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St. Louis Arch Reopens; How YouTube Impacts Race to White House; Google Working on New Internet Technology; Trends in Housing for Hispanics
Aired July 22, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA LONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, fires, floods and mud. It is a weekend of extreme weather. Also, tourists say please get me out of here after dozens wind up stuck inside the St. Louis arch. And we are counting down to the CNN/YouTube debate. What would you ask the next president?
Hello, I'm Melissa Long in today for Fredricka Whitfield and you're in the NEWSROOM.
And we start with more on the extreme weather that's happening all across the country today. First, a series of mud slides in central Colorado that chased dozens of people out of their homes. At last report, Alpine was covered in mud and floodwaters, six feet deep in some spots. But no one has been reportedly injured.
We are still awaiting updates and we will keep you posted. The latest floods to hit waterlogged Texas, they're receding today. Yesterday, emergency crews rescued dozens of people rescued from fields, roads and rooftops mostly around San Antonio.
Dozens of roads were closed. A woman who drove around the barricades got her car stuck in rising waters. Well, she faces two counts of child endangerment.
In other parts of the west, wildfires continue to fan fears. A fire erupted yesterday west of Rapid City, South Dakota. It forced the evacuation of up to 100 homes, no reports of any injuries. Flames calmed overnight but could flare up again today, temperatures could top 100 degrees.
And at last report the fire in Kern County, California, threatened a number of homes. Fires are also burning in Santa Barbara County to the north and along the California-Oregon border. A lot for Jacqui Jeras to keep track of today in the CNN Weather Center. Hey, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LONG: Also I want to continue talking about the weather, but internationally. Now parts of England are under water after torrential rains spanning the past few days. One report says flood damage could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. In the western part of the country were especially hard hit along with parts of central England. We have much more on this story later for you. St. Louis' famed gateway arch is back in business. Last night it lost power and stranded about 180 people. Two trams were stalled for about two hours. Julian Grace with our CNN affiliate KMOV has been following the story and joins us now live. Good afternoon to you.
JULIAN GRACE, KMOV CORRESPONDENT: Hey, how are you doing, Melissa? Well, I've got to tell you, it's business as usual here at the arch, but that was not the case last night when some of the residents in this community called it organized chaos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE (voice-over): Saturday night at 9:00, emergency vehicles rushed to the gateway of the west.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, that's clear.
GRACE: Once on the ground, firefighters stormed inside the arch trying to get 200 people stuck in the south and north tower out.
JULIA JEWELL, TOURIST: Granny, listen, Robert and the kids are stuck in the arch.
GRACE: While crews worked inside, family members and friends worked the phones outside trying to get in contact with loved ones stuck inside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We came to the top of the arch. We are stuck here.
GRACE: Julia was only left with a voice mail on how her friends could not get down out of the building. Then two hours passed and family and friends just waited and waited for this whole ordeal to be over. Then finally the doors flung open and the celebration started. While there were some who were glad to place their feet on solid ground, others had complaints about how this whole ordeal was handled.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of them made a comment, well, if you want to get out that bad, jump. But that comment should not have been made.
GRACE: A day later, crews told everyone about what caused the mishap. They say a cable broke which shorted out the electricity causing a power outage which resulted in 200 people being stuck in the arch.
PEGGY ODELL, SUPT. OF JEFFERSON MEMORIAL: All the safety measures for the tram kicked in. They stopped in place. They stayed where they were.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: Melissa, the north side of the arch is open. However, the south side of the arch is closed. They say they're going to keep it closed for further precautions. Melissa? LONG: All right Julian, a cable broke. So many people head to St. Louis, they want to go in the arch. People want to know how often are these cables monitored or even changed?
GRACE: One of the representatives from the arch told us the cable is monitored each and every day, however, they only switch out the cables once a year so they may change that procedure.
LONG: All right. Julian Grace from KMOV, our affiliate out of St. Louis. Julian, thank you.
