICCARD, BALLOONIST: The Pre-Columbian Machu Picchu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So that's how we learned about the New Seven Wonders of the World announced yesterday. One wonder at a time in Lisbon, Portugal. CNN I-Reporters have been busy sending in their favorite shots of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Ana Almonte took this photo of Peru's famed Machu Picchu. Marcus Pennell captured the majesty of India's Taj Mahal in this wide angle shot. That's beautiful. And I-Reporter Doug Black took this photo of the Great Wall in China. And David Turkel captured the mysterious quality of Jordan's Petra in this snapshot. And here is a wider look at the ancient ruins of Petra. They were popularized by the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

And on a visit to Mexico, I-Reporter David Hunnes took this picture of the Chichen Itza pyramid. And Mike Fredregill -- oh boy, I know I messed up that name, Fredregill, how's that? Snapped this photo of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And just to round out the list visually, here's the shot of Rome's ancient Coliseum.

And if you'd like to share a photo with CNN, just log on to cnn.com/ireport. Maybe you've been to any one of those seven places.

So much more ahead on CNN. We'll continue to monitor the raging wildfires out West. Expect any instant updates as needed.

Also at 8:00 Eastern, the war in Iraq is breaking down the U.S. military and its equipment at an extraordinary pace. Coming up, and unprecedented "CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT," "Battlefield Breakdown."

And then at 9:00, actor Isaiah Washington's first TV interview since he was let go from "Grey's Anatomy" after using an anti-gay slur. A "LARRY KING LIVE" you don't want to miss, CNN tonight, 9:00 Eastern. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Rick Sanchez will be along with the NEWSROOM again at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

But first, "LOU DOBBS THIS WEEK" Right now.

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