A baby girl kidnapped at gunpoint in a home invasion has been found. Five-month-old Madison Erickson was found this morning at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Police issued an Amber Alert yesterday when kidnappers snatched the girl from the adoptive mother's home in Mississippi. The FBI and military police arrested the girl's biological mother, Jamie Kiefer and they also arrested her biological aunt, Rikki Swan. Authorities say they are looking for a man they say took part in the kidnapping.
Former televangelist Tammy Faye Messner has died. Her ashes were entered in a private service yesterday in Kansas City, Missouri. Messner rose to fame as the wife of televangelist Jim Baker. She divorced him after he was convicted of defrauding PTL followers out of millions of dollars. The 65-year-old was often lampooned for her excessive makeup and false eyelashes. She suffered from colon cancer for more than a decade and it recently spread to her lungs.
We're going to be talking about presidential politics coming up in the NEWSROOM. We will take you live to South Carolina and see who is ahead in the latest CNN poll. It's close among the candidates. And the leaders just might surprise you. Also, counting down to tomorrow night's CNN/YouTube debate. We're going to take a closer look at the impact YouTube is having on the race for the White House.
And later, a massive fire burns a whole city block to the ground. Where it happened and now the aftermath ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: And now to the campaign trail and the early primary state of South Carolina. The candidates have spent a lot of time building strong organizations in the Palmetto State and for some it is paying off. CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider joins us now live from the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Bill?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Melissa. Well here in South Carolina, we're looking at a competitive race. In fact, maybe several competitive races.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): You don't need to go to Darlington Raceway to find hot competition in South Carolina. In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton is leading Barack Obama, with John Edwards running third. Clinton and Edwards are closely matched among whites. Two candidates do better with black Democrats -- Clinton...
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: In the next two hours, I think we will talk about more issues important to the African- American community than the Bush administration has in six-and-a-half years.
SCHNEIDER: ... And Obama.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have more work to do when more young black men languish in prisons than attend colleges and universities across America.
SCHNEIDER: Clinton's strong black support accounts for most of her lead in South Carolina, but she faces serious competition from Obama.
Look who's leading the Republican race in South Carolina -- a former mayor of New York City with moderate views on some social issues.
RUDY GIULIANI (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ultimately, there has to be a right to choose.
SCHNEIDER: South Carolina conservatives have not yet rallied behind a favorite. Giuliani is leading, with Fred Thompson showing strength even though he isn't in the race yet. Conservatives admire Giuliani's record on terrorism and his defiance of liberals in New York.
GEORGE WILL, CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST: I would say that your next speaker produced the eight most consecutive years of successful conservative governance in the 20th century in America.
SCHNEIDER: One more hot competition. South Carolina's supposed to be a solid red state. But President Bush's current job approval rating is 35 percent. Right now, more South Carolina voters say they would vote for a Democrat than a Republican for president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: So if South Carolina is up for grabs, well you know Republicans have got to be worried. Melissa?
LONG: Bill, let's talk about a recent poll. It's a CNN/Opinion Research of about 1,000 registered voters and it puts Clinton with a 16-point lead over Obama in terms of African-Americans. Why does Obama trail Clinton in this regard?
SCHNEIDER: The name Clinton is magic among African-American voters. They revere her husband. Remember someone once called him, I think it was Maya Angelou called him the nation's first black president and it spills over to his wife as well.
He's an admired figure and they thought -- they did do very well under President Clinton so they'd like to see a Clinton restoration.
And here's something else kind of interesting. When we asked in the same poll who do you think would be more likely to beat the Republican in November, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, African- American voters gave an even wider lead to Hillary Clinton, meaning they have some questions about whether an African-American can be elected.
LONG: Interesting research indeed. CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider, as always, thank you.
And if you have the opportunity, what would you ask the presidential candidates? Well, I'm asking you because you actually have the opportunity with the CNN/YouTube debates. The first one is Monday with the Democratic hopefuls and we have been collecting your questions for the candidates. Thanks so much for sending them in. Here's a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMANDA: My name is Amanda. I live in Auburn, Alabama, and this question is for all of the candidates. I've been waiting since I was in high school for any politician to actually have an idea that is practical enough to fix social security. Do you have a plan to fix social security that goes beyond talking? And if so, what would that be?
DAVID LUM: Hi, this is David Lum from Rochester, New York. In the evening we here in the Rochester area have very few clear stations. We count on the Internet to be able to hear the programs of our choice. What can you do to help us out? Thank you.
JOY MEREDITH: Hi. My name is Joy Meredith, and I'm an independent voter from Chicago. My view is that we live in a very complex world and in order to powerfully lead us as the next president, you're going to need to come through Washington gridlock and support yourself with the most brilliant people and be open to the brightest ideas where you find them.
So in that vein, I'd like to ask the Democratic candidates which one of the Republican candidates that you might face next year has a brilliant idea you might be able to utilize? Thanks so much, best of luck to you all.
JAMES KOTECKI: I'm James Kotecki and as you can see, I'm wearing a Bluetooth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Thanks so much for sending them in and later this hour more adventures on YouTube with political blogger and YouTube showman James Kotecki.
Here are some of the more popular stories you'll find on CNN.com today. A scary scenario, talked about this a moment ago, want to make sure you're up to date on the story out of St. Louis. Getting stuck inside the towering gateway arch, it's one of the more popular stories. It happened to a group of tourists last night, a large group, after a power outage. About 80 people were trapped in the arch's trams, another 100 were stranded at the top of the 630-foot landmark and it took up to three hours to evacuate everyone. Many of you have also been clicking on to CNN's review of the final "Harry Potter" book. Don't worry, I'm not going to give away the ending. It is a fascinating overview of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and two juicy tidbits about J.K. Rowling's finale, loopholes are closed and characters reveal their true nature.
Also generating a lot of interest on CNN.com, a tall tale that is true. Developers of a skyscraper in Dubai say their building is now the tallest in the world at 1,680 feet. That tops Taiwan's Taipei 101 by 13 feet. The building, it is still under construction and its final height is actually being kept a secret.
Staying with the Web, online giant Google is looking to expand its reach to your cell phone. The company has proposed a multi- billion-dollar plan to change the way people access the Internet wirelessly. So could a Google phone be around the corner? CNN's Josh Levs reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the leader in online searching and it controls YouTube, not to mention Google Earth, making you feel like Google's world, we're just living in it.
Now the Internet giant wants to enter a new ring. The competition for your wireless service, the company has announced a $4.6 billion bid for a chunk of the wireless spectrum up for auction next year.
But like all things Google, this bid has a unique spin. It's contingent on some big changes in the wireless world. Google wants open devices and applications so you could use any company's software and services on your phone. It also wants open services and networks, meaning whoever owns the spectrum would have to let other companies use part of it to offer customers their services.
Google says the point is to create more competition giving customers more choices. Analysts say the changes might make more people interested in accessing the Internet over wireless devices and it would let Google deliver ads to customers without having to strike deals with the wireless providers.
Some providers openly reject the changes. Verizon issued a statement saying "Open and fair auctions serve everybody best. To rig the auction in any way to limit its value and potential to deliver exciting new products and services would be a huge disservice to the nation. Corporate welfare for Google is bad public policy."
So there's a fight. Analysts have long cautioned don't underestimate Google.
KEVIN HEISLER, JUPITER RESEARCH: They have more information, more data about more businesses online than any other company in the world, so that has them well prepared to succeed in whatever business they decide to move into. LEVS (on camera): The question now is whether the Federal Communications Commission will ultimately agree to Google's conditions. Analysts say if Google gets its way, a Google phone might one day follow. Josh Levs, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Searching for a new home can be time consuming and, of course, costly. So in one city, Latino families are expanding their real estate horizons. We'll explain coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN THOMPSON, I-REPORTER: From where we were looking, we could see people running away from the intersection. From where we were, it looked like from Grand Central Station and post 9/11, one of our worries was that it could be a terrorist attack.
ELENA STRATIGOS, I-REPORTER: My sister and I were watching television when our lights flickered. We could sort of feel the building vibrating a little bit. The first thing we saw was this huge column of dark smoke going up. Had no idea what was happening.
NICK PARISH, I-REPORTER: There was a roar like a fire or something like that. It was steady and pretty loud from where we were. It was almost like there were people standing around watching like old faithful or something in the middle of Manhattan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you can see more of these amazing videos and send in your own. Just point your browsers to CNN.com and look for the i-Report logo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: I hope you're having a good Sunday. Of course, there are a lot of open houses held around the country on Sundays. If you've been house shopping lately, you know how expensive it can get. Well many Hispanics looking for an affordable place to call home are now buying into areas they once avoided. CNN's Gary Nurenberg reports on the trend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The decades return to the city real estate boom has hit long-established Latino neighborhoods like this one in Washington, D.C.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of properties have even doubled from what people bought in 2000-2002.
NURENBERG: In Washington, those out-of-reach housing prices have prompted Latinos to buy in traditionally African-American neighborhoods where homes are more affordable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you have very or low income that is the place to buy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (though translator): This was our dream.
NURENBERG: Flores Saremos (ph) liked the economics, but worried about buying in a quadrant of the city with a troubling crime rate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our friends were telling us that this was a dangerous place and that we were going to die, but the people are really nice to us.
NURENBERG: It's not always that easy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When new groups move in who are linguistically different and culturally different and look different from area residents, there's often tension.
NURENBERG: The Garcia family felt welcomed when it moved next door to Mary Owens.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody has accepted the family very well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bernie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bernie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very friendly with the little girl, Irma, and she's very, very friendly. She plays with the dog out back all the time.
NURENBERG: The city is trying to boost the economy of the area by building a new stadium for its baseball team, the Nationals. Washington's Latino Economic Development Organization advises prospective home buyers it's not much of a gamble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those who are willing to take the chance to get into a unit now are going to see their wealth increase.
NURENBERG: The economics in Washington illustrate a national trend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So lots of new communities across the country are experiencing this new migration at the same time.
NURENBERG: It's changing the look and feel of communities as merchants begin stocking products previously found only in Latin American enclaves. Economics may be spurring the migration to new neighborhoods but the real bottom line isn't just about money. For Irma Garcia, it's.
IRMA GARCIA, HOME BUYER (through translator): For my kids so they can have a brighter future and for my family to be more at peace.
NURENBERG: Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LONG: The fight against al Qaeda in Pakistan is still a major concern for the U.S. and for Pakistan itself. CNN's Barbara Starr gets to the heart of the issue with joint chiefs chairman General Peter Pace. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: It is half past the hour. Here is what's happening today. Slip sliding away, days of heavy rains cause a massive mudslide in central Colorado, and it is creating chaos for about 125 homeowners in and around the former mining town of Alpine. There are no reports of injuries but plenty of damage.
In Texas, they are drying out, cleaning up after days of torrential rains there. The National Weather Service reports some parts of the state saw 17 inches of rain in just 12 hours.
Rooting out al Qaeda militants in northern Pakistan. The White House is calling this a top priority and insists the U.S. is ready to do more to get the job done. President Bush's homeland security adviser says the U.S. is committed first and foremost to working with Pakistan's president in his campaign to crack down on militants.
But says U.S. efforts won't stop there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCES TOWNSEND, HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: The president has made perfectly clear that job number one is protecting the American people. There are no tools off the table and we use all our instruments of national power to be effective.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN'S LATE EDITION: Are you ready, the United States government, to go in and use direct military force against whether Taliban or al Qaeda elements inside Pakistan?
TOWNSEND: No question that we will use any instrument at our disposal to deal with the problem of Osama Bin Laden, Al Zawahiri, and al Qaeda.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Pakistan's foreign minister warns any U.S. military incursion into his country would backfire by alienating the Pakistani people. He also says Pakistan's army is in the best position to crack down on al Qaeda militants.
CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has been traveling with Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Peter Pace, and she discovered the fight against al Qaeda in Pakistan is a major concern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): U.S. military commanders tell CNN that Pakistan's new military offensive in the tribal region may publicly be an effort to rout out militants but they are watching closely to see if President Pervez Musharraf really can shut down the Taliban and al Qaeda safe haven. Traveling in Germany General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, detailed the kind of help the U.S. is willing to offer.
GENERAL PETER PACE, CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We're working real hard with President Musharraf, offering to work as closely with Intel and with and with contic (ph) effects 0as comfortable as he is working with us.
STARR: U.S. officials believe Pakistan plans to send an additional 20,000 troops to the area. But Musharraf has launched attacks before and struck a deal with tribal leaders to keep terrorists out of the region. None of it has worked. The Bush administration is pressuring Musharraf in light of evidence al Qaeda is once again running training camps and planning operations. Any U.S. military help would be limited.
PACE: If he needed support of fires or he needed some kind of other air support, if he were to ask that, we would certainly sit down with him and see how he's going to be used.
STARR: Pace ruled out any U.S. ground troops.
PACE: We're not going to be on the ground in Pakistan. We're not looking to cross any borders into Pakistan.
STARR: So in the nearly six years since 9/11, one essential problem remains unchanged, how to attack terrorists inside Pakistan, which has a sometimes-questionable commitment to the war on terror.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Germany.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: So just how much confidence does the U.S. have in Pakistan's ability to fight al Qaeda? CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us about a half hour from now with a live report from Washington about this.
It could become a mantra; never underestimate the power of Youtube. And as Democratic presidential candidates prepare for the first-ever Youtube debate, CNN's Jacki Schechner takes a closer look at the rise of a Website that's nothing without you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever his name is.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was one of the most talked about moments in last year's campaign, Senator George Allen's controversial remark to a young campaign aide working for his opponent. It was caught on camera and it was a hit on Youtube and Allen lost his seat in the pivotal Virginia race that helped Democrats win control of the Senate. MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: If it wasn't for Youtube, it's conceivable that today George Allen would be one of the front- runners for the Republican presidential nomination.
SCHNECHNER: The presidential campaign has had its own share of Youtube hits.
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN: You cannot go to a 7-eleven or a Duncan Doughnuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That old beach boy song "bomb Iran." bomb, bomb, bomb --
SCHNECHNER: And Youtube is forcing presidential hopefuls to explain past positions by giving old debate clips new life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country.
GARR MAC, WDEF TV: Mr. Thompson, do you support or oppose laws that prohibit abortions for convenience?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do not believe that the federal government ought to be involved in that process.
AMY WALTER, HOTLINE: Has it had an impact? Of course. But I think, to me, what's more interesting is from the strategists' point of view, which is when to react and when not to react to Youtube.
SCHNECHNER: The site spotlights one candidate each week and they can ask anything they want.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What do you think our campaign song should be?
SCHNECHNER: Youtube is empowering average Americans to impact the political process like never before. Candidates no longer have total control over their message and that's forcing them to change the way they campaign.
Jacki Schechner, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Earlier I spoke with political blogger James Koteci, his Youtube videos focus on the '08 presidential election. And he will be a part of our debate coverage on Monday night. I started by asking about which candidates are doing the best job of promoting themselves online.
JAMES KOTECKI, POLITICAL BLOGGER: I think the most interesting use of Youtube by candidates right now comes from the candidates who are sometimes called the third tier candidates, the candidates who aren't doing very well in the polls and there for are more willing to take risks with the technology and don't have the money to put out highly priced ads but intimate personal message on Youtube with little more than a camera and an Internet connections.
On the Republican side like Tom Trancredo, also on the Democratic side Dennis Kucinich has been making a number of personal video responses to people who respond to him. That may not mean he's going to win in the election but it makes him look like he cares about people as individuals and as human beings and I think that reflects positively on his campaign.
LONG: How do you think that big candidates can achieve the most exposure, the most success online for those who have yet to join that rank and achieve that success?
KOTECKI: Well, almost every candidate is using Youtube. A lot of them are using Youtube to essentially rebroadcast old speeches that they've given, old clips that they've done on CNN or something like that. And that's really not the most effective way of using the medium, I don't think. I think they have to create their own content. For example Hillary Clinton, she created the "Sopranos" video. That got a lot of attention. You don't have to do something that highly produced. It can be the novelty of a politician reaching out to an individual on the Internet and talking to that person directly. Not only will that individual get a lot of benefit from that but everybody who watches it will think here is a person who actually cares about people like me.
LONG: You're saying create content and you've cited the spoof on "The Sopranos." Do you think it has to be something that's a departure from regular campaigning or can it just be the standard question and answer that they've put online?
KOTECKI: Yeah, I don't think it has to be overly funny or overly elaborate. Certainly Youtube is in itself a somewhat of a departure from standard campaigning, if you look at how the medium is much more interactive than any other that came before it. I agree it doesn't have to be a departure from a Q&A session. I think that would be great if a politician would consistently take questions from people and then respond through videos. One politician who is doing it is Congressman George Miller. He's not running for president but he has a program called "Ask George." I think more and more politicians are starting to catch on.
LONG: At the same time, though, candidates clearly have to embrace this in order to get their message across, there is the other side of it where they are perhaps perceived in a different light if tape or video arrives on a Website and they didn't intend it to be there.
KOTECKI: Right. Yeah, it's absolutely a double-edged sword that now politicians can have their own channel and create their own content and say directly and exactly what they want. So people who support that politician, who aren't necessarily affiliated with the campaign, and certainly people who do not support that politician and want to see them fail, you've seen a lot of attack ads on Youtube that have actually gotten a lot of attention because of that.
They're easy to make especially if you can take old clips from the politician, show them being inconsistent or saying something offensive. As we've seen with the George Allen incident in 2006, you can bring down a campaign because of this.
LONG: And do be here Monday night to see how the Democratic presidential candidates answer your questions as they square off in our CNN/Youtube debates. Anderson Cooper hosts this first of its kind event live, it is interactive, it's on television, it's online, CNN.com only on your home for politics. Again, CNN, Monday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold is getting a lukewarm response to his latest proposal of censuring President Bush. Today Feingold said he will soon introduce two resolutions condemning the president for mismanaging the Iraq war and, quote, the repeated assault on the rule of law. It doesn't seem to be getting traction among fellow Democrats and Republicans are expected to block a vote on the resolutions. Still, Feingold does not seem discouraged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD, (D) WISCONSIN: Let me just say it's a sad moment in our country's history when you have to think about actually censuring the president of the United States but giving the reaction of the November election and the complete disregard of the will of the American people, the misleading statements leading into the war, the inability to have our troops adequately protected.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, (R ) KENTUCKY: Today marks the 200th day of the new Congress and a kind of stunt that Senator Feingold just recommended on the heels of the all-night theater of Tuesday night gives you a sense, Wolf, of why this Congress now has a 14 percent approval rating. We think it's the lowest in the history of polling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: And we should point out Feingold tendered a similar resolution against President Bush in March of last year over the warrant less wire taps issue.
Coming up next in THE NEWSROOM we all know, yes, England gets a lot of rain, but this is simply water overload. The Brits haven't seen in a long time. We're going to take you to the UK. When CNN NEWSROOM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Coming up a quarter to the hour. At least 26 people are dead in a bus crash in the French Alps. Authorities say the bus was not supposed to be on the road. Witnesses say the bus plunged off this steep slope and burst into flames. There have been several fatal accidents at that spot and the road is just so tricky buses must actually get a special permit to use it. Now this bus did not have one. The passengers were all polish pilgrims visiting a shrine, 24 people survived that crash and 14 of them today are in critical condition. It is being called one of the biggest residential fires in Edmonton, Alberta's history. Dozens of people are homeless after Saturday's inferno that destroyed an entire neighborhood. Firefighters believe the fire started in a condo complex which was under construction and strong winds spread the flames destroying nine homes and damaging 38 others. Luckily no reports of injuries, the damages are expected to run into the millions of dollars.
Days of monsoon rains in Bangladesh have left half a million people stranded in their homes. More than a dozen people have died in the flooding and streets in the capital are knee deep in rainwater. Across south Asia, floods and mudslides have killed more than 770 people in this monsoon season alone. And torrential rains and flash flooding are causing big problems in central Britain. They have rescued stranded people and more flooding could be on the way. Here is ITN's Simon Newton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON NEWTON, ITN (voice over): History has it that King Knute once lived in Isham, even he would have struggled to hold back this. Homes submerged, roads disappearing into the murky waters. For many like this man, helicopter is the only way out. Today ministers defended their handling of the crises amid accusations they didn't act fast enough to protect areas at risk. As well as having too much water, they could soon have too little. After a water treatment plant contaminated by flood water had to be shut down. Despite criticism of its response, the Environment Agency said it did everything possible to protect homes and property. But with more storms predicted over southern England in the coming days, the forecast for many remains bleak.
Simon Newton, ITV News.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: We do have extreme weather conditions in the U.S. as well. Jacqui Jeras has been checking the conditions yesterday we were talking about the extreme weather in Florida and Texas and now today really Texas.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, well, it takes a while for those rivers to go back within their banks. The worst of the rainfall certainly over and done but the floodwaters remain high. We're expecting many of these rivers to be cresting late today and into tomorrow and the rivers will likely all across central Texas, at least the few that really came out of their banks yesterday, should be back within their banks, we think, by Wednesday.
Here you can see the showers and thunderstorms really at a minimal here, just kind of popping up along I-35 corridor. There are the warnings that remain in place so across the San Antonio area and across much of eastern Texas we're faring much better and over on into the panhandle. Florida reeling with showers and thunderstorms this hour, widespread, no watches today like we had yesterday but some heavy down pours and some urban flooding can be expected around Palm Beach, down into Ft. Lauderdale and into the Miami area. We had a little bit of that going on in Jacksonville earlier today.
Tomorrow's forecast looking much the same, you know, 20, 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms here in Texas. Florida, you're likely going to stay very wet here as our stationary boundary is basically stalled out so a lot of moisture in place here, showers and thunderstorms will be triggering over the next at least three days. Now we're also seeing low pressure develop here on the north side of the system offshore and just to keep in mind for your travels tomorrow from New York City on up to Boston, likely going to have some big delays.
One good thing about that system offshore here in the U.S., it's keeping all the tropical disturbances away from the USA. We have an upper level area of low pressure here kind of swirling around Bermuda and we're keeping a close eye on that one for the potential of tropical development over the next couple of days. Across the Caribbean, things are pretty quiet. A little action here over into the western Caribbean. No concerns for development here. Showers and thunderstorms coming offshore and then pushing towards Texas, could bring some more thunderstorms towards the Brownsville area and what's left of what was tropical storm Cosme is now pulling away from the Hawaiian Islands and their weather getting back to normal, 80 degrees, sunny, with afternoon thunderstorms every day.
LONG: What an ideal situation. Wouldn't it be nice to be right there right now?
JERAS: It sure would.
LONG: British open results coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM. How did the playoff between Spanish and Irish golfers play out? We'll tell you when we come back.
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LONG: The British Open Tournament goes down to the wire. Irish golfer Padraig Harrington survived a late swoon to win in a playoff round. We get this story from CNN's Don Riddell in Scotland.
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DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: European golf fans had waited eight years and some 31 championships for one of their own to win a major title so in the end another four holes was worth the wait. Padraig Harrington won his first major title here at Carnoustie but only after he thought he blew his chances on 18 after twice putting it in the water and then surviving an excruciatingly tense playoff.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON, BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION: When I got my chance in the playoff, I felt I hit the shots and it was always a second chance and in fairness I took it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I should write a book on how to not miss a shot in the playoff and shoot one over. That's how it is. It's not news in my life, and just have to move on and hopefully do better next time. HARRINGTON: It's very special for me and, you know, I hope that the Europeans see this and believe. They are all familiar with my game and like a went into the U.S. Open, there's a guy and I know how he plays. When you know somebody and you know how they play and they win, it's easier to visualize it in your head. Let's hope this is the start of many majors for me and for the other guys.
RIDDELL: Harrington has twice won European tour events before at Carnoustie and he was a popular champion here on Sunday. He was the first Irishman to win the open in some 60 years. It was a thrilling day's play on the links course prompting some to say they should play the open here every year. Surely Harrington would agree.
Don Riddell, CNN, Carnoustie, Scotland.
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LONG: Barry Bonds still a home run prince, not yet a home run king. Just yet. The giants' slugger was held out of the starting lineup today against the Brewers in Milwaukee. That sets up a dream scenario for San Francisco fans. The giants return to San Francisco for a seven-game home stand. Game one tomorrow night against the Atlanta Braves and Bonds is just two runs shy of Braves slugger Hank Aaron's record of 755.
Sales records have already been broken for the last Harry Potter book. Now these children couldn't camp out for hours to get their copies but they did not have to. Harry Potter and a generous gift from the CNN NEWSROOM continue.
JERAS: I'm CNN's Jaqui Jeras with today's allergy report. This is the best-looking allergy map I have seen in quite a while. It looks like a good two-thirds of the country is looking at pollen counts low to moderate. The only real trouble areas we're seeing is up here across the Pacific Northwest in Washington, Oregon, also into western parts of Montana. So hopefully breathe nice and easy the rest of the weekend.
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LONG: A special foundation is making sure sick muggles don't miss out on Harry Potter's final act, The Hope for Henry Foundation has donated print and CD versions of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" to hundreds of hospital children and their siblings. This happened yesterday. Many are undergoing bone marrow transplants, chemo, or other lifesaving treatments.
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LAURIE STRONGIN, HOPE FOR HENRY FOUNDATION: As you know today is the day the last Harry Potter book of the series comes out and we didn't want you to miss out on that important occasion, so we got each of you your own copy of the book.
CARY BILLINGS, HARRY POTTER FAN: My brother had cancer so I come here a lot so yeah. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you're excited today to get all the presents?
BILLINGS: Yeah, a lot. There are some good ones.
JACKIE, HARRY POTTER FAN: I love what they've done for these kids. Giving everybody the book is amazing and I'm really excited about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you read Harry Potter before this?
JACKIE: Yes, I own the entire series.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I bet you like not waiting in line.
JACKIE: Yes. I know my friends are saying, I'm getting the book, too, and I said, well, I don't have to wait in line.
DR. AZIZA SHAD, LOMBARDI CANCER CENTER: It's the best thing any parent could have done to honor the memory of their child. Too often when confronted with life-threatening illnesses and children die, parents are depressed and upset and it takes them years to get over it. Lori and Allen have done something positive for so many hundreds and hundreds of children. And the Harry Potter party has become a tradition for them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: The foundation is named for Henry Strong Goldberg. He died of a fatal form of anemia when he was 7.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
Next on the CNN NEWSROOM heavy rains, dangerous mud slides in Colorado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope you spend the rest of your life in fear of death. You will never hurt another child again.
LONG: Plus, what do you say to the man who killed your child? Mark Lunsford had that chance. He will join us live to talk about his ordeal.
And U.S. military action in Pakistan, to track down al Qaeda operatives. There's new talk about that possibility today.
Hello. I'm Melissa Long in today for Fredricka Whitfield and we are in THE NEWSROOM.
Fires and flooding plaguing parts of the west today. Near San Antonio, Texas, the worst of the flooding appears to be over but not before a series of harrowing rescues that played out yesterday. Major wildfires dot California from the southern part of the state to the Oregon border. In central Colorado evacuees are awaiting word object the fates of their mountain homes, after heavy rain caused mudslides and flooding. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